Witch Redemption

Rather than wasting unnecessary emotions on sympathy and sadness, he values ​​the present and the future more.

Live in the present. Only by living can we fulfill the promise we made. All that's left is to keep moving towards our goal.

"Okay, the specific route has been decided."

When Matilda closed her natal magic book, she realized that Sherry had fallen into a deep sleep. She pondered for a while, then silently added a lot of firewood to the campfire in front of her before getting up and leaving the small area.

Outside, a fierce wind was raging, and around eight o'clock at night, the sky was pitch black, while the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow.

Upon closer inspection, one can also see a large number of adventurer corpses buried under the thick snow, a truly shocking sight.

Matilda glanced at the desolate snowscape in the distance, then crawled into the small building next to her. This little house had an open window that offered a direct view of the unusual activity outside the temple ruins, making it suitable for keeping watch. The downside was that it was too cold.

Inside the cabin, a figure that was neither human nor ghost sat blankly to one side, the campfire in front of him long since extinguished.

"Peggy?"

The figure with two horns on its head turned its head blankly, revealing a ferocious black face, and its turbid blood-red beast eyes gradually regained their clarity.

"Matilda?"

"Okay, it's time for your turn. You can go in and rest now."

"No need. For a long time to come, I hope you can keep a certain distance from me."

Peggy, who had completely changed her appearance, turned her head away, not daring to look her accomplice in the eye.

"Why?" Matilda was surprised at first, then noticed that her companion's left hand, which had turned into black tentacles, seemed to be grasping the limbs of some creature.

It was precisely because she was aware of Matilda's vision that Peggy concealed her fear for a moment.

"You again..."

“I have to do this. To recover from my injuries quickly, eating these guys' corpses is necessary. But once I break this taboo, I might lose control. Matilda, don't tell Sherry, and don't let her attack again for a while, okay?”

Faced with this almost pleading tone, Matilda felt a pang of pain in her heart, but in the end she simply nodded. "Don't push yourself too hard. You can tell us anything, and we'll bear it together."

Without making a sound, they built a new campfire again, letting its dim light bring new warmth to the hut.

"Have you found the reason why Shirley went out of control and underwent some mutations?" Peggy's body could no longer feel any temperature. He moved a few steps to the side and changed the subject.

"No, the initial suspicion is that it may be related to the level of the magic book. The higher the level, the more serious the injury one suffers, the more likely it is to trigger this mutated state. Sherry only said that he saw an indescribable hallucination a moment before the mutation, and that hallucination drove him crazy."

The conversation was casual as usual, but this time the topic was shrouded in a thick gloom, filled with an inexplicable sense of despair.

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

The British Empire, the border city of Mori.

Everything remained peaceful and quiet as always, except that most of the imperial cities today had a touch of celebration.

In the new city district, this area, which was once razed to the ground by an evil witch, has now been rebuilt into a bustling commercial street.

"Sanqi Tavern," a branch that opened in Mori City less than two months ago, was closed today, but the interior was quite lively.

Larenas, the blond middle-aged man who is also the owner of the tavern and the leader of the adventure team, is hosting a banquet for his many subordinates, his face beaming with joy.

It has to be said that this year was his most successful year. Not only did he make his adventure team famous, but he also made an immeasurable fortune in his family business. Among them, he was most grateful to the younger brother of a certain benefactor, Reiner Little, as well as eleven other super fighters whose strength was getting stronger and stronger.

In the warm, spring-like banquet hall, the host, Larenas, dressed in a handsome evening suit, was walking among the guests, raising a glass of red wine and toasting each of them.

He quickly arrived beside the girl with beautiful blue hair and a gorgeous long dress. "Miss Rem, we'll need your help with the adventure team next year!"

This beautiful woman is named Rem. Don't let her delicate appearance fool you; her strength is unbelievably powerful. Rumor has it that her strength is in no way inferior to any Platinum-level adventurer, and she even has the ability to challenge Diamond-level adventurers. Currently, she is the strongest super fighter in the adventure team.

Surrounding Rem were ten beautiful women dressed in maid outfits, with strange names ranging from "Antares" to "Antares X." Some of them were currently maids under Larenas's command. Like Rem, these ten beauties were all exceptionally talented, and their strength was definitely not just for show.

It was precisely out of respect for the strong that these women were among the few distinguished guests who were able to sit in the main seats.

The beautiful woman whose real name should be "Slime" responded with a gentle smile, while the other beauties whose real names should be from the "Starry Sky" series also raised their glasses at the same time.

They seemed to be the focus of the banquet, attracting a lot of attention from men, but unfortunately they were not interested in any of them.

"Next year, we will need Captain Laura Linus's continued support!"

The slime's voice was as elegant as heavenly music. In the past six months, she had not only integrated into the society on the border of the empire and begun to settle in the position originally mentioned by the Creator, but had also gradually honed herself to an unprecedented level of strength.

Of course, she won't stop there; she will work even harder, as she has even greater potential.

Whether it's slimes or these constellation-themed maids, they will always be loyal to their creator and wait for the day when the creator returns to welcome them.

With a smile and a nod, Larenas continued walking and arrived at another table.

The young man sitting at the banquet, dressed in a rather simple evening suit and with a melancholy expression, was named "Rainer Little," a man who had once been crushed by grief but then stood up again.

"Vice Commander Reiner, this drink is for you!"

Both drank it down in one gulp, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Now, Reiner has found the motivation to live. He has been tirelessly searching for the truth behind Ryan Little's death and has even salvaged the broken relationship between his older brother and sister-in-law, Betty Anfer.

Several months ago, after learning that his sister-in-law Betty Anfer was pregnant with Ryan Little's child, he, as her brother, immediately visited her, thus preventing further tragedy.

"Commander Larenas, thank you!"

Reiner was sincere, even though he knew that the handsome middle-aged man was only helping him to get back on his feet to repay a debt of gratitude to his brother.

"We're all on the same side, cough, no need to be so polite!"

Larenas patted the young man on the shoulder, his wandering gaze lingering briefly on another table in the distance before quietly approaching Larena and saying in a barely audible voice, "The group of people in the northwest corner were sent by my former family to monitor me. They might have some malicious intentions towards Rem and the others, which I cannot say outright. I may need you to inform Rem and the others."

"Should we handle it discreetly?"

"Sure, they're all low-status people anyway, they're just attracted to pretty faces."

Although they knew that Rem and the other eleven were getting stronger and stronger, they were still just humans, and there would always be times when they would be caught off guard and lose their lives.

Unaware that he was being targeted, the slime's mind was not on the banquet at all, but filled with longing.

"If only the Creator were here too. I get to enjoy so much delicious food, but the Creator has such a hard time. Sigh."

Who would have known that the "Crimson Night Torrent," which should have been a source of fear for the empire, had unknowingly become the day the slimes looked forward to most.

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

Some are happy while others are sad. As the new year arrives, all the witches who have fled face different fates.

As the New Year's bells rang, in the Roman Clinic of Kobe City on the border of the Viana Theocracy, Li Lan was in the "operating room" on the second floor, transplanting a new faith imprint onto little Mira to continue sustaining her life.

"So that's how it is. I thought she had lost her divinity, so how could she still survive? I didn't expect it was your doing. You're quite capable, my servant!"

The elusive black-haired Yu Hui suddenly appeared from behind, almost startling Li Lan.

For some time now, this guy whose real name is "Dark Goddess" has stopped using tricks like "Do you know Jin Yuhui or Yin Yuhui?" to scare the timid and innocent little girl. Instead, he directly uses magic to manifest himself and appears around Li Lan in a "darkened" state for a short time.

He gradually got used to this somewhat "stupid" guy.

You scared me...

"You want me to compensate you, right? Money, or... my... body..."

Eat shit! I'm not interested in women. Women aren't as fun as games.

Li Lan really wanted to say that to the guy who was tempting him, but to maintain his composure, he kept a blank face and asked, "What brings you tonight?"

"Because it's interesting, your cooking skills are good, and this food is just to my liking."

"Um, shouldn't you have a sense of taste similar to Saya's?"

What is Saya?

"Uh, it's nothing, as long as you like it." This somewhat silly "goddess" always brings a different topic every time she appears. Besides teasing him and finding him interesting, she can actually gather quite a bit of information, including some that he would never want to know in his entire life.

"I'm very interested. If you don't tell me, I might just raid you tonight!"

There was no hint of a joke in Li Lan's voice, so she could only say helplessly, "It's a kind of game unique to my hometown, or more accurately, a novelty-oriented word game. It's not very fun, it's similar to reading a novel. Besides that, there are many other similar games, commonly known as 'eroge', but the audience is very small."

He gestured and gave a brief description of what a "computer" looked like. He described everything that could be said in this world, but he didn't know if the guy could understand it or not. It was probably like talking to a brick wall.

"Is this even possible? Using lightning as a power source to construct a flat world?"

"Aren't you supposed to be very knowledgeable?" Li Lan was curious. This guy was a high and mighty god who had been to all the worlds. What civilization hadn't he seen? He should know what a computer was and what modern entertainment was, right?

"Nonsense, if I were knowledgeable and worldly-wise, would I be so bored right now?"

It seems they genuinely have never seen a computer before. Thinking about it, that makes sense. To these deities, a hundred years of human history is but a drop in the ocean, passing in the blink of an eye. The history of computer development is only a hundred years, while the explosion of entertainment has only been twenty or thirty years. It's normal for this deity not to know.

"It's a pity, I really should let you see it if I had the chance," Li Lan casually replied, straightening Mira's clothes. Seeing the little one's expression return to normal, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh right, when you came over just now, you mentioned divinity..."

"Want to know?" The black-haired Yu Hui behind him licked his lips again, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "Beg me!"

"..." Li Lan was silent for a moment, "Go cool off somewhere else. I haven't even had the chance to show you what real entertainment is like!"

This black-haired Yu Hui is really infuriating. You could say she's stupid, she's quite good at flirting, and she even has a hint of queen-like demeanor. But you could also say she's not stupid, because she often seems to be very straightforward and has no emotional intelligence at all.

"Tch, a true man can bend and stretch. You can't even bend, so how can you stretch? Come on, let me teach you!"

A slender little hand tugged at the hem of Li Lan's clothes. The moment he turned his head slightly, he saw a beautiful face with teary eyes, pear blossoms in the rain, pitiful and charming.

"Master, please don't abandon me. Please, grant my wish, okay?"

He was practically spitting out a "waaaaaah!" Li Lan rolled her eyes at him, "That's too over-the-top! This kind of acting is subpar!"

"Tsk—"

His expression changed instantly; this guy is invincible!

"Fine, I'm in a good mood, so I'll tell you. But! From now on, you have to tell me a story every night to lull me to sleep! Otherwise, this isn't over!"

"Is that how you give reasons?" Li Lan said coldly, "Nonsense!"

I suddenly have the illusion that this guy is a brat. How did he live to be so eternally old?

"What is divinity? To be precise, it is the primordial blood of a true god, the dark blood that symbolizes madness and destruction. It is something that will drive any intelligent being into madness if it comes into contact with it. In other words, the blood of a higher being is deadly poison to a lower being."

This was the first time Li Lan had learned in detail what divinity was. He suddenly realized, "Is it what is usually called rejection reaction in biology books?"

"In reality, the true gods themselves do not have the concept of a divine title. The true gods' physical bodies are immortal and indestructible. They can be injured, but they will never die. They will continue to exist alongside this universe. A divine title is a gift from the true gods to their superior creations. Only by fusing with a very small part of the true gods' physical bodies can these creations withstand the power from the blood of darkness. All beings that have received a divine title are called 'gods' in the world, possessing the most powerful physical bodies and a certain degree of immortality."

"However, please note that for a 'god,' divinity is like the heart. What does losing divinity mean for a 'god'?"

Chapter 67 New Cooperation Agreement

"Losing divinity means death?"

"It can be understood this way: all living things have a soul, and the soul is spiritual energy. Gods who lose their divinity do not die completely immediately; their souls can still sustain their bodies for a while longer, but death is only a matter of time for them."

Black-haired Yu Hui waved his hand dismissively. "Killing a god is very simple. Just severely damage their divine core. Once they lose this core, their bodies will rapidly decay, and they will die completely within a week. As far as I know, in ancient times, the fall of gods varied in speed, mainly depending on their will. The stronger their will, the more their soul could unleash its potential and sustain itself for a longer period after losing their divine core."