"What is she looking at?" Khalid asked his lover, Hawkgirl.
How would Hawkgirl know what Thea was staring at with such panic? However, she tilted her chin, pointing at the somewhat effeminate-looking Wotan. The meaning was clear: this guy might know.
The so-called "thousand-year enemy" was complete nonsense now that Thea was suppressing him.
Khalid didn't know that in the original timeline, after putting on Nabu's helmet, he would have a fierce battle with Wotan. Now the two of them—one confused, one unsettled—stood side by side like brothers in misfortune.
"Do you know what she's looking at?" After waiting another half hour and seeing Thea standing there in a daze without any movement toward entering the tower, Khalid had to ask Wotan. In his view, these magic users were all mysterious. Perhaps he knew some inside information?
The effeminate Wotan looked at him with contempt. The power he'd spent his entire life pursuing, this guy could obtain without lifting a finger. However, with Thea present, he didn't dare throw a fit.
He sneered. "The master must be observing the tower's secrets."
Looking around and seeing everyone's eyes focused on him, he felt a bit better. His knowledge still had its uses.
"In my research, many ancient scholar-mages recorded in their notes a tower filled with discord and chaotic power—a divine tower. In numerous ancient myths and legends, it has many names: Place of Shattered Souls, Tower of Babel, Giant Stone Tower, Ark of Madness, and so on."
"Some scholars extracted a name from ancient texts: the Beast. They didn't understand its meaning and forced an interpretation, saying it was where God imprisoned evil." After speaking, even Wotan laughed. God? I've existed longer than God himself!
Thea observed coldly. Wotan's first few sentences were nonsense, but the last sentence touched on something. However, she didn't plan to explain to them the difference between this God and that God.
As for this supreme power, she'd longed for it. Now she had a good opportunity to observe it. Absorption was impossible—the Spectre alone made her tremble, let alone the Great Beast.
Fortunately, this was just a trace of power remaining after the Great Beast's projection into the material realm. No matter what, she had to experience it.
"Let's go. We'll enter and take a look." The young heiress had already seen through the mage tower's structure. She pulled them along, teleporting inside. Even Wotan was brought along.
The square tower soared straight into the clouds with extraordinary momentum. From outside, it appeared over a hundred meters tall (over 300 feet). Inside, the space felt even more vast.
Corridors, courtyards, spiral staircases, pillars—various architectural elements seemed randomly assembled by a child, completely defying physical laws as they stacked together.
Above the pillars were spiral stairs, beside the stairs were courtyards, under the courtyards stood statues—all kinds of strange and bizarre sights.
Numerous divine statues faintly retained some divine power. Even without looking at the symbols, Thea recognized these as her Egyptian "old friends." For example, that eye symbol represented Horus. There were other symbols, like Set representing change and Mekhit representing destruction.
Many Egyptian deities left their divine power here to suppress that trace of pure, deep shadow.
Entering this place, Thea felt very uncomfortable. The divine power here was repelling her. After sensing briefly, she pointed to the right and told Khalid, "Follow this path and you'll obtain Nabu's power. Don't hesitate, don't be afraid. Accept that gift."
"And I'll hold off the enemy for you." As her words fell, a massive figure made several agile leaps, landing directly before them.
Wreathed in black smoke, one could vaguely see some deep red muscles—a ram's head, crimson gaze, enormous fangs. A giant demon at least thirty-three feet long and sixteen feet tall stood on all fours, looking at them.
"Go!—" Thea shouted angrily, and a light chain wrapped around the demon. The demon made guttural sounds as corrosive saliva dripped to the ground, forming several pits visibly deepening.
Seeing them still wanting to help, old Robert had already drawn his arrows. Thea was speechless. This was the problem with righteous heroes—couldn't they see she wanted to chat with this "demon" alone?
"It can't hurt me. As long as you obtain the helmet, you'll complete the mission. Go quickly! There will be weightlessness ahead, but follow the corridor and you'll definitely reach the end!" Thea's theatrics went into overdrive. She finally fooled them all into going for the helmet.
The demon struggled fiercely. The chain seemed about to break but didn't. Thea looked anxious, but no matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't break the chain.
Amid the demon's roars, the group followed her directions to retrieve the helmet. When they completely disappeared from view, Thea's expression returned to normal. She looked coldly at the unmoving effeminate Wotan. This somewhat handsome man was a bit weak-kneed facing the demon. Just because the young heiress could handle it easily didn't mean he could.
But he held firm, not retreating a step.
Smart people existed everywhere. Thea was a bit helpless. Actually, old Robert should have noticed something earlier, but he'd been wise enough not to say anything. This Wotan was equally clever. Thea probed, "Aren't you afraid?"
The question had double meaning and could be interpreted either way.
How could the handsome man Wotan not be afraid? He was terrified beyond measure.
Initially seeing Thea struggling to maintain the chain while the demon fought desperately, as if the chain would break any second, he had some suspicions but wasn't certain.
But now that the idle people had left, the young heiress's chain bound the demon like a kitten. How could he not know something was wrong?
"For knowledge, I can die." His words were resolute, possessing a spirit of sacrificing himself for truth.
Thea nodded noncommittally. Honestly, she was a bit annoyed. The moment she saw this demon, she knew her scheme had fallen through halfway.
The pure, deep shadow that drifted into this universe had been contaminated!
Perhaps by the order power that attracted chaos, perhaps by human vices—this trace of shadow had gained consciousness. It birthed this demon from pure depth. Though it seemed to gain the ability to move freely, that power beyond rules was completely destroyed. It and the Great Beast could be said to have no relationship anymore.
Even though this demon's combat power was quite high, Thea still felt it was a pity.
Mixed with this world's impurities and losing that trace of purity, its value shrank tens of thousands of times.
As for returning it to its origin—the young heiress only thought about it. Even with the Spectre's combat power, she didn't dare trace this demon's origin. Who knew what would emerge!
She sighed. Facing Wotan's eyes full of thirst for knowledge, she still told part of the truth. "If I'm not wrong, this creature is the Beast described in your ancient texts. Originally I thought it would be something else, but now..."
She shook her head with a look of regret.