Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 432 Let's burn this city to ashes

Beauty? Art?
This person is probably really crazy.

At the fifth level, those who have faced the true face of the Thousand-Faced Witch, even the jailers, all had their necks snapped by her. This is because it is only natural for normal people to feel offended after seeing that face, just like those two prisoners whose necks were snapped. They can lie all they want, but they can't fool their own hearts.

That's why the Thousand-Faced Witch prepared many masks for herself, always concealing her true face beneath them.

A woman who is extremely concerned about her appearance has a face that she herself hates. She suffers every time she faces the mirror. But no one who has heard the story of the Thousand-Faced Witch will sympathize with this evil woman who betrayed her brother and slaughtered her people.

Driven by jealousy, she stole the "fire seed," and also became repulsive because of jealousy. Legend has it that before the failed fusion, Antina Baroque was a renowned beauty in the capital, with countless suitors. All of this was her own fault.

Even among the prison guards working on the fifth level, few truly respected the Thousand-Faced Witch.

Now, six months after the reign of Henry III, the first true "warrior" has appeared.

Even the Thousand-Faced Witch herself fell silent.

Some curious jailers opened their eyes, but immediately closed them again after meeting that hideous face.

However, they still noticed the burly man's movements and expression. His gaze never left the Thousand-Faced Witch, as if he were appreciating a work of art. His hands were placed in front of his chest, completely immersed in this "true art."

What sent chills down the guards' spines even further was that the strong man's neck hadn't been broken, meaning that what he had just said was from the bottom of his heart—this was truly terrifying and completely beyond the guards' comprehension.

"May I have your name."

The smiling mask was once again placed on the Thousand-Faced Witch's face. Her emotions, which were on the verge of going berserk, returned to stability. Even her voice, which was less playful than before, became much gentler. "Lance is a swordsman!"

"That's what the burly man said with pride."

Upon hearing the burly man's self-introduction, the younger prison guards were all taken aback.

The members of the Hero Squad, known as "the strongest man in the Empire," had all heard of Lance's name, though they usually only saw this legendary figure in the newspapers. Even so, they should have recognized him at first glance when he was sent to the fifth level.

However, the truth was quite the opposite. It wasn't until Lance revealed his name that they connected the man with the "strongest man in the empire," and even now they can only conclude that "the physique matches" and "the appearance is somewhat similar."

This is so strange.

Logically speaking, Lance should be easily recognizable on the street, just like the Holy Mage Illya.

Thinking about this, the jailers all felt a strange sensation.

This Lance seems a little different from the one in the photo, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what the difference was.

However, they were grateful for Lance's courage in standing up for them. If the Thousand-Faced Witch really went berserk, it wouldn't just be the prisoners who would suffer; each of them could have their necks snapped by the witch at any moment because of a single thought in their hearts.

"I remember you."

A smile appeared on the Thousand-Faced Witch's face. "As a reward for your honesty, I can grant you one request."

"That cell was too small for me, I wanted to come out for some fresh air."

?

The jailers were stunned.

Do you want to listen to what you're actually saying?
Why don't you just ask the monitor to help you escape from prison?

Lance shook the handcuffs and shackles. "With these on my hands and feet, there's no way I can escape from here. I just feel too stuffy in the cell and want to talk to someone."

"This is against the rules..."

The Thousand-Faced Witch suddenly changed the subject, saying, "However, I am the manager of this floor. As long as you behave yourself, I can make an exception and grant your request."

Apart from the first two unfortunate prisoners whose necks were broken, all the other prisoners returned safely to their cells.

They had never wanted to return to this cell as much as they did now. As soon as they entered, they collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed with the joy of surviving a near-death experience.

Having briefly gained his freedom, Lance began his operations on the fifth level. After meeting the Thousand-Faced Witch, he temporarily changed his plans because he unexpectedly encountered a treasure girl on this level. However, judging from the questions the witch had asked earlier, she seemed to lack confidence in her appearance.

After Lance was released from his cell, several jailers followed him cautiously. After all, the title of "the strongest man in the empire" was quite intimidating. Even though he was handcuffed and shackled the moment he was imprisoned, they could not let their guard down, especially since His Highness the Prince and his entourage were in the other half of the prison.

Perhaps Lance will attack the prince and use him as a hostage to escape from prison.

Or they might seek other methods of escape.

The jailers were fully prepared to outwit Lance, but none of their expectations came true. After leaving his cell, Lance did only one thing—he asked the jailers where the Thousand-Faced Witch lived, and then demanded that they provide him with a decent set of clothes.

He tidied his appearance in front of the mirror, all of which was witnessed by the jailers behind him.

They had to admit that Lance, even with a slight change in his appearance, was definitely a handsome and rugged man, the type that many noble ladies preferred, as he could give them a great sense of security when they were out and about.

In their eyes, Lance's behavior was as if he had fallen in love.

He met the woman he admired at the worst time and in the worst possible position.

"hiss--"

Thinking of this, the guards gasped. They couldn't bear to think any further; the horrific scenarios that might unfold would haunt them for days on end.

Klance, however, did not remain idle. He changed into a new outfit, meticulously groomed his hair, and shaved off his beard, which he had not groomed for a long time since becoming a prisoner. Then, full of vigor, he went to the residence of the Thousand-Faced Witch, looking no different from any other man on his way to a date.

The jailer did not follow any further, watching Lance disappear on the other side of the door.

The Thousand-Faced Witch was quite surprised by Lance's arrival.

She was still basking in the praise she had received not long ago, and she was prepared to be deceived and betrayed by Lance. Usually, after getting such a hard-won "breakthrough" time, his next plan would undoubtedly be to escape from prison. However, this time, the witch who knew people's hearts was wrong once again.

She couldn't help but peer into Lance's mind and learn the purpose of his trip.

I came here solely for her.

This was nothing new for Antina Baroque, who once had countless suitors, but after becoming the Thousand-Faced Witch and entering this prison, everything that belonged to humanity had long since left her.

She seized the "spark," gaining everything she had ever dreamed of, but also losing everything in return.

Even the face she had always been so proud of was gone.

At this very moment, centuries after the death of Henry III, the first man to meticulously groom himself for her and to be captivated by her face beneath the mask came before her, and something long buried began to crack.

"It's a real shame. If this weren't a prison, I would have prepared a more presentable gift for you."

Lance possessed a rugged temperament, yet at this moment he displayed manners no less refined than those of upper-class nobles.

"what's up?"

The Thousand-Faced Witch suppressed her inner emotions and asked indifferently.

This is also a conditioned reflex, a social strategy unique to the aristocratic young lady Antina Baroque.

Don't be too enthusiastic with a man you're meeting for the first time; a touch of aloofness will only make him more restless. "I can see the deep-seated struggle within you."

Lance looked directly into his face.

The Thousand-Faced Witch frowned slightly, her heart tensing because of Lance's words. She had once again peered into Lance's heart and understood the deeper meaning behind his words.

In the fifth level of the prison, any discussion of her appearance would bring death upon those who discussed it.

Even if they are eloquent, they cannot hide the thoughts deep in their hearts.

The Thousand-Faced Witch simply stood there quietly. She canceled her mind-reading ability because this time she suddenly didn't want to know the answer in advance.

"Miss Witch, I'd like to take up a little of your time."

Lance spoke sincerely and frankly, “I hope to talk to you about our Heavenly Father; perhaps that will resolve your concerns.”

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

Meanwhile, on the other side, the brave warrior Solan was also ready to continue his journey.

They found a wealth of information about the prison in Gluttony King's residence, including information on how to get to the fifth level.

Not long ago, they learned the reason why the blood-covered jailer had fled in panic.

Gluttony is dead.

They found China in the circular arena, now overrun with pizzas, and she told them what had happened not long ago.

Once again, Mr. Ethan appeared at the most crucial moment.

He was riding a motorcycle with a ghost fire on the back, with a blonde old woman he had never seen before on the back.

Ethan is shrouded in many mysteries that defy common sense. Last time, he summoned an eye that hung in the sky above the rebel camp, turning the entire sky blood red. This time, he took down the invincible Gluttony King with two pizza takeout boxes.

In Ethan's words, Gluttony died from overeating.

This serves as a warning to everyone about the dangers of working overtime and overeating.

Melia, standing nearby, turned ashen-faced upon hearing this—were the people in that world all monsters? she asked.

She found a lot of information about the "Fire Seed" in the Gluttony King's residence. Based on the "New Compilation of Combat Power System" that she had compiled, it is not difficult to deduce that although the Gluttony King, as the monitor, became a fat man due to the failure of fusion, he also crossed the fourth-order shackle and reached the realm of "Saint".

According to the other side's account, there is an insurmountable gap between a saint and a fourth-order transcendent being. To be more specific, if they were to meet on a narrow path, she and the hero team together should be able to feed the Gluttonous King only half full.

However, this formidable enemy, which seemed insurmountable to them at this stage, was defeated by two pizzas that Ethan casually pulled out.

Unfortunately, the woman on the other side didn't give her a detailed breakdown of the realms above Saint, only hinting that there were beings in this world even more powerful than Saints.

And those things themselves are already closely tied to the myths and legends of various places.

Melia felt that the road ahead was shrouded in darkness, especially given the intense sense of loss she had recently experienced.

Before encountering the other shore, she thought that the Demon King and the Hero had already reached the pinnacle of the world. However, even within the Silver Empire, there were many "hidden masters" who could easily defeat them, and these "hidden masters" were all related to the "fire seed".

"We need to go to the fifth level."

Solan said he had made up his mind.

His mood was even more somber than before the final battle with the Demon King. Back then, he was filled with unwavering confidence and boundless anticipation of defeating the Demon King. But everything that had happened recently made him realize that all those thoughts were nothing but a pipe dream.

The nobles of the empire wove a beautiful dream for him, and for everyone in the kingdom, and he even fueled that false hope.

The nobility will not change, the royal family will not change, and neither will the empire.

Their dream was over, and only a bleak reality awaited them.

Therefore, he developed another belief.

Solan knew very well that his fate was sealed the moment he made the decision to go to the fifth level.

They were unaware of the secret of the "fire," and even less aware of how many monsters like Gluttony King had been created by the Henry royal family during the thousand years of the empire's existence.

But he knew that Lance was working hard somewhere on the fifth level, and that Zoffy was certainly making moves outside the prison as well.

This is a task a thousand times more difficult than defeating the Demon King. If it were placed in the Adventurers' Guild, it would be classified as an unprecedented "SSS" level.

Solan took a deep breath.

He retrieved his sword, which had been confiscated by the guards, and also removed the shackles that had bound his movements.

As a hero, he will embark on a journey once again.

For the justice he believed in, and for those who were still indulging in vain hopes.

"Melia, China."

Solan raised his longsword, his gaze more resolute than ever before. "Let's burn this city to ashes!"

……

"boom--!"

The deafening explosion echoed in the warden's room for a long time, and even Cedric Thorne was caught off guard and thrown several meters away by the aftershocks.

Not long ago, a prison guard covered in blood, rushing into the room.

The jailer clutched a parchment book tightly and rushed toward the warden without regard for anything else.

However, before he could speak, his body suddenly swelled several times its original size, bursting forth with dazzling flames under their gaze.

Cedric managed to steady himself and almost immediately looked at the warden.

Faced with the explosion that was right in front of him, the warden did not take a single step back, and his clothes were not even torn in the slightest.

The aftershocks of the explosion lifted her skirt, and the parchment book that had been blown away by the flames slowly landed in her hands.

"The Flour Elements Handbook - Little Dark"

The cover has these words written on it.

The warden turned his gaze to him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Ready?"

She paused for a moment, then said, "Just as the rehearsal showed, God's enemy has arrived."

(End of this chapter)