Simultaneous Travel: Becoming a Legend in the Heavens.

Chapter 525 The Witches' Gamble
Strength is not determined solely by one's own abilities.

Echidona has always thought so.

Does being faster, stronger, or having a better physique equate to being powerful?

The higher one's skill level, the more extensive one's knowledge, and the more flexible one's mind, the stronger one is. Human resources, financial resources, social status, strategy, leadership... Strength is not a single numerical value, but a more comprehensive consideration.

In terms of sheer strength, the Divine Dragon Polkenica is practically invincible in this era, except for a very few individuals. But didn't she easily subdue the casual pawn Aldibalan she casually set up?

Even the Sword Saint Reinhard and the Witch of Envy Satella, Echidna didn't think they were particularly troublesome targets. A direct confrontation might be troublesome, but there were many ways to destroy people besides fighting.

No matter how powerful or extraordinary the goal, as long as you are willing to understand it carefully, analyze it step by step, and arrange it slowly, even if the process takes a while and is a bit tedious, the result should not change.

but now……

"I shouldn't have left any traces that could be tracked. The Sanctuary's barrier couldn't stop you at all? I'm quite confident in my magical skills alone."

Sweat beaded on Echidona's forehead. She turned her head away guiltily, not daring to look at Luke, remaining in her fallen position, looking weak and helpless.

The Witch of Greed is indeed very powerful. She manipulated all the chapters in the original work. She created Puck, who could transform into a planetary beast and destroy the world, and Beatrice, who could instantly kill "Gut Hunter".

The Sphinx, having acquired a meager amount of her knowledge, nearly destroyed the entire Holy Empire of Flavia. The Azure Lightning, the strongest of the Nine Gods, was merely a part of the great calamity. His disciple, Aldebaran, usurped the body of the Divine Dragon, turning the world upside down, and even Reinhard was unable to stop it...

However, direct combat is not an option. Although he is still a top-tier magician who has mastered all the secrets of the world through the Book of Wisdom, if his opponent is among the best, there is no suspense whatsoever.

Not to mention that she is already dead, with only her soul in a specially designed spiritual space. Even if this is just part of her plan, it is still an unchangeable fact.

Luke walked up to her, looking down at the witch behind the scenes: "Aren't you happy to see me? Didn't you say you really wanted to see me? It seems Lugnica's proverb can be expanded to include 'Echidona loves dragons'."

A blush crept onto Echidna's beautiful, almost unreal face, and her voice was barely a whisper:

"I'm so shy..."

"Ok?"

"So, even I would feel embarrassed if I suddenly saw my crush!"

Echidona looked up at Luke, her eyes welling up with tears, looking incredibly ashamed, and biting her lip:

"I just wanted to secretly learn more about the person I like, but then the person suddenly appeared in front of me and became so intimate with me... I'm a girl who has never been in a relationship before."

Seeing Echidona acting like an innocent young girl caught naked by her boyfriend during the throes of new love, Luke smiled knowingly.
"Ah, it didn't taste very good, so I only tried a little bit... Is that really what you think?"

After her speech, she rationalized her behavior, expressed her affection, and pointed out that she was still a pure virgin. Although it was a bit deliberate, her communication efficiency was commendable.

"You...don't believe me?"

Echidona blushed, rolled over, and lay prone on the ground. She moved her body and, like a dog, approached Luke's feet, sniffing him gently.

She wrapped her pale arms around Lu Ke's legs, slowly moving upwards like a snake. Her eyes were misty, and her voice was so tender and lingering that it made one blush and their heart race, yet it also carried a sticky, wet, and lewd quality that made one's blood rush to their head.

"But... I really like you. Denying my love is just a sign of your own insecurity. You're more handsome than I imagined, have a better physique, and are much stronger..."

Aichidona looked at Luke sincerely, her tender eyes almost overflowing with desire, and she began to nuzzle him with her head in small movements.

"Wow, I smell the scent of iron and blood, an absolute masculine charm. Are you a pure man who enjoys war and conflict, who likes to impregnate women? No, the former doesn't seem quite right. This kind of person couldn't possibly stay in Roswaal's mansion for so long without causing trouble... Besides that, there are many other strange scents. You've been through a lot, much longer than I imagined. This body has given me the answer..."

The soul does not lie; everything in the spiritual world is real.

The moment Luke entered, she sensed an immeasurable spiritual power that far surpassed any concept she could comprehend. However, even from its outward manifestation, she could glean a great deal of information. For the Witch of Greed, this new knowledge and experience was exactly what she craved most.

Lu Ke raised an eyebrow. "You're more perceptive than I thought."

Echidona paused for a moment, smiled brightly, and gently shook her head.

"That's a bit unromantic. Let's do something fun instead. Ever since I found out you're a dragon, I've wanted to see you..."

She helped Lu Ke sit down in a chair, stroked the young man's powerful abdominal muscles and waist, exhaled ambiguous hot breath, licked her lips, and reached for the jewel-encrusted belt.

"Just now, you made intimate contact with me. In return, I will do the same to you."

Upon seeing the actual object, the Witch of Greed showed a look of astonishment, seemingly shocked, but quickly transformed into an expression of fascination…

It is both an unimaginable abundance of spiritual energy and the "unknown".

Even though on the surface it looks no different from the product of an ordinary man, Echidna knows that's just an appearance. The Witch of Greed, with her profound knowledge, is probably the most discerning person in the world.

The blood of the dragon Polkenica isn't as miraculous as the rumors suggest, and claims of breaking powers and resurrecting the dead are exaggerated, but it does have miraculous effects... However, if it were the bodily fluids of the person in front of me, it might actually be able to achieve that.

"Echidona, is this really okay?"

Lu Ke slowly exhaled, looking at the witch of greed who was trying so hard to please him, and tapped his fingers lightly and rhythmically on the table.

"?"

Echidona looked puzzled.

"Just apologizing for the reckless attempt, having sex with me would be a barely acceptable way to make amends and I might even get some benefits, but is that all you want to go?"

Echidona: "..."

Luke reached out and brushed aside Echidona's hair, his voice gentle: "Because an enemy far more powerful than you appeared directly in front of you, catching you off guard, rendering all your plans meaningless, and since you happened to think that contacting me would give you some information, you submitted to me..."

"Although it's a smart approach, it doesn't appeal to me. I don't dislike smart women, but if they're just smart, it doesn't seem very interesting."

Echidona: "..."

"You were more likable before than you are now. How about expressing yourself authentically?"

boo~
The witch, dressed entirely in black and white except for her blue-black butterfly headdress, disconnected from the connection and slowly rose. The blush, infatuation, shyness, and other emotions on her face all disappeared, as if nothing had ever happened.

"I see, I see... Your taste is quite unique. Don't you think obedient and intelligent women are better, and prefer witches who manipulate the world?"

Echidona's face was expressionless; rather than calm, it was as if even the emotion of calm did not exist.

The Witch of Greed is a monster devoid of human emotions. Likes and dislikes, love and hatred, fear and dependence—all her expressions of emotion are merely pretense, driven by the belief that "humans should behave this way."

The only thing that truly connects her to the world is her thirst for knowledge. She is a monster of curiosity, an insatiable glutton, interested only in all things unknown.

Lu Ke chuckled, resting his chin on his hand. "You don't understand men at all. The latter sounds much more attractive." "Well then, I can give you my answer."

Echidona snapped her fingers, and the surrounding scenery transformed into a shattered royal city, a scene on the other side of the sky.

"I don't like playing chess. What attracts me is what I can gain after winning a game, which is knowledge about you."

It wouldn't be difficult to directly deal with the Witch of Greed and her arrangements, but that would prevent others from getting the necessary training.

Even he himself accumulated his current power little by little from many versions of himself in other worlds. Helping him is fine, but purely getting something for nothing is not an option.

He asked calmly, "The stakes have to be equal. What can you give me?"

“My offense against you should indeed be punished. You can kill me or play with me however you want. In that case, I would be your spoils. But I happen to have something other than myself.”

Echidona revealed a mysterious, bewitching smile and clapped her hands lightly. With her movement, one figure after another appeared in the space.

"Um... Mr. Luke... I'm so shy, could you... take that back?"

The first to appear was the pink-haired, charming, and flustered "Lustful Witch," who timidly offered suggestions while peeking at the things still covered in Echidona's saliva.

"Ha, this is troublesome, but whatever..."

Next up is the Sloth Witch, with long purple hair and a voluptuous figure, lying lazily on the ground. She is the strongest witch besides the Envy Witch, capable of instantly killing the other five witches and even bullying the dragon. However, realizing that there is no chance of winning by resisting, she decisively chooses to give up.

"Am I going to get tricked by Donna? That's so unfair!"

The third-ranked "Arrogant Witch" has short, light green hair, wears a white dress, and looks quite young. She is standing with her hands on her hips, expressing her dissatisfaction.

"Mmm...it looks so delicious. It's a spirit from another dimension. I really want to eat it. If I can eat it if I lose, please hurry up!"

The one tightly bound by the Iron Maiden, who also has a youthful appearance but is dressed in revealing clothes and drooling over Luke, is the [Gluttony Witch].

"How could you do this? How could you do this! This is too much, Echidna! Are you trying to drag us into this mess you started again? Ah... ah... you too, why are you trying to cause trouble with Echidna!"

The last to appear, the "Wrathful Witch," is a blonde girl full of energy. As soon as she appears, she lashes out at Echidona and Luke, who are facing off.

"If I hadn't collected your souls, you would have been completely annihilated long ago. You should be grateful that I've let you live for so many years. You wouldn't want to know how I would have used you if it weren't for Lu Ke."

Echidona made no further attempt to conceal her true feelings, completely ignoring the witches' words and even refusing to waste energy on comforting them as usual.

She gave Lu Ke a human-like smile and bowed slightly.
"I, along with the souls of the other five witches, offer this as a wager in exchange for 'knowledge' of equal value. What do you say?"

Luke looked around at the six "witches" who were very different from each other, scrutinized them with a critical eye for a while, rubbed his chin, and nodded reluctantly.

"Okay, I agree."

The Witch of Greed smiled sincerely and nodded slightly, a hint of emotion finally appearing in her voice:
"Then, let the war game, with the world as its chessboard, begin!"

…………

Lugnica, the royal city.

The elders, nobles, ministers, knights, and squires of the Sages Society, who were left questioning their existence by a series of unforeseen events, were unable to calm down for a long time.

This royal selection ceremony was incredibly dramatic, with the struggle between the five chosen ones, the defiant declarations, the appearance of the divine dragon, and finally, the dragon that made even the divine dragon kneel before disappearing...

Regardless, a deluge of congratulations came from all directions.

Whether they were ministers, nobles, or even members of the knightly order, everyone looked at Luke's camp with exceptionally flattering eyes, offering constant congratulations and praise.

Because of "Divine Dragon Al", the Hall of Selection was completely destroyed. The ruins were too dangerous. Under the command of the Grand Master, the Royal Guard Knights, who had not played much of a role, made the best of their ability to escort the spectators away.

"Damn... so Lu Ke wasn't some kind of 'divine protection,' he's a fucking dragon!!!"

Sato Kazuma was filled with emotion. He finally understood why Luke had a modified Barrett; it turned out he wasn't human at all.

Natsuki Subaru scratched his head. "But... is this the end?"

Judging from the current situation, Luke could easily ascend to the throne and become king, or even replace the dragon Polkenica and become the new "dragon".
If the Archbishop of Sin is not to be killed, what will happen to his professional skills? In the end, will he still have to rely on himself?

"Don't say things that sound like a flag. Lu Ke isn't here right now. What if something goes wrong?"

Kazuma Sato patted Subaru Natsuki on the head and clicked his tongue.

Natsuki Subaru: "...But what you said sounds more like a flag to be raised, Makoto!"

It doesn't seem right that two reincarnated individuals said this at the same time!

Kazuma Sato smiled smugly and gestured to the giant dragon beside him, "It's alright, even though Luke isn't here, we still have a divine dragon here."

Natsuki Subaru looked over with concern, only to see the dragon still prostrate, smiling ingratiatingly at Priscilla and Emilia.

"You two must be the companions of that noble Ancestral Dragon Lord. I am truly sorry for what I did after being possessed. Could you please put in a good word for me, Ancestral Dragon Lord...?"

Emilia blushed and shook her head haphazardly, wanting to deny it but unable to speak, while Priscilla accepted it calmly, looking quite disgusted.

"You're supposed to be a divine dragon, yet you're behaving so disrespectfully. Did you come all this way just to be a joke?"

"There's nothing I can do; I've been corrupted by the power of the Witch of Deception..."

Shenlong's tone was quite helpless. Just as he was about to explain, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly stood up and looked into the distance.

Almost at the same time, Reinhard also looked in the same direction, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

…………

The Oguria Desert, south of the Sage's Tower.

At the border filled with witch's miasma, with neither the guardian Xia Wula nor the dragon present, beneath the Demon Sealing Stone, a magic crystal with unstable energy exploded as if it had reached its designated time, the sound echoing throughout the entire desert.

boom! ! !
The residents, startled by the explosion, looked over in confusion, their faces immediately filled with terror.

In the distance, the sky and the earth were submerged in a purplish-black shadow, and everything was being rapidly eroded. Countless tentacles spread out from the shadows, swallowing up the entire Auguria Desert in the blink of an eye.

Satella, the "Witch of Jealousy," has been resurrected!!!

(End of this chapter)