Chapter 705: The Fourfold Sword Formation

For Lolth, any location she had visited even once—whether a remote town in the Republic of Seychelles, the Holy Capital of The Church of Light, a military fortress of the Ryman Empire, or even the lava pools where Balrog maidens bathed in the Demon King Castle—could be reached instantaneously.

Spatial magic rendered her "journeys" effortlessly convenient; possessing the necessary coordinates, Lolth herself became akin to a portal capable of accessing any point within the same plane.

Even alternate planes remained within reach, though crossing into them required slightly more elaborate preparations.

Across the entire continent, only the Lolth lineage wielded spatial magic of such precision—a distinction entirely unique to her.

Thus, while the theoretical travel time from Tum City in the Republic of Seychelles to Hillenbrand Town spanned two and a half days…

For Lolth, it demanded merely the blink of an eye.

Yet…

Every "convenience" inevitably carried hidden risks.

Like now.

Lolth’s intended destination had been Ms. Anno’s pie shop.

But…

The instant the spatial spell concluded, she sensed a subtle divergence—a discrepancy between the predetermined coordinates and their actual arrival point.

The surroundings confirmed this miscalculation.

"Is this… Tum City’s gates?"

Isabella lifted her gaze, puzzlement coloring her voice.

Among Lolth’s companions—Isabella, Tina, Naivee, and Kanor—only Isabella recognized the layout of this Seychelles settlement.

Yet even she remained unaware of her mother’s presence within the city, leaving her equally uncertain of Lolth’s intentions.

However, Kanor too detected the anomaly.

"Master… this wasn’t your intended destination, was it?"

Kanor inquired gravely.

"Correct. The spell’s coordinates shifted slightly. We should have emerged somewhere within the city proper," Lolth replied with composed certainty, prompting Kanor’s brow to furrow.

Naivee observed their solemn exchange with bewilderment.

"Since when does a backwater Seychelles town warrant such tension?…"

"What’s alarming about minor spell fluctuations? Aren’t errors commonplace?"

Kanor shook her head at Naivee’s remark.

"Master’s spatial magic doesn’t permit errors… nor did the previous casting."

"Precisely. Advanced spatial magic—long-range teleportation especially—admits no margin for error under spatial principles," Lolth explained with scholarly precision. "Had I flawed the spell’s construction, we wouldn’t have arrived intact at Tum’s gates. Instead, our limbs might have scattered across planes—arms stranded in elemental realms, legs deposited at Demon King Castle, heads adrift upon the Seven Seas. That… is what true error entails."

Lolth’s tone remained measured, her words painting visceral clarity.

Naivee froze for a moment before grimacing in disbelief.

"You use that hazardous contraption as your ‘means of transportation’?!"

"Precisely because there’s zero margin for error that it’s not hazardous," Lolth countered, spreading her hands. "To me, the entire spellwork resembles seamless puzzle pieces – any misfit becomes instantly apparent… Committing errors is inherently difficult."

"A single misstep would quintuple the mana consumption five hundredfold. Do you imagine I wouldn’t sense that?"

As Lolth spoke, Naivee fell silent. Meanwhile, Tina’s expression shifted to one of contemplative concern.

"Yet, Master Lolth… the outcome was indeed… anomalous."

True enough, her spatial magic permitted no tolerance for deviation, and no mistakes had occurred during the casting.

Therefore…

"The spell’s result was manipulated by external interference… rather than any flaw in the magic itself."

Lolth deduced effortlessly.

Her unintended arrival outside Tum City’s gates stemmed from someone distorting cosmic principles. Within the entire Republic of Seychelles, those capable of such manipulation could be counted on one hand – especially considering this specific location…

The perpetrator’s identity became self-evident to Lolth.

Moreover, tangible proof materialized before them. Embedded at the city gate’s center stood a solitary longsword, its blade plunged into the earth.

"Guardian Sword Master of Seychelles…"

Lolth exhaled softly, offering the blade a ceremonial nod.

"My presence here bears no ill intent – I merely seek reunion with the lady we previously encountered."

She declared clearly toward the weapon.

"Let us forego formalities of Abyssal Demon and Seychelles’ Guardian Sword Master."

At the mention of "lady," Isabella and Tina instantly tensed, their recognition of "Seychelles Sword Master" dawning a heartbeat later.

"A Sword Master… Another demi-god."

Kanor murmured, glancing toward Naivee. The latter met her gaze and shook her head.

"Half-step into Holy Domain merits the title, half-step into God’s Domain also qualifies… Even when merely a breath from divinity, they still call us demi-gods."

"The power disparity between these tiers is astronomical. I can’t oppose her, nor should you entertain such notions."

"Hostility would be most unwise."

Naivee’s warning prompted a nod from Kanor.

"Understood. I’ll avoid complicating Master’s affairs."

She stilled her aura, adopting a neutral stance.

The embedded sword quivered faintly in response to Lolth’s words.

*Hum—*

With resonant vibration, the blade tore free from the earth, levitating mid-air. Moments later, a languid voice emanated from the weapon.

"I apprehend your meaning… Yet today’s interception stems not from my station as Seychelles’ Guardian, nor your role as the Demon Army’s Abyssal interrogator."

"Were that the case, mere warnings and skirmishes would suffice."

"But today – you approach as Lolth, and I receive you as A Qiu…"

"Therefore, before encountering your desired personage or claiming your sought object…"

"First penetrate my domain – the Quadruple Sword Matrix."

The blade disintegrated into swirling mana particles. Beyond the gates, ethereal swords materialized along the central avenue, their aligned points charting a path toward the pie shop.

"So your ‘blade’ embodied the domain itself… Preposterous yet ingenious."

Lolth narrowed her eyes in appreciation. Simultaneously, a sword-bearing maiden’s silhouette solidified at the city entrance.

"First Stratum."