Chapter 45
“Lisbeth, be careful. There might be a trap ahead.”
“Understood.”
As the laboratory suddenly burst into light before them, both Lisbeth and Staros instinctively recoiled, fearing a hidden snare. Yet, they knew lingering was pointless.
Staros dispelled the orb of light she had conjured moments before, then turned to Lisbeth. “Lisbeth, I’m not sure what’s happening here, but let’s stick to the original plan. I’ll go in first, and you follow right behind me.”
“Alright.”
With Staros’s words, Lisbeth nodded and stepped into the laboratory after her. Lisbeth, however, had never held a positive impression of mages’ labs.
To further their magical research, mages often brought back numerous monstrous creatures as experimental subjects. Thus, Olivia’s laboratory, if typical, should have been filled with countless transparent containers holding various specimens.
Yet, the moment they entered Olivia’s laboratory, they were greeted by a surprisingly tidy room. Aside from three large experimental tables, there were only two spacious bookshelves and a single cabinet filled with an assortment of bottles and jars.
Witnessing this, both Lisbeth and Staros paused, wondering if they had somehow taken a wrong turn. The place felt less like a laboratory and more like a meticulously kept private study.
“Staros, are you sure we’re in the right place? You haven’t accidentally led me to Olivia’s personal chambers, have you?”
“No, no, this is undoubtedly her laboratory. But it’s so strange. She usually has so many experiments underway; how could this lab contain so little?”
Lisbeth nodded in agreement with Staros’s bewilderment. As a great mage who developed countless spells, Olivia was known for her endless experiments, making the current laboratory far too small for her reputation.
‘Could it be…?’
‘A secret room?’
‘A secret room?’
After a brief moment of shared contemplation, both Lisbeth and Staros simultaneously arrived at the same possibility. This, without a doubt, seemed the most plausible explanation for their current situation.
With this realization, they exchanged a nod and began searching for a hidden door.
****
Meanwhile, in another location…
“Olivia, by hiding all the valuable materials in your lab, how exactly are we supposed to test Lisbeth? Or have you forgotten the purpose of this test?”
Watching Lisbeth and Staros rummaging through the screens, Chris frowned in displeasure. Hearing her words, Olivia tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face. “Hm? Wasn’t this whole charade orchestrated because you, Demon Lord, wanted a potion to enlarge your bust?”
“Of–Of course not! What are you talking about? I told you, this is all to test Lisbeth, so…”
“Demon Lord, there’s no benefit in lying.”
Before Chris could finish, Olivia shook her head. “I believe you know better than anyone that even if Lisbeth took something from my lab, it wouldn’t prove anything, would it? At most, it would only confirm she has issues. But in truth, as a former hero, even if she *does* have issues, proving it would be meaningless, wouldn’t it? So, this entire farce, to me, looks like you simply wanted something specific from my lab.”
After Olivia’s succinct analysis, Chris, seated in her chair, finally seemed to lose her composure. She pointed at Olivia, her face flushed with anger. “Olivia! If you already knew that, then just hand over the potion! You know how much I care about that, yet you’ve always refused to give it to me! What does that mean?”
“Demon Lord…”
As Chris’s voice trailed off, both Olivia and Hilda covered their faces in exasperated silence. The next second, Olivia cleared her throat gently. “Demon Lord, the bust-enlarging potion does indeed exist, but it’s not suitable for your situation.”
“While the potion can indeed enlarge one’s bust, its true effect is to stimulate a person’s growth potential. However, you, Demon Lord, are still young; you haven’t even begun to grow, let alone reach your full growth potential. Using that potion at this stage could easily cause problems. It’s for your safety that I’ve never given it to you.”
“So that’s how it is…”
Upon hearing Olivia’s explanation, Chris’s face fell in obvious disappointment. The next second, as if losing all interest, she rose from her chair. “In that case, there’s no point in me wasting time here. You two can monitor this test; I’m off to review official documents.”
Having declared this, Chris made to leave the room. However, Olivia quickly shook her head. “Demon Lord, please wait a moment. While testing Lisbeth for problems might be meaningless here, you can, conversely, observe their character through this situation, can’t you?”
“Hm? What do you mean by that?”
As Olivia finished speaking, Chris’s interest was piqued, and she questioned Olivia further. “Olivia, it seems you’ve got something planned, too, haven’t you?”
“Indeed.”
Nodding, Olivia suddenly snapped her fingers. Immediately, a section of the laboratory floor where Lisbeth and Staros stood began to sink. Then, in the next instant, the floor beneath their feet on the screen vanished into thin air.
****
“Waaah!”
“Waaah!”
With the sudden loss of footing, both Lisbeth and Staros let out startled screams. Simultaneously, the sensation of free-falling enveloped them, and they knew they were plummeting from the laboratory into an unknown abyss.
However, both Lisbeth and Staros quickly regained their composure. They had, after all, prepared themselves for the possibility of a trap, so this turn of events wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Taking a deep breath, they both thought of the same thing.
Snap!
Snap!
As if sharing a telepathic connection, Lisbeth and Staros desperately reached for each other, their hands clasping tightly. Seeing their hands intertwined, a faint smile touched both their lips.
“Lisbeth.”
“Staros.”
“You absolutely *must* be my cushion!”
“You absolutely *must* be my cushion!”
Indeed, the first thing that came to their minds the moment they fell was to use the other as a human cushion. Thus, the smiles that had graced their faces moments before contorted into ferocious grimaces as they frantically tried to swap positions mid-air.
“Damn it! Can’t you just be a good cushion?”
“Bastard! That’s what I should be saying!”
They continued to wrestle and switch places in mid-air, but their fall was shorter than anticipated. Before they could swap positions again, they both landed simultaneously on a massive, soft cushion.
“Whoa! What is this?”
“I-I don’t know, but at least we’re safe.”
The cushion was incredibly springy, preventing any injuries. However, before they could fully relax, a transparent barrier suddenly separated them from the cushion. Then, two luminous staircases materialized in the air, their ends leading to two newly formed doors.
Before Lisbeth and Staros could fully grasp their situation, Olivia’s voice echoed from above.
“Welcome to my laboratory. My name is Olivia. While I don’t know who has trespassed into my lab, nor how many are currently listening to this recording I’ve stored in a magic crystal, since you’ve found your way here, I presume you seek something within my laboratory. I am not a stingy person; if there is truly something I can provide, I am not unwilling to part with it.”
“However, I believe you, or perhaps all of you, understand that nothing in this world comes without a price. Therefore, if you can pass my test, I will provide you with anything you desire from me.”
“Tsk, how troublesome.”
“Tell me about it.”
Upon hearing Olivia’s message, both of them frowned simultaneously. The next second, a blue-green light shot out from the doors at the end of the staircases, appearing before them. As the blue light reached them, it instantly transformed into a massive wall covered in etched text.
“Alright, then, first choose what you wish to obtain from me. Anything on the list is available for selection.”