“Chapter 26: ‘I will offer more and more souls to the great witch.'”

"Chapter 26: 'I will offer more and more souls to the great witch.'"

"While dealing with Griffith, Phoebe and little Winna had searched his bedroom."

"There, they discovered evidence of Griffith's long-standing involvement in trafficking women and children, including plans to sell Winna."

Fei Yi remembered clearly; the evidence was a letter, a communication between Griffith and the buyer.

They had agreed to sell little Venus as soon as she turned 12.

And Fei Yi distinctly remembered, the address left by the buyer was a place called the Black Moon Bar.

Today was Venus’s 12th birthday!

Fei Yi jumped off her chair and dashed out like the wind!

She quickly reached the front hall, where customers were orderly queuing, salespersons were enthusiastically explaining products, and janitors and porters were working methodically. The long queue stretched as far as the eye could see, with no signs of any disturbance.

Fei Yi cast a spell to enhance her vision and began searching among the crowd.

No... nowhere to be found!

The tall man who had just been in line was now mysteriously gone!

And with him, Venus had disappeared too!

"Has anyone seen little Venus?" Fei Yi grabbed a janitor and asked.

The person pointed towards the backyard, "Are you asking about the boss? She just took a man back there, said they were going to see a patient."

Fei Yi clutched her shape-shifting hat and turned to run.

Damn, if only she could fly!

But flying required pairing with a weapon, something only taught in the second school year.

However, she had only run a few steps when the brim of her hat fell down.

Fei Yi paused for a moment, then slapped her forehead.

How could she forget this thing! She still had her shape-shifting hat!

But with many people around, she ultimately gave up on the idea of flying and chose to run.

"Phoebe swiftly circled the now expanded warehouse and arrived at the residential area behind it."

"From a distance, she could see the door to Griffith's bedroom slightly ajar. Her gaze icy, Phoebe kicked the bedroom door open!"

"The two inside looked at her in surprise."

"One was Winna, and the other was the man with the black moon tattoo under his ear."

"Griffith's room, long deprived of sunlight, was shrouded in darkness."

"At that moment, the mysterious man was largely obscured by the shadows. When he looked up, his emotionless eyes resembled a python lurking in the dark."

"Just one glance, utterly different from the one in the front hall, sent a chill running up Phoebe’s spine straight to her heart."

"In that instant, her brain went blank, and goosebumps erupted all over her body."

"This man...!"

"'My lady... what’s wrong?' Winna, quickly composing herself from the shock, stepped behind Phoebe, immediately asserting her position and allegiance, 'Is there a problem?'"

"'No,' Phoebe dug her nails into her palm, forcing herself to calm down."

"She shook her head, her eyes sweeping over the mysterious man, 'What are you two doing?'"

"The man smiled apologetically, 'Sorry for the intrusion. I’m worried about my friend’s health and didn’t have time to inform beforehand. Hello, little sister, my name is Feck, from Elberil City.'"

"'He’s... a friend of my father, and also a customer,' Winna quietly explained from the side, 'He often buys potions in bulk from my father. He said he hasn’t received any letters from my dad for a long time and was worried. He happened to be passing by, so he insisted on checking in.'"

"Winna thought simply about it, similar situations had occurred before."

"Friends from afar, worried about Griffith's health or future cooperation, would request to see Griffith's condition for themselves."

"The more she hid, the more suspicious it seemed."

"So, Winna usually invited them openly to visit."

"Griffith wasn't dead yet; he lay on the bed, still aware of everything."

"Watching old friends come one after another to his bedside, speaking heartfelt words. But none could hear his cries or help him, adding to his growing despair and punishment."

"Thus, Winna never hindered visitors, thinking today was the same – the young girl completely overlooked the significance of the tattoo."

"'Very well,' Phoebe nodded, her gaze somber, 'Mr. Griffith should indeed be happy to have such caring friends. But unfortunately, as you can see, there are no signs of improvement in his condition. The potion shop is still very busy. If you don't have any other matters...'"

"The stranger gave Phoebe a deep look. The girl in front of him was thin and small, with no physically intimidating presence."

"Yet, paradoxically, her dark purple eyes seemed to harbor storms, as complex as someone who had lived several lifetimes."

"Strange."

"And—"

"'Of course, I apologize for the intrusion,' he nodded, turning to leave. Just before exiting, he turned back as if remembering something, 'I've been meaning to ask but never got the chance. Who might you be?'"

"'I’ve known Mr. Griffith for a long time,' the man adjusted his glasses leisurely, 'I've never heard of him having a second child.'"

"'I am the child of the local monastery's superior,' Phoebe lied blatantly, using Alvis as a shield, 'Do you have any other questions?'"

"In a world where faith is paramount, the monastery represents the highest authority in a region."

"Thus, being the child of a monastery superior carried significant weight and could explain her sharp and precocious nature."

"Indeed, the mysterious man smiled slightly, 'So you are such a distinguished young lady. No more questions then. I hope my friend recovers soon. Goodbye, lovely ladies, until next time.'"

"He left at a leisurely pace, his silver-rimmed glasses reflecting a dazzling light in the sunlight."

"Just like that, he left?"

"Phoebe unleashed a wraith that lurked in the shadows, watching from a distance until the man disappeared around the corner before returning."

"'Maybe he left after seeing the seller in trouble?' Phoebe turned back to Griffith's bedroom, searching thoroughly."

"Eventually, in the drawer of the bedside table, she found the letter."

"Phoebe didn’t choose to keep it from Winna, explaining the situation directly."

"Elberil City, Black Moon Bar, with a deposit of thirty thousand gold coins already paid."

"Winna stared at those words, unable to regain her composure for a long time."

"'At first, I thought it was just a ruse by the other party,' Phoebe said, 'After all, bars are typically crowded and chaotic. Setting the address there makes it hard for anyone wanting to track it down. But now it seems it’s not that simple.'"

"The Black Moon Bar, it's likely the buyer."

"Now that the appointed time has arrived, and the seller hasn’t delivered as agreed, the buyer has come to inquire personally."

"And there's also the matter of the thirty thousand gold coins deposit!"

"Just the deposit itself is thirty thousand gold coins; what does that signify?"

"Winna clutched the letter tightly, looking up, 'What do you think we should do?'"

"'Let’s not panic yet,' Phoebe paced around the room."

"Daring to blatantly write one’s name on a human trafficking letter, the Black Moon Bar is either incredibly foolish or extremely powerful."

"Of course, after having seen that mysterious man up close, Phoebe was certain it was the latter."

"He was definitely not someone she could provoke at her current level."

"In all her time in this world, it was the first time she couldn’t discern a person’s profession and level."

"But she had a feeling that if she initiated a confrontation, she would be torn to shreds on the spot."

"Phoebe bit her tongue, forcing herself to stay calm."

"The Black Moon Bar... what kind of place was it? If it housed such powerful individuals, it couldn’t have been unknown in the game."

"But why didn’t she remember any dungeon, final boss, or event by the name Black Moon?"

"Yet, the more she thought about it, the more eerily familiar the name seemed."

"Black Moon… Black Moon… a black moon…"

"Wait a second!!"

"Phoebe stood up abruptly!"

"Damn! Isn’t the icon of the 'Land of Gods and Demons' game a mini black moon?!"

"She had been foolish not to remember this until now!"

"Whenever the game system had an announcement or notification for players, a dialogue box would appear in front of them."

"At the top of this dialogue box was an icon of a black mini moon!"

"At the time, this icon had no explanation, and everyone thought it was just a decorative element added by the game company to make the dialogue box look nicer."

"After seeing it so often, nobody paid attention to this seemingly useless little icon anymore, focusing instead on the system notifications and their own level-up details."

"With time, as in Phoebe’s case after many years of playing, it became a subconscious habit to ignore it."

"Small, unobtrusive, and seemingly pointless, it occupied a minuscule part of the vast gaming memory."

"No wonder she only remembered it now."

"Phoebe cursed under her breath; there couldn’t be a coincidence between these two. The game system must have a significant connection with this bar."

"But why? What were those people planning to do with the game system? Were they related to the world line deviation? Could the cause of the world's collapse actually be a bar?"

"No, no, this was too little to go on."

"And with her current strength, even that tattooed man she encountered earlier could easily overpower her."

"Not to mention the Black Moon Bar was in Elberil City, home to the renowned Silver-Tin Monastery."

"She didn’t know the details about the bar, but she was aware of the Silver-Tin Monastery."

"It wasn’t a place for the naïve; entering Elberil City without sufficient strength would surely attract the attention of the Holy Army and the Grand Mages, leaving her no chance of escape."

"'Don’t rush, don’t rush...' Phoebe took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart."

"At least the tattooed man hadn’t shown any aggressive intentions yet. If he left because the seller couldn’t be awakened, all would be well; if he didn’t leave, she could think of ways to hide Winna in the Witch Academy."

"It was the vacation period, and the students were all gone."

"With so many high-level witches in the academy, anyone would think twice before causing trouble."

"Thinking this, Phoebe immediately asked Winna, 'Did that man say where he was staying?'"

"Winna replied, 'I think he mentioned staying at Lady Lilith’s Inn.'"

"'Understood, you wait here for me. Close the shop on time today, and absolutely do not go out.'"

"Phoebe pulled down the brim of her hat and strode towards the door."

"She concentrated all her magic into the transformation hat, repeatedly visualizing the creature she wanted to transform into."

"The hat glowed with a faint purple light."

"In the moment she dashed out of the room, the girl's figure vanished on the spot, replaced by a black-backed crow soaring into the sky."

"Air flowed under its wings, the wind like supporting hands."

"This was Phoebe’s first attempt at flying after transforming, the cool air making her mind even clearer."

"Using the power of the wind, she soared over the crowd, landing on a branch in the largest inn's courtyard in the town."

"This was Ninihui Town’s most upscale inn. Thanks to the initial success of the rainbow potions, Lady Lilith quickly attracted guests, renovated the place, went to the central imperial city to study, and created this lavish inn."

"It was a hub of activity, frequented by officials and businessmen, with a beautiful garden full of countless competing flowers."

"Some of these flowers bloomed out of season, some not native to this region. Having such a unique display was thanks to the growth potions specially ordered from the potion shop."

"These potions helped plants grow more vigorously and perfectly."

"At this moment, Phoebe perched on the highest tree in the garden, using her enhanced vision to carefully observe each guest."

"Soon, she spotted a familiar figure."

"The man with the black moon tattoo was ascending the steps, pausing beside the garden, indistinguishable from every other person admiring the scenery."

"'Such beauty, a rare sight indeed,' the man murmured to himself. A passing innkeeper, noting his unique aura and the distinguished series room key in his hand, immediately approached to politely explain the scene."

"'All these beautiful scenes are specially created by Lady Lilith for our guests. We have hired a renowned grand potionist to tailor unique potions exclusively for our inn.'"

"'Oh? Is that so? It indeed is a rare sight on this continent,' the man responded with a slight smile, a typical reaction from any guest, 'May I know which grand potionist you’ve hired? I haven’t heard of such potent potions anywhere else on this continent.'"

"The innkeeper puffed out his chest with pride, 'You’re right, we did put in a lot of effort. But the result is wonderful, isn’t it? Seeing such rare beauty, feeling happy and satisfied, that's one of the purposes of our inn!'"

"The tattooed man smiled gracefully, not continuing the conversation, but instead turned his gaze back to the garden."

"Phoebe, hidden among the branches, watched with a heavy gaze."

"'Summon familiar.'"

"The familiar form of an otherworldly creature appeared. Phoebe kept her eyes fixed on the tattooed man, opening the Wheel of Fate Modifier."

"She wanted to see the man's past, particularly any combat scenes."

"The Wheel of Fate responded to her."

"She saw a straight, blood-soaked street. Dead bodies were everywhere, interspersed with the limbs of various magical creatures."

"A huge and terrifying monster, panting heavily, knelt on the ground."

"Its body was still covered in fresh blood, yet its head bowed reverently and devoutly to the ground."

"'Fantastic, the boss is going to love this scene,' the tattooed man said indifferently, patting the monster's head, 'You did well. The boss mentioned a new reward for you.'"

"The monster roared excitedly towards the sky!"

"The next moment, the tattoo on the man's neck emitted a bright light, reflecting and intertwining with the moon in the sky."

"The moon gradually turned pitch black, and the black moonlight, like a spotlight, enveloped the monster’s head."

"An even more tremendous force suddenly erupted from the monster."

"Even as an outside observer, Phoebe felt her breath halt under the immense pressure."

"Under the light, the monster underwent a visible transformation."

"Its skin turned into an extremely hard, dark gray color, sharper claws emerged, and horns flickering with electricity grew on its head."

"Phoebe's pupils contracted sharply. Wasn’t this PeMorris, the Demon God from the game, second only to Belrona in difficulty, who once ravaged three major cities, ranking second in the level 100 hidden quests?!"

"Although it wasn’t as powerful as it was in the game, the terrifying form was already beginning to take shape."

"It was actually... created by the Black Moon Bar?!"

"The vision abruptly ended, but Phoebe was left in shock."

"That black moon… the black moonlight that granted immense power… what was it?"

"Were these people artificially creating terrifying bosses?!"

"In the garden, the man continued discussing the beauty with the innkeeper."

"He said with a smile, 'I thought this was just a fringe town, but I never expected to encounter so many surprises. This trip has indeed exceeded my expectations.'"

"The innkeeper bowed respectfully, 'If you require anything, please feel free to instruct us.'"

"'Then, please prepare my luggage,' the man said, placing the key in the innkeeper’s palm. His eyes crinkled behind the glasses, 'Tonight, I will conclude this journey.'"

"'Oh, that is regrettable. But as you wish, sir, your luggage will be securely placed in the lobby's storage area within ten minutes. We hope that Lady Lilith's Inn has brought you satisfaction at the end of your stay.'"

"Eh? Phoebe was stunned. He's leaving just like that? What about the gold coins? The thirty thousand deposit?"

"She remained still, her neck craned, watching as a worker, under the guidance of the innkeeper, hurried out with a modest brown leather suitcase, also bearing the imprint of a black moon."

"They passed through the garden and turned into the lobby."

"The man disappeared around the corner."

"Phoebe hesitated for a moment, then flapped her wings and soared into the sky, circling with the currents."

"As the sun set, she finally saw the man board a plain carriage heading out of town."

"The black-backed crow trailed behind like a kite, all the while cautiously sensing the wraith on Winna."

"If anything went wrong there, she would be the first to know."

"This was why Phoebe dared to leave at such a crucial time."

"The carriage sped along the path, showing no signs of stopping."

"But the crow only followed halfway before ceasing the pursuit."

"She descended unsteadily, unable to maintain her transformation in the last moments, tumbling to the ground as a little girl."

"The transformation hat required magic to maintain, and she had been transformed too long, completely exhausted. In her haste to leave, she hadn’t even brought along a mana restoration potion."

"Phoebe got up, panting heavily, and looked in the direction where the carriage had disappeared."

"The only road led to Larma Town, the nearest town with a large teleportation station, offering direct transport back to Elberil City."

"'He really left...?'"

"It was good that he left, but… was it really that simple?"

"Phoebe didn't feel relieved, only a deeper sense of apprehension."

"If the man had truly left, it only meant one thing: he realized this afternoon upon seeing Griffith that he would never recover."

"But before this, no one who visited Griffith could make such a certain conclusion."

"Because at this point in time, there were no zombie potions or anything similar."

"And at Lady Lilith's Inn, the tattooed man had also shown an understanding of the potions of this era."

"How could he know so much?"

"Another thing, with Griffith incapacitated, the tattooed man could have easily abducted Winna, but he didn’t."

"He just walked away, not even caring about the deposit."

"Why? It didn’t make sense for a human trafficker."

"Or… did they have some restrictions, only able and required to deal with the seller themselves?"

"And that power, unlike any magic... the power from the moon..."

"A series of questions flooded Phoebe’s mind. Just because of that black moon, she knew she had to visit in person."

"She needed to understand the relationship between the game system's invasion, the world line deviation, and the Black Moon Bar, and how extensive that relationship might be."

"'Looks like I need to level up as soon as possible…'"

"With her current strength, going to Elberil City would be akin to delivering herself on a platter."

*

"'Passenger, we have arrived at Larma Town,'" the carriage driver cautiously knocked on the window to inform.

"The passenger had boarded from Lady Lilith’s Inn in Ninihui Town, a route the driver had frequently taken. But generous passengers like this one, who tipped handsomely, were rare."

"Therefore, throughout the journey, the driver did his utmost to ensure the passenger's comfort and happiness."

"But now at their destination, the passenger inside showed no signs of getting off."

"Curiosity got the better of the driver, and as he approached, he began to hear a faint conversation coming from inside."

"'Did you bring the person back?'"

"'No, the child’s soul has been marked already. She’s of no use to us now.'"

"'What?! Whose mark? Who dares to touch our property?!'"

"'It’s those troublesome women down there, and that town is a bit strange too. Seems like something has already entered there.'"

"'Forget it, if she’s useless now, then come back. The old fellows next door have been going crazy lately. We’ll investigate Ninihui after we deal with this matter.'"

"'Old fellows...' A light laugh came from within the carriage, 'Why not just kill them all?'"

"The carriage driver shuddered, cold sweat dripping onto the ground like beads."

"He dared not listen anymore, slowly and cautiously backing away."

"However, as he stepped back, the voice inside the carriage abruptly ceased. A few seconds later, the passenger stepped out, a gentleman, holding a communication magic crystal in his hand."

"The passenger gently placed a bag of gold coins in the driver's hand, 'I apologize for the long conversation with my boss, sorry for the delay.'"

"'No problem, no problem!' the driver hastily waved his hand, not daring to even glance at the coins, 'You’ve arrived, sir, so I’ll be off now!'"

"The driver scrambled onto the carriage, oblivious to the passenger's lingering gaze as he tossed the money bag onto the carriage seat."

"As the carriage sped off, the bag's opening slowly unraveled, releasing strands of strange white mist that slowly moved towards the driver. The mist climbed up the driver's sweat-soaked back, entering his ears with a 'whoosh'."

"'Screech!'"

"The carriage came to an abrupt stop. The driver, with a vacant look in his eyes, glanced around, 'Eh? Where am I? Wasn’t I supposed to be waiting for work in Ninihui Town...?'"

*

"After spending the afternoon as a roadside beggar, Phoebe had only just regained some of her magic power and returned to Ninihui Town."

"As soon as she arrived at the potion shop, Winna approached her anxiously."

"'Are you okay?'"

"Phoebe waved her hand, too exhausted to speak."

"Seeing her condition, Winna immediately understood and ran out to call some workers."

"Not long after, a basket filled with a fragrant dinner was brought over."

"Phoebe immediately pounced on the food like a starving ghost, biting into an onion and white mushroom beef sauce slathered scallion bread, followed by a sip of sweet red bean milk, simply an irresistible aroma."

"'Winna, you're too good, wuwuwu!'"

"'No, this is all I can do for you...' Winna’s eyes reddened, recalling past memories uncontrollably after seeing that letter again in her father's room."

"Sometimes she felt frustrated, wondering why she couldn't be as powerful as Mr. Alvis. Then she could have been more helpful to the great witch."

"Unlike now, where all she could do was small tasks and rely on the great witch to constantly guard against being kidnapped and sold."

"She was indeed... just a useless burden..."

"'What are you talking about?' Phoebe wiped her mouth and handed over a slice of bread heavily topped with onion sauce, which looked incredibly satisfying."

"'Winna is the only one who could manage the potion shop so well,' Phoebe said, swinging her legs, her eyes squinting in delight as she ate, 'Caring, diligent, intelligent, unparalleled in business acumen, the witch’s moneybag. No one but you could do it, I need you so much.'"

"Tears finally filled Winna's sea-green eyes."

"Since childhood, she had been labeled as 'useless, a waste of money, of no value', mostly because she was a girl, powerless, and only a spender of others’ money."

"But now, no, from their very first meeting, the great witch always told her how amazing she was, with a good personality, a girl who brought warmth."

"Now, she was good at making money, managing the most successful shop in the surrounding towns, with countless people queuing every day, earning heaps of gold coins."

"'Winna is the best!' Phoebe exclaimed, biting off a large piece of a plum tart, fire in her eyes, 'So no one can take you away from me, no one.'"

"Yes, no one."

"She still had time to properly investigate, to correct the world line, to tear down that damned game system!"

"After finishing her meal, Phoebe sat alone at the table, writing and drawing."

"The Black Moon Bar incident had disrupted her plans, so she decided to combine leveling up and investigation, progressing them simultaneously."

"First, she needed to speed up."

"Phoebe's original plan was to prepare thoroughly and then confront a boss known as the 'Crypt King,' one of the few that didn’t move locations. If she went now, there was a high chance she could catch it in its juvenile stage."

"A round trip would take 15 days, just enough time."

"But the matter of the Black Moon Bar meant she had to accelerate her leveling up."

"After assessing her current strength, she could only afford to spend 10 days on the Crypt King."

"The remaining 5 days would be used to detour to a town near Elberil City to gather clues about the Black Moon."

"Having set her plan, she leaped off the stool and handed the note in her hand to Winna."

"'Find someone to prepare these items for me, I’m leaving tonight.'"

"Before Winna could respond, Phoebe had already disappeared."

"Sighing softly, the girl braced herself to check the note."

"It listed common magical items like waterproof floating magic lamps, lightweight travel chests (with automatic weight reduction), a large quantity of inflammable lamp oil, flint, and some less common potions like stimulants, anti-cold potions, and blood circulation potions."

"'What on earth is the great witch planning to do?'"

"Meanwhile, Phoebe herself headed to a magic item shop."

"Phoebe often visited this store to make purchases for her senior classmates, and the owner was already quite familiar with her."

"'What would you like today?' the shopkeeper asked enthusiastically, 'We just received a lot of new items.'"

"Phoebe didn’t even glance at the recommended items. The shopkeeper was cunning, always promoting flashy but impractical goods. Like miner hats that only emitted light, claiming high defense but only protecting against falling stones, useless against anything else."

"And belts that supposedly increased stamina were outrageously priced, and stamina wasn't much of a concern for witches, though it might be a good choice for paladins."

"Had Phoebe not been so well-versed in these items, she might have been swindled more than once."

"Ignoring the shopkeeper, she headed straight for the shelves."

"After an hour of meticulous selection, she finally approached the counter with a heap of items."

"'Let's see what you've got here,' the owner said, picking up a brown leather vest, 'Ah, a cold-reducing vest, a wise choice, one of the best value items in our shop. And a defense-boosting shield belt, another good choice. This belt can automatically deploy a shield to block an attack in critical moments.'"

"'Shopkeeper,' Phoebe tapped on the counter to interrupt him, 'Can we hurry up with the checkout? I'm short on time.'"

"'Oh, you kids, always in a rush! Can't you just chat for a while?' the shopkeeper muttered as he hastened the process, then leaned in with a sly smile, 'I hear you’re quite close to the owner of that famous potion shop in town, eh?'"

"So that's why he was acting so strange today."

"'That's not true,' Phoebe was used to such rumors. As the potion shop’s fame grew, people would often stop her on the street, hoping to get special treatment for potions."

"She firmly declined, 'I just occasionally buy things for my family, nothing more than that.'"

"The shopkeeper realized the young girl, though small in stature, was quite formidable and not easily persuaded."

"He rolled his eyes dramatically, packing up all the items, 'Vest, belt, warning necklace, frost-resistant bear fur coat, speed-boosting deerskin boots, that'll be seven thousand eight hundred gold in total.'"

"Phoebe handed over a bank draft, which could be used to withdraw gold coins from the bank or transfer them to one's account."

"The shopkeeper snatched it irritably, but upon closer inspection, the account holder was the well-known potion shop!"

"'Damn it! She tricked me!'"

"Phoebe ignored the angry roar behind her and headed towards the monastery nearby."

"The Alvis family had long since moved there – to a beautiful two-story red building. Though not as luxurious as the residence of Luke, it was sturdy and warm enough."

"She asked Marian to help her procure some equipment from the monastery."

"'I need both offensive and defensive gear, and it must contain pure light energy.'"

"The items Griffith had were expensively purchased from the monastery. Being an 'insider,' Phoebe didn’t need to spend as much, but the quality was guaranteed to be top-notch."

"It took Marian over two hours to return with everything prepared as requested."

"She even thoughtfully provided a cloth bag with patterns that shielded the light energy, preventing any harm to Phoebe."

"After all this, by the time she returned to the potion shop, dusk had blanketed the land."

"Winna dragged out the prepared items, her expression filled with worry, 'Your trip… it won’t be dangerous, will it?'"

"'No, I won’t let myself die, don’t worry,' Phoebe said lightly."

"After all, she bore the future of a small world and the trust of several souls who believed in her unconditionally. How could she afford to die easily?"

"Besides, it was the Crypt King’s domain she was heading to, a place she had entered and exited hundreds of times. She could navigate it blindfolded."

"She dressed in all the gear she needed and packed everything else into the lightweight travel chest."

"This was one of the most expensive pieces of equipment in Ninihui Town. No matter how heavy the luggage, as long as it fit, the magic circle inside the lightweight travel chest would automatically reduce its weight, up to half of the chest’s weight."

"Even so, facing a luggage chest almost as tall as herself, Phoebe still felt that getting a spatial equipment should be a priority on her agenda."

"Otherwise, she'd be exhausted just from carrying luggage while traveling to fight bosses."

"Having finished all these preparations, she hurriedly knocked on Alvis's door."

"'I need you to use all your influence to quickly implement a new policy in town,' the witch spoke rapidly. 'Also, make sure to contact all nearby monasteries, especially Quincy, the Grand Mage of Elberil City Monastery. It’s imperative... no, you must convince them to join you in this initiative.'"

"'Remember to make it sound dire. If possible, it would be best to mention your past meetings with the Gene Holy Army.'"

"Feeling immense pressure, Alvis still rose immediately, asking earnestly and seriously about the policy."

"Phoebe's eyes shone with intensity."

"She spoke deliberately, 'The Minor Protection and Welfare Law – regarding the welfare distribution and adoption policies for minors, ensuring their personal safety, and eradicating any filthy business involving children as trade goods.'"

"'Remember, especially for young girls.'"

"Since she couldn't defeat the forces behind the Black Moon in secret, she would strangle their entire industry in the open!"

*

"Before leaving, to ensure absolute certainty, Phoebe also used the Wheel of Fate to check Winna’s destiny line."

"After recovering the second fragment and increasing the correction rate to 14%, the Wheel of Fate modifier's energy had also increased, allowing her to see a longer timeline of her target's destiny."

"More importantly, the values she could modify on the personal panel were always ten times the correction rate."

"At a correction rate of only 1%, she could only increase her panel values by 10%. Now that the correction rate has reached 14%, it means she can enhance her personal panel values by 140%."

"This was Phoebe's trump card, and her reliance for venturing alone to the boss location."

"In the display of the Wheel of Fate, Winna's immediate future still showed peace and prosperity, with no signs of impending danger. The Alvis family also continued to thrive, indicating that the mysterious man with the Black Moon tattoo hadn’t approached them yet, alleviating Phoebe’s worries."

"With everything prepared, Phoebe boarded the carriage she had reserved in advance."

"She had initially planned to use a teleportation circle directly from the potion shop, but given the time period and her uncertainty about the destination's population density, she refrained."

"Landing in the middle of a town hall or monastery would create unnecessary complications."

"Thus, despite it being time-consuming, she opted to take the conventional route."

"Head to Larma Town, then use the teleportation station."

"'Let me think... the location of the Crypt is... at the end of the southwestern mines of Alaraph City... After this, I must get a world map to check.'"

"The carriage sped off, leaving the potion shop far behind."

"'Please be safe,' Winna silently prayed."

"Behind her, Marian arrived belatedly, carrying a small box."

"'Did the... Mistress already leave?'"

"'Yes, come in quickly, Sister Marian,' Winna ushered her into the back room, free of customers and workers."

"She poured Marian a cup of jasmine black tea and inquired about her urgent matter."

"I wanted to see the Mistress off," Marian lamented as she set down the box containing the homemade purple cherry pie she had prepared. "And I also wanted her to see the completion of her prayer chamber."

"What?" Winna stood up in surprise. "Is it the prayer chamber Sister Marian started? It's already finished? That was quick!"

"Yes!" Marian winked playfully. "Thanks to my father’s connections, many townspeople lent a hand."

Then she lowered her head, "I wanted the Mistress to see it before she left… It was a gift I prepared especially for her…"

Marian knew since childhood that witches needed human souls.

Souls could enhance a witch’s power, and beguiling humans into sacrificing themselves was their favorite endeavor.

Hence, using her father’s influence, she established a prayer chamber – a place where people naturally let down their guard.

In the prayer room, they would reveal all their sorrows and secrets.

Only those in dire need of help would enter such a place.

"I will offer more and more souls to the Mistress," Marian said, holding her face with a sweet smile.