Little Ella stood there in a daze, watching as countless fragments of light drifted into her body.
Suddenly, the confusion in her eyes vanished. Her once-innocent gaze transformed into one of maturity and wisdom, exuding a gentle compassion that embraced all of existence.
Though she appeared to be a child of only seven or eight, the look in her eyes was enough to convince anyone that she was a mature adult. Her presence radiated wisdom and strength, as if no calamity or adversity could ever bring her down.
This was the true Witch Ella.
She turned to the players present, her face graced with a serene and beautiful smile.
“Thank you all,” she said softly.
Then she extended her hand and began to chant an ancient, arcane incantation. Pure, untainted light flowed from her palm, scattering like a myriad of stars toward all the players present.
As the light touched them, the players felt warmth envelop their bodies. Their wounds began to heal visibly, and in no time, their bodies were restored to their peak condition. Even injuries sustained during the fierce battle with the demon were completely gone. Missing limbs regrew painlessly, rivaling the effects of the Limb Regeneration Potion of Boundless City.
Not only were their bodies lighter and their injuries gone, but they could also feel their strength advancing to new heights.
“This is a blessing spell. I bestow my blessings upon you,” Witch Ella said gently.
The players stared at her in astonishment. None of them had expected that the destruction of the magic circle and the departure of the demon would awaken Ella into the true Witch Ella. Her memories had returned, as had her powers.
When they sensed the amplifying effect of the blessing magic on their abilities, joy spread across their faces.
They had never expected such a boon.
For the first time in this game world, they received something more valuable than any in-game item: a magical blessing from one of its own inhabitants. This blessing was tailored to their greatest need—power.
This made them happier than anything else.
Oh, little Ella was truly a good girl!
If only all the characters in the game world were as generous and kind as Ella!
For a moment, the players’ gazes toward Witch Ella became exceedingly warm. Many even felt that risking their lives to help her fight the demon and protect her had been more than worth it.
Ella’s foster parents, Lady Ella and Old Joseph, wept as they knelt beside her, overcome with emotion.
The witch looked at the two of them, her expression tinged with sorrow yet also with a sense of release.
In a voice like a poetic chant, she murmured, “Long ago, a wicked demon appeared on the continent of Aurede. It was a harbinger of darkness and corruption—cunning, treacherous, and skilled at deceiving human hearts. It lured people into depravity, plunging the continent into war, bringing death and disaster upon Aurede…”
“Eventually, the magical saints of the continent united and succeeded in defeating the demon, driving war away from Aurede.”
“Everyone believed the saints had vanquished the demon, but in truth, it was not destroyed. Severely weakened, it hid away in a remote and desolate village…”
Witch Ella had grown up hearing tales of the demon. She too had believed it had been defeated by the saints.
But when she came to the small village and discovered the rampant magical beasts plaguing it, she decided to stay and help the villagers fend off the beasts by setting up defensive magic circles. Little did she know, betrayal by humans awaited her there.
One day, she realized that the demon had been secretly corrupting the villagers, and even she fell victim to its schemes.
At that point, it was too late to reverse the situation. Left with no other choice, she made a final gamble, laying a secret plan.
Eventually, her body was sealed beneath the magical array under the Witch’s Tavern.
She chose to relinquish her own magic, sealing it within the array. One day, when the array was reactivated, and the town became engulfed in mist, facing its inevitable doom, a type of magical grass, as beautiful as emeralds, would grow within the fog.
This was her gift to the world, the sole thing capable of saving the doomed town.
—
Witch Ella’s voice had the crisp clarity unique to children, yet it carried an indescribable gentleness.
Everyone listened intently to her story.
The players felt a familiar tugging sensation, realizing they had cleared the game and were about to leave the world.
Witch Ella seemed to sense it as well. She smiled at the group of players and said, “Farewell, travelers from another realm.”
Surprised by her words, the players quickly recalled that she was a witch, and it made sense that she could detect the system’s opened portal. After all, not everyone in this world was oblivious to the workings of the game.
As the players were about to leave, they suddenly saw little Ella rush toward Gu Jiu.
She hugged Gu Jiu around the waist, her crisp voice ringing out as she tilted her face up to look at her. With an innocent and adorable expression, she said, “Adventurer sister, this is for you. I hope we can meet again someday.”
What did she give to Gu Jiu?
Every player craned their necks in envy, lamenting why they hadn’t been as lucky as Gu Jiu. If only they had been the first to find Witch Ella’s reincarnation and help her, perhaps it would have been them receiving this precious gift.
After all, Witch Ella was someone even the demon coveted. Whatever she gave must be extraordinarily valuable.
Before they could catch a clear glimpse of what it was, the players were transported out of the game world.
—
[Congratulations on clearing the level, Miss.]
The moment Gu Jiu entered the gray mist space, System Manager No. 387 zipped over, circling her excitedly and chattering in its usual nosy tone: [Miss, what did Witch Ella give you?]
Curiosity wasn’t limited to humans—this system was particularly nosy.
Gu Jiu smiled faintly. “What do you think she gave me?”
This stumped No. 387. It couldn’t imagine what Witch Ella might have gifted Gu Jiu—something so exclusive that no other players had received it. It must be an incredibly valuable item.
“It is indeed very precious,” Gu Jiu said softly. “Little Ella is such a sincere child. I didn’t do much, yet she gave me the Heart of the Witch.”
[What?] No. 387 was utterly shocked.
Gu Jiu repeated herself.
No. 387 immediately began spinning in circles at high speed, its excitement making it incoherent. [Miss, that’s an amazing gift! Witch Ella actually gave you the Heart of the Witch, something only powerful witches can condense. That shows how much she likes you… With this, you don’t have to fear any otherworldly creatures anymore! One punch for each!]
Gu Jiu said nothing, merely touching the spot over her heart.
Little Ella truly was sincere. She had directly embedded the Heart of the Witch into Gu Jiu’s body, merging it with her celestial demon bloodline, making it clear that she never intended to take it back.
After 387 finished its excitement, it praised her: [As expected, Miss, you’re amazing. Little Ella didn’t give the Heart of the Witch to anyone else but you, which shows how much she likes you. Of course, it’s also because you’ve always protected her—giving her food and medicine, and even eating those awful rice dumplings she made. Honestly, this is your reward for your sacrifices.]
Those dumplings had looked inedible from the start, but Miss still gave Ella face by eating them. Even 387 had been moved by her gesture.
So, it was no surprise Little Ella adored her so much.
“Alright, enough,” Gu Jiu, though self-assured, felt a bit embarrassed by its excessive praise. “Let’s settle the points first.”
[Got it~~]
387 cheerfully responded and started calculating her points.
[Player Gu Jiu has earned 10,000 points in ‘Ella’s Town,’ meeting the requirement to purchase items from the ‘Ella’s Town’ instance.]
[Item 1: Magical Grass – Used to brew magical potions and repel alien creatures. Each costs 200 points.]
[Item 2: Witch’s Rice Dumpling – Can kill alien creatures. Each costs 300 points.]
[Item 3: Magic Array – A defensive, one-time consumable. Costs 3,000 points.]
[Item 4: Magic Clock – Stops time for five minutes. Costs 5,000 points.]
[Item 5: …]
…
[Item 10: Heart of the Witch – Possessing this item allows one to practice magic. Costs 200,000 points.]
This instance of Ella’s Town had generated ten items, all of which were related to magic. However, most weren’t suitable for Eastern players.
Gu Jiu’s gaze lingered on the final item, “Heart of the Witch.”
387 exclaimed in awe: [Miss, we’ve hit the jackpot! The Heart of the Witch costs 200,000 points in the game’s marketplace. Even S-tier players wouldn’t easily spend that much to buy it—and they probably couldn’t get it anyway.]
It was common knowledge that once players left the game world, the items generated by the instance were sold back to the main system. These items would later appear in other markets at inflated prices, often unaffordable even to S-tier players.
This was why 387 was so ecstatic—Gu Jiu had gotten the Heart of the Witch without spending a single point.
The more it thought about it, the happier 387 became. [Miss, are you going to practice magic now?]
Gu Jiu, still browsing the item list on the marketplace screen, replied nonchalantly, “Probably not.”
[Why not? This is such a great opportunity!]
“Because it’s not practical, and I don’t have a proper spellbook to practice with.”
Spellbooks were rare magical items, tightly held by Western players. An Eastern player like her trying to buy one from them was next to impossible.
The only alternative was to find one in a game world.
However, instances below S-tier were randomly assigned by the main system. Entering another magic-themed world would be pure luck, and she couldn’t rely on such uncertainty.
So even if she wanted to practice magic, it wasn’t feasible.
However, once she became an S-tier player in the future, she could explore S-tier magical worlds, seek out spellbooks, and then decide whether or not to practice magic.
For now, it simply wasn’t feasible.
After hearing her reasoning, 387 felt it made sense but was still somewhat disappointed.
It wished Gu Jiu had more skills in her arsenal. If she could use magic, she would undoubtedly be even stronger, and there would be less worry about her meeting an untimely end in the game worlds.
“What’s this? You don’t trust me?” Gu Jiu teased with a smile.
387 quickly replied: [Of course I trust you! I just hope you have more cards up your sleeve.]
Gu Jiu chuckled. “Even if I can’t practice magic, the Heart of the Witch has plenty of other uses. It’s already more than enough. You shouldn’t be too greedy,” she said with a tone of mock seriousness.
If 387 were human, it would surely have a head full of question marks right now.
Not greedy? Is she even human? With Miss’s domineering personality, she’s probably the greediest one of all.