Chapter 282 — The Alluring Witch (Part 10)
Marie stepped forward, dressed in a black sleeveless top, her braided hair cascading over her shoulders.
The low neckline revealed a deep curve, partially covered by a wooden bead pendant resting against her chest.
Behind her stood a group of men and women—judging by their attire, all members of the Voodoo Coven.
At the sight of them, the academy witches who had already boarded the vehicles stepped back down.
Their expressions hardened.
Magic flickered in their palms.
Across from them, the Voodoo Coven mirrored their stance.
For a moment, the atmosphere tightened—
Like a blade drawn halfway from its sheath.
Jenny's reaction was the strongest.
Seeing her father's killer standing right in front of her—
She nearly rushed forward on impulse.
But Gideon shook his head subtly, signaling her to stay still.
A few days ago, Fiona had already met with the Voodoo Coven in private.
That meant—
For the sake of利益, both sides were willing to temporarily set aside their hatred.
If conflict broke out now, the academy wouldn't necessarily stand with her.
Jenny clenched her fists, forcing herself to calm down.
In the end—
She didn't move.
"So," Fiona crossed her arms, "are you here to declare war?"
Marie shook her head.
"Quite the opposite."
"We're here to help."
Fiona frowned slightly.
"I thought you made your position clear last time."
"I did," Marie replied.
"On the matter of immortality."
"But weakening the Church benefits us as well."
"The Voodoo Coven won't miss this opportunity."
"So—what do you say?"
Fiona narrowed her eyes.
After a moment—
She smiled.
"With your help… I'd be honored."
Marie visibly relaxed.
She had been worried Fiona might still hold a grudge.
"Perfect," Fiona continued, glancing over her shoulder.
"We still have space in one of the cars."
"Mr. Gideon… why don't you accompany our Voodoo friends?"
Marie followed her gaze—
And saw a young man with striking features standing there.
"Oh? You're not coming with me?" she teased, looking back at Fiona.
"Aren't you afraid I might bully your little boy?"
"Mr. Gideon has some expertise in handling materials," Fiona replied calmly.
"I invited him specifically for this task."
That caught Marie off guard.
People skilled in that area were rare—
Young ones, even rarer.
"Then I'd love to get acquainted," she said, turning to Gideon.
"Where are you from, Mr. Gideon?"
"You can ask him yourself," Fiona shrugged.
"I don't make a habit of sharing other people's secrets."
With that, she opened the car door and took the driver's seat.
On the Other Side
"This woman… she's deliberately drawing attention to me."
Gideon complained inwardly.
Outwardly, however, he maintained a polite smile as he greeted Marie.
Since reaching an agreement with Fiona, the past few days had been the busiest he'd had in a long time.
She had delivered large quantities of dark materials—
And Gideon had refined them into higher-quality forms.
As a result, the academy witches recovered rapidly.
Within days, their depleted magic was restored—
Some had even improved their abilities.
The fallout from the "Gary incident" was also fading.
From what Gideon had learned—
Gary's fate had been… grim.
Not only had a certain "important part" of his body been removed—
The rest of him had been cut into pieces.
Now, those remains were soaking in the academy's basement.
And yet—
Fiona showed no concern about retaliation.
When Gideon subtly inquired, her answer was simple:
There were people within the Witch Association who were dissatisfied with Gary and his father.
Where there was benefit—
There was intrigue.
Always.
Meanwhile, the witches' attitude toward Gideon had changed drastically.
He began receiving a lot of invitations.
Of all kinds.
Some wanted to marry him.
Some invited him home…
To share a bed—with their mothers included.
A few even asked him to wield a whip—
To "educate" them and their pets in ways he'd rather not think about.
Compared to all that—
Zoe's simple invitation to take a walk felt refreshingly normal.
Recently, she had been hovering around him more often.
But whenever other witches approached—
She would quietly step away.
Gideon, busy as he was, didn't press further.
As for the city—
New Orleans had remained relatively calm.
No major supernatural incidents.
Though he had heard one rumor—
A doctor at a cosmetic clinic had suddenly died, his entire body aged beyond recognition.
The official explanation?
Unauthorized drug use.
Gideon wasn't convinced.
"This has Fiona written all over it," he thought.
Their relationship had become… delicate.
Both knew the other was holding back.
Both were probing.
Fiona supplied large quantities of materials—
Without caring whether Gideon could process them all.
And Gideon?
After handing in enough high-quality results—
The rest simply became "unfortunate losses."
Trust was… nonexistent.
Several Hours Later — Forest at the Edge of New Orleans
"Beyond this forest… we'll reach the site."
Fiona pointed ahead.
Marie's expression darkened.
"So it's here…"
"You're not afraid of dying?"
"Relax," Fiona smiled faintly.
"This forest leads to an uninhabited zone."
"The mist there is highly toxic, and dangerous creatures roam within."
"But I've prepared special potions to counter the poison."
She opened the trunk—
Two bags sat inside.
"Even if the mist is handled, what about the creatures?" Marie pressed.
"From what I know… this place might connect to the Plague Lands of Saint Freyan."
Fox gasped.
"The Plague Lands?"
"I heard something major happened there recently. The situation was resolved—but only after a sealing ritual."
She leaned closer to Fiona.
"If even veteran hunters struggle there…"
"Bringing these girls in—isn't that sending them to their deaths?"
Fiona lit a cigarette.
"What are you panicking for?"
"There's no proof the two areas are connected."
"And besides…"
"The ritual site isn't far from here."
"If something was wrong, I'd know."
"But—"
Fiona raised a hand, cutting her off.
Then she turned to Gideon.
"What do you think, Mr. Gideon?"
"I have no objections," he replied calmly.
But inwardly—
"So the remains and the energy channel are tied to the Plague Lands…"
"Could it be… that underground castle from before?"
"Good," Fiona nodded.
"It's getting late. Drink the potion—we move out."
Marie watched the two of them closely, thoughtful.
The Voodoo Coven declined the potions.
They had their own methods.
Gideon accepted one—
But didn't drink it.
He didn't need it.
And more importantly—
He didn't trust Fiona.
Soon, everyone was ready.
"Listen carefully," Fiona said, her tone turning serious.
"This concerns your survival."
She listed several rules:
Report any discomfort immediately
Avoid using magic unless necessary
Do not collect herbs or unknown materials
Gideon rubbed his chin.
"She knows this place well… I should make preparations."
He discreetly placed a holy relic at the forest's edge.
The witches were then divided into groups.
If anything went wrong, smaller teams meant better mobility.
Gideon was assigned a group.
Members:
Jenny
Zoe
Madison
Quentin
Jenny tried to speak with Quentin.
The latter didn't refuse—
But her expression was clearly strained.
Madison stood apart, arms crossed.
Compared to the poisonous mist—
She seemed even less interested in being near Gideon.
Zoe, meanwhile, held a notebook, quietly jotting things down.
When asked, she simply said she was recording terrain features—
In case they needed to escape.
When praised for her caution, she smiled lightly.
"I learned it from someone."
Her gaze briefly drifted toward a certain figure.
Into the Forest
Once the Voodoo Coven completed their protective spells—
The group finally entered.
"…What is this…?"
Jenny's face twisted in pain almost immediately.
"This mist… it's unbearable…"
The others fared no better.
Some witches' skin even began to corrode.
"Damn it—why is the poison suddenly stronger?!"
Fiona frowned deeply.
"Defensive magic—now!"
The younger witches activated their magic, forcing the mist away.
But at the same time—
Their energy drained rapidly.
"This isn't what you promised," Marie said coldly.
"Not my fault," Fiona snapped.
"This isn't my backyard."
"Can we still proceed?"
"If you're afraid, you can leave," Fiona said flatly.
"But if you want to cripple the Church—"
"You'll have to pay a price."
Marie stared at her—
Then turned away without another word.
Fiona smirked inwardly.
"As long as there are enough witches… losing a few won't matter."
Then her gaze shifted—
To Gideon.
"He doesn't seem affected at all…"
Gideon quietly tightened his grip on a cross.
A surge of holy power instantly repelled the mist.
With his current strength, even a basic Holy Barrier was enough.
But to avoid suspicion—
He kept it subtle.
"We've already broken one of the safety rules…"
"That's not a good sign."
He tossed another holy relic into the undergrowth—
And followed the group deeper in.
The Plague Lands…
Still as they had always been.
Toxic mist.
Swamp forests.
And evil lurking everywhere.
But at the boundary—
There were no signs of any sealing formation.
"Did the original seal fail?"
Gideon narrowed his eyes.
Then shook his head.
"No… if that were the case, Shadi would've contacted me."
Which meant—
This place…
Was very likely connected to the Plague Lands.
"And that creature from the castle…"
He recalled the serpent-like entity he had encountered underground.
It had disappeared into the depths back then.
But now—
It seemed clear.
That thing—
Was never confined to just one place.
At that thought, Gideon quietly raised his guard.
Meanwhile, under Fiona's urging, the witches quickened their pace.
But the deeper they went into the area, the worse their condition became.
"I… I feel awful…" one witch muttered, scratching her arm repeatedly. Deep red nail marks had already formed across her skin.
"Hey! Didn't the headmistress say not to wander off?!"
"Do I need to explain myself to you?"
Petty arguments broke out over the smallest things.
"Physical abnormalities… and clear emotional instability…" Gideon analyzed silently.
These were classic symptoms of exposure to toxic mist.
Yet Fiona seemed to ignore it entirely.
She only kept urging them forward.
"Ha… ha…"
Jenny wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Her face was flushed, her clothes soaked through.
Just as she was about to stop and catch her breath—
She suddenly frowned.
"What's that?" Zoe pointed toward the forest ahead.
Everyone turned.
Beneath a tree stood a figure—
Engulfed in flames.
Completely still.
Gideon followed their gaze and narrowed his eyes.
"…A Sacrificial."
"What's that?" Jenny asked quietly.
"Shh…"
Gideon raised a finger to his lips.
Jenny immediately fell silent.
Trusting him, the other three witches stopped as well.
But not everyone was so cautious.
"Hey! Look over there—someone's on fire!" a member of the Voodoo group shouted.
Several people immediately moved closer.
"…Idiots," Gideon muttered under his breath.
"Stay back!" Fiona called out.
But she was too late.
Before anyone could react—
The Sacrificial lunged.
"GRAAAH—!"
A beast-like roar echoed as a burning skeletal figure charged forward.
Its speed was terrifying.
In the blink of an eye, it was already in front of its target.
"No—no! Stay away from me!"
The Voodoo witch instinctively gathered magic in her palm.
"Careful! Don't use magic!"
Someone shouted—too late.
The witch hesitated for a split second.
And that moment—
Cost her life.
BOOM!
The Sacrificial slammed her to the ground.
Her clothes ignited instantly.
But what happened next shocked everyone.
Instead of attacking wildly—
The creature clamped one hand over her mouth, silencing her.
Then—
With its other hand, it grabbed her jaw.
Crack.
Her jaw twisted grotesquely out of shape.
She couldn't even scream.
Gideon's eyes narrowed.
"…Faster. And… deliberate."
If he remembered correctly, Sacrificials usually relied on brute force.
This one—
Had intent.
"A mutation? Or something else…?"
"These creatures aren't the same anymore…"
The Sacrificial rose again, scanning for its next target.
But this time—
It didn't get the chance.
The Voodoo witches struck.
Chants filled the air.
Their tongues flicked rapidly as objects around them began to rise—
Stones.
Branches.
Daggers.
"…Damn."
Gideon frowned and immediately pulled Jenny and Zoe back.
Madison had been watching him the entire time.
The moment she saw his expression change, she retreated without hesitation.
Quentin didn't understand what was happening—
But she moved just as quickly.
A heartbeat later—
BOOM!!!
A circular wave of scorching heat exploded outward.
Trees were snapped in half.
Flames clung to shattered trunks.
The ground trembled with the force of the blast.
When the shockwave passed, Gideon pushed himself up from the ground.
And what he saw—
Made his expression turn grim.
The battlefield was scorched black.
Witches lay scattered across the ground—
Burned, shaken, barely conscious.
Their clothes were torn and charred.
At the center of the explosion—
There was no Sacrificial.
Only two blackened, human-shaped scorch marks remained.
And then—
Before anyone could react—
More roars echoed through the forest.
"Grrr… Aaaah…"
Gideon's gaze sharpened.
The real danger—
Was just beginning.
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