Chapter 96: The Fallen Deity
This was an invitation from a Witch.
Shaye’s small head shook like a rattle, hoping Qin Chu would flatly refuse.
But Qin Chu just smiled gently and faced Violet: “It would be my honor!”
Violet also smiled softly and led Qin Chu and the others towards the Witch’s castle… or rather, floated towards it. Throughout the entire journey, her jade feet never touched the sand on the ground, while Qin Chu and Ekaterina left four distinct trails of footprints in the dust.
The sand was soft, and their steps made no sound.
Shaye couldn’t help but open her mouth and bite Qin Chu’s ear.
Well, since Shaye was currently in a spiritual form, it didn’t hurt, just tickled a little. It felt strange.
“Why did you agree to her? She’s the Storm Witch! Have you forgotten what I told you before?” Shaye was very displeased.
Qin Chu smiled wryly: “Come on, could I have refused?”
Some things were indeed impossible to refuse, unless he wanted to fight the Storm Witch right here and now.
Naturally, Qin Chu had his own plans. Violet didn’t seem to harbor any ill intentions, and he didn’t want to completely antagonize her. Moreover, he was very interested in the Soul Fragment of the First Hero.
In that case, why not follow the Witch?
The nine tornadoes continued to rage in the desert. Violet, walking at the forefront, gently waved her hand, and the violent tornadoes parted to the sides, creating a path for them to pass through.
They walked past the bones, which looked even more eerie up close.
Among the scattered bones, they even spotted some armor.
The armor hadn’t decayed with the passage of time and still gleamed brightly.
Ekaterina’s eyes suddenly flickered. She seemed to have discovered something within the armor and tugged at Qin Chu’s sleeve.
Following the direction of Ekaterina’s finger, Qin Chu’s pupils also constricted slightly.
Although there were subtle differences, the similarities were too striking. Most importantly, they could even see the unique markings that symbolized the Holy Knights on the armor.
Could it be that the human remains scattered in this desert vortex were actually the remains of Holy Knights?
What had happened here long ago?
Could it be that the Holy See had waged war against the Witch?
Impossible.
Based on Qin Chu’s understanding of the Holy See, they wouldn’t bother to attack a Witch unless there was sufficient profit involved.
After a long while, they finally crossed the small desert, and the Witch’s castle appeared before them.
Only up close did they realize that the so-called castle was actually a church.
It was majestic and grand, and from the remaining traces, it was evident that it had once been a thriving place of worship. Now, however, it was in ruins.
Walls had collapsed from violent impacts, buildings were charred black from fire, and dark red stains, whether from blood or something else, remained after years of settling…
Standing here, it felt like being on a battlefield from centuries ago.
The sounds of slaughter, screams, clashing weapons, and the cries of the dying seemed to still echo in their ears.
The sacred church now exuded only an eerie and sinister aura.
“I apologize, my home is a bit dilapidated.” Violet seemed embarrassed, as if ashamed that she didn’t have an elegant and noble palace to entertain her guests.
The place was already quite dim, and due to the damaged roof, the interior of the church was even darker.
In the hall, they could see a long table covered with various utensils and scrolls, with a few chairs placed beside it. A half-burnt candle flickered with a dim, yellow flame. The objects on the table, illuminated by the flickering light, seemed to move eerily.
“Please, have a seat.”
Qin Chu scanned his surroundings as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Although it looked worn and tattered, the table and chairs were clean and tidy.
Deep within the church, there was a statue.
However, the statue’s head had been destroyed, leaving only half of its body, looking rather pitiful.
Qin Chu pondered silently. Compared to a witch hunt, this seemed more like a holy war sparked by differences in faith. Although the Holy See seemed to have suffered heavy casualties, they had ultimately emerged victorious.
The deity worshipped here had lost all its followers.
Waging war over different beliefs was probably the most common occurrence, wasn’t it?
Anthea and Ekaterina sat quietly on either side of Qin Chu. Neither of them spoke, but it was clear that the eerie atmosphere here had a strong impact on them.
Only Shaye frowned. She was quite old, but not as ancient as the Storm Witch. She didn’t know exactly what had happened a thousand years ago.
However, the Storm Witch’s behavior was indeed different from the other witches Shaye had encountered.
She had killed four witches: the Time Witch, the Greed Witch, the Avarice Witch, and the Wrath Witch. She hadn’t actively sought them out. Instead, whenever she encountered them, before she could even greet them, they would immediately attack.
But this Storm Witch was clearly different.
After a while, Violet emerged from the back, carrying a tray with several cups of clear tea. Dried cactus flowers, specially treated, floated on the surface of the water, emitting a faint fragrance.
Violet placed the teacups in front of them, two in front of Qin Chu, as the Witch Shaye was perched on his head.
“I apologize, I don’t have anything particularly good to offer my guests.” Violet said apologetically.
“Lady Witch, you jest. It’s already a great honor to be invited into a Witch’s home. How could we ask for more?” Qin Chu said with a gentle smile.
He picked up his teacup and took a small sip, seemingly placing complete trust in Violet.
Violet was quite pleased with Qin Chu’s demeanor and nodded slightly.
With the Holy Healing authority, Qin Chu wasn’t afraid even if the tea was poisoned.
Violet also took a small sip, then put down her teacup and looked at Qin Chu, her gaze drifting towards Shaye on his head.
Shaye couldn’t hold back any longer. She maintained her position, clinging to Qin Chu’s neck with her chin resting on his head, and asked Violet: “Storm Witch, why didn’t you attack me?”
This was the biggest question in Shaye’s mind.
Violet responded with a surprised tone: “Why would I attack you?”
Her words left Shaye speechless. After all, in Shaye’s experience, witches were always hostile towards each other, engaging in combat within three seconds of meeting.
Violet seemed to understand Shaye’s confusion and smiled sadly: “How much do you know about Witches?”
Qin Chu pondered for a moment: “Not much…”
“Witches are proficient in magic, magic formations, and potions. They possess great power, but they have eccentric personalities and are mostly bloodthirsty and cruel?”
Qin Chu described his impression of witches, and was promptly bitten by Shaye again.
Clearly, Shaye was quite unhappy with Qin Chu’s description of her as eccentric, bloodthirsty, and cruel.
She wasn’t that kind of Witch! In reality, whether in his first life or now, she hadn’t done many bad things. She had only stolen a few high-level magic spells from the Holy See’s secret collection, stolen the gem from the Pope’s crown… That’s right, the gem on Augustus’s crown was actually a fake.
She had also stolen the sacred bone relics that the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess considered sacred, ground them into powder to refine potions, severely injured the previous Pope when he tried to cause trouble for her (he died shortly after returning), driven the Saint of the Earth Mother Goddess Church from two hundred years ago into seclusion, eliminated a few thousand knights who were trying to eradicate Witches, then refined their souls and corpses into wraiths and undead, used Demon Beasts as experimental subjects for modification, causing a bit of trouble for the human army…
She really hadn’t done anything truly evil, right?
Was it too much to call her eccentric, bloodthirsty, and cruel?
Violet didn’t seem offended. She glanced at Shaye and said: “Actually, I admire you…”
“Every Witch has a deity they worship. Witches receive their authority from the blessings of their gods…”
“These authorities are far more powerful than ordinary abilities. Witches can gain near-invincible power from them. Almost every Witch is like this.”
This was another bombshell. Witches received their power from gods. Then why did the Holy See consider Witches heretics? Could it be that the deities Witches worshipped were actually Evil Gods or something similar?
“However, obtaining this power comes at a price. The knowledge of gods is not something ordinary people can digest. Witches gain immense power from the knowledge of gods, and the growth of their strength makes them overlook other risks.”
“Their consciousness and souls are unconsciously eroded, even though the gods who bestowed these authorities upon them may not have any malicious intent.”
“The stronger they become, the more severe the erosion, until finally, the Witch becomes…”
“A lunatic!”
Qin Chu felt a chill run down his spine.
Witches and lunatics.
Was this the price of power?
“The legends of Witches being eccentric, bloodthirsty, and cruel stem from this. They were once normal, but as the erosion deepens, their personalities become increasingly strange and cruel.”
“The reason why Witches attack each other on sight is also because of this. They sense a similar power within each other and want to devour it.”
“Devour?” Qin Chu raised an eyebrow.
Violet simply replied: “Literally.”
Imagining that scene sent shivers down Qin Chu’s spine.
“Witches are fortunate to be chosen by the gods and gain immense power.”
“But Witches are also pitiful creatures, destined to be consumed by this power and lose themselves.”
“The power of gods is a seed of hope and a root of despair.”
The wind outside the hall seemed to intensify, howling mournfully.
The dilapidated windows rattled under the force of the wind.
Qin Chu took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil within him. He spoke in as calm a tone as possible: “Then, Lady Violet, which deity do you worship?”
Violet looked towards the broken statue behind her with a reverent yet complex expression.
“The Lord of the Storm!”
“A deity who has long since fallen!”
Qin Chu felt as if struck by lightning, his eyes wide with shock.
Even Forced Calm couldn’t control his emotions at this moment.
The Lord of the Storm had already fallen? Then… who was the deity worshipped in the Holy See?
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