Witch Redemption

"Code name 001, this will be your imperial identity from now on. Hmm, please accept this sword."

Li Lan took it with a puzzled look, but then her hands felt heavy, and she almost dropped the weapon to the ground. "..."

"Be careful, this thing is heavy. I had the same reaction when I first got it."

Why didn't you say so sooner?

Li Lan was a little puzzled. This thing was really heavy, at least fifty pounds or more. With his current frail body, he really couldn't lift it.

Having learned from Li Lan's experience, Lana was not as embarrassed as Li Lan, although she still had to use all her strength when she received the greatsword.

“It’s about nine o’clock in the morning now. We must reach the border city of Mori before evening. Now you can follow me.”

"Furthermore, there is one thing I need to remind you: do not assume that the common sense of this world will be similar to the game you are playing. This world is a continuation of that game, but the changes over these ten thousand years are simply too great."

Number 47 turned around to walk out, and Li Lan and Lana then noticed that Number 47 also carried a greatsword, but unlike her, she always carried her greatsword on her back.

"What incredible strength! Is there some secret to it?" Li Lan and the other person pondered as they hurriedly fastened their natal magic tomes to their waists, then simply hugged the incredibly heavy cross-shaped greatsword to their chests and followed closely behind.

Regardless, following an experienced mentor is the best way to solve the problem right now.

Chapter 4 This world is truly unscientific

This witch prison, located in the capital of the British Empire, was like a maze. Every area and corridor inside was dark and gloomy. If it weren't for number 47 leading the way, Li Lan would never have doubted that they would have gotten lost.

After walking for about ten minutes, the three of them finally emerged from the classical gate of the witch's prison, where everything outside suddenly opened up before them.

Blue skies and white clouds, Gothic gray-white spires, and bustling streets filled with traffic—all these came into view for Li Lan and Lana.

No matter how you look at it, it has a distinctly medieval feel, no, to be precise, it should be described as the steam age.

Those steam-powered cars that drove through the streets were luxurious and grand, but in Li Lan's memory, they clearly only existed in museums.

As for the clothing of the men and women, the upper-class men wore all kinds of tailcoats and formal wear, while the women wore Gothic gowns and aristocratic court gowns. The clothing of the middle and lower classes was similar but simpler, with the lower-class women mostly wearing gray and yellow maid dresses.

"Is this still the original game's world? Am I seeing things?" Li Lan was stunned.

"I thought we were filming a movie," Lana exclaimed in surprise.

In contrast, number 47 was noticeably calmer. "Next, we're going to cross the concealment barrier. Put your hats on and try not to show your faces completely in public. Also, this greatsword is your identification; carry it with you wherever you go."

She continued walking towards the main gate. "Serial number, code name, or column number is the Empire's unified designation for witches. Your batch will begin with a code name. You must remember your code name well, as the Empire will never mention your real names in any future orders or notices."

Number 47 walked in a hurry. Li Lan and her companion could barely carry the heavy weapon in their arms and almost couldn't keep up. They didn't have the mind to ask any more questions in the short term.

The moment they stepped out the door, they felt the air around them inexplicably distort, then their minds went blank for a moment, and when they came to their senses, they were already standing on the street.

Looking back, I was surprised to find that it was just a private courtyard with a sign that read "Keep Out."

"That's strange!"

………………

As they crossed the bustling street, Li Lan and her two companions, their faces hidden under their hoods, could clearly sense the gazes directed at them from those around them.

That was definitely not a benevolent gaze, but rather one filled with discrimination, fear, and hatred.

This stark contrast in attitudes surprised Li Lan greatly. She had no idea what she had done to deserve such cold treatment from these people.

At this moment, number 47 led the two of them into a slightly more secluded alley and said a few more words in a low voice.

"As I mentioned before, witches are portrayed as vicious and wicked people. Witches exist to atone for their sins, so it's normal for them to be ostracized. You'll get used to it."

"However, you must remember not to get into conflict with them in the future, as witches harming humans is a grave sin."

Li Lan asked in bewilderment, "Even if they kill you, you can't fight back?"

"Yes, normally people wouldn't provoke a witch, but there are exceptions. You can choose to run away."

Lana felt uncomfortable after hearing this, "What if, what if he gets angry and retaliates?"

“You will die,” said number 47, his words not sounding like an exaggeration. “If you don’t want to provoke the Survey Corps or the Guardian Corps, or even the Inquisitors, you’d better restrain yourselves.”

"Survey Corps? Guardian Corps?"

Li Lan understands the heretics refer to the extreme religious figures often mentioned in the novel, but she doesn't know anything about the Survey Corps or the Guardian Corps.

Could the Survey Corps be looking for those Titans?

Number 47 recounts in detail, "The members of these three organizations are all heroes."

"Brave?"

Li Lan and Lana were both stunned. What the heck was this? There were even heroes among the good guys? And they, the transmigrators, were actually these universally hated villains?

"Yes, all the heroes are native inhabitants. The British Empire has a complete hero selection system. They are assigned to various military organizations based on their magical talents and each has their own rank. It must be said that the strength of heroes generally surpasses that of witches, especially those heroes who possess divine artifacts. They are not to be trifled with."

"Since the hero is so powerful, there's no need to summon us witches to resist the Crimson Night Torrent, right?"

Li Lan was curious. According to this logic, what use is DIO if he summons these witches who are dragging his feet?

"I don't know. It's a ritual that's been passed down for many years. Actually, there are many things I still don't understand. We can only figure it out slowly in the future. Anyway, you all need to be careful. If you don't want to die and go back to your hometown so soon, then behave yourselves and don't resist."

Li Lan and the other person didn't know whether number 47 was unaware or unwilling to answer. After exchanging a glance, they didn't ask any further questions and followed closely behind.

………………

Kate, the capital of the British Empire, Kate Train Station.

In short, what unfolds before Li Lan is a steam age, or more precisely, an age where magic and steam coexist.

This conventional power source doesn't use coal or oil, but rather a raw material called magic crystal.

There are two sources of magic crystals. One is the magic core obtained by hunting monsters. The magic power of this core is not pure. The amount of magic power depends on the type of monster. If you want to use it, you must have someone special to purify it.

This method of sourcing magic has given rise to a popular profession: the Magic Priest, who specializes in purifying the magic core.

Another way to obtain them is through magic crystal mining. The main magic crystal mining sites are the abandoned imperial mines in the east and the mines in the west. These two areas have a large number of low- to mid-level intelligent crystal monsters, and mining requires the dispatch of troops or witch guards from the Witch Cult.

Although the collection is difficult, the obtained magic crystals are of very high purity and can be graded into six levels based on the amount of magic power they contain.

"Get in the car with me first."

Number 47 led Li Lan and the other person directly to the cargo hold at the rear of the train, which was a special train bound for the border city of Mori.

"Um, do we not need to buy tickets?"

As a law-abiding young man, Li Lan subconsciously asked a question.

Moreover, it went directly to the rear cargo hold, giving the impression of being a smuggler.

“It’s already been purchased,” Number 47 handed the two receipts in his hand to Li Lan and Lana. These were actually given to them by the warden earlier. “Witches cannot be treated as normal people. The only seats we can get are in the cargo hold at the rear.”

A strange feeling of sadness washed over them, and both Li Lan and Lana looked a little odd.

However, they still followed number 47 and climbed onto the carriage.

"Ugh, it smells awful!"

The rear section of the cargo hold housed a large group of pigs, numbering in the dozens, which were making squeaking noises.

There were a lot of small containers piled up in front, and it was unclear what was inside them.

Li Lan and her two companions were sandwiched in this narrow space in the middle, with only a few small wooden chairs available for them.

"The train conductor will be coming to check tickets soon, relax, guys. Oh, and don't touch anything else here."

“Okay,” Li Lan pondered for a moment, then asked with a puzzled look, “But we’re going to be on the train for several hours. What will we do if we need to use the restroom on board?”

"..."

Number 47 paused for a moment, his lips twitching slightly, "For witches, eating not only fills their hunger but also has a complete digestive function, which means..."

Beautiful girls don't need to excrete!

It's practically the perfect anime/manga character design!

Li Lan's lips twitched, and she was so embarrassed that she couldn't say a word.

"Speaking of which, senior, you weren't also..."

Lana also asked a bad question.

"Yeah, the people who play that game are all deadbeat otaku, how could there possibly be any girls?"

Number 47 speaks frankly and doesn't try to hide anything.

"Oh no, how could this be..."

A strange sense of loss. I thought number 47 was a reliable senior, but I never expected that such a reliable senior would actually be a rough guy.

That makes sense, though. Goddess Legend, this crappy mobile game, wasn't originally intended for young girls.

They skirt the line in various ways, all to cater to male hormones and extract money from the wallets of countless otaku.

No matter how you look at it, girls who can play this game are absolutely one in a million.

In any case, games targeted at women are probably similar to Love Producer or XX Around the World, right? Those games are very different in style from Goddess Legend.

"What a pity. If you were really a girl, I might have considered pursuing you."

Lana was extremely disappointed.

"Not in spirit, but in body..." Number 47 waved his hand, as if implying, you know what I mean.

"no."

Lana glanced at Li Lan with a puzzled look, and when she thought about how the two men beside her were both real men, she couldn't help but feel a sense of resistance.

"Don't stare at me with those filthy eyes. I'm not that kind of person, and I'm not interested in you." Li Lan immediately understood. Although he was indeed a little attracted to Lana's current appearance, after all, well, she was quite big, being a man.

"However, this world is so unscientific. The game is supposed to be a fantasy world, but now it's been turned into a steampunk world. How can magic drive the Industrial Revolution?"

“Yes, I had the same thoughts as you when I first came here,” said No. 47 with a smile.

At this moment, with the roar of steam coming from ahead, the long whistle began to wail, followed by the rattling of the train wheels, and the street scenes on both sides began to rush past rapidly from slow to fast.

………………

Witch Prison, Central Sanctuary.

The immortal old woman, Iris, still stood in the center of the circular arena, waiting until the sun climbed to its zenith, its golden rays casting a sacred glow over the somber ceremony grounds.

Just then, a series of regular footsteps came from a distant domed archway, growing ever closer.

Until two burly young men with middle-parted hairstyles came into view.

The two young men were dressed in the distinctive uniforms of the Inquisitors: a black overcoat with red trim, an elegant top hat, neat tall leather boots, and a long, thin sword that they carried as a cane.