MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist

"Sorry, but it appears to me like you're deepening the indulgence of this town and everyone who comes here. And according to you the corruption intensified what you want. So is this what your heart desires?"

Tense and heavy silence settled within the group.

Vivi opened her mouth to say something, but Azazel stopped her, shaking his head with a serious face.

Ren was silent at the side and only observed the situation while Lorelai and Desira faced off.

Desira was quiet before she took in a deep breath and sweetly smiled. "Ara~ I didn't claim that the corruption doesn't affect me. I just sealed half of it, so I wouldn't be totally controlled by it.

"However, I still do have another half of it inside my body, and even if I denied that it wasn't affecting me, it is . . ."

Lorelai crossed her hands. "That's your excuse?"

Desira then turned and walked ahead. "I won't claim innocence of what I'm doing right now. However, in my defense, it was those creatures who came here first, knowing what this town is. I never asked them to come."

"So you're just going to pretend that nothing is wrong in this town?"

"I didn't say that too," Desira laughed, and Lorelai was beginning to think of resorting to violence.

"What does that mean?" Lorelai asked with a darkened face.

"Calm down," Azazel said and grinned. "You don't have to worry about a thing. Once I get the corruption from her, everything will be back to normal."

Lorelai wasn't having it. "Why can't she make everything go back to normal now?"

"It's the corruption. It's not Desira's fault," Vivi chimed in. "And like Lord Azazel said, once he gets it back, Desira will be back to normal."

Lorelai's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything as they continued to walk in the dimly lit corridors.

The journey led them to a colossal door, adorned with ancient symbols that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. 

As Desira pushed it open, the group entered her secret throne room, a place untouched by the prying eyes of the Netherworld.

The room was bathed in an eerie glow, emanating from the bioluminescent flora that adorned the chamber. In the center stood a twisted throne, crafted from obsidian and adorned with the bones of fallen creatures. 

Azazel, Ren, Lorelai, and Vivi hesitated at the threshold, unsure of what to expect in this clandestine space.

"What is this place?" Vivi asked.

"My throne room," Desira said, her back facing them. "This is where I received my customers who wanted to forget about everyday life and just indulge in their lusts and desires."

Ren and the others felt the eerie ambiance. The room was bathed in dim, flickering candlelight that cast long shadows across the ornate, decadent decor. 

The walls were adorned with dark tapestries depicting scenes of decadence and forbidden desires. The air hung heavy with a mixture of incense and an indefinable, unsettling scent.

At the center of the room stood a majestic throne, crafted from blackened wood and adorned with intricate, sinuous carvings that seemed to writhe with a life of their own. 

The throne exuded an ominous energy, a silent testament to the dark dealings that had transpired within its vicinity.

The room itself seemed to pulse with a suppressed malevolence, as though the very walls retained the echoes of secrets and whispered confessions. 

The air was thick with an unspoken tension, and an unseen weight pressed down on those who dared to enter, as if the very atmosphere held a sinister memory of past indulgences.

As Desira turned to face them, her silhouette against the dimly lit backdrop only heightened the mysterious aura of the throne room. 

The unsettling combination of opulence and foreboding set the stage for the revelations that awaited within the heart of this ominous sanctuary.

"Desira . . . What's the meaning of this?" Azazel asked, his face darkened.

Ren felt that something wasn't right.

Desira's laughter echoed in the room. "Don't you want the corruption? Here it is."

Suddenly, lights flashed through the area, violently illuminating one particular spot in the room. 

Above the ceiling, cages dangled ominously, each imprisoning numerous demons and devils. The flickering lights revealed a chaotic scene within those cages, as the inhabitants thrashed and contorted in madness, their tortured forms outlined by the harsh glow.

The corruption had consumed them entirely, evident in their contorted features and wild, frenzied expressions. Unearthly howls and guttural cries echoed through the room, creating a cacophony of despair that intensified the ominous atmosphere.

The illumination from the flashing lights painted grotesque shadows on the walls, emphasizing the twisted nature of the beings trapped within the cages. 

The air carried a palpable sense of anguish, as though the very essence of the corruption had seeped into the atmosphere.

The trapped demons and devils clawed at the bars of their cages, their eyes ablaze with the corrupted fervor that had taken hold of them. 

The room seemed to pulse with the dark energy emanating from the tormented entities, creating an unsettling ballet of shadows and distorted figures.

Desira stood amidst this nightmarish exhibition, and wore a sinister smile that seemed to revel in the chaos she had orchestrated. 

The sudden revelation of the corrupted beings suspended above cast a chilling pall over the room, making it clear that the true nature of Desira's "throne room" was far more malevolent than anyone had anticipated.

The group settled into an uneasy silence as Desira addressed their unspoken questions. 

"You . . ." Lorelai was too shocked to even formulate a word.

Azazel was unable to contain his anger and spoke first, "Desira, what have you done?!"

Desira only shrugged. "I only did what needs to be done. They offered their souls as payment to me so they could forget their troubles and have a good time in this bar."

"This isn't you! The corruption is devouring you! Let them go! Return them to normal right now and give me back the corruption!" Azazel said, while Vivi clutched his cloak and hid behind his back.

Desira's eyes flickered with an unsettling mix of emotions. "Azazel, you misunderstand. The corruption is not devouring me; it is revealing the true essence within me. This is who I am, unmasked and untamed."