Chapter 20: The Rose Witch

As Jolia articulated several tongue-twisting syllables, Hazel Cheney immediately identified their nature.

"Yes, that is the ancient Tyrian tongue."

"Tyrian?" Jolia blinked her bright, slightly azure-tinted eyes, looking at her teacher with curiosity shimmering in the depths of her pupils.

In the past, Hazel Cheney would not have explained much to Jolia. But things were different now. From the depths of the hidden realm, Jolia had received words of mystical enlightenment—specifically, the "ancient Tyrian tongue" of occultism. This meant Jolia was extraordinary, possessing special qualities that Hazel could not fully perceive. Vaguely, Hazel realized that perhaps… this was hope itself.

Consequently, she felt she could disclose things usually inaccessible to ordinary transcendents. Glancing briefly at the young, dull-witted nobles standing like withered stumps, she turned back to Jolia, a hint of doting warmth appearing on her face as she began to speak.

"A long, long time ago, our progenitor, the great Primordial Witch, was born within the chaos of the cosmos. As time passed, the seven sister witches were conceived within the Primordial Witch's body. At first, the seven sisters were as close as kin, but eventually, conflicts arose. Over the vast expanse of time, these contradictions became irreconcilable.

"Following an ancient clash of gods, the Primordial Witch fell into a deep slumber, and the seven sisters passed through their respective gates of life, arriving in this world. The great entity we worship is the one who traversed the Gate of Blood and Shadow, constructed of roses and thorns. The great Lady of the Blood-Shadow Rose is the only true god we serve. The ancient language used by the seven sisters to communicate with each other and with their believers is the very same ancient Tyrian tongue you just spoke."

When Ms. Hazel Cheney finished her explanation, Jolia could not help but cover her mouth. Her breathing became shallow, and a faint flush rose to her cheeks.

"It was the great Lady of the Blood-Shadow Rose who granted me the words of enlightenment."

Having been exposed to a significant amount of occult knowledge, Jolia held the Lady of the Blood-Shadow Rose in immense reverence. The more she learned of the esoteric, the more she understood the impossibility of it all, and the more she grasped the majesty and terror of those figures from myth and legend. Seeing these myths manifest in reality left her profoundly shaken.

Hazel Cheney nodded slightly. "Yes, this is likely a divine grace and gift from the Lady of the Blood-Shadow Rose, and a great enlightenment for our Blood-Shadow Rose cult. Now, we must record the enlightenment granted to us by the Lady as accurately as possible; only then can we better fulfill and observe her divine oracles!"

Hearing this, Jolia grew exceptionally serious. A subconscious urge stirred in her mind—this was a task given to her by her Master, and she... she had to complete it!

Under the curtain of blood-colored candlelight, the two witches—one explaining, one recording—eagerly received the oracle from the great "Lady of the Blood-Shadow Rose."

Meanwhile, among the crowd, Zorn, hidden beneath his mask and cloak, quietly savored the scene of the fish taking the bait he had cast. Zorn had indeed used the "ancient Tyrian tongue." However, the cunning Hazel Cheney had omitted much from the myth of the Primordial Witch. For instance, she did not mention why the seven sisters were born within the Primordial Witch's body. She failed to state that after their birth, the seven sisters fed upon the corpse of the Primordial Witch to grow and gain strength. The witches inherited the Primordial Witch’s nature—resentment, lust, cunning, pleasure, pain, flagellation, and more. At the same time, the seven sisters inherited the traits of their respective "fathers."

Furthermore, while the ancient Tyrian tongue was called the "Language of the Gods," it did not belong to the witches; it was the language used by the ancient gods to communicate with one another. The Lady of the Blood-Shadow Rose had long been in a slumber disturbed by her father. While she could provide certain "sequence" responses, it was clearly impossible for her to provide clear, enlightened secrets through the "ancient Tyrian tongue."

As a former "player," Zorn knew all of this. But the witches clearly did not. It was precisely because of the complexity of the Lady of the Blood-Shadow Rose that the information transmitted through Zorn’s use of "Evil Spirit Wizard" power appeared all the more authentic.

Though the fish had taken the bait, the subsequent investment by the witch cult "Blood-Shadow Rose" was the crucial link—the true big catch. Only when the "Blood-Shadow Rose" invested vast resources and endured great hardships to reach their moment of harvest would Zorn Kolic, this world-class boss, begin his cruel and bloody reaping of the cult. He would water the "Blood-Shadow Rose" with the pain of the "Blood-Shadow Rose" itself, hoping they would bloom into roses that satisfied him.

Soon, Ms. Hazel Cheney obtained the complete words of enlightenment from Jolia. The more she pondered them, the more she sensed that extraordinary, massive secrets were hidden within. She could not decipher them instantly and would need to seek further help. However, having survived many storms, including the desperation and plight of being hunted by the Church’s Knights Templar, she took a deep breath and suppressed her restless thoughts.

Her gaze swept across the room before settling back on Jolia. Deciphering the secrets of the ancient language was important, but cultivating Jolia was equally vital. The new generation of witches was the root of the "Blood-Shadow Rose" cult's growth. Moreover, Jolia carried the hope of their revival. She took Jolia’s hand and taught her earnestly:

"We Rose Witches can perceive the human heart and desires. We can delve deep into their souls and achieve complete control. We are the masters of desire, the controllers of the soul, using the flowers of desire that bloom from deep spirituality as our sustenance. But remember, human desire is merely nourishment to us. Do not become lost in it, do not be trapped by it!

"We are transcendents, gradually surpassing the limitations of flesh, soul, and life to transcend the category of biological species. To us, ordinary humans are merely vessels carrying the food of lust. Only when you truly realize this can you become a 'Rose Witch' who stings the hearts of others to birth delicious sustenance."

Previously, Jolia had only understood this information on a textual level. But now, having grasped the power of the Rose Witch, she looked at her former friends. Sensing and seeing a plethora of emotions—fear, surprise, shock, confusion—emanating from them, she deeply grasped what it meant to be a transcendent, what it meant to be a "Rose Witch."

She was no longer the same as these classmates! She walked gently among them as if strolling through a garden of flesh and pleasure. She tapped her finger lightly on the forehead of her dearest best friend. Her fingertip acted like a tentacle, a key unlocking the gate to the other girl's desires and soul. She greedily drank in the "envy," "resentment," and "curses" hidden deep within the heart of her friend, Hannah Becher.

"So... you are so unhappy to see me gain extraordinary power, aren't you, Hannah? You actually resent me for obtaining mystical power, even cursing me in the depths of your heart, wishing for my death."

"Seeing you so unhappy makes me so very happy, my dear Hannah."

...

"Felix, as expected... men are species that think with their lower halves. Your desire for me has you enthralled. Don't worry, Felix, I will grant you a perfect dream, and you shall become a slave beneath my feet forever, to be used as I please!"

...

"Trani, you... uh... very well! I never expected you to like Felix. Don't worry, I will help you win him over!"

...

Walking among the crowd, the empowered Jolia felt like a ruler, like a supreme queen. Walking through the jungle of flesh, she harvested nourishment while converting the flowers of desire from the depths of her victims' spiritual wills into her own "Witch Essence." Simultaneously, she injected her own will as faith into her targets.

Jolia, overjoyed and willfully wielding the power of the "Rose Witch" among the crowd, wantonly enjoyed it all. She did not realize that the gifts of fate had long since been marked with a price.

Witch who toys with the human heart, are you prepared to pay the debt?

After draining the lust-based nourishment of seven or eight people, Jolia seemed to reach her limit. A newborn witch’s appetite would not be large, which allowed Zorn and a few others to escape, avoiding the fate of becoming her food. Even if it had been Zorn's turn, it would not have mattered; he was well-prepared.

As Jolia ended this harvest and experiment on the sacrifices, and as Ms. Hazel Cheney blew out the candles of the ritual, the others began to wake from their trance and confusion. At this moment, they remained immersed in the bizarre and miraculous scene they had just witnessed.

"This time, you have only witnessed a glimpse of mystical, extraordinary power," Hazel Cheney said, employing the subconscious influence of the Rose Witch to ensure these "ordinary people" would keep their mouths shut about the journey.

However, for Zorn—a "Star-Marked Fighter" with a will as hard as steel—that naturally had no effect. As the witnessing of the extraordinary power concluded, the tea party came to an end. Escorted by the butler, Zorn boarded his carriage.

"Whew..." Zorn exhaled softly, rubbing his brow.

*Clang... Clang...*

In the distance, the bell tolled for the four o'clock afternoon prayer of the Holy Radiant Sun. Zorn’s gaze fell upon the setting sun. Night was about to descend, and the blood moon was about to rise!

"Time to go back and prepare."

"Tonight..." He touched his palm slightly. "It will be a silent and grand feast!"