Witch Redemption

“Send the witch here overnight and inform William Eric that the trump card no longer needs to be left to his enemy; leave it to this Emerald Witch. This Emerald Witch is that guy's friend, and he should understand how to make someone feel the greatest pain.”

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

Outside the abyss chasm, there is a narrow passage called the Traso Corridor.

The Pamir Plateau rises to an altitude of tens of thousands of meters, its highest point covered in endless snow, and the weather is extremely harsh. It can be said that the entire Pamir Plateau is like a gigantic ring, completely enclosing the vast abyss-like rift valley, leaving only one entrance: the narrow passage, the Traso Corridor.

The Traso Corridor is only about 200 meters wide, but its length is an astonishing 20,000 meters. As the only passage into the Abyss Rift, it is filled with a huge amount of gray gravel and is barren.

It can be said that from the location of the Traso Corridor onwards, it is an area that ordinary creatures would not dare to set foot in easily.

Because the Abyss Rift is always an extremely dangerous place, it periodically erupts with "Touch of Darkness," where black mist erupts from the center of the Abyss Rift, attacking the Pamir Plateau and the Traso Corridor, swallowing all creatures within its range into darkness.

Fortunately, the "Touch of Darkness" usually erupts on the first day of each month, and the rest of the time is perfectly safe.

In the past, many adventurers who planned to enter the Abyss Rift to find the "Land of the Fallen Sky" would set off on the second day of each month after completing their preparations, making their round trip precisely at that time.

Unfortunately, none of the adventurers who entered the Abyss Rift ever returned, not even the witch.

"Hey, don't you feel a bit cold around here?"

The merfolk witch "Wild Hunt" grumbled, tightening her dress as she looked somewhat dissatisfied.

"Hmph, serves you right for not wearing more clothes."

Eris, the crocodile witch, added some more firewood to the campfire in front of her, and began to look into the distant darkness directly ahead.

To be honest, this eerie place made her feel extremely uncomfortable, as if a deadly danger could erupt at any moment, making her terrified every single moment.

If their goal weren't to confront the rogue witch Karen Elf head-on the next day, they wouldn't want to block this inevitable road alone.

"By the way, Wild Hunt, don't you think the Empire seems to distrust us a little?"

As a woman, she was indeed a little more sensitive. Eris of the Crocodile Clan recalled the personnel changes that had taken place today and felt that the Empire seemed a bit strange.

"Why do you think that?" The merman rubbed his palms together and exhaled a few breaths of hot air.

"Look, almost all the witches from various regions have been transferred here, just to deal with one witch. Isn't that making a mountain out of a molehill? And to make matters worse, we've suddenly been given an order to protect that man named Wei something..."

"William." When facing other witches, the Wild Hunt would strike with full force, but when facing his girlfriend from his past life, he became somewhat hesitant.

"Yes, that guy is just a human adventurer. We could crush someone like that with one hand. The Empire sent us to protect him, which seems to be their way of pinning their hopes on him to take down this witch. Don't you think so?"

The more Eris thought about it, the more she felt that the Empire might not distrust them, but rather look down on them.

"Who knows? I don't care about any intrigues or politics, I only care about fighting! When that witch comes tomorrow, you want to go one-on-one first? And then I'll join in?"

These two witches, who often flirted and teased each other, even indulging in some unrestrained behavior, had always had extremely simple and brutal minds. They pursued pleasure and the thrill of battle, never caring whether the empire's orders or missions were right or wrong.

"You spineless coward who lives off a woman, I'll go first! Humph!"

The crocodile-woman clicked her tongue, glanced back slightly, and saw many bonfires burning in the vast plain, where countless witches had gathered.

At this moment, beside one of the campfires, the Raven Feather witch Hope was talking to a dejected middle-aged man.

"We just received intelligence from the Empire that the rogue witch Karen Elf will be setting foot in this area tomorrow, and the Empire hopes you will use the Book of Root Replacement on her."

Hope, the Raven Feather Witch, had just received this intelligence. As of now, as many as four hundred high-level witches had gathered in this area, and there would only be more tomorrow.

"No, it was agreed from the beginning that I could become the Empire's spy, but I only have one enemy, and that is that damned witch Lana Sivir!"

The dejected middle-aged man seemed very agitated; when he mentioned Lana Sivir, his eyes almost blazed with fire, and it was unclear what terrible hatred had brewed between the two.

"That's what the Empire says: the Emerald Witch, Kallen Elf, is very likely a being far more powerful than the Dragon Witch, Lana Sivir. The Emerald Witch's journey here is to rescue the imprisoned Dragon Witch, and the two share a deep bond. The Empire asked me to tell you that if you want the Dragon Witch to experience the pain you once suffered, you know what to do."

"An eye for an eye" is a classic saying of the witch Hope before she transmigrated, and she naturally understands the principle of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

However, the witch Hope always felt that the guy in front of her was not worthy.

To put it simply, the man in front of us is named "William Elliott." According to the information from the witch Hope, he was once the vice-captain of the once-famous "Transportation Company" adventurer mercenary group, and co-founder of the mercenary group with the captain, the dragonborn Clark.

The reason why the two sides later became enemies was actually not as complicated as imagined.

First, after the transport company gained fame, its leader, the dragonborn Clark, began extensively collecting ingredients from various countries, ostensibly for logistical reserves. This practice of sourcing ingredients and rations continued for over two years, and as the mercenary group grew, the scale of these hauls became even more extravagant.

At first, all the members of the transport company trusted their leader, and their goal was to find the legendary dragon kingdom, "the Fallen Sky Ruins".

Furthermore, the leader, Clark, also claims to be of dragon origin and embarks on an adventure in search of a way back to his homeland.

However, subsequent events revealed that the leader was likely using them. He was not of dragon origin at all and knew nothing about the so-called "Dragon Kingdom." All the information they gathered was obtained gradually after they arrived in the countries at the center of the four continents.

William Elliott, one of the founders of the transport company, was an ambitious man and the first to realize that the company leader had been deceiving them all along. His initial reluctance to expose the leader's true identity stemmed from his desire to use him to reach the pinnacle of success, along with his wife, Margarita.

Later, Dragonborn Clark did indeed achieve their wish. Not only them, but other members of the transport company also gradually advanced to the level of legendary adventurers with the help of this leader. The value of Dragonborn Clark was finally squeezed out.

William Elliott quickly seized the opportunity to align himself with the Empire, rebelling and forcing the emperor to abdicate.

Unexpectedly, the true identity of the Dragonborn witch Clark is Lana Sivir, a rogue witch from the British Empire. She is a ruthless person who was able to kill a bunch of witches in the empire and escape. She is not someone to be trifled with.

In less than half a day, the dragon-born witch Klara wiped out the entire transport company. William Elliott's wife, Margaret, was pregnant at the time, and the witch showed no mercy, killing both her and her unborn child.

In other words, in the eyes of the Ravenwing witch Hope, while such mutual exploitation and resulting enmity was certainly unsightly, the actions of the traitorous witch Lana Sivir were undoubtedly even more inhumane.

Such methods, which do not even spare pregnant women, would be condemned by anyone in his original world.

Every war has its laws, and this Lana Sivir is simply a murderous maniac with extremely despicable character.

Based on this, the intelligence previously revealed by the Empire is absolutely true; these rogue witches are all extremely ruthless. No wonder the Empire issued a kill order against them; even the Raven Feather witch Hope felt ashamed of such fellow witches.

Perhaps it was because of this message conveyed by the witch Hope that William Elliott's emotions seemed to change slightly, and it seems he was moved.

Indeed, he still remembers the Dragonborn Witch who shattered all his shadows. He was devastated by the deaths of his wife and unborn child and has not yet truly escaped his nightmare. He cannot guarantee that he will be able to remain calm when facing the Dragonborn Witch again.

However, if he were facing the Dragonborn Witch's best friend, the Emerald Witch Kallen Elf, he would certainly have no problem.

How do you make someone suffer? Torture them? Cut them into a thousand pieces?

No, that's not enough to satisfy my hatred. If I want to make him suffer, I'll kill his family and friends, wipe them all out, just like the Dragonborn Witch Clark used her serum to kill all the members of the entire transport company.

This is true revenge!

"Kalen Elf, just how powerful is this witch?" When he asked this question, the man was unusually calm, and the killing intent he exuded was completely different from before.

"A demigod, a powerful being that requires all of us witches to take action to kill!"

This is the intelligence that Witch Hope just received. The guy they are about to face is more powerful than any monster they have ever encountered before, not even comparable to the monsters of the abyss.

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

In the early morning of March 18, 10009 (Gregorian calendar), Li Lan, who woke up on time, awakened Rosa, a demon witch beside him, whose eyes still bore traces of tears.

To be honest, this witch's mental fortitude was far better than Li Lan had imagined. If it were an ordinary person, like the dwarf witch Hera, they probably would have exploded on the spot.

Although Li Lan really wanted to let the witch rest a little longer, the situation was far from optimistic, and she could no longer enjoy her leisurely life here.

Moreover, according to many of the humanoid followers who went out on patrol last night, a number of undead creatures resembling low-level skeletons appeared in this vast primeval forest, and it is unknown what they are looking for.

When Li Lan thought of this, the first thing that came to mind was witches. In the past, witches who could live to the Gold-level Magic Book were extremely rare, but now it's different. They're everywhere, so naturally there are all kinds of witches.

It's unclear what methods those superpowers used to stabilize these high-level witches and prevent them from spiraling out of control, but for Li Lan, none of it is a good thing.

“Necromancers are definitely not unique to Lolina. Similarly, Lana’s lancer, my priest, Della’s marksman and berserker are not unique either.” What Li Lan fears most right now is not encountering the spellcasting classes he is familiar with, but rather some particularly rare races or classes.

For example, the "Sword Master" of the Oni Witch Rosa, the "Butcher" of the Feline Beastman Witch Filite, or the "Gardener" unique to the Twin Witches White Antelope and Snow Antelope.

Li Lan can target familiar glyph classes to a certain extent, but those he doesn't know well are often impossible to defend against. The term "trump card" is not exclusive to Li Lan; if he has trump cards, other witches certainly do too.

In short, Li Lan already felt a strong sense of crisis even before she had started her journey.

It's obvious that the witch, resembling a necromancer, is lurking here, likely with the intention of countering his large number of humanoid minions from the very beginning. And that's just one aspect of their strategy; Li Lan doesn't believe the other side has only considered this. Even his "resurrection" ability, which he revealed yesterday, is part of their plan.

"Miranda, what about you? If you want to leave here, I suggest you contact your backers as soon as possible, otherwise no one can protect you."

Li Lan advised them that the situation was no longer so simple. Yesterday, the Empire could kill off the eight witches with impunity, so killing them off again today would be no problem at all. The only way for them to survive after leaving here was to seek help from the Kazan United Kingdom, the mastermind behind it all.

The dwarf witch Hera hesitated for a long time. Last night, she had learned a shocking truth from Li Lan, but at this moment, she simply couldn't believe it. Moreover, in a sense, this elven witch was the very culprit who had caused them to fall into such a miserable state. If it weren't for this girl saving them yesterday, they probably would have turned against her long ago.

"Our mission is to enter the Abyss Rift to find the lost dragon kingdom. Now that it's not safe behind us, it's better for us to stick together."

After all, she was the captain of a team and wouldn't act impulsively. At this moment, the witch Hera was still very rational.

Yesterday the Empire was so ruthless, killing without hesitation. If we leave today, we'll probably suffer the same fate. Only a fool would leave Karen Elf, who's such a powerful ally.

"It's up to you, but you'd better be prepared. Coming with me might be a hundred times more dangerous than trying to escape directly."

Li Lan added.

Keep bragging! It's a hundred times more dangerous than yesterday?

The dwarf witch Hera didn't believe it at all, nor did her companions. At this moment, only the deer-like orc witch Miranda, who had a strong liking for Li Lan, was worried.

Do you need any more accessories for your legs?

We don't need it, get out of here!

"Anyway, I might not be able to take care of you later, so you should try to run away if you can."

Today, Li Lan never even considered confronting so many witches head-on. This was an open scheme by the empire, a well-prepared scheme from all sides. There was absolutely no chance of winning if they went head-to-head!

Chapter 16 Encirclement and Suppression

Witches of the same race and with the same spellbook profession possess different sacred artifacts, each with its own unique nature and a distinct true name.

The difference in the sacred artifacts of a profession means that different witches, even if they are of similar race and profession, will have certain differences in their professional skills.

Ravenwing witch Hope, like the rogue witch Lorina Yuffie, is a necromancer, but her sacred artifact is not chains, but a giant, greyish-white scythe, truly named "The Last Scythe." Furthermore, unlike Lorina Yuffie, Witch Hope possesses no control-based skills; she is a pure attack-based character.

Basic Necromancer Summoning, a signature skill of necromancers, is naturally possessed by Witch Hope. Furthermore, it has a special support skill called "Soul Domination," which, at the cost of reducing the level of the undead skeletons by ten, removes the limit on the number of uses for Basic Necromancer Summoning.

In addition, the witch Hope can use her "Soul Sharing" skill to share the five senses of any undead skeleton within a certain range, allowing her to gather information and intelligence over a wider area.

"My soul's range is known to all, but it's only about 20,000 meters in radius. Undead skeletons beyond this range cannot be located by me. However, this is enough. Currently, we only have 373 witches gathered here, divided into multiple teams, each fighting independently. The best course of action is to find a way to surround this traitorous witch."

With the giant, greyish-white scythe bearing many ancient cracks pinned to the ground, the witch Hope, like a devout believer, clasped her hands to her chest, closed her eyes, and appeared to be praying fervently. In reality, her senses had already covered the vast territory, alerting her to any movement within the area.

"I've found him! The rogue witch Karen Elf!"

It was already around nine o'clock in the morning when the witch Hope suddenly opened her blood-red beastly eyes and turned around to give her first order of the morning, "Aigarli! He's here! Tell everyone to prepare for an ambush! Set up an ambush; we're going to take him out in the Traso Corridor!"

"Yes!" The bear-woman witch Aijiali, as the witch Hope's capable teammate, immediately turned and left.

Today marks the first time that witches under the Imperial Witch Order have conducted such a large-scale team operation, numbering over three hundred. With so many personnel, and most of the witches being proud and arrogant, coordination and cooperation across all aspects have become extremely difficult.

If the Imperial Headquarters hadn't issued a direct order appointing the witch Hope as the team's commander-in-chief, and given her unique charm, he probably wouldn't have been able to mobilize such a large number of witches.

“We have over three hundred on our side, but the number of witch Karen Elf is even more outrageous. According to the Empire’s intelligence yesterday, this witch probably has ten thousand or even more summoned creatures, all of which are extremely powerful. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to force back the Imperial army and as many as eighty witches yesterday.”

Even the strongest ants can kill an elephant; each witch is extremely powerful in individual combat, but no matter how strong she is, she cannot withstand a large number of summoned creatures.