Witch Redemption

She could sense the hostility of those strange witches, and she could sense the anger of the supposedly kind Chairwoman Monica, but none of that mattered anymore; it didn't matter what happened.

She was all alone now. This world was full of sorrow and malice, and there was no place for her here.

She stood there, bewildered, until that kind voice rang out in front of her.

"Come with us, shall we?"

Chapter 70 A Lie Made in Kind

Li Lan knew that the Witch Cult would never show leniency to this surviving witch.

Judging from the fact that eight new witches have joined, the Witch Cult probably already had the intention of kicking out the eight witches, including Della, long ago.

Sure enough, after he and Lana waited there for a short while, a distraught Della came out carrying a suitcase.

She looked dazed, her eyes were empty, and coupled with not having eaten for two days, she was walking with a limp.

"Come with us, shall we?"

Moved by compassion, Li Lan stepped forward and extended an olive branch.

At this moment, Della simply raised her head blankly, glanced at Li Lan and the other two, and finally nodded silently.

Little did she know that in that instant, it was Li Lan's short sentence that awakened her from her dazed state and gave her a glimmer of light in the endless darkness.

At that moment, she seemed to have grasped this lifeline and took a step forward.

She began to recall that insane memory, nearly dying in a brutal betrayal at the hands of Julie Haggai, barely surviving only to witness her best friend Britney's gruesome death right before her eyes.

Even today, the Imperial Witch Cult, on which she placed her greatest hopes, cruelly abandoned her at her last moment when she had no will to live.

She felt lost; she felt unwanted by the world and unwanted by anyone.

However, what she never expected was that, in her final moments when she had nothing left, someone would still extend a helping hand to her, wanting to pull her out of this abyss of pain...

As night fell, the sounds of people drinking and reveling could be heard downstairs. Li Lan, Lana, Luo Lina, and Della, who lived on the top floor of the hotel, were all in the same room.

The table was laden with ingredients. Li Lan and Luo Lina, who were enjoying a rare treat, ate politely, while Lana, the dragon descendant, was wolfing down her food in an exaggerated manner.

In stark contrast to the other three witches is Della.

She remained seated without saying a word, perhaps because she was so overcome with grief that she had no appetite.

"Eat something, or at least something, otherwise you won't have the strength to walk."

Li Lan offered her advice, feeling frustrated.

Della simply shook her head and remained silent.

This can't go on forever. Li Lan doesn't want to watch this guy starve to death; it would be a hassle to collect his body then.

He pondered for a while, then recalled the many words that senior number 47 had once said, and began to recount them in detail.

"Before this, you might not have known much about us, since neither side has had much in-depth contact. In fact, as the first two witches to arrive at this border, Lana and I were both trained by four senior witches, who were number 47..."

Li Lan explained the situation without holding back, and finally got to the point: "Those witch seniors were all good people. They taught us how to survive in this world. They also told us that we are all transmigrators, and there are two ways to go back. One is to withstand a hundred raging torrents of the Crimson Night for this world."

"The other is to end this journey with any kind of death. That is to say, your companions may seem to be dead, but in fact they have all returned to their original world."

"So, you don't need to give up on yourself; it doesn't really matter."

Li Lan's words finally changed Della's ashen expression. The Imperial Major General Abbot once said that the death of a witch could end the time travel, and now the "traitor" who had contact with the previous witch has confirmed this. Could this be true?

"If I were to say that I..."

If I were to commit suicide right now, would I be able to return to my original world?

Della let out a tearful voice, filled with despair and pleading; she longed for an answer.

"Karen..."

Lana realized the atmosphere was a bit off and was about to interrupt when Li Lan calmly nodded.

"Yes, suicide can end the time travel, I assure you of that, and our predecessors who led us have mentioned it themselves. Everything we experience in this world will be a fleeting dream, and death will be the moment we wake up from that dream."

"Of course, we are all adults with backbone. It's better to live a miserable life than to die. Suicide is definitely the most despicable way to escape. For me, for Lana, for Lolina, we are not cowards, and we would never choose to escape."

"So we will continue to live in this world until we find another way home. We respect your choice, but there is one thing I might remind you: even if this world is just a dream to you, are you willing to be fooled by it? Do you also have the courage to pursue that elusive truth?"

Li Lan's words struck Della's heart directly, even stirring up some dark thoughts that were rarely present in her mind.

This dark thought is called hatred.

"Eat a little more. Even if you choose to escape, at least make yourself look decent before you commit suicide. Consider this your last supper and don't let your life be filled with regrets."

As Li Lan offered her final words of advice, Della, who was on the verge of a breakdown, quietly shed tears.

After several minutes of silence, she finally picked up her knife and fork.

………………

Having barely eaten and drunk her fill, Della, overwhelmed with grief, went to bed early.

After asking the hotel staff to clean up the remaining food, only Li Lan and two others remained in the room, still gathered at the guest table.

Actually, since transmigrating, this is the first time Luo Lina has come into contact with Li Lan and Lana's private lives, and she is quite curious about it.

"Do you usually sleep together at night?"

I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

Lorina took a deep breath without making a sound, concealing her strange gaze.

Li Lan didn't notice Luo Lina's lewd gaze. "No, staying in hotels is actually rare. We often stay in slums, where there are many abandoned buildings. We usually just find a chair, lean back, and sleep until dawn."

I fell asleep sitting up, and even then, I didn't sleep well.

Since Li Lan and Lana transmigrated to this world, they haven't had a single good night's sleep. They always manage to catch up on sleep in a daze, and the slightest sound or movement around them will wake them up immediately.

"I see."

Looking somewhat disappointed, Lorina wondered a moment, then opened her magic book, intending to take advantage of her free time to brush up on her knowledge.

After a moment's thought, Lorina added, seemingly casually, "By the way, what you said not long ago, about witches after they die..."

Do you believe it?

Li Lan asked about this, and he believed that Lana and Lolina already had the answer, so they should also know that what Li Lan said was a white lie.

In any case, they must do their best to calm the witch who is on the verge of emotional collapse. As for what choice she will make next, Li Lan and the others will have no way to stop her.

"Hey, aren't you afraid she might actually try to kill herself later?"

Lana sighed. Clearly, she meant for Li Lan to avoid being too direct and to try a roundabout approach to see if she could maintain the composure.

"It all depends on her. There's not much we can do to help," Li Lan shook her head dejectedly, opened her magic book, and changed the subject. "Starting tomorrow, it'll be the same as before. You guys go to the monster area to hunt some monsters, and I'll look after her for the time being."

If Della, this witch, chooses to face things positively after tonight, then Li Lan will stay with her for a few days.

"Well, let's keep things as usual. I want to get my magic book to level 6 as soon as possible. Also, I need to quickly gather some relevant materials and experiment with the Life Creator as soon as possible."

“Me too.” Lolina responded as well, but she was a bit unlucky. Unlike Li Lan and Lana, she didn’t unlock the “Life Creator” sub-profession. Instead, she unlocked a different one called “Dominator.” The condition for using this sub-profession was not that the magic core or intelligence core of a monster was required, but rather the corpse of an intelligent creature.

………………

I woke up from a nightmare to find the bright moonlight streaming through the window and illuminating the figures of the three witches resting on a bench.

Even in their sleep, the three witches held the Libra Cross Greatsword close to their sides, as if they felt no sense of security whatsoever.

Della felt a stinging sensation in her nose, and her swollen eyes could no longer shed tears.

She recalled everything that had happened over the past few months, and the unbearable pain made her grab the Libra Cross Greatsword beside her.

This identification card, which belongs to Britney, still carries the scent of her close friend, giving her a sense of security.

“Britney…”

Della whispered her best friend's name, her eyes slightly misty.

With trembling hands, she held the Libra Cross Greatsword horizontally in front of her. Even though the greatsword was not sharpened, with the strength of a level 5 witch, she could definitely slit her throat instantly if she slammed it down hard.

She was in pain, and she wanted to escape that pain.

But she couldn't do it; she was still hesitating because of what the elven witch had said.

"This guy is lying to me. The idea that death can end the time travel isn't the truth... No, if it is true, what should I do?"

"If I choose to die here, then what has all I've been through so far amounted to?"

Unable to distinguish between reality and a dream, Della, her face contorted in pain, finally put down the Libra Cross Greatsword.

“Julie and the others’ betrayal was definitely not accidental. It was probably all because of that Major General Abbot’s instigation. Now I have seen the Witch Cult for what it is. The three people they called ‘traitors’ were actually well-intentioned. So why would the Witch Cult do this? Why did I end up becoming one of the traitors? I was always loyal to the Witch Cult.”

"Could it be that everything Witch Code 001 and the others said is true? Should I believe them?"

Della, on the verge of a breakdown, was in a state of utter confusion. She contemplated suicide as an escape, yet she also yearned to uncover the true cause of her tragedy—a feeling she couldn't accept.

The struggle between escape and resentment created an immense, unbearable pressure that suffocated her, while a growing, wildfire-like resentment threatened to consume all her reason.

Silent, she realized for the first time how much she could resent Major General Abbott, whom she once admired most. The deeper her love had been, the more intense her hatred was now!

………………

On April 20, 10003 (Gregorian calendar), Li Lan and the other witches, having checked out of the hotel, once again ventured into the Mori Defense Forest and began a large-scale hunt for the mimicry Chaos.

Since the Crimson Night Torrent had only passed a few days ago, the monster-infested area was teeming with monsters, so they dared not venture too deep.

After parting ways with Lana and Lolina, Li Lan took Della for a stroll around the neighborhood.

Surprisingly, after a night, Della's spirits were clearly much better, and at least she did not choose to end her life by suicide.

"Thank you, you're a good person. And, I'm sorry."

I thank Li Lan and the others for their help recently, but I also apologize for my past prejudice against them.

Della is not someone who is afraid to admit her mistakes. She has always been kind-hearted, loves and hates fiercely, and never makes excuses for her mistakes.

Moreover, she clearly realized that the reason why the witch codename 001, Karen Elf, kept her by her side was probably because she was worried that she would be too heartbroken and take her own life, and she wanted to stop her.

"It's alright. Actually, we just wanted to win you over. Our goal is to increase our fighting strength for the next Crimson Night Torrent, since we probably can't hold out on our own."

What a terrifying existence the Crimson Night Torrent would be! Li Lan had a premonition that they hadn't truly witnessed it yet!

"There are some secrets that Lana and I share, which I think I should let you know, since you are now a traitor just like us."

Li Lan emphasized the word "traitor," and Della did not refute it.

Since the day Britney died, Della, who will never smile again, is happy to be called a "traitor." This will ignite her unprecedented desire for revenge. From now on, her life will not be for herself.