Millennium Witch

The most typical example is the goblin. In the Eastern Continent, the goblins are a weak, green-skinned intelligent race that even goes to the human world to work. However, the demonized goblins in the Western Continent are powerful and vicious. During the war between humans and demons, they were the nightmare of many soldiers.

But the demon race is very strange. Apart from their appearance, they are similar to humans in every other way, and their talents are even inferior to those of humans, which is obviously illogical.

“My clan… my clan has always been cared for by the previous Demon King. Even earlier, I heard my grandfather say that my clan actually has very strong innate abilities. We were once the most powerful clan in the Western Continent, and the strongest among all branches of the human race. Even the demons of the abyss were afraid of us…” Lant said hesitantly.

"Then why did it turn out like this?" Yvette asked.

"Grandpa said it's because our ancestors angered the demon god and were cursed, which is why they turned into what they are now..."

“A curse?” Yvette raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Hmm... but I don't know if it's true or not," Lant said hesitantly.

Yvette hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll draw some blood from you to study it."

“Yes, Lady Witch.” Lant bowed respectfully.

Ivy nodded and immediately went upstairs to fetch medical equipment to prepare for a blood draw. From Lant's description, the curse from the demon god seemed to have directly affected the genes. Coincidentally, the Origin Civilization also had the concept of curse magic, but it was too rare and basically existed only as a concept without any actual content.

By studying Lant's demon blood, she might be able to glean some clues about the so-called demon curse.

Chapter 143 Transformation

After having a vial of blood drawn, Lant's life returned to its lowest point, and nothing changed.

He continued to give it his all, but he only managed to make progress. The harder he tried, the more his heart sank.

The divine servant girl, who also served as his magic instructor, no longer treated him as harshly as before when she saw how hard he was trying. However, she often described him with pity as "a pitiful wretch who is powerless to defy fate."

Clearly, she had foreseen that he would be unable to change the final outcome due to his limited talent.

Lant always silently endured these mocking remarks, almost never arguing back. Only when Abella's words occasionally touched upon his deceased parents would he stubbornly raise his neck and whisper a few words of defense.

At other times, he would even agree with Miss Divine Servant's words in his heart.

He was indeed unworthy to be the witch's student, and he himself thought so.

Just like the favor bestowed by the previous Demon King, it was merely a ray of light for the demon race. For an ordinary demon boy like him, who came from humble beginnings, becoming a student of the Silver Witch was perhaps an unattainable dream.

……

While Lant was wallowing in self-pity and shrouded in the shadow of impending judgment, Yvette found something new to do in her experiment with runic medicine.

Her soul brain is equipped with the scientific research-grade AI model "Sage Core". As a top model from Black Tower Pharmaceuticals, Sage Core is not only an expert in the pharmaceutical field, but its vast database also stores a massive amount of gene sequence rune maps, making it an excellent tool for studying the underlying laws of life.

With the help of the Sage's Core analysis, Yvette quickly confirmed that Lant's blood—or rather, the genes of the demon race—did indeed contain anomalies. Some obviously externally embedded rune sequences, like ropes, were wrapped around the original gene chains, acting as invisible shackles that locked off the normal expression of large areas of genes, rendering these gene sequences useless.

Is this what is known as the "curse of the demon god"?

If these embedded sequences are removed, can the sealed talents of the Demon race be released again?

She immediately became interested. After all, the research of rune medicine requires a lot of practical support, but in reality, there is often a lack of suitable "topics." It's like aspiring to become a puzzle master but not being able to find sufficiently complex puzzles to hone one's skills.

The mysterious embedded rune sequences in the Demon Race's genes are now an excellent subject for scientific research.

Driven by a strong interest in exploration, and with the aim of practice and application, Yvette began to delve into the genetic sequence of the demon race, setting out to find a way to break and undo the deception.

In the course of research and experimentation, a year passed in the blink of an eye.

……

Yvette set a three-year probationary period for Lant, culminating in an assessment to determine his suitability for permanent employment.

With only five months left before the end of his expedition, Lant's growing anxiety made it almost impossible for him to meditate. He moved out and built himself a simple tin shack by a waterfall in the dense forest of the Ish Mountains, using scrap metal he had collected.

The environment here was neither comfortable nor safe, but the deafening roar of the waterfall brought a strange tranquility that barely suppressed his inner anxiety.

Moreover, he now has some combat ability, so as long as he doesn't encounter too strong second-order aberrations, surviving shouldn't be a problem.

That night, after finishing his meditation under the waterfall, Lant, soaking wet, had just climbed ashore when he saw the figure of the Divine Servant standing quietly not far away.

His heart tightened, but he still stepped forward respectfully and said in a humble tone, "Sister Abella, is there anything I can help you with?"

The maidservant handed him a glass bottle with a blank expression. The bottle contained a strange, viscous green liquid.

"This is the medicine your master gave you," she said coldly. "Drink it. I'll come back in a couple of days to draw a vial of blood, so be prepared."

Looking at the bottle of eerie liquid that exuded an ominous aura and was easily associated with poison, Lant did not hesitate for a moment. He tilted his head back and drank the green potion in one gulp, then said in a hoarse voice, "I understand."

The noble and aloof young lady nodded slightly, then turned and disappeared into the night.

In the following days, Lant felt some subtle changes occurring in his body, but he couldn't quite describe what they were. A few days later, the Divine Servant arrived as promised, drew a vial of his blood, and then left again.

A few days later, she reappeared, following the same procedure: she handed over the new medication and told me to come back a few days later to have my blood drawn.

However, the color of the medicine brought each time was bizarre, and the physical reactions after taking it were also different. Sometimes it was a tearing pain, and sometimes it was an unbearable itching. The feeling was more and more intense each time, which was a double torment from the body to the mind. It was hard not to suspect that he was being used as a guinea pig in some kind of experiment, and that the assessment had been ended long ago.

But he said nothing, remaining silent and enduring it all in silence. Deep down, he even somewhat hoped that one day he could die as a test subject under these potions. That way, he could repay the witch's life-saving grace and escape the despair brought by the failed experiment—a kind of relief, perhaps.

Another three months have passed.

During this period, as a guinea pig for drug testing, Lant's body did not undergo any drastic changes. The drugs seemed to be simply meant to make him feel pain, sometimes even suffocation as if he were on the verge of death.

One month before the final assessment, an accident occurred one night at the training grounds where Lant was located.

It was an uninvited intruder, a two-stage mutated hound monster. Having dealt with many undead recently, Lant immediately tensed up and entered battle mode, maneuvering against the hound monster in the dark forest and constantly retaliating with spells he hadn't quite mastered yet.

For Lant, the second-stage aberration was already the limit of what he could handle. Unfortunately, this hound monster was one of the most ferocious types. In addition, he didn't have much magic power, his control was poor, and he couldn't cast some spells instantly. He was quickly chased down by the hound monster and fled in disarray.

But the hound quickly caught up with him and lunged at him. Lant gathered flames, forcing the hound to close its mouth again, then rammed it with all its might, sending him flying. The hound rolled twice on the ground, letting out several screams.

Although the attack avoided the risk of infection from being bitten by the canines, the enormous impact broke his ribs. Even more fatally, his magic was exhausted, and in this dark, deep forest, no one would come to his rescue. This was the consequence he was destined to bear when he made the decision to move here.

Lant gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and stood up again. Looking at the hound-like monster before him, he used all his strength to squeeze out the last bit of magic power from his body, letting out a low growl. He couldn't die here; he still had a great grudge to avenge. He had to hold on until the day of the assessment, to see the outcome of that beautiful dream, even if it ultimately turned out to be just a mirage.

The dog-like monster pounced again, and in that instant, he seemed to hear the sound of something breaking. Lant felt a cool power surge within him, supporting his body once more, allowing him to nimbly dodge to the side.

Under the influence of that power, his body seemed to become a huge black hole, absorbing all the elements in the surrounding area and gathering them around him. The consumed magic power also recovered at an unimaginable speed.

Suddenly, spells that had previously been impossible to control could be cast instantly, and magic that was difficult to manipulate became effortless. Lant was completely bewildered, but he knew that in a life-or-death battle, one couldn't afford to be distracted. A fierce wind gathered in his fist, and he unleashed a powerful punch forward, sending the ferocious hound flying!

The dog-like monster's massive body slammed into the tree, tilting the trunk to one side. Clearly bewildered by the sudden change in the previously fragile boy, it let out a mournful howl, turned, and fled into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.

Lant stood there dumbfounded for a long time before he came to his senses and realized that he had actually driven away the evil demon in one go.

But is this really me?

He looked down and saw that some white light had appeared on his hands. Judging from the patterns, they seemed to be the unique magic patterns of the demon race. But normally those magic patterns were dark purple and were just decorations. They had never shown such an unusual glow as they did now.

He walked back to the pool at the foot of the waterfall, lowered his head, and his current appearance was reflected on the water. His deep purple hair, magic markings, and pupils had all turned white, releasing a striking fluorescence in the darkness. His aura had also changed drastically. Although his face was still as youthful as ever, under the light of his hair, magic markings, and eyes, he actually showed a bit of awe-inspiring power, which could even be described as domineering.

Most importantly, in this special form, he will frantically absorb external elemental energy, and the magic power in his body is inexhaustible. At the same time, his control and magical pressure will also rise to a new level. The same spells will have completely different power!

This is...me?

Lant reached out blankly and tugged at his face. Then, belatedly, he noticed something, looked up at the cliff above the waterfall, and saw that the witch with silver hair like a waterfall and the maid with black hair like ink had been standing there for a long time, watching him.

He paused for a moment, then immediately thought of those medicines, those drugs that had tormented him for many days and caused him immense suffering.

Was it the effect of those medicines? Did the witch take pity on me and bestow those magical potions upon me, which led to such a great transformation?

In an instant, like a runaway child who has wandered for many days and suddenly discovers that his parents have been secretly following him all along, Lant suddenly burst into tears, his vision blurred by the tears. He had always thought that the witch didn't care about him, that she had long been disappointed in him, and that having the divine servant girl test medicine on him was just a small way of making use of his trash.

He suddenly knelt down on the ground and kowtowed desperately in the direction of the waterfall, smashing the glowing patterns on his forehead until they were bloody and mangled.

Chapter 144 Trials and Disappearances

Seven years later.

It was an autumn day when the leaves were turning yellow, and the manor was shrouded in desolation, with the wind swirling withered leaves across the grass. Also parked there were huge armored vehicles.

Yvette stood at the villa gate, watching Abella help Lant carry his suitcase into the car, and then heard her say, "What are you doing? Why is there a dog in the car? It stinks!"

"I'm sorry, Sister Abella," Lant apologized reflexively, then patted the little yellow dog in the car and said with a shy smile, "Training alone is too lonely, I wanted to bring it along to keep me entertained."

The little yellow dog lay on the ground, looking meekly at the cold and beautiful woman who exuded a terrifying aura. It didn't say a word, and its silent and timid appearance easily reminded people of the mediocre and self-conscious demon boy who first arrived seven years ago.

At that time, the boy was just an ordinary person with perseverance and willpower but no other skills, and Abella bullied him for a long time. However, with the removal of the curse in his bloodline and the mastery of the true "demon transformation" ability, Lant grew into a combat expert at an astonishing speed. He finally gained Abella's approval and stopped giving him the cold shoulder all day long.

Unfortunately, even after becoming Yvette's third disciple and being able to rightfully call her "teacher," his status still couldn't surpass Abella's. In addition to his training, he was still treated as a servant by Abella, and the hierarchy was very strict.

However, Lant didn't mind. After being tormented by the Goddess for many years, he didn't actually harbor much hatred, because he was very self-conscious back then and looked down on himself.

After becoming a fully-fledged demon and possessing terrifying talent, his fragile heart finally had a pillar, but to a certain extent, it only just offset his past inferiority complex and made him normal.

He may be the only demon race member to fully unleash his power, a genius and the hope for the future of his race, but aside from the fire of revenge in his heart, in other respects, he is just an ordinary village boy.

He was like an ordinary person, respecting his teachers and being grateful to them. He diligently cultivated himself and worked hard without complaint, doing cleaning work within his ability. Occasionally, he would miss his family and raise small animals. He was pure and innocent, with no bad habits. In short, he was so ordinary that he was boring and even unpleasant to some extent.

But he was just an ordinary and uninteresting boy, and no one had ever taught him to change.

In truth, after becoming a full-fledged student, he didn't spend much time learning from his teachers. It was mostly the Divine Servant who taught him spells and techniques, acted as his sparring partner, and ensured his safety when challenging aberrant beings. So, in a sense, the Divine Servant was also half a teacher to him, and she was also kind to him, someone he secretly appreciated.

However, as an Avenger, he couldn't stay on Ish Island forever. The mutants there were no longer enough for him to fight, and he needed to leave this safe environment with his mentors to hone his skills in an environment where no one was there to protect him, in order to grow.

This will also increase his chances of seeing the aurora borealis and returning home.

……

Looking at Lant's silly smile, and then at the dull and timid little yellow dog, Abella pouted.

During these seven years, Lant mostly did not live at the manor, but frequently changed places to live. He also often kept various small animals. The little yellow dog was a puppy born to a female dog that Lant kept. He liked it very much and often took it with him. He had been taking care of it for several months and would take it with him when he traveled, which seemed quite reasonable.

Perhaps because she was used to being a strict teacher, she had almost instinctively been fierce to Lant. At this moment, her tone softened a bit, and she said, "If you don't mind the trouble, then it's up to you."

Then she walked to another car in the corner of the manor.

Lant left Ish Island to train on the mainland, and naturally needed a vehicle to cross the sea. The armored vehicle he used was a magical motorcycle that Yvette had personally crafted over the years. She had created four iterations, and the one Lant was driving should be considered the third version. Its combat power and range were roughly the same; the main difference was in comfort.

However, just in case, Abella will have to escort them across the sea to prevent them from encountering a high-level aberration and crashing halfway through, which would end the training before it even begins.

“Then I must get ready to leave, teacher.” Lant looked at Yvette, his expression immediately turning into genuine respect.

The reason is simple: after that transformation, his teacher became his second parent and the person he respected most in his life, even as important as his deceased relatives such as his parents and sister.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that after breaking free from the shackles of the demon god's curse, he not only possessed excellent magical talent and the temporary explosive ability of "demon transformation," but his lifespan also increased. Conservatively speaking, he has already stepped into the threshold of becoming an immortal being.

So over the course of seven years, his appearance changed very little. He matured a little, but overall he remained that ordinary country boy, making it impossible for anyone to perceive how outstanding his fighting prowess was.

"If you see the aurora, remember to let me know." Yvette nodded calmly. She had prepared long-distance communication equipment, allowing Lant to stay in touch with the island in real time, and also to say goodbye if it was time to return to the other world.

"I will, teacher."

"If you encounter a machine race, first tell them that you are also a machine race. Only after you are discovered should you consider admitting that you are from another world."

"Understood, teacher." Lant had long heard of the existence of the Machine Race and was also full of curiosity about this mysterious race born from alchemical creations.

"Don't rely on the ability of demonization, solve problems through normal means, and prioritize using your brain."

“Yes, teacher.” Lant already knew all this, but still nodded in response patiently.

What else is there that can't be forgotten? Yvette thought for a moment, then suddenly went upstairs and took out the "Grimoire of Earth" and the "Grimoire of Heavenly Punishment," which had been gathering dust in the cabinet for a long time and which she had almost forgotten about. She handed them to the bewildered Lant: "Here, take these."

"Eek!" Abella cried out, recalling a scene from long ago when a black dragon used a battle magic book to utterly defeat her.

That's pure cheating.

The master gave this thing to this kid. I hope he won't use it to get revenge on me halfway across the sea.

Thinking about what she had done over the years, and looking at the two battle magic books whose access information had been entered by Lant, Abella suddenly felt a little guilty.

Lant, unaware of what Abella was thinking, asked curiously, "What's wrong, Abella?"

"It's nothing." Abella looked up at the sky.

"I will definitely learn everything on it, teacher." A moment later, having gained access to the grimoire, Lant immediately realized how precious it was and solemnly swore an oath.

He hadn't yet realized the terrifying combat power of the magic book itself, especially its terrifying one-button combo attacks, but the spells on it were already incredibly valuable. Over the years, he had learned a wide range of spells, such as life magic for self-healing, defensive spells for melee combat, enhancement spells, and some physical training. He hadn't studied pure earth magic or lightning magic in depth.

Yvette hummed in agreement and added, "If you return to your hometown, remember to check on your second senior brother for me. If you are in danger, you can ask him for help so we can look after each other."

Lant solemnly agreed, then bid farewell to his teacher and got into the driver's seat. With a low hum of the engine, the armored vehicle slowly floated into the air, heading towards the distant horizon along with Abella's vehicle.

His destination was Black Tide Continent, because Yvette had circled Black Tide Continent before, clearing out most of the high-level aberrations, and was quite familiar with the puppet kingdoms along the way, marking out safe zones for him.

In addition, he also had a mission: to find a puppet kingdom and have them use the sanctuary to convey an apology message to a senior named Bingyu.

It is said that the teacher made a promise to meet her at Emerald Isle a hundred years ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to go. It is unknown whether that senior is still waiting there.

……

After Lant and Abella's magical motorcycle disappeared into the horizon, Yvette stood on the top floor of the Black Tower ruins for a while, feeling a sense of melancholy.

In terms of how much she cared for her students, she favored Rosalyn the most, followed by Dugrabi.