CA - Chapter 223
Chapter 223
Although the Morgan Family also resided in Witch City, they ceased contact with the Garcia and Anderson families after the Holy War ended. Therefore, Chelsea was not very familiar with Garcia territory.
She had only found Erin by a stroke of luck. All the Garcia witches had gathered at the Dark God's temple, and the fluctuations in aura there were intense, so she had gone to investigate. As it happened, she ended up picking up Erin.
The Witch City of five thousand years ago had not yet been built into a proper, habitable city. Erin followed Chelsea, weaving through the dense forest. Preoccupied with Little Fur Ball's identity, she failed to notice that they had passed the same spot for the umpteenth time.
“Um… Elder Chelsea…” Erin hesitated for a moment, but her curiosity got the better of her. She tried to probe for information, “Who is this Wolf Fang you just mentioned?”
While getting her bearings, Chelsea replied coolly, “A general of the Dark God.”
A title associated with a god was inherently shocking. Erin turned in astonishment to look at Little Fur Ball beside her. Seeing Erin's gaze, Little Fur Ball wrapped her arms around her and affectionately nuzzled her forehead with her chin.
“W-wait, I can't walk! Let go of me.” After struggling for a while, Erin finally broke free from Little Fur Ball's embrace. She straightened her messy hair and looked up to see Chelsea watching her with a peculiar expression. Erin gave a dry laugh and said quietly, “It seems Little Fur Ball hasn't fully developed her consciousness.”
So she acts purely on instinct. Whenever she wants to show affection, she likes to hold me tight.
Before, Erin didn't mind when Little Fur Ball nuzzled her face or hand. After all, she was small and fluffy, and Erin found it quite endearing. But now that she looked like this, Erin felt uncomfortable every time she was hugged.
She touched her slightly warm face and held out a hand to stop Little Fur Ball from clinging to her again. In a low, coaxing voice, she said, “Walk properly now. Be good.”
Little Fur Ball obediently lowered her arms but still walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Erin affectionately.
Having been through a Holy War, Chelsea had witnessed far too many incredible things. So, after staring at Erin and Little Fur Ball for a moment, she calmly averted her gaze, pointed in a direction, and gestured for Erin to follow.
Erin pulled Little Fur Ball along as she followed Chelsea, resuming their previous conversation. “You said Wolf Fang is the Dark God's general. Is the Blood Demon a general too?”
Back at the Dark God's temple, the statues of Wolf Fang and the Blood Demon were placed together. It seemed they held the same rank.
The mention of the Blood Demon made Erin think of the Garcia clan's innate ability. She frowned and asked, “What is the relationship between the Blood Demon and the Gorefiends that the Garcia clan summons using blood?”
Summoning Gorefiends seemed like an innate ability of the Garcia clan. Erin had never doubted it before; when Vera had explained it to her, she had said it was a power bestowed upon them by the Dark God.
But upon hearing the Blood Demon's name, Erin's heart skipped a beat. A thought surfaced in her mind: perhaps… this wasn't an innate ability of the Garcia witches, nor was it granted by the Dark God.
Of the three great witch families, only they possessed this talent, and only they seemed to have some intricate connection to this Blood Demon.
“The Dark God has already left the Statu Continent, so why are her generals still here?”
And why was Wolf Fang summoned by the Dark Array I repaired—the one rumored to summon the Dark God? And in this state, without her full consciousness?
Erin was bursting with questions and wanted to ask them all at once. However, mindful of Chelsea's cold demeanor, she restrained herself somewhat. Even so, she still fired off a whole series of them.
She worried Chelsea would get annoyed, but surprisingly, despite looking cold and disinclined to talk, Chelsea showed no impatience with Erin's rapid-fire questions. Instead, she answered them one by one. “The Blood Demon, like Wolf Fang, is a general of the Dark God.”
“The Gorefiends you mentioned are an innate ability the Garcia clan obtained by signing a contract with the Blood Demon.”
“When the Dark God left the Statu Continent, she did not take Wolf Fang and the Blood Demon with her. Instead, she split their souls in two. One half was left to guard the Dark God's temple, while the other half, along with their bodies, was sealed underground.”
Erin was captivated. When Chelsea paused, she couldn't help but press on, “And then? If they were meant to guard the temple, why did the Blood Demon sign a contract with the Garcia clan?”
Chelsea glanced at the somewhat familiar surroundings, frowned, and replied distractedly, “The Dark God has been gone for too long. Her commands no longer hold any sway. The Blood Demon wanted to break the seal to reclaim her other half-soul and body, so she made a contract with the Garcia clan under the false pretense of the Dark God's will.”
“She expended two-thirds of her soul's power to merge it into the Garcia clan's bloodline, marking them. She intended to use them to break the seal, but she failed.” Chelsea seemed to recall an unpleasant memory, and her entire aura turned cold. “By my calculations, the Blood Demon's soul fragment left outside probably can't last for more than a few more years.”
“However, due to the contract, a part of her soul lies dormant within the Garcia bloodline. As long as the Garcia clan continues to exist, she will never truly perish.”
“Once the seal is broken, she can use her sealed half-soul and body to be reborn.” Chelsea glanced at Erin, whose expression had changed midway through her explanation and who now seemed to be in a daze. Expressionlessly, she added, “It seems the Blood Demon's plan still succeeded five thousand years later.”
Erin unconsciously bit her finger, muttering to herself, “No, I have to… I have to go back and stop them.”
The Statu Continent had already suffered so much. The Holy See had just barely managed to stabilize the situation. If the Blood Demon's seal were truly broken, it would be another catastrophe for the innocent humans.
She had to get back quickly. Anxious, Erin looked up, trying to gauge when they would finally leave Witch City, only to belatedly realize they had been wandering in the same area of the forest for a long time.
Looking at the familiar surroundings, Erin paused, then asked cautiously, “Elder Chelsea, are you lost?”
Chelsea: “…”
“Teleportation scrolls are rare. I don't want to waste one.” After a moment of silence, Chelsea asked coolly, “…Do you know the way?”
Erin raised a hand to scratch her head. “I might know some of it,” she said, uncertain.
Although the terrain was different, Erin had grown up in Witch City and was very familiar with the Garcia clan's territory. So, with some guesswork, she should be able to find a way out. In any case, the situation couldn't get any worse than just walking in circles.
Erin became the guide, with a placid Chelsea following behind her.
The news from Chelsea was so shocking that after Erin processed it, she couldn't help but feel awkward looking at Little Fur Ball beside her.
The Blood Demon had been constantly trying to break her seal. Wouldn't Wolf Fang, who was also a general, have the same idea?
If not, was Little Fur Ball's summoning five thousand years later truly just a freak accident?
Erin's mind was a mess. She glanced at Little Fur Ball, then leaned closer to Chelsea to whisper, “Elder Chelsea, did Wolf Fang sign any contracts?”
“She used to be a furball, but she turned into this after coming here. Have I done something I shouldn't have again?” Erin was dejected. She didn't want to bring disaster to the Statu Continent because of her actions.
The revival of a general of the Dark God would definitely prolong the war between the Holy See and the Black Witches, because light and darkness could not coexist.
“What should I do?” Erin looked at Chelsea earnestly, sincerely seeking advice.
“Take her back where she came from.” Chelsea glanced at the very dependent Little Fur Ball and said calmly, “Just don't leave the trouble here.”
“In five thousand years, whatever plans Wolf Fang has would have been prepared long ago. It's not something you can change on a whim.”
Erin's shoulders slumped. “I understand.”
Although Erin wasn't an expert on the terrain, she was still better than the directionally challenged Chelsea. The two of them, plus Little Fur Ball, walked for less than fifteen minutes before they were out of Witch City.
After leaving the Garcia clan's territory, Chelsea waved her bone staff and summoned a skeleton mount. “Let's go. The Blood Domain is nearby. Meet up with your companions and leave quickly. Otherwise, the Garcia clan will keep hunting you.”
With the skeleton for transport, the group quickly vanished. After they left, a cloud of gray mist appeared where Erin had just been standing, slowly taking on a human form.
Having dealt with the Blood Demon, Wolf Fang had followed Erin's aura. She gazed in the direction Erin's group had left, her eyes lowered in thought for a moment, before turning back into mist and following them.
After leaving Witch City, Chelsea sent a message to Cynthia via a black crow. By the time they finally reached the Blood Domain, Tang Qiu, Cynthia, and the others were already waiting for them at the entrance.
When Erin saw Tang Qiu and Lucille, the anxiety she'd been holding onto finally dissipated. She leaped off the skeleton and ran toward Tang Qiu. “Grace.”
Tang Qiu smiled at Erin. Seeing Little Fur Ball running over behind Erin, she raised an eyebrow and asked, “And who is this?”
Little Fur Ball followed Erin and held out her hand. Erin habitually took out an E Leaf for her, then leaned close to Tang Qiu, eager to share what she had learned from Chelsea. She whispered, “She's Little Fur Ball, but I just found out her other identity. She's the Dark God's general, Wolf Fang.”
This was the first time Tang Qiu had heard the name Wolf Fang. She frowned, looking Little Fur Ball up and down. “A general of the Dark God… Does she have any connection to the Gorefiends summoned by the Garcia clan?”
Upon hearing the title ‘general,’ her first thought was also of the Gorefiends.
Erin sighed faintly. “It's a long story.”
She was about to explain in detail to Tang Qiu but was interrupted by Chelsea. “There's no time. We go directly to the Slade Sea.” The teleportation array was there.
Seeing her grave expression, Cynthia frowned and asked, “What happened?”
“The Garcia clan is hunting her,” Chelsea said, pointing at Erin.
Why were the Garcias hunting Erin? Tang Qiu looked at Erin questioningly. Erin looked frustrated. “I don't know why they're after me either.”
“The Garcias, you say?” Cynthia stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Then let's head straight for the Slade Sea.”
She looked at Tang Qiu and said with a helpless smile, “I had originally wanted you to stay a while longer.”
“But Chelsea was entrusted with the care of the Garcia clan, so I can't keep you here.”
Tang Qiu shook her head slightly. “We were planning to leave immediately after finding Erin anyway.”
“However…” Tang Qiu glanced at Lucille beside her, her brow furrowed with worry. “The teleportation array is activated with Prince Bernard's blood, but we've run out.”
Cynthia put an arm around Chelsea's shoulder and said with a smile, “Don't worry. Chelsea is the greatest witch on the Statu Continent. She can solve the problem with the array.”
Chelsea was unmoved by the compliment. She pushed Cynthia's arm away and, as she settled onto the skeleton's arm, said coolly, “Mind your image.”
With that, she left without a backward glance.
Cynthia blinked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Olivia frowning at her. She turned and smiled at her, but just as she was about to speak, Olivia snorted softly, used a wind spell, and vanished on the spot.
The two of them disappeared in an instant. Cynthia rubbed her nose, then turned to Tang Qiu and said gently, “Let's go, too. We'll pick up little Kama first.”
As she spoke, she took out a scroll and was about to unfurl it when her movement paused. She had noticed Cynthia's Staff in Tang Qiu's hand. “That Light Crystal…”
Tang Qiu looked down at the crystal on her staff. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“After everything on the Statu Continent has settled down, could you take this Light Crystal to the Elf Race?”
Cynthia reached out and gently stroked the Light Crystal, saying with a smile, “The Elves' Tree of Life is very susceptible to corruption by darkness. It needs this Light Crystal to be placed in water to purify the dark elements for it.”
“The Elf Race is the most wonderful race in the world. I don't want them to go extinct.”
Tang Qiu smiled lightly and nodded. “Of course. I wouldn't want to see such a beautiful race as the Elves face extinction either.”
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