Su Mu breathed a secret sigh of relief.
She had swapped Motes’ erotic story for Tang Nai’s this time, so she likely wouldn’t have to endure another whipping from Motes.
Although Irina had taken the hit for her back then, Su Mu had still gone through the entire recovery process without missing a single step.
For those few days, she couldn’t sit down or even lie flat.
Thinking about it, Su Mu instinctively rubbed her backside.
Ever since that incident, this area had become quite the weakness.
Even the slightest touch made it incredibly sensitive, to the point where Luo Jialan often used it to tease her.
“Further ahead is Naraku Tower. She’s at the top right now. Go find her. I have other things to deal with, so I won’t be going in.”
Motes suddenly came to a halt.
She looked up at the grand silhouette of the tower that pierced the clouds and cast a shadow against the sky.
Her eyes flickered with a complex gaze.
“It’s so high. Is she trying to reach the heavens?”
“In a way, yes. Only above that pitch-black horizon can one reach the Dreamswimming Fish left behind by those Witches. Tang Nai sealed this place off specifically to prevent certain people from going there.” Motes spoke casually before bidding Su Mu farewell.
“She’ll tell you about the other matters. First, I have to deal with that little brat who awakened part of the Demon King’s authority.”
Su Mu suddenly called out to Motes and asked, “Wait, is that little brat you’re talking about a blonde loli named Edma?”
Hearing this, Motes widened her eyes in surprise, “How did you know?”
Thinking of Edma’s miserable state, Su Mu’s lips twitched.
“It’s nothing. I was just guessing.”
“You know her? Her existence is quite unique; very few people should know about her. She used to be quite docile, but her personality has been a bit explosive lately. She might need a bit of ‘education.'”
‘A bit of education? I recall a certain loli being left with quite a psychological shadow…’
“Uh… I’m a bit curious. How do you educate a Strange Person like her? If you aren’t using violence, it couldn’t be something like dripping wax or forced bondage… could it?”
“The specifics depend on the situation, but those things you mentioned… I think they sound quite good.”
After hearing Su Mu’s words, Motes’ pale pink eyes suddenly lit up as if an idea had been sparked.
Seeing this, Su Mu knew Edma’s fate was sealed.
She quickly turned her head away and remained silent.
‘I really shouldn’t have opened my mouth.’
***
Not long after parting with Motes, Su Mu turned her attention to the pedestrians in the plaza.
‘Only those C-rank and above can come here… Are there really this many?’
Su Mu had always assumed C-ranks were quite rare, but at a glance, she estimated there were at least 100 people present.
One had to realize that if any one of them were released into the world, they would be an existence capable of dealing a devastating blow to a city.
‘The resident Magical Girls in B City were restricted to being below B-rank, but weren’t Miti and Lando the only two C-ranks?’
‘Later, a tagalong like me was added to the mix. We were basically just big fish in the small pond of B City, where the average level was D Rank. A few days ago, we even hooked a “big fish” like Justice, who had been hiding for who knows how long…’
Su Mu didn’t know if places outside B City were full of monsters and demons, but S City was likely far from peaceful.
All Magical Girls at B-rank and above were sent there.
Though it was supposedly for supervision purposes, one could imagine how dire the situation actually was.
Next, Su Mu noticed that everyone around her seemed to be converging in the same direction she was.
Their presence here was no coincidence.
‘Is Tang Nai’s nest some kind of famous tourist attraction? Aren’t they afraid of being sucked dry the moment they step inside?’
Fortunately, Naraku Tower was spacious enough.
It stood there like a silent, giant beast, allowing these tiny creatures to crawl into its base.
Then, under Su Mu’s stunned gaze, a suspicious figure trying to follow the crowd through the door suddenly stepped into thin air.
The person sank into the floor and vanished without a trace, as if there were no physical obstruction at all.
Not even a ripple was left behind.
However, the people nearby didn’t care at all.
It was as if the person who just vanished had nothing to do with them…
Well, perhaps they really didn’t.
Regardless, compared to Su Mu, their reactions were far too cold.
Most of them had likely seen this sort of thing so often that they were no longer surprised.
‘I wonder what will happen to that poor fellow…’
Su Mu didn’t actually care about that person’s fate.
What shocked her was that a person who was at least C-rank couldn’t even put up a fight — they were caught without even making a sound.
Did this mean she would be taken down just as easily?
With that thought in mind, Su Mu walked to the entrance.
She paused slightly as she took in the simple gray and white walls.
From the outside, the tower clearly appeared to be entirely black, reflecting a few neon lights from the surroundings, yet looking utterly lifeless.
Now, however, it looked very much like Tang Nai’s style.
A lot of people ahead of her suddenly stopped, crowding together in the hall like a swarm.
No one spoke out of turn, making the scene eerily quiet.
Su Mu stood on her tiptoes, trying to see what was happening up front, but she couldn’t see past the heads of the people in front of her.
Helplessly, she gave up.
Soon, people began to pile up behind Su Mu as well.
For some reason, even though the surrounding area was quite spacious, these people were dead set on squeezing forward.
Su Mu felt someone’s soft chest press against her back while she was being shoved around.
Her good mood evaporated instantly.
“GET AWAY FROM ME!”
A purple light flashed from Su Mu’s hand.
Sharp lines sliced through space, clearing a void on both sides of her.
Although the people nearby stopped trying to lean against her, they stared at her with strange eyes, making her skin crawl.
‘What is wrong with these people? Are they mute? They don’t say a word; all they know how to do is push forward.’
Su Mu was full of suspicion, but since no one paid her any mind, she didn’t know who to ask.
She retracted her threads and continued walking.
The congestion just now seemed to be an accident, as the path was clear again.
After passing through another door, Su Mu finally saw something useful.
In the center of the hall was a massive elevator that could hold about fifty people.
It was swallowing the arrivals trip after trip.
However, before some people could step inside, a red light would flash outside the elevator.
Those people could only turn back and leave against the flow of the crowd, looking frustrated.
After a group was sent up, the elevator would return empty in less than ten seconds.
It was clear that speed wasn’t a limitation here.
As long as Tang Nai willed it, this elevator could probably perform long-distance teleportation without any issues.
Su Mu followed the example of the others and walked toward the doors.
Just as she was about to step inside, the red light stopped her.
The people around her immediately looked at her with pitying eyes.
A Witch she had pushed aside earlier even wore a look of schadenfreude, which made Su Mu fume with anger.
“Dammit. It’s bad enough you’re trying to stand me up, but you dare to block me? I’m going up today whether you like it or not.”
Su Mu clenched her fists and stepped straight inside.
Everyone in the elevator immediately looked terrified.
Someone reached out to push Su Mu out, but Su Mu glared at them so fiercely they didn’t dare move.
The elevator suddenly went silent, as if it had completely broken down.
Just as the bewilderment in Su Mu’s heart was about to turn into pure rage, an electronic voice sounded from the side, carrying a hint of helplessness.
“You have to take the stairs.”
“SCREW OFF! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CLIMB THAT HIGH?!”
Su Mu raised her middle finger toward the camera in the elevator.
Seeing her commit such an offense, the nearby Witches were too shocked to speak.
“It looks high, but it’s actually just one floor.”
Hearing this, Su Mu felt like there was a trap involved.
She took a deep breath and replied, “Fine.”