In mid-air, Morgan sat on a throne formed of mercury, overlooking Altrouge on the ground like a goddess.
Her pale golden eyes gazed down with superiority, her jade hand cradling her cheek. Her long, slender legs crossed each other beneath her black dress, revealing a faint, ivory-like radiance.
Dozens of magic circles floated behind her, and the intricate pattern emitted a dazzling light that could make one dizzy. The terrifying aura emanating from Morgan made even the empty space tremble slightly.
"Don't get too cocky human! I haven't lost yet!"
Altrouge shouted angrily and gritted her teeth; her heart filled with endless frustration. She, who had always looked down on others while sitting on her throne, never expected that one day she would be looked at with such disdain by someone else!
"Do you know? I'm actually a very pure mage. In my pursuit of power, I spared no means."
Morgan observed her own slender fingers as though admiring a beautiful piece of art.
"Phantasmal Species, Fairies, Demons, Giants, Mages—in my pursuit to unravel the secrets of these powerful creatures, I used these hands to dissect their bodies."
Her seductive lips curled into a barely discernible smile.
"That includes Dead Apostles of course."
It felt like an electric current shot up Altrouge's spine as she froze instantly.
Morgan lowered her head, her pale golden eyes revealing a somewhat mysterious expression.
"Do you know how many Dead Apostles I've dissected up to now?"
Altrouge had never felt her throat so dry, like a lost wanderer in the desert.
"H-How many?"
"To be honest, it's not that many. I only found around five thousand of them..." Morgan sighed regretfully. "Perhaps it's because the people of Orkney are so few, so they couldn't attract many Dead Apostles."
*Gulp!*
Altrouge's throat moved subtly as she swallowed a big gulp of saliva, and cold sweat appeared on her smooth forehead.
"Y-You dissected them all?"
"Of course, even though the number was a bit small, Dead Apostles are excellent research materials."
As she mentioned research, Morgan seemed to become more livelier. She leaned forward slightly as if conversing with a like-minded friend.
"Did you know that although your kind may look like humans, your anatomical structure differs significantly from humans? Your teeth are actually hollow, and there's a small hole on the inside of the teeth. When you feed on blood, it flows through this small hole into the esophagus. I once shattered all the teeth of a Dead Apostle and replaced them with human teeth, and as expected, he couldn't feed on blood anymore."
"And generally, more powerful Dead Apostles would have a special, turtle shell-like membrane condensed on their skin surface. This membrane, much like a turtle's shell, helps them block something in the sunlight. That's why they appear to be unafraid of sunlight."
"I once captured a Dead Apostle who had consumed the blood of a thousand maidens. I used a special way to remove the membrane on his skin surface and then exposed him to the sunlight. As expected, he burned like any ordinary Dead Apostle."
"Unfortunately, even though I figured out why Dead Apostles are unafraid of sunlight, I haven't yet determined what exactly in the sunlight inflicts such terrible damage on them. If I could understand that, maybe I could create magecraft specifically targeting Dead Apostles."
"Besides that, the number of bones in Dead Apostles also differs from humans..."
Morgan continued to speak carelessly, completely oblivious to the fact that Altrouge below was gradually losing the sparkle in her eyes, and her face was becoming more and more vacant as if a new world had been opened before her.
Once, she thought Crimson Moon was the most terrifying being in the world, as her power was overwhelming, leaving no room for resistance, only endless despair.
But now, she finally understood that true terror was never based on strength alone!
Some people, just by words alone, could awaken the deepest fear in someone's heart and leave the most profound shadows!
This woman named Morgan was undoubtedly a madwoman!
Altrouge suddenly recalled what Crimson Moon had said about those entities that roamed deep in the endless night sky, between the folds of time, something beyond words, and that calling their names would elicit the most extreme and blasphemous words.
Wasn't this the situation she was facing now?
For a moment, Altrouge seemed to see countless tentacles with eyes and teeth emerging behind Morgan, shrouded in eerie mist, indescribable and impossible to look directly at.
"I always thought I understood Dead Apostles well, but it's only now that I've seen you that I realize how amazing this world truly is..."
Morgan stared at Altrouge without blinking, her pale golden eyes shimmering with an unusual color.
"I can sense that you're different from other Dead Apostles; you possess some kind of power that far surpasses the concepts of ordinary Dead Apostles. It's a power I've never seen before..."
Altrouge was not unfamiliar with that kind of gaze; it was the look of a hunter discovering its prey!
"So..." Morgan's face broke into a breathtakingly beautiful smile. "If you don't mind, could I study the power within you for a bit?"
'Study?'
Recalling the research Morgan had described earlier, a strong fear instantly clutched Altrouge's heart like the claws of a demon, and her crimson eyes filled with a look of utter terror. She turned and fled from the madwoman, completely disregarding any thoughts of fighting.
Right now, Altrouge had no intention of fighting at all. Her only thought was to get as far away from this madwoman as possible!
The farther, the better!
"Looks like you're not very willing to cooperate, huh..." Morgan said disappointedly, not at all surprised, as she watched Altrouge's retreating figure. "I'm sorry, but if I want something, I will definitely get it."
Morgan gestured with her fingers, and dozens of black tentacles shot out from her magic circles, pursuing Altrouge.
"Don't come!"
Altrouge screamed in panic, and the crimson mist around her rushed frantically toward the black tentacles to block.
*Hisss—*
The crimson mist disintegrated the black tentacles, causing them to pause for a moment before continuing their pursuit of Altrouge.
"Damn you! You forced my hand!"
Altrouge gritted her white teeth and suddenly stood still, closing her eyes.
An indescribable charm emanated from her, and the crimson moon high in the sky blinked slightly.
*Swish! Swish!*
The black tentacles rushed forward, but before they could approach Altrouge's body, they dissipated like smoke, leaving no trace.
Seeing this scene, Morgan furrowed her dark brows.
"To dare use such filthy things to touch my vessel."
Suddenly, a cold voice resounded from Altrouge's mouth, and a vast, ancient aura radiated from her. She slowly opened her eyes, and the once crimson eyes had transformed into gold, shining like torches.
"How do you plan to atone for this blasphemy?"
With a cold tone and disdainful gaze, 'Altrouge' nonchalantly asked Morgan, treating her as if she were an insignificant insect.