Mystery: The Witch of Desire

After "transferring" Miss Justice's description to the Hanged Man, Klein left the mysterious space above the gray fog and returned to his bedroom.

He didn't rush to remove the spiritual barrier. Instead, he sat down at his desk, hesitated for a moment, then spread out some paper, picked up his pen, and began to write a letter:

"...According to the urgent intelligence I received, Ziringus used the 'Shepherd' ability to transform into Baron Gramir and infiltrate Duke Negan's ball. His purpose is currently unknown."

“I’m not sure if this will interest you, but I think it’s necessary for you to know.”

Klein finished quickly and folded the letter.

Then, he found the old bronze whistle, brought it to his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and blew it hard.

Soon, a huge, terrifying, ethereal skeletal messenger appeared in the bedroom, standing there with its head disappearing into the roof.

Having done all this, Klein leaned back in his chair, silently letting his thoughts wander:

“Mr. Azik, Miss Lover, Mr. Hanged Man… I have used every ‘wild’ resource I can get my hands on.”

"I wonder how fast they are. If they're fast enough, they might make it in time for the 'main course'; otherwise, we'll just have to guess the truth from the news afterwards..."

"However, encountering the 'main course' may not be a good thing, after all, we are facing a pirate general."

"I hope Mr. Azik and the others aren't hurt..."

……

……

The ballroom of the Duke of Negan's residence.

Disguised as Baron Gramir, Zilingus stood leisurely behind the railing of the second-floor gallery, holding a glass of blood-red Olmir wine, admiring the men and women on the dance floor, and the elegantly dressed ladies and wives.

But his eyes held no desire whatsoever, as calm as a frozen lake. He would only occasionally glance out of the corner of his eye at the enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, or at Duke Negan a few steps away, whose gaze was fixed on the beautiful figures.

The duke wore a crisp, dark blue admiral's uniform, with red sashes connecting his shoulders to medals of honor. However, his waist was bloated, his body was full of fat, and his once sharp, shrewd grey-blue eyes were now clouded and filled with desire. Nevertheless, thanks to his good maintenance, the wrinkles around his eyes, mouth, and forehead were relatively shallow, and his black hair remained thick.

This is Pallas Negan, the current Duke of Negan, a major supporter of the Conservative Party, the brother of Prime Minister Agushid, and one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the Kingdom of Rune.

At the same time, he was also Zilingus's target for secretly infiltrating Backlund!

Assassinating such an important figure is so exciting it makes my skin tremble... Qilingus withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes.

He was willing to accept the commission because the price offered by the client was attractive enough, and also because he himself loved adventure and enjoyed challenging himself with difficult tasks.

If I succeed in the assassination, my fame will spread throughout the North and South continents, surpassing even the "Four Kings." Moreover, I will obtain a deck of cards, one of the decks created by Emperor Roselle that contains divine secrets!

Suppressing his excitement, Zilingus turned his head and glanced at the corridor leading to the side hall, planning his escape route for a while.

Suddenly, he had a premonition and sensed a prying gaze.

"Who is it? Are they those two women in the corridor...?"

Zillingus frowned, his gaze falling on Fors and Hugh, who were standing by the corridor.

"They don't seem to be nobles, so why are they here...?"

"Wait, these two women seem so familiar..."

Zilingus fell into deep thought, calmly considering the possibility that he had been exposed.

But then he realized he was just being paranoid.

Fueled by a ravenous hunger, he was confident he could outmaneuver most Sequence 5 Beyonders, and that, unless they reached the level of demigods, ordinary Beyonders would have a hard time seeing through his disguise. Even a keen observer wouldn't be able to see through him, unless that observer was very familiar with the Baron Gramir he was impersonating.

Even at a high-profile aristocratic ball, the appearance of a demigod-level guard would be far too exaggerated, and the probability of an audience member who happens to know Baron Gramir is even lower.

Therefore, Zilingus felt relieved. However, this little incident also made him decide to act quickly without further hesitation to avoid any unforeseen changes.

He glanced down at his left hand.

The hunger emanating from his hands had become transparent, imperceptible to the naked eye and touch. Baron Gramir was also wearing gloves.

It was thanks to this magical item that could command the souls of five different extraordinary beings and unleash their extraordinary abilities that Zilingus became a pirate general with only a Sequence 6 rank.

After once again marveling at his good fortune in possessing a wriggling hunger, Zilingus glanced at the enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The soul he currently controls only has one ability: to change his appearance and physique. It is not capable of fighting against other extraordinary beings. However, fortunately, no matter which soul he controls, Zilingus can simultaneously use his own Sequence 6 Wind-Chosen extraordinary abilities.

Zilingus made a barely perceptible swipe forward with his right hand.

Ugh!

A sudden gust of wind swept across the dance floor, extinguishing the candles on the crystal chandelier.

Just as light and darkness intertwined, and just as everyone's attention was drawn, several thin wind blades, concealed by the gale, struck the metal chain hanging the crystal chandelier, hitting the same spot.

Squeak!

Amidst a teeth-grinding shattering sound, the enormous crystal chandelier plummeted straight into the dance floor, crashing to the ground with a deafening clang. Screams erupted from the floor, and many guests were injured by flying shards, letting out terrified screams.

Taking advantage of the darkness and chaos in the hall, the glove on Qilingos's left palm squirmed and transformed, condensing into a golden surface.

His expression turned dignified, his gaze piercing through the darkness as he fixed his eyes on the man beside Duke Negan.

Just as he was about to launch his attack, a crisp 'crack' sounded from beside Zilingus, and a dazzling burst of sparks erupted.

Zilingus was startled and instinctively tried to dodge, only to find that it seemed to be just a trick without any real power.

However, the dazzling light from the explosion made him an even more prominent figure in the hall than Duke Negan.

At the same time, a shout full of authority quickly spread throughout the hall:

"He is the attacker! Pirate General Zilingus!"

Chapter 186 Fierce Battle with Zilingus

Meanwhile, inside the captain's cabin of the Golden Dream.

Livre sat in front of the upright erasable board like a well-behaved student.

Edwina was explaining ritual magic. Normally, other crew members would participate in such small classes, but this time the topic was related to witches using curses. To protect Livia's privacy, it became her exclusive learning time.

The witch's curse can be transmitted through blood, bodily fluids, and from mother to child... How did I end up like a biological mother...?

While feeling somewhat embarrassed, Liviel diligently memorized the basic curse rituals explained by Edwina, hoping that combining them with the witch's abilities might yield unexpected and wonderful results.

Just then, her vision suddenly blurred, her body was shrouded in a rising gray mist, and she heard the Fool's illusory voice in her ears:

“Miss Lover, Zilingus appears to have returned to Backlund and infiltrated Duke Negan’s ball. His purpose is still unclear. Two of Miss Justice’s friends are observing him further. I will keep you informed if there is any new information.”

Is it Klein...Zilingus has returned to Backlund? Infiltrated Duke Negan's ball? Are Miss Justice's two friends observing further?

Klein's words were short, but every sentence struck Livre's heart hard, especially the last one: Did Miss Justice's two friends refer to Fors and Hugh?

Livre stood up abruptly and asked with a serious expression:

How far are we from Damir Port now?

“Damier Port?” Edwina asked, somewhat bewildered. “About 1700 kilometers away.”

Fortunately, within a 2000-kilometer radius, there's a mirror I recognize in Damir Port. From Damir Port, I can teleport to Backlund in one go... but it requires two consecutive teleports, consuming a huge amount of spiritual energy...

Livre hesitated for a moment, then took out a close-fitting mirror:

“Going to Backlund to confront Zilingus would be dangerous.”

The mirror surface rippled slightly, indicating that the level of danger was still within an acceptable range.

Without further hesitation, Livre returned to her room.

"A fool who doesn't belong to this era;"

"You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog;"

"You are the king of yellow and black who holds the key to good fortune."

"You are Klein, who has never been in a relationship."

"Could you please conjure up a mirror of the Duke of Negan's mansion for me?"

A few seconds later, an image appeared in front of her eyes:

That was a picture of Miss Justice sitting in prayer, with a dressing mirror standing not far from her.

The vanity mirror was magnified so that Livre could see every detail.

With just one glance, Livre established a mystical connection with the mirror.

Livre nodded and said:

"Please have Miss Justice guide me to that mirror, and I guarantee there's no one else around."

"understood."

The Fool's illusory voice came again.

Having made up her mind, Livre quickly packed her things and lifted the sapphire ring on her finger.

Suddenly, Livre felt a sense of drama: she had just promised Edwina that she would go to the end of the Sunia Sea with her, but now she was leaving without a word.

She must be very sad, she'll think I'm a heartless witch...

Livr sighed deeply, left a note, raised the sapphire ring, and activated her mirror-travel ability.

After a while, Edwina, who had been waiting for Livr to return, entered her room and saw the note with a few delicate handwritings:

Parting is for a better reunion.

Edwina froze, a bitter sadness welling up in her gentle, watery eyes.

……

……

Liviel appeared at the Shell Hotel in Damir Harbor. Having advanced, she was more spiritually abundant, and the burden was much lighter compared to her previous mirror travel.

She took a short breath, anchored herself to the mirror that Klein had conjured, and activated her mirror-traveling ability once more.

Before stepping out of the mirror world, she deliberately changed her appearance, transforming herself into a short-haired, dark-eyed, tall woman with a heroic air.

The next second, she stepped out of the mirror world and saw Audrey Hall standing respectfully to one side.

Although she was shorter than Livre, she was still quite tall, with clear, bright green eyes and delicate, refined features that combined to create a striking and beautiful face. Her long, lustrous golden hair flowed smoothly down her back, and paired with a pure white dress that accentuated her figure, she appeared elegant and noble.

So beautiful...

Even the witch Livre sincerely admired Audrey's beauty. Her beauty was different from her own; one was dignified and bright, while the other was extremely charming and alluring.

In the words of our past lives, she was a national beauty who brought peace and prosperity to the country, while I was a femme fatale who brought ruin to the nation...

Livre smiled slightly, a hint of self-deprecation in her eyes, and then made a small noise that made Audrey, who had been staring at the door, turn around in surprise.

She looked at Livre with some surprise, then at the mirror behind her that was still shimmering, and quickly understood. She regained her composure, lifted her skirt slightly, and gave a curtsy.

"You must be Mr. Fool's attendant? Hello, madam, I am Audrey Hall, it is my pleasure to assist you."

Livre had intended to say something witty to tease the beautiful young woman, but with Qilingus's threat looming, she asked without hesitation:

Where is Ziringus now?

Audrey solemnly said:

“In the main hall, my two friends are watching him.”

"take me."

Livre's voice was calm, but she was getting anxious inside.

"plz follow me."

Audrey walked quickly ahead, avoiding the nobles who wanted to exchange pleasantries, and led Livre to the end of the corridor connecting the side hall and the main hall.

There stood two women, one tall and one short, pretending to chat, but secretly watching the terrace diagonally above.

Fors! Hush!

Livre was thrilled, but the next second, something unexpected happened.

With a few whooshing sounds of wind, the living room lights suddenly dimmed.

Fors paused for a second, then immediately snapped his fingers, and a burst of fire exploded on the second-floor terrace diagonally above, illuminating the figure of a man.

"It's him! Ziringus, who's impersonating 'Baron Gramir'."

Audrey recognized the man and said nervously.

At the same time, Hugh shouted in a majestic voice, which quickly spread throughout the hall, and everyone's eyes turned to the second-floor terrace, to Ziringus, who was disguised as 'Baron Gramir'.

Enraged, Zilingus decided to stop hiding his true intentions. Suddenly, two beams of light, like lightning, flashed from his eyes and shot towards the extraordinary being responsible for protecting Duke Negan.