Evil Red Dragon

Chapter 82 The Witches

In Twin Moon City, Agatha, the leader of the witch organization Eighth Dawn, led the remaining witches to their official arrival.

Thus, all twenty-one witches of the Witches' Guild gathered in Twin Moon City.

The top of a luxurious mansion in the central district of Twin Moon City.

The beauties, each with stunning looks, sat on either side of the long table.

Agatha sat in the main seat.

This swordswoman, known as the Undefeated Witch, looks to be only in her early twenties, but is actually over two centuries old.

She wore a simple leather armor and carried no weapons, but just sitting there, she gave off a sharp feeling of a sword already drawn.

Lavina sat first to Agatha's right, shrouded in a large, dark gray cloak, the hood covering most of her face, revealing only her pale chin.

As a sorcerer, she exuded a faint aura of calamity, causing Beatrice, who was sitting next to her, to unconsciously move her chair half an inch to the other side.

Beatrice, the alchemist in the Witch's Guild, seems to be the most normal one.

Rosalyn and Morgana sat in the middle of the long table.

Rosalyn, the Rose Witch, dressed in a red dress like a blooming rose, plays with a rose that never fades.

Morgana, known as the Thousand-Faced Witch, was very quiet.

The other witches took their seats, and the entire conference hall fell into silence.

Agatha scanned the room, her gaze lingering on each witch's face for a moment before she slowly spoke, "Since you're all here, let's talk about the current situation, Elena. The information I heard on the way here isn't good."

Elena nodded and said, "First of all, welcome to all my sisters. Your support is crucial to the situation in Twin Moon City."

Agatha nodded slightly, the movement so small it was almost imperceptible.

"This is indeed a bad sign."

Elena did not evade the question: "The situation in Twin Moon City is more complicated than expected. Although the Church has seemingly retreated, they have been operating here for hundreds of years, and their roots are far deeper than they appear."

"All the nobles in the city have sided with the church. They are secretly gathering intelligence on us, preparing to turn on us at a crucial moment."

"The good news is that I have 10% control of the 6-strong garrison in Twin Moon City. The bad news is that the level eight warrior, Legion Commander Lucas, has also completely sided with the Church of Light."

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She paused for a moment, allowing the information to process.

Helena added at the opportune moment: "I have taken control of one of the nobles and obtained a copy of their secret correspondence with the Church. Raphael promised that as long as they can create chaos to keep us occupied, the Church will intervene at the appropriate time, restore their status, and grant them additional fiefdoms."

"Greedy fool."

Rosalyn gave a soft hum, and the rose suddenly bloomed, then closed again in an instant: "Now that we've arrived, should we deal with them?"

"Not for now."

Elena shook her head: "Keeping them around will only make the church lower its guard. I've already had Tina monitor the actions of those families, and every piece of intelligence they send out will be processed by us."

Morgana then asked, "What about Graystone Town? The Holy Light Knights are no pushover."

This question noticeably sombered the atmosphere in the meeting room.

Elena opened her right hand, and magic gathered in her palm, forming a miniature map of light and shadow.

Greystone Town, the Endless Mountains, and the surrounding marked areas are clearly visible.

"Greystone Town is now an important stronghold of the church."

Elena pointed to the glowing dots on the map: "Linus is using the pretext of eliminating monsters to actually prepare for building a city."

"Andre, the leader of the Holy Light Knights, is a level six peak paladin. He commands a hundred level five heavy armor knights, along with church armed forces and hired adventurers, and is radiating outwards from Graystone Town to wipe out the monsters."

On the light and shadow map, with Graystone Town as the origin, several red arrows extend in all directions.

One of the arrows has reached the northwest valley, which was originally the territory of the dire wolf pack. The marker there has now turned green, indicating that it has been cleared.

"They are advancing very quickly."

Elena continued, "They wiped out the dire wolf pack in just half a day. The latest intelligence from yesterday indicates that they have begun clearing out the iron ore area where ghouls are gathered, but they've encountered trouble—we don't know exactly what it is."

"But at this rate, all threats around Graystone Town will be eliminated in at most half a month."

Beatrice adjusted her glasses: "Once the cleanup is complete, the Church can legitimately claim that this area is completely safe, thus gaining the foundation for building a city. Once the city is built and the teleportation array is in place—"

"Twin Moon City will be completely surrounded by bread and become an isolated city."

Agatha continued, "And a lone city, no matter how strong its walls or how elite its defenders, will only fall when it loses its surrounding resources and strategic depth."

Elena nodded: "That's right. So Graystone Town must not fall into the hands of the Church. But we can't declare war on the entire Church right now. Those old foxes in the capital are just hoping to see us and the Church both suffer heavy losses."

"So we need an agent."

Ravina began, "Or rather, a pawn of sufficient importance to disrupt the Church's plans."

Beneath the hood, a small smile curved her lips.

Elena and Helena exchanged a glance.

"There is indeed a chess piece."

Helena stepped forward: "There is a red dragon near Graystone Town. It is a level 6 initial stage, but its actual combat strength far exceeds its level."

She added, "I've fought him. Although he escaped in the end, I'm certain that this red dragon's growth rate and potential are terrifying; breaking through to level seven or even higher is not impossible."

"Red Dragon————"

Rosalyn stopped playing with the rose: "Are you sure you can control him? Those scaly lizards are never obedient pets."

"We don't need to control him."

Elena picked up the thread: "All we need to do is let him and the Church wear each other down. The Church's goal this time is the Red Dragon. As their actions continue, Alectu will find out sooner or later, and then the conflict will erupt."

Morgana then asked, "But what if the Red Dragon is defeated too quickly? The Holy Knights are not those scattered rabble."

"So he needs to become stronger."

Elena turned her gaze to Beatrice: "This will require the assistance of an alchemy master."

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Beatrice blinked: "Your Highness means—"

"Enhancement potions, magical equipment."

Elena listed, "We need to increase Alecto's combat power by any means necessary in a short period of time, to make this war last long enough and consume enough resources. Ideally, we should severely weaken the Holy Knights, or even leave Andrei on that land forever."

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

This plan is bold and dangerous.

Supporting a red dragon to destroy the church's knightly order involves so many unpredictable events that it's terrifying.

However, from another perspective, if successful, the Witch Society could severely damage the Church at minimal cost, while firmly grasping the initiative in Graystone Town and even the entire northern region.

"Then let's leave it at that. What about the altar?"

Agatha Christie asked the most crucial question: "Is there any progress?"

This question invigorated all the witches.

Legend has it that before the moon goddess fell, she split her divine essence into countless fragments, which were scattered in various places. Each fragment contained divine power, and if one could obtain it, one could reshape one's divine position and open a new divine kingdom.

Beneath Twin Moon City lies an ancient altar dedicated to the moon goddess.

It took the witch decades to pinpoint this location from countless ancient texts and clues found in historical sites.

Helena continued, "I've tried more than a dozen methods of analysis, but I still can't crack the core incantation. It's completely different from modern magic systems; it's more like—ancient Elvish script."

Beatrice suddenly stood up: "Ancient Elvish script? Can you reproduce it? Even just a fragment!"

Helena nodded, gesturing with her hands in front of her.

The magic traced a series of twisted symbols in the air.

The symbols seem to wriggle slightly as if they were alive; though they are still, they give the illusion of flowing through time.

Beatrice leaned closer to examine it more closely, her breathing gradually becoming rapid.

"This is—the Moon Inscription."

She murmured, "I've seen similar accounts on fragments of the Ancient Elven Alchemy Codex."

"Legend has it that each symbol contains the laws governing the phases of the moon. If this is truly an inscription of the moon, then it is very likely a test."

"test?"

Elena pressed for an answer.

"Yes, it's a test left by the gods for their successors."

Beatrice's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Rosalyn chuckled softly: "So we need to pass tests? That's just like the way those gods do, always complicating simple things."

"But this also gave us an opportunity."

Agatha said in a deep voice, "If it's just a test, then there's hope."

Agatha looked around at everyone: "Beatles, you will now lead the analysis. Just tell me what resources you need. You can use any ancient books and magical materials in Twin Moon City."

Beatrice bit her lip: "I'll try my best, but—if this really is the Moon Inscription, it might require—a living sacrifice."

This word caused the temperature in the conference room to plummet.

Human sacrifice, an ancient and taboo ritual.

They used their lives as a sacrifice to gain access to the gods.

The Witches' Guild does not reject forbidden magic, but the practice of human sacrifice is a source of dread for them.

Agatha remained silent for a full ten seconds.

"Try other methods first."

She concluded, "If all other methods fail—then we'll discuss the ritual. But for now, our priority is to avoid attracting the church's attention; any large-scale magical fluctuations could alert them."

"clear."

Beatrice sat back down in her seat.

Elena stood up, placed her hands on the table, and leaned forward.

The candlelight cast flickering shadows on her face, making her eyes appear even deeper.

Let's summarize the plans for the future.

"The Beatrice team is working diligently to analyze the altar's barrier and find a way to enter."

"Rosalyn, Morgana, you are in charge of the intelligence network and internal purges. We need to know the true stance of every nobleman in the city and every piece of intelligence that flows to the church."

"As for Helena—"

She looked at Helena.

Helena nodded in understanding: "I will keep a close eye on the situation in Grayrock Town. If necessary, I will provide Red Dragon with appropriate assistance to ensure that his conflict with the Holy Light Knights can escalate and last long enough."

"There's one more thing."

Ravina's voice rang out again: "We cannot place all our hopes on a red dragon."

"The Church isn't stupid, and neither is Andrei. If the Holy Knights are truly in a difficult situation, Linus will likely request more support, such as deploying higher-ranking beings."

This possibility made everyone's hearts sink.

Seventh-level paladin, eighth-level cardinal bishop, and even—legendary inquisitor.

If the Church is truly determined, the Witch's power in Twin Moon City is simply not enough.

"Then let's give up on that red dragon."

Elena straightened up and her gaze swept over each witch.

"Sisters, we have waited too long. We have been hunted by the church, wanted by the kingdom, and regarded as heretics and calamities by the world. But today, the opportunity has come."

"The Moon Goddess Altar is right beneath our feet, and the Church is about to be drawn to the Red Dragon. Twin Moon City is gradually coming under our control. This is the Witch's Society's best opportunity in hundreds of years, and it may be its last."

Elena raised her right hand: "For the eighth dawn."

The twenty witches rose simultaneously, placed their right hands on their left breasts, and chanted in unison, "For the eighth dawn."

The vows echoed in the meeting hall, the candlelight flickered violently, casting shadows on the walls, the distorted and swaying shadows seeming to foreshadow a storm that was about to sweep across the entire North.

After the gathering ended, the witches left the meeting hall one after another.

Agatha walked last, stopped at the door, and turned to look at Elena, who was still standing by the long table.

"Elena".

She spoke, her voice slightly softer than before: "Do you really believe that red dragon can restrain the church?"

"I don't trust anyone, Your Excellency Agatha."

She said softly, "But I believe in greed, I believe in ambition, I believe in the instinct to survive."

"Alectus is a red dragon, and the nature of a red dragon is to possess, plunder, and expand. When the Church's sword is pointed at him, he will fight desperately, not for us, but for himself—that's enough."

Agatha was silent for a moment.

"You've become calmer and more like a ruler than before."

Elena turned her head, her dragon-like eyes gleaming with an inhuman luster in the dim light.

"Because I have to."

She said, "The future of the Witches' Guild, the fate of all my sisters, now rests on my shoulders. I cannot make mistakes, I cannot hesitate, I cannot be weak."

There was a hint of weariness in her voice.

"Sometimes I wonder, if I didn't have the dragon vein, if I were just an ordinary princess, what would I be like now?"

"Perhaps she has already married a nobleman and is wasting her time at balls in the capital, never knowing how many secrets and dangers this world hides."

Do you regret it?

Agatha asked calmly.

Elena smiled, but there was no warmth in her smile.

"Regret? No, an ordinary life is not worthy of me."

"I want power, I want strength, I want to control my own destiny, and I want to control the destiny of others. Since fate has given me this opportunity, and the witch has given me this path, then I must walk it!"

"As for the cost—"

She looked at the dragon scales that were faintly visible on her arm.

"I can afford it."

"It's good that you understand."

Agatha nodded slightly, then turned and left.

The doors to the conference room closed silently behind her, and the multiple barriers were activated, completely isolating the area from the outside world.

Elena stood alone in front of the long table, her gaze fixed on the map.

"Alector————"

She muttered to herself, "Don't let me down. At least, attract some of their attention before you're killed."

She waved her hand to dispel the magic, and the map turned into points of light and vanished.

The candlelight dimmed, and darkness spread from the corner, gradually engulfing her figure.

Deeper beneath Twin Moon City, somewhere, the ancient altar of the Moon Goddess lies dormant.

The inscriptions flowed slowly, as if waiting for something, or perhaps mocking the ambitions and schemes of mortals.

A storm is brewing, and at its center, everyone is acting for their own purposes: the witch, the church, the red dragon, and other forces yet to appear.

The threads of fate have woven a web; it remains to be seen who will be the hunter and who will be the prey.