Mystery: The Witch of Desire

"W-What happened? Why did the light go out?"

Liviel moved silently through the darkness, like a ghost. Seven black flames ignited at her fingertips, shooting towards Arles and his men like bullets. The black flames landed on them, instantly bursting into flames, but they brought no warmth, only a chilling cold that scorched their skin and gnawed at their souls.

"Ah—!" A shrill scream rang out instantly, and the living room descended into chaos. Some people groped around, some fled in panic, and others fired wildly toward the door, but they couldn't even touch Livia.

More and more people were burned by the black flames. Their bodies convulsed, their faces filled with extreme pain and fear. They frantically patted the flames on their bodies, but they could not extinguish them no matter what they did. They could only watch helplessly as their skin carbonized and peeled off little by little, eventually turning into wisps of black smoke, which became the materials for Liviel to digest the potion.

Arles was spared until the very end. He pulled out a pistol from his waist, gripped it tightly in his hand, sweat poured down his body, and his expression was so tense it looked like a string about to snap.

Suddenly, he felt as if his body was stuck to something. He hurriedly raised his hand and found that his whole body was covered with sticky threads like spider silk, and he couldn't break free no matter how hard he struggled.

Livr emerged from the darkness before him, her eyes cold as she looked at him, her voice as icy as a winter's chill:

“I am dead. You sold me to Tingen, where I suffered endless torment and died in a foreign land. To this day, my soul cannot return home…”

She raised her hand and manipulated the invisible spider silk, tightly wrapping it around Arles' limbs. With a sudden burst of force, she pulled, and a clear, crisp sound of bones cracking rang out. Arles let out a heart-wrenching scream as his body was twisted and deformed by the spider silk.

Looking into Livr's cold eyes, the fear in his heart finally erupted. He struggled and pleaded humbly:

"Spare me! I was wrong, I'll never do it again, please let me go. I'll go to church to celebrate the most solemn Mass for you! I'll ask the best priest to pray for you!"

Liviel remained unmoved. The black flames at her fingertips surged once more, crawling along the spider silk and engulfing Arles' entire body in an instant. Arles' screams gradually weakened until he finally breathed his last, his body burned black by the black flames, collapsing to the ground as a charred corpse.

Meanwhile, the screams in the living room gradually subsided. The wicked human traffickers were all burned to ashes by the black flames in extreme fear, turning into ashes scattered all over the ground.

Livre waved her hand, and the lights came on again, illuminating the living room and the girls huddled in the corner.

"You are free."

Liviel's ethereal voice echoed in the room, but her figure had already vanished.

The girls stared at the scene before them, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion. It wasn't until much later that they slowly came to their senses: they had been rescued. Their long-suppressed emotions erupted instantly; the girls embraced each other and wept uncontrollably, their tears a mixture of relief at surviving a calamity and a catharsis of past suffering.

Livre had already completed a psychic encounter with a corpse, and knew the situation and location of the 'Golden Necklace' ballroom.

It was one of the largest brothels in the Joewood district, with two Sequence 9 Extraordinary beings and dozens of thugs.

Half an hour later, all the management and thugs of the gold chain gathered in Arles' office, looking at their boss with expressions of astonishment:

"Boss, you said you're going to dismiss all the girls? Is that...is that true?"

'Arles' sat behind his desk, his tone full of seductive power:

"The police and church are about to conduct a surprise inspection. This time, the police are from out of town, so things are not going to be easy. We can only leave it at that for now."

"Give them all the cash from the dance hall as hush money. There's no need to follow them; I have my own arrangements."

Although the thugs looked at each other in bewilderment, none of them questioned the plan, and they quickly began their operation.

After some time, the thugs returned to the office to report:

"Boss, we've already chased those bitches away."

"Okay, hard work."

Arles, sitting behind his desk, was engulfed in black flames, revealing a sinister smile.

……

……

……

In a two-story detached house at 25 19th Street in the East End, Fors lay on her bed, flipping through a copy of "Literary Window." This was a habit of hers as a writer; she always paid attention to current events and the latest literary trends to gather material for her writing.

As she flipped through the pages, she muttered to herself:

"However, there have been quite a few gas leaks in the Joewood district recently. First, there was that damn Paria gas leak that caused a fire, and then there was the Golden Chain Ballroom. Those guys at the gas company really need to do a thorough inspection of the wiring."

Hugh listened silently from the side, then spoke up:

"To me, these look more like something Marilyn Monroe would have made."

"Miss Marilyn Monroe?"

Fors asked in surprise.

“Yes.” Hugh nodded. “Valya goes without saying, and the Golden Necklace Ballroom seems to be a human traffickers’ hideout. And Miss Monroe has been searching for information about these human traffickers recently. Do you think it’s really such a coincidence?”

Fors was stunned for a moment, realizing that it made a lot of sense. Just as she was about to speak, Livre suddenly appeared by the window.

She pushed open the window and entered the room, smiling:

"Ladies, it's not a good habit to talk about people behind their backs."

She had just gone to the Brave Ones' Bar to retrieve her official identification and sold three Sequence 9 Extraordinary Abilities to Maritch, earning a total of £500. Now, her total net worth was £1331,500,900, and she was in a great mood.

Fors stuck out her tongue a little shyly, while Hugh greeted her with a smile, saying with some anticipation:

“Miss Monroe, I have prepared all the necessary materials for the sheriff.”

Livre nodded:

Are you sure you've completely digested the potion?

Hugh said confidently:

"Yes, I've been operating in the gray area for several years. I digested all the potions a long time ago, but I just haven't had the materials, which is why I haven't been able to advance."

Liviel realized that Hugh was quite well-known in the gray area, often resolving disputes among bounty hunters, and unwittingly playing the role of arbitrator. It was normal for him to have finished digesting the potion early.

She considered whether to tell the two women about the acting method, but after thinking it over, she decided to wait for a suitable opportunity. After all, all gifts have value, and if the two women were to inadvertently become tainted by her karma, it might not be a good thing for them.

She took out the extraordinary properties of Sheriff Clivell and put them into a pot along with the auxiliary materials Hugh had prepared, and began to brew the Sheriff's Potion.

Hugh saw the object shimmering with yellow light, paused for a moment, and then asked:

"Is this an extraordinary characteristic?"

“Yes,” Liviel nodded, “Exceptional properties can replace the main ingredients of corresponding potions when brewing them.”

Hugh and Fors exchanged bewildered glances, sensing that they had discovered something extraordinary.

In no time, the ingredients in the pot turned into a uniform pale yellow liquid, exuding an aura of majesty. Just looking at this liquid, Fors felt he couldn't help but stand at attention.

Livre poured the liquid into a container and handed it to Hugh:

"Alright, here's your Sheriff's Potion."

Hugh trembled as he accepted the sheriff's potion, his eyes filled with a desire to become stronger.

She took a deep breath, picked up the potion, and drank it all in one gulp.

……

……

It was already quite hot in Backlund at the end of June.

On the platform of Backlund train station, Livre, Fors, and Hugh stood together, waiting for the train bound for Tingen.

Looking back on the past two months, Livr was filled with emotion.

She has fully digested the remaining potion and her body has returned to its best condition.

The arrogance of human traffickers and gangsters in the East End has been greatly diminished under her crackdown. Although it still cannot completely eradicate the situation, it has saved many families on the verge of breaking up. Legends of the White Witch have even spread in the East End and Jowood: a witch dressed in a white dress with long hair covering her face descends on sinners in the night and brings them punishment with the most terrifying black flames and frost, making them feel the ultimate fear before they die.

The church sent low-sequence extraordinary individuals to investigate, but they found no trace of Livre. In addition, those killed were villains, so they chose to handle the matter quietly.

During this time, her relationship with Fors and Hugh deepened considerably, and they became close friends.

Hugh also confided her secret to Livre: she came from a fallen noble family, once court nobles who at their peak held the title of Earl of the Royal Palace. Her father, Earl Mason Deercha, was the Commander of the Royal Guard and the Chief of the Royal Guard for the former King William VI, but seven years ago he was accused of participating in a rebellion, sentenced to hanging, stripped of his title and lands, leading to the family's decline and the unjust deaths of its members. Hugh didn't believe her father would rebel, believing his loyalty to the monarchy outweighed his faith. Therefore, she left her mother and brother to travel alone to Backlund to investigate the truth of what happened and seek to restore her family's glory and her father's honor. Now, Hugh is a Sequence 8 Sheriff and also an informant for MI9.

Three months ago, Hugh received news that one of her father's men had been spotted in Tingen. This man had been a bodyguard for Earl Johnson Augustus, a member of the royal family. Seven years ago, Earl Johnson was accused of participating in Mason Deercha's rebellion. Because of his royal status, he was spared death but was stripped of his title and exiled. His family was also banished from Backlund to the provinces.

Lord Johnson died in resentment not long after, but his personal bodyguard is still alive today. This bodyguard was one of the eyewitnesses to the events of that year and must know some unknown inside story.

His name is Sinclair Theodore, a Sequence 8 instigator. If he has been active in Tingen City, he will inevitably have connections with the Tingen City Women's Mutual Aid Association and Ms. B.

Perhaps by investigating Sinclair Theodore, they can find clues about the witch cult's activities in Tingen and figure out the reason for their confused memories.

Waaah————

With a long whistle, a huge, monstrous steam locomotive appeared from afar, pulling more than twenty carriages. It slowly came to a stop and opened the carriage doors toward the three ladies on the platform.

Livre seeks to recover her confused memories and to take revenge on the Night Watchers.

Hugh wanted to clear his father's name and restore the glory of the Deercha family.

Fors wanted to go on a trip.

The three women embarked on a journey to Tingen together.

Shortly after they left, staff went to the date board on the platform and changed it to the new date:

1349 6 Month 28 Day.

…………

…………

Inside an apartment building on Narcissus Street in Tingen.

A thin, dark-haired young man trembled uncontrollably, his brown eyes filled with terror.

"Everyone will die, including me."

Looking at the glaring words on the notebook in front of him, he shakily picked up the pistol and pointed it at his temple.

Chapter 131 The First Tarot Meeting (Combined Chapter)

……

After a bumpy journey, the train finally arrived in Tingen.

Livre, Fors, and Hugh dragged their small, women's leather suitcases off the platform toward the transfer area, ready to take a horse-drawn carriage to leave the train station.

The road outside the platform was quite rugged, full of potholes, making it difficult to walk with a wheeled suitcase. If it weren't for the need to maintain a lady's dignity, Liviel would have preferred to carry the suitcase directly on her shoulder. She was not a delicate queen; she was a Sequence 6 Extraordinary, possessing both strength and spirituality.

After a difficult hike, the three ladies finally found a horse-drawn carriage and sat down with a sigh of relief in the spacious, albeit not luxurious, carriage.

“My suggestion is to go to University Street first. I lived there for a while before and am quite familiar with it. There’s also an organization there called the Tingen City Women Teachers’ Mutual Aid Association, which has deep ties to the extraordinary individuals of the Assassin’s Path.”

Having lived in Tingen for a period of time, Livre naturally offered her advice.

Hugh had no objections. Although according to the information she had received, Sinclair Theodore had lived on Narcissus Street for a period of time, that was several years ago. Sinclair Theodore might not still be living there now, so it was safer to follow Livre's advice.

The carriage headed towards University Street and arrived at its destination in about half an hour.

The three women checked into the Lily Hotel, a reasonably priced establishment near the university street, settled their luggage, and then, dressed as university students, followed by Livre to number 32 on the university street—the address of the Tingen City Women Teachers' Mutual Aid Association.

However, Livre did not see the familiar three-story building. Instead, there was a newly built five-story department store, and many other buildings around it had also changed.

Liviel was taken aback, then went to a nearby shop to buy some daily necessities, and casually started chatting with the shop owner:

"Is there an organization nearby called the Women Teachers' Mutual Aid Association? I have a friend who is a teacher, and I'd like to go there for some help."

The shop owner said while packing the items:

“That was all in the past. I remember it was about two years ago when there was a fire in the office building of that mutual aid association. After that, the whole organization disappeared, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them starting up again.”

Upon hearing this, Livre couldn't help but speculate: In that battle back then, Ms. B eventually exposed herself, and the Mutual Aid Society was subsequently wiped out by the Night Watchers, either being completely eradicated or hiding in the shadows and becoming an underground organization.

This means it will take more effort to find clues about the Witch Cult. It seems we really need to make Sinclair Theodore's trail our primary focus.

With a glimmer of hope, the three girls went to the old site of the Flamingo Bar. Sure enough, the Flamingo Bar had changed its sign and become a bookstore. The university students in Tingen City had lost a place for entertainment, but gained more food for study.

Although they didn't find anything, the three women weren't discouraged. After all, this was only their first day in Tingen City, and the road ahead was still long.

At Fors's suggestion, the three women decided to return to the Lily Hotel first, enjoy a delicious meal of Tingen's specialties, rest in bed, and make plans for tomorrow.

Back at the hotel, the three women enjoyed a sumptuous meal: tomato oxtail soup, roasted veal ribs, pan-fried fish, and Tingen's specialty buttered pork sausage...

Halfway through her meal, Livre suddenly felt a downward pressure in her lower abdomen, realizing that her period was about to start.

During this time, she experienced several more menstrual cycles, but she was no longer as panicked as she had been the first time. She said goodbye to Fors and Hugh and went back to her room first, taking out the sanitary pads she had prepared in advance.

There are also blood-thirsty gloves.

Before using panty liners, feed the blood-thirsty gloves.

This magical object, which Marich had given a bad name to, had become very affectionate towards Livre after several months of care for her. It would even actively approach her body, slowly rubbing against her to express its dependence and trust.

The reason is simple: Livre's secretions have an extremely high spiritual content, and Thirsty Gloves always gets very satisfied with them.

Liviel removed the thin film covering the Bloodthirsty Gloves, and the little guy smelled a faint scent of blood and immediately started whimpering, appearing very excited.

"Alright, alright, I'll feed you right away."