Chapter 214
The stone door creaked open, revealing a narrow gap. Gon cautiously leaned in, peering inside.
Instinctively, his gaze snapped toward where Idir had been.
His pupils shrank.
What… happened?
The chains were all broken. And the two snakes were gone.
Panic surged through him as he rushed inside. Broken links lay scattered across the ground. His heart dropped.
They escaped. Both of them… escaped.
And Nina was gone too.
How was he supposed to explain this to the witch master?
While Gon dashed inside, Nina slipped silently through the narrow opening, moving like a shadow past the door.
Gon reached the spot where Idir had been imprisoned and searched carefully. A faint scent lingered in the air.
Nina’s scent.
Fresh.
She hadn’t been gone long.
He stared at the empty dungeon, unease gnawing at him.
This prison was reinforced with the witch’s power. How had they broken the chains? How had they escaped?
If the witch found out… Would he be killed on the spot?
He searched again, thoroughly this time, but there was no trace of them left. Finally, he turned and hurried out of the dungeon.
…
By then, Nina had already climbed most of the stairs and was nearing the exit. As she reached the top, several patrolling beastmen approached from the front.
She quickly slipped aside, hiding in the shadows.
Only when they passed did she move again, finding a quiet, empty corner.
“Idir,” she whispered, “do you know how to get out of the City Lord’s residence p>
“I didn’t really observe it,” he replied. “Last time, I flew straight out p>
Back then, he hadn’t needed to memorize the layout at all.
Nina sighed softly. “Then do you at least know which direction the exits are? Preferably a smaller gate p>
A smaller gate meant fewer guards.
Even though she was strong, charging through a large group would still be risky—especially with the children and unknown formations possibly hidden throughout the residence.
Better to regroup with the others first.
Idir thought for a moment. “I think there’s a smaller gate on the east side. The main gate should be to the south p>
“Alright. We go east,” Nina decided.
She contacted Odian and the others, then checked the direction using her system map before moving quietly toward the eastern side.
Meanwhile, Gon rushed to report. He arrived before Yosan, his steps unsteady, and dropped to one knee.
“Master… Nina is no longer in the dungeon. And… and the two snake beasts—they broke the chains and escaped p>
Yosan’s expression darkened instantly.
“They escaped?” His voice turned cold and sharp. “You’re certain p>
“Yes.” Gon’s fingers trembled. “I checked thoroughly. They are gone. But Nina was there—I smelled a female’s scent, still fresh. She must have just left. I failed in my duty p>
Yosan inhaled slowly, suppressing his anger.
“If not for my current need of strong subordinates, I would have killed you already p>
He took out a black crystal and infused it with witch power.
“I’ll locate her myself p>
Moments passed.
Then his expression shifted.
How Why couldn’t he find her?
He tried again––nothing. The connection was gone.
His grip tightened around the crystal, veins bulging on his forehead as he fought the urge to crush it.
Damn it.
Nina had somehow cut off his witch power.
Her presence… her location… were completely beyond his reach.
And not only that—she had been sharp enough to realize he could track her location.
Gon could feel Yosan’s fury pressing down on him like a blade. His heart pounded in fear.
“Did you find any clues about how Nina and that snake escaped the dungeon?” Yosan asked through clenched teeth.
Gon lowered his head. “It looked like they vanished directly from inside the dungeon. There was no trace of them outside at all.” He hesitated, then added carefully, “I suspect… a teleportation array p>
Yosan gave a slow nod. “Most likely p>
Nina had probably been sent into the dungeon by her priest mate—but how had she gotten out?
Teleportation arrays could only be activated by witches or priests. According to Mei’s report, her priest had only just entered the city from outside. He hadn’t been anywhere near the dungeon.
So how did she leave?
Yosan couldn’t make sense of it. His gaze darkened before shifting.
“Have you located all of Nina’s mates p>
“Yes,” Gon replied immediately. “We’ve found them all, and Zena has already been informed p>
“Get up,” Yosan said coldly. “I’ll spare you this time. Work with Mei and keep a close watch on them. Redeem yourself p>
His mood eased slightly. As long as they had her mates in sight, finding Nina—and those two tengshe—was only a matter of time.
“Yes. I won’t fail again p>
Relief flooded Gon as he bowed and retreated quickly to carry out the order.
Yosan stepped up to a raised platform. Without hesitation, he sliced his palm open, letting his blood drip into a formation made of black crystals.
The moment the blood touched the array, a surge of power erupted.
A vast, oppressive force spread outward and enveloped the entire city.
At the city’s edge, several beastmen attempting to leave were suddenly thrown back by an invisible barrier.
They couldn’t even take a single step beyond it.
“What’s going on p>
“Why can’t we leave the city p>
“Did something happen p>
“Is this the witch’s doing p>
Confusion quickly turned into fear as the news spread.
No one knew what had happened—but everyone could feel something was terribly wrong.
Odian and the others heard the news as well.
His brows furrowed. “That old monster… just as Nina suspected. He’s discovered us p>
“Our priority is finding Nina,” Kith said.
“She’s already escaped the dungeon,” Sal added. “We need to reach the east side of the City Lord’s residence and meet her as soon as possible p>
Finch’s expression turned serious. “We’re probably being watched. If we move too soon or too obviously, we might expose her position p>
“Agreed,” Mino said. “We should circle around first. Don’t let them guess our intentions p>
The men nodded, quickly forming a plan.
Then they split up and moved.
Not far away, Zena observed them for a while before slipping off into the shadows.
She had already chosen her first target.
Yosan stood before the formation, black mist swirling around him, his expression dark and sinister.
“Nina… this time, you won’t escape p>
Meanwhile, Nina had already made her way to the eastern gate of the City Lord’s residence—unseen, unheard, and one step closer to freedom.