Chapter 71: A Lose-Lose Situation, A Part of the White Witch
Victoria.
In a remote corner of a bustling market stood a dilapidated shop that looked like it had seen better days. Sparsely arranged on the shelves were various jars of spices.
No one would have guessed that the old man who had run this shop for decades was a Company director.
The Old Man who appeared here looked different from the one Luo Ling had seen in the cabin, appearing much older. The image in the cabin was like him from ten or twenty years ago.
“Cough, cough…“
Another bout of violent coughing wracked his body. The Old Man tossed the blood-soaked handkerchief into a nearby wastebasket, which was filled with similar handkerchiefs, not just from today, but stained with long-dried blood.
“…Your injuries are much worse than before.”
The Woman’s avatar stood beside him, her clear voice betraying no emotion. Even though the Old Man was on the verge of death, her expression remained unconcerned, as if it were nothing serious.
“Somewhat,” the Old Man said, his frail body hunched over, hands tucked into his sleeves. “Otherwise… I wouldn’t have called you for help.”
Like Philosopher, the Old Man carried lingering injuries, stemming from a battle with Philosopher years ago that had decimated the Harbingers.
Despite their victory, the Old Man hadn’t had time to recover, as he had to constantly maintain the barrier enveloping Victoria.
Whether it was monitoring Victoria or activating countermeasures against the Harbingers at critical moments, the Old Man had no choice, even as his injuries worsened.
“But… I couldn’t help much,” the Woman said, her expression darkening as she recalled the power she had encountered, seemingly lost in thought.
A power capable of completely annihilating abilities, not just the Destined Death they had inflicted upon Fiona, but even more terrifying… the Old Man and the Woman had temporarily lost the ability to use Destined Death.
Although they could likely regain this sure-kill move through trial and error, for the time being, it would be difficult for the three of them to fully control the situation in Victoria.
This power that could erase concepts reminded them of the Realm of Nothingness. There seemed to be some similarities, but they couldn’t be certain.
“If the Harbingers have obtained the power of the Seventh Path, the ‘Origin Point of Change’ will surely face a catastrophe,” Philosopher whispered. “Moreover, Fiona’s life has been saved by them. It’s only a matter of time before she reveals that secret. We’ve unknowingly… fallen behind, Woman.”
Everything had started with Fiona entrusting Luo Ling, a member of the Company’s Wellington branch, to enter the Realm of Nothingness. Victoria, which had been maintaining a delicate balance, was like a pond disturbed by a thrown stone, the ripples spreading and expanding, until a storm surged forth.
“We must admit, this time… we’ve failed.” The Old Man raised his head. The golden eye hadn’t faded, the ritualistic pattern within still faintly visible. This was the Old Man’s Authority Sacred Tool.
But unlike other Authority Sacred Tool wielders, the Old Man had embedded this Sacred Tool into his body, making it a part of him, the ritualistic pattern constantly active, completely fused with the Sacred Tool.
Therefore, this Authority Sacred Tool not only granted the Old Man its Authority in a unique way, but had also become a part of him.
The Grotesquery from which this complete Authority Sacred Tool originated had fallen into Silent Demise, leaving only its Sacred Relic, which was forged into this Sacred Tool, the foundation of the Old Man’s decades-long struggle against Philosopher.
Hearing the Old Man’s dejected voice, the Woman remained silent for a long time before slowly asking, “So, what… do you plan to do next?”
The Old Man didn’t immediately answer, instead closing his eyes and leaning back on the shop’s only recliner, gently rocking as if lost in thought.
The Woman wasn’t anxious, simply waiting quietly in the shop for the Old Man’s answer.
Customers entered the shop to buy spices, but the Old Man remained motionless, as if he hadn’t heard them.
Instead, the Woman skillfully introduced the shop’s few remaining products, even making a few sales, neatly stacking the coins and banknotes by the counter.
Perhaps due to the Woman’s old-fashioned attire and the Old Man’s idleness, this odd couple seemed to be mistaken for something else by passersby, curious and strange gazes occasionally peering through the shop window.
It wasn’t until late at night, when a blood-soaked young man pushed open the door and entered the shop, that the seemingly sleeping Old Man finally opened his eyes and softly asked,
“Boy, what’s the situation?”
The Old Man had been waiting for another crucial reply, a reply that would directly influence his final decision.
“…It’s bad.”
The Boy’s deep, heavy voice echoed as he walked over and grabbed the water pitcher from the counter, gulping it down.
Only after he exhaled heavily did the intense bloodlust emanating from him subside, revealing an unconcealed killing intent.
The Woman looked up at the Boy, waiting for his report.
She knew nothing about the task the Old Man had assigned to the Boy.
But… this wasn’t the first time. Since they weren’t sure who among the three was the Historian, they often kept important matters hidden from each other.
This was true between the Old Man and the Boy, the Old Man and the Woman, and even between the Boy and the Woman, each having secret backup plans to prevent the worst-case scenario.
Even though the Old Man and Philosopher had been fighting for years, both severely injured, they still couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that the Old Man was the Historian.
The famous Eastern stratagem, “the empty fort strategy,” illustrated the danger of such schemes. They couldn’t let their guard down.
“Cheng Jianming is indeed dead. The cause of death is unknown, but I’ve retrieved a fragment of his soul.” The Boy took out a small cross pendant. A faint, male figure could be seen trapped within, its expression filled with pain.
This was a Sacred Tool for collecting souls. The more complete the body and the shorter the time since death, the more complete the collected soul and the more information it contained.
If the death was recent and only the physical body had ceased functioning, even the complete soul could be preserved. This was what Cheng Jianming had intended to do to Luo Ling.
Of course, the soul and consciousness were separate. Even if a dead person’s soul was revived, it would only give birth to a new consciousness. Even if it could recall the memories within the soul, it would still be a completely different person.
Judging from Cheng Jianming’s fragmented and mangled soul, his death… wasn’t peaceful.
The memories within were also fragmented, but they clearly showed him slaughtering the Twintails team, Luo Ling and Elsa turning into blood mist under his sword.
All the memories matched the scene they had found, with no signs of alteration, but that was all. The rest were just fragmented images.
The most striking image among them was a deep, heavy whiteness and a pair of terrifying grey eyes.
“It’s the White Witch. She actually took action herself…”
But… to kill Cheng Jianming, who possessed an Authority Sacred Tool, without even giving him a chance to escape, this didn’t seem like something the White Witch could do.
The Company directors had, of course, conducted a thorough analysis of this rare, active High-Risk Grotesquery, along with their investigation of Jiangcheng County.
Their conclusion was that the White Witch’s weakness was direct combat, but her infiltration abilities were top-tier, able to replace someone’s flesh and blood with fungal threads and control their actions unnoticed.
The Boy’s next words shocked both the Old Man and the Woman. “I found this fragment of Cheng Jianming’s soul in the Realm of Nothingness.”
Although the Boy didn’t specify which Realm of Nothingness, his serious and solemn tone implied only one answer.
The Realm of Nothingness where a Grotesquery capable of annihilating Boundaries was suspected to exist, a very real possibility.
“Where’s Time?”
The Old Man asked gravely.
More important than Cheng Jianming’s life was the Authority Sacred Tool he wielded. If it could be recovered and a suitable wielder found, the Order side’s strength wouldn’t be significantly weakened.
Among all the Boundaries originating from Victoria, Ninth-Order Awakened Ones weren’t common, but they were definitely more numerous than Authority Sacred Tools.
“…It’s lost, most likely taken,” the Boy sighed.
The loss was severe. Even the Company couldn’t easily produce Sacred Tools of this level.
The only one acquired in the last ten years was forged by Fiona, “Andromeda,” from the Sacred Relic obtained by Lu Fangling, director of the Wellington branch, after she killed a High-Risk Grotesquery.
Now… forget about finding a suitable High-Risk Grotesquery, even if they had a Sacred Relic, without Fiona, it would be difficult for the Company to produce another P9.
“Who do you think… is behind this?” The Old Man stared intently at the Boy. The Woman also watched him, awaiting his answer.
Although they all knew the answer…
“The Harbingers of Calamity.”
The three said in unison.
The collaboration with the White Witch, the disposal of Cheng Jianming’s body in that Realm of Nothingness, and the methods used to rescue Fiona, all clues pointed to the Harbingers.
This series of actions demonstrated the Harbingers’ continued strength, no weaker than their past glory.
“We have indeed failed,” the Woman sighed this time.
All their plans, from the very beginning, had fallen apart, an unprecedented defeat.
Finally, the Old Man made a difficult decision.
“I propose initiating a Boundary collapse to stop the Harbingers’ next move.”
The Woman and the Boy remained silent. The Harbingers now likely possessed the power to annihilate Boundaries. Initiating a collapse at this time seemed too dangerous.
Was the Old Man truly the Historian? Was he intentionally doing this to let the Harbingers succeed, achieving their goal of burying Victoria?
Was this risky decision because the Historian had finally chosen their side?
After a long silence, the Woman raised her hand first.
“Second.”
The Boy’s eyes flickered, looking at the struggling remnant of Cheng Jianming’s soul within the cross. He finally sighed and said, “…Second.”
No matter what, the Company and Victoria… were now at a dead end, teetering on the edge of a cliff.
But after making this difficult decision, the three seemed to relax slightly.
“Boy, you personally handle containing the Harbingers,” the Old Man quickly made arrangements. “Woman, you’re in charge of the Boundary collapse. The Gypsy Girl should be back by now. She’ll be very interested in this.”
The Gypsy Girl was the Harbinger of Disaster, never refusing any disaster, let alone one that could cause Victoria’s collapse.
Collaborating with the Company was a long-term business proposition that the Gypsy Girl couldn’t refuse.
That’s why she hadn’t leaked any information, even Fiona’s valuable favor and her skills as a Sacred Tool crafter couldn’t sway her.
If the Gypsy Girl wasn’t interested, even the Harbinger of Auspicious Timing couldn’t repay the favor.
The Boy, receiving his instructions, didn’t hesitate, nodding slightly at the Old Man before turning and leaving, taking the bloody aura with him.
The Woman looked deeply at the Old Man, as if trying to discern his true intentions, before her figure slowly dissipated.
Now, only the lonely Old Man remained in the spice shop. He sat quietly for a while before standing up shakily and walking towards the counter.
Like any ordinary shopkeeper, he meticulously organized the counter, rearranging the spices the Woman had disturbed, then collecting the neatly stacked money.
After tidying up the shop, the Old Man slowly walked back to the recliner and sat down.
At the same time, the ritualistic pattern on his right eye suddenly activated, the barrier enveloping Victoria showing signs of fracturing.
“Since I have no hope of success now,” the Old Man murmured, tears of blood flowing from his right eye, “But brother, I won’t let you succeed either.
“The path to godhood? Nothing but… a joke.”
……..
Under a sky full of stars.
Strange whispers and murmurs filled her ears as her consciousness fell endlessly, fleeting images and beautiful illusions flashing past, leaving no trace in her memory.
Finally, a heart-wrenching sob echoed. Before a dark, nameless tombstone, a small figure knelt despairingly on the desolate ground.
Fragmented memories quickly buried themselves deep within her heart. Her falling consciousness finally reached the bottom, but it wasn’t as hard as she imagined, but surprisingly soft.
As the whispers and sobs faded, she finally realized she was on the verge of awakening, between the real world and a dream.
Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes.
“Was it a nightmare?”
A gentle, familiar voice sounded. Luo Ling looked up, a familiar golden hue filling her vision, along with a pair of eyes filled with tenderness.
“Linna? No, wait, you’re… Aunt Fiona.”
Luo Ling raised her hand, her consciousness returning only when her fingertips gently touched Fiona’s cheek, confirming she was back in the real world.
Fiona took Luo Ling’s cold, clawed fingers in her warm hands, rubbing them against her cheek and smiling gently.
“This isn’t a dream anymore.”
“…I know.”
Luo Ling blinked. She could distinguish between dreams and reality. Only now did she realize she was resting her head on Aunt Fiona’s lap, no wonder her consciousness felt so soft.
Luo Ling tried to sit up, but Fiona gently pressed her back down. “Rest a little longer, Luo Ling. You’re exhausted.”
Fiona gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Luo Ling’s eyes, carefully avoiding the grotesque teal-black scales on her cheeks.
Even though Luo Ling appeared calm, her struggles and turmoil in her dream hadn’t escaped Fiona’s notice as she watched her sleep.
What had Miss Luo Ling gone through?
Fiona didn’t know, but all she could offer now was this safe haven.
Worried that Luo Ling was still trapped in her dream, she used this physical contact to awaken her.
“I’m glad you’re alright, Aunt Fiona. Don’t worry about me,” Luo Ling said calmly, her eyes still glowing with their unyielding dark gold vertical pupils. “Did you feel any discomfort while I was unconscious? I might have accidentally hurt you.”
Luo Ling wasn’t sure if her Devour had harmed Fiona. This was her greatest concern. It was an Authority from Doomsday, a terrifying power capable of annihilating Boundaries.
Luo Ling could clearly feel how dire her own condition was. Devour seemed to have consumed something extraordinary, causing her Grotesquification to worsen unprecedentedly.
She could imagine how terrifying and monstrous she looked in the mirror.
But… the situation had been too critical. If she couldn’t counter the directors’ Destined Death when her inspiration was depleted, Aunt Fiona would surely die.
Therefore, at the last moment, Luo Ling had been forced to use Grotesquification, completely devouring Destined Death. Even now, she could still faintly sense its presence.
Unlike before, Destined Death hadn’t transformed into a new form, nor had it become nourishment for her Naraku form. Instead, it had become a special ability she possessed.
Of course, the actual Destined Death was a combination of three Paths: Sin and Thorn, Present, and Chaos. Luo Ling, currently only possessing the Chaos Path, couldn’t use it.
And the price she paid… was her current terrifying, monstrous appearance. She was one step closer to Doomsday and one step further from Transcendence.
“I’m fine, I’m completely fine…”
Fiona said softly, shaking her head.
“Mother,” a muffled voice sounded from the doorway. Before Fiona could speak, the voice continued, “It’s me, Linna, not Miss Luo Ling.”
“Of course I know, Linna,” Fiona said, raising her head with a gentle smile. “How could I not recognize my own daughter’s voice?”
“You misheard last time,” the muffled voice said, a hint of resentment in its tone.
“You remembered wrong, Linna,” Fiona said calmly, her voice unwavering.
“It seems you’ve already met,” Luo Ling said, sitting up abruptly, a strange panic rising in her heart.
It felt like being caught red-handed while sneaking a snack?
No, no, she hadn’t stolen anything…
Seeing Luo Ling escape from her embrace, a flicker of regret crossed Fiona’s face. She composed herself and said,
“We’ve met, and we haven’t. Linna refused to remove her armor and meet me face-to-face. She wouldn’t let me leave this room either, refusing to tell me anything, saying she would wait for you to wake up.”
Since it was her daughter’s arrangement, Fiona didn’t question it further, but she vaguely knew she wasn’t in Victoria anymore.
Even though this room was almost identical to her room in the Victoria Opera House, Fiona could still discern subtle differences.
She had many guesses, but she was willing to wait for her daughters’ answers.
“So Linna, you didn’t dare tell Aunt Fiona the truth directly?”
Luo Ling looked at Linna, who was hiding in her armor, and suddenly wanted to laugh.
“I just thought it would be better for you to tell her, Miss Luo Ling,” Linna said, much more subdued in front of her mother, like a dog with its tail between its legs.
“Isn’t it the same?” Luo Ling said.
“It’s not,” Linna insisted.
Fiona simply smiled at their bickering, tears welling up in her eyes, but they were tears of warmth.
She hadn’t expected to witness this scene alive…
All the hardships, the pain, the struggles—
It was all worth it.
“Alright, I’ll tell her.”
Luo Ling turned to Fiona, took a deep breath, and said gravely, “Aunt Fiona, I hope you can remain calm when you hear what I’m about to tell you.”
“Hmm?”
Fiona paused, a puzzled look appearing on her face.
Under her confused yet expectant gaze, Luo Ling touched her forehead.
Instantly, the girl’s black hair grew wildly, turning a grotesque white, her body shrinking significantly, even smaller than Elsa.
A pair of emotionless grey eyes stared coldly ahead, set within a beauty that defied description, giving her a distinctly inhuman appearance.
Her flowing white hair swayed without a breeze, filling the room. A childish, indifferent voice echoed,
“Aunt Fiona, you might have seen me like this before, but I still have to reintroduce myself.
“I am the White Witch. That’s right, Sequence 49 of the Grotesqueries, the White Witch of Silent Demise.”
Before the shock could register on Fiona’s face, Luo Ling reached out and removed Linna’s helmet, revealing her face covered in grotesque fungal threads. She continued,
“Your daughter, Linna, is now a part of me. Or, in terms you might understand better, she… is the White Witch, my agent.”
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