Mystery: The Witch of Desire

Holding his cane, Dunn solemnly sensed the chaotic spiritual fluctuations around him.

Another, younger man, a handsome fellow with green eyes, looked around before speaking in a tone that was meant to be calm but still revealed a hint of immaturity:

"Captain, it seems there was an extraordinary battle that took place here."

An aged voice suddenly echoed in the young man's mind:

"Hmph, you don't need to tell me. Anyone who isn't blind can see the traces of blood and frost. They must have come from a Sequence 8 Fallen Angel and a Sequence 7 Witch."

The young man was somewhat unconvinced, but he still lowered his voice and whispered:

"Since the two sides fighting are Sequence 8 and Sequence 7, we shouldn't be too worried with the captain present, right?"

After a few seconds of silence, the aged voice in my mind slowly spoke again:

"Although neither side in the battle is of high rank, for some reason, there is a lingering aura here that I find extremely repulsive."

"What aura?"

The young man asked curiously in a low voice, but before the old voice could answer, Dunn slowly spoke:

"Leonard, let's go back to Blackthorn Corporation first."

Leonard was somewhat surprised upon hearing this:

"Captain, are we just going to give up the investigation like this?"

A deep worry flashed in Dunn's profound eyes:

"The situation has been getting increasingly unsettling lately: a large number of unnatural deaths, a surge in human trafficking cases, Daly's warning, the activity of wild extraordinary individuals..."

After a few seconds of contemplation, he said:

“Send a telegram to Ahowa County and request their assistance.”

……

Levi followed Ms. B through the shadows for several blocks toward the Flamingo Bar on University Street.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

While cautiously observing her surroundings, Ms. B asked Reeves a question.

After careful consideration, Levi felt that the most important thing to solve now was the problem of being tracked, otherwise he would still be targeted by the Hyena Gang after arriving at the Flamingo Bar.

Levi carefully chose his words, trying to convey as much information as possible to Ms. B:

"I am being tracked."

Ms. B stopped and turned to look at Reeves, asking thoughtfully:

"Is the tracking ability they used the same as the one you used to track the Demon Throat Honey?"

Reeve nodded in confirmation.

After pondering for a moment, Ms. B asked:

What is the principle behind this tracking capability?

Levi gave a wry smile, shook his head helplessly, and said:

"Notaries, an extraordinary quality."

Ms. B paused for a moment, then her expression changed to one of sudden realization:

"You were influenced by a magical artifact created from the notary's extraordinary abilities, and swore an oath not to divulge any information related to the Hyena Gang?"

Reeves breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly. Ms. B guessed what he meant, but he wasn't particularly surprised, perhaps because he had been deceived by Sharani before.

Ms. B pondered for a moment, then took out a small mirror, sprayed some essential oil she carried with her, and the air was immediately filled with a pleasant fragrance.

Then, she lifted her black robe and reverently pressed the mirror against her lower abdomen, chanting in a language that Levi could only vaguely make out—it should be ancient Hermes.

After a moment, Ms. B let out a low, hoarse groan and picked up the mirror from her lower abdomen.

The mirror's surface shimmered with an ethereal glow and emitted a faint, sweet fragrance.

Ms. B picked up the mirror, infused it with a touch of spirituality, and the luster on the mirror's surface shifted and changed, landing on Levi and disappearing into his body.

Ms. B put away the mirror, breathing softly as she recovered the spiritual energy she had just depleted.

She said slowly:

“I have already prayed for your protection through ritual magic. Since you can master that tracking ability, it shouldn’t be considered advanced. This level of protection should be enough to shield you from the enemy’s tracking.”

Levi was overjoyed and carefully sensed the changes within his body. It seemed as if a faint connection had been severed, but he didn't know if it was his spiritual intuition or a psychological illusion.

"However, the pressure on my heart from the notarized document has been significantly reduced, and now I should be able to try to transmit more information."

Chapter 61 A Gift of Fate

"Let's go, we need to get to the Flamingo Bar as soon as possible. In the worst-case scenario, if the enemy can still track you, staying at the Flamingo Bar is the safest option."

After resting, Ms. B continued to lead Levi through the shadows.

Levi was deeply moved. He had been worried that Ms. B would abandon him for fear of revealing the location of the Flamingo Bar, but he never expected that Ms. B would choose to protect him.

The heart that was initially wounded by the betrayal of Ms. B, who was actually Xia Lani in disguise, now felt warm.

But Ms. B, as if she could read his mind, turned around and said with a smile:

"What, thanking me in your heart? Don't be so polite. You're already a crucial pawn, and I won't easily abandon you. Or..."

She removed her hood, revealing Cynthia's beautiful face, a smile that was both elegant and sly flashing in the corner of her eye:

"If you're willing to thank me with your body, I'd be happy to accept."

"Ah, this is definitely the real Ms. B!"

Reeves praised inwardly, and his long-suppressed mood improved somewhat.

……

Back at the Flamingo Bar, you can feel the vibrant atmosphere even from outside. Large numbers of students are still participating in the masquerade ball, singing, dancing, drinking, chatting, and expressing their love, enjoying their wonderful youth.

Ms. B pulled up her hood and took out a mask that was wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with two small wrists wrapped around the back of her head, to cover her face.

Then, she looked at Levi with a teasing 'I knew you weren't wearing a mask' look in her eyes, and then took out another identical mask and handed it to him.

Reeve thanked him somewhat awkwardly and quickly put his mask back on.

After changing their clothes, the two blended into the lively atmosphere of the masquerade ball and entered the guest rooms behind the bar without anyone watching.

Upon reaching the second floor, Ms. B led Levi to the room where she had previously attended a party. The room was empty and lifeless, as if no one had visited it for a long time.

"I even canceled my party this week to find you."

As Ms. B spoke, she pushed open the hidden door and entered the complex passageway.

Levi felt a little embarrassed, then asked with some confusion:

"What about Ms. A and Ms. C? Can't they host the party?"

Ms. B was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Reeves to ask such a question. After a few seconds, she replied calmly:

"They have other things to do."

Levi nodded noncommittally and followed Ms. B through the complicated passageway to the same secret room from last time.

Upon arriving here, Ms. B relaxed somewhat. She removed her hood and mask, smiling at Reeves:

"Alright, do you want to relax with me first, or do you want to get straight to business?"

Levi blushed, feeling that every seemingly normal word Ms. B said seemed to have a hidden meaning. Although she was not as charming as Xia Lani, her every move had a unique and alluring charm that made it easy for people to fall for her beauty and temperament.

"Let's get straight to business."

Ms. B nodded slightly and refrained from making any more jokes about Levi, as if she also realized the urgency of the situation.

She calmly arranged the cooking utensils and various oddly shaped items, then looked at Reeves meaningfully:

"Now, tell me your choice. Do you want the heart of the Demon Throat Honeydew as your reward, or the throat of the Demon Throat Honeydew?"

Reeves was stunned: This was the important thing Ms. B wanted to discuss? Even if the two items might differ in value, in the current tense situation…

"Hmm, no, no, there's something wrong with my mindset. I keep thinking that the end of the world is coming and nothing else matters. That's not right. I'm out of danger for now, and I still have to live my life. Sigh, maybe my recent experiences have been too tragic, which has kept my nerves on edge. If only I had a therapist..."

At this moment, Reeves found himself missing Emily terribly, and in this vulnerable state, family was the best way to heal.

Levi took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, reminding himself not to be too nervous. Defeating the cultists' plot would not be a quick task; he needed to earn money slowly, gradually improve his strength, and plan step by step.

Having adjusted his mindset, Reeves calmly addressed Ms. B:

"I choose the throat of the Demon Throat Beetle."

This was something he had decided on last week.

Ms. B raised an eyebrow and smiled:

"Ok."

Then, as she processed the various oddly shaped ingredients and added them to the cooking pot, she muttered incantations:

"Instigator's Potion"

Main ingredients: Heart of the Demon Throat Honeydew, Poison Sac of the Dark Lurker.

Additional ingredients: the throat of a honeydew lemur, 100 ml of pure water, 5 drops of blue datura juice, 10 g of water fern powder, and 1 unpeeled walnut.

"Wait, the heart of the Demon Throat Honeydew is the main ingredient in the Instigator's Potion? And the throat is a secondary ingredient?"

Reeves exclaimed in surprise that the difference in value between the main and auxiliary ingredients of a potion could be hundreds of pounds. He couldn't understand why Ms. B would give him two choices with such a huge difference. If she wanted to get the maximum benefit, she could have just given him the throat of the Honeydew Wren. Why did she have to make him choose?

Ms. B gave a meaningful smile:

“Every gift comes with a price tag, and only you can decide which gifts to accept; I cannot make the choice for you.”

She snapped her fingers, and a dark gunpowder ignited beneath the cooking pot. The various ingredients inside, mixed with pure water, blended together, transforming into a murky black liquid.

"The Instigator Potion recipe costs 500 pounds, the heart of the Demon Throat Honeydew costs 300 pounds, the venom sac of the Dark Lurker costs 200 pounds, the throat of the Demon Throat Honeydew costs 30 pounds, and the other auxiliary materials are given as a bonus. The total price of this Instigator Potion is 1030 pounds."

Ms. B spoke with a smile, her finger flicking lightly, and the dark liquid inside the pot floated out naturally, falling into a small bottle that had been prepared beforehand.

Holding the small bottle, she looked at the shocked Reeves and said calmly:

"This Potion of Instigator is prepared for you. Now, give up everything of value in exchange for it."

Revy recovered from his shock and began to think carefully:

"Ms. B has clearly prepared the ingredients for concocting the potion long ago. In other words, no matter what happens, she intends to promote me to Instigator tonight? Why would she do this to me? Is it to support me in dealing with the Hyena Gang?"

With a jumble of thoughts swirling in his mind, Levi had no choice but to calm himself down. He didn't intend to investigate Ms. B's motives for the time being; he was currently extremely thirsty for power and trusted Ms. B to a certain extent.

He took out all his cash, a total of £530, and then, with the extraordinary qualities of an apprentice, handed it all over to Ms. B.

These were the only valuable items he had left.

Ms. B said with a smile:

"530 pounds in cash, 150 pounds for a Sequence 9 Extraordinary trait, and 200 pounds for an apprentice, which means..."

She walked up to Levi, handed him the bottled Potion of Instigator, and gave him a mysterious smile:

"The price of this gift of fate is 300 pounds."

Chapter 62 The Instigator

Levi took the potion, a sense of unease rising within him.

"If I had chosen the heart of the Demon Throat Honeydew back then, I would have been only 30 pounds short, and the gift of fate would have been only 30 pounds, ten times less than the 300 pounds I have now... What exactly is this gift of fate? Could it be some kind of mystical loan sharking?"

Ms. B sensed Reeves' unease, and with a gentle smile, she spoke in a relaxed tone:

"Of course, you don't need to think about all that right now. Your most important task right now is to drink the potion and ascend to the rank of Instigator. Maintaining a good mindset is very important during the ascension process. Although you are a little tired, I have already prayed for your protection through ritual magic. The ascension may be more effective while the protection is in effect, so just go for it."

Reeve nodded. There were too many things he didn't understand, so he decided to focus on what he could control right now.

He looked at the bottle of Instigator's Potion; the dark liquid seemed bottomless, its contents unseen, like a deep, boundless mirror in a dream.

Levi took a deep breath, slowly poured the potion into his mouth, and drank it all in one gulp.

The moment the potion entered his throat, Levi felt as if he had swallowed not liquid, but a living thing.

The living thing slid down his esophagus into his stomach, then spread throughout his body like exploding ink. It was cold, sticky, and carried a kind of chilling "consciousness"—as if countless eyes were open inside him, greedily watching every blood vessel and every bone.

A buzzing sound began to throb in his temples, and he heard rustling sounds in his ears, like whispers or something rubbing against each other in the shadows. The sounds seemed to come from near and far, and they spoke a language he could understand, but just as they were about to become clear, they slipped into oblivion.

Levi gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay awake.