Fairy Tale: With Sin Of Pride

Rhodes studied the peculiar ring in his hand, his curiosity piqued.

"That rabbit... its strength is, at most, at the level of a demi-god. Yet it traversed worlds so effortlessly. This ring must be the reason."

Without hesitation, he slid the ring onto his finger.

Whoosh!

The small ring expanded to perfectly fit his hand. Rhodes pointed it at the air and channeled his magic. The barriers of the world silently dissolved before his eyes, revealing a swirling black void. Beyond it, faint glimpses of another world shimmered like a mirage.

At the same time, two distinct coordinates appeared in his mind—one connected to the ancient sun tree in the main material world, and the other linked to the chess piece world.

"So, it can breach the barriers between worlds…" Rhodes murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

With world coordinates, the ring could directly open a pathway to a specific realm. Without them, the destination would be random. That rabbit likely possessed an artifact connected to the main material plane, which explained its frequent appearances there.

He halted the flow of magic, and the void disappeared as the barriers of reality seamlessly reformed.

"Interesting, but I don't have time to explore another world just yet. Yulia and the others are waiting for me in Etel."

Muttering a teleportation spell, black lightning crackled around him. Whoosh! In the blink of an eye, he appeared back in the familiar forest where he had first encountered the Moon Rabbit.

Rhodes was about to leave when something caught his eye—a towering structure piercing the canopy above.

"A tower? What's a tower doing in the middle of this forest?"

The structure loomed high into the sky, its nine floors reaching over a hundred meters. Despite its height, its intricate architecture rivaled a small palace. Surrounding it was a series of magical protections so dense that even a legendary mage would suffer significant injury if they dared approach.

"A mage tower," Rhodes muttered, his interest piqued.

Mage towers were rare and expensive structures, typically owned by powerful mages at the legendary or sanctum levels. Their walls were engraved with magic inscriptions that amplified a mage's spells exponentially. A nine-story mage tower like this one could double a holy mage's power.

Even a mage as formidable as Yulia didn't own a tower, as the cost of construction was beyond astronomical. Most kingdoms couldn't afford to build one even with ten years of revenue.

"And yet, here one stands," Rhodes remarked, walking closer with growing curiosity.

As he neared, a burst of violent magic erupted from the top of the tower.

Boom!

Rhodes' demonic shield materialized, effortlessly deflecting the attack.

"Not bad," he said, raising an eyebrow. "That strike had the power of a full-force spell from a legendary mage. The tower's self-defense mechanism is impressive."

The power of the Demon God surged around him, forming dark tendrils that tore through the tower's defenses with ease.

With the path clear, Rhodes stepped inside.

The interior was vast, lit by flickering magical flames that illuminated rows of ancient bookshelves. Suspended ladders lined the walls, each guarded by towering figures chained in place.

"Cyclopes?" Rhodes muttered, his gaze settling on one such guard.

The creature, a mix of human and giant blood, was significantly smaller than a pure-blood Cyclops, standing only about ten meters tall. Despite its reduced size, its aura radiated the pressure of a demi-god.

The Cyclops stirred, its singular eye glowing ominously as it let out a deafening roar.

"Shh! Quiet!" Rhodes pressed a finger to his lips, and the shadowy form of the Demon God loomed behind him, silencing the Cyclops with its sheer presence.

From there, Rhodes ascended the tower, brushing past its many treasures—books, magical relics, and precious artifacts.

By the fifth floor, the guards shifted from legendary to holy level creatures. Each floor became a gauntlet of escalating strength, but Rhodes' demonic power tore through them like paper.

On the eighth floor, a two-headed ogre magician awaited him. The creature was a rarity, even among ogres, capable of dual casting wind and fire magic. Its attacks carried the force of a demi-god's strike.

"Where did they even find this thing?" Rhodes clicked his tongue as the ogre collapsed at his feet.

Its unique talent for double casting allowed it to wield two spells simultaneously, amplifying their power and breaking past ordinary limits. If it had ascended to the demi-god level, it might have even rivaled minor deities.

"Potential doesn't mean much when you're dead," Rhodes remarked coldly before continuing his climb.

At last, he reached the top. Unlike the other floors, the final room was unguarded, its entrance marked by a simple wooden door.

Rhodes pushed it open, revealing a warm, cozy chamber.

By the window, a girl with golden hair sat gazing longingly at the world outside. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, glimmering in the dim light and trailing from the window to the floor.

"If you're here to take my hair, cut it yourself," she said without turning around.

Rhodes frowned, confused. "Hair? What in the world…"

His gaze followed the shimmering strands, and he noticed the intense vitality radiating from them. It was unnaturally potent, almost overwhelming.

"Who are you?" Rhodes asked, his voice sharp.

Startled, the girl turned around. Her eyes, full of longing moments ago, widened in shock at the sight of him.

"I'm just a passerby," Rhodes said casually. "But who are you? And why are you in this mage tower? Are you connected to its owner?"

The girl hesitated before replying. "I… I'm Wendy, daughter of Earl Copperfield. An evil wizard kidnapped me years ago and locked me here. Mighty warrior, will you help me escape?"

Rhodes shrugged. "Escape? The monsters outside are dead. If you want to leave, no one's stopping you."

Wendy's face lit up with hope. Gathering her hair in her arms, she cautiously stepped out of the room. When she reached the staircase, her breath hitched at the sight of the defeated monsters.

But just as she descended, a black-robed figure entered the tower.

The woman's piercing gaze locked onto Wendy, her expression darkening.

"How did you get out?" the woman demanded.

"She didn't," Rhodes said, his voice echoing lazily from the stairs.

The woman's glare shifted to him, and her expression twisted from rage to something akin to terror.

"God-killer…" she whispered, her voice trembling.