The Virtuous Dark Witch

Chapter 34

Looking at the pile of bone dust scattered on the ground, Juna Charlotte felt for the first time since being turned that the cloying smell of blood was extremely pungent and unpleasant.

She admitted she was wrong. She shouldn't have underestimated this girl just because Merlyn's daughter was young. She raised her eyes to the cold girl, forcing a stiff smile. "The West Sea Forest is truly a magical place."

Yes, precisely because it was magical and rich, it attracted many forces to covet it at all costs, trying to occupy it. But what was the result? After the deaths of Selah Dessey and Fiona Dessey, no one except Duke Austin Corell had ever escaped the West Sea Forest alive after breaking in.

Juna Charlotte couldn't help but clench her hands hanging by her sides, hiding the jealousy and unwillingness in her heart. "Do you know how powerful Viscount Ana Stirling's forces are?" Although this girl was strong, she was only one person after all.

"I don't know how powerful her forces are." Elara channeled her Witch Power with a gentle wave. The Moon Glow Rings scattered everywhere lifted off the ground at the same time. With a flick of her right hand, the rings all returned to the Nether Box placed on the chair at the door. She put her hands behind her back and looked up at the clear blue sky. "I only know she's preparing to besiege the West Sea Forest."

"You…" Juna Charlotte showed a shocked expression again. She really couldn't understand this girl. "Since you know she's going to besiege the West Sea Forest, you should be aware that her forces are extremely powerful." Otherwise, she couldn't besiege such a vast West Sea Forest. "Why are you throwing yourself into the trap?"

Is this the young chief carefully cultivated by the Charlotte Tribe? Elara smiled. "Should I just let Ana Stirling besiege the West Sea Forest, trapping the Dessey Witches inside, unable to enter or exit?"

She suddenly felt that even without Juna Charlotte, it would only be a matter of time before the Charlotte Tribe was controlled by external forces.

Having said that, Juna Charlotte didn't want to say any more useless words. "For Merlin's sake, I'll remind you—don't be arrogant. Think about why your mother and aunt ended up like this, and why you're the only one left in the West Sea Forest." With that, she turned around and prepared to leave.

Elara's eyes darkened."Stop."

Her voice was no longer gentle, cold enough to pierce the soul. Facing the sun, Juna Charlotte was unusually calm at this moment.

"I'll correct you on two points." Elara looked at Juna Charlotte's back. "First, the Dessey Witches are arrogant but never conceited. As for why we dislike associating with other Dark Witches, I thought as the former young chief of the Charlotte Tribe, you should know very well?"

Seeing Juna's back stiffen, Elara didn't hide her sarcasm and directly exposed the truth. "The Andros, Werewolves, and Light Witches are not the only ones coveting the West Sea Forest."

This was also the reason why her mother refused to cooperate with the Charlotte Tribe and the Annel Clan twenty years ago. Compared to enemies, a stab in the back from an ally was even more terrifying and fatal.

Juna Charlotte lowered her eyelashes, hiding the darkness in her eyes. "You're overthinking."

"Am I?" Elara sneered. "You've been here for so long, and besides caring about my strength, you've only said some meaningless things. Not once did you mention that after Rocky Anastas' death, the Larissa Clan allied with Ana Stirling again."

Hearing this, Juna Charlotte was greatly shocked. It seemed the chief elder was right. Although the West Sea Forest seemed closed off from the world, they had their own way of communicating with the outside—most likely related to dark spirits.

Elara could feel Juna Charlotte's nervousness, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes as she continued. "Don't panic. I won't kill you today." She turned on her heel and walked towards her shop. "Also, you're wrong about the West Sea Forest having only me left. My mother is just in a deep sleep, and my aunt is alive and well."

Now they had just added two new members, and all the little sprites in the ancient tomb were part of the Dessey family. How could she be left alone?

Juna Charlotte stood quietly on the street corner, her lips tightly pressed together. A flash of bloodlust crossed her lowered eyes, and the muscles on her cheeks twitched. She stood there for a moment longer before leaving.

Elara pulled the long leather chair out and placed it outside the shop. Seeing that Juna Charlotte had left, she couldn't help but snort. Her mother had really overestimated the Charlotte Tribe. Her grandmother was right—once one party took the lead, the fragile balance between the various races on the Mal Continent would be broken.

And after the balance was broken, intense competition and endless killings would follow, until the missing king Austin Corell returned to suppress everything.

Thinking of this, Elara turned to look at the black crow perched on the back of the chair at the door. Seeing it examining the newly acquired Moon Glow Rings, a wave of irritability rose in her heart.

Cinderaven felt the cold gaze on his back and immediately perked up, flying into the shop. Looking at the girl with a cold face, he subconsciously covered his chest with his wings. "What are your orders?"

"Hehe." Elara let out a dry laugh, leaning back on the leather chair with her arms crossed. "I just killed 103 turned Andros. Don't you have anything to say?"

"You did the right thing." Cinderaven admitted that he had been worried before—not about the turned Andros, but about Elara seeking revenge through killing after what happened twenty years ago, and thus losing herself.

But now it was clear that this young Dessey was very sober. Instead, some tribes that thought themselves powerful couldn't resist the temptation and fell into the quagmire of greed, showing signs of sinking deeper and deeper.

Elara sneered and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she really wanted to explain to this bird, which played dumb whenever sensitive topics were brought up, what "burying one's head in the sand" meant. But she wasn't in the mood now. "Watch the shop." With that, she walked towards the back door of the shop.

"Where are you going?" Cinderaven's gaze followed her. Seeing that she didn't seem to hear him, he knew he had asked something he shouldn't have.

Letting out a sigh, he wiped his face with his wing. He had just asked casually, not wanting to pry into the secrets of the West Sea Forest. Unfortunately, the young Dessey wouldn't believe him. In her heart, he was just a spy planted by the Andros in the West Sea Forest.

But thinking of Ana Stirling, Cinderaven's black bean eyes darkened. She was too bold. In just a short while, the young Dessey had seized 103 Moon Glow Rings. Who gave her the courage to forge so many? Was Alexandra really indulging her like this?

Elara entered the secret room of the shop through the back door. After today's incident, Ana Stirling would never let her go easily. Her jade-like fingers gently stroked the Night Boxes placed on the shelf before randomly picking one up and opening it.

Inside the box were neatly arranged Dark Nether Fire Bombs. Elara took one out. The bomb was about the size of a child's fist, completely black, and its surface was as cold as ice. It seemed unremarkable, but such a small bomb could blow up the entire secret room into ashes.

Closing the lid and putting the box back, she walked to the last row, where all the large items were placed. Opening the first long Night Box, Elara's eyes lit up when she saw what was inside. "A crossbow g*n?"

She never expected that the Dessey family could forge such a good weapon. She took out the iron crossbow g*n, which was about one meter long, and examined it carefully. The string was 80 centimeters long—just the right length. Elara weighed it in her hand, raised it, squinted to aim, and felt that it was quite good.

She squatted down again and picked up the row of boxes of varying lengths placed at the bottom of the shelf. Sure enough, they were all filled with poisoned arrows. Looking at these arrows, she already had a plan in mind.

She had witnessed her mother and aunt suffer losses firsthand. So she would fight—but she would never put herself in a tough battle.

Walking out of the secret room and back to the shop, Elara lay down on the leather chair with her eyes closed, resting. Still, no one came to buy anything. Probably afraid of being affected, most of the nearby shops had already closed.

Cinderaven stood quietly on the table, having a lot of questions to ask but afraid of making Elara suspicious. He was struggling to find a way to start a conversation when another customer arrived. Glancing at the person, he couldn't help but wonder if the Charlotte Tribe was doing this on purpose? One sister left, and now the other had come.

Seeing Ada Charlotte, Elara was not surprised. Looking at the other woman's traditional tribal attire, she thought it suited her better.

Twenty years had passed. Ada Charlotte's face no longer showed the ever-changing emotions she had when facing Merlyn back then. Even her eyes were like stagnant water, dull and lifeless. She stopped at the door, picking up a Moon Glow Ring engraved with ink bamboo flowers from the Nether Box.

Elara got straight to the point. "1,000 gold coins."

"Tsk." Ada Charlotte let out a light laugh, but her eyes didn't smile. She threw the Moon Glow Ring back into the Nether Box. "I forged this." Although she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't refute it. She walked into the shop, taking a step closer to Elara and looking into her light black pupils. "I remember your name is Elara."

"Yes." Elara sat up abruptly, leaning back in the chair. "Did the news spread that fast? Your sister Juna Charlotte just left."

Ada stared into Elara's eyes, curving her lips. "She went to the City Lord's Mansion. I followed the black mandalas." Merlyn's daughter was excellent. Perhaps this would be the biggest surprise in the current situation. "Let's cooperate."

Cooperate? Elara looked confused and smiled. "How?" Before Ada could speak, she continued. "If I'm not mistaken, the Charlotte Tribe is no longer purely a Dark Witch Tribe, is it?"

Looking at Juna Charlotte's elaborate outfit and the Moon Glow Rings she had just seized—seventy percent of which were engraved with ink bamboo flower emblems—she couldn't help but think more.

After all, the Charlotte Tribe had a large number of members, including some who couldn't cultivate Witchcraft or had poor talent. Now that the world was in chaos, who could resist the temptation of a powerful force?

Ada smiled. "You're as smart as your mother." Back then, when she heard the news about Merlyn and Thea, she rushed back to the tribe immediately.

But who would have thought that what awaited her was ten years of confinement—just because she had abandoned her clansmen and fled alone. At that time, she also felt extremely guilty because Juna had been turned, so she didn't defend herself at all and accepted the punishment.

Ten years passed, and when she returned to the tribe from the f*******n land, everything had changed. Her sister, Juna Charlotte, had actually persuaded the chief elder to cooperate with the Andros—specifically with Ana Stirling—in the name of mutual benefit. She never knew her sister had such abilities.

Elara stood up and took a step forward. "If you want to cooperate with me, you have to show sincerity first." Seeing that Ada only stared at her without speaking, she couldn't help but shake her head gently. "Before the Charlotte Tribe is completely cleansed, I won't be foolish enough to jump into your trap and be used as a knife."

"They are my clansmen." Ada's eyes became a little blurred, showing deep sorrow and helplessness.

"So you can't do it yourself, so you want me to help you?" Elara laughed. "You're just as ridiculous as your sister." It turns out my mother's judgment was just average."

Hearing her mention Merlyn, Ada's heart ached sharply. She slammed her chest hard, gasping for breath. "Forget what I said earlier." This wasn't her main purpose today. "You need to be careful of Jaden."

The name sounded familiar. Elara raised her eyebrows, thinking. "Rocky Anastas' son. What about him?"

Closing her eyes and taking two deep breaths, Ada felt a little better. "Jaden is more sinister than his father, Rocky Anastas." And…" She hesitated slightly, but still voiced her guess. "Jaden has a close friend who grew up with him. His name is Benelli Larissa."

Thinking of a possibility, Elara suppressed her expression. "Is Poppy Larissa still alive?"

Ada shook her head. "I don't know." She bit her lower lip hard, leaning forward slightly and whispering. "This Benelli Larissa is an extremely talented male Witch. At only twenty years old, his eye color is almost pale yellow. From what I know, he is Poppy's son."

Elara's eyes lit up with interest. "The Twin Witch Fisher?"

"I'm not sure." Ada frowned, biting her lower lip. "But my intuition tells me Benelli Larissa is not Fisher." Fearing Elara wouldn't believe her, she added. "Although I've never met the famous Twin Witch Ancestor, I've met Benelli, that… that boy."

"So what are you trying to say?" Elara was getting impatient. Couldn't she just say it all at once?

Ada let out a long breath. "I tested him with Poppy. His eyes don't lie." She swallowed the bitterness in her mouth. "That boy loves Poppy."

Elara finally understood. But this didn't mean Benelli Larissa was innocent.

The notes left by the West Sea Witch Ancestor recorded that because Twin Witches were born with dual souls, their souls were weaker than normal people at birth.

If the dual souls didn't fuse, their souls would remain fragile and wandering before cultivating Witchcraft, making their bodies extremely vulnerable to possession.

Elara couldn't be sure if there was something wrong with Benelli Larissa. But one thing was certain—if the soul in Benelli Larissa's body was his own, his dual souls must have fused. Otherwise, Fisher wouldn't have let go of such a perfect vessel.

"Thank you for telling me this." Elara didn't hesitate to repay her. "Don't trust or pity your sister anymore." I think her turning was quite successful."

Ada gave a bitter smile. "So you think so too." Under her hypocritical appearance was an extremely selfish and ugly heart. Letting out a long sigh, she felt much better after saying what had been weighing on her heart. "I hope you have a great victory tonight." And give my regards to your mother—tell her I'm very jealous of her."

"Thank you for your blessings." Elara looked outside. "She is indeed worthy of your jealousy. Think carefully about what I said. If the Charlotte Tribe wants to survive the many struggles to come, it must first eliminate the unstable factors within the tribe."

Ada nodded solemnly. "I understand." With that, she turned around and left resolutely.

Watching her firm footsteps, Elara couldn't help but feel a little expectant. "Not too stupid after all." Being soft-hearted sometimes only fueled the enemy's arrogance, and even led to retaliation. So why bother?

"Juna Charlotte's Andros bloodthirsty nature has been fully aroused." Cinderaven agreed with Elara's view. "It will probably be very difficult to suppress—and she has no intention of suppressing her bloodthirst at all."

From this, one could imagine the situation of the Charlotte Tribe. If they were injured in a fight, the blood of their clansmen wouldn't be off-limits either.

Elara lay back on the leather chair. "Is it true that the more blood Andros drinks, the more perfectly they can awaken their Andros traits?" What about her aunt?

What kind of theory was this? Cinderaven said disdainfully. "There's no such thing as perfection for turned Andros."

Anyway, he strongly opposed the Andros turning humans—and he also disliked the creation of things like Moon Glow Rings. Different species had different habits. What was wrong with following nature? Why did they have to break free from the constraints imposed by nature?

Elara glanced sideways at Cinderaven, who seemed to be in a bad mood, and said quietly, "I'm more and more sure that you are Austin Corell."

"No." Cinderaven replied directly, contrary to his usual evasion. "I'm not Austin Corell." He was now Cinderaven, a black crow with not a single white feather on his body.

Elara rolled over, asking as if curious. "Hey, I heard Austin Corell is the only strong person who broke into the West Sea Forest and survived. How do you think he got out?"

Who spread this rumor? Cinderaven didn't want to answer at first. But seeing the girl staring at him coldly, he felt that as the ruler of the West Sea Forest, she did have the right to know some of the truth.

He cleared his throat. "Legend has it that Austin Corell was very polite. So, in my opinion, he wouldn't have broken into the West Sea Forest without an invitation." If he had really broken in, Lord Vanzelna would never have given him the manuscript on deducing the Twin Holy Spirit Curse of the West Sea—and he wouldn't have survived until now.

Elara lowered her eyes. So Austin Corell had been invited into the West Sea Forest by her great-grandmother. But why would her great-grandmother invite him?

Elara fell into deep thought.

Chirp… Chirp…

Hearing the cry of the fanged black bat, she flashed upstairs in an instant. The fanged black bat perched outside the glazed window was extremely excited to see Elara, chirping nonstop.

Elara opened the window and let it in. The black crow quietly followed. Seeing the young Dessey looking happy, he felt that the rest of the day would be easy. He lowered his head, really missing his semi-conscious state.

"You mean my aunt and Alexander have returned to the royal capital?" Elara admired Alexander. He really knew how to hide!

Chirp… Chirp…

What? Elara was shocked, her expression becoming extremely complicated. She twisted her neck to look back. "Cinderaven, my aunt can use Witch Power now, but her eye color has turned silver-red. What's going on?"

The black crow was also shocked, blinking his eyes repeatedly. After a long while, he replied hesitantly. "Maybe Alexander was adopted." Other than that, he couldn't think of any other suitable reason.

The ancestors were just a fancy title, weren't they? Alexander's bloodline couldn't be flawed. So the problem must lie with her aunt. Elara was in a good mood. She picked up the fanged black bat and brushed its teeth, lowering her head and saying softly, "You've worked hard."

In the City Lord's Mansion, after listening to Juna Charlotte's report, Ana Stirling's expression was no longer relaxed. "You're saying this girl is stronger than that old Kelly?"

"Judging from her eye color, that's indeed the case." Juna Charlotte's gaze inadvertently swept over the young boy in a white robe standing next to Jaden Anastas. Seeing his calm expression, she made up her mind.

That would be tricky. Ana Stirling looked down at the bright red blood in her glass, thinking for a full five minutes before turning to order. "Jaden, you and Benelli leave for the royal capital immediately."

“Grandmother…”

Before Jaden Anastas could finish speaking, Ana Stirling raised her hand to stop him. "You have to be obedient." She didn't give him a chance to refuse, turning to the boy standing next to him. "Benelli, keep an eye on Jaden. If something happens to him, you know the consequences."

The boy in the white robe had a somewhat feminine and delicate face. Hearing Ana's words, his expression didn't change. He only nodded slightly before turning around and going upstairs. "We leave in half an hour."

Seeing Jaden's reluctance, Ana Stirling walked up to him and gently straightened his clothes. “Go. After I finish things here, grandmother will return to the royal capital."

"Th… then you must be careful." Jaden wanted to ask her to leave with them, but the words stuck in his throat. Maybe he was still too selfish.

After sending Jaden away, Ana Stirling's face darkened. She waved her right hand in the air, and a blood-eyed Andros appeared behind her. She parted her red lips and whispered, "Tell Boyle Larissa to come to the City Lord's Mansion."

“Yes.”

After opening the shop for a whole day and not selling a single Moon Glow Ring, Elara had to admit her aunt was right—doing business was indeed not as easy as she thought.

As soon as it got dark, she couldn't wait to close the shop. She had planned to go out with the blueprint to find a craftsman, but as soon as she stepped over the threshold, she sensed that many Andros had gathered near her shop. Reluctantly, she pulled her foot back, slammed the door shut, and went upstairs to cultivate, replenishing her Witch Power in preparation for the upcoming battle.

That night, Anastas City had no bright lights as usual. Everyone seemed to sense that something big was going to happen, closing their doors and locking them tightly. There were few pedestrians on the streets, which were extremely cold. But in the darkness, countless black shadows were approaching East Street.

Sitting on the bed in her mother's room, Elara's ten fingers fluttered. The Moon Glow around her was constantly condensing rapidly. When the black shadows outside rushed towards the shop's glazed windows, the Moon Glow, which had been divided into strands and condensed into liquid, poured into her meridians.

Elara finished her cultivation and opened her eyes, flashing through the glazed window. The charging black shadow couldn't stop in time, exposing his chest. He quickly tried to block it, but a cold feeling swept over him. His neck tightened, and his head rolled to the ground.

The smell of blood filled the air, driving the Andros hiding in the darkness almost crazy. They revealed their sharp fangs in unison, pouncing on Elara.

Elara tapped her toes in the air, leaping upward. With a wave of her right hand, a crossbow g*n appeared in her hand. She pulled the string with her left hand, shooting three arrows at once. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—three of the most aggressive Andros were pierced by the arrows and nailed to the rock ground of the main road, their blood instantly staining the ground red.

Ana Stirling and Boyle Larissa, hiding behind the layers of Andros, watched the girl standing in the air. The more they watched, the worse their expressions became.

The Andros were numerous, but Elara occupied the high ground. With the help of dark weapons, she had disabled a third of their combat power in a short time without using much Witch Power—something Ana didn't want to see.

What annoyed her even more was that the arrows Elara used were not only poisoned but also infused with Dark Witch Power. Unless they were completely destroyed, they could be reused indefinitely.

Running out of arrows, Elara channeled her Witch Power with her left hand, waving it in the air. All the arrows stuck in the Andros' bodies were pulled out. She pulled the string again and shot—just like countless times before, not a single arrow missed.

The smell of blood in the air had spread outside the city. Ana Stirling opened her mouth gracefully, two sharp fangs glowing with cold light slowly extending. Blood surged into her eyes. With a roar, she summoned again.

She knew very well that if she couldn't take down this Dessey Witch tonight, it would be even harder in the future. She raised her right hand and pushed the person beside her forward. "Boyle, let me tell you good news." Thea Dessey has recondensed her Witch Power—and her Andros traits haven't completely disappeared."