Fallen Witch

Following Soren's command.

The entire Port Nyanzaru sprang into action. The pirate henchmen who had been lazily gathering in the taverns all began to assemble, and supplies stockpiled in the warehouses were being transported out in batches. Although Soren had stockpiled a large amount of supplies on Serpent Island, the most important portion was still transported to Port Nyanzaru, because that was Soren's main base. There was basically enough supplies, including weapons, food, and ammunition, to meet the needs of the camp.

An atmosphere of impending war was pervasive.

Patrol Guard began to assemble, and large quantities of Supernatural Weapon from the North were distributed. Dragonhide Armor armor was fitted to the elite pirate Guard, and the equipment of the Drow Warrior was completely upgraded. Soren also had a considerable stockpile of good items. Although they weren't particularly outstanding equipment, it wasn't difficult for a powerful Pirate King to produce a batch of Tier 1 Supernatural Equipment. Many pirate leaders shouted and gathered their men, and the Warship docked near the port unloaded all the cargo, then replaced it with batches of ammunition, weapons, and Heal supplies.

Even the Blacksmith were filled with the sounds of sharpening knives; after a month or two of laziness, they were finally ready to go to war!

By defeating the Pirate King Asroder, Soren will completely dominate the South Coast.

Anyone with half a brain could see that Soren's focus was on the Overseas Islands. This meant that if they defeated the Pirate King Asroder, the Eastern Route would need a pirate captain to manage it. Whether it was the Half-Elf first mate, the Red-Haired Female Pirate Adele Isabella, or the other pirate captains, they all believed they had a chance to compete for the Boss of the Eastern Route. If Soren could entrust them with the important task of managing the Eastern Route, they would truly be second only to him!

"Golden Priest!"

Near the port, a young woman in a cloak spoke up, "Is that Throat Cutter really planning a full-scale war with Asroder? Asroder has the support of the Naga Royal Family, and I recently heard he's even hooked up with that vicious Red Dragon Duchess. A Legendary Dragonblooded Sorcerer is no easy opponent; he might not have much of a chance of winning!"

Golden Priest wore a playful smile and slowly said, "Isn't this perfect?"

"The Pirate King Asroder has openly provoked us, and he's now in a bind! If we don't retaliate in this situation, the Throat Cutter's status and reputation will suffer a severe blow! However, even with the support of the Temple of the Sea, his chances of winning aren't very high. If he loses, we can take the opportunity to make even more demands!"

The young woman's expression seemed somewhat strange. She slowly said, "What if he suffers a crushing defeat?"

Golden Priest glanced at him, his lips not moving, but his voice carried on, saying, "Then this place should have a new owner!"

The two exchanged a smile upon hearing this.

The doctrines of the Lady of Fortune are entirely egoistic, which is why they are in the Neutral Alignment and more often lean towards Evil.

Port Nyanzaru.

Inside Soren's mansion.

Goria, dressed in a long black robe, appeared in Soren's room, her expression grave. "Is war about to break out? The Red Dragon Duchess is not an easy opponent!"

Soren nodded and said, "Yes, I know."

"But now we're in a bind. I've only been rising in power overseas for a short time. It was only by defeating the King of the Swamp that I intimidated others and prevented other forces near the South Coast from making any rash moves. But if something like this happens and I don't make any move, others might seize the opportunity to turn against us. They'll think my strength is insufficient. At that point, it won't just be the Pirate King Asroder. I'm afraid the Storm Lord of the Amazon, the South Coast Chamber of Commerce Alliance, and even the Temple of the Sea might turn against us!"

Soren's sense of smell has always been very keen.

When he learned of the fall of Serpent Island, he realized that this battle was inevitable!

Even though it's farming season in Port Nyanzaru now, the Shadow Plane still needs to be explored slowly, and the nearby natives need to be cleared out. But in reality, he doesn't have that much time. Not going to war like this would be a serious blow to his subordinates, and his men in Port Tyler and Shipwreck Bay might become disloyal.

After all, Soren's rise to power has been too short!

His prestige was built up through countless victories and Cruelty Slaughter, and he absolutely could not allow his enemies to provoke him.

"Alright then."

With her intelligence, Goria understood immediately. She nodded gently and said, "I'll go too!"

"No." Soren shook his head. "You must stay in Port Nyanzaru. I don't feel comfortable leaving anyone else at the main camp at a time like this. Only with you here can I fight with peace of mind on the front lines!"

Upon hearing Goria glanced at Soren with concern and whispered, "But you probably don't stand much of a chance against the Red Dragon Duchess! Not to mention that the Pirate King Asroder has the Naga Royal Family behind him."

Soren paused for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "The Temple of the Sea will definitely intervene; the gap between the two sides is not significant."

Goria gently shook her head and said, "Under these circumstances, the Temple of the Sea might not go all out, otherwise Serpent Island wouldn't have fallen so easily."

A brief silence.

Just as Soren was about to speak, Vivian's voice suddenly came from outside the door, sounding somewhat eager. "Brother! What about me! That damned Red Dragon Duchess is mine!"

The little girl was wearing a black princess dress.

Her expression seemed somewhat excited; her cute little face was full of fighting spirit, as if she had been holding back for too long.

"Besides!"

Vivian's lips curled into a Blood Frenzy smile as she reached out and grabbed the Catgirl beside her, exclaiming in a crisp voice, "And Lulu is amazing too! She can take on three at once!... No!... At least five!... No!... Maybe ten!..."

The poor Catgirl, held by the hem of her clothes by Vivian, was as docile as a puppy. Seeing Vivian's gaze turn towards her, she frantically nodded, saying, "Meow!... Lulu... is amazing!... She... she'll take on ten of them!... Meow!..."

The little Catgirl stretched out her claws.

Feeling that one paw wasn't enough for ten, it quickly stretched out its other paw as well.

Lycanthrope have the ability to Change Shape; in combat, some of their physical characteristics may change from human to beast-like. Lulumiao possesses Superhuman Dexterity at such a young age, so her bloodline must be quite unusual.

"Vivian?"

Goria fell into deep thought. Then she looked up and said, "The odds of winning aren't very high! I need to set up Magic Circle on your Warship so I can use it as Teleportation Beacon and support you whenever necessary!"

Soren did not refuse, after all, Legendary Dragonblooded Sorcerer were really not easy to deal with, and he nodded slightly.

But at that very moment!

Suddenly Goria raised her head, her gaze sweeping around. She sneered, "Who!? Who is this esteemed guest?!"

"Please come out and meet me!"

In an instant, Soren gripped his Scimitar, his entire body tense, ready for battle. Vivian also narrowed her eyes, cautiously observing their surroundings. Only Lulumiao remained motionless, still looking dazed. Soren's perception couldn't possibly be worse than Goria's, and Lulumiao, as Lycanthrope, should have the strongest intuition. Yet even she showed no reaction. The most likely explanation was that the visitor wasn't in their current space; only Plane proximity could have left Soren completely unaware.

However, as a Prophecy Northern Witch, Goria was able to discover some of these things.

"Daughter."

A Charm, magnetic voice rang out, and then a figure shrouded in a black robe appeared outside the door.

She looked up at Goria before her, then shifted her gaze to Soren beside her. She said slowly, "Long time no see! It seems you're almost at the Legendary level! Your judgment is always better than mine!"

Goria's mother!?

Corinna?

Soren paused slightly when he saw her, but he didn't relax at all.

Upon seeing her mother, Goria frowned, then her expression changed drastically as she exclaimed, "Mother! You!!!"

"Yes." The fallen Northern Witch nodded gently, her expression calmer than ever before. She slowly said, "I have fallen. I made a deal with a powerful being from Lower Planes."

The aura of Demon.

Soren's senses were quite sharp. Upon hearing those words, he immediately detected a trace of Demon aura.

Goria's expression was serious as she slowly asked, "What are you doing here?"

The fallen Northern Witch rose and entered the room, her expression showing surprise upon seeing Vivian beside her. She then calmly said, "I'll help you. News of your arrival on the South Coast has spread far and wide; I guessed you were here. I didn't expect to run into something like this. If you wish to deal with Asroder, I can lend you a hand!"

Goria; instead, it showed a deep sorrow as she sighed, "What do you want?"

The mother ultimately succumbed to despair.

Although she foresaw some fragments of the future, she never imagined that she would actually make a deal with the Demon.

Thankfully, it wasn't Devil.

Otherwise, her soul might even be part of the deal!

"He!"

Goria's mother glanced up at Soren, then did something that surprised even Soren: she bowed slightly to show her respect, and said, "Your Throat Cutter Slitter! Please forgive my past ignorance and shortsightedness. In my past days, arrogance, regret, and jealousy blinded my mind."

Unbelievable!

Not only was Soren shocked, but even Goria had an expression of disbelief.

Is this really her mother?

That arrogant and mean woman! Why did she have such a completely different feeling after her fall from grace, as if her soul had been elevated?

In Goria's memory, she had never seen her mother apologize.

Not to mention, recounting his past mistakes in such a humble manner while maintaining such a calm expression.

Goria took a deep breath.

The sudden turn of events seemed to have caught even her off guard. She said in a deep voice, "Mother! What do you want? I don't believe you came here for no reason!"

Goria's mother glanced at Soren again and said slowly, "Him."

"A man outside of Destiny"

"The man who landed on his feet when Goddess of Fortune tossed Destiny coin to the table! When I first met him, he was just an unknown thief, but now he's the ruler of the South Coast, and has even touched the edge of Legendary. I have every reason to believe he's the one outside of Destiny, and only he can change my Destiny."

"I don't ask for much, I just want him to change my Destiny of failure when I'm destined to fail."

"In return."

"I'm willing to give him anything he wants!"

Goria's mother turned her gaze to her daughter, seemingly noticing the distrust in her expression. Because she was Fallen, Witch who had made a deal with the Demon, even her own daughter didn't believe her. This discovery brought a bitter smile to Corinna's face as she slowly said, "In the past, I was blinded by arrogance and prejudice."

"After leaving the North, I went to many places, and finally I figured something out."

"That is what I am willing to give up for what I pursue. Finally, I found the answer in the desert. I have poured all my heart and soul into this. I lost my husband, and I am about to lose my only daughter as well."

"I have devoted my entire life to it."

"For it, I transformed from a noble Northern Witch into an Exile, a Banishment woman, a Fallen. I will never give it up, so I am willing to give anything for it!..."

"I have renounced arrogance, regret, and bitterness; I have also renounced dignity, body, and soul..."

silence.

A deathly silence.

Soren didn't understand what the fallen Northern Witch was referring to, or why she was willing to give up everything.

But the woman before him now gave him a shock!

A shock that's hard to describe in words!

At this moment, he couldn't help but recall himself walking barefoot for thousands of miles in the North. The clarity and Perseverance he felt at that moment were so vivid in his memory. For Vivian, he was willing to give up everything.

There was something about the fallen Northern Witch before him that seemed strangely familiar!

"Mother!..."

A look of sorrow crossed Goria's face as she murmured, "You!..."

Corinna's expression remained calm. Even as she uttered such shocking words, she maintained a remarkably composed demeanor. As if recounting something insignificant, she slowly said, "I am still me, only in the past my eyes were blinded by my own mind, but now I have finally seen through all the fog!"

"Your Throat Cutter Slitter."

"My only request is that you, someday in the future, change my Destiny."

"In return."

"I'm willing to give everything. What my daughter can give you, I can give you too!..."

The Fallen Witch remained as calm as ever.

That was genuine tranquility, not a pretense of acting ability. She seemed to have found something within herself, so her words touched people's hearts like Truth, making them feel her authenticity.

This reality is terrifying!

That's admirable too.

At this moment, Soren's perception of her completely changed, because he realized that the woman in front of him was the same kind of person as him.

It's just that they each pursue different things.

Soren did it for Vivian, but she did it for something else.

Goria turned her gaze to Soren beside her. Her expression was quite complex, a mixture of sorrow, anger, sadness, and many other emotions that she could not express in words.

Because standing before her was her mother!

But now her biological mother has become a Fallen Witch who made a deal with the Demon, and her soul may not even be in her own hands anymore!

trust.

It wasn't as easy as I imagined.

Soren fell silent, staring at the Fallen Witch before him with a serious expression. He slowly asked, "Which Demon Lord did you make a deal with?"

silence.

The Fallen Witch fell silent.

Her expression was strained and bitter. She slowly removed her clothes, revealing fair and delicate skin as smooth as milk. Near her ribs on her chest was a very strange tattoo, which looked more like a birthmark. It was a red lip pierced by a wire, so alluring that it seemed to possess a breathtaking beauty and a power that lured people into the deepest darkness.

Soren's expression was ashen.

Goria's face turned quite ugly in an instant!

She glared angrily at her mother, roaring, "Succubus Queen!..."

"You're insane!"

"Do you know what the consequences of making a deal with her are? You idiot!!!"

Soren had never seen Goria so angry.

She was always so elegant and charming, but at this moment she was completely out of it!

Her anger.

Her sorrow.

This even affected Soren, who was standing nearby, making him realize just how disappointed Goria was at that moment.

The Fallen Witch slowly pulled up her clothes, her expression calm even now, and said slowly, "I know. But only the Succubus Queen can give me what I want!..."

"I am destined to be a loser in this Destiny."

"So why don't I bet everything I have? Daughter! You are far more capable than me!... But there are some things you'll never understand!..."

Succubus Queen.

Soren's expression was complicated, as if he didn't know what to say.

He recognized the Succubus Queen's Crest: a red lip pierced by barbed wire, a distinctive and shocking Crest.

Just like this troublesome Demon Lord!

Anyone who makes a deal with her gains absolutely nothing; in the end, they might be devoured, bones and scraps alike. She is one of the Abyssal Demon Lord that Soren fears most.

The Fallen Witch before me even bears her Crest; heaven knows what she's put in the bargaining chips!

You must know that the Abyssal Demon Lord is the most Evil and depraved being.

(P. S.: Yeah, I had writer's block yesterday. I only finished this chapter today. I don't know if you guys are satisfied with it. Anyway, I tried my best.) (To be continued~^~)