Mystery: The Witch of Desire

Upon hearing this, Xiu said with a hint of jealousy:

"Hmph, this is the tenth time I've heard you mention Miss Marilyn Monroe today. If you miss her so much, why don't you go to sea with her?"

Fors playfully stuck out her tongue, but Hugh clearly had no intention of letting her off the hook. His 1.5-meter frame pressed down on Fors, demanding:

"Tell me, between me and Miss Marilyn Monroe, who do you think is more capable?"

Fors scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, then revealed a sly smile:

“Hugh, I think in this respect, the arbitrator is still hard to compare with the witch…”

Hugh puffed out his cheeks in anger, grabbed Fors and tried to fight her, but Fors used her magic trick to escape.

“Hugh, stop fooling around. Look, there’s a lot of additional description on the back of this sketch.”

Upon hearing this, Hugh quickly flipped over the portrait sketch and read it aloud:

"We suggest searching through the following channels:"

"1. Zilingus has a malevolent object that devours the flesh and soul of a living person every other day, including the missing homeless man."

"2. Collect detailed information about Zillinger and summarize his unique hobbies and behavioral patterns."

"3. A person's facial features may change, but as long as they have not undergone special training, they will always behave like themselves, such as their favorite food, walking style, habitual movements, and many other details."

Fors nodded slightly and said:

"It seems that Miss Audrey is not the simple and naive noblewoman that is rumored to be; she has a delicate heart and a calm observation ability."

"Really?" Hugh asked uncertainly, then suggested, "I'll be in charge of gathering information, and you can summarize the pirate general's hobbies and characteristics?"

Fors' eyes widened suddenly, and she shook the tin box of cigarettes in her hand, saying coquettishly:

"How could you bear to do this? How could you bear to make a delicate and sensitive writer do this kind of inductive reasoning and analytical work?"

Hugh glanced at Fors, just about to give her a loving lecture, when there was a knock on the door:

"Is this the home of Fors and Ms. Hugh? There's a telegram from you!"

"A telegram? Who could it be?"

Hugh found this strange. He looked through the peephole and, after confirming that the person was the postman, opened the door.

"Little friend, where are your parents?"

The postman looked down at Hugh and asked softly.

"I am the recipient, Ms. Hugh!"

Hugh's angry tone unconsciously carried a hint of arbitrator's authority, instantly commanding the postman's respect:

"Oh, I see. I'm so sorry!"

He timidly handed the envelope to Hugh, saying ingratiatingly:

"This letter was sent to the East District based on your original address. We found your current address by checking the household registration records and delivered it to you."

"I see. Thank you for your hard work."

Hugh looked enlightened and took out some change to give the postman as a tip.

"Let me see, who sent the telegram is..."

Hugh muttered to himself as he opened the envelope.

"Miss Marilyn Monroe!"

Hugh saw the sender's name and exclaimed in surprise, immediately attracting Fors's attention.

"What? Miss Marilyn Monroe wrote a letter?"

Fors snatched the telegram and began to read it carefully.

……

……

Two days later, Dumbi Island.

We were now on the edge of the raging sea, where towering waves could be seen rising in the distance, almost merging with the dark, oppressive sky above. Gale-force winds and torrential rain ravaged this vast ocean, making most of the waters, except for a few safe channels, a no-man's-land for sailors.

At this moment, the Golden Dream floated on the turbulent sea like a shimmering leaf, looking as if it might capsize at any moment.

However, two huge water masses connected to the sides of the ship increased the floating area of ​​the entire ship, allowing this tiny sailboat to sail steadily all the way to the shore of Shorttail Island.

This was an uninhabited island with no ports or similar facilities. Based on her previous experience, Edwina found a flat mudflat on the southwest side of the island and moored the boat there.

"It's enough for just Miss Monroe and me to go. The enemy we're dealing with this time isn't something that can be helped by having more people."

Edwina poured cold water on the crew's high spirits.

"The masked bat can cause great spiritual pain to people. Only a Sequence 6 Extraordinary can resist this corruption."

"Captain, may I go with you?"

"Series 6 First Officer Blue Walls said proudly."

"No, you need to stay here and take command, in case of any emergencies."

Edwina firmly refused.

"Thank you for your hard work, left-behind children."

Livre waved to the crew, revealing a charming and playful smile.

Blue Walls sighed and nudged Danitz, who was equally sullen, with his elbow:

"Do you think the captain might have gone on a date with Miss Marilyn Monroe?"

"A date?" Danitz's sallow eyebrows twitched. "Bullshit! It's actually quite possible!"

Before the two could continue guessing, Edwina suddenly put her hand on Livril's shoulder, a gesture that made them both feel a pang of sadness.

"Many monsters roam the outskirts of that island, some even reaching the demigod level, making it difficult to cross. We can teleport there directly."

As Edwina spoke, the talisman in her other hand glowed faintly.

Demigod level...

Liviel's heart skipped a beat, and with a glimmer of hope, she asked:

"Many monsters roam the outer perimeter of the island, so is the interior safe?"

"There are many monsters inside as well."

Edwina said expressionlessly.

"..."

The moment the words left their mouths, the two figures vanished from the spot.

……

When the surrounding scenery returned to normal, the two had arrived at the edge of a giant forest. Mist had settled in the air, and only a small amount of crimson moonlight could penetrate it. This did not dispel the darkness of the trees and mountains, but instead shrouded them in a sinister and bloody atmosphere.

"This is it."

Edwina looked around and said.

Livre observed her surroundings with unusual caution. She had been very confident about the mission, but after Edwina mentioned the presence of demigod-level monsters, she began to worry.

It was very quiet here; there were no birdsong, wolf howls, or even insect chirps, giving it a deathly still feel.

Seemingly guessing her feelings, Edwina snapped her fingers, and a lantern-like object appeared in her hand, illuminating the overgrown natural path ahead, marked with a jumble of footprints.

Is this the reader's ritual magic ability? How convenient...

Livre sighed inwardly and followed Edwina slowly along the path.

While keeping an eye on the movements ahead, Edwina spoke up:

"If you come during the day, it's quite lively here, and you can even see some bird creatures that only exist in myths and legends flying in the sky above the forest."

“But at night, the power that dominates this place seems to change, and many extraordinary species hide away, waiting for dawn. Fortunately, the flower-faced bats are nocturnal species.”

Edwina had been here more than once, and had been here at least once during the day and once at night... Livre nodded silently, without saying anything more.

After walking for a while, Edwina stopped, used ritual magic to determine her location, and pointed ahead:

"If we follow this road through the Black Forest and keep going forward, we will reach an ancient ruin whose exact age is unknown. The flower-faced bats live there."

Edwina explained it in such detail, was she afraid I would doubt the route she chose...? After all, a deserted island like this is an excellent place to ambush and kill.

Livre smiled gently and said softly:

"Don't worry, I won't doubt you. We still have that much trust between us."

Edwina didn't quite understand what Livre meant. After a moment, she looked enlightened and calmly said:

"You've misunderstood. I'm just fulfilling my duty to spread knowledge."

Ms. Edwina, your way of thinking and your logic are completely different from normal people... Is this the thought process of a top student?

Livre muttered to herself, gripping the Bloodthirsty Gloves in one hand and the ritual staff in the other, following closely behind Edwina.

The two quickly entered the depths of the dark forest where almost no moonlight could penetrate. The trees here were all thick and tall with dense foliage; even the smallest ones were larger than a person's arm circumference in diameter.

Their common characteristic is that their bark is distinctly scaly, densely pieced together, as if it might wriggle its surface at any moment, stretch out tentacles, and devour the surrounding creatures.

As Liviel walked further, she sensed an increasingly strange atmosphere. After much deliberation, she finally spoke up and asked:

Why did you come to this island in the first place?

She had initially intended to respect Edwina's privacy and therefore hadn't asked, but now she felt it was better to ask for clarification so she could feel more at ease.

Edwina didn't hide anything and said earnestly:

"The Church of Knowledge once sent me to investigate a matter related to an evil god, so I came here twice."

"Related to an evil god?!" Livre's voice rose several octaves in astonishment. "On this very island?"

“Yes,” Edwina explained calmly. “There is an organization called the Celestial School. Their members held a sacrificial ritual in Remburg that caused mass casualties. According to the investigation, those cultists rehearsed it on this island, where many things related to evil gods were left behind.”

Livre stared blankly for a good ten seconds before asking incredulously:

Why didn't you say something like this sooner?

"You didn't ask either."

Edwina answered quite readily, as if it were the natural order of things.

Livre was both amused and exasperated:

"Why aren't you in a hurry to impart knowledge to me at a time like this?"

Edwina paused for a moment, then said seriously:

"This is intelligence, not knowledge."

"..."

Livr didn't know what to say, so she just rolled her eyes to express her helplessness.

Edwina noticed Livre's displeasure, and after a brief silence, said:

"Don't worry, after our two cleanups, there should be nothing on this island related to those cultists anymore. Hmm, there shouldn't be."

Why does the word "should" sound so unsettling?

Livre sighed helplessly. There was no going back now. Edwina wasn't the reckless type; if she dared to bring her along, she must have some confidence, right?

Neither Livre nor Edwina spoke, continuing to walk in an unusual silence. They didn't try to say anything to avoid the awkwardness, even though it was quiet and there were other people around.

As they walked, the two men, using the light of their lanterns, noticed that the trees ahead had suddenly become sparse.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

A dull thud echoed from that area, growing clearer as Livre and Edwina drew closer.

Edwina raised her hand, signaling to stop. Livre understood, and the two of them crouched down together, parted the bushes in front of them, and looked ahead:

They were figures covered in curly fur, each over a meter tall, with thick upper limbs, short lower limbs, and big, red buttocks.

This is... Mr. Hanged Man's favorite curly-haired baboon!

They relentlessly polished the piled-up trees and rocks, seemingly building an altar.

Without the cover of dense foliage, a few crimson moonlight pierced through the accumulated mist and fell, enveloping the figures and giving them a faint blood-red hue.