Witch Redemption

The black ink quickly seeped into the page and spread out rapidly. At the same moment, the world experienced an unpredictable fluctuation, as if some unknown event was being completely rewritten.

At the same moment, the eerie phantom behind the old woman screamed in agony, then vanished into blue smoke in a frenzied twist.

The old woman's face was so dejected that it was almost distorted, but she finally choked out, "Forgive me, Norse, this is my last act of willfulness. Once you have a new master, you will never have to suffer like this again."

The countless witches she had encountered flashed through her mind, their pain, regret, and helplessness leaving deep memories in her heart. She had been running away from them all, all for the day when she could win a glimmer of hope for others.

She has lost all hope of survival, and now she can only place all her hopes on those who come after her.

Meeting her junior, number 47, was the luckiest thing that ever happened to her. This junior gave her new hope and the motivation to keep going. And today, she finally encountered the obsession left behind by this junior after his death.

Kallen Elf, codenamed 001, is the second witch with the same resolve to sacrifice as codename 47. She has placed the biggest bet ever on codename 47, and now she will add another chip to this huge bet!

"Number 47, even when facing death, you remained steadfast. As your senior, I absolutely cannot be inferior to you. I have passed her test of willpower, and I will now do my utmost to deviate from the course of her destiny. How far I can go depends on her fate in the future."

"Hahaha, we're playing a game against the entire world! It's a pity we can't see the outcome, but that doesn't matter anymore. We've already made this damned world pay the price!"

The old woman closed the eerie gray-blue book on the table and began to tap a few times on the old wooden table. Finally, she pulled open a hidden compartment on it, and as the wooden board was lifted, a black magic book was revealed in front of her.

The grimoire was covered in golden flame patterns, the intricate and delicate patterns mirroring the furious burning within her heart, a burning desire to devour everything in this world.

………………

Leaving the ruins of the slum, Li Lan began to walk towards the city gate, his mind still clearly remembering everything he had seen earlier.

For some reason, he had a strong intuition that the old woman's divination results were real and would definitely come true in the future.

"If nothing unexpected happens, it will occur within about six months. I don't have much time left."

Now that it's certain that Li Lan will die, and Lana and the others will also die, Li Lan will definitely not sit idly by and wait for his doom; he must make changes as soon as possible.

“That fortune teller is definitely not an ordinary person. I can believe her words. I will go there in three days. I should try whatever method is available to change this situation, but I will never let Lana and the others’ lives become the price I pay for living.”

It was an incredible feeling. After knowing her death was imminent, Li Lan didn't know why she could remain so calm.

"As for the secondary profession of Life Creator, perhaps what I should consider is not bringing materials back to experiment every day, but processing them directly on-site. If I can build a large number of monster teams, I can also upgrade their levels in advance, which may be helpful on that day. In addition, I also need to think about how to use the wisdom core of Archangel Angel that I obtained at the Sunset Temple."

After today, Li Lan truly understood for the first time what it meant to seize every second, but could he really keep up?

Can he truly use these hands to completely change his future? And change Lana's and the others' future?

Chapter 78 Night Visit

On May 2, 10003 in the Gregorian calendar, ever since Li Lan glimpsed memories about the future from a strange fortune teller three days ago, he has become more diligent than ever before. After hunting down Mimic Chaos, he would first quickly collect three Mimic Chaos corpses, and then use the "Life Creator" skill on the spot after each kill.

Since Li Lan discovered long ago that "element extraction" could be used not only on mimicry chaos but also on plants, the collection of life elements has become quite fast, enough to cope with Li Lan's high-intensity use.

Unfortunately, the failure rate of the so-called life transmutation is not low, and even if it is successful, it is difficult to create an intelligent monster similar to Servant No. 1 "Slime".

In the past three days, Li Lan has only managed to produce ten servants, numbered from number two to number eleven.

As for the slime, it has been able to kill the mimic chaos on its own using Hassan's Blade during these days of learning, becoming a very capable subordinate of Li Lan, and its level has also been successfully raised to level 2.

Li Lan also discovered some new ways to use those mindless, humanoid, fluid-shaped monsters, also known as cannon fodder servants.

That is, Li Lan's priest-like skills can be used on these life-forged products, especially "Courage," which can effectively drive away their fear and make them quite warlike. It's just a pity that after the one-minute duration of "Courage" expires, these bastards immediately wilted, which is extremely realistic.

Fortunately, they were able to form a considerable fighting force, which gave Li Lan hope.

"The reason why Life Transformation doesn't yield more intelligent monsters is partly due to probability, and partly because it's very likely due to the End Flame, which is the core of intelligence. When Lana and the others return in a few days, I might ask them to keep an eye out for me if they can obtain a stronger magic core."

As she pondered, Li Lan slowly made her way towards the slums under the cover of night.

Tonight is the time I arranged to meet the fortune teller, and no matter what, Li Lan plans to go and see him.

For the past three days, Li Lan had been guessing that this fortune teller was likely closely related to number 47 and should be trustworthy. At least from her first impression, Li Lan had a very good impression of this old woman-like fortune teller...

The slums were eerily quiet at night, and the only sound was the slow footsteps of him walking along the way.

Occasionally, the windows of buildings on both sides let out the dim yellow light of magic crystal lamps, but the interiors were deathly still, giving people a creepy feeling.

Li Lan didn't know how long he walked, but he finally entered a completely dark area. Fortunately, as the witch's magic book level increased, her eyesight also improved, and she could still see the surrounding scenery clearly.

Ahead lay a scene of broken walls and ruins. To the right, there was a familiar little house with old tables and chairs placed in front of it.

As if she had anticipated Li Lan's arrival, the old woman creaked open the door and poked her head out. Her terrifying face instantly filled Li Lan with panic. It was only at the crucial moment that the priest's "courage" was enough to calm his violently beating heart.

There was no way around it; the deathly silence combined with the old fortune teller's terrifying face was simply too horrifying.

Li Lan always felt like she was wandering into a terrifying world full of ghosts.

"Come in."

The old woman spoke in a frail and weak voice.

………………

The interior of the house was very small. By the dim light of the magic crystal lamp, Li Lan could see a closet, an old wooden bed, a high-backed wooden chair, and a desk against the wall. Apart from that, the house was bare.

The old woman gestured for Li Lan to sit on the small wooden bed, and then, with faltering steps, she pulled on the high-backed wooden chair in front of the desk.

Unlike their previous meeting, the old woman's tone had clearly changed. "You, the younger generation, are much braver than the other witches. Even the most daring one, number 47, couldn't help but tremble when she entered this place at night."

"Well, I'm just a bit oblivious, but actually I'm really scared right now."

Li Lan awkwardly tried to cover it up, not daring to admit that he had actually cheated. If it weren't for the "Courage" skill, he might be ten times more embarrassed than Senior Number 47.

Although the time spent with Senior Number 47 was short, Senior Number 47 left an impression on Li Lan that he was more reliable and invincible than anyone else.

"Being bold is a good thing. You don't need to be modest. You can't experience the true nature of this world yet. If that day ever comes, you might be glad that you still have the courage to face everything."

"I hope so." Li Lan had a feeling that the strange old woman in front of her really knew a lot of things.

"Alright, let's get straight to the point. Did you clearly see the visions that were divined that day?"

"Yes!"

"Although I really want to comfort you by saying that it's just an illusion, unfortunately, it will actually happen, specifically at the time of your death and that of your accomplice. There are two reasons why I want to help you."

The old woman explained slowly, "One of the reasons is that I had a deep friendship with a junior, number 47. On March 15th, the night you experienced your first Crimson Night Flood, he used special means to inform me that he had entrusted all his secrets to a witch named 'Karen Elf,' codenamed 001. So from the first day we met, I determined your identity by peeking into your future. Of course, I also foresaw from the beginning that you would arrive on this day."

"The second reason is that your ally, the witch codename 099, is a kind person who respects the elderly and cares for the young. She helped me a lot when I was in the most difficult time, and she is also one of the few witches who performed a divination on fate but remained unmoved in the end. I admire her and do not want her to go down the path of destruction in the future. Moreover, you have passed my test, so I understand that you are also the kind of person with codename 47, and you will cherish your comrades at all costs."

Li Lan listened quietly as the old woman recounted the many causes and consequences. Suddenly, he remembered that when they were in Dawn City, Major General Aibo had used the method of spying on Luo Lina's memories. Afterwards, Luo Lina did not experience the headache that Li Lan and the others had encountered.

Li Lan and Lana initially thought that it was because of Lolina's special race that memory spying might not have any effect on her.

But now it seems that's not the case. The most likely scenario is that memory prying can only be done once for a witch, and Lorina's memories had already been pryed into by others before dawn.

It's hard to imagine whether such methods are morally sound, but now that Li Lan thinks about it, it's very likely that this old woman did it, and that this insurance did indeed help Luo Lina later on.

It hides many secrets.

Li Lan began to sense that the old woman in front of her was also a witch, and a witch even older than number 47.

But is that even possible? Every single witch in each batch died.

"Having explained why I want to help you, I don't expect you to achieve anything in the future. I only ask that you be able to live with a clear conscience. Can you do that?" The old woman's words were calm, not a question, but simply a desire for an answer.

"No matter what happens, I will always put those who trust me first!"

This was Li Lan's answer, and also his promise. The trust that Lana and Luo Lina placed in him was something he could never betray.

Looking back on his past and present lives, Li Lan has always acted according to his conscience. He is afraid of death, but he understands that there are many things in this world that are more important than life. If he had to weigh his friendship against life, he would choose the former without hesitation.

He knew all along that they had no way out. If sacrificing Li Lan could bring hope to Lana and Luo Lina, Li Lan knew what to do and would definitely do it!

"Alright, now I'm going to tell you the three biggest secrets, and I require you to keep them a secret. You absolutely cannot let a second person know until the time is right!"

………………

"The first secret: What is the witch to the empire?"

"All witches possess an innate grimoire and a Libra Cross Greatsword. The Empire summons witches, instructing them to upgrade their grimoires to the Silver level, after which they are retrieved. Witches who successfully upgrade to Silver level have their grimoires remain in reality for one hour after death. Within that hour, whoever picks up a witch's grimoire will trigger the 'Ashes' effect, permanently displaying the witch's sacred artifact in this world. These weapons are the divine artifacts used by the Empire's heroes. Heroes wielding these artifacts can use all the witch's skills from before her death, unleashing even greater power."

"This is the biggest reason why the Crimson Night Torrent is also known as the 'Witch Hunt'! What are witches to the Empire? They are nothing more than pigs to be slaughtered. All witches who successfully advance to the Silver Magic Book will be collected one after another during the night of the Crimson Night Torrent."

"This is also why No. 47 repeatedly reminded you to be cautious when advancing to the Silver Magic Book."

In a short period of time, the old woman directly revealed a series of terrifying inside stories to Li Lan. Even though Li Lan had already deduced the possibility of the truth from the secrets she learned from Senior No. 47, she was stunned and speechless after receiving such detailed information.

"The artifact used by the hero is our professional sacred weapon? How is that possible?" Li Lan asked in bewilderment. "This world has a different technology tree, and it also has terrifying warships and giant cannons. Aren't firearms far more powerful than our witches' cold weapons?"

The old woman shook her head. "That's right. When I first transmigrated here, I had the same thoughts as you, but I was wrong. This is a crazy world. Magic exists, and it has even led to the development of more powerful firearms. However, like you, I underestimated the power that a witch's professional weapon could unleash in the hands of a hero."

"You will see it in the future. If you live to see that time, you may understand why the Empire is so obsessed with seizing the witch's weapon and why the Empire is so eager to eliminate the witch."

The reason can be summed up in one sentence: those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts!

Just as transmigrators like Li Lan cannot fully trust the empire, the empire will not trust these unfamiliar witches either, nor will it entrust its interests to them.

The two remained silent for a few seconds, and the atmosphere gradually became somewhat heavy.

At this moment, Li Lan was very clear about the witch's true status in the empire.

"That's the first secret about the witch. The second secret, what do you think is the item that can save you at this stage?"

The old woman kept everyone in suspense, then turned around and pulled out a seemingly ordinary gray-blue book. The book wasn't large, but it gave off an extremely oppressive feeling, as if a strong resentment was filling the space around it, making it suffocating.

“I don’t know,” Li Lan thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. “Before I met you, my original plan was to suppress the level of my magic book with Lana and the others, find a way to deal with the Guardian Death Squad when I advanced to Silver Magic Book, and then take advantage of the Crimson Night Torrent to escape in one fell swoop…”

It's one thing to say it, but another to do it. At the very least, Li Lan has a goal, and he also vaguely realizes that a side job will become their biggest trump card!

"Suppressing your level is a wise move, but you've underestimated the Empire's decisiveness. If it's just one witch who hasn't advanced to the Silver Magic Book, it can be understood as a special profession. But if there are multiple witches, the Empire won't tolerate it for long. The real reason you'll fail after six months is because the Empire knew your intentions from the very beginning!"

Another bombshell announcement left Li Lan stunned for a long time.

The old woman continued, "Moreover, you may not know that in the Empire, every witch who descends is given a complete destiny from summoning to death. Your every move is recorded in the Empire's 'Codex of Cause and Effect.' No matter which witch it is, as long as they do not truly die, their true name will be forever captured by the 'Codex of Cause and Effect.'"

She didn't bother to explain what the so-called "Codex of Cause and Effect" was, because she herself had never seen it. She only knew that the empire possessed such a magical item that could interfere with fate.

"If you want to break free from the Empire's control and escape this hell, then you must deceive the Empire's 'Codex of Cause and Effect' and make yourself appear truly dead in the eyes of others! There is indeed a way to do this. I once introduced it to Number 47, but he refused because using it comes at a price!"

The old woman's withered hands trembled as she opened the strange book. It was blank. Then she picked up a quill pen and wrote something on it. The black writing disappeared without a trace.

"It's the one you mentioned before..."

"Indeed, there is such an item that can help you, but the price for using it is that after the first successful use, you must sacrifice one of your closest friends within an hour, so that it will forever imprison your friend's soul."

Chapter 79 Li Lan's Choice

"Will it be successful on the first use?"

Li Lan didn't think the old woman, who was suspected to be a senior witch, was exaggerating. He quickly grasped the key point.

Li Lan knew that his closest friends right now were either Lana or Lolina, and he would never harm these two accomplices who trusted him completely.

This is Li Lan's bottom line!