I AM A MAGE BUT WITH MILF SYSTEM

Chapter 272: Ritualistic atmosphere

Julianʼs eyes shifted to Dakota, noting the uncertainty etched across her face. Her grip on Harithʼs hand tightened and he could see her trembling.

Whatever awaited them inside the cave, it was clear that even Dakota wasnʼt entirely at ease.

For a moment, she stood at the entrance, her breath visible in the cool air. After some brief moment of gathering her courage, she pulled Harith closer and stepped into the shadowy cave.

Julianʼs gaze darted around the forest one last time, and with a deep breath, he adjusted his cloak and followed them inside.

As he entered the cave, the atmosphere shifted dramatically, sending a chill through his spine. The air grew cold, almost unnaturally so, and each breath he took felt heavier than the last.

The inside of the cave was dimly lit with small, flickering candles, casting shadows that seemed to glow with an eerie hue.

The dimly lit interior revealed walls etched with strange markings—symbols and letters that Julian had never heard or seen of before. They were pulsating faintly with a reddish glow, seeming almost alive.

Julian furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of the words, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not find any meaning behind it.

As he ventured deeper, his eyes caught something even more unsettling—faces carved into the walls. The expressions on these faces varied; some were twisted in agony, others frozen in chilling calmness. Some smiled teasingly, as if mocking him, while some had tears etched in their face.

Their lifelike detail made it seem as though they might start speaking or moving at any moment. Julian instinctively took a step back, channeling his mana for any sudden danger.

”What kind of place is this?” he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible in the oppressive silence of the cave.

As he looked closer, Julian noticed words written below the carved faces. The script was unfamiliar, and it almost had a hypnotic property to it.

”Itʼs trying to overwhelm my senses,” he said with a knowing smile. ”But its power is far too weak to affect me.”

He leaned in, trying to decipher the meaning.

Chants or prayers, perhaps? he thought, narrowing his eyes. The arrangement of the text seemed intentional, as if it held some sacred or forbidden significance.

The words, like the marking that he saw before, pulsed with an eerie glow and seemed almost alive.

”What is their obsession with making everything seem alive?” he said. ”Itʼs as if whoever left these markings was desperately trying to recreate life.”

Leaving his thoughts behind, Julian followed Dakota and Harith as they moved deeper into the cave. After walking for some time, Julian spotted an opening ahead, leading into what appeared to be a cavern—a chamber or space inside a cave.

Unlike the overwhelming darkness they had faced so far, the cavern was surprisingly lit, providing a hint of warmth to the otherwise haunting surroundings.

Julian watched intently as Dakota led Harith to the opening of the cavern. He carefully stayed out of sight and followed silently. As they entered, he peeked inside with cautious curiosity.

His eyes widened in shock at the sight before him. The space was massive, larger than he could have imagined, with natural stone walls that curved into dome-like structure. The air was heavy with the scent of incense and an unsettling silence.

At the center of the cavern stood a raised stone platform, its surface adorned with bloody stains that hinted at past rituals. Surrounding the platform, the villagers sat in a perfect circle, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames of torches mounted on the walls.

Their shadows fell on each other, making their expressions look otherworldly and haunting.

The silence in the cavern was broken only by the occasional murmur of prayers in the same unfamiliar script Julian had seen earlier. The atmosphere felt charged and heavy with strange, weird energy.

As Julianʼs gaze focused on the raised platform, he noticed a carefully drawn circle made from a fine white powder that glowed faintly under the flickering torchlight. Surrounding the circle were incense sticks, their smoke making the platform look ethereal and mysterious.

There were also offerings such as fruits, flowers, and other items scattered around the circle, each of them placed with deliberate care. He couldnʼt identify what they actually were.

Like their obsession that Julian had found out about, the fruits were also glowing unnaturally, seeming alive. Their surface appeared too perfect to be natural, as if imbued with something sinister.

What caught Julianʼs attention even more were the villagers. Every single one of them was completely naked, their bodies painted with strange patterns in red and blue pigments. Mysterious energy flowed through the designs, glowing faintly.

”That energy... it doesnʼt feel magical,” Julian thought, his brows furrowing in suspicion.

The atmosphere grew heavier as the occasional prayers turned into continuous and rhythmic chants.

Julianʼs unease deepened. ”This isnʼt just a ritual... this is something far darker,” he thought, his pulse quickening as he observed in silence.

His eyes narrowed as he spotted Amir and Aria among the villagers. The chants grew louder and more resonant, echoing through the cavern walls with an unnatural harmony as Dakota and Harith approached the gathering.

Amir rose from his seat with a commanding presence and stepped onto the raised platform. The chants synchronized with his movements, growing more intense with every step he took.

As he reached the center of the circle, he paused, raising his arms as though calling upon some unseen force.

Then, upon Julianʼs surprise, in the very spot that Amir had vacated, a shadowy figure materialized. It was ethereal at first, nothing but a swirl of darkness and mist, but quickly solidified into a shape resembling Amirʼs own form.

The figure sat cross-legged, its mouth moving as though reciting the very same prayer Amir had been chanting moments before.

The figureʼs presence gave off a chilling aura, rippling outwards like water.

Julianʼs interest increased with each passing moment. What the hell am I witnessing? he thought, his heart pounding as the scene unfolded before him.

At first glance, the scene might seem nothing unique to someone of the status and power of an Arch mage. But, the fact that it was being conducted at such a gathering, with something sinister at play, was surprising to even him and the involvement of some mysterious energy did not help either.

Dakota led Harith up the steps of the raised platform. Julian could see the strength of her grip on Harithʼs hands as if steeling herself for whatever was about to happen.

Harithʼs frightened eyes darted around the gathered villagers, his body trembling as he pulled on Dakotaʼs hand.

”Mother, what is happening?” he asked, his voice trembling in fear as his gaze fixed on the shadowy figure that had taken Amirʼs place.

Before Dakota could respond, a violent surge of energy erupted from Amir, who stood at the center of the platform. The air instantly grew heavy and suffocating, as the aura radiated outward, causing the incense and white powder around the circle to vibrate and break the circle.

The chants raised to a deafening volume. The cavern itself seemed to tremble in response, the walls and ceiling quaking under the force of the rhythmic chants. Stones fell from the top of the cavern, crashing to the ground with a loud sound, sending up clouds of dust that covered the entire cavern.

Harith hid behind Dakota, clutching her arm as tightly as he could. Dakotaʼs composure also cracked for a brief moment, her whole body trembling and quivering in fear.

She knelt beside him with a pale face and whispered through clenched teeth, ”Do not speak, dear. This is sacred and holy. This is for our tribe.” Her voice trembled despite her effort to sound calm, and it sounded more like a plea than a reassurance.

Julian watched from the shadows, observing the raw fear in Harithʼs eyes and the forced resolve in Dakotaʼs trembling form.

”I mean, I am no saint either, but this is making even a person like me nervous.” Julian said with a nervous smile.

His thoughts were immediately halted as Amir stepped forward.

Julianʼs sharp eyes immediately caught a flicker of change in Amirʼs aura, becoming more dark and unnatural. His eyes glowed oppressive red and seemed to bend the air around him.

Julian channeled his mana, his focus sharpening as he examined closer. Thatʼs when he saw it—a shadow-like entity clinging to Amir, its tendrils like arms wrapping around Amir. It glowed faintly as though feeding on him.

”Is he being controlled by someone?” Julian thought, his brows furrowing.

”No,” he said, observing the figure of Amir. ”He is not being controlled. He chose this willingly.”

Whatever Amir was a part of, whatever sinister ritual this was, he had embraced it fully and without hesitation.

”How can someone let their belief cloud their reality to such a degree? Such beliefs are nothing more than the betrayal of your true selves.”

**

Authorʼs note: I am preparing for the mass release for the month of January, so the update has been changed to one chap/daily and the update might be late than usual.