Instantly, the atmosphere in the room turned icy.
Yet after a few seconds, the witches forced smiles and nodded in unison, breaking into applause: "That’s wonderful news!"
In the dorm, listening to Andny’s real-time relay, Charles couldn’t suppress a low curse: "Damn it!"
Then, his eyes glinted as his brain raced, already calculating the next move to make.
That night, in Theresa’s room.
Theresa lay on her bed, ready to sleep, when suddenly she felt a cold, slippery little snake slither under her covers.
Sensing the presence, Theresa’s expression softened: "Just like when you were little, always burrowing into my arms."
As she spoke, the cold little snake poked its head out from between Theresa’s ample bosom—none other than Sephera, already stripped bare and chilled to the bone.
Wearing a pleading smile, she pressed her water-snake-flexible waist against Theresa’s body, rubbing slowly as if to coil around her.
She clung to Theresa frontally, grinning obsequiously: "Because I feel safest in Master’s embrace."
With that, she lowered her head, burying her face in Theresa’s bottomless cleavage, nuzzling and inhaling her scent while sighing: "Ah, Master is so big everywhere—powerful, chest, hips—far surpassing any of us..."
Theresa smiled and rapped her knuckles lightly on Sephera’s head: "No shame at all!"
Sephera looked up, grinning foolishly: "Master, what kind of Pact did you make this time? I want to try it too, to grow stronger."
Theresa shook her head slightly: "This method isn’t for you, Sephera. Your Strength is too frail. Even if I taught you, you couldn’t handle it."
As she spoke, she suddenly frowned: "Sephera... has your Strength weakened?"
"It’s just that Master has grown stronger!" Sephera laughed, brushing it off easily. "Compared to you, we’ve all become weaker—so much that even you find us unfamiliar now."
Theresa nodded slightly: "True."
With that, she sighed faintly.
The monastery, the sisters, and the power they once shared—everything that had felt so familiar now seemed alien.
It couldn’t be that all of them, including the monastery itself, had suffered some catastrophe. No, the issue must lie with her.
Ah, despite all her caution, the Chaos Force granted by that Abyssal Lord had still interfered with her consciousness, distorting her Perception and judgment.
She could only hope to adjust in time.
As Theresa pondered this, Sephera pleaded: "Master, I beg you—tell me. I want to grow stronger too."
"Look, I’m the Vice-abbess of the Monastery, yet because my power is rooted in toxins, I can’t even defeat the weakest Andny."
"Though they dare not defy my command out of fear for your might, I still feel Wronged. Please, Master. Who knows? One day, I might need this knowledge to escape this wretched state."
"You grow stronger alone, while I stagnate, falling further behind. I want to stand by your side, to shoulder burdens for you!"
Her desperate pleas, the Agony etched on Sephera’s face, and the undeniable truth in her words softened Theresa’s resolve.
Very well. Sephera had been under her care since childhood, loyal beyond doubt. She would never betrayed her.
And without Theresa, Sephera was nothing. There was no need to withhold secrets. If she asked so earnestly, why not tell her?
With that thought, Theresa spoke slowly: "The secret to my growth... is simple. I bargained with abyssal demons for a taste of beyond the world’s Chaos Energy..."
In the dorm, Charles’s eyes snapped open, burning with intensity.
Beyond the world’s Chaos Energy!
Heh. Now he had a path forward...
Chaos Energy, in essence, was a volatile amalgamation—magic, psionics, elemental forces, Divine Power, nature energies, and other arcane essences.
Such energies existed only beyond the world. In any realm—be it the material world, the Celestial Planes, the Elemental World, the Nine Hells, or even the Astral Sea—all energies and substances remained distinctly separated.
Elemental was elemental. Magic was magic. Divine Power was Divine Power. Each was demarcated, immutable. Some Spells might mimic others, but their natures were fundamentally distinct.
Only beyond the world, in the endless churn of Limbo, could such a chaotic fusion exist.
These energies were immensely potent—and equally perilous. The Night of the Witches occurred when celestial movements thinned the material world’s barriers, allowing traces of Chaos Energy to seep in. This drove monsters to frenzy and wrought terrifying transformations.
It was also why witches spiraled into go out of control madness.
Yet Theresa, audacious in the extreme, dared to harness Chaos Energy itself!
Hah. This might be an opportunity...
Charles’s eyes gleamed as a plan crystallized in his mind.
Others might lack the means to counter Chaos Energy—or the knowledge to wield it. But Charles possessed both.
There was a tool that could detonate the Chaos Energy within Theresa’s body, plunging her into a go out of control frenzy akin to the Night of the Witches!
Then, he could strike, purifying this archwitch with brutal finality.
The only obstacle? That tool lay in the Rubble District...
The thought of that place—nestled northwest of Liberl Port, leagues from the South Harbor District, bereft of direct tram lines and requiring multiple transfers—gave him pause.
If the South Harbor District was Liberl Port’s poorest sector, the Rubble District was its most lawless.
Yes, a thousand—no, ten thousand times worse than the South Harbor’s slums!
The slums still had rules. Thugs, drug peddlers, gangs, cults, skirmishes, corporate-backed proxies—all existed, but residents still scraped by through trade and labor.
Battle. Killing. Plunder. Betrayal. Such is daily life here!
The Rubble District covers a vast area, nearly ten times larger than the South Harbor District, for it encompasses not only plains but also several mountains to its northwest.
Beyond these mountains, stretching farther northwest, lies the endless Plateau Mountains, known as "The Roof of the World." These peaks hide treasures at every turn—rare medicinal herbs, precious timber, exotic beasts, and vast mineral deposits can all be found here.
Originally, the Rubble District was established by the colonial forces of the Empire of Sein as a dedicated zone for exploiting the hidden riches of these mountains.
Yet, this endeavor ended in failure. The mountains conceal not only treasures but also countless terrifying monsters.
Snow-demons, hill giants, and ogres—these man-eating giants need no elaboration. Even the so-called "Mountain Peoples"—greatly weakened aboriginal tribes like the Shanyuan, Mountain Dwarves, minotaurs, orcs, gnolls, hobgoblins, and goblins—were enough to teach any reckless aggressor a harsh lesson.
At the height of its power, the Empire of Sein could still suppress the wrath of these local powers. But when the empire, torn by internal strife, withdrew its military forces, the fury of the Mountain Peoples surged forth like a landslide, crushing nearly every structure in the district, leaving behind only shattered rubble.
Thus, the name "Rubble District" was born.
They even sought to push further, intent on destroying Liberl Port itself. However, deep-seated feuds—rooted in race and history—prevented the Mountain Peoples from maintaining unity for long.
Moreover, after years of development, the Empire of Sein had secured allies among the Mountain Peoples, assimilating some into their fold. These allies profited greatly by trading natural resources, amassing considerable wealth. Naturally, when the time came, they sided with the port.
Adding to this, foreign investors flooded into the port, and major conglomerates, coveting the mountains’ abundant treasures, offered exorbitant sums for rare materials. In such an environment, even the most audacious freelancers could achieve wealth beyond their wildest dreams with a single lucky find.
All these factors plunged the district into utter chaos. Poachers, herbalists, adventurers, miners, robbers, mercenaries, terrorists, corporate proxies—every manner of individual gathered here. At any moment, a brawl could erupt over a patch of medicinal herbs, leaving the streets stained with blood.
In short, the Rubble District is a place of lawlessness—and boundless opportunity. In the game, it’s one of the rare maps where players can grind from the lowest levels straight to the highest.
Charles isn’t keen on going there. Reality isn’t a game—high-level monsters don’t stay tucked away in their lairs, waiting to be provoked.
He’d prefer to wait until he’s strong enough to defend himself before diving into that chaotic adventure.
But now, it seems, time is running out. The moment to act has come!
Andny noticed Theresa’s early rise and hurried to inform the other witches. Hattie, too, rushed to get up, feigning a chance encounter.
With exaggerated delight, she greeted Theresa:
"Eldest sister, you’re up this early as well?"
Theresa smiled gently, utterly unsuspecting, and gave a slight nod.
"Yes. I wished to stroll through the slums at dawn and see how the seeds I sowed last time have grown."
Hattie’s heart clenched with worry for the human Theresa had taken an interest in.
"Who has caught Eldest sister’s eye this time? I’m curious—might you tell me?"
Theresa smiled gracefully: "That little girl I saved publicly during the porridge offering, of course. Didn’t you notice? Her soul is absolutely adorable - actually wanting to help the slums’ poor wretches."
"I truly wonder... when she sees her own mother die from being insulted in turn by the very scum she personally helped... just how twisted her soul will become, hehehe..."
As she spoke, she even couldn’t help swallowing saliva, as if already imagining the delicious flavor produced by that fall from purest kindness to most twisted evil.
In the past, Hattie might have envied Theresa’s refined tastes. Now, she only felt creeping horror.
That poor child’s family would soon suffer unimaginable tragedy because of Theresa’s terrifying hobby!
Biting her lips, suppressing her boiling emotions, Hattie suddenly looked up with a bright smile: "Eldest Sister, really, you should have told us earlier. Fortunately in this past month none of our sisters had eyes on that mother and daughter pair, otherwise your plans would have been completely ruined!"
Theresa looked startled, then laughed at herself: "True enough, ah, it was inconsiderate of me - I forgot to mention it last time."
Saying this, she walked to Hattie’s side and lightly patted her shoulder: "Then I’ll trouble you to inform the other sisters about this, Hattie."
"I must go now - any later and I might miss seeing many things."
Hattie nodded, smiling. Theresa then resumed her pious prayer demeanor, head bowed, walking straight through the monastery gates into the dirty, muddy streets.
Hattie watched her depart, only returning and closing the door after she was far away, then speaking to the mosquito by her ear: "She’s gone. Have everyone gather - in my room."
Saying this, she quickly returned to the dorm. Here, several witches had already assembled, surrounding Charles in the center, each face filled with solemnity.
"Alright." Seeing everyone present, Charles spoke first. "Now we’ll discuss who will accompany me to the Rubble District."
"First, sufficient Strength is required. Then, the ability to move flexibly through complex terrain, plus capacity to handle complicated situations..."
Sophia, the strongest present, initially intended to raise her hand, but hearing this, immediately swallowed her words.
Her true form was bloated and cumbersome; even shifted to human form her movements remained sluggish. Even with spell assistance, she was unsuited for missions in the Rubble District’s complex terrain areas.
She was better suited guarding home, fighting defensive or positional battles, so by nature this mission wasn’t for her.
Ruth unhesitatingly thrust out her chest, though the motion did nothing to make her modest bosom more prominent: "I’ll accompany Master alone. Hattie needs to maintain monastery operations, and Sephera must delay Theresa, so the choice can only be me.
--------------------------------------
Support me at /TransFic and read upto 55 Advanced Chapters and Exclusive R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 Chapters/week
Every 100 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of Chapters.