The Lava Trap and the Crimson Dragon’s Sacrifice

Upon hearing the word ‘piercing,’ Fulkarn’s body trembled violently.

“Oh? Scared?” Noticing the movement beneath her foot, Iqiyah’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Now you’re scared? What were you thinking just a moment ago?”

“Wuwuwu… I was wrong… I was so wrong…”

Facing a master who far surpassed her in both strength and status, Fulkarn’s demeanor shifted instantly. Her voice became incredibly faint, completely devoid of the fierce, Gestapo-like aggression she had displayed moments before.

“Please… please spare me…”

“Spare you? At this very moment, you must be joking, aren’t you?”

She lifted her foot, clearly prepared to carry out the punishment.

“Be more careful in your next life… hm?”

Just as she was about to bring her heel down, a hand gently took hold of her.

“Lady Iqiyah… please hear me out.”

Levian leaned close to Iqiyah’s ear, her lips brushing her earlobe as she whispered softly:

“Fulkarn was a retainer adopted by the master after Lady Cardo’s death. She has served as the head maid in the manor for a considerable time now.”

“From what I know of her, while she certainly enjoys meddling, she isn’t someone who fails to discern proper hierarchy.”

“And this morning, when we entered the manor, Lady Seraphina was constantly by your side. As an experienced maid, she should have recognized Lady Seraphina’s status…”

“Hm… your meaning is… Fulkarn is not herself today?”

“Exactly…” Levian looked down at the figure prostrate at her feet. “I wonder if you recall Lady Seraphina mentioning that the master has always been parasitized and influenced by the True Ancestor.”

“Therefore… I suspect Fulkarn’s exceptionally strange behavior today is the True Ancestor’s doing.”

“…That makes a lot of sense.”

Lowering her foot, the ferocity in Iqiyah’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by an expression of pity, as if to say, ‘There’s truly nothing to be done.’

“Someone, take her to the utility room and restrain her for now.”

“Yes.”

Two maids promptly arrived, lifted Fulkarn, and carried her out of the room.

Only after confirming Fulkarn had left the room did Iqiyah turn around. “Hm… and now… did either of you two find any clues just now?”

“There is one.”

Reaching under the covers, Seraphina pulled out Cardo’s photograph from her pocket.

“This, Iqiyah, I found in your sister’s room.”

“This is… sister?”

Looking at the photo before her, a faint crimson flickered in Iqiyah’s eyes, instantly deepening them, making them profound.

“First, help me up; I’ll demonstrate what to do.”

“…Alright.”

Moving closer, Iqiyah and Levian worked together, gently helping Seraphina off the bed.

Following Seraphina’s steps, the three of them approached Cardo’s portrait.

Then, Seraphina raised her hand and peeled back the canvas at the chest area of Cardo’s portrait.

As expected, there was indeed an embedded slot the size of a memory card within.

‘Bingo, a lucky guess! I was right this time.’

She embedded the photograph into the slot. Accompanied by a magical hum, a mechanical voice with completely distorted audio emanated from behind the portrait.

“Verifying interface key… Key confirmed, mechanism activating, please retreat to a safe distance.”

‘Safe distance? What safe distance?’

Before Seraphina could even process it, the lower half of Cardo’s portrait suddenly lifted, slamming straight into her chin.

“Guh!”

Having not anticipated such a sudden blow, under the powerful impact of the portrait, all three lost their balance and tumbled backward.

But this was not the end.

****

Just then—

Kukukaka—

Accompanied by the roaring of the mechanism, the entire room’s floor suddenly moved with incredible speed towards the sides of the room, instantly forming a massive chasm beneath their feet!

“What’s happening!?”

A sensation of weightlessness surged like a tide. Along with the numerous furnishings in Iqiyah’s room, Seraphina and the two others plummeted downwards.

In a panic, Iqiyah quickly grabbed Seraphina, pulling her into her embrace, and attempted to shield her from the fall’s impact with her own body.

However, to their surprise, as the three descended beneath Iqiyah’s room, where the manor’s first-floor rooms should have been, the floor there also retracted to the sides, forming yet another enormous chasm!

Squeezing her head out from Iqiyah’s embrace, Seraphina looked down. Beyond this chasm lay a narrow, seemingly bottomless, cylindrical passage, plummeting straight downwards.

Looking further down this passage, a faint orange-red glow was vaguely visible…

“This is bad!”

The instant Seraphina spotted the light, Cardo suddenly appeared.

“It’s lava!”

“The manor’s basement is the True Ancestor’s domain, filled with lava crystals.”

“This passage must lead directly to the basement’s lava. This isn’t a mechanism to the basement; it’s a pure trap!”

Upon hearing this, Seraphina instantly lost her composure.

Although Iqiyah could revive her, it required body tissue.

But if she fell into the lava, it was likely that not even a speck of bone would remain!

“Iqiyah! It’s lava! Quickly, use magic to lift us up!”

“Ah! Right!”

Flipping her body, Iqiyah grabbed Seraphina with one hand and Levian with the other.

With a soft ‘whoosh,’ a pair of enormous red blood wings suddenly unfurled behind Iqiyah. They flapped rapidly, like a sparrow frantically fleeing for its life.

However, whether it was due to the combined weight of the three or some other reason, the descent only slowed marginally, and the trio remained in peril.

Moreover, Seraphina could now clearly see the continuously churning surface of the lava. She wondered if they would make it in time!

“Tsk!”

In desperation, Iqiyah quickly spread her hands.

“Come forth! True Crimson Dragon of Blood!”

With a savage, twisted sneer, Iqiyah let out a soul-shaking roar.

Ohm—

Following the magical hum, a massive blood-red magic circle suddenly appeared beneath Iqiyah.

“Roar!!!”

Light surged, and a colossal blood-red dragon crawled out from within. It then carried the three plummeting individuals on its back.

“Phew… we’re safe now.”

Sitting on the dragon’s back, Seraphina was about to wipe away a bead of sweat. Suddenly, her arm was seized, and she was roughly pulled to her feet.

“It’s not over yet, Seraphina, quickly stand up!”

Even with solid ground beneath her feet, Iqiyah’s expression remained grim. “There isn’t enough space; the True Crimson Dragon of Blood cannot fly, and we are still descending!”

“Then, what do we do!?”

“It’s okay, trust me!”

“Eek!?”

Without any warning, Iqiyah scooped Seraphina into a princess carry, holding her close.

At the very same moment, the dragon landed on the surface of the lava.

“Levian, jump quickly!”

Upon contact with the lava, the dragon instantly let out a mournful wail.

However, thanks to the dragon’s incredibly strong defenses, it didn’t instantly dissolve into molten flesh upon landing in the lava. Instead, it briefly floated.

Indeed, this was Iqiyah’s true intention—to transform the dragon’s body into a massive floating platform, providing the trio with a brief, fleeting moment to escape the lava!

Clutching Seraphina, Iqiyah leaped with all her might. Amidst the dragon’s pained cries, she sprang towards the distant ground.