Witch Redemption

“That’s true. When we first started last year, we had no one to guide us, and we had to figure everything out on our own, which is why we started so late,” No. 86 pointed to the ceiling again. “But they will avoid a lot of detours. We may not have a chance, but that doesn’t mean they don’t. I believe in them.”

“Number 93, didn’t we decide this from the very beginning?” Number 94 spoke with a rare gentleness. “We all firmly believe that death is the right way to return to our original world. Since we’re going home anyway, we must make this damned world pay the price before we do. Leaving hope for them is our greatest revenge!”

This was the only resistance they could muster, their last stand!

The atmosphere was heavy. During the conversation, number 47 wrote something on a piece of paper and then tucked it into the "Imperial Constitution".

"I have a problem. Who should I entrust this burden to?" Number 47 had regained his composure and asked.

"How about Lana, codename 002? She has the best chance of breaking the status quo. Perhaps she can reach the strength of a Gold Magic Book within a year, provided that she is not targeted by the Witch Hunt before then."

After being comforted by number 94, his old partner number 93 seemed to have come to terms with it and his emotions stabilized.

"But what I fear most is that his strength will improve too quickly, which could lead to a very serious problem and might attract the attention of those above."

Number 86 is filled with worry.

“This is what I’ve been thinking. If it’s code name 001 Karen, his strength is severely lacking, and the priest profession might become his biggest stumbling block,” Serial No. 47 said in a deep voice. “What I fear most is not entrusting him with this important task, but that one day he might not be able to withstand the pressure.”

He then added, "In the first half of last year, we received several missions from the Witch Cult and went out with those powerful heroes. I don't know if you noticed."

"Ok?"

The other three witches were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other in bewilderment.

"None of the artifacts they used were related to restoration or blessing, which means..."

"Since the start of the witch summoning ritual, has no priest-type class ever lived long enough to possess a silver grimoire?"

Number 86 finally realized the seriousness of the problem, and the other two witches also changed color slightly.

"So this is a dilemma. Some intelligence can be shared between the two of them, but some must be borne by one of them alone, and that person absolutely cannot be the one who is particularly high-profile."

How much regret must have been in Serial Number 47 when he said those words?

Which witch who survived to this final moment was an ordinary person? It was precisely because they were powerful and adept at seizing every possible way to survive that they attracted the attention of the higher-ups, leaving them hesitant to resist and ultimately forced to watch their fate unfold.

"Are you willing to believe him?" The gloomy No. 94, usually a man of few words, spoke at this moment, asking only a simple question.

"Yes, can I trust him?" Number 47 asked himself. The answer was yes, but he knew it was a gamble.

"Even with our guidance, they might not be able to escape this predicament. It's better to be more open-minded and entrust the most suitable method to the most suitable person! This is all we can do to help. The rest is up to them."

Yes, by then, the four people present would already be dead, and the dead cannot witness the future of the living.

Number 47 fell silent upon hearing this. After a long pause, the smile on his face softened again, as if his worries had been resolved. "It seems I was worrying unnecessarily. It's decided then, it'll be him!"

As if he had made up his mind, number 47 opened the "Imperial Constitution" again and added a sentence to the paper.

"We must survive!"

… … … … … …

Something's wrong, something's really wrong. What happened tonight?

Not long ago, Li Lan and Lana had a discussion, but in the end they just comforted each other and returned to their respective residences.

But after this trip, Li Lan couldn't sleep at all, tossing and turning. He felt that something was wrong with this world, as if they were shrouded in a conspiracy after arriving here.

Those seniors were unwilling to speak openly, and some things were kept secret, for fear that they would find out something.

Ultimately, were these seniors genuinely showing goodwill, or were there other ulterior motives?

As soon as I close my eyes, my mind is filled with memories of the past few days, as if I'm still living in a dream.

He had this illusion that if he fell asleep now, he would definitely be back in his original place when he woke up tomorrow, and then rush to work, only to be met with a barrage of insults from his fierce-looking supervisor: "Li Lan, where have you been these past few days? If you don't want to work here, then get out of here as soon as possible!"

It's a truly meaningless fantasy, yet one that I inexplicably crave.

"I want to go home..."

On the third night of his transmigration, Li Lan felt a longing for home countless times. He felt a nameless fear about this world, as if countless acts of malice had unknowingly enveloped him.

"Sigh," Li Lan sighed bitterly, swallowing the bitterness in her heart. She forced her thoughts back to reality and thought to herself, "Without a doubt, the people following the four seniors tonight are probably just ordinary people. It was because they killed ordinary people that they encountered the following situation. Is there someone of equal strength fighting against them?"

Logically speaking, Senior No. 47 had always instructed him and Lana not to attack ordinary people, and he himself should have adhered to this principle. What reason could have led them to break the rules?

Furthermore, I had already learned from my seniors that the only consequence of killing ordinary people is death, so why were my seniors spared tonight?

"No, no, maybe what they encountered tonight wasn't an ordinary person..."

He couldn't understand it, he really couldn't understand it. All Li Lan could do was be sure that these four seniors were hiding something of utmost importance. Apart from that, he knew nothing. It was like a blank sheet of paper, on which were only some survival rules about this world written.

"Well, it's best to just let things take their course. According to the senior, tomorrow night will be the Crimson Night Torrent. Lana and I will have to learn about the precautions then. Lana is right, there must be other ways to get home. I also need to try my best."

Besides getting familiar with the use of this magic book, Li Lan already had a general idea in mind. He needed to spend some time reading books on various subjects and gain a deeper understanding of the world's knowledge.

Only by having a general grasp of the situation can we go further in the future.

And so, Li Lan gradually shifted his focus, fantasizing about how smoothly things would go in this other world. Before finding a way home, he found a way to restore his original body, married several beautiful girls, and reached the pinnacle of life.

Finally, comforted by his fantasies, he unknowingly drifted off to sleep...

Chapter 18 The Crowds Seeking Refuge

On March 15, 10003 (Gregorian calendar), the day the "Crimson Night Torrent" arrived, Serial Number 47 did not take Li Lan and Lana away from the border area. Instead, he took advantage of the free time today to familiarize them with the surrounding environment.

Unlike yesterday's bustling scene, all the shops from the border defense zone to the inner city were closed today, and there wasn't a single pedestrian in sight.

Faced with Li Lan and Lana's questions, Number 47 explained simply, "The Crimson Night Torrent is a terrifying thing. Countless monsters will attack the protective barrier, and all people who intend to stay in the border area and the inner city will be in danger of death."

"So all these people went to seek refuge?" Li Lan suddenly realized.

"Yes, residents of the two outer districts of Mori City can pay a certain fee to enter the inner city's sanctuary for refuge. On the night of the Crimson Night Flood, only witches and a number of powerful troops will remain in the entire border defense zone and inner city. The soldiers in the army must be at least at the rank of soldier."

"The army and witches joining forces to fight against the monsters that are breaking in?" Li Lan felt that her idea might be a bit naive.

"No, the witches are the ones who fight the charging monsters head-on; the army is there to collect the witches' corpses."

The emotionless sentence number 47 sent a chill down Li Lan's and Lana's spines.

"Don't they consider our strength?" Lana asked, somewhat indignantly.

However, number 47 did not answer the question directly, saying, "In reality, ordinary Crimson Night Torrents are not as terrifying as you imagine. To survive in a Crimson Night Torrent, strength alone is not enough; you also need to know how to run."

"Run?" Li Lan and Lana asked curiously at the same time.

"Yes, you saw it when we went to the inner city yesterday, right? That high wall."

"Ah."

"The location of the high wall is the second layer of protective barrier. Since witches are not allowed to enter the inner city, this high wall cannot protect them. However, there is something you should pay attention to. In our original world, it is a giant cannon."

Number 47 smiled and said, "The Holy Magic Cannon is powered primarily by magic crystals. It fires holy light projectiles that can inflict devastating damage on all the mad monsters of the Crimson Night Torrent without destroying buildings or harming living creatures such as humans or animals."

Upon hearing this, Li Lan pondered for a moment, "Then what we need to do is just like pulling monsters in traditional online games, right?"

"Yes, that's the idea. It's just that pulling monsters is a bit difficult. The number of monsters must be so large that the defending army will consider them a threat."

"So, our life or death depends on the whims of those in power?" This is truly a sad thing; the world is just too unfair.

"You'll get used to it. Once you become stronger, it won't be a problem." Number 47 said the same old thing.

Afterwards, Li Lan and Lana each asked a lot of questions, such as whether the witch had any experience killing the monsters she encountered in the Crimson Night Torrent, and whether she would gain experience killing the monsters if they were killed by that holy magic cannon near them.

The answers are all yes, and the experiences gained are all punitive.

In other words, no matter what kind of monster it is, as long as it dies within 200 meters of the Crimson Night Torrent, it will receive 1 experience point. This is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of the Crimson Night Torrent.

Secondly, regarding the monsters that appear in the Crimson Night Torrent, there is another characteristic: no matter what form the monster takes, it does not have a magic core. Its attacks are more like a zombie siege, and it will only instinctively bite or slash with its claws to kill.

Furthermore, they usually appear precisely at midnight and disappear precisely at 1 a.m.

"In short, the best course of action for you is to try to escape for an hour within this timeframe, or for those who are capable to consider killing the monsters and hiding to protect yourselves."

Many local residents thought that witches were all reckless fools who risked their lives to fight against the massive monster attack of the Crimson Night Torrent. They didn't know what difficulties the witches faced or what they had to do to survive this terrible night.

………………

In the blink of an eye, half a day had passed, and Li Lan and Lana had already explored almost the entire border region.

Along the way, we encountered a few residents, but they were all hurrying towards the inner city with their families.

Even adventurers who usually enjoy "stealing business" from these witches wouldn't dare linger around here at this moment, would they? After all, this kind of night represents slaughter, and even staying in the border area or the inner city for a second would likely result in death.

"Uh, it's you guys?"

As I passed by a closed-down "Magic Core Exchange," a familiar voice came from behind me.

Looking up, I saw a burly man with a full beard leading his younger brother, who was looking around, out of the alley with luggage on his back. This was Ryan, the man I had rescued the day before yesterday.

"Ok?"

Number 47 nodded in acknowledgment.

"Um, um, you guys last night..." Suddenly remembering how he had slunk away from that intersection last night, Ryan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately refrained from asking, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Instinct told him that he absolutely must not inquire about that kind of thing. Who knows if those two guys are really heretics? If he let anything slip, the next day the army might come to check his magic instruments.

"..." The unique way of striking up a conversation left Li Lan and the other two at a loss for words for a short time.

Ryan remained silent for a while, then said, “We’re going to take refuge in the inner city. I’ve heard that you witches are rather cowardly and like to stay in the defense zone under the raging torrent of the Crimson Night. You’d better be careful, although I would be happy to see your corpses tomorrow.”

"Thanks for caring."

Perhaps sensing the unspoken meaning, number 47 smiled.

"By the way, near the city gate, there's a fearless old guy who wants to experience the Crimson Night Torrent this time. You'd better not go near there easily, lest something happens."

After casually revealing some information, Ryan quickly grabbed his brother and hurriedly set off.

I was worried that many people might try to harm these witches last night, but it seems there's nothing to worry about today.

For a moment, Ryan forgot that many of the adventurers who had followed him last night had gone missing, and as someone who had been in contact with that young man, he was about to be drawn into a turmoil between the imperial family and the papacy...

After Ryan left, Li Lan suddenly realized the old man he had mentioned, "How dangerous would it be for ordinary humans still in the defense zone when the Crimson Night Torrent arrives?"

"To put it simply, all the rampaging monsters that appear in the Crimson Night Torrent will actively attack any living human, including witches. However, these monsters treat humans and monsters differently. When dealing with humans, they generally choose to eat the human's internal organs and brain, and then merge with the human, completely disguising themselves. Therefore, any human who survives the Crimson Night Torrent will undergo strict inspection by the Holy See."

"Could there be any that slipped through the net?" The thought of monsters disguising themselves as humans is terrifying.

"Yes, but very rarely. The most recent case that escaped the net was reportedly three years ago, when a high-level monster possessed an adventurer's body and then launched a month-long series of assassinations throughout the border region. In the end, the monster was killed at the cost of the deaths of sixteen witches and a heretic inquisitor."

One point not mentioned in number 47 is that there was an extremely powerful witch who escaped Mori City by feigning death during this incident. She was not discovered by the imperial high command until five months later, when eight highest-level arrest warrants and kill orders were issued. She has not been captured to this day.

"After a raging monster takes over a human body, it immediately regains its intelligence. However, it's different when facing a witch. Witches are not food for monsters, but rather natural enemies. No matter what kind of monster it is, it has an instinct when facing a witch: to tear her to pieces. Most monsters are not interested in witch flesh."

"..."