A fantastical journey across the heavens, beginning with the Witcher.

Chapter 80 Be the same forever

Li De's gaze fell on the wooden stick that was emitting black smoke; this thing was clearly not a good thing.

There are also differences in the spellcasters. It's not surprising that an evil being from another dimension, like the old witch, would know how to use curses. We must be wary of her.

"How do we save it? Don't tell me you have to pull this broken wooden stick out yourself."

"No, there's no need to pull it out directly. This is just a torture device they used to torment me; it doesn't have any real powerful sealing effect."

""

The tree's heart was filled with pain.

"I need a medium to break free from this cage."

Upon hearing this, Li De pondered to himself that the legend of the old witch had been circulating in Velen for hundreds of years.

In other words, the tree heart was imprisoned and tortured by these three evil creatures for hundreds of years. What could be the reason that made these three monsters so persistent in their cruelty?

He didn't understand the monster's brain circuits, but after exhausting all possibilities, there were only a few reasons.

First, the tree heart is wicked and immoral, and the old witch tortures it to gain so-called moral satisfaction, so this answer can be directly ruled out. Regardless of whether the tree heart is good or bad, the old witch's three man-eating evil creatures are absolutely not related to justice and kindness.

Second, the possibility that Shuxin and the old witch have an irreconcilable hatred and have been tormenting each other for hundreds of years is currently uncertain, but the probability is extremely low. Otherwise, Shuxin would not be in such a good state and would still be able to ask him for help from a distance.

Third, there is still value in the tree heart that has not been fully exploited. These three evil beings want to gain more benefits from it, so they did not hesitate to imprison the tree heart for hundreds of years and never killed it.

Greed is the strongest driving force.

Take Li De as an example. He might not be able to move an 800-pound brown bear carcass lying on the ground, but if it were 800 pounds of gold, he could carry the gold and run as if he were flying!

Having figured this out, Li De didn't beat around the bush and went straight to discussing terms.

"Before that, let's talk about compensation. What do I get in return for saving you? Don't even mention your gratitude; it's worthless."

"My wisdom, my strength, everything I have, I can give to you."

Shuxin responded immediately, her tone urgent.

Li De didn't agree immediately, but he was indeed very tempted.

As a supernatural being that has lived for countless ages, the Tree Heart has existed for an unknown period of time and must possess a great deal of ancient knowledge that is unknown to others, which will greatly benefit its ability to improve.

But the question is, is this seemingly weak entity truly trustworthy? Empty promises are the least valuable.

Seemingly sensing the Witcher's hesitation and distrust, Treeheart spoke anxiously.

"We can sign a contract, just like the dragons did thousands of years ago. I will be your servant, and you will have all the power."

Li De's eyes lit up; this condition was indeed feasible.

However, just as he was about to agree, his pounding heart stopped abruptly, and even the sound of the wind blowing from the cave entrance and the chirping of insects in the forest froze.

"You really won't give up."

Li De shook his head and chuckled.

Gunter Odim appeared without warning, sitting imposingly on the tree root cage.

His demeanor was no longer amiable; he looked down at Li De with an air of superiority, and his face once again wore that smug, half-smiling expression that was sure to get a beating.

"Luckily, I arrived in time as soon as I sensed the fluctuation in the fate line. I almost let this little thing ruin my big plan."

"So you keep rejecting my proposals, and instead want to talk to this loser? He can't even beat those three clowns from outer space."

Odim's tone was full of disdain, and he looked at the tree heart as if it were a piece of trash.

"Him?"

Li De keenly noticed the special way Odim addressed him and immediately became interested.

"Interesting. I always thought that the Heart of the Oak was just an ordinary supernatural creature with an ancient lifespan, who was lucky enough to receive the faith and worship of the druids. I never imagined that it was actually a god."

Knowing he had misspoke, Odim didn't argue, but simply shrugged.

"What does it matter? Divinity has never been the standard for measuring strength; power is."

"Think about it, Li De, how special your existence is! Unchanging through eternity! Throughout countless worlds, all gods below the level of powerful deities will be captivated by you."

"But instead of taking the shortcut I offered, you want to sign a contract with—tsk, a tiny being I can't even be bothered to comment on. What an unwise choice that is."

Odim's voice unconsciously carried a hint of urgency that he himself was unaware of, and he even secretly used the power of the devil to bewitch people, trying to influence Li De's mind.

He panicked. Even though he had tried this method before and knew it would be ineffective, he still wanted to give it a shot.

Li De knew that the initiative had finally come into his hands.

Since being entangled with this thing ten years ago, it has been like an insurance salesman, frantically pushing its contract benefits every month, as if not signing with it would mean losing out on all of my future.

But the more eager Odim was, the more Li De refused.

A devil who only acts out of self-interest, rushing to offer you benefits, undoubtedly intends to extract far more profit from you than that.

Over the past decade, he has tried to negotiate and test the waters several times, but all he has learned is that he is the so-called "eternal one," without knowing what that means or what abilities he possesses.

Even the official records don't mention it.

He consulted countless ancient books and documents, asked many scholars and wise men, and even went to the Temple of Meriteli to ask the priests for answers.

Without exception, no relevant clues could be found for any of them.

Of course, Li De didn't come away empty-handed. After years of probing, he gradually discovered that something was wrong with this demon:

Odim valued him highly, yet he was unwilling to have too much extra involvement with him.

He even felt that if it weren't for keeping him hooked, this guy wouldn't be willing to have any communication with him outside of the contract.

This doesn't seem like the work of a demon.

He deliberately created various troubles and deadly crises, then forced Li De to call out to him.

This is exactly what a demon does!

An enraged enemy is much easier to deal with than a calm and collected one.

At the very least, the former has completely revealed its bottom line.

There's a saying in my hometown: "Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."

Li De spoke slowly and calmly.

"He signed a kinship contract with me, so all the power is in my hands, and I call the shots. What, you're willing to sign a kinship contract with me too?"

Odim took a deep breath, his smile fading, his eyes turning cold, and his tone becoming somber: "Stubborn as a mule, Li De."

He deliberately emphasized the name, and this address was not in the native language of the wizarding world, but in Chinese.

"Don't you want to go home? Don't you want to see your parents and family? They're eagerly waiting for you to come back. You don't want anything to happen to them, do you?"