[Top-Tier Corruption Magic: Sals's Dream Garden]
Imshi roared as she raised the staff in her hand. The black veins that had completely covered the Golden Domain suddenly exploded.
Countless streams of corrupted breath poured downward like a breached dam, flooding the entire city in an instant. Purple-black mist surged forth, and within moments, all of Chui-de City was completely shrouded in violet fog.
Although it looked like a long process, from the moment the purple veins shattered to the city being fully submerged, less than a second had passed.
Hel barely had time to activate the top-tier death magic she had long hidden beneath Chui-de City—Annihilation Domain.
Before the black light symbolizing death could even rise, her vision blurred. When she regained her senses, she found herself in a strange new space.
This was no longer Chui-de City, but an endless forest of thorns.
At the center of the forest stood a towering spire that pierced straight into the clouds. And directly in front of Hel was a narrow path leading toward the tower.
Hel glanced around and checked her body.
When she instinctively tried to circulate her elemental power, her brows furrowed.
'Death magic is sealed? Is this a domain spell similar in nature to Annihilation Domain? But…'
She activated the mana-conversion array engraved on her body. Her pure mana was easily transformed into thick, oil-like battle energy.
'Battle energy isn't restricted. It's just that external elements have been erased—or perhaps no elemental forces exist here at all. Could this be a Mindscape World?'
With that thought, Hel attempted to activate her own Mindscape World.
To her surprise, it was completely suppressed within a one-inch radius around her body.
Her expression darkened.
'So it really is a Mindscape World?'
Yet something felt off.
Even if her Mindscape World was newly formed and still a beginner's realm, it shouldn't be suppressed so completely by another world.
Could it be that the opponent—just this avatar alone—was already a demi-god-level monster?
But if that were the case, why waste time talking to her? They could just kill her outright. As if she could resist.
But if the avatar wasn't Saint-rank, then how could this Mindscape World be so powerful? Could the main body actually use a Mindscape World through a clone?
That made no magical sense at all.
After all, a clone is a clone, and the main body is the main body.
For example, Hel herself couldn't use her clone's Mindscape World with her main body. Likewise, the clone couldn't use the main body's Mindscape World either.
Because a Mindscape World is bound to the physical body—more precisely, it is engraved onto the elemental crystal.
That was why Hel believed Imshi was a "Clone Witch". After all, normal people couldn't just create Saint-rank clones.
Unless the opponent had used a Saint-rank corpse to refine a puppet.
Hel had considered that possibility, but after seeing the petite black-haired loli, she dismissed it.
No one would believe someone who looked that young could reach the Saint rank.
'So this is the true power of a Clone Witch…'
At the end of the path, a sorrowful, mournful song echoed through the forest—like a young girl lamenting the unfairness of her fate.
Yet the closer Hel got to the end of the road, the softer the singing became.
By the time she was about to leave the thorn forest, the song had vanished completely.
'So it was just meant to lure me here?'
Hel looked toward the exit ahead.
A wide open space appeared before her. Across it stood a raised platform, and beneath it were many figures dressed in various outfits.
Strangely, all of them had smooth, featureless faces. Only at the mouth area was a tattooed expression—either crying or smiling.
'No energy fluctuations… So they're all illusions?'
Hel reached out and lightly touched one of them.
As expected, her hand passed straight through the figure.
It was as if these people never truly existed in this world.
At that moment, two figures in white cloaks and masks stepped forward.
One wore a beak-shaped mask covering half his face. The other had her eyes wrapped in white bandages.
They also had no facial features—only an eerie, exaggerated grin painted where their mouths should be.
The bandage-eyed nun spoke first.
"After three years of pursuit, the last bloodline of the Kivilisa Family—the illegitimate daughter of the Tyrant Vlad—has finally been captured. This is the result of the combined efforts of our Holy Court, the Three Sage Kings, and the Twenty-Two Knights."
Her voice was ethereal, but utterly devoid of emotion—cold, like a machine.
The beak-masked figure stepped forward and continued:
"Today, beneath the sacred Tower of Sals, we will witness the end of the evil imperial dynasty that lasted for thirty thousand years. At this moment, the Lambs of the Gods shall once again return to the divine embrace."
As he chanted loudly, a small cross was slowly raised onto the platform.
Then, a filthy black-haired little girl was brought forward.
If one looked closely, her appearance was identical to Imshi's clone—but her movements and expressions were those of an ordinary child.
There was none of Imshi's mature, calculating aura.
Seeing this scene, Hel's expression turned strange.
'So this is Imshi's memory fragment? Using memories to construct a Mindscape World is a reasonable choice. But what kind of attack methods does such a world even have?Surely these people aren't going to suddenly attack me like in some horror novel… right?'
Remaining cautious, Hel kept her Mindscape World fully activated.
That way, even if Imshi had some hidden trick, it would have to break through her Mindscape first.
But what happened next was completely different from what Hel had expected.
The bandaged nun slowly walked up to the black-haired girland personally placed a crown of thorns on her head.
Sharp spikes pierced the girl's tender scalp. Drops of bright red blood slid down from her temples.
Under such painful torment, the girl finally let out a few involuntary cries of pain.
Her only response, however, was the nun's merciless mockery:
"As expected of a sinful bloodline. You can't even endure this little bit of pain?"