Witch Redemption

As if realizing she might have overreacted, Lachesis snapped out of her infatuation. "Dr. Roman, no, Grandma Roman, your daughter must be around thirteen years old, right? And her father..."

This little girl, Yu Hui, is so adorable. Does that mean her father must be incredibly handsome?

Li Lan's brow twitched slightly. This guy with the cold expression was saying something that sounded like a joke, and it felt really strange. Plus, he asked such a bizarre question.

"Her father died many years ago. Actually, her father wasn't very tall, and he might have been a bit overweight. He wasn't the kind of good man that many girls would consider, or perhaps a bit sleazy?" Unable to help but project her past life onto him, Li Lan's memory became somewhat hazy. "In short, he was a very ordinary person, a good person who was easily satisfied."

Seeing the dark elf beauty beside him seemingly lost in the past, her face showing a hint of helplessness, Lachesis was immediately moved. "My condolences. You two were truly a loving couple; no wonder you had such a lovely daughter. May I ask for Yu Hui's father's name? I'd like to remember him."

"Hmm," this woman is so annoying, it's more tiring than dealing with men. Li Lan thought for a moment and blurted out half-jokingly, "Li Lan."

"Huh? That's a really strange name. Are there many people with similar names in the wild lands of the northern continent?"

"Well...yes, haha, there are indeed many similar names over there." Li Lan chuckled, trying to hide her embarrassment, while inwardly complaining.

What the hell? Originally, it was impossible to claim one's original name or pseudonym from the original world; one could only claim the real name from the magic book. But Li Lan never expected that she could actually create a new person and then attach her original name from the original world to the fictional person.

"Besides, I'm a damn single, fat otaku! Where would I get a couple? Am I talking about myself?"

Words spoken are like water spilled; after thinking it over, in order to create a more realistic atmosphere, Li Lan appropriately feigned a touch of sadness.

...... ...... ......

In the northern part of Kobe City, in the villa where Ivan Hank lives, in the closed, soundproof study.

Christian Will, a dark heir of the Dark Order, rarely accepted an invitation to visit and confronted the red-haired middle-aged man who was still sitting behind his desk with a serious expression.

Christian wore the black robes characteristic of the Dark Order, and a black hood covered half of his face, revealing only his stubble-covered lower half. It was impossible to tell what emotions he was carrying—anger? Sorrow? Or pity?

Christian himself couldn't explain it clearly; he was just struggling to control his emotions. "Ivan, do you know what you're doing?"

As the most capable detective on the Dark Order's side, he had already begun to suspect that this Dark Elf royal who had just arrived in Kobe City had a particularly serious problem and was suspected of murdering the Dark Heir Black. However, his former best friend appeared in time to shut him up.

"I know we're old friends. I've come to ask you one question today: do you remember her?"

Ivan's words stirred up a very distant memory for the man. Twenty-three years ago, he was also one of the heirs of another noble family and Ivan Hank's biggest rival in love. The two of them were also in love with a genius woman from the commoner class, Vanessa Wagner.

After years of competition, Ivan Hank emerged victorious, while Christian was forced to leave the stage in disappointment. But no one expected that a sudden and shocking change would strike.

Overnight, the Wagner family was wiped out. Although many rumors pointed to Ivan Hank as the culprit, Christian, as the man's rival, knew that the man was definitely not the kind of ruthless person.

In order to investigate the truth of all this, Christian left his family in grief and voluntarily joined the Dark Order to try to investigate the series of buried truths. Wasn't he searching with a heart full of grief and indignation? In the end, what a despairing reality he was left with in the past twenty years?

The closer he got to the truth, the clearer it became that whether it was himself or his rival Ivan, seeking revenge was tantamount to courting death.

"I remember, I'll never forget, but I've let go..."

"I can't let go! For twenty-three years, every single night, I recall everything about her, the horrific way she died. She shouldn't have died like this, I shouldn't have died like this, and you shouldn't have died like this either. If you..."

“You can’t let go, but what can you do?” Christian interrupted his former best friend, his voice calm yet filled with despair. “Stop, Ivan. This is advice: if you don’t intend to destroy your family, don’t continue this investigation, and don’t try to resist. When Vanessa died, I grieved for a long time. I once hated you for not protecting her, but now…”

Christian didn't say the last sentence aloud; he wanted to say that he didn't want to see his former best friend die in front of him in his lifetime.

Ivan did not heed his friend's advice, but quietly stood up, as if talking to himself, "I know everything about the murderer and the forces that killed her, but I can't let it go, and I can't let it go. I knew from the beginning that I couldn't overthrow this country on my own, but at the very least, I must kill the enemy who killed her!"

“Christian, my dearest friend, this is my request in this lifetime. I don’t need your cooperation, I only ask that you create an opportunity for me to face Archbishop Laurent Lison directly. And before that, do you crave power?”

"Perhaps I can make you the new archbishop of the Dark Order!"

Chapter 27 Half-Spirit

July 24, 10003, midnight.

Lachesis Wagner, who was temporarily staying overnight at Roman's clinic, estimated the time and got up to ask the shopkeeper, who was browsing books behind the counter, "Dr. Roman, things might get a bit noisy later, so please be prepared."

"random."

According to the original agreement, July 23rd was originally the deadline for Li Lan to transplant the faith imprint for Viscount Ivan, but he did not expect it to be delayed until then.

It can now be considered a new day.

"Perhaps Viscount Ivan wanted to keep it a secret. After all, there is a curfew in the Viana theocracy, so nighttime is the best time to go out."

Just as I was thinking this, Lachesis, the red-haired beauty in a brown-black merchant guild uniform, arrived at the door.

The moment she pressed the doorknob, the magic surging within her began to erupt, rapidly coalescing into a black humanoid phantom behind her.

The seemingly ethereal ghostly figure surged like black mist. Its upper body could barely be identified as a woman with bared teeth and claws. Its flowing black "hair" burned like flames, and its huge, ferocious ghostly hands surrounded Lachesis on both sides, protecting her completely.

The moment the black mist ghost appeared, an unprecedented sense of crisis surged into Li Lan's heart, and even the little loli Yu Hui beside him showed great fear.

"The ghostly figure can materialize, and its other end connects to her waist, establishing a complete link with her... Is this the semi-spirit constitution possessed only by the native inhabitants of the Viana Theocracy? It's truly astonishing. This ghostly figure of hers seems different from the clergyman I killed before. Hmm, not just clergymen of the Dark Order, but any native inhabitant can enslave a certain number of vengeful spirits. To enslave these vengeful spirits, one must have a central figure to hold them back. In other words, the shadow behind Lachesis must be her core spirit, a part of her ghostly form!"

As Li Lan observed the unusual structure behind the beautiful woman, he wondered to himself, "I've also learned from some adventurers that the native inhabitants of the Divine Kingdom might enslave certain vengeful spirits with special abilities. I wonder if these special vengeful spirits are related to their core spirits. If that's the case..."

"Even shit-eating animals are afraid of me!"

It's actually quite similar to the so-called "power of a substitute," Li Lan couldn't help but think of an ancient anime series from before she transmigrated.

Lost in thought, Lachesis abruptly flung open the heavy door. With a deafening boom, the tangible darkness rushed in, countless black shadows surged forth, attempting to devour the only glimmer of light in the darkness.

"Get out!"

The black mist phantom behind Lachesis let out a hoarse growl. This growl carried an undeniable and powerful pressure, causing the darkness formed by countless vengeful spirits to retreat completely, leaving behind an extremely empty space.

Just as Lachesis was about to step out, a whisper suddenly came from the pitch-black darkness, "Well done, Lachesis."

"Father?!"

...... ...... ......

The door was locked again, and the two tall, uninvited guests simultaneously dispersed the guardian ghosts behind them, returning to normal.

"Clerics of the Dark Order?!"

Li Lan frowned. According to the agreement, he was to perform a faith imprint transplant for Viscount Ivan tonight. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have invited the Dark Order. What kind of story is this?

“Christian Will, my old friend, the reason you were able to keep the Dark Order in the dark since you entered Kobe City is thanks to him. Don’t worry, he’s one of us.”

The middle-aged man, with half his face hidden under his hood, simply nodded and didn't say much. He gave off an impression of being melancholy and world-weary.

"Okay, please come with me."

In preparation for tonight's situation, the unconscious "mummy" has been moved to the third floor, and the second floor has been emptied, leaving only an "operating table".

"Christian, go with her. Trusting her is trusting me."

Ivan Hank's unexpected words left Li Lan somewhat bewildered. She quickly recovered, saying, "I'm not in a hurry. It might need to be postponed for a while. This isn't because I don't trust you, but because right now, he needs the power more urgently than we do!"

If successful, then Kobe City will become their first stronghold, and the Dark Order branch there will undergo a major reshuffle!

This is Ivan Hank's true objective: to overthrow a powerful force head-on. It would be foolish to confront it directly; the best approach is to infiltrate and disintegrate it from within!

Five minutes later, Lachesis and Yu Hui were left on the first floor to guard the door, while Ivan followed Li Lan to the second floor.

“Mr. Christian, please take off your upper body clothing.”

Li Lan gestured for the tall, muscular middle-aged man to lie down on the sturdy bed, then opened her magic book and took out a prismatic crystal that had been purified into pure white—the magic core of the high-level demon, the two-headed demon hound Otrus.

In this world, all high-level monsters possess a specific racial name, such as the two-headed demon dog "Otrus" and the three-headed demon dog "Cerberus." Both of these are powerful high-level monsters unique to the border area between the Viana Divine Authority and the United Principality of Ries.

The two-headed demon dog "Otrus" is a black magical monster with two huge wolf heads and a snake tail. It possesses the wisdom of an adult and is extremely cunning. Its two heads can skillfully use fire and water elemental magic, and the snake head at the tail can shoot corrosive poison. Combined with its almost inexhaustible magical power, this high-level monster is extremely difficult to deal with.

Furthermore, hunting these kinds of monsters generally requires a team of Platinum or Diamond-level adventurers, and the process is extremely dangerous.

It is precisely because such a magical core is extremely precious that even the wealthy Viscount Ivan Hank had to go through a period of financial processing before he could successfully obtain it.

Christian loosened the black robe characteristic of the Dark Order, revealing his strong, scarred physique. The middle-aged man, with his long, graying hair casually tied back, exuded an extremely handsome aura. His melancholic sapphire eyes, weathered stubble, and sharply defined, resolute face made him, from an Earthly perspective, an absolutely stunningly handsome man who would make any woman scream – even more striking than "Brother Sharp" (a reference to a famous Chinese internet celebrity known for his sassy and unconventional looks).

Li Lan was also taken aback, because even he thought this guy was amazing.

Ivan Hank was already a handsome middle-aged man, but the guy he brought today is even more handsome.

"The last time I performed transplants on Wood Annason and Austin Rune, it was only possible because they were on the verge of death. So, before I can perform this surgery, I might need Mr. Christian to die once. I wonder if either of you can accept that?"

Ultimately, the last experiment was a lucky accident that happened by using the "first aid" skill, and to replicate the previous experiment this time, the same conditions must be created.

Since the same conditions must be created, there will inevitably be a life-threatening risk for the person undergoing the transplant surgery. Li Lan must explain this clearly and make them understand that this is a gamble, a gamble with their life.

Sure enough, the usually taciturn Christian showed a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"Trust her, this is our last chance." Ivan leaned his tall frame against the wall, gazing at the operating table, his expression unchanged.

Christian seemed moved by Ivan's attitude. He placed a black dagger that he had prepared beforehand aside and then lay straight down on the bed.

"This knife is a ritual implement of the Dark Order. I am giving it to you, as there will be many opportunities to use it in the future."

The handsome middle-aged man spoke in a magnetic, husky voice, as if entrusting his entire life to the witch. He slowly closed his eyes, seemingly falling into a deep sleep.

Li Lan shook his head, clearing his mind of all distractions. In truth, the life-threatening situation he had just mentioned was nothing serious. He was a doctor-type "priest," after all. With "first aid" at his fingertips, he was invincible. He had even managed to bring Della Bertie back from the brink of death, let alone something as simple as life and death that he could control himself.

He directly opened his natal magic book, and the relevant interface was fully displayed in front of Li Lan.

“Blessing LV2, Prayer LV2, Protection LV2, Courage LV2…” He glanced at the relevant skills, making everything clear to him, and then cleared his mind of all distractions.

"Back then, Austin, that pig-headed orc, had three fatal wounds, while Wood, that human, had two fatal wounds: one to the heart and the other to the carotid artery. The murderer who killed them was very skilled; the heart was not completely ruptured, but rather a shallow wound was left on the heart, and the same was done to the carotid artery in the neck."

For those two, the most troublesome thing was not the excessive blood loss, but the corrosive smell at the fatal wound.

That corrosive aura was indeed unique to the ritual artifacts of this dark cult. Rather than corrosion, it was more like a curse, a mysterious curse from an unknown entity that could erode the soul of the injured!

“First, use life elements to anesthetize him, then make an incision to expose the aorta and heart.” Li Lan didn’t understand the physical structure of any intelligent beings in this world, and acting rashly might really kill this client, so he could only use a more compromise method to find the location of the vital parts. “The local inhabitants of the Viana Theocracy are really strange; they are different from Wood Annason.”

Christian's spine near his waist was twice as thick as a normal person's and formed a ring; this area was likely the primary receptacle for spirits. Furthermore, his heart possessed six main blood vessels, divided into two pairs to form a complete blood circulation system.

"Would there be three major arteries extending to the neck? Could such a body structure still be called human?"

Using life elements to disinfect the surgical instruments, Li Lan made the first incision on his chest and subconsciously used "first aid." The series of information that appeared in his mind surprised him greatly.

He couldn't imagine just how strong such a heart was; he only knew that the mental magic and endurance possessed by this middle-aged man must be terrifyingly powerful.

This guy not only has a strong heart, but his lungs, kidneys and other organs are also top-notch. If the Wood he knew before was an ordinary sedan and Austin was a mountain off-road vehicle, then Christian is definitely a super modified Rolls-Royce sports car. Every part of his body is so excellent that it's frightening.

Well, that analogy doesn't seem quite right, because Li Lan, being a penniless guy, hadn't even passed his driver's license test. Right now, this is the only way he can explain his shock.

"Just like those goblins I've seen before, they're all human, but their bodies are different. It's amazing."

"Since there are three major arteries, then there must be three wounds?"

With a slight tear in the flesh of her chest, Li Lan could already see her beating heart through her ribs. She mustered her courage, calmed herself down, and then casually picked up the black dagger called "Sacrificial Ritual Vessel" next to her.

"This is......."

There was no need to cut it open at all. As soon as the "ritual artifact" lightly touched the red heart, a large amount of eerie black energy surged into it, transforming into an invisible hand that tightly gripped it. The next second, Christian's consciousness also drifted away until he sank into darkness.

"It seems we don't need to target the neck; we can just target the heart."