Witch Redemption

This was Li Lan's worst-case scenario, because what they had encountered were only the lowest-level zombies. If it were a more powerful horde of death, they would likely be even more helpless. Moreover, he suspected that they were only on the outskirts now, and the closer they got to the territory of "Destroyer of Kingdoms," the more dangerous it would become.

While the three witches were discussing their plan, three legendary adventurers who had almost been crippled also woke up.

How are you feeling?

This was Li Lan's first sentence. Right now, they were facing a shortage of combat power, so even though the three adventurer uncles were a bit of a drag on their team, he still preferred to save them to prevent their lives from continuing to fuel the death tide.

"This is terrible. I think it would be better if you just abandoned us."

When Franklin woke up, he was ashen-faced, and his close friends Ruda and Nig were in no better shape.

Before awakening their true potential, humanity has its limits; magic and physical strength are not limitless. Legendary adventurers are very powerful, among the top experts in small countries, but they are nothing here now.

Admittedly, they can unleash tremendous power for four or five hours, but they also tire and can fall unconscious due to severe injuries and blood loss. That was the case last night; for the first five hours they were able to keep up with the three witches, but after five hours they had become almost a burden.

Their magic was completely used up, and they began to feel exhausted. Their physical strength dropped sharply due to the intense attacks, and even dragging their feet was extremely dangerous. In addition, the wounds and zombie poison left on their bodies by the numerous zombies were constantly eroding their will, making them so desperate that they wanted to commit suicide on the spot.

Even they themselves found it incredible that they could survive until dawn with these witches.

In comparison, these three witches truly live up to their reputation as formidable figures who survived the wanted posters of the Elf Kingdom and the Naga Kingdom. They managed to drag three burdens along while still being so powerful. With such combat strength, they might even be able to put up a fight against a demigod.

Ultimately, as a somewhat "arrogant" legendary adventurer, he himself is pursuing immortality. Last night, however, he encountered such a predicament, humiliating himself to this extent—it's simply an insult.

Li Lan was taken aback when she saw that this legendary adventurer, who had taken the initiative to win them over, was now so dejected and dared to say such things. "You seem to value your pride more than your lives?"

“How is that possible?” Franklin sighed. “We know our own situation perfectly well. We overused our magic last night, and it’s difficult to recover with just six hours of sleep. While our physical strength can be restored, as you can see, our wounds are not in good condition.”

Indeed, their injuries last night were extremely severe. If it weren't for Li Lan, the "priest," forcibly suppressing the zombie poison in their bodies with "purification," they probably would have become zombies themselves while fighting. Even though their wounds have healed with the help of medicine, they still need time to recover and reach their peak condition. If they were to experience a battle like last night again tonight, it would be the death of them.

Lu Da, pale-faced, echoed, "Don't worry, we're also pragmatic adventurers. If we had the chance, we would have indeed planned to take a gamble. Unfortunately, the current situation may not be up to us. Although we're a bit unwilling, if it weren't for us being a burden last night, you might have escaped much more smoothly."

Adventurers are very realistic and have a strong will to survive. If they hadn't personally experienced the attack of the death tide last night, they probably would still be clinging to hope.

Unfortunately, they now understand that stepping into this hellish place is a dead end; the only difference is whether they die sooner or later.

Even now, their minds still vividly remember the tremor when their bodies lost control; that attack was definitely aimed at the soul. If they encountered such an attack a second time, they would still be helpless and could only wait to die.

“Me too, I don’t plan to leave anymore,” Nig’s dark face was filled with dejection, as if he were making his final arrangements. “I have several sons and grandsons. If possible, I would like to ask you to find an opportunity to pass on my inheritance after you leave this godforsaken place…”

That's so lame!

Li Lan raised her hand to cover her forehead, thinking to herself, "An adventurer is just an adventurer after all. Their will is a bit weak, as if everything is only governed by instinct."

He thought of the soldiers he had fought so far, whether they were soldiers from the British Empire or soldiers from the Elven Kingdom, all of them were men of strong will. Even though they were all Li Lan's enemies, Li Lan was still inexplicably shocked when he thought of their unwavering belief that they would fight to the very end, even in the face of death.

Fighting these soldiers was like facing not an individual, but a colossal beast. This clash of beliefs, this soul-crushing terror, was something no adventurer could ever experience.

"That's enough!"

Li Lan slowly spoke, "I have a way to enhance your strength. You can decide how much it will improve, but there are conditions!"

Lacking sufficient magic power for sustained combat, the solution was simple: Li Lan planned to implant the "faith imprint" unique to the "Creators of Life" into them. Normally, Li Lan wouldn't readily use this method on the natives of this world, but now she truly had no other choice.

"The condition is that I hope you will pledge allegiance to the Goddess of Darkness in the future and relocate to the independent city of Kobe on the eastern continent."

Black-haired Yu Hui was right. If they really wanted to fight against this world, they needed power. It was not up to them, these witches, to fight alone. Even the natives of this world, as long as they could be used, should be used in every possible way.

After all, only forces of equal size can defeat a powerful one; a lone hero will always meet a dead end.

After these interactions, Li Lan felt that these three legendary adventurers weren't bad people; otherwise, they wouldn't have decided to stay. Therefore, Li Lan could reciprocate their kindness and help them become stronger!

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

Atop towering peaks, thorny ice crystals formed a magnificent palace, within which lay a mangled, fleshy body uttering incoherent roars.

"Damn it! Why did I wake up? You're dead, you're dead!"

"It was like this last year, and it happened again last night! Why won't you just die obediently? Why are you stopping me? You damned witch! Ah!"

The body, composed of rotting flesh, was over 1.6 meters tall, with the physique of a young girl. Its lower body had mutated into numerous decaying tentacles, while the upper body's arms revealed eerie white bones, and the hands had transformed into bladed claws. One of the bladed claws was pressing tightly against its own neck, seemingly trying to sever its head, while the other bladed claw was desperately trying to stop it.

But the girl's head had also undergone severe mutation. Her once delicate and beautiful face was now reduced to a gaping maw with buck teeth, filled with sharp black fangs, some of which protruded wildly, all emitting a putrid stench. Her once gorgeous, straight black hair had been transformed into blood-red tentacles, like twisted serpents, dragging wantonly across the ground.

"what--"

After a final, heart-wrenching scream, the sharp claws that should have severed his own neck were violently pulled away, leaving only five deep wounds on his neck.

It seems that she has defeated the witch she spoke of and has begun to regain control of her entire body.

"Goo-goo-"

After vomiting several mouthfuls of black, corrosive blood, she finally calmed down and called out loudly, "Eileen! Bellin! Come here right now!"

"Kalen Elf?" In the midst of her desperate struggle, she finally grasped the key factor that had caused this body to temporarily lose control. "That damned witch is here! Why is she here? No, she must die! She must die right now!"

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

A hoarse female voice came from the palace gate, and standing there was a warrior who was fully armored, with only his skull face showing.

"Why you? Where are Eileen, Belle, and the others?"

She glared at the guy with extreme disgust. She had forgotten where this skeleton warrior came from and how he grew from the lowest-ranking skeleton soldier to be so powerful. She just instinctively felt disgusted by him. If it weren't for the fact that he was the core of the Death Tide, she wouldn't mind getting rid of him.

"The two rulers are on their way to pay homage to the Supreme God. It is said that two very powerful harbinger banshees have arrived at the Holy Land and they are required to personally offer themselves as sacrifices to you."

"..."

She remained silent for a long time, finally suppressing her inner turmoil, and turned her head away, seemingly staring intently at the direction of the eastern region.

Are you loyal?

"Of course, I will only be loyal to the one and only king in this life, and I am willing to be the king's sword for the rest of my life."

"Then, I need you to twist the head of a witch back into place. Her real name is Karen Elf!"

Chapter 14 The Messenger from Afar

On March 10, 10008 (Gregorian calendar), at noon, the Kingdom of Fenyan in the northern continent welcomed a rare guest: Helen Kingsley, the Archbishop of the Chaos Order from the Kingdom of Ross.

Since following Ann Gnath, this witch, who should have been born in the United Duchy of Ries, has regained her masculine form from when she was on Earth. Now she not only holds a high position in the Kingdom of Ross and has gained great power, but also possesses enormous wealth and a large number of wives and concubines.

This happy and peaceful life always reminded him of the choice he made three years ago. If he had chosen to follow another witch back then, he would probably be in an endless escape.

It had been several months since I last heard the name Roman Hydra.

Rumor has it that this meddlesome fellow went to the border of the Elf Kingdom and, in doing the same thing he did to the Rune tribe, kidnapped a pair of twin witches from the Elf Kingdom. As a result of his numerous crimes, he was wanted by both the Elf Kingdom and the Naga Kingdom.

In fact, because she couldn't get information about her former comrades "Violet" and the others, Helen suspected that all those who followed this Roman Hydra were probably dead.

Helen naturally didn't sympathize with them. Everyone has their own choices, and those who choose the wrong path will inevitably suffer the corresponding consequences. He just felt a little regretful, but had no other thoughts.

At this moment, in the VIP residential area specially arranged by the Kingdom of Fenyan, standing on the cold wind-swept balcony, Helen Kingsley intended to continue admiring the exotic scenery of the North, but unexpectedly, she suddenly heard a soft footstep behind her.

“Darling, I have settled the personnel. The King of Fenyan Kingdom has also informed us that the handover will take place in two hours. He said that there will be some top-secret intelligence that will surprise us. I don’t know if it’s true or not.”

The icy woman's voice was like heavenly music, seemingly always cold and aloof. Her words, which should have been warm, came out with an unexpected contrast.

"Thank you for your hard work, Jenny."

Helen rarely showed a gentle smile. He turned around and saw the woman's tall figure.

Her breasts, far more exaggerated than those of an average woman, stood proudly; her face, cold yet exceptionally beautiful, was a feast for the eyes; and her gorgeous, long braided flaxen curls added to her charm... This stunningly beautiful woman was Helen's wife and his most capable and powerful assistant.

As the youngest daughter of Duke Yuris of the United Kingdom of Kazan, Jenny Yuris was someone Helen pursued with great effort to win over and arrange their marriage. Now in their second year of marriage, the two are deeply in love, and Jenny's charm has stopped Helen's philandering; the number of his wives and concubines has remained permanently at sixteen since Jenny's arrival.

It's worth mentioning that this lady is not just a pretty face, but an extremely powerful "fire archmage" who is only one step away from awakening her true nature and advancing to demigod status.

"Our goal this time is to participate in the fight against the death tide. I'm worried that this small number of people is not enough. I wonder what Darling thinks about this."

Jenny leaned closer to Helen, her body slightly effeminate. The warmth of the white magic robe and the unique fragrance of his wife stirred Helen's desire. He couldn't wait to leave the balcony and close the door before he began to grope her.

"It's alright, there are definitely enough people. It's about quality, not quantity. Besides, the fighting power of fanatical believers is far superior to that of those adventurers."

The Chaos Cultists number over three thousand, each possessing strength that starts at the legendary level according to the adventurer classification, and at least the rank of Major General according to the military rank system of the Kingdom of Ross. They can be considered the most elite force below the demigod level.

Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Ross is ultimately just a small country, and its foundation naturally cannot compare with those of the larger nations. The fact that it was able to mobilize so many elite troops is a testament to its strength, and it should not be underestimated.

"Don't worry, I made all the preparations before we arrived. We'll be able to complete the mission quickly this time."

On the surface, they came to eliminate the source of the death tide, claiming to "save the world," but in reality, they came with ulterior motives.

Indeed, Helen Kingsley's target has been set. If "Destroyer of Kingdoms" is indeed a witch, then he will go all out in this first batch of allied forces to try to obtain the witch's corpse and her natal magic book.

This was the first instruction he received from above. The second instruction was to investigate the actual combat strength of the Desolate Ancient Kingdom and make a preliminary assessment. The reason for the urgency in obtaining intelligence about the Desolate Ancient Kingdom might be that the Ross royal family organization had already vaguely regarded this great power as an enemy, though he was unaware of the specifics behind it.

Just as Helen was about to put aside her chaotic thoughts and take things further with her wife, Jenny suddenly hesitated for a moment and pushed Helen's broad chest.

"Darling, actually...actually...actually I'm pregnant!" Jenny pursed her lips, feeling that saying this was a bit inappropriate.

"Ok?"

Helen was stunned for a few seconds, then overjoyed, and kissed her young and beautiful wife fiercely. "Very good! Very good! Absolutely wonderful! Then your husband should cherish you even more!"

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

In the capital square of the Kingdom of Fenyan, King Barton VIIVI looked curiously at the five enormous white aircraft, secretly marveling, "The Kingdom of Ross is said to have been founded after a coup by the Ross royal family. It is located on the border of the United Kingdom of Kazan, which is too far from here. Even if we go all out, it will probably take more than half a year to get here."

Generally speaking, as long as a country is not too backward, it will have relevant means of transportation to shorten travel time. However, the means of transportation presented to Patton VIIVI is indeed peculiar. It appears to be made of metal such as steel, with turbine-like structures on its wings and tail. It is hard to imagine how this thing works and flies.

"Archbishop Helen, this is..."

"Airplane, powered by magic."

Wearing a black and white cult uniform adorned with various magical patterns, Helen Kingsley responded with a hint of smugness, after all, this was her proudest masterpiece, a perfect replica of the fastest mode of transportation from her previous life.

Not every transmigrator can replicate their past life so successfully; the less successful a person is, the less likely they are to achieve anything remarkable. Transmigration in this world is very realistic: a fool remains a fool, while a genius only becomes more outstanding.

Helen Kingsley was the young master of a large conglomerate in District 11 before she transmigrated. She had excellent educational conditions from a young age, coupled with her superior talent and memory, which enabled her to graduate from Fuyukyo University at a young age and then devote herself to scientific research.

It's not impossible to recreate the technology of another world in a different world, but the principles and materials science involved are numerous, and it even requires a high degree of industrialization. What level could a lowly transmigrator possibly achieve?

The fact that most time travelers can't do it doesn't mean Helen Kingsley can't. Unlike other carefree time travelers, he never treats everything as a game. He just wants to immerse himself in his own interests while surviving, such as restoring the technology from his previous life.

That's why he was able to use his vast knowledge to achieve great success on his own. And unlike his other nerdy teammate Connie Joe, who also chose Ann Gnath, he received the highest level of treatment in the Kingdom of Ross. If it weren't for his somewhat foul temper, his status would probably have surpassed that of their benefactor, Ann Gnath, long ago.

"It's a pity that the nights in this world are too dangerous, so I often have to spend the night in medium-sized countries. Although this mode of transportation is fast, the routes it takes are circuitous and winding in many places, and its actual speed is not as fast as the airplanes in my previous life."

There were too many factors to consider. Helen Kingsley was currently a demigod in the Kingdom of Ross, possessing immense power and near-immortality, but her subordinates were not. Furthermore, the skies over some monster-infested areas were not places where one could simply fly; the danger was too great. Therefore, these numerous concerns led Helen Kingsley's design to be rather conservative.

Moreover, this thing cannot be mass-produced at present. It was designed, assembled and test-flown by Helen Kingsley alone. Over the years, only a few have been successful, and the number of failures in various aspects during that time is incalculable.

Seeing that the envoy from the Chaos Order of the Kingdom of Ross did not seem to want to reveal too much, Barton VIIVI simply smiled and shook his head, not delving into the topic. "Please follow me, Your Excellency Archbishop Helen."

Ten minutes later, Patton 76 led the envoy of the Kingdom of Rus into the capital palace and took his seat in the meeting hall.

There, Helen noticed a handsome young man who smiled gently, nodded at him, and then turned and walked into a side room of the conference hall. The moment he saw the young man, he felt a shiver run through his soul, just as he had felt when facing Ann Gnath after he revealed his true form.

"Is it just my imagination?" he muttered.