Voyage Of The Villainess

The next day...

In a certain lab, where there were people, men and women of different ages were seemingly grinding and mixing in some large pots, and continued to move. The pot contained a strange black liquid, however, despite its color, it has no smell. The people's eyes were tired and dull and it seemed all hope was already lost for them. They completely looked like puppets who didn't have any of their wills despite still living.

"Deven, you're back?" 

"They escape," Deven said, with a monotonous tone. His face remained neutral.

"You let those scholars escape? Hah!" Tyreck, one of his comrades that was wearing a red mask as well, looked extremely pissed.

"Someone with a teleportation talisman helps them," Deven said, who didn't even flinch when Tyreck got angry. "I just reported it to you, I'll continue searching about them again." He walked out of the room without bothering to wait for Tyreck's response.

"Hey, is that all?" Tyreck yelled at him. But only the sound of the closing door answered him. "That guy is really as dull as a stone." He said as he kicked the wall, causing a tiny crack on it. The people who were near it, trembled, however, they didn't stop mixing. Or they might incur a far worse punishment.

*Chuckles.*

"I wonder who helps them?" Another person who was wearing a red mask appeared. However, based on her features and voice, she was a girl. And the one most noticeable about her was her rainbow-colored hair. And she was wearing a rainbow-colored jumpsuit. 

"Fanny," Tyreck's expression became extremely sour upon seeing her. "What are you doing here?"

"Ivor wants to see you." She said as she disappeared once again from the shadows. This made Tyreck extremely pissed. "Hah, they just kept saying whatever they wanted to me. Then leave like I'm some nobody. Tch!" He kicked the wall once again, and stormed out of the lab, quite angry. 

But before he could completely leave, he looked at all the people inside. A sinister grin formed his lips. "If anyone tries to escape again, you know what will happen." He said as he slammed the door.

After a few minutes of walking, Tyreck finally reached the people who called him. It was above a cliff where one could clearly see the whole sea.

"Ivor," 

Ivor turned around. He was also wearing the same red mask as them. His two hands were cupped behind him, as he looked at the sea with seemingly deep thoughts. However one could clearly see that he was out of the ordinary. Beside him was Fanny who was drinking tea leisurely with a rainbow-colored cup.

"You're so slow," Fanny said, which made Tyreck lose his temper. 

"You damn clown, do you want to die today?!" He pointed his halberd towards Fanny. But she remained unfazed as she drank her tea leisurely.

"Larice told me that Delonn wants us to go back." These stop the two from fighting further.

"Boss wants us to go back already?" Fanny asked.

"But Deven just left again to find those scholars who escaped," Tyreck said as he put his halberd at his back. 

"I will look for him myself. Both of you take care of this place and go ahead." Ivor brought out a teleportation talisman. He tore it and disappeared.

"Tch. Why is the cleaning always left to us?" Tyreck said as he started walking back to the way he came before. Fanny simply finished her drink and after that, she disappeared. 

---⚓⚓⚓---

Ivor appeared in front of Deven. He halted and his eyes held confusion when Ivor appeared in front of him. "Ivor?"

"Delonn wants us to go back now," Ivor said. 

"But I haven't caught those scholars," Deven said. 

"I will look at them myself, tell Delonn that I'll arrive tonight," Ivor said as he picked up a talisman once again from his coat, ready to leave. 

"Ah, I forgot to tell Tyreck this. But the people who helped those two looked strangely close to you." Deven said. "But when I retook a closer look, I realized that it was just a mistake."

"I see," Ivor said without thinking much of it. Then disappeared as he tore the talisman.

Ivor teleported in the entrance of a forest. 'Those two are here. But they are not alone.' He started walking inside, and all the animals and even birds trying to come on his way were immediately running away from the opposite side. "Any hindrance should be eliminated."

---⚓⚓⚓---

Meanwhile back to the main leads...

Everyone was sitting and surrounding the table. They just finished the breakfast that Dorris prepared for them.

Malaya and the others have finished telling everyone what Dandras and Lamar told her. And the strange red mask man who attacked them.

"So you're saying, there is someone behind people becoming crazy at the capital?" Iris asked.

"Yes," Malaya said. "And they are far from normal. I think they are the ones who incite the beastmen to start a war against the Kingdom of Baslon."

"Why did you say so?"

"You told me that you felt a strong concentration of dark magic, near the beastmen's tribe. And you even told me that they dug a tunnel just to reach the kingdom without anyone's notice." Malaya said. "It's not like, I'm belittling the beastmen, but an elaborate plan can't be easily thought of by someone. Plus it needs a greater amount of magic."

"You got a point about that," Iris said as she tapped her fingers on the table. "Besides, it really still pisses me how those monkeys almost used us with their schemes. What do you think about this, Kayden?" 

Kayden, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, simply looked at them. And Malaya when their eyes met, she immediately diverted it to the other side.

"Ah never mind," Iris released a deep sigh. "Let's go back to the capital now. And tell everyone our findings. We can plan things further ahead with them. Now that there is some big shot enemy behind them, we can't act as reckless as before. This is really troublesome."

Malaya grinned. "Well, I can't deny that. I probably think that we have already disrupted their plans that much either. I don't know whether they will leave us alone or not that easily."

"It's because of us that you might have become targets as well." Dandras stood up from his seat. "I'm terribly sorry." Lamar also stood up and bowed down.

"Nah," Iris picked her ears, looking at them with complete disinterest. "It's not that we are afraid of them or something. I just said that it is troublesome."

The two looked confused at Iris. They thought that they might be mishearing things. They even told them how powerful they are.

"We will be alright." Hyun Jae said with a smile on her face. The two looked at her and were mesmerized by her angelic smile. "We are also strong."

They didn't know whether she was just saying comforting words to them. But they simply nodded their heads.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Malaya this time spoke. "Did I not save you alone with those giant scorpions? Though it is not within my calculations the attack of that red mask guy, we still ended up getting away from him. The next time we meet that man, it will be different now."

The two looked in complete awe hearing Malaya's words. "Yes, I believe in you," Dandras said. "Thank you for helping us," Lamar said.

"Then if you allow me, Milady, I'll prepare a mass teleportation for everyone now," Dorris said.

"Thank you, Dorris," Malaya said. And Dorris started chanting her teleportation spell now. The whole house was now filled with a purple glow.

"What's happening?!" Dandras said as the light appeared to where he was standing.

"It is Dorris' teleportation magic," Malaya said. "We will go now to the capital and meet my other crew and friends." 

"Incredible," Lamar said in amazement. This was his first time seeing mass teleportation like this. 'Lady Malaya can easily fight monsters. Lady Hyun Jae can heal wounds and injuries that are considered very impossible to heal even with a healing potion. And now, to Lady Dorris, who can use such high mass teleportation magic.' Lamar's gaze went to Iris and Kayden. And those two skills are still unknown. But just looking at them, one could see that they are not ordinary people. Compare to those monsters in our village.' He clenched his fists.

'I really hope that they can fight against them. And give justice to all our friends and families who died and suffered at the hands of those monsters.'

However, before they completely got teleported, Kayden stepped out of the circle. Iris also seemed alarmed even Hyun Jae and Dorris.

"It seems one of your pursuers has arrived here," Iris said with a grin on her face. "That is one nasty lifa, that can't be easily spotted. But when one does, it gives a menacing feeling." This horrified both Dandras and Lamar.

*Bang!*

The door swung open revealing a man with a red mask.

"I'll take care of this," Kayden said.