CA - Chapter 217
Chapter 217
An unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar prayers, unfamiliar Garcia witches. Erin, holding Little Fur Ball, followed the crowd out of the Darkness Temple. The witches around her walked out in silence, not a single one speaking. The atmosphere was incredibly oppressive.
There were many small villages near the Darkness Temple, and the witches returned to their respective residences. They seemed to dislike interaction, shutting their doors tightly as soon as they were back in their rooms.
Halfway there, Erin quietly slipped away from the group, turned around, and snuck back to the Darkness Temple.
These witches were too strange. Although the Garcia witches worshipped the Dark God to the point of fanaticism, they were definitely not like these walking corpses.
They seemed to be mechanically completing some task, as if trying to deeply engrave their faith in the Dark God into their very bloodline.
The Darkness Temple was solemn and grim. Erin, having snuck back, tilted her head and stared blankly at the statue of the Dark God in the center. The temple here had no wards; anyone could enter.
Erin crossed her arms and paced back and forth at the entrance, hesitating over whether to go inside and take a look.
As she wrestled with her indecision, she was unaware that two figures with obscured faces were observing her from above.
“...Do you know her? She’s not a Garcia witch.” The red shadow descended, bending down to get a closer look at Erin, but was stopped by the gray shadow.
Wolf Fang didn't know why she stopped the red shadow; she just felt she couldn't let her get close. “Judging by her soul, she should be an Anderson witch.”
“Anderson...” The red shadow seemed to recall something and clicked her tongue. “That bunch of cunning and insidious madmen.”
“What is she doing here? Why does she carry your scent? Did you sign a contract with their family?” the red shadow asked, glaring at Wolf Fang with an aggressive tone.
Wolf Fang shook her head and said flatly, “No.” She waved her hand, sealing the red shadow inside the temple, then landed a meter in front of Erin.
Inside the temple, the red shadow roared in fury, trying to break the seal, but failed.
She had expended too much of her spiritual energy to sign the contract with the Garcia family.
Erin couldn't hear the exchange between Wolf Fang and the red shadow, nor could she see them. After pacing outside for a long time, she had just mustered the courage to go in and investigate when a faint fragrance wafted over. She took a sniff, and her eyelids grew heavy as she collapsed unconscious.
Wolf Fang looked down at Erin for a moment, then raised her hand slightly. A cloud of gray mist enveloped them both, and they vanished on the spot.
Wolf Fang couldn't stray too far from the Darkness Temple, so she only took Erin to a quiet place where they wouldn't be disturbed.
She laid Erin on the ground and searched her, finding Little Fur Ball sleeping in her sleeve.
Little Fur Ball rolled out of the sleeve and groggily opened its eyes. Its gaze was vacant, showing only a faint, barely perceptible spark of life when it looked at Erin.
Wolf Fang’s hand froze in mid-air. Her emotions were so intense that her form flickered between solid and ethereal for a while before she regained her composure.
This is... Wolf Fang silently reached out and touched Little Fur Ball’s ear. A gray light flashed, and Little Fur Ball transformed into a young woman in a gray robe. She opened her eyes, a pair of gray irises that appeared lifeless due to their lack of spirit.
Wolf Fang: “...”
“Isn’t that you?” a voice sounded by Wolf Fang’s ear. She turned to see the red shadow standing behind her, staring in astonishment at the dazed, gray-robed woman.
“Aren’t you afraid your soul will dissipate, Blood Demon?” Wolf Fang frowned and said with displeasure.
Blood Demon sneered. “It’s going to dissipate sooner or later. The contract is signed, anyway.” As she spoke, she tried to approach Erin but was blocked by Wolf Fang.
“What is going on? Why is the other half of your soul here?” Moreover, the power of this half-soul didn't seem to have diminished much, though its mind seemed unawakened.
“I don’t know what’s going on.” Wolf Fang looked at the other “her,” her tone perfectly calm. “This seems to be me, but it isn’t me.”
If it were the other half of her soul, they would have already fused by now.
But it was indeed her soul; she could tell from its aura.
“Did you do something behind my back?” Blood Demon stared at Wolf Fang, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Otherwise, why is it that only your soul escaped the sealed land?”
Wolf Fang was baffled by the sudden appearance of this “self.” Faced with Blood Demon’s accusation, she couldn't explain and had no desire to.
But her silence made Blood Demon think she had hit the mark. Jealousy welled up in her heart. She snorted coldly, about to utter a taunt, but something in her peripheral vision caught her eye. She froze, asking with a puzzled expression, “What are you doing?”
Wolf Fang looked at her questioningly, then realized Blood Demon wasn't pointing at her, but... She turned her head to look at her “self.” Because her mind was unawakened, Little Fur Ball, even in human form, behaved much as before.
She sought out the familiar scent, moved closer to Erin, and wrapped her arms tightly around her. Nuzzling her head against Erin’s face, she fell asleep.
Wolf Fang: “...”
“How could you perform such an intimate act with a lowly human?” Blood Demon’s voice turned shrill with shock, the hand pointing at Erin trembling. “You are insulting the status of a War General.”
“Ah, I don’t want to fight alongside you anymore.” Blood Demon chattered on and on, giving Wolf Fang a headache. She said coldly, “Shut up.”
The pressure around Wolf Fang intensified, affecting the surrounding atmosphere. The temperature plummeted in an instant, and frost coated the tree branches. Erin shivered from the cold. Little Fur Ball opened its eyes in a daze. Though it lacked consciousness, having lived with Erin for so long, it instinctively sensed that something was wrong with her.
Little Fur Ball habitually nuzzled Erin’s forehead, and a faint black mist emanated from its body, enveloping Erin to shield her from the cold.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Blood Demon rolled her eyes, unable to watch any longer, and turned to leave.
Wolf Fang was silent for a moment, then mobilized the power of darkness to separate Little Fur Ball from Erin. But not a second after they were parted, Little Fur Ball found its way back. She tried to separate them five or six times before silently giving up.
This might be a conspiracy, Wolf Fang thought, pinching her fingers. She had to find out what this Little Fur Ball really was.
Only a single country separated the Witch City from the Blood Domain. Cynthia brought Tang Qiu to a city near the Blood Domain and found a small estate to stay in.
When the Vampires controlled the Statu Continent, human life was not very good. They could barely survive, let alone focus on luxuries. These small estates were all left behind by the Vampires.
Several clans among the Vampires particularly enjoyed indulgence, mingling with human society and living like nobles.
Night had fallen. Tang Qiu stood under the corridor, gazing up at the star-filled sky. Perhaps it was because of the night, but her sky-blue eyes seemed to have lost some of their gentleness, replaced by a touch of coldness.
“Are you worried about your companions?” Cynthia’s voice came from behind. Tang Qiu turned to look at her and replied with a smile, “I am a little worried.”
“I saw from Kama’s memories that you were separated from two companions. Which one are you worried about?”
Tang Qiu chuckled. “I’m worried about both of them.”
She wasn't lying. Lucille was her lover, so even knowing Lucille was strong, she still worried.
Erin was her dear friend. Her witchcraft was powerful, but she wasn't skilled in combat. Although Little Fur Ball was likely with her, Tang Qiu strongly suspected that Erin might have already been captured for being too suspicious.
After all, Erin’s luck was never that good.
If she didn't need Cynthia’s help, Tang Qiu certainly wouldn't have chosen to stop and rest.
“Are you wondering why I’m resting here?” Cynthia glanced at Tang Qiu’s expression and said with a smile.
Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow. “The God Race’s mind-reading ability is truly formidable.”
“You’re just making it too obvious.” Cynthia reached up to adjust the floral wreath on her head. “Although the Holy War is over, the Blood Domain isn't a place you can just walk into.”
“The same goes for the Witch City.”
“The Witch City?” Tang Qiu was taken aback, somewhat surprised. “We can’t enter the Witch City either?” The Blood Domain couldn't be entered casually because it was a domain manifested by the slumbering first-generation Vampires.
Only a god could break through their domain; it was the safest territory for the Vampires.
But the Witch City... the Vampires had already been defeated. The Black Witches shouldn't pose much of a threat, right?
“The Darkness Temple is in the Witch City,” Cynthia explained nonchalantly, but Tang Qiu felt she was hiding something.
“I’m waiting for a friend.” Cynthia received Tang Qiu’s suspicious gaze and shook her head with a laugh. “Have a little patience, Grace.”
“We can talk about five thousand years from now.” Cynthia stroked her chin thoughtfully and asked, “How are the Elves doing? That little one’s memories had too little about the Elf Race.”
“The Elves are not developing well. The Tree of Life was taken by the Holy See and the Vampires, the light on the Statu Continent has begun to fade, and the new Tree of Life cannot grow properly. The Elf Fruits have started to produce dark elves.”
Cynthia frowned. “That certainly doesn’t sound good.”
Tang Qiu didn't want to dwell on the Elves' fate. What had happened couldn't be changed, and speaking of it would only elicit a sigh. She proactively changed the subject, asking the question that concerned her most. “The Black Witches have developed an array to summon the Dark God. Can the Dark God really be summoned back?”
“The Dark God?” Cynthia looked as if she had heard a funny joke. A faint smile played on her lips as she said softly, “How could she possibly come back?”
“To leave the Statu Continent, the gods joined forces to assassinate the Earth Mother. The Earth Mother was the guardian deity of the Statu Continent. With her dead, the gods lost the key to open the heavenly gate. They went to the Divine Realm. Even with a summoning array, it’s impossible for them to return.” Cynthia’s gaze towards Tang Qiu held a hint of lighthearted mockery. “You’ve probably been deceived.”
Tang Qiu hadn't expected the gods to do such a thing to leave the Statu Continent. Later historical records made no mention of it. “...That summoning array was discovered in the Darkness Temple. If it’s not for summoning the Dark God, then who is it for?”
Cynthia thought for a moment and said, a little uncertainly, “It’s probably for summoning Blood Demon or Wolf Fang.”
Blood Demon? Wolf Fang? Both names were completely unfamiliar to Tang Qiu. Just as she was about to ask for details, Cynthia seemed to sense something and suddenly turned, waving towards a dark spot.
A petite figure emerged from the darkness. A hood covered half of her face, revealing only pale lips and a slightly rounded chin.
“Let me introduce you. This is Chelsea, a Black Witch from the Morgan Family.” After introducing her to Tang Qiu, Cynthia pointed at Tang Qiu and introduced her to Chelsea. “Grace, a werewolf priest from five thousand years in the future.”
The descriptor “five thousand years in the future” successfully made Chelsea raise her head. She pulled back her hood and stared at Tang Qiu, asking with a deadpan expression, “What do you mean, five thousand years in the future?”
“Remember the teleportation array of those Xi-Tai guys?” Cynthia explained simply. “She was sent over by that array.”
Chelsea nodded, walked over to Cynthia’s side, and asked coolly, “What is the Morgan Family like five thousand years from now?”
Tang Qiu subtly sized Chelsea up and replied with a smile, “They live in seclusion in the Witch City, withdrawn from the world.”
The Morgan Family truly was reclusive. Back when she and the people from Mark's Grocery Store went to the Witch City to rescue Erin, the Morgan Family's Black Witches never appeared, despite all the commotion.
“Very good. It seems my clansmen are very obedient.”
Chelsea turned her head to Cynthia and asked, “Why did you call me here?”
“Her companion was likely sent to the Witch City by the teleportation array. It’s inconvenient for me to go in, so you can help her find her.”
“Sent to the Witch City?” Chelsea frowned and looked at Tang Qiu. “Is your companion also a Black Witch?”
“She is a Black Witch from the Anderson Family. Her name is Erin.” Tang Qiu softly chanted an incantation, using the power of light to sketch a portrait of Erin in the air.
“Anderson...” Chelsea’s expression turned a little grim at the mention of this family. “I don’t want to rescue a madman.”
So the Anderson Family were considered madmen even back then, Tang Qiu thought. She shook her head and said in a gentle tone, “I swear, when you see Erin, you will be surprised that she is a witch from the Anderson Family.”
“She might be the only ‘anomaly’ in the Anderson family in five thousand years.”
Comments
Post a Comment