85: Chapter 85 Half-finished product?

Myrtle's description sent a chill down Shaun's spine.

Cordelia had personally opened a door—a real door leading to another world.

And then...

Something was about to rush through!

Just as Shaun was thinking that, the black mass suddenly surged.

Black mist poured out from the circle, reaching out like tentacles.

Myrtle waved her wooden staff, and the red light at its tip exploded, pushing those tentacles back.

But her body swayed, and she took half a step back.

Madison raised her hand and pushed out with telekinesis, forcing the black tentacles on the other side back.

Her face turned bright red, and her hands were trembling.

Seeing that it wasn't enough, she quickly called out, "Shaun! Help!"

Shaun did not hesitate.

He walked to the front of the black circle and raised his hand.

[Intermediate Magic: Full Power Release]

Shaun did not hesitate. He walked to the front of the black circle and raised his hand.

[Intermediate Magic: Full Power Release]

Golden light surged from his body, colliding with the churning black mist.

But this time, the golden light wasn't as sharp as before.

It hit the mist like a fist hitting cotton...

The black mist dented slightly, then bounced back, pushing the golden light away.

Shaun's body jolted, and a metallic, sweet taste rose in his throat.

Not enough; his power wasn't enough.

This black mist wasn't Marie Laveau, nor was it an ordinary demon; it came from the other side of the door, from a place deeper and older than this swamp.

Myrtle's red light could no longer hold out either; the gem on her staff dimmed like a star about to go out.

Madison's telekinesis was collapsing. Her face was flushed red and her hands were shaking as the black mist turned into black tentacles, reaching out again like countless hands grasping and clawing.

"Shaun..."

Madison's voice was calling, but it sounded very far away.

The black mist was spreading, pouring out of the circle, flooding the floor, the walls, and the ceiling.

Cordelia was still inside, in the deepest part of that darkness, and that speck of white light was almost invisible.

Shaun gritted his teeth and pushed out the last bit of his magic power.

The golden light flickered once and then died out.

His knees buckled, and his whole body began to fall.

...

"Boom!"

Just as Shaun was about to give out, the book in his mind lit up.

It wasn't a page turning or words appearing; it was a real, blinding light, like the sun.

The golden book rushed out of his mind, its pages flipping automatically until a blank page pointed directly at the black mist.

Instantly, the black mist stopped!

The tentacles reaching out froze in mid-air as if pinned by something.

Then they began to shrink back—not of their own accord, but because they were being sucked into the book!

The pages were flipping with a loud rustling sound. With every page turned, a large portion of the black mist was swallowed up.

Those screams, those wretched cries echoing directly in the brain, grew weaker and further away until they finally vanished.

The last wisp of black mist was sucked into the book, and the pages snapped shut with a dull thud, like the sound of a door closing.

The golden book hovered in front of Shaun, the pattern of three wavy lines on the cover glowing with a bright golden light.

Then the light slowly dimmed, and the book receded back into Shaun's Sea of Consciousness.

Silence returned to the surroundings.

The black mist, the tentacles, and the things squeezing through from the other side of the door had all disappeared.

Myrtle stood where she was, her wooden staff lowered, the gem at its tip completely extinguished.

Her face was as white as paper as she looked at Shaun, her lips trembling. "What was that...?"

Madison ignored her question.

She rushed over and knelt on the ground, cradling Cordelia's head in her arms.

"Cordelia!"

Cordelia's eyes moved slightly and slowly opened.

There was no light in those gentle eyes, as if they were covered by a layer of gray.

She looked at Madison, her lips moving to produce a very, very faint sound.

"...The door... is closed..."

Myrtle walked over, crouched down, and placed her hand on Cordelia's forehead.

Her hand was still shaking, but her voice was steady.

"She's alright... her power is exhausted, but she's alright." She paused, her expression changing. "But her power... it hasn't fully grown."

Madison was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean?"

Myrtle didn't answer.

She stood up, walked to the circle, and looked down at the vanished black mark.

The record on the parchment still stopped at the sixth item; the seventh was blank.

Cordelia had not completed Descensum.

She hadn't brought back that soul; she hadn't become the Supreme Witch!

"She failed," Myrtle's voice was soft, as if she were talking to herself.

Madison's face went pale. She looked at Cordelia, who had her eyes closed, unsure if she was asleep or had fainted.

Queenie stood on the stairs, her potato chips scattered all over the floor. Madison's voice was trembling.

"Then what about the Supreme Witch's power? Who was it passed to?"

No one answered.

Fiona was still on the third floor in an unknown state, Cordelia had failed, and there was no heir to the Supreme Witch's power.

It was still within Fiona, slowly draining away along with her life.

Once Fiona died, it would dissipate.

Centuries of inheritance would end right here.

Shaun, meanwhile, felt the golden book in his mind.

It was heavier than before, and the pattern on the cover was still glowing faintly, brightening and dimming like a breath.

He opened the book to find a mass of black mist, wrapped in golden light, compressed and solidified into a black bead embedded in the center of the page.

A border of golden patterns had appeared around the edges of the page, something that wasn't there before.

The black mist and the things that had squeezed through the door were swallowed by the golden book, just like it had swallowed the darkness of Hill Manor.

But this time was different; the things it swallowed hadn't been converted into his own power.

It was retained by the book, stored within that blank page.

Shaun's magic power hadn't grown; instead, the golden book itself had changed.

Over there, Madison helped Cordelia onto the sofa while Queenie brought over a blanket and water.

Cordelia leaned back on the sofa with her eyes closed. Her complexion was still poor, but her breathing had stabilized.

Shaun walked over and looked at Cordelia, at her face which was as pale as paper.

Descensum was not completed. The door had closed, but Cordelia hadn't brought back that soul.

The Seven Wonders: six passed, one failed.

A new Supreme Witch had not been born.

Cordelia was still alive, but Fiona's power had not been passed to her.

And Shaun's golden book... had grown.

...

Cordelia's failure to complete the trials of The Seven Wonders cast a somber atmosphere over the entire manor.

After a long while, Myrtle spoke first: "Cordelia failed."

"Descensum was not completed. The door closed, but she didn't bring back that soul. The Seven Wonders: six passed, one failed. A new Supreme Witch has not been born."

Listening to this, Shaun really wanted to say that some of the power might have been absorbed by his book, but he wasn't sure if that was actually the case.

So he just remained quiet, waiting to hear what the witches had to say next...