Recuperate and Recover! The Chaotic World Approaches

Dimensional Space.

Though he was in a near-spirit state, Duncan could finally relax the nerves he had kept taut all day.

Of course, he continued monitoring the projected image to prevent any accidents while his human form slept.

--Human Form No. 1 (Severe Fatigue) (Severe Bruising)

Those farmers were fairly obedient. Perhaps Duncan had frightened them earlier, but they showed no intention of running away.

Duncan fell asleep.

Supported by the female slave, Raven Queen-Triss rose to her feet and walked over to the farmers. Her expression was solemn, like that of a sacred Roman Priest. With just a few words, she had them completely subdued, turning them directly from blue-marked units into green-marked units.

This meant they would obey orders.

The three farmers and one farmwoman began trembling as they cleared away the bodies. Their faces were both terrified and excited. They stripped the bandits naked and threw their corpses into the cave. Their clothes, weapons, coins, and other belongings were piled in the stronghold's corridor. Not one of them dared pocket anything for himself.

Raven Queen-Triss promised that they could take those things away later, except for valuable items such as the silver coins, gold, and jewels gathered by the Bandit Stronghold.

For peasants of such low status, possessing gold was itself a mistake.

To them, the bandits' clothes and food were already precious wealth. What was more, Triss allowed them to take the worthless copper coins. For the time being, however, they could not leave. The farmwoman was to look after Severus, while the three farmers cleaned the stronghold and helped with various tasks.

The farmers treated Triss with extreme respect. They were even willing to kneel at the witch's feet and pray. Who knew whether they were followers of Polytheism.

Witch Anya, on the other hand, was quite interesting.

When the farmwoman tried to attend to her, Anya wore a look of utter disgust and disdain, unwilling to let the woman touch her at all. Yet she took the female slave following Triss for herself, had her boil some water, then washed herself in the small wooden hut next door. She naturally enjoyed the slave's service, even having her scrub her back.

This witch was truly strange. Maybe it was some quirk of Roman noblewomen.

Without blinking, Duncan stared at the projected image, on guard against those green-marked farmers suddenly turning against them. Still, under the vigilance of his will, the farmers remained extremely obedient.

Tsk, tsk.

As expected of a witch—she maintained herself so well. Her skin was soft and rosy, and she was big, round, full, and perky. She was far better than the still-charming landlady next door from the original owner's memories of Human Form No. 1. She did not look like a married woman at all. No wonder she had utterly bewitched that retired Imperial Guard knight.

But when his gaze fell on Raven Queen-Triss, Duncan could not help pausing in surprise.

In the stronghold's corridor, Triss tore a piece of clean, soft fabric from the hem of her long dress and had the farmwoman heat some water. Then she pushed open the door and slowly approached the still-sleeping Duncan, carefully wiping the bloodstains and grime from his forehead, neck, and arms with the damp cloth.

She slightly unbuttoned Duncan's shirt and wiped the blood from his chest. Then she set down the cloth, her fingertips unconsciously brushing lightly over his firm chest.

That inadvertent skin-to-skin touch seemed to bring the witch back to her senses. Her face reddened slightly as she furtively glanced around. Then, with her slender palm, she gently caressed Duncan's sleeping profile. Her thumb traced his sharply defined cheek, his thick, heroic brows, then glided over the bridge of his high nose before softly settling on his lips.

Should I wake up? Or not?

Even under God's Eye View, Duncan felt somewhat at a loss.

At that moment, Human Form No. 1's brow furrowed slightly, as though he had sensed the disturbance in his sleep. Raven Queen-Triss sprang to her feet as if shocked by electricity. Somewhat flustered, she picked up the towel and basin, intending to leave. Yet when she reached the doorway, she turned back, dampened the cloth again, removed Duncan's boots, and gave them a brief wipe before finally closing the door.

Raven Queen-Triss stood outside the door and drew a deep breath. Her face was slightly red, and she looked flustered, like a thief caught in the act. She turned and entered the room next door, using the damp cloth to wipe the forehead of the severely injured Severus. The Druid seemed to have a fever, so the witch laid the wet towel over his forehead.

No.

That cloth had just wiped my feet!

Brother, sorry about this.

By the time Duncan came back to his senses, Anya next door had already finished washing herself. He had not seen a thing—only caught a glimpse of something big and white.

After that experience, Duncan relaxed considerably.

He discovered that staying in the Dimensional Space for too long left him feeling mentally—no, spiritually—exhausted. But Human Form No. 1 had yet to awaken and remained in a state of severe fatigue, so he could only continue staying within the Dimensional Space in his near-spirit form.

Is it because my soul is too weak? Duncan secretly guessed.

He felt as if he had "ascended dimensions."

Compared to everyone else in the real world, he seemed to exist in a higher dimension. It was just that he could only descend into the real plane through a human form.

Wasn't there a saying in his previous life that perhaps Earth was merely a playground for higher-dimensional lifeforms?

More than ten minutes later.

Witch Anya also entered the wooden hut. She, too, had a sneaky air about her, even stealing a glance in Triss's direction.

No!

What are you two trying to do?

Anya tiptoed over to the still-unconscious Duncan and curiously looked him up and down, seeming almost to appraise him. She muttered softly, "He is quite handsome."

"No wonder Raven Queen-Triss has fallen for him."

"What a pity."

"She has to remain chaste for the goddess... Platonic love is so boring..."

"He might as well be my lover instead... Hehe..."

The lewd words of a married woman.

This gorgeous witch was even bolder. Seeing that Duncan remained unconscious, she first touched his face, then his chest muscles, before glancing down below and slipping out like a thief.

People in the Roman era were quite open-minded. It was an old Empire tradition.

Many tyrants addicted to extravagance and debauchery appeared during the early Empire. Representative figures included Nero and Caligula, infamous from Rome's lurid history. This Emperor of the Empire was ultimately assassinated by the Praetorian Guard, setting the precedent for the Guard assassinating emperors. (Note: Caligula was Nero's uncle, making them tyrants cut from the same cloth.)

Spartacus was also fairly suited to the historical backdrop of that era.

Anya came from a once-prominent but declining noble family. Her ancestors were said to have been closely connected to Agrippina the Younger, the wicked empress and mother of the tyrant Nero. Legend held that Agrippina the Younger had secretly poisoned two husbands in succession, one of whom had been Emperor of the Empire.

According to some rumors, Anya's ancestor had been the priest who helped administer the poison, and had thus gained noble status.

Anya's bloodline was extraordinarily complicated. During the civil wars of the late Empire, her family married into barbarian commanders' families to protect themselves. They reinvented themselves and returned to the Roman court during the reign of the Renegade Julian, only to decline once more after Julian was assassinated, until she married her later husband.

Unfortunately, her husband soon died in the war against the Barbarian Invasion. Yet Anya was quite capable; although she had no children, she legally inherited her husband's family estate.

Thus, she became a wealthy widow among the nobility.

But The Church of Rome had begun purging heretical witches. Left with no choice, she secretly funded Triss's Witch Coven in the hope of protecting herself and eventually escaping The Church's territory.

If not for those connections, it would have been nearly impossible for Anya, with the strength of a Two-Star Blank, to become one of the Witch Coven's founders.

Strictly speaking, she counted as a first-round angel investor.

This Roman noblewoman's background was anything but simple. She had once owned a fleet of trading ships that traveled between Europe, Alexandria in Egypt, and Carthage in North Africa. If North Africa had not been so unstable in recent years, and if the Western Roman Empire had not lost nearly all of its grain-producing regions there, her fortune would likely have been even greater.

Still, a starving camel was larger than a horse. The fact that one of her recruited retainers was a retired imperial guard knight, and that she had placed a bag of gold on him, showed just how rich she was.

She had money, but no force with which to protect herself.

Witch Anya had clearly taken an interest in Duncan. Or rather, she desperately needed someone powerful to ensure that she could escape The Church's purge.

Anyone with eyes could see the Empire's downfall coming.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the wives, daughters, and other female relatives of those nobles all became playthings for barbarian commanders. Some highborn ladies were even reduced to lowly slave women at the mercy of others. Anya also had the hidden identity of a witch. If she did not find a way to protect herself, her end would only be more miserable.

If she had not been driven to desperation, how could a pampered noblewoman like her have risked acting alongside Triss?

She could not bear to give up her privileged life, yet she feared the stake.

Bandit Stronghold.

After leaving Duncan's room, Anya went to check on the unconscious Severus again. She softly said to the Druid, "Don't die."

The two had some connection as well.

Severus's ancestor had been a general under the Renegade Julian. He had once helped this Emperor of the Empire suppress rebellions and rendered great service in the war against the Alamanni. Later, Emperor of the Empire Julian died suddenly, and Severus's family rapidly declined as well. By his generation, they were practically no different from barbarians.

These people, including Raven Queen Triss, were essentially remnants of the former regime. Raven Queen Triss's sect had been an ardent supporter of the Renegade Julian.

Raven Queen Triss was already over a hundred years old.

Unlike other witches, she had been born with unimaginable power. When the Trivia Sect found her as a child, she was immediately chosen as the sect's High Priestess, then secretly became the High Priestess of Polytheism—a title that had once belonged exclusively to Roman emperors.

After Polytheism was utterly defeated, Raven Queen Triss was forced into exile and seclusion, hiding from place to place and changing her identity. Once Polytheistic sects were completely outlawed, she secretly joined forces with other priestesses to establish the first Witch Coven.

Although Anya was not a priestess, her family—and even Agrippina the Younger from the early Empire, mother of the tyrant Nero—secretly worshipped Venus, who was also Aphrodite, Greece's Goddess of Love and Beauty.

This fused Deity governed love, beauty, desire, and fertility.

What Anya secretly worshipped was an image of the goddess of sex and desire.

Many of the beautiful women in imperial history known for their promiscuity and skill at seducing men had secret ties, in one way or another, to this sect. Aphrodite's secret sect bestowed a peculiar sexual magnetism, and women who served it aged slowly. Another similar secret sect had been passed down in Egypt and was connected to rumors of Cleopatra.

Of course.

After Polytheism's total defeat, all of it was swept into history's trash heap.

These remnants of Polytheism now hid everywhere to evade the Inquisition's pursuit. Raven Queen Triss, meanwhile, was trying to find a place where they could preserve their lives because of the dark future foretold in prophecy.

As for Raven Queen Triss's Vow of Chastity, Polytheism still had certain goddesses who emerged unstained from the mud. Their representatives were those Virgin Goddesses.

Under normal circumstances, after Zeus (Jupiter), the era should have belonged to those relatively righteous Polytheistic Deities. (Such as Artemis and Athena.)

But unexpectedly, Monotheism rose and wiped them all out in one fell swoop.

Severus had developed a fever.

There was no other way now. He could only tough it out himself.

Although this era possessed supernatural powers, it did not have priests like those in fantasy worlds who could heal injuries and illnesses. Unless someone could find a Legendary Holy Relic, such as the Holy Grail. If Severus could have a cup from it, he would probably be up and about in no time.

Druids had no healing Magic either. Their era had ended long ago, when Julius Caesar slaughtered large numbers of Druid priests in Gaul.

Severus knew some ancient Druid rituals, perhaps including ritual Magic that could heal wounds, but he was unconscious and could not treat himself. The traditional Polytheistic beliefs of Gaul had now almost completely vanished.

"You'll have to see whether you're tough enough, brother." Duncan cared for the badly injured Severus every day.

Most of The Church's priests were ordinary people.

Even in the era when Saints and apostles traveled and proselytized, only a small number within The Church bore the title of "Saint," and were said to be able to heal others' wounds and illnesses.

It was not only Raven Queen Triss whose strength had plummeted. Even Monotheism rarely produced "Saints" anymore. (Those who bore the title of Saint.)

The good news was that two days later, Severus's fever finally broke and he awoke.

This Druid was built as sturdily as a barbarian. Though still very weak, he had regained consciousness—and it was not merely a final burst before death.

"Water..."

A hoarse voice woke Duncan.

He hurriedly set down his little notebook, glanced at the newly awakened Severus, and immediately brought over the water bag.

—Day Eleven After Transmigration: 67 heads.

This Bandit Stronghold was located in a remote area and was relatively safe. They had left no survivors at the time, so the enemy might not be able to catch up—and might not dare to continue the pursuit even if they could.

The moment Severus woke up, the other two Witches rushed over.

There were only a few people in the group capable of fighting. Aside from Duncan, Severus was the only one who could handle melee combat. Raven Queen Triss could unleash explosive power, but the cost was steep; she had been weakened for two full days and was still suffering backlash. Witch Anya, meanwhile, was little more than a decorative piece, providing nothing but financial support. For now, Duncan had yet to see what special abilities this Two-Star Blank Witch possessed.

"His injuries have improved greatly." Raven Queen Triss let out a sigh of relief.

Duncan had known that already.

He had just entered God's Eye View and seen Severus's marker change to "Seriously Injured," with the "Near Death" negative status gone.

"After resting for a while longer, he should be able to continue traveling."

A Druid was still a Druid. After waking, Severus could barely get out of bed and walk on the second day. By the third day, he could move around slowly. His physique was indeed formidable, perhaps with some supernatural factor involved as well, because he had once asked Duncan to take him to that abandoned "Druid Circle."

The group recuperated at the Bandit Stronghold for seven days before finally setting out once more for Britain Island.

However, they also brought along a female slave.

All the other farmers were dismissed. Duncan found a way to acquire several horses, added eight heads to his little notebook, and headed toward Lesser Germania.

During this period, the outside world grew increasingly turbulent. Both Upper and Lower Pannonia had fallen.

There was even worse news: the Vandals, one of the nomadic peoples, were beginning to stir. Seeing the Empire in chaos, they apparently intended to fish in troubled waters. Historically, the Vandals captured the City of Rome, letting their soldiers burn and plunder for two weeks, nearly reducing the ancient city to ruins.

Anya had escaped quickly. If she had simply waited for death, then even if she did not die while fleeing the Inquisition's pursuit in the future, she would still have been captured and abused by the Vandals.

Whenever a dynasty fell, the wives and daughters of princes and nobles could never escape the fate of becoming playthings.