บท 5: A Strange Painting. Durant Was In Trouble!
บรรณาธิการ: EndlessFantasy Translation
Other than just Marcus and Durant, there were even more people in the painting.
Like Durant, most of them were dressed in noble clothing with a deliberate smile on their faces. They were like puppets on strings.
They were all looking at Marcus, but Durant had quietly walked away.
Although Marcus's heart was in his throat, he did not dare to act rashly.
This was a type of black magic used to imprison people's souls. Its power could not be underestimated. He understood from his mentor that the artist could control the people within the painting.
'I was a little careless.' Marcus frowned.
Although he had long known that the owner of Pleasure Castle was not a kind person, he did not expect to encounter this tonight, leaving him no choice but to fight them to the death to save himself.
Furthermore, since this was still the territory of the owner of Pleasure Castle, he was in a very dangerous situation!
Soon, a blinding light appeared in the center of the crowd.
It was the Grand Fireball Spell!
Marcus decided to use magic and was prepared to fight to the death to break out of the encirclement.
However, the people surrounding him stared at him for a while and then walked away.
Marcus felt that something was wrong, but he did not dare to alert the enemy. His only option was to start exploring the place first.
"The people here only know how to smile. They can't speak."
Marcus silently remembered all the extraordinary details.
"Moreover, this seems to be a ship. There's also a rotten smell around, but I don't know where the source is..."
Suddenly, a blond man's body swaggered into view, his feet dragging across the ground as he slowly moved forward.
Recognizing his back, Marcus knew who he was.
"Durant!" Marcus moved closer to him.
Durant turned around when he heard his name, but he looked at Marcus with a depressed expression and remained silent.
Now, he could smell a rotten smell wafting from Durant's body.
'Does this mean that Durant is in deeper danger?!'
Suddenly, apart from Marcus and Durant, everyone else was rotten.
The zombies suddenly piled up and turned into a giant brown octopus. The infuriated octopus whipped its tentacles out of the inky black water.
The calm waters in front of them turned turbulent as the waving tentacles that were loaded with thorns kept smacking the wooden boat.
The boat that Marcus was in finally gave way and sank.
The most unimaginable thing was that Durant disappeared when the boat disintegrated.
Without a second thought, Marcus quickly activated his magic to dodge its attack.
"It's a monster!"
The ship began to crack from the hull. Then, the crack seemed to come alive as it headed straight for Marcus!
"Crap!"
Marcus sprang up instantly.
Then, he saw a terrifying scene that he could not fathom.
The hull was actually filled with people who had been stabbed to death by steel forks.
Judging from their clothing, they should be the crew of the ship. No wonder there had not been any crew on board, only passengers.
Still, Marcus could not imagine what kind of person could do such a heinous thing!
Could it be a black mage?
Since he did not have time on his side, Marcus did not overthink.
He focused his mind and quickly summoned his own magic. "Shadow Flash!"
Marcus stood on the floating planks and stared at the octopus causing senseless destruction.
"Level-7 Grand Fireball Spell!"
The scorching flames whistled across the sea, as the waves on the surface of the water turned into mist and evaporated in an instant!
Instead of dying out after colliding with the water, the flames grew even bigger instead.
A huge fireball landed heavily on the octopus's head. The giant octopus let out an ear-piercing shriek and began to go berserk.
However, it was useless. As the octopus closed its eyes and kept flailing, it finally fell into the sea.
[Grand Fireball Spell has killed a monster. Practice speed is increased by 80%. Current progress is 50%.]
Things were not over yet though. The strange feeling was still there.
In the blink of an eye, Marcus appeared back in the ancient castle again.
"Where is this?" He stood up and looked around.
"Pleasure Castle, huh..."
The maidservants around him did not seem to have noticed him. Marcus was prepared to find Durant and then get out of there.
"Have you heard? In the past, this place was a ship. Later, it was transformed into an ancient castle."
"What are you talking about? How can a wooden ship be transformed into an ancient castle made of stone bricks?"
Marcus stopped in his tracks.
"Hehe, I just heard about it. Apparently, everyone on that wooden ship died. Later, they were resurrected by the owner of the ancient castle..."
Bang!
Marcus suddenly woke up. He saw that the painting in the house had disappeared.
"Oh, no, Durant!"
Marcus pushed the door open and realized that his buddy was nowhere to be found.
"The door isn't locked?"
The room was filled with the stinking stench of rotting seafood.
There was a piece of paper on the table. On it was written: "Get out of here now!"
The handwriting did not seem to be Durant's as it was a little stiff. It was not carefree and easy at all.
Marcus's gut told him that this had something to do with Janice.
The hotel had become extremely humid and there was no one there, not even the owner.
It was late at night and the door should have been locked, but now it was wide open.
Thick fog started to appear outside and was slowly seeping in.
It was a little strange, but Marcus did not think too much about it. He immediately went out and headed straight for the castle.
He did not care what kind of monsters would appear around him. He had the Shadow Flash and the Earth Shield Spells to serve as double protection. Moreover, Durant was his only life-and-death friend in the academy!
"Master Marcus, what are you looking for?" A maid stood outside the castle and looked at Marcus who was running over. "We are closing now. Please leave and come back tomorrow."
"Where's Durant?" Marcus stared at her and demanded.
"He's not here."
"I advise you to tell the truth, Miss. What's this obvious footprint on the ground got to do with everything that's happening right now?"
Saying that, Marcus ignored her and trudged straight into the castle.
In the hall, there was only Janice. There were no other guests or maids around.
"Marcus, you're finally here. If you can get past me," Janice said with a serious expression, "then you can save him.
"If you can't, then please go back and forget about this place because this isn't where you should be."
Janice saw that Marcus was still not moving, so she helplessly cast a Wind Blade Spell at him.
"My power is that of a low-level fifth-rank magician. I can't even defeat him, let alone you."
Suddenly, the wind blade was blocked by an even bigger wind blade.
"How is that possible?" Janice could not believe that her magic was deflected so easily.
When she first got to know Marcus, she discerned that she was more powerful than him.
"Again!"
Janice seemed to have used up all her magic power to release a wind blade that was even bigger than before. "I was careless but not this time."
Obviously, she was serious.
"Although it is the most elementary magic, my foundation is very solid. Despite your speedy progress, your foundation is definitely not stable!"
Seeing that the wind blade had hit Marcus, Janice laughed in glee. "So, let's see how you deflect this?! Don't save him. Just leave. Just because you managed to escape from a magic painting, it doesn't mean that you can escape his clutches. Didn't I leave you a note?"
"Oh?" Marcus's voice suddenly came from the dust and fog, "So, you admit you wrote the note. Where is the painting? Who is this man that you're talking about, Miss Janice?"
The dust dispersed.
Marcus did not step back and still stood there.
Janice was surprised to find that her wind blade had not penetrated Marcus's earth shield. What surprised her the most was that there were no knife marks on the shield!
"Am I qualified to save Durant?" Marcus questioned slowly.
"Yes..." Janice looked at him in a daze.
He was more than just a little more powerful than her!
The maids around him moved aside and cleared the way when they saw this.
"You are very strong, but you have to be careful," Janice warned, "That man is very powerful."
"Of course." Marcus nodded and said, "Did you create that painting on the wall of the hotel?"
Janice smiled. "It doesn't matter anymore."
"I asked you. Just answer yes or no..."
Janice was suddenly frightened by his aura and stammered, "N-no."
Without another word, Marcus walked upstairs without looking back.
As he went upstairs, Janice slowly said to him, "Today, since you came here, you are doomed to never return."
"Then, I won't go back..." Marcus said calmly.
"Heh, I'm just reminding you out of kindness."
"Where's Juno?"
"He's on the top floor."
"Mm."
"If you manage to get out of this alive, please tell Durant to forget about me."
Marcus turned around and looked at Janice.
"Everything around us was created by the owner of the castle, Juno, using magic. We're all just his puppets, but being puppets is so tiring..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Janice fell down and turned into a puddle of mud.
Everyone around her, including the maids, also turned into mud.
The muddy puddles of 'people' caught Marcus off guard.
This was a punishment that could only be triggered if one betrayed their master.
The light punishment for insubordination was electrocution or burning in boiling water. For those who had completely turned their back on their master, Juno, the traitors would immediately turn into mud and then evaporate into nothingness.
Marcus silently took off his hat and threw it in front of what used to be Janice as a sign of respect.
Then, his feet heavily marched up the stairs. Step by step, he climbed up to the top floor.
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