Something went wrong!
That was the thought racing through everyone’s mind.
Without time to process, the group hurried toward the end of the corridor.
As they approached the end, a suffocating sense of danger enveloped them. The people in the corridor froze in terror, a wave of unprecedented fear weighing heavily on their hearts, nearly rendering them unable to stand.
Since becoming players, they had faced countless crises, yet none like this. The oppressive power was absolute, as if even a mere fraction of it could force them into submission.
But this wasn’t just a fraction. It was overwhelming.
A vast and terrifying force swept through the space, its dominance and arrogance palpable. It radiated a lofty disdain, as though all living beings in its presence were insignificant ants unworthy of attention.
Chai Yingying, Jiang Ze, Mina, Alva, and others barely managed to stay upright by leaning against the walls. Beyond keeping themselves from collapsing, they could do nothing else—not even lift their feet to move forward.
The door at the end of the corridor was within sight, yet impossibly out of reach.
Gu Jiu stumbled, but a steady hand caught her.
“Ah Jiu?” Lu Ji looked at her with concern, a faint glimmer of light flickering in his pitch-black eyes.
Gu Jiu turned to him with a smile, steadied herself, and took a deep breath. She took the little girl from Chai Yingying’s arms and, pulling Lu Ji along, strode forward quickly, as if the oppressive force had no effect on her.
The players behind them watched in disbelief as the two walked forward with ease, thinking to themselves: Are these two secretly monsters?
Gu Jiu and Lu Ji burst through the door.
As soon as they entered, a blinding red light assaulted their eyes. After blinking a few times, they adjusted to the eerie glow of the room.
What greeted them was a magic circle pulsating with red light and, standing at its center, a woman.
The woman was dressed in a peculiar black robe adorned with intricate crimson patterns of magical sigils, exuding an aura of mystery. Her long hair, slightly wavy like flowing seaweed, cascaded down her back. Her face was strikingly beautiful, her skin pale as snow without a hint of color, and her emerald-green eyes were captivating.
She stood there, her mesmerizing green eyes gazing at the players outside the magic circle.
The moment Gu Jiu saw her face, she paused, scanning the rest of the scene.
The players lay outside the magic circle, some sprawled, some kneeling, and others lying flat, groaning in pain. Only Huo Ting and Odinson barely managed to stay on their feet.
Odinson leaned heavily on the holy sword Dalis, while Huo Ting braced himself against the wall, his wary eyes locked on the woman in the center of the magic circle.
As for Lady Ella and Old Joseph, they knelt devoutly outside the circle, their eyes filled with fanatical reverence as they gazed at the woman.
The woman at the center of the magic circle turned her attention to Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, a faint smile gracing her lips as she spoke softly, “Two more delectable sacrifices. How delightful.”
Lu Ji’s previously indifferent expression darkened, his gaze becoming dangerously sharp.
All the players looked at Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, recalling the warning Gu Jiu had given before she entered. Now, they finally understood its meaning.
The basement truly was more dangerous than the surface.
If they had known the corpses in the magic circle would suddenly reanimate, they would have left with Gu Jiu without hesitation. They would have rather faced the monsters outside than confront this overwhelmingly powerful entity. While the monsters were dangerous, at least the players could resist them to some extent. This reanimated woman, however, was so strong that with a mere wave of her hand, she sent them flying.
They hadn’t even seen how she attacked. The oppressive force emanating from her body immobilized them completely.
Her power was nearly at the peak of a B-level world.
Gu Jiu asked calmly, “What happened?”
Huo Ting replied swiftly, “The witch’s corpse suddenly came back to life. She’s incredibly strong.”
“She’s not a witch!” Odinson said coldly. “A witch wouldn’t be this evil.”
“Nonsense! She is the witch!” Old Joseph and Lady Ella retorted passionately. “The witch has finally been resurrected!”
The two knelt devoutly, gazing at the woman at the center of the magic circle. The red light pulsating through the circle seemed connected to her, continuously feeding her power, making her aura grow stronger and stronger.
Gu Jiu remained calm as she asked, “If she’s the witch, then what about Little Ella?”
She set Little Ella down, letting the girl face everyone.
In an instant, all eyes turned to the young girl standing beside Gu Jiu.
With just one glance, the players noticed that Little Ella’s face was identical to the woman in the magic circle. The only difference was that one was a seven- or eight-year-old child, while the other was a grown woman.
Even their emerald-green eyes were exactly the same.
“Lady Ella, Old Joseph, tell me—who is Little Ella?” Gu Jiu asked again.
The two elders instinctively glanced at the woman in the magic circle. Meeting her emerald gaze, their voices wavered, losing their earlier conviction. “They’re both the Witch Ella.”
Yes, both were Witch Ella.
“You’re wrong!” Gu Jiu said sharply. “There is only one Witch Ella, and it’s Little Ella. The one in the magic circle is not.”
The harshness in her tone startled the two elders. They instinctively asked, “Then who is she?”
The body in the magic circle was undeniably that of the witch, Ella, who had been sealed here by the villagers a century ago.
Later, Little Ella was born by some stroke of luck. The two elders had verified that she was the reincarnation of the Witch Ella. However, Little Ella had no memories of her past life. She was like a new soul, unable to perform magic or sense magical artifacts.
No memories, no magic—was she still the Witch Ella?
To restore Little Ella’s memories and magic, the two elders sought out a demon and struck a deal: they would sacrifice the lives of an entire village to resurrect the Witch Ella as her true self.
But now, the corpse of the Witch Ella had suddenly reanimated and possessed its own consciousness.
And yet, Little Ella was still here.
Gu Jiu’s gaze shifted to the woman in the magic circle. The woman looked back at her, her blood-red lips curving into a faint, amused smile, as though she were waiting for Gu Jiu’s answer.
She wasn’t anxious at all and didn’t seem to mind her identity being exposed.
Gu Jiu gently patted Little Ella’s head, her voice soft and calm. “Years ago, the villagers made a deal with the demon, sacrificing Witch Ella to establish Ella Town. Now, the demon has made a deal with you, resurrecting Witch Ella… Do you really think the demon is so kindhearted? That a mere sacrifice was enough for it to help the villagers build a town or assist you in reviving Witch Ella? Have you never wondered why the demon is helping you?”
Old Joseph and Lady Ella froze, their bodies trembling as a dreadful realization flickered through their minds.
“She’s the demon!” Odinson’s voice rang out. “Whether dealing with the villagers or with you, the demon’s ultimate goal is to resurrect itself.”
Huo Ting’s steady voice added, “To be resurrected, the demon needs a body. An ordinary human body cannot withstand the demon’s power—only the body of a witch can.”
Gu Jiu nodded slightly. “Exactly. From the very beginning, the demon had its eyes on Witch Ella’s body as its vessel.” She paused before continuing, “A hundred years ago, when monsters began ravaging the village, the demon’s plan was already in motion.”
Both the witch and the villagers had been nothing more than pawns in the demon’s game.
The monsters were created by the demon to drain the villagers’ life force, strengthening the demon in the process.
Old Joseph and Lady Ella collapsed to the ground.
The truth was too horrifying for the two, who had waited a century, to bear.
What made it even more unbearable was the realization that everything they had done—avoiding the villagers, restarting the magic circle in secret, and sealing Ella Town in thick fog—had only served to empower the demon, allowing it to resurrect using Witch Ella’s body.
The two trembled as they looked at the woman in the magic circle.
The woman’s eyes, once feigned to be emerald green, had turned blood-red, matching the crimson of her lips, as though smeared with human blood.
Seeing her followers collapse in despair, she chuckled with amusement and spoke softly, “My loyal followers, you’ve done well. Thanks to you, I’ve been lucky enough to come back to life.”
Psycho!
The players cursed inwardly. This demon, which had schemed for a hundred years to return to the world, was a complete lunatic, delighting in the despair of its followers.
The woman’s gaze shifted to Little Ella.
Terrified, Little Ella hid behind Gu Jiu, peeking out timidly from behind her.
As they noticed the woman’s predatory stare, Old Joseph and Lady Ella finally broke down completely.
“Don’t hurt her!” they screamed desperately.
The Witch Ella they had revered as their faith, for whom they had schemed for a hundred years, hoping to restore her memories and identity, to let her walk in the sunlight again, gain the respect of the world, and avenge her death at the hands of the villagers…
In the end, they had only doomed her.
At that moment, the woman extended her hand toward Little Ella.
“Goddamn it, this demon is vile!” a Western player cursed and flung a tarot card into the air.
The tarot card hovered midair, its face showing the image of a devil. Black energy spread from it, blocking the woman’s outstretched hand from reaching Little Ella.
Simultaneously, Odinson raised his sword and struck at the woman. Golden energy slashed through the red glow of the magic circle, surging toward her.
The woman’s face twisted in annoyance. Her hair floated up, and with a flicker of crimson light, she deflected the holy sword. With a casual wave of her hand, Odinson was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed heavily into the wall.
The tarot card was torn in two.
She easily deflected the attacks from the two players.
Seeing this, the rest of the players quickly deployed their items in an attempt to stop her, no longer holding back.
By now, they understood what the quest “Find the Cursed Witch Ella” truly meant. The woman in the magic circle was the “cursed” Witch Ella mentioned in the mission. Although she wore the guise of Witch Ella, she was merely an impostor inhabiting her body through illicit means, which fit the description of “cursed” perfectly.
No flaws in the logic.
Their objective was clear now: eliminate this cursed Witch Ella.
Understanding it, however, was one thing—executing it was another. This demon, adept at manipulating minds, now had a physical body. Resurrected in Witch Ella’s body, the demon was formidable beyond words.
The woman effortlessly repelled all the tools the players threw at her.
She paid no heed to the players, her gaze fixed on Little Ella. Her crimson lips curved into a gentle smile as she said, “Years ago, Witch Ella harbored a sliver of caution toward both me and the villagers. She left herself an escape route, which prevented me from obtaining her soul… A witch’s soul is incredibly delicious. I need your soul. Give it to me!”
The players’ faces lit up with understanding.
So that was why Witch Ella had been able to reincarnate—her soul had never been consumed by the demon.
Only by devouring the witch’s soul and occupying her body could the demon achieve true resurrection and regain immense power.
This realization solidified their resolve: they absolutely could not let her harm Little Ella.
Standing in the center of the magic circle, the woman summoned a surge of red light, which began converging in Little Ella’s direction.
Gu Jiu’s eyes narrowed in confirmation of her theory: the woman was tethered to the magic circle and could not leave it. Her physical resurrection relied on the magic circle’s energy.
Little Ella’s eyes filled with tears, but she stubbornly refused to cry aloud, her tiny hand clutching Gu Jiu’s clothing tightly.
A streak of red light shot toward them.
Lu Ji stepped forward, raising his black sword, and slashed through the incoming energy, dispersing it instantly.
The woman paused for a moment, clearly surprised, then attacked again. Each successive strike of red energy was intercepted by the black-sword-wielding Lu Ji, who stood resolutely like a guardian knight, ensuring neither Gu Jiu nor Little Ella suffered any harm.
The players were stunned by the display.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze, who had managed to catch up, were unsurprised. Instead, they were moved to tears.
“As expected, when Master Lu steps in, you can’t help but feel safe,” Chai Yingying murmured, her voice quivering with emotion.
“Focus on destroying the magic circle!” Gu Jiu urged the players.
They sprang into action, attacking the magic circle with their items. Yet, no matter what tools they used, their efforts barely left a mark. Even when they managed to create a small breach, the red glow quickly filled it, restoring the circle to its original form.
“It’s no use! We can’t destroy it!”
“Odinson, where’s your Alice?” someone called out, referring to Odinson’s magical doll.
Odinson’s frustrated voice replied, “This magic circle is too high-level. Alice can’t break it.”
All eyes turned to the doll, dressed in a frilly puffed dress. It had been flung back by the magic circle’s power and now buried itself in its owner’s hair, crying pitifully and refusing to approach the circle again.
The players collectively sighed. “…”
Gu Jiu’s voice rang out, clear and composed: “Use Mistgrass.”
The players were momentarily confused. “How?”
Still shielding Little Ella, Gu Jiu pulled out several sprigs of Mistgrass, squeezing them hard until emerald-green liquid seeped out. She hurled the liquid toward the magic circle.
A sizzling sound echoed as a portion of the circle corroded. Although the surrounding red glow quickly filled the gap, it proved that the Mistgrass was effective.
“It works!” a player exclaimed in excitement, but their enthusiasm quickly faded. “But we don’t have enough Mistgrass!”
Who would have thought Mistgrass could break a magic circle? If Gu Jiu hadn’t demonstrated it, they wouldn’t have known at all.
“Don’t worry, we have plenty,” Gu Jiu replied, waving her hand. A large pile of Mistgrass appeared out of nowhere.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze chimed in eagerly, “We have some too—more than enough!”
Chen Zhiru and the others paused, suddenly recalling how Gu Jiu’s group had harvested all the Mistgrass earlier that morning. Could it be that they had known about its use all along?
The woman’s expression shifted as her gaze landed on the pile of Mistgrass. Her previously indifferent demeanor vanished, replaced by a murderous glint in her crimson eyes as she stared at Gu Jiu.
If, earlier, she had only wanted to kill Little Ella and dismissed the others as insignificant ants, Gu Jiu had now earned a place on her list of most hated enemies.
Her attacks became even more ferocious.
The immense power of her strikes pressured the players, while the red light of the magic circle pulsed violently, launching wave after wave of attacks against them.
The players were forced to scatter in disarray.
“What do we do? At this rate, she’ll kill us all before we can even destroy the magic circle!” someone cried out.
Gu Jiu glanced at Lu Ji, who was still standing protectively in front of her, and threw a small lock into the air. The lock expanded mid-flight, transforming into a doorway that enveloped everyone within its space.
The woman’s attacks crashed against the door, but none penetrated.
Chai Yingying’s eyes widened in recognition. “That’s Xiao Hui’s Space Lock! Miss Gu, you actually bought one of these?”
The Space Lock, crafted by Xiao Hui, could conceal an entire space and provide protection for up to thirty minutes.
Gu Jiu nodded. “Her power is too strong. The Space Lock won’t hold for its full duration. At most, it’ll buy us ten minutes—so work quickly.”
Though the Space Lock was designed to last half an hour, the demon’s strength—at the pinnacle of a B-level world—meant its integrity would degrade much faster.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze immediately retrieved all the Mistgrass they had, urging the players to help juice it as fast as possible.
Hand-squeezing the juice was incredibly time-consuming. Even with the players’ speed, it was clear they couldn’t finish within ten minutes.
Then, one player pulled out a juicer and started tossing Mistgrass into it, producing juice much faster. The others couldn’t help but praise him.
“Dude, you’re amazing for carrying a juicer with you!”
The praised player scratched his head sheepishly. “I love fresh juice, so I carry one everywhere.”
Everyone gave him a thumbs-up, suddenly inspired to bring along items catering to their own hobbies—just in case they turned out useful in unexpected ways.
As they juiced the Mistgrass, someone asked curiously, “Miss Gu, how did you know Mistgrass could destroy the magic circle?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” a clever player chimed in. “Monsters won’t attack houses decorated with Mistgrass, but if someone carries Mistgrass with them, the monsters go berserk. That shows their aversion and hatred for it. Since the monsters were created by the demon, it makes sense that whatever the boss hates, its minions hate too. Flawless logic, right?”
The group turned to Gu Jiu, silently seeking her confirmation.
Gu Jiu smiled gently and said, “I was only speculating, so I tested it just now to confirm its effectiveness.” After a pause, she added, “Considering the story of Ella Town, I believe Mistgrass is connected to Witch Ella. It seems like a lifeline she left for the townspeople.”
Witch Ella had been a kind soul. Even after being sacrificed to the demon by the villagers, she hadn’t sought vengeance to the point of annihilation. Dealing with a sly and dark demon only ensured that it would exploit them again. The demon would eventually manipulate the residents of Ella Town once more.
The similarity between the emerald-green hue of Mistgrass and the color of Witch Ella’s eyes made it seem like a gift she had left behind, infused with her power.
The players were struck by realization, feeling that Gu Jiu’s theory made a lot of sense.
Finally, just as the demon shattered the Space Lock, the players finished juicing all the Mistgrass.
The emerald liquid gleamed like flowing jade, its beauty mesmerizing.
The moment the Space Lock collapsed, the players surged forward, disregarding injuries, and hurled the Mistgrass juice toward the magic circle. Though the woman had been anticipating their move, she was bound to the magic circle and couldn’t evade or block all the attacks.
The sound of sizzling and corrosion filled the air as the magic circle was destroyed under the onslaught of Mistgrass juice.
As the magic circle crumbled, the woman let out a voice filled with bitterness. “As long as there is darkness in this world, I will exist. I will not disappear…”
With a loud bang, the witch’s body shattered into fragments of light.
Those fragments floated toward Little Ella, merging into her body.