Conversation

After blasting most of the villa and reaching the kitchen, Eugene was shocked by the sight before him. The kitchen was extremely dirty, with a thick layer of dust covering every surface. The foul smell of rotting and uncleaned food made it almost unbearable.

Pinching his nose, Eugene carefully walked around the kitchen, looking for any signs of strangeness amidst the chaos. His eyes stopped at the floor on the edge of the kitchen, where a strong aroma emanated. Without hesitation, he crouched down and tapped the empty floor surface.

A few seconds passed before he heard a hollow sound coming from under the floor. Eugene's expression changed to joy and enthusiasm.

"Well... A secret room? I like that!"

With his curiosity peaking, Eugene searched for a way to open access to the secret room. He examined every inch of the floor, looking for signs of hidden mechanisms or hidden buttons that might open the secret door.

After a careful search, Eugene found a small hidden lever in the corner of the floor. Quickly, he pressed the lever, and with a slow rumble, a secret door opened in front of him, revealing a dark corridor that tempted to be explored.

After licking his dry lips, Eugene jumped down. As his feet touched the ground, he surveyed the surroundings. A faint light crept in from the cracks in the cave ceiling, illuminating the rocky path ahead.

The cave looked like a natural labyrinth, with stalactites and stalagmites hanging from the ceiling and floor. The calm sea water could be heard rippling in the distance, giving the cave a peaceful yet mysterious atmosphere.

Eugene stepped further into the cave, following the path ahead. Along the way, he continued to admire the natural beauty of the cave, with rocks forming unique patterns and the sea water shimmering behind the incoming light.

Suddenly, Eugene saw a brighter light at the end of the tunnel. And the nauseating aroma that was very strong came from there. He didn't feel any tension at all; instead, he remained relaxed as he approached the source.

With a relaxed feeling, Eugene approached the source of the increasingly bright light at the end of the tunnel. The increasingly strong nauseating aroma did not bother him at all. However, as he was about to reach the light, a high-powered energy ball suddenly flew towards him.

Eugene's reflexes were immediately triggered. Quickly, he jumped to the side, avoiding the energy attack. The energy ball hit a rock near him, exploding loudly, sending rock fragments in all directions.

BOOOOOM!!

"Not bad for a thrilling start," murmured Eugene, feeling his adrenaline rising.

He tried to locate the source of the attack. After looking around, his eyes fell on a woman in the distance. The woman stood tall, her black robe fluttering behind the dim moonlight in the cave. In her hand, her magic wand shimmered, giving an intimidating impression.

The woman smiled sardonically, realizing that her attack didn't immediately destroy Eugene. "Eugene Lucifuge, my arrogant former student. Nice to see you here," she said with a cold voice echoing in the silent cave.

Eugene looked around, seeing a large room in the cave with the moonlight shining through small cracks in the cave's ceiling. What surprised him was the presence of the locals behind Dolia. From their looks alone, Eugene could see that they were hypnotized.

But Eugene didn't let this surprise distract him. He looked at the woman with a sharp gaze. "Dolia, it seems we have a lot to talk about," he said calmly but courageously.

Dolia's sardonic smile widened as she saw her former student glance at the locals before addressing her. "Certainly, we both have a long night ahead of us~"

...

<Eugene's Point of View>

'Once again, she's doing this, using civilians to confuse the enemy. This woman really has no shame!' I quickly thought after observing the situation.

Actually, since noon, I had sensed something strange about the locals when I first started looking for information. However, because everything seemed normal, I didn't suspect anything. It turns out, Dolia didn't use hypnotic magic on the locals, but used a magical item instead. Of course, there are no traces when using tools compared to magical spells that usually leave traces in their magical energy.

I focused on the intimidating woman, wearing a long flowing black robe, adorned with ornaments made of animal skin or bones that added to the chilling impression. Her face was pale and cold, with eyes that emitted an unmatched magical power. Her hair was long and dark, sometimes adorned with necklaces containing magical artifacts that emitted a terrifying bluish or greenish light.

Aware of my gaze staring at her appearance, she immediately covered her body with both hands and acted like an ordinary girl. "Just like before, my naughty student." My face immediately warmed at her unexpected nickname. "Huh? No! And you're already old, so don't pretend to be a naive girl!"

She just laughed, emitting a terrifying aura that made me want to avoid it even more. "No need to be so embarrassed," she said, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Besides, I'm not that old, naughty student."

Then, she moved her wand, which looked terrifying, with a goat skull as an ornament. I was a bit wary, lowering my shoulders in a defensive stance.

"Come on, my student, you know very well what I will do if you misbehave," she said with a sardonic smile, then sat on her magic wand, which changed function into a flying broom. "Don't you want to know why I'm here?"

Inaudible, I couldn't refuse to hear what she was going to say. "Of course," I replied, trying to maintain a calm attitude even though my heart was pounding.

"Good," she snorted, taking out two items from her chest. One was paper, and the other was a kiseru (tobacco pipe). She placed the kiseru in her mouth, then created a small magic spell circle at the tip of the pipe to produce the fire that lit her cigarette. She sucked on the cigarette and exhaled it to show how exotic she was.

I was slightly disturbed by this cigarette smoke, and just in case, I put a small shield on my body. Seeing what I was doing, Dolia chuckled a little.

"Huuf... So, where do I start?" Dolia blew the smoke from her cigarette calmly, her eyes radiating interest in Eugene, as if enjoying the tension in the air.

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