Witch Troupe and the Undead

Chapter 87 You guys perfectly avoided this prophecy!

The next day, after the heavy snow stopped, Roach and his companions resumed their journey. The Black Forest in winter was even more gloomy and terrifying than usual. The tall black ironwood trees covered with frost completely blocked out the weak sunlight, and cold-resistant monsters roamed the forest searching for anything they could eat.

In this frigid climate, the thorny bushes that are usually ignored and covered in poisonous thorns have become delicious food. However, only a very few monsters can eat this hard, poisonous, and thorny food, such as the wood spirits living in the Black Forest of Rock Tower County.

Wood spirits are monsters that look like garlic cloves carved from wood, with a large mouth covered by a woody outer layer. They are harmless monsters.

The wood spirit, with its massive, tentacle-like legs, approached a clump of thorns. It slowly opened its large, wood-grained mouth, bit down on a thorn, and remained motionless. The thorn, inside the wood spirit's "mouth," softened little by little under the action of the digestive juices secreted by the wood spirit. Then, countless needle-like roots pierced into the thorn, beginning to plunder its nutrients.

Wood spirits are parasitic plant monsters, and are therefore classified as harmless. Humans mainly use them to clear various weeds and wild grasses, and they are also driven into the Black Forest to curb its expansion.

The snow on the black wood made a faint sound, startling the wood spirit, which twitched and hid its feet in the soil, pretending to be just a piece of wood.

A black monster, head down, gracefully and silently climbed down the black wood. It had goat-like horizontal pupils and three eyes, and its entire body was covered in smooth, supple, black skin. It greedily stared at the wood spirit on the ground.

To avoid disturbing its rare prey, the monster paused for a moment before leaping onto a nearby black tree. The tree where it had been resting made a noise, and the wood spirit trembled. In that instant, as it shifted its attention, the monster pounced from the other side and bit into the wood spirit's woody shell.

Despite being whipped by several vines extending from the top of the wood spirit's head, the smooth and tough thick skin rendered the thorny vines ineffective. The monster quickly tore open the wooden shell, exposing the core rich in sugar and plant protein inside, which it then bit into and swallowed whole, leaving only an empty wooden shell.

Just as the monster was contentedly lurking in the darkness beneath the tree to digest its prey, a bowstring twanged in the air, and an arrow carved from black wood pierced its vulnerable side, pinning it to the ground.

"Not bad..." Lums looked at the monster lying on the ground with satisfaction, took out a small knife, and cut open its belly through the arrow hole, peeling off the entire thick, slick hide. "There's a three-eyed monster inside."

"Are you just naming monsters like that?" Leslie helped dismember the corpse, burying the internal organs on the spot to avoid attracting more troublesome monsters. The blood was poured directly onto the roots of the blackwood trees, and soon the demonized blackwood trees of the Black Forest would digest the internal organs and blood.

"Whatever?" Lums retorted. "Its greatest threat is its three eyes; if seen, it will freeze in place."

Paralyzing vision is the three-eyed monster's greatest magic-like ability. As long as you are stared at by its third eye, you will be unable to move and feel paralyzed all over. However, as long as it moves its gaze away or is reflected in a mirror, it will paralyze itself.

The local Yanta people simply named it the Three-Eyed Monster, and just from the name you can tell what its characteristics are and which part is the most dangerous.

“This kind of monster only eats vegetables, so we can’t kill too many, otherwise many carnivorous monsters that can’t find food will flood into Tallinn in the spring,” Lums said while cleaning up the game. “Its hide is very thick, making good material for boots, tents, and sleeping bags.”

Warm, durable, and smooth, these boots are not easily torn by thorns or barbs, making them almost a necessity for the Rock Tower people traveling in the wild.

Lums deftly scraped away the bits of flesh and fat from the back of the three-eyed monster's skin with a knife, rolled it up, and prepared to take it back for tanning to make hard leather.

"The Black Forest in winter isn't as dangerous as you say~"

“That’s where we’ve bypassed all the habitats of dangerous monsters,” Lums explained. Indeed, many customers questioned whether the Black Forest was so dangerous and whether his price was unreasonable. Usually, Lums would tell these customers that if they were willing to pay extra, he could take them on a more challenging route on the return trip.

At this moment, even the most unruly creatures will become docile the instant they witness the Forest Rock Lizard. A standard panic-level monster, it is as large as a moving mountain, with its body covered in scales that gleam like rocks. In winter, it doesn't move much and is in a semi-hibernating state, but if it is disturbed, it will become extremely ferocious.

“You’ve paid, so I won’t take you on dangerous routes unless you pay extra.” Lums said and then dropped the subject. As a guide, his greatest strength in this line of work was his taciturn nature; he only gave the necessary information and didn’t explain anything else.

“If you don’t have a mobile house, I would suggest you buy some pre-made three-eyed monster leather. It can be used to set up a temporary tent or to increase the warmth of your sleeping bag if necessary.”

But for now, this leather can only be considered an extra reward on the journey. The witch's hut is located in an "artificial clearing" in the Black Forest, which Roach created and is now expanding.

"Whoa!" Roach pulled hard on the rope in his hand, and orange-red patterns lit up on the back of his hand holding the metal handle. This meant that he was using his body as a medium to guide the magic of the rune disk into the alchemical device in his hand, and had also activated the effect of at least one rune stone.

"Whoosh~" Countless small runes lit up rapidly on the device in his hand, and the invisible force field formed sharp teeth that rotated rapidly around a metal-cast elliptical track. No, it should be said that they alternately activated the small spell paradigm [Biting Teeth] effect on it.

Runemasters possess a unique ability to combine the effects of multiple runestones at the cost of stability. For example, Roach activated the permanent large runestone [Prism Blast] on his runeboard, injecting it along with the runeboard's magic power into the alchemical device in his hand, and then activating the spell paradigm effects on it.

Due to the characteristics of Prism Blast, the force field teeth of the [Biting Teeth], which are normally stable and tearing at the target, become extremely unstable. Under this alternating activation, it looks as if a row of teeth has started to rotate.

So Roach got a... magical chainsaw, which roared in his hand. Unlike chainsaws that rely on kinetic energy to slide and cut, this magical chainsaw actually cuts the target by interlacing micro-explosions. Moreover, the saw teeth are force field structures and will not wear out at all. Or rather, each explosion will create a directional force field cutting effect.

The moment the magic chainsaw made contact with the black wood, it exploded into a burst of colorful elemental sparks, as if cutting metal. Elemental sparks flew in all directions, and the contact surface emitted a strange "plop" sound. The black hardwood, which ordinary steel axes could not do much to, was cut open little by little, leaving a hideous and terrifying irregular cut surface.

“Brother Roach, I don’t know why, but this tool of yours…” Leslie, carrying the prey back, hesitated, “gives me a chill. Why is that?”

Even though its destructive power might not be as great as Alessina's power sword, it gave Leslie a more dangerous feeling, making her want to run away immediately.

"Master Roach, are you selling this?"

"Sorry, only I can use this." Only rune masters can power this thing with rune disks, and it only works by combining simple trap-like force field teeth with the effect of prism explosion, producing continuous micro-explosions to tear apart the target.

The simple spell "Biting Teeth" is a small, disruptive trap. When placed on the ground, it bites the enemy's leg or foot with a force field upon contact. Its power is not even enough to penetrate a thick boot.

The reason Roach was able to tear the blackwood apart was that he used the ability of [Directional Detonation], combined with the rune stacking ability of a rune master, to overlap the effects of multiple rune stones. Essentially, he controlled the detonation of this simple spell paradigm and used its "biting" action to create a sliding directional blast that released a force field cutting effect.

As for the elemental light flowers, they are an additional effect caused by randomly injected elemental magic. Therefore, the cut surfaces of the wood are very messy and not suitable for processing things like planks. They are only suitable for dealing with the logs in the Black Forest that are as hard as iron.

“Master Roach, do not cut down too many black trees. If the Black Forest becomes thinner, it will cause some monsters to leak out, as well as unpredictable disasters. This is the wisdom of our ancestors,” Lumus said seriously after looking at the area of ​​the clearing. He would not usually warn such a person, because most people do not have the physical strength and ability to shave the Black Forest bald.

The little witch used these black hardwoods to reinforce the house and build new things, such as laying wooden supports and anti-slip planks on the smooth stone steps leading down, and building a swing and slide around the tallest giant tree in the backyard.

Even after living for so long, the old horse finally had its stable roof replaced with a wooden plank and straw roof. Also, fences and scarecrows were added to the farmland and herb fields. In the living forest, no rodents would dare to steal Livia's vegetables, but it's different here.

After losing several turnips and cabbages, the little girl angrily fenced off every plot of land, imbuing these wooden fences with her magic, thus giving Alessina several more fat rodents for bacon. After Lumes and Leslie returned, the hut rose again, its eight stone legs stepping forward.

"In another half a day, we'll reach the outskirts of the Imperial camp." Lums will stay at the camp until spring to return, since crossing the Black Forest alone is indeed too difficult, and there's not much point in going back. It's better to stay at the camp; maybe he can even get a return trip order.

“In other words, we have to go camping again,” Roach said, glancing at the sky.

“Pretty much. If you’re not in a hurry, you can rest for another day,” Lums agreed. After all, this was the most relaxed team he had ever led. Other teams might not even have a carriage, let alone one that included the entire house, the yard, and the farmland.

Today, Alessina is in charge of cooking, and Roach's team has welcomed their only professional chef.

Alessina had run a tavern, though it failed; she had also worked as a waitress, but lost her job after smashing a customer's head; she had even worked as a cook on a fishing boat, but the boat sank. Later, she felt she might be cursed by that profession, so she became an adventurer. She didn't stay an adventurer for long either, as she encountered pirates while on a ship, which meant she was unemployed again.

“I don’t think you’re just a jinx…” Leslie said earnestly. Alessina glanced at the kitchen knife in his hand, then at Leslie, and hesitated, wondering if the knife could still be used after it had been used to kill fish.

"It's just that your boss wasn't as lucky as you, but that's not your fault. Now your boss is Miss Livia, who is lucky enough that you don't have to worry about losing your job."

"A pet is a profession?" Alessina pointed to her collar.

"..."

"Is slavery considered a profession?"

“You can’t say that. Slaves don’t get the treatment you have now,” Leslie chuckled dryly. “My previous job was providing potion ingredients.”

"Purchasing?" Alessina looked at the guy. To be fair, this job was quite suitable for a bard.

"..." Leslie's expression already said it all.

"Oh, so you're the material." Alessina understood instantly and suddenly felt less unlucky.

At the same time, in the royal capital.

"So, you really didn't eat anything the whole way?" The chief diviner looked at the knight commander who was stopped by the guards from killing him. "Didn't I tell you to eat and drink as much as possible the whole way?"

"Can't you be more specific?!" Who the hell knows you're saying that if you eat all the food monsters you see in the Living Forest, nothing will happen?!

"The essence of prophecy and divination is to extract fragments from the endless flow of information in the world. I want to explain this to you clearly, or rather, the hints I have given you are already very clear." The divination master remained unmoved.

To be fair, because the matter was urgent, he didn't add any personal interpretations or riddles to the divination results to maintain an air of mystery. He simply gave them whatever hints he received. As for the parts he didn't say, he really couldn't say them because they would be more ambiguous and inaccurate, and some of them would even be represented as dangerous "black" in divination spells.

This represents uncertain and chaotic changes. In other words, this part of the information must never be revealed, especially not to the parties involved. Otherwise, once it is leaked, the entire prediction will become inaccurate, leading to a result that is highly likely to be worse rather than better.

"But at least you brought the things back."

"That's it? A hug coupon!?" The knight commander mockingly threw the crumpled piece of paper at the fortune teller.

"Yes... I don't know what form it takes, but since you have indeed returned and have indeed gone through all of this... well, the hardships and great tests of will, then this result should be the answer we want."

The fortune teller readily admitted that he didn't know what the treasure looked like either. In any case, he posed a question to the world, and the world gave him an answer. And no matter what the answer looked like, as long as the process matched, then no matter how incredible the answer was, it was correct.

"You didn't say the fucking test of willpower was that all we found in the treasure chest was a fucking hug voucher!"

Yes, when they set off, the fortune teller predicted that although there would be many hardships and dangers along the way, as long as they were well-fed and watered, they would be safe and sound. In the end, they would encounter the greatest test and torment of their lives. As long as they got through it, they would be able to safely bring back the treasure.

The knight commander's idea was that they would cut down many dangerous monsters along the way, and as long as the team's stamina was kept at its best, there wouldn't be too much danger. But you didn't tell them to eat all the food monsters they encountered! Yes, if they had eaten them all, the final monster might have been a close call.

As for the greatest test and torment in life... they have already experienced it. They risked their lives to open a treasure chest, only to find it was filled with hand-drawn children's pictures by their mothers, telling them that the journey and happiness along the way are the greatest treasures. Is there anything more torturous than this?

"You see, you didn't act according to the divination results I gave you, so it's normal that you encountered an unexpected crisis."

"When you're confused, just stand still and think for a while. So what the hell is this? We're telling you to stand still and not move when you open a treasure chest so you won't get caught in the blast wave?"

"How should I know? That's just how the divination results are." The divination master said that this was all the hints he received, and that he had already done justice to the huge sum of money the empire had given him by not giving him any poems or riddles to solve.

"The way this rune was drawn..." The chief arcane mage carefully examined the so-called "hug voucher." It had no magical effects attached to it, and the rune was just a secret source trigger rune.

The profession of Arcane Mage has been extinct for a long time. I didn't expect there to be a lineage. I hope it's not one of those crazy people who like to dig up people's ancestral graves, clone eight hundred cheap ancestors for you, or set up some kind of nobles for a bloodline test, only to find out that the whole city is your father's illegitimate son.

"If I remember correctly, this drawing style is the style of a...emmmm infamous witch."

"Youthful Witch?"

"I think the talisman sample on the manuscript she left in the Imperial Library is drawn in the same way as this."

"So this is the hug voucher for the Witch of Youth..." The fortune teller shuddered, unable to imagine what kind of hellish drawing a hug voucher for a half-elf old woman would be.

"No, it could also be her disciple's or a junior's. Compared to the Witch of Youth, the talisman drawing is more stiff and immature, with a sense of deliberate imitation." The arcane master slid his fingers along the patterns.

"So, what does this have to do with the problems facing the empire?" the captain of the Imperial Guard asked. The old emperor's curse was deeply ingrained, and his children were either useless or precious treasures. The empire's rule was in a precarious state.

"The most infamous thing about the Witch of Youth is her potion of eternal youth, and the effect of this potion is..." Once the master of secret arts explained, everyone understood.

It can make people rejuvenate and solidify their state for up to 20 years. What does this mean?

This means that if the emperor drinks it, he can rule for another 20 years, and after rejuvenating, he can have one or even several more heirs, and there will be enough time for him to raise them to adulthood.

As for the side effects... it's fine. Once the effects of the drug wear off, the curse that has been suppressed for 20 years will rebound and kill him on the spot. He won't have to endure the tragic fate of aging rapidly for decades without dying.

Chapter 88 The Correct Use of Explosions

The new Imperial Survey Corps camp was established in an abandoned old post station on the edge of the Black Forest. This post station, which once belonged to the Kingdom of Luster, was swallowed up by the Black Forest, but was later cleared out again thanks to the efforts of the Imperial Survey Corps and adventurers.

The camp was surrounded by a two-meter-high rubble wall, overgrown with vines and weeds, and reinforced with wooden planks and iron frames. The Empire had added about a meter of spiked blackwood to the wall. The inn's gate had long since collapsed. After clearing away the rubble, the expedition built a new tower and gate out of the gap using wood, and erected several watchtowers around the inn.

"Boom!" Flocks of birds took flight from the forest. The guards on the watchtower stared in disbelief at the south, where the tall black ironwood trees swayed and made a clattering noise, as if some enormous object was pushing through the forest.

"Clang~ Clang~ Clang~" The guards shook the rope of the alarm bell with all their might. Within minutes, the walls and watchtowers were filled with people, each holding a weapon and looking somewhat dazed.

"What's going on? What is that approaching?!" the head of the investigation team asked in a panic. This commotion could not be kept secret from anyone. The ground was shaking slightly, and the startled flock of birds emitted sharp and noisy cries.

The adventurers who had been drawn by the wealth of the capital looked utterly dejected. The flimsy stone walls and the melee weapons in their hands clearly did not give them much confidence, especially since the camp was a temporary structure with only two small ballistae salvaged from a camp previously destroyed by the Sin Demons as their main defensive structures.

"Here it comes!" The archer on the wall flexed his fingers and gripped the crossbow handle tightly. The ironwood of the Black Forest was violently pushed aside, and a thick leg made of bluestone and mud appeared before everyone. The golden magic circle stripes on the rock shimmered in the evening sunset.

"Whoosh!" In their excessive tension, several arrows struck the stone leg, only to bounce off the solid rock surface. Then, a second stone leg appeared before them, carrying a bowl-shaped platform of rock and mud. The platform had steps with wooden handrails, surrounded by tall giant trees and shrubs. A delicate two-story house could be vaguely seen on the platform, with wisps of smoke rising from it.

Ignoring the adventurers on the ground and the occasional arrows being shot, the eight-legged rock platform crossed the low wall and arrived at the open space behind the post station. It sank into the soil little by little, and the entire platform sank down with it.

Behind the post station, a low earthen slope and a small house on the slope appeared in the open space, blending almost seamlessly into the surrounding environment. If it weren't for the fact that people were crossing the wall in full view of everyone, many would even think that the house should have been there from the beginning.

"A monster, or some kind of alchemical device?" The survey team leader ordered the adventurers to disperse. This thing didn't look like a monster; it looked more like an alchemical device. But... wasn't this alchemical device a bit too big?

Alessina carried a wooden frame out the door, down the stairs, glanced at the mages and knights of the Imperial Survey Corps watching from a distance, then nailed the frame to the entrance of the stairs. Next, he took out a piece of parchment covered with writing, spread it out, and nailed it to the frame.

Everyone was surprised that a beast-like being emerged from the alchemical device. Beast-like beings were highly discriminated against in the Empire, but considering the way she appeared, no one would mistake her for a simple beast-like being.

The parchment's heading features a hand-drawn chibi-style image of a little witch, next to which is the cursive script "Livia's Alchemy Shop," followed by a list of items for sale and their prices, including potions and alchemy tools.

"An alchemy shop? An alchemist?" The head of the investigation team breathed a sigh of relief. Although the other party's appearance was astonishing, from another perspective, it proved that the other party's strength was extraordinary.

"It seems they are alchemy masters attracted by the seal and the secret realm." The guild leader nodded. Although the news of the seal being broken and the Lost Capital gradually opening up was only spreading in a small circle, those alchemists and mages all had their own information channels, so it was not incomprehensible that a few big shots would come.

Or rather, the more powerful figures arrive, the safer this investigation team's camp becomes. Putting aside everything else, once this little house rises from the ground, it can at least handle an attack from several hundred demons.

After a while, the beastman came down carrying two new wooden frames and nailed them around the entrance to the stairs. On them were also parchment, one listing the fees for buying and appraising antiques and the other listing the sign of a weapons and tools shop.

Compared to the very childlike style of Little Witch's billboard, Roach's billboard was very simple. It didn't even say "Weapons and Equipment Shop" on it, but rather "Archaeological Tools and Hardware Shop." The items sold below were so obvious that even well-informed adventurers and mages couldn't figure out what they were for.

"Who will give it a try?" The adventurers looked at each other, and in the end, the Imperial Investigation Team was the first to choose a negotiator. The first thing to do was to find out what the person behind the hut was doing, whether he was just here to do business or had some other plan.

Secondly, it's necessary to determine the other party's production capacity, specifically whether to open the market to adventurers, or to put it more bluntly, whether these adventurers can afford it. Finally, it's crucial to ascertain the true identity of this master, whose level is undoubtedly not low, and whether they can be recruited into the empire's ranks. Both the royal family and various noble families are frantically recruiting talent at this turbulent juncture.

It's obvious to everyone that the old emperor won't last many more years. Once he's gone, his useless children will cause the empire to split into several parts. To gain an advantage in the future competition among the warring factions, strategic talents like high-level spellcasters and alchemists must be recruited at all costs.

After walking up the slightly slippery steps due to the snow for a few steps, you can see the yard surrounding the small house. It looks much like an ordinary farmyard: a two-story wooden house, a stable that also serves as a cowshed, and simple fields enclosed by wooden fences in front of and behind the house. In one corner of the open space, there is also a small wooden room that looks like a barn.

However, the head of the investigation team quickly dismissed the idea that it was just an ordinary little house, because a tall ox was plowing the field, but that wasn't the point. The point was that a black horse was sitting on the fence by the field.

The black horse's hind legs were crossed, and its forelegs were not hooves, but long, sharp claws, with a thin pipe between them, as it was puffing out smoke, like an overseer watching slaves work. If the other claw were to hold a whip, it would look even more like one.

"Brother Roach, someone's here." Black Horse glanced at the head of the investigation team, turned and called out to the hut. Soon, a man with a scarred face and wearing a simple alchemical robe appeared from the doorway, with a gray-haired young woman beside him.

“Master Roach, and Master Livia.” The head of the investigation team forced a smile and walked over. “Huh?” Vivi was stunned for a moment, then pointed to herself, “I’m not Livia, my name is Vilandella, and Miss Livia is this one.” She stepped aside, and the head of the investigation team saw the little witch behind her, who was no more than 1.4 meters tall and wearing a huge pointed hat.

Livia stared blankly at the head of the investigation team, her little face slightly puffed out, her small hand gripping her cane as if she wanted to tap him on the head a couple of times.

In the living room of the cabin, the head of the investigation team sat cautiously in a chair. In aristocratic etiquette, there was no scene more embarrassing and insulting than the one just now. To mistake an apprentice for the master himself, he hadn't been blown away by an alchemical bomb because he entered the door with his left foot first. It must be the power of the bag of gold coins in his hand.

"I am Augros, the leader of the Imperial Secret Realm Investigation Team," the man introduced himself. "I wonder what kind of people you are..." He glanced at the golden insignia on Livia's chest. In another setting, he might have mistaken it for a brass insignia, but in this context, it was definitely a gold-level mark.

“Rocky, this is Livia, and this is Vilandella.” As for Leslie and Alessina, they sat quietly to the side without saying a word.

"I saw the sign below, which says that several masters have come here...are they planning to do potion business?"