MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist

776 The Mysterious Voice

"Someone who is a master Alchemist, knew about the corruption and even Avaris's personality, and familiar with Lethargia . . . there's no doubt about it, it could only be . . . Malifira, the Warlord of Envy."

The revelation hung in the air, casting a shadow over the gathered group.

"Malifira . . ." Elena muttered the name, her voice barely above a whisper, carrying a tinge of apprehension.

"I'm afraid that it could only be her," Vivi seconded with a heavy sigh. "She's not only a master Alchemist but also a powerful mage. If someone dared to turn Avaris into stone without fearing for their own life, it's got to be her."

"But she's your friend, right?" Elena inquired, her tone seeking reassurance. "She's also a warlord of Azazel. Surely, she wouldn't harm her fellow friends and comrades."

Desira and Vivi exchanged glances, and then their eyes shifted to the side, avoiding direct contact.

"I don't like your eyes' avoidance one bit," Lorelai commented, sensing that something was amiss.

"She might not harm Lord Azazel directly, but she surely would kill us," Vivi stated matter-of-factly, her tone carrying a weight of past experiences.

Desira nodded, cupping a difficult dilemma. "Her envy knows no bounds, especially towards me, being the most beautiful and all."

"And I'm the cutest," Vivi chimed in, her face troubled. "Could it be that she would target me next?"

"Let's get serious for once," Ren deadpanned.

"I'm not kidding," Desira asserted. "She has a tendency to become envious over seemingly trivial matters. We've lost track of the instances where she jeopardized our lives, almost succeeding, all because of her envy.

"It could be as insignificant as us having creams in our buns while she didn't, or her feelings threatened by my awesome beauty and charm. Fortunately, I've managed to withstand her attempts because I'm far stronger and far more beautiful. Ohohohoho."

Ren and the others ignored her.

Vivi added, "Malifira is known to curse and prank those whom she sets her eyes on due to her envy. And because of the corruption, her jealousy must have intensified a hundredfold."

"So she attacked Avaris and got his corruption, for what?" Elena asked, pushing for a clearer answer.

"She must have wanted the corruption for herself," Desira asserted confidently. "She must want to get stronger to defeat me because she lost to me all the time in the past. What a pity that she could never be able to defeat me, neither in power nor beauty. Ohohohoho."

Everyone ignored her still.

"So, she wanted to get stronger for what purpose?" Ren pressed for more details.

Vivi shrugged, "Maybe to take over the Netherworld or something?"

The group pondered the implications of Malifira's actions. The revelation of her involvement in Avaris's fate added another layer of complexity to their mission.

The Warlord of Envy, driven by insatiable jealousy and empowered by the extracted corruption, posed a formidable threat that needed to be addressed.

"What do you think we should do?" Elena inquired, turning to Ren for his decision.

"We won't find answers by just sitting here. Why don't we take matters into our own hands and confront the warlord herself?" Ren suggested.

Vivi was surprised, and questioned, "Go to Malifira's territory?"

"That seems to be our only option at the moment," Azazel remarked with a serious expression. "If she's truly behind this, we need to ask her why she orchestrated these events and what her connection is to Salister Kane or possibly the rebellion army."

"You're absolutely right!"

As the group contemplated their next move, a mysterious voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Lorelai asked, her senses alert.

"Yes, who is that?" Elena inquired, scanning their surroundings, and found no one.

"Hmm . . . strange. I don't see anyone," Desira muttered, perplexed.

Vivi whispered to herself, "But that voice . . . it sounded so familiar."

"Are you sure you're not just hearing things?" Azazel questioned, trying to dismiss the odd occurrence.

All eyes turned towards him, and Azazel found himself taken aback by the sudden scrutiny.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" he stammered, confused.

"Are you sure you didn't just speak?" Ren interrogated him.

Evie chimed in, "Are you pranking us?"

"Why would I prank you at a time like this?" Azazel defended himself, still gaping at Evie and the others.

The group continued to exert their eyes on Azazel, clearly not believing his words.

Ren retorted, "This is exactly the time you choose to play pranks on everyone."

"How rude. I'm no longer the same immature kid from the first time you saw me. I have grown, you know, and I'm an adult now," Azazel defended himself, growing defensive.

Then, a sudden realization struck him, and he exclaimed, "Wait . . . could it be . . . a GHOST?!"

Quickly seeking refuge, Azazel positioned himself behind Lorelai, nervously scanning his surroundings for any sign of the unexpected.

"You're the Demon King, but you're afraid of ghosts?" Lorelai questioned incredulously.

"I can't help it. They're ugly and they like to scare the living daylights out of you," Azazel confessed, still uneasy and checking for any unusual presence.

The mysterious voice from before spoke again, attempting to reassure them, "Come on now, it's me, guys. ME!"

The voice reverberated through the hall, and it became apparent that it held a youthful tone similar to Azazel's.

"Quit that!" Lorelai scolded, punching Azazel to the ground.

With a sizable lump on his head and stars dancing in his vision, Azazel mumbled in a daze, "I-it wasn't me . . ."

"Yeah, right. You're the only male here with that kind of annoying voice," Lorelai said.

Azazel was still recovering, and the voice rang out in the room again.

"Whoa . . . what a savage woman. And how rude of you to tell me that my voice is annoying. I'll have you know that my voice is the most soothing and hypnotic in all of the Netherworld. For insulting me, you have to pay a price. Let's see . . . how about your sword?"