Extraction: Transformation

Lu Li vaguely sensed that the monster behind him wasn't chasing after him, whether because of the sunlight or for some other reason. But he didn't slow down, since evening was fast approaching and night would fall soon. Although Lu Li's strength would increase greatly after dark, who knew what kind of monsters might be lurking in the forest at night?

While there was still a faint glimmer of daylight, Lu Li stepped into the area around the Witch's cottage. He found that it was still bright here, with no sign of nightfall. This gave him a few ideas about the Witch's abilities. "An isolated pocket dimension?"

Holding the clump of Flesh Ganoderma, Lu Li pushed open the cottage door. Xu Haoran had already returned and was staring at the Witch, who was mixing a potion, his face flushed red. Gao Xiaowen sat to the side, clutching her left arm and sneering. It looked like Xu Haoran hadn't escaped the Witch's charms after all and had become her willing servant.

Xu Haoran seemed powerful, but deep down he had long since been scared out of his wits. He desperately needed to prove himself by any means necessary. That was why he always took the lead on missions, trying to control the team's actions and unlock side quests. He wanted to prove how strong he was. But his mind had already been left with a serious flaw in the previous instance, which was why the Witch had so easily bewitched him.

"You're back. I've been waiting for you. Hurry up and give it to me..." The Witch's voice was as grating as ever, but this time Xu Haoran showed no reaction at all. He still gazed at her with infatuation.

Lu Li handed the Flesh Ganoderma to the Witch. She examined it and smiled. "Not bad. All that effort I put in wasn't wasted..."

The Witch made no effort to hide what she knew; that one remark revealed a great deal. Seeing Lu Li's thoughtful expression, she continued without a care. "That village just happened to be hit by a plague, and I happened to need this thing. So I gave its seeds to a gravedigger. Under the contract, whether to use them was up to him. You've seen what happened..."

"Even the people who got it afterward chose to make a contract with me and keep using it, all for the sake of immortality..." The Witch sneered. "Those people wanted to break the contract and keep the Flesh Ganoderma for themselves, so I struck first."

"Exactly. It was all their fault," Xu Haoran chimed in, but the Witch ignored him completely and smiled at Lu Li. "I only want to extract some of what's inside. It won't affect the Flesh Ganoderma's effects at all. If you want it, I can give it to you."

"I'm not interested in something that's been tampered with so many times. And how do you know so much about us?" Lu Li asked. The Witch made no attempt to conceal the truth. "Because I placed a spell on all of you soon after you entered the cottage. I can see everything you do. Don't worry, it's only for surveillance. It won't harm you."

As she spoke, the Witch placed the Flesh Ganoderma on the wooden table and picked up the potion she had just finished preparing. She poured it over the fungus. The Flesh Ganoderma seemed to absorb something and closed up again into a flower bud. Black threads stretched out once more, swaying around as if searching for something.

The Witch began chanting an ancient, bizarre incantation. She picked up a crystal needle and plunged it into the center of the Flesh Ganoderma's flower bud. The black threads immediately wrapped around the needle, and brilliant light spilled from their tips, seeping into the crystal.

A little while later, the Witch pulled out the crystal needle and placed it in a metal box. Then she set the somewhat wilted fleshy bud in front of Lu Li. "Are you sure you don't want the Flesh Ganoderma? If you feed it some more, it'll come back to life right away. This immortality comes at a price, but it's immortality all the same, isn't it?"

"Your mysterious country has something like this too..." As she spoke, the Witch waved her hand, and a yellow book flew over from a nearby cabinet. A few ancient characters were written on its cover: Talisman of Flesh Ganoderma Longevity.

The name immediately reminded Lu Li of the Cinnabar Talisman of Soul Return from the previous scenario. The two seemed to be part of the same series, meaning they both belonged to the Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Monarch. The Witch paid no attention to Lu Li's strange expression and continued, "You could also eat it directly. Then you'd become the source of everything. I haven't told anyone else about that method."

"No need. What I want to know now is how much you know about my situation." Remembering the mission's reward prompt, Lu Li asked her directly. At that, the Witch's smile faded, and she grew serious. "You've been marked by a great being. You should know when you came into contact with such a being. I have to say, I'm really curious how you didn't become a madman with nothing but Chaos in your head."

"It gave you a lot of things, waiting for you to discover them. Of course, you should be careful. Coming into contact with such beings is never a good thing..." The Witch spoke gravely, a self-mocking smile flickering across her face.

"Never mind. Since you don't want it, I won't force you." The Witch put away the withered Flesh Ganoderma and took out the metal box. She added some fresh herbs and potion, then set it on the fire. The box rose into the air as the flames continued to scorch it.

Just then, Hu Wenxu returned. He looked a little battered but hadn't suffered any injuries. After coming in, he looked at the Witch. She giggled coquettishly, though her voice was still unpleasant. "You did a good job completing the task. My little darlings are very pleased. In return for all your hard work, this is your reward."

The Witch tossed Hu Wenxu the Flesh Ganoderma she had put away earlier, along with the booklet, the Talisman of Flesh Ganoderma Longevity. Gao Xiaowen sat to the side, still sneering at the Witch's handing Hu Wenxu a trap. Xu Haoran said nothing, gazing at the Witch with infatuation, while Lu Li looked at the clump of Flesh Ganoderma with an expression of curiosity, as if he'd never seen one before.

Hu Wenxu nodded and sat down to study the booklet, the Talisman of Flesh Ganoderma Longevity. From time to time, he added notes to it. He seemed quite pleased with it, happily stepping into the trap. Now it remained to be seen whether he could climb back out.

Meanwhile, the Witch took the metal box off the fire and opened it. The crystal needle had turned into a small, dark green cube. Lu Li froze. Wasn't this a module?