CA – Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Upon entering the manor, they were surprised to find no monsters blocking their way. However, with Rose Manor in ruins, the paths were almost completely obstructed by piles of rubble, making it extremely difficult to advance toward the center.
However, this was no obstacle for a vampire and a werewolf, though it was quite inconvenient for the petite and delicate witch.
Tang Qiu occasionally helped the panting Erin, smiling as she said, "Can't you summon a skeleton to carry you?"
That's what the short-haired witch did just now.
Erin mumbled, "Summoning a skeleton would alert Laurel."
"She already knows we're here."
"...But she doesn't know I'm here." Thanks to the spell Tang Qiu had cast on her, Laurel hadn't recognized Erin.
Tang Qiu gazed at her with a smile, her tone meaningful. "You and Laurel have known each other for a long time, haven't you?"
Erin looked at her, surprised, but after a moment's thought, she didn't deny it. "We grew up together."
Tang Qiu nodded. She stroked the staff of light in her hand and asked thoughtfully, "Are you also a witch from the Garcia Family?"
Erin frowned and said nothing.
Tang Qiu glanced at her and gave a wink. "Whatever your family is, it can't be more surprising than me being a werewolf, can it?"
Erin scratched her head, hesitated for a moment, then lowered her gaze and said softly, "My full name is Erin Anderson."
Anderson... Tang Qiu didn't know much about the three great families of Black Witches. Lucille, however, turned her head to the side and remarked coolly, "The legendary family of madmen?"
Erin gave a hollow laugh. "It's not really that exaggerated."
Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Why the family of madmen?"
Lucille explained in a low voice, "Because there was once an Anderson Black Witch who caused the destruction of an entire country just to test whether monsters and humans could reproduce."
"And another Black Witch, also from the Anderson family, slaughtered an entire legion of the Gru Empire to research puppet knights."
Tang Qiu: "..."
Her impression of Black Witches was being completely overturned. Their destructive power was truly terrifying.
Erin tried to salvage her family's image in Tang Qiu's mind. "They were really just outliers in the Anderson family. The Garcia family has had witches like that, too."
Lucille shot her down. "The Garcia witches are only interested in awakening the Dark God."
Erin glanced at her, unable to resist asking, "How do you know so much?" How could a vampire be so familiar with Black Witches?
"I read it in a book."
Erin: "..."
Tang Qiu recalled how Lucille was often seen reading a book back at the manor in the Bill Empire. She smiled and said, "You must have a large collection of books."
Lucille hummed in agreement, her gaze lowering slightly. Half the rooms in her marshal's residence in Edry were studies, filled with books that Anna's grandfather, father, and Anna herself had collected for her from all over the continent.
Because she was unwilling to leave Edry, Anna's grandfather had gathered these books for her to read. It was partly to give her something to do in her tedious existence, and partly in the hope that she might find something to spark her interest, encouraging her to face her eternal life more actively.
But despite reading countless books, Lucille had never fulfilled Anna's grandfather's wish.
Until this priest appeared by her side... Lucille turned her head slightly to gaze at Tang Qiu. The priest was casually toying with her staff of light, her lowered eyes suggesting she was deep in thought. Even lost in her own mind, a warm smile remained on her face, as if by habit.
It seemed nothing could break her. Despite the danger of her own situation, she acted as if nothing was wrong, always facing everything with composure.
Tang Qiu felt Lucille's focused gaze. Just as she was about to turn and tease her, she caught a black shadow pouncing at her from the corner of her eye. She instinctively took two steps back, raised her staff, and softly chanted a spell.
Lucille swatted a dusty gray mongoose away with a sweep of her hand. A beam of white light followed the creature's trajectory, ensnaring it in mid-air. However, just as the ring of light tightened to bind it, the mongoose lowered its head and bit through it. Freeing itself, it scurried over to its master.
The white-robed witch sat atop a skeleton. The mongoose scrambled up the skeleton to perch on her shoulder, nuzzling against her affectionately as its small eyes stared at Tang Qiu's group.
"A vampire, a priest..." The white-robed witch's gaze fell upon Erin. Mistaking her for an ordinary human, she curled her lip and dismissed her. "What a strange combination."
A thick fog began to gather, and several giant skeletons with green flames for eyes loomed in and out of view, creating a sinister atmosphere. The white-robed witch stroked the mongoose on her shoulder, her voice sharp and shrill. "As it happens, I was just thinking the color of my array is a bit dull. It's lacking some fresh, red blood."
"I suppose I'll have to make do with yours to stain it."
After speaking her last words, the white-robed witch vanished completely into the fog. Erin, who was very familiar with a witch's Dark Domain, quickly knelt and laid out some materials on the ground. After a moment, she looked up, her tone grave. "Laurel is behind her. The array is already half-activated."
"What array?"
"The array to awaken the Dark God."
Tang Qiu frowned. She wanted to say something but held her tongue. In truth, she had her doubts. Could a mere third-generation white-robed witch really awaken the Dark God?
A being like the Dark God, whose name was on par with the Light Goddess, had long ago departed for the divine realm with the other gods. How could he possibly be summoned to another continent so easily?
But seeing Erin's serious expression, Tang Qiu decided to keep her doubts to herself. After all, her understanding of Black Witches wasn't complete; perhaps there was some secret she didn't know.
Erin pointed the way. Lucille, who had already called dibs on Laurel back at the entrance, turned and walked into the thick fog, her figure quickly vanishing from sight.
"...Laurel has surely summoned many monsters to guard her." Erin watched the spot where Lucille had vanished and asked worriedly, "Will she be alright on her own?"
"Did you see her eyes?" Tang Qiu pointed to her own. "She's a sixth-generation at least. I think you should be more worried about whether Laurel's body will remain in one piece."
The mongoose began launching sneak attacks under the cover of the fog. Tang Qiu enveloped them both in a barrier of light, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "The white-robed witch's true body isn't easy to find, is it?"
Erin glanced around and nodded. "It is a bit difficult."
"Then let's make her come to us."
Within the Dark Domain, the witch was unaffected by the fog. A smug look flashed across the white-robed witch's face as she watched the three intruders. She was just about to wave her staff and summon some monsters to toy with them when she looked up and realized the vampire was gone.
She glanced around in a panic but saw no sign of the vampire. Frowning, she guessed the vampire had probably gone after Laurel.
The white-robed witch gritted her teeth. "Ah, damn it," she said angrily.
She directed her monsters into the fog, focusing them on the priest with the staff of light. She sent only a single monster after Erin, and as the distance between the two grew, she paid Erin no more mind.
This priest's light magic was powerful-stronger than any she had ever encountered. The purity of the light aura made her eyes flash with excitement. Every witch loved to sacrifice priests to the Dark God, and she was no exception.
The white-robed witch produced a sharp dagger. She watched the priest struggling frantically against the swarm of monsters and let out a low chuckle, imagining the dagger in her hand already slicing through the priest's soft skin.
She patted the skeleton, licked her lips, and commanded, "Let's go."
The skeleton carried her into the fog.
Besieged by monsters, Tang Qiu fended them off with light magic while listening intently to her surroundings. When she finally heard the footsteps she'd been waiting for, the corner of her mouth curled into a subtle smile. Taking advantage of a monster's attack, she deliberately dropped her staff of light and staggered to the ground.
A giant skeletal hand reached out, snatched Tang Qiu from the ground, and tossed her before the white-robed witch.
"Haha." The white-robed witch leaped down from the skeleton, the dagger in her hand glinting coldly. She looked at the priest on the ground with anticipation, her eyes scanning from head to toe as she considered where to make the first cut.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure you die in the most exquisite pain," the white-robed witch said as she knelt and lifted the priest's cloak. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "I like this face."
"Rest assured, I'll be careful not to leave any scratches."
Tang Qiu glanced at the dagger in the witch's hand and said softly, "You're more merciful than your companion."
"Oh?"
Tang Qiu sighed. "She wanted to peel my entire face off for her doll."
The white-robed witch scoffed. "She always enjoys doing such foolish things."
As she finished speaking, she looked at the priest, who was still smiling at her. Her brow slowly furrowed as a sliver of unease crept into her heart. "Where is she?"
Tang Qiu tilted her head, pretending to think for a moment before smiling. "Gone to meet your Dark God, perhaps?"
The white-robed witch's expression changed. Looking at the priest who showed no fear despite being in her clutches, she instinctively took a step back and waved her hand, ordering the skeleton to grab Tang Qiu.
The skeleton stepped forward, reaching out to grab Tang Qiu again. However, the moment it touched her clothes, she sent it flying with a casual wave of her hand.
Tang Qiu rose from the ground. Catching the white-robed witch turning to flee out of the corner of her eye, she flickered in front of her, pressing one hand on her shoulder and the sharp points of her nails against her throat. "Where are the people from the Holy See?" she demanded in a low voice.
The white-robed witch froze, speaking cautiously for fear of Tang Qiu's nails. "...I can lead you to them."
Tang Qiu chuckled softly, pressing her nails a fraction closer. The witch's face went pale, and she immediately began to cry and beg for her life. "Don't kill me! I'll tell you where they are!"
"At the northern corner of the manor, there's a clearing that Vera specifically prepared. She used a teleportation array to send the people from the Holy See there."
Without any further prompting from Tang Qiu, the white-robed witch spilled everything. "She wants to turn them into sacrifices! Vera is very powerful; your companion is in grave danger right now."
The witch tried to bargain with Tang Qiu. "I can help you save them, as long as you don't kill me."
Tang Qiu lowered her gaze, seemingly wavering. A flicker of joy and malice crossed the witch's eyes. If only she could get free... she swore she would chop this priest into pieces and feed her to the mongoose.
The witch was still fantasizing about how to torture the priest to death when a sudden coldness touched her neck. Bright red blood sprayed out, and she realized, in her final moment, that the color of her own blood was also quite beautiful.
The witch collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Tang Qiu stood frozen with a strange expression on her face. She raised a hand to wipe at the blood that had splattered onto her cheek and muttered to herself, "Miscalculated."
"I should have just strangled her like Lucille would have. Then I wouldn't have gotten blood all over me."
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