Chapter 13: “Rather than worship such useless dead things, better to believe in me.”

Chapter 13: "Rather than worship such useless dead things, better to believe in me."

"What's happened? The soul reaction of the Wraith Singer has disappeared?"

In the distant city of Yana, to the east, the candle connected to the Wraith Singer's life force in Clark's residence suddenly extinguished. Three panicked monks rushed out to seek help.

A Water Mage hurriedly entered.

After a thorough check, the Archmage's face darkened, and he demanded, "How could Clark die so suddenly? Where are the Holy Army units assigned to search for him?!"

"Please, don't panic!" a monk nervously explained, "The Holy Army has confirmed that the Wraith Singer's last known location was the Abyss. They're already working on a way to get in!"

"What's the use of just trying to get in?" The Archmage frantically ruffled his silver hair, "The man is dead! And we haven't found our item yet! If the higher-ups find out we lost it during our rotation, you, I, and those utterly foolish Holy Army soldiers might all be sent to our doom!"

Hearing this, the monks shuddered in unison.

A monk hurriedly stepped forward to reassure, "No, please don't worry too much. Clark was critically injured by you personally. He might have just hidden somewhere until his strength failed. If we can find his body, we will surely retrieve our item!"

"Even if Clark was killed by someone else..." the monk, catching the Water Mage's murderous gaze, swallowed hard and hastily added, "You don't need to worry too much. That object is disguised with the highest level of illusion magic. To anyone, it appears as a completely ordinary ancient bronze coin; nobody would think of it as an artifact capable of influencing the empire's fate."

The water mage pondered and sat down tensely, agreeing with the previous statement.

“Order those fools!” the archmage commanded coldly, “They must quicken their pace and find Clarke's body and our items within three days!”

——

What's the most enjoyable part of gaming? Obviously, it's “looting”!

Faye tried not to look at the actual corpses on the ground, stepping around them to pick up the scepter.

A weapon gifted by the necromantic singer.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, as if made of white wax wood. The scepter was straight and smooth, only about half the length of an adult's forearm.

Its color was a lifeless black, with faces of indistinct features carved into the shaft, and a shiny, smooth purple gem embedded in the top recess.

Faye sensed that the gem was brimming with abundant magical power, likely the source of the necromantic singer’s magic.

She estimated its level to be between 20 and 30.

In her past life in the game, she might have found it too bothersome to even pick up, but for the present Faye, it was already a top-tier weapon.

The purple gemstone was perfect for compensating for a novice witch’s lack of magical power in combat, and the engraved faces on the scepter seemed to be the “contract” of the undead.

As Faye tried waving the scepter, the nearest undead were immediately absorbed into it, with one particularly masculine face becoming vividly lifelike.

She repeated the process, drawing a few more undead back into the scepter.

In total, there were five undead, both male and female. When she reclaimed the scepter, Faye felt a slight connection with the undead in her palm.

They were nervous and timid, like little snails tentatively extending their “antennae” towards their new master, slowly laying bare their abilities and emotions.

Among the five familiars, there was one with full surveillance and eavesdropping abilities; one not great in combat but adept at harming others (the one on Faye’s back); another skilled in mental attacks; and then there was…

Suddenly, Faye paused mid-action, her gaze shifting to the last of the undead.

It was the face of an elderly woman, etched with deep lines and wrinkles. Her ability was... “Sacrificial Death”?

“In the face of an attack on the master, I can die in their place, after which I will dissipate automatically.”

A familiar, aged voice echoed in her mind. Faye, in disbelief, released this particular undead and, sure enough, saw the figure from her memories!

“Grandma Doloro?!”

The kind-hearted NPC from Twisted Forest, who had helped countless new players, the grandmother she had been desperately searching for, turned out to be a hapless singer’s undead familiar?! And in a sacrificial role, no less!

Faye was dumbstruck.

How could this be?! Grandma Doloro was the guiding light during her newbie phase, illuminating her path through the dark days of monster grinding!

How could such a benevolent (and beneficial) NPC be left to perish in a role of sacrificial death?

Faye immediately rifled through the singer’s backpack, hoping to find something else useful.

She quickly found 3 gold coins, 1 dirty and oddly-shaped copper coin, a map, a thick notebook filled with numerous dark magic spells, a bit of food and water.

It seemed the singer must have been relentlessly pursued. Otherwise, how could she have ended up with so little after changing her class, lacking even equipment and potion recipes?

Faye casually pocketed all the spoils, opened the notebook, found a spell to release the familiar's bond, then grasped the scepter and chanted silently.

This was Faye’s first attempt at sensing the magic within her body; it was unfamiliar yet flowed smoothly as she directed the magic to converge in the scepter.

Moments later, a faint purple halo emerged from the top of the scepter.

“The contract is released; your soul shall return to you.”

The aura of death faded, and the increasingly distinct features of the aged soul looked back at her with confusion.

"You no longer need to be anyone's familiar," Faye explained sincerely and succinctly. "This forest is temporarily under the care of a witch, abundant with magic. You can stay here to nourish your spirit, which will help you regain your memories and cognitive abilities."

Once bound as a familiar to a Necro Singer, there is a loss of individual thought, becoming mere tools for their master.

But now that the contract is dissolved, as long as she absorbs the surrounding magic, Grandma Doloro's spirit will gradually recover, regaining clarity of mind.

In this world, an undead can evolve into a formidable boss-level monster or seek a cleric for reincarnation. The choice lies with Grandma Doloro.

Faye wondered if the future game system would reappear. What would happen if Grandma Doloro wasn't here? Would that cause a glitch in the game world?

Thinking about the future made Faye's head ache.

This world is so real; how exactly did the game system infiltrate it? And who transported the players here?

When the Fourth Catastrophe descends, will those familiar faces and guilds reappear before her?

Would she face them as a native NPC or regain her former player's panel?

Faye massaged her temples, gathering her scavenged items.

She decided not to dwell on these questions for now. Regardless of what happens, a nascent power can only drift with the current, passively accepting events.

She must become powerful before any upheaval occurs, strong enough to shake everything and resist anything; then she wouldn't need to live in fear or worry.

Faye had achieved this in her past life; why couldn't she do it again in this one?

"I'll come back to check on you."

After bidding farewell to the disoriented Grandma Doloro, Faye shouldered her bag and left the deep pit.

She had been away too long and needed to return as soon as possible.

Fortunately, the Witch Academy's seemingly laissez-faire approach to its students meant that Faye's absence didn't attract any attention from the tutors.

She returned to her dormitory low-key.

"I can see in the night, darkness cannot obstruct my vision."

The room was dark, with Sybil earnestly practicing her spellwork to control magic.

She could feel a stream-like gentleness of magic slowly gathering inside her body, but it always dissipated just before converging at her eyes.

Naturally, her night vision ability hadn't improved at all.

As per Instructor Bellona’s teachings, every witch's magical talent differs.

Those with stronger talents learn magic manifestation much faster. It's as if they're born knowing exactly what to do, with magic more at their command than even their limbs.

For those with lesser talents, the process is exceptionally challenging.

The heiress paced restlessly around the dorm, adamantly refusing to admit she was less talented. It must be the ancient spells she hadn’t mastered yet!

As Sybil once again focused, attempting another try, the sound of the door opening interrupted her.

"Oh, damn it!" Sybil couldn't help but scream, "Who is so rude? Don’t they know to knock?!"

Faye, uninterested in engaging, decided to continue playing the 'fool'.

The room was too dark, and she nearly collided with the corner of a desk as she walked.

Recalling a few basic ancient spells Bellona had written on the blackboard, Faye covered her hand over her bed's headboard, murmuring softly.

"Let there be a faint glow, dispelling the darkness before my eyes."

Moments later, a soft white light appeared within the canopy, illuminating the entire bed.

Across the dormitory, Hill, who had been trying and failing continuously, turned pale.

Her roommate's first successful concoction of an ordinary potion could be chalked up to luck, but manifesting magic had nothing to do with luck!

The application of talent, the perception of magical power, and proficiency in ancient incantations are all essential for successful magic manifestation. Missing any of these three conditions would lead to failure.

While all the freshmen were still grappling with ancient incantations, Fei Yi Luo not only successfully completed a magic manifestation but also received high praise from Instructor Belrona!

Yes, this could also be attributed to her strong talent. But the faint glimmer she produced just now was not something achievable by talent alone!

For the first time, Hill realized that Fei Yi Luo... she... she was no fool! She had been pretending all along!!

Fei Yi was unaware of the profound impact her casually performed magic manifestation had on her roommate, thinking such a simple thing should be within everyone's grasp.

She had only returned to stash some "spoils of war" and to order dinner in advance, in case she got hungry after the evening's activities.

—What activities? Of course, concocting potions to make money!

Even though the Witch Academy provided food and accommodation, life at school required money for everything else!

First off, her already sparse feather pens were giving out, and her thin leather notebook was running out of blank pages.

Moreover, her increasingly tight shoes needed replacing, and with the Abyss weather turning colder, she also needed warm socks and a coat.

Most importantly, she wanted to become stronger, to level up, and spending money was essential.

Equipment, potions, weapons – everything required money.

The tough days she experienced right after her transmigration left a deep shadow in Fei Yi's heart. It was as if she had developed a fear of being short on money, wanting to earn as much as possible whenever she had the time.

This time, returning from the Curved Forest, she had collected some materials and planned to concoct a few potions to sell in the town of Niniwee.

Although the owner of the potion shop was detestable, he was currently Fei Yi’s only stable and safe source of income.

Thinking of the potion shop owner, the image of a young girl's face also surfaced in her mind.

Last time, due to the language barrier and her own unstable footing, she hadn't dared to meddle. Today, not only did she have a weapon, but also a companion by her side, so she planned to check on the child on her way.

She always felt that the child... reminded her of herself back in the orphanage, both exuding a pitiable aura.

Fei Yi was quick in her actions, tidying herself up and heading out with her backpack.

Hill, who had been watching her from the corner of her eye, was stunned. How could this person be so restless?!

She instinctively called out, “Hey, where are you going?” But Fei Yi, even quicker, vanished like a whirlwind outside the door.

The ignored lady stomped around in the room in anger! ...This damned commoner! Just because she's a little talented, a bit good at magic manifestation! How, how dare she ignore her like this! And it's always like this!

*

Dinner was a sandwich with red bloodgrass juice, delivered by the butler, and a cheese made from a type of sheep called Montbiby.

It tasted slightly gamey, but was said to be highly nutritious.

Fei Yi, inheriting the frail body of an orphan, thought: Bottoms up.

She also packed another meal to eat on the way.

Then, with the four successfully concocted potions, she set off to make some money.

This time, she was familiar with the teleportation, deliberately choosing a later time when the town was less crowded.

But before she even got close to the potion shop, Fei Yi heard a thunderous shouting and scolding.

“You dirty thief! Stealing my money! I'll kill you, you little wretch! Just like your runaway mother, worthless! Useless garbage that can't do anything right!”

“No, no, it's not like that, Dad! The price of the liquor went up!! Dad, please stop hitting! I didn’t, I didn’t hide your money!”

“Shut up, idiot! All women are the same! If it weren’t for me feeding you every day, you’d probably be dead in some corner by now! Just the sight of you irritates me! Cry, cry, cry, that’s all you ever do! Hurry up and organize the newly arrived materials! Disgusting!”

The obese potion shop owner spat viciously and picked up a bottle of liquor, returning to the front of the shop.

When Fei Yi climbed over the back storehouse wall, she saw only the solitary figure of Vinace trembling, trying to get up from the ground.

Grifitz, the owner, had been brutally harsh; little Vinace was covered in bruises and wounds.

The worst was her back, likely with a broken or dislocated rib, which distorted the flesh into a twisted arc.

Pain prevented the frail girl from rising, tears mixing with blood on her face. She lay like a homeless, dying dog beneath the holy statue of the deity.

Her own father, in front of the most benevolent deity, had beaten her half to death.

Such incidents had almost become a regular occurrence,

The moonlight was bleak, and the surroundings were as silent as a vacuum.

In that moment, a tide of despair engulfed little Vinace.

No one could help her; all her prayers were in vain, and she would continue to endure until beaten to death.

“Liar…” Vinace, with empty eyes, looked up at the deity before her.

“They say God loves all people... liar…”

“God loves all people, but God does not love those who are useless to Him.”

Suddenly, a stranger’s voice came from behind. With difficulty, Vinace turned her head and saw a girl sitting atop the high wall.

The girl was dressed in a black skirt, her long grey hair braided into several strands.

Although she looked younger than Vinace, the black depths of her eyes swirled with emotions more terrifying than when Grifitz lost his temper.

In her two lifetimes, Fei Yi had never been as angry as she was now.

It could be said that every word and action of Grifitz was tearing at her nerves.

What’s wrong with being a girl? Gender is not a sin, nor a reason to endure malice!

With that fearsome gaze, she looked down at the small Vinace on the ground, smiling and asking, “Do you need help?”

“If the deity doesn’t hear your prayers, why not try telling me?”

What the heck… She’s just a child, even younger than me…

The light in Vinace’s eyes was quickly fading, and although she desperately wished for help, she didn’t want to drag another child into hell.

Grifitz only cared about making money, and with the potion shop often visited by passing merchants, the business wasn’t limited to just potions.

A pretty young girl, if caught by Grifitz, it was hard to imagine her fate.

Vinace slowly turned her eyes, “Go... go away… I don’t need… your… meddling.”

But before she could finish, she saw the strange girl suddenly pull out a short wand from behind.

A dark purple light flashed, and a terrifyingly thin, charred ghostly figure appeared!

The ghostly figure held the girl and leapt down from the high wall, landing directly in front of Vinace!

“Why? Instead of believing in such a useless dead thing—”

The wand struck the deity’s statue under Vinace’s shocked gaze, making a cold sound.

"—wouldn’t it be better to believe in me? At least I, a witch, can save you now, right?"

"Witch, witch!"

Winnas suddenly widened her eyes in shock!

Author's Note:

My dears, the next chapter will be VIP content – three chapters combined into one! Thank you for all your gifts, comments, and readings. Bowing to you all!

My next book, "Infinite Resurrections in a Bizarre Script," is coming up. If you're interested, you can add it to your favorites in my author's column!

Blurb:

Tao Wei inadvertently purchased a horror mystery holographic online game called [Bizarre Script]. In the game, she randomly plays different roles to solve various horror and mystery incidents.

The game's content is well-crafted with twisty and bizarre plots, which Tao Wei, a mystery enthusiast, finds irresistible.

Although slightly horrifying and bloody, she can resurrect infinitely in the game, which only fuels her interest more.

+

Dragged into the sewer by a corpse in a tank, restart and resurrect.

Invaded at home by a serial killer, restart and resurrect.

Trapped in a cave by a malformed creature, restart and resurrect.

+

Tao Wei becomes more determined with each setback, vowing to complete the game.

However, unknown to her, everything that happens in the game is happening in reality as well.

+

*

+

The Special Event Handling Center has been under increased pressure lately, as bizarre events that were rare in the past decade have been occurring frequently.

The Center's employees are on high alert, knowing that each bizarre event signifies countless lives being entangled.

+

However, just as they rolled up their sleeves, ready to risk their lives, the development of these bizarre events took an unexpectedly odd turn...

The woman in the jar, labeled as [high risk], was about to devour an entire community, but mysteriously, someone killed her.

By the time the Center's staff arrived, all that was left was a shattered jar.

+

The staff were horrified: Who broke the jar? She saved an entire community of people!

+

The parasitic murderer, who had eluded capture for eight years, was suddenly found hanging upside down from a streetlight outside the Center at midnight.

The murderer, who had claimed numerous staff lives, was already dead, with only the torso tied into a neat butterfly knot.

+

The staff wept with gratitude: Who sent us this generous gift? Give her a million-dollar reward!

+

The deformed creature, responsible for a massive casualty event due to containment failure, escaped from the Center again.

Its danger level rising infinitely, the staff watched in despair as it rushed into a bustling subway station, only to be turned into a mural.

+

The staff embraced and cheered: It must be a deity protecting us!!

+

Only Jiang Yan, the head of the Center, was deeply troubled, his mood somber.

"It's looped again..."

+

In Jiang Yan's eyes, each failure to suppress the bizarre creatures meant an immediate restart of the event, until the danger was averted.

+

Yet, it seemed he was the only one who noticed.

Jiang Yan: Even if it takes the entire Special Event Handling Center’s resources, I must uncover the truth behind all this!

Tao Wei: Hey, this game is really fun!