Firstborn of the Holy Temple and the Ghost Fairy

Li Wen did not keep reading. She could already guess the outcome.

The Wild Mage had faced a Spellbreaker capable of detecting spells and even turning them against their caster. He had not stood a chance. Spellbreaker was not a class, but a title. During the Noradun Empire's gradual decline, the various churches began invading westward. Faced with Noradun's powerful magic, the Holy Temple trained a group of knights specifically to counter mages. This proved highly effective, so much so that the training method remained in use even in later generations. Those who completed it were known as Spellbreakers.

Why was the Firstborn of the Holy Temple here?

Li Wen was filled with doubt.

If World Tree: Origins truly was just a game, then Moriah Enoch was someone who carried considerable weight even throughout the entire storyline. He was known as the Firstborn of the Holy Temple, a Stage Six Crimson Shepherd, the most outstanding Templar Knight, a man who had completed all of the Holy Temple's special training. He served the Secret Church, and it was said that the blood of heretics and demons staining his hands could dye all of Canaan red.

In the not-too-distant future, after Arthur destroyed a nation, one of the commanders of the Red Knight Legion that eradicated Dark Dawn was Moriah. Further down the timeline, when the City of Sin launched its final counterattack against Canaan, the one who single-handedly stopped and killed several Demon Sages and Bloodlust High Priests was also him.

He could even be considered an old acquaintance of Li Wen's. Calling him that might have been a little excessive, but Moriah Enoch had indeed hunted her down for quite some time in her previous life.

Back then, Li Wen had not yet joined the Strategy Group. Having just suffered a setback, she had been racking her brains to increase her strength, even resorting to the Forbidden Ritual to gain power. Moriah happened to pass through the city where she was staying and happened to catch Li Wen carrying out an Evil Sacrifice.

So, without surprise, the Firstborn of the Holy Temple attacked the evil sacrificer. Li Wen had not even been given a chance to explain herself. Her head had nearly been cut off with a single slash. After a brutal, one-sided battle, Li Wen was utterly defeated and only barely survived.

For some time afterward, Li Wen was relentlessly pursued by Moriah. It only stopped when she was forced to leave the Inner Continent. As for why he had hunted her so crazily, Li Wen did not know. But church mad dogs needed no understanding.

Now that she had encountered an enemy from her "past" in such an unexpected place, Li Wen feared that he might suddenly go mad while also considering why he had come.

At this point in time, Moriah should not yet have become as absurdly powerful as he would be later. At the very least, he should not have begun walking the Holy Temple's Pilgrimage Road, so his level could not have exceeded thirty. Although Moriah was accustomed to acting in knight's armor, he was actually neither on the Path of Judgment nor the Path of Guardianship. He was a Sacrificial Fire Priest of the Path of Sacrifice. Wearing knight's armor was merely a habit left over from his training in the Holy Temple.

How much combat power could a Stage Three Path of Sacrifice have?

At this time, Moriah should not have been at the point of killing heretics on sight. Then he definitely was not carrying out a Secret Church mission.

Perhaps it had something to do with that Ghost Fairy, Granny Marsha?

Li Wen did not dwell on it. In this life, she did not want anything to do with any church lunatics. The priority was to finish her business while Moriah was busy teaching that Wild Mage a lesson.

So she did not linger and headed straight for the Ghost Fairy's residence.

The dwarf had said that Ghost Fairy Marsha lived in a treehouse, and Li Wen had seen only one treehouse in the entire Fey Market.

Its main body was an oak tree so enormous that dozens of people could barely encircle it. Normal oaks could not grow that large, so it was likely the work of fey magic. The treehouse had been built amid its crown, with a wooden staircase connecting it to the ground below.

There was no one here. Perhaps no one dared disturb the Ghost Fairy. Li Wen walked up the stairs and knocked lightly on the door.

But she received no response.

Li Wen could not be bothered to waste time. She tried the door, found that it had not been sealed in any way, and pushed it open.

"Is anyone here? I'm looking for Granny Marsha."

The treehouse was not very spacious. Rather than a residence, it resembled the laboratory of some evil wizard.

The most conspicuous object was a massive cauldron. No fire had been lit beneath it yet, and it contained a thick, bright yellow substance that hardly looked like liquid. Not far from it stood a materials rack divided into two sections. The upper level held various plants and animal corpses being dried, while the lower level contained animal tissues soaked in preservative fluid. Li Wen spotted all kinds of organs and viscera from intelligent races, including human heads.

Aside from that, there were various alchemical apparatuses and tools. Li Wen gave them a casual glance and paid them no further attention.

The entire treehouse was empty. If there was anything strange, it was only a mirror set in the corner. The mirror had been placed in a hidden spot that was easy to overlook at first glance, yet it reflected everything in the room, including Li Wen, who had just entered.

Li Wen looked at herself in the mirror. Her reflection looked back at her.

"What an impolite thing."

The other party said this.

Li Wen was not surprised. Ghost Fairies were also called Mirror Sprites. It was said that they could enter unknown worlds through mirrors, which was why they could remain so elusive.

"Hello. I only came to ask for something. I have no other ill intent."

"I have not received any guests for over a hundred years."

Ripples spread across the mirror's surface. A bloated, ugly face and a gaunt figure emerged from within it.

Her head was much larger than an ordinary person's. Her nose was sharp and hooked like an enormous beak, while her mouth split all the way to her ears, filled with yellowed fangs. She looked much like the witch of folk legends.

"Rules are meant to be broken," Li Wen said.

"And what gives you the right to make me break my rules?" Granny Marsha slowly walked to the cauldron. Her steps were heavy, yet her figure was as light as a ghost. She picked up a filthy ladle, scooped up a spoonful of the thick soup from the cauldron, and smacked her lips after tasting it. "Golden Spruce Root after slow boiling, blended with the fragrance of Bloodthirst Grass and Belladonna Juice. What an unforgettable flavor."

"A high-grade hallucinogen?" After hearing the ingredients, Li Wen tried to guess the purpose of the pot of thick soup.

"No, it is Soul Return Secret Medicine." The Ghost Fairy grinned. "You know a little alchemical common sense, but not much."

Li Wen did not recognize the purpose of this potion. She guessed that it was a formula developed by the Ghost Fairy herself, so she sidestepped the matter.

"I need Shadowfall Potion. Someone told me that you might be able to brew it. If you can, I will offer payment that satisfies you."

"Shadowfall Potion? Are you seeking advancement as a Shadow Assassin, or are you trying to enter the Shadow Realm? Ha, whatever... I do know how to make it, and I can brew it for you, but I have one condition. You must first kill the Paladin at my door." The Ghost Fairy grinned.

Before Li Wen could even react, the door behind her was cleaved apart by a flash of sword light. Blood-red fire burned upon the blade, filling her with dread.