Volume 1: Stranger in a Strange Land Chapter 17: Witch
"The form of these runes is too ancient. I cannot understand their specific functions. The only thing I can be sure of is that a lightning spell of level seven or above is stored in them."
The girl, who was only the size of a palm, flapped her wings like a dragonfly and hovered in the air, with shiny scales constantly falling from her body.
As she spoke, she held her face with one hand and ran the other hand along the flowing lightning on the demon-sealing rune.
"Aren't you an old witch who claims to have lived for over 200 years? Even you feel ancient?"
Cas asked confused.
With a whoosh, the witch flew in front of Cass, standing with her hands on her hips and yelling angrily.
"I've told you countless times, don't call me an old witch, and don't bring up the topic of age. Talking about age in front of girls is a taboo, understand? A taboo!"
Can you still call yourself a girl when you are over 200 years old? I really don’t understand the concept of time of these immortals.
Cas turned his head slightly.
"You were the one who first told me your age. I never even thought of asking ."
"It was an emergency, okay? And you still have the nerve to say that. If I hadn't told you my identity clearly, you would have killed me like a monster. I was saving you at the time."
She got even angrier when she said this, and flew directly to Cass's head and pulled his hair hard.
"After I killed several spider monsters with human faces and ran away, a woman with dragonfly wings suddenly flew out and sang above my head. What do you think I would think? Besides, are all you witches so weak that you were almost killed by a mortal like me who doesn't even know magic?"
Cass said as he gently pushed her off his head.
The witch launched several attacks on Cas's hair, but was blocked by the other party with his hands. Finally, she had no choice but to sit on Cas's shoulder and said in a very unconvinced voice.
"That's because you humans have put all your energy in studying magic into how to kill more efficiently. Our race has never been good at dealing with battles, let alone using magic to fight."
"But if you are not good at fighting, you will be slaughtered by others. This is the iron law of this world."
Cas said seriously.
"You were saved by me, don't you think you can do it just by fighting?"
The witch rolled her eyes.
The witch sitting on Cas's shoulder at this moment was named Liz, a companion he had met in the Silver Mine Cave before.
At that time, he had just fought his way out of the monsters in the Silver Mine. As the last survivor of the Blackthorn Mercenaries, the seriously injured Cass crawled to the cave entrance entirely relying on his own will to survive, but eventually he fainted from excessive bleeding.
Before falling into a coma, Cass thought he was dead, but in a trance he heard an ethereal singing voice, and then he felt something warm falling on his face, which made him feel warm.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a palm-sized girl hovering over his head, flapping her dragonfly-like wings. She was singing and sprinkling countless shining scale powders on his face.
Without a second thought, Cass grabbed her, then pulled out the dagger with all his strength and prepared to pierce her.
"Wait... wait! Human, let go and don't kill me. I'm only two hundred years old, still very young..."
What finally made him put down the dagger was not the other party's pleading, but his own exhaustion. After Liz stopped singing, the little strength he had recovered disappeared immediately, causing him to faint again.
When he woke up again, he was already in a forest not far from Thorn City. The witch who had saved him earlier was hiding in a tall tree, looking at him warily.
Cass had seen witches in comic books in the orphanage when he was a child. It was said that they were beautiful and cunning beings who would induce curious children to disappear into the depths of the forest mist.
However, after actual contact, Cass discovered that they are actually very contradictory creatures. They yearn for the rich life of humans, but are afraid of the fickleness of humans. They have always been in a state of wanting to contact humans but being afraid of humans.
Of course, he didn't know if all witches were like this. After all, he had only seen Liz as a witch.
"Come to think of it, are you sure that the mysterious wizard disappeared just when you turned around?"
Liz asked suddenly.
"Yeah, it only takes a second or two."
Liz swung her calves and deliberately hit Cas's shoulders with her heels.
"Then it should be teleportation magic. So, since the magic-sealing rune contains a lightning spell, it is very likely that this magic is also related to teleportation."
" Why would lightning spells be related to teleportation magic?"
Cas asked doubtfully.
"Don't you even know this entry-level magic knowledge? The essence of lightning is a crack in space, so no matter whether you use summoning magic or teleportation magic to open a portal, there will be flashes of lightning."
Cas nodded thoughtfully, then asked.
"Then what do you think the wizard meant? Why did he give me this magic-sealing rune?"
"I can't bear to watch it anymore. It's like why should I stay with you."
Liz said angrily.
"You can actually go back. Although I don't have the Witch's Eye and can't see through the monsters' disguises at a glance, I can still find some if I spend some time..."
Cass hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"And watch you die? Please, I spent a lot of effort to save you, can't you live peacefully until the end of your life and let me recycle your scale powder?"
The witch's scale powder is equivalent to an extension of her own vitality. They can connect this vitality to other lives. But only when the life that received her scale powder dies, the scale powder can be completely taken back. If the life dies due to other accidents, about half of the scale powder will be consumed in the struggle before death.
Usually they only sprinkle scale powder on flowers with a very short flowering period. Many people see bright flowers blooming out of season, most of which are the work of witches.
But regardless, they rarely use their life force to save humans who are in constant conflict.
"I'm very grateful that you saved me."
Cass said.
"I'm not grateful for saving my life, but I'm grateful for giving me a chance for revenge."
Liz looked at the man's expression and hesitated to speak.
"I know that my current life is not my own, but you lent it to me. So I promise you that I will definitely do my best to keep this life."
As Cass spoke, he put the demon-sealing rune into his pocket.
"But all my former comrades died in that mine, possessed by monsters that came from nowhere. I can't live an ordinary life without any reaction knowing this. So I won't stop fighting until all the masterminds behind the whole thing are dealt with."
He paused as he spoke, then looked at Liz and continued.
"But this is yours after all. If you don't want to take the risk, please take your scale powder away now. Although there will be some loss , it will be much less than if I die on the way of revenge."
Liz looked at Cas for a long time without being able to say anything, and after a long while she spoke viciously.
"I'm so annoyed. Once all this is over, you'll spend the rest of your life as a slave in my garden."
After saying that, she flew out angrily.
