Chapter 38: Devotees Shouting with Fervent Devotion!

Chapter 38: Devotees Shouting with Fervent Devotion!

Late at night, the furnace burned quietly, occasionally making a 'popping' sound.

The warm glow of the fire toasted the dormitory, with Hill’s hand resting on the blanket, having fallen into a deep sleep.

Fiey stood up, gently placing her hand back under the blanket, the flickering flames casting her silhouette in soft and shifting shadows.

[Fiey, are you okay?]

The mini-world had never seen such an expression on the girl's face, its words filled with concern.

"I’m fine," Fiey walked over to readjust her hat, "In fact, I’ve never felt better than I do now."

She had successfully connected with Principal Lilith.

After consulting the mini-world and confirming the principal’s trustworthiness, she cleverly concealed her trump card and selectively shared some of what she knew.

The strange tattooed man collecting specific girls, powerful monsters created by the Black Moon under the cover of night, the hidden and insane descendants of Feyman I...

Just this small portion of information was enough to leave Principal Lilith speechless.

"You have indeed given me a big surprise," said the principal.

Fiey: "Do you believe me, then?"

"Of course," Principal Lilith smiled, "I believe every word, every letter you’ve said."

"Then, do you... agree with my proposal?" Fiey asked cautiously.

"I admit it’s very dangerous. Just this one cursed object has already plunged you into crisis," Principal Lilith paused, seeing the girl’s nose twitch nervously, she couldn't help but break into a smile.

"But, why not? All this information is from you, I should be the one feeling uneasy, asking 'can I also join?'"

Principal Lilith gently took Fiey's hand into her own.

"All this time, you've been fighting alone. Holding up our safety by yourself, you've worked hard, child." She sincerely bowed her head slightly, "In the future, please entrust half of it to us."

At that moment, a wave of emotion surged in Fiey's heart.

She had never considered herself a "savior," but being understood in her struggles and hardships was overwhelmingly moving.

"Then—"

In the end, Principal Lilith playfully winked, "Fiey Luo, you must grow quickly! At least acquire the strength to protect yourself, right?"

After the conversation, Fiey was happy to have tutoring sessions four times a week.

This is good, she thought, this isn't a game of individual heroism; this is a real world.

Everyone in this world is flesh and blood. They have the right to decide their own future, not to unknowingly become part of a game through manipulation.

The next day.

Students bustled to their classes, encountering senior students along the way.

Fiey overheard Senior Mei chewing jump candy, complaining to Senior Nana, "Why the change in schedule? It was supposed to be Curses first period, now it's Black Magic Artifacts? Darn it! I haven't finished memorizing the magic circle patterns for the defense rings!"

Upon arriving in class, Fiey suddenly realized that their course had also been changed at the last minute.

Originally scheduled for Magic Manifestation, it was now replaced with Familiar Summoning.

Professor Sharp kindly explained, "Professor Belona has some personal matters to attend to, so please take out your Familiar Summoning textbooks."

Fiey sat in the classroom, lost in thought.

Was this what Principal Lilith meant yesterday when she said, "Please entrust half to us"?

By bringing the principal into the fold, she had in turn brought all the teachers on board.

Fiey suspected that the two teachers who were absent might be engaged in some related activities.

She didn’t have to speculate for long, as by that evening, she found herself standing in the principal’s office.

The entire top floor of the castle was enveloped in large-scale shielding and barrier spells, ensuring that no sound from here could be heard by others, nor would anyone accidentally intrude.

The principal's office had expanded threefold, with several familiar witch instructors seated on the plush carpet.

Salira, Gaia, the absent Belona, and a strange woman.

Fiey’s gaze involuntarily lingered for a few seconds on the unfamiliar witch instructor.

She was a very seductive instructor.

With alluring fox-like eyes, black and gray bandages tightly wound from her chest down, forming an unusual bandage dress, perfectly outlining her slender curves.

The rest of her exposed skin was covered in black characters that resembled chains.

Fiey recognized the characters, having encountered similar cursed text when she battled the Cursed Book.

"This is Angie Evelina," Principal Lilith introduced her, "a Witch of Curses, currently teaching the fourth year. She is an exceptional instructor."

Fiey bowed respectfully.

Lilith led her to an empty seat next to Professor Belona.

Fiey felt a piercing gaze fixed on her.

As expected, it didn’t take long for Belona to speak up.

"She shouldn't be here, Lilith," Belona, the Witch of War, spoke bluntly as always, "If what you say is true, then we shouldn't involve a child of eight or nine in this! It contradicts our initial principles!"

"Don't rush," Lilith, confirming everyone was present, stood in the center and smiled as she surveyed the group, "Besides those who needed to teach and couldn't return from outside, everyone here today is a partner we trust and support."

"We gather for the same purpose, so before we officially start the meeting, I invite Miss Fiey Luo to once again share her experience in detail with everyone."

Fiey repeated what she had previously told Lilith.

Although the principal had already briefed the witches about the situation, hearing the details left the instructors in silence.

"You really are..." Belona gritted her teeth, "Do you know what you're doing?! How dangerous this is! You, a student—!"

"It’s indeed shocking," Salira gently touched her snake-shaped bracelet, "To survive such conditions and gather so much information. It shows Miss Luo is much stronger than we imagined. Maybe we should try to trust her; age isn't an issue."

"Very impressive, dear Fiey," Angie blew her a kiss across the space, causing Fiey’s face to turn red.

Gaia gave her a slight nod.

"As you can see," silver-white hair flowed, bringing forth a familiar head from the void.

Lilith lifted the scalp to reveal the intricate layers of cursed patterns.

With a calm tone, she concluded, "This is a conspiracy against us, it seems the divine punishment from years ago did not satisfy the world. They want to control our people, turning them into weapons to obliterate the entire world."

The principal’s office fell silent once again.

Fiey could feel the surge of furious magical energy rising sharply.

It seemed the senior witches were all exceptionally angry about this matter.

"So we gather here today to discuss how to root out the masterminds behind this and make those vile humans pay a ‘justified’ price for their actions."

"I visited Elbire City today," Belona said coldly, "and I found that this man named Clifford indeed had a granddaughter named Polly, who disappeared fourteen days ago."

"Before her disappearance, Polly did secretly gather information about going to the Abyss. She asked some mercenaries who told her jokingly, never expecting she would actually venture there alone."

"I’ve been investigating and confirmed that Polly did enter the Abyss alone. Notably, after appearing in Ninihui Town, Clifford vanished."

Hmm? Fiey was surprised; so the teachers had taken leave for this reason.

But… she turned to look at the head pinned by hair strands. Was there really a person named Polly?

Could Clifford have turned his own granddaughter into a cursed object to control a witch?

The silver-white hair slowly placed the head on the carpet, and Principal Lilith looked deeply at Polly, "Another child in agony."

"Yes," Belona waved her arm, and stacks of papers covered in writing floated out from behind her, swiftly gliding like a flock of birds into everyone’s hands.

Fiey received one too.

"This is information about Polly's life," Belona said, "Apart from that old man’s despicable actions, I believe there must be something special about this girl that made her a target to be turned into a cursed object. By identifying the pattern, we can find ways to avoid it in the future."

Fiey couldn't help but be impressed.

Was this the efficiency of a senior witch?

In just one day and an afternoon, they had not only thoroughly investigated the cause and course of events but even included key personal information.

Indeed, finding reliable teammates was the best decision.

She looked down, only to find her heart racing at the first line on the paper.

[Name: Polly Swenborne]

[Age: 12 years old]

12 years old? Polly is 12?!

12 was a particularly sensitive number for Fiey; she couldn’t help but look up.

She inadvertently met Belona's gaze.

"Yes, exactly," Belona said with a cold laugh, "The day this child went missing was the 12th of Coldwinter, her birthday. Had it not been for Fiey's report, I would have continued to think it was a coincidence."

"Now, I must admit that you have earned your place among us."

Fiey didn’t hear what the instructor said next.

Her mind was reeling with the new information.

Were the Black Moon always targeting 12-year-old girls to turn them into cursed objects?!

No, something's not right!

If any 12-year-old girl could suffice, then Clifford would never have targeted his own granddaughter.

There must be something I'm overlooking!

Cursed objects... curses... exerting control or killing the target through special means, using immense power... control... Control?!

Wait, isn't that similar to the effects of the Wheel of Fate shards?

Fragments from a divine soul, merging with monsters, compelling them to grow and perform increasingly evil and cruel deeds using their inherent power.

The two identified instances (King of the Dead and the Cursed Book) both turned into major bosses that deviated from the world line, both possessing divine fragments.

Is this a coincidence, or a deliberate arrangement?

"So," Principal Lilith interrupted Fiey's thoughts, tilting her head to address someone else, "Angie? What about you?"

"That Black Moon Bar, from the outside, looks like any ordinary tavern," Angie lazily stated, resting her chin in her hand, "With a bit of effort, I only unearthed their private human trafficking business, and some unsavory dealings with town mansions and monastery higher-ups."

"As for deeper layers, the ones Fiey darling mentioned, there's no sign of those. Lilith, they're more hidden than we imagined."

"After all, until now we hadn't noticed," Lilith waved her hand nonchalantly, "If it weren't for Luo, you all might still be in the dark, only realizing when we’re cunningly led to our demise."

After the principal finished, all the senior witches in the room turned to look at Fiey.

Whether they wanted to admit it or not, this child before them was their true "savior."

Without her, they wouldn't have uncovered these matters.

In that moment, every senior witch's face displayed a myriad of expressions.

"Alright," Lilith brought the discussion back on track, "now that we have verified the truth of the matter, I ask everyone to remember their assigned tasks."

"Belona, you're in charge of locating their business chain in trafficking 12-year-old girls and figuring out a way to disrupt it."

"Sarila, based on Fiey's guidance, locate all the monsters they have artificially created. I need precise coordinates, including Clifford’s location."

"Angie, continue to keep a close watch on the Black Moon Bar. List every town mansion and monastery that has private dealings with them. I need comprehensive and accurate information."

"Gaia, please handle the refinement of magical potions they require, supporting logistics. This is a crucial part."

"And Fiey, your after-school tutoring will officially start tomorrow. Follow the instructors to their respective mission locations to receive your daily tasks. Remember, your primary objective is to protect your own life."

"For the members not present, I will relay every detail of this meeting and assign their tasks. Everyone must remember, we are not yet exposed, so try to keep your identities hidden."

"Ladies," Lilith stood up, with Polly’s head quietly placed at her feet.

The head of the nine senior witches, the honorary principal of the Witch Academy, smilingly opened her arms—

"The war begins now."

After the meeting, Polly's head was sent to Jacqueline, the instructor specializing in magical tools.

She was responsible for researching the magic circle and those mysterious texts on it, hoping to trace the creator of the cursed object.

Of course, the Curse Witch would provide all necessary assistance.

However, as the cursed object was being sent away, Fiey privately approached the principal.

"It's a very peculiar cursed object," she earnestly explained, "I hope Instructor Jacqueline takes precautions for her safety and avoids being alone with it."

She harbored considerable caution against all of Black Moon’s machinations.

After some contemplation, Lilith nodded, “Alright, Fiey, I’ll remind her.”

Fiey exhaled in relief, then brought up another idea.

While the other instructors had their tasks, she too wished to accomplish something on her own.

“You will be quite busy in the future, Fiey,” Lilith gently patted her head, “Our enemy is far more formidable than we anticipated. I wouldn’t be comfortable letting you face them alone as you are now.”

Fiey pursed her lips, ready to proceed covertly with her plans if the principal disallowed her intentions.

“However,” Lilith’s tone shifted, “since Fiey has survived up to this point and even became the top student of her year, I believe you have your unique ways.”

“Aside from after-school tutoring, you’re free to pursue whatever you wish. No need for reports or permissions, as I am just your principal, not your boss. My concern is your safety, but I have no right to hinder your choice of destiny.”

Fiey gazed at Mrs. Lilith, momentarily stunned.

“I believe,” the principal spoke softly, “the most talented student in the academy knows what she’s doing, understands the consequences, right? She’ll ensure her own safety, and if faced with insurmountable trouble, she’ll surely seek help from her principal and instructors, won’t she?”

“Yes,” Fiey nodded vigorously, “I will. Thank you for understanding, Principal Lilith!”

Making the most of her last rest day, Fiey hurried back to Ninihui Town, collecting a basketful of hot spring lake fish and other edibles from the ready Winnas, all packed into her spatial bracelet.

Today’s demon was yet to be fed.

On the shores of the Sea of Illusion, the demon, having waited all day, was on the brink of eruption.

Its massive dark green tail smashed heavily onto the shore, creating a deep crater filled with numerous mud-encased jumping ghostfish.

A ragged crow landed nearby, panting. Beelzebub’s snake-like vertical pupils immediately focused, fixating on Fii who had transformed back into human form.

The next second, the speed of his tail’s movement suddenly increased.

"Sorry for the delay, something came up," the girl approached, laying out a pretty picnic mat from her bracelet, then brought out a familiar dish of Tide Lake Fish.

"Am I to wait for you this late every day?!" the demon fumed.

"It's my fault, you've helped me so much, I should have come earlier. But there was a little accident," Fii apologized like a compliant kitten, then took out a plate of spicy fried shrimp from her bracelet.

The massive figure, unable to resist the strong aroma, bowed its head, "What is this? What happened to you?"

"Fried shrimp, from a very large shrimp," Fii explained patiently, "Fried in high-temperature walnut oil, then seasoned with authentic Lupega chili and other spices, giving a flavor that's spicy, savory, and salty. I recommend you try it."

The demon paused for a moment, then used two thick fingers to pinch a corner of the plate, pouring the entire serving of shrimp into his mouth.

The creature couldn't help but purr, "So fragrant—"

"As for the accident," Fii spoke casually, as if discussing a trivial matter, "It was just that yesterday's severed head was meant to turn me into a puppet through a curse. But it's resolved now."

"And this," she opened her bracelet again, "grilled cod, curly fish meat pie, seaweed salad..."

Dish after dish of delicacies were placed on the bright picnic mat, their aroma completely enveloping the surrounding flats.

Even the constantly jumping ghost fish stopped, woodenly turning towards the direction of the picnic mat.

The demon was surprised to find that these thoughtless, breeding-focused fish suddenly displayed "greed" for the first time.

"Want to eat these?" Beelzebub glanced sideways, "You don't qualify."

With a flick of its scaly tail, a large group of drooling ghost fish were smashed into the ground.

The demon finally indulged in its late-night snack.

"I'll come earlier tomorrow, but the menu might not be as rich as today's," Fii said, patting her skirt and standing up, looking up at the towering monster beside her, "If there's something specific you want to eat, tell me now."

Beelzebub didn't respond, just silently staring at her.

Suddenly, it asked, "Are there many delicious things outside?"

Fii: "Of course, not just fish, but also meat, the shoulder ridge of the two-headed cow is tasty, and the grilled ribs of the Mondo Bibo sheep are also good. There are also many delicious bubbly fruit wines, sweet milk with honey..."

[Do not agree to it!]

The Mini-World suddenly spoke up, interrupting Fii's next words.

What? She blinked in confusion, not agree to what?

The next moment, the demon's massive head leaned close to Fii's face.

"Then you don't need to bring food tomorrow, take me out to eat," the vertical pupils of the beast-like eyes reflected the girl's stormy gaze.

"Bind me in a pact," Beelzebub whispered, "In the future, whenever you are in a place with delicious food, you can summon me at will."

"Why?" Fii asked reflexively, but her question was directed at the Mini-World.

This time, the Mini-World remained silent for a longer period.

"What do you mean 'why'?" Beelzebub, mistaking the question for his own, snorted heavily through his nostrils.

It wasn't that it couldn't leave on its own; it just... just... didn't want to eat alone anymore.

"I haven't been outside in a long time," the demon coiled its tail, "Just a whim, is that not allowed?"

[...The demon is too large, having it with you will be troublesome and exhausting.]

"You can bind me in a pact, just utter my full name when summoning, and I'll appear beside you anytime, anywhere, in any form. So don't worry about it being a hassle to have me around."

Fii: "……"

This time, the Mini-World remained silent.

"Hey—"

Its breath fanned Fii's face as she looked up at the towering being, Beelzebub involuntarily turned its face away slightly.

Fii was a bit shocked, as she found herself seeing a trace of nervousness and... shyness? in those terrifying vertical pupils.

Like a big dog.

Since the Mini-World didn't utter a word of "danger," perhaps making a pact wouldn't be a problem?

After all, this demon was just a bit gluttonous.

"Alright," Fii didn't hesitate much, "So, what should I do?"

Beelzebub hadn't expected her to agree so readily, its tail tensing suddenly.

"Aren't you afraid I might harm you?" the demon couldn't help but ask, "Like that severed head you mentioned. After all, I am the most cruel and evil demon in this land!"

Fii couldn't help but laugh. Could the creature that stayed in place, faithfully guiding each new witch through her transformation after the world fell into despair, truly call itself cruel?

She stepped forward, placing her delicate, pale hands fearlessly on the rough, hard scales, and asked, "Would you?"

Too, too close!

The very tip of its tail instantly stiffened like a steel needle!

"Of course, I wouldn't!" Beelzebub sounded fierce!

"Then that settles it," Fii said, symbolically waving her hands, "What should I do?"

The next second, a hard claw tip rested on her forehead.

"Say my name," the demon's voice changed, "Beelzebub Odalric Vito Priestley."

Fii: "……"

She grumbled inwardly, but obediently closed her eyes.

One by one, the symbols of the demon's name were spoken by her, these titles, unknown and unsaid for years, slowly forming a vast expanse of stars around them.

The ghost fish were stunned for a second time.

They had never seen such a beautiful sight in the Sea of Illusions.

Fine sparkles swayed in the dark night, playfully rolling along the claw tip to the demon's neck, where they gathered into a slender necklace.

Yet Fii felt increasingly hot, the inverted triangle on her chest burning as if branded by a scorching iron, causing her to break into cold sweat.

"Don't be afraid." The demon's pupils were filled with the girl's reflection, it carefully controlled its power, condensing the immense magical force that could cover countless flats into a thin necklace, and placed it around Fii's neck.

Hanging on the necklace was a small crystal, glowing with the color of Fii's pupils.

The inverted triangle on the girl's chest now had a new circle with a gap at each corner.

"That represents my three hearts," Beelzebub explained, "It's the mark of our pact."

The demon's hearts, originally complete circles, now bore gaps due to the binding pact.

The magic crystal in the necklace stored a part of the demon's purest magical power.

Even if the pact were suppressed or sealed, and it was forced to be absent, the crystal could still become Fii's power under special conditions.

"I really have been inside for too long," Beelzebub thought.

"Otherwise, why would I be so eager to offer myself upon hearing the girl might be in danger?"

*

That night, Fii slept very peacefully.

She and Hil each occupied a lounge chair, basking in the warmth of the fireplace, utterly comfortable.

The next morning, she sprang up, full of vigor.

Perhaps due to the pact with the demon, she could distinctly feel an improvement in her physical and mental state.

But there were no data displays on her personal panel, likely due to the enhancements being implicit.

She decided not to worry about it, finishing breakfast and heading to class with Hil.

But for some reason, throughout the day, Fii felt an inexplicable sense of being targeted.

In the Black Magic Tool class, the reticent Instructor Jacqueline asked her to explain her weapon's disassembly diagram in front of everyone.

This was something that normally wouldn't need to be publicly discussed.

Fii, confused, stood at the lectern, taking out her prepared magic scroll.

"This will be a wand focusing on control abilities," she began, confident in the classic design's efficacy.

"The most crucial part, the wand's core, I will craft from a void puppet found in the Abyssal Monster Caves, a creature that induces a state of mental blankness in those it affects."

What's key in player versus player combat? Beyond the comparison of magic power and class skill suppression, control is paramount!

With full control skills and precise calculation of cooldown times, keeping an opponent continuously controlled from start to finish renders them useless, even if they were a deity reincarnate.

Gradually whittling down their health, they would be defeated without any means to retaliate.

Attacking both the mind and body, strategically, flawlessly.

That's why, when Instructor Jacqueline assigned the project, Fii unhesitatingly chose to create a control wand.

The core made of void puppet (for thought control), and the body from the Entangling Banyan King — a massive abyssal banyan tree that indiscriminately entwines everything in its vicinity.

And the sole Banyan King, though challenging to defeat, offered exceptional control effects.

Even against adversaries above level 90, it could maintain control for about 1 to 1.5 seconds.

After Fii finished her explanation, the students below were completely bewildered.

What abyssal cave? What's a void puppet? Why does the entangling banyan sound so familiar? And there's a king of banyan trees?

What are all these things? Have we really learned about them?

Of course not, thought Jacqueline. The content Fii had just explained included some material not even covered until the end of the fourth year of study, and even then, it was only an extension, not the main focus.

Remember, students graduate after completing their fourth year.

Yet Fii seemed to understand it in great detail.

"An impressive design and explanation," finally, Jacqueline led the applause, "Miss Luo, plus 5 points."

Magical Manifestation class.

Berona: "Today, we'll learn two advanced ancient spells, the focus of this academic year. I need you to master at least one of them before the year ends."

Then, she coldly called Fii up and pointed out the ancient spells in the textbook.

"Miss Luo, I'd like you to demonstrate any one of these."

Fii: "……" Haven't we not learned these yet?

But looking down, oh well, she actually knew them...

One was the skill [Dark Surge Swamp], turning the ground into a swamp that inflicts continuous damage, a control and damage technique.

The other was [Voice of the Netherworld], a taunting skill that adds a buff to words, forcing the target to act as commanded.

Both skills were commonly used by her in the game, so she had prioritized learning them from her senior.

Seeing Berona's "if you can't cast it, you don't belong here" look, Fii swallowed hard, striving to manifest both spells to the highest standard.

The entire class was astounded.

In the subsequent classes, she was often singled out by the instructors at the most difficult and crucial moments to practice or explain.

Was this part of the "after-class tutoring" that Principal Lilith had mentioned?

It made her feel doubly exhausted after a day's work.

But there was no time to rest.

After dinner, Fei Yi was taken away by Instructor Salira.

Standing at the teleportation point, she took a deep breath, "Instructor, where are we going at this late hour?"

Salira curved her lips into a smile and activated the teleportation.

In the next moment, they were standing on a strange street.

Calling it a street was a stretch – it was just a few dilapidated houses, surrounded by desolation, with endless dunes not far away.

There was no sound, nor any sign of life.

Fei Yi looked around, feeling a sense of familiarity with the place.

Could it be...?

"Roar—"

As she hesitated, a giant sandworm suddenly burst from the sands below!

The writhing body was tightly coiling around a blue dragonfly, three times the height of a person. It quickly strangled and devoured it.

Indeed, this was the land of giant insects, the western part of the Assyrian Empire, the city of Telga.

In the game "Divine Demon Continent," Tyerga is a very chaotic leveling area.

Because the bugs generally reproduce prolifically, their levels vary greatly.

There are bugs below level 10 and above level 50. Usually, Fei Yi would directly target the higher-level ones, as defeating just a few could significantly boost her experience.

It seems that Instructor Sallira intended for her to train here, so she probably only needs to kill no more than 5 bugs, which should be relatively easy.

Indeed, Sallira glanced down at her.

"This is your training location for today, the Land of Giant Bugs, Tyerga. We will complete our first lesson here: eliminate all the giant bugs in this area."

Fei Yi: "？"

What?!

The first day of after-class tutoring ended with Fei Yi being carried back by Instructor Sallira's snake swarm, exhausted.

Too tired to find a secluded spot, she chose to summon demons in the bathroom for feeding.

After feeding, she went straight to bed without wasting a minute.

An adult demon, unprepared and transformed into human form, stood rigidly with a plate, unsure where to rest his eyes.

Thus, at the start of her second year, Fei Yi became extremely busy.

During the day: classes, homework, meals.

At night: different instructors, equally intense after-class tutoring.

In her free time: feeding demons, analyzing intelligence with Principal Lilith, dealing with followers brought by Marian, and observing the business networks established by capable followers.

Indeed, a business network.

Fei Yi never imagined that the seemingly most gentle and weak Marian, was in fact harboring such indescribable power.

She didn't know by what means, but the number of people coming to the prayer room kept increasing. After Marian's series of screenings, verifications, and trials, the number of people still unwaveringly willing to sacrifice their souls to the witch also grew.

These people, gathered together, aided and witnessed Fei Yi's methods, quickly developed a bond and trust amongst each other, laying the groundwork for a [congregation].

Among them, some suitable individuals, led by Marian and Wennes, started to slowly build a business network for the congregation at various locations.

Besides the potion shop and prayer room, a restaurant owner with his chain of restaurants joined in.

This interesting man, named Mr. Fieyr, was clever and adhered strictly to the principle of "profit above all." He had expanded his chain of restaurants significantly by middle age.

But an accident occurred, simply because his restaurant posed a threat to a local mayor's relative's eatery, leading to a series of overt and covert sabotages and even rampant rumors.

At the brink of collapse of his chain of restaurants, a disheartened Mr. Fieyr, wandering out to clear his mind, chanced upon Marian, who seemed like a goddess descended.

The girl in a black robe kindly led him into the prayer room and said with a sweet smile, “Tell me about any troubles you have, I will do my utmost to help you.”

Mr. Fieyr fell for her on the spot.

Later, when he personally witnessed how Fei Yi used her adept black magic to make the haughty mayor promote Fieyr’s restaurant on the streets to every citizen, his infatuation reached its peak.

“The Witch Lady will definitely make me the richest man in the entire continent!”

With this firm belief, Fieyr decisively joined Marian's congregation, becoming a part of the business network.

His chain of restaurants spread throughout Razzama Town, very close to Ninnehui Town.

There was also a steward named Jack at the transoceanic dock, an ambitious yet unfortunate man. He worked tirelessly, hoping for a chance to climb the ranks at the dock.

However, Simpson, the merchant firmly in control of the dock, never treated Jack with the respect due to a human being.

To expand the dock's operation, Simpson plotted to throw the solitary Jack into a rival dock, hoping he'd be killed in the chaotic ship traffic.

This way, Simpson could sue the rival under the guise of "safety concerns," and seize their dock for the royal court.

Fleeing for his life, Jack stumbled into Ninnehui Town and was compassionately taken in by Marian.

“There’s no need to worry,” a seductive voice whispered in Jack's ear, “Just wish earnestly to the night, and everything you desire will come to you.”

Jack bowed his head, and for the first time in his life, he saw how a witch could turn a person into a fish.

“Pity this fish has too many bones; it doesn't make a good dish,” the witch said calmly as the sea breeze fluttered her black skirt. Jack listened, dazed, to her plans.

That day, Jack was publicly rewarded by the town's mansion for his brave act of risking his life to save others at sea.

He became the new steward of the transoceanic dock, in charge of personnel management.

From then on, Jack unhesitatingly dedicated everything to the witch, formally entering Marian’s business network.

The transoceanic dock was located in Nimrud City, situated between Ninnehui Town and Erbil City.

Members of the congregation shared the same belief, and under Marian's deliberate arrangements, their emotions and bonds rapidly grew.

They exchanged business and intelligence, providing explosive energy growth for each other’s diverse sectors.

With Fei Yi's occasional advice, those insights detached from the world for many years, the business network quickly expanded.

Fieyr’s chain of restaurants introduced a magical potion in their limited new dishes. A special rule of only fifty servings a day rapidly made the restaurant a household name.

The increasing difficulty in securing a reservation at the restaurant inadvertently turned its cuisine into a symbol of status.

Even in a major city like Erbil, influential figures from the power structures would try to cozy up, hoping to bypass the queue and become privileged guests through "friendships."

The docks, needless to say, were already a complex and chaotic place.

Jack had spent almost his entire life preparing for this day; once he truly took his position, he grew wildly, like a weed.

He meticulously uncovered all the private dealings, sales, and smuggling of the local magnates.

This included the businesses absolutely forbidden by the royal house, unrecorded transactions between regions, and the secret quid pro quo among the elites.

He compiled an extensive list of these details and devotedly presented it to Marian.

“I offer everything I have to the Witch Lady!”

At the congregation, the followers chanted fervently.

Souls, like flames, began to flicker in every corner of the continent, feeding a continuous stream of information into Fei Yi’s pocket.

In the middle of her second school year, Fei Yi, who started as an orphan in this otherworldly realm, finally began to build her own power network, step by step.

A power network truly belonging to a witch.