Walpurga had a small enigmatic smile. She took a few steps toward him, the bewitching scent of her skin floating around Klein. Making him blush despite himself...

’ Wow, what the hell is this? Is it some kind of mystic spell? ’

"In exchange for your help... I will show you my true appearance in all its magnificence..." she said, her face still hidden.

Klein’s face immediately fell, an expression of pure disgust replacing his smile.

"Narcissistic too?"

"What?" she protested, her eyes shining with disbelief.

"Even my closest disciples do not know my true appearance. Some would give everything they own, their entire life, just to catch a glimpse of me as I really am!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Klein waved his hand to cut short her protests. "I would much rather you teach me a few mystic art spells that you developed yourself. Knowledge has more value than your ego."

She sniffed, visibly offended by his lack of interest. She took another puff from her pipe before turning away, her wide hips swaying with feline grace under the dark fabric.

"Anyway, you would instantly fall in love with me if you saw me," she declared arrogantly. "It is probably better that I keep this appearance for now."

"That must be it, yeah..." replied Klein as he tossed his cigarette butt, already turned toward the direction of the Alchemists’ Tower.

The sun of Babylon rose with calculated slowness, casting amber reflections on the ruins of the city of the dark elves as Klein and Walpurga set off.

The city was nothing more than a skeleton of stone and metal, a gaping scar on the surface of the world where the smell of dried blood mingled with that of calcined dust.

Walpurga walked ahead, her silhouette standing out against the devastated horizon. For this expedition, she had chosen to abandon her long white hair for a more discreet appearance: jet-black hair that fell in cascades over her shoulders and deep electric blue eyes. Despite this simplified facade, her gait betrayed an aristocratic assurance, her wide hips swaying with hypnotic regularity under her fitted travel dress.

Klein followed her, his hands buried in the pockets of his silver coat. His blue eyes swept the surroundings with cynical vigilance, accustomed to seeking threats in every shadowy corner.

"We are here. The Alchemy Tower," declared Walpurga as she stopped in front of a colossal structure.

The tower was in ruins, part of its summit having collapsed during the cataclysm, but the foundations held firm. Protection runes, engraved in the black metal of Babylon, still shimmered with residual light.

"Don’t linger too much, junior disciple. The first floors are only the appetizer, and the most powerful witch has no intention of spending eternity waiting for you," she added without turning around, her voice tinged with natural arrogance.

Klein let out a brief laugh. "Your narcissism is almost as suffocating as the atmosphere, you know? It is fascinating to see how you manage to walk with such a heavy ego."

Walpurga turned her head slightly, a mocking smile stretching her thin lips. "The weight of my ego is nothing compared to the power I wield. Learn to close your mouth and open your eyes, that might help you stay alive."

As soon as they crossed the threshold of the immense iron door, the air changed. The temperature dropped and an invisible pressure seemed to weigh on their shoulders. They had entered a zone where time and space began to distort.

On the first floor, the first threats did not take long to appear.

Guttural growls echoed in the circular hall, followed by the sound of claws scraping the stone floor. A pack of Hell Wolves, rank C creatures covered in black fur that seemed to absorb light, emerged from the shadows.

Their red eyes shone with insatiable hunger.

Klein did not waste a second. He drew his katana in a fluid motion.

< Aura Coating >

A thin layer of bluish energy enveloped the blade as he sprang forward. He became a silver blur, his leather boots striking the ground with precision.

The first wolf leaped, jaws wide open. Klein pivoted on his left foot, letting the beast pass a few millimeters from his chest, then he struck. The edge of his sword severed the monster’s head. The black blood, viscous and steaming, splattered the wall.

Two other wolves charged together. Klein used < Aura Repulsion > under his feet to propel himself backward, creating a safety distance, before charging back with multiplied speed from the impulse.

" < First Movement: Crescent Moon > ", he launched.

A crescent of white light burst from his blade, cutting through the air and the two creatures in a single horizontal motion. The wolves’ bodies fell to the ground, their entrails spilling out in a stench of sulfur.

’ How come he masters Sundering Eclipse!? Never mind...’

Walpurga, for her part, had not moved yet. She observed the fight with feigned disinterest, although her blue eyes followed each of Klein’s movements with sharp attention. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"A bit slow for a warrior of your rank, no?" she commented as a wolf tried to take her from behind.

Without even turning around, she simply raised the index finger of her right hand.

< Telekinesis >

The air around the wolf suddenly contracted. A sharp crack sounded, that of all the creature’s bones breaking simultaneously under several tons of invisible pressure. The wolf was instantly reduced to a shapeless mass of crushed flesh and fur, collapsing like a useless sack of shit.

Klein, who had just finished eliminating the rest of the pack, stopped to observe the carnage. He felt a drop of sweat run down his temple. "Impressive. You crush living beings like one crushes insects under a boot. Your cruelty is really your most charming character trait."

Walpurga resumed her walk toward the staircase leading to the second floor. "Pity is a weakness that the dark elves eradicated millennia ago. You should do the same with your sarcasm, it is starting to become repetitive, junior disciple..."