Chapter 14: The Witch
Following the path the monster had cleared, the players advanced, each lost in their own thoughts. The forest had returned to its eerie silence, broken only by their footsteps. Ordinary people would likely go mad in such an environment, but these players were far from ordinary.
"We're here," Xu Haoran announced, stopping. They were at a peculiar-looking lake with a small cabin on its shore. The cabin door was open, seemingly inviting them in. At this point, Lu Li realized something was wrong.
They had followed the monster's trail to get here, but now there was no sign of the creature. It was as if they had stepped into a different scene altogether, the previous one overlaid and erased.
"Come in, what are you waiting for?" a raspy voice echoed in their minds. The players exchanged glances before Xu Haoran led the way into the cabin, followed by Hu Wenxu, with Lu Li carrying Gao Xiaowen at the rear.
The first impression inside the cabin was its size. It appeared small from the outside, but inside, it was astonishingly spacious, defying logic. All eyes were drawn to the figure reclining in a chair.
Contrary to Lu Li's expectations of a stereotypical witch—hooked nose, warts, black robes, and a cackling laugh—this witch was quite different. She had long golden hair, a delicate and beautiful face, and wore a silver-white robe that accentuated her perfect figure.
The witch lounged lazily, a playful smile on her lips as she sized up the newcomers. Her gaze lingered on Xu Haoran, causing his breath to quicken and heart to race. But then she turned her attention to Hu Wenxu, and Xu Haoran's heart sank, resentment and jealousy bubbling up.
Hu Wenxu, however, remained unperturbed, his eyes filled only with a thirst for knowledge. The witch nodded approvingly before a soft hum escaped her lips. Hu Wenxu clutched his throat, doubling over as he vomited black bile and greenish eyeballs.
The witch's gaze then settled briefly on Gao Xiaowen's left arm before finally resting on Lu Li. Her expression turned puzzled, then she smiled at him. This gesture made Xu Haoran's anger flare, though he restrained himself from attacking Lu Li outright.
"Alright, state your business... strangers," the witch's voice, dry and raspy, did not match her appearance and induced a sense of nausea. Even the smitten Xu Haoran was jolted back to reality, his face reddening as he lowered his head.
With Xu Haoran silent, Hu Wenxu still retching, and Gao Xiaowen feigning unconsciousness, Lu Li briefly explained the mermaid princess's wish to change species. The witch let out a dry, croaking laugh, "Another mermaid ensnared by a human? Changing species isn't hard for me, but I'm busy with many things right now..."
"So, help me with a few tasks, and then I'll find time to meet this intriguing little mermaid," the witch stretched, not looking busy at all. She pointed at Xu Haoran, "To the east, there's a garden of mine, overrun by some pests. Get rid of them."
Without a word, Xu Haoran bowed his head and hurried out. The witch then turned to Hu Wenxu, who had stopped vomiting. Without a gesture, she made him expel the last of the black bile. "Your curiosity is commendable, but your recklessness is not. Who gave you the audacity to plant surveillance here? Consider this your punishment. Your eye modifications are decent but poorly utilized."
As she spoke, the bile ignited in a blaze, burning away without harming the wooden floor. Lu Li realized Hu Wenxu's eyes were his mutated organs, capable of remote surveillance but useless against the witch's powers.
"In the north of the forest, there's a giant beast. Lead it to the beach, then run," she instructed Hu Wenxu. He nodded, wiped his face clean, glanced at Lu Li, and left.
"And you," the witch pointed at Lu Li, "Leave the woman here and head west. There's a cave full of monsters. Kill them all and bring me the item from its depths."
[Accepted Stage Mission: Witch's Request 1/3]
[Mission Description: In the western part of the Black Tide Forest lies a peculiar cave inhabited by monsters. Slay them all and retrieve the treasure within for the witch.]
[Mission Hint: The witch's request consists of three tasks. You have the hardest one. Good luck. Pray your teammates complete theirs, or you'll have a tough time.]
[Mission Reward: The witch may reward you, and you might learn something about yourself from her.]
Lu Li blinked, feeling the task was quite the pitfall. The weakest member given the hardest task should wait for the others to complete theirs first.
"But where's the fun in that?" Lu Li chuckled, leaving the cabin. The witch watched him go, amusement in her eyes, "A man marked by a great entity... Let's see what sets you apart."
She then turned to Gao Xiaowen on the floor, a gleam of interest in her gaze, "And you, woman, get up... you carry something intriguing..."
(End of the chapter)