The Earth Witch

On the other side, right inside the Imperial Palace.

Wadsworth, Zimmerman, Augustus, and Saint Monica, the four old foxes, gathered together once again.

Wadsworth had a broad smile on his face. Although the Imperial City had suffered great losses, he had also profited handsomely.

There has always been a certain contradiction and conflict between the nobility and the imperial power. The nobility is the most powerful competitor of the imperial power... The succession of the imperial power has never been to commoners, but to other great nobles.

Even the Abshien Family did the same, completing the transformation from nobles to royalty.

The loss of the Imperial City was entirely acceptable to Wadsworth. Many noble heads, or heirs, had died, forcing them to push their previously abandoned second, third, or even fourth sons to the forefront to inherit the family business.

Most of these people were fools and posed far less of a threat to imperial power.

Most importantly, many noble families were wiped out. Wadsworth elevated their titles by one rank, from viscount to earl, earl to marquis, and so on. Then, he took the opportunity to reclaim the power held by these nobles and nationalize their accumulated wealth.

Of course, nominally it's for fighting Magic Creature.

Wadsworth's power was more concentrated than ever before; he never imagined that reusing his son, who was considered useless, would actually bring such benefits.

As for the criticism and blame the royal family received as a result, it was insignificant compared to the gains they made.

"Qin Chu's progress in strength is far too rapid. Don't you think there's a problem?" Augustus said. "It's easy to understand the saying 'Heaven Rewards Diligence,' but it seems our Hero isn't so diligent. Since being summoned to this world, he seems to spend most of his time with women..."

"From the perspective of winning over women, he is indeed quite diligent."

The bigwigs were all speechless at this.

This Hero really lacks the... spirit that Hero should have?

"As for the power of Ally of Justice, it's a bit hard to understand. It seems that as long as one persists on the path of justice, one's strength will continue to grow. So eliminating hundreds of Magic Creature spies lurking in the city should have given him some boost, but it shouldn't be enough to..."

"I heard that Natia destroyed tens of thousands of Minotaur before, and the Hero was present for a while at the time, and it seems he also benefited quite a bit..." Wadsworth pondered for a moment and said, "His strength seems to have increased dramatically from that time onwards."

Will the Magic Creature defeated by his companions also be counted against the Hero?

Isn't this cheating a bit too outrageous?

"As for his sudden increase in Magic Power, it must be because of Athena... We all know a little about that woman's powers, it's a pity..." Wadsworth shook his head and said with some regret.

In fact, he had once pursued Athena, hoping to obtain Athena Magic Power and become a master of both magic and martial Battle Qi, but he was rejected.

As a result, Qin Chu benefited from it all.

"Moreover, Qin Chu definitely had some hidden abilities. His strength suddenly increased from level 40 to the middle stage of War God. Even though Qin Chu stayed at home and weakened for seven days after using it, and didn't even touch the women around him, the effect was still a bit too exaggerated."

"With such severe side effects and powers that can't be used casually, I don't think there's anything to be wary of," Zimmerman said, shaking his head. This old man was clearly not as cunning as the others.

Augustus shook his head. "Although the aftereffects are significant, we must not underestimate this power. It can already boost him to the mid-stage of War God. Once he has the strength of War God, wouldn't he be able to stand on equal footing with us immediately?"

"Besides the power that allows him to drastically increase his strength, he also conceals at least one other power: a disguise panel that hides his true strength, preventing us from seeing his true power."

"Moreover, and more importantly, why does Qin Chu want to conceal his power?"

What exactly is he wary of?

Augustus frowned and said, "If it weren't for his distrust of us, would he need to hide? I have a feeling that Qin Chu knows a lot about the situation on the Skyvault Continent, as if he's been here before."

As soon as he finished speaking, Augustus himself felt that this speculation was quite absurd.

There are only two outsiders from another world on the Skyvault Continent: the Hero who were summoned twice.

One of the Jello is dead.

One of them is Qin Chu...

Regardless of the circumstances, the fact that this is Qin Chu's first time in this world cannot be changed.

"Sorry, never mind, maybe that guy really is smart?"

"Could it be that we're overthinking it? Don't forget that Qin Chu originally lived in a world ravaged by war. Living in that kind of environment, it's normal to be more vigilant and habitually hide some of your trump cards, isn't it?" Saint Monica frowned and voiced her thoughts.

After a pause, Saint Monica continued, "In my opinion, there's only one person in Qin Chu who truly warrants our vigilance..."

The remaining three remained silent.

They all knew what Saint Monica was talking about.

Behind Qin Chu appeared the enormous phantom of a goddess.

The being that instilled in them instinctive trembling and awe, as the pinnacle of the Skyvault Continent Dome Continent, caused them to lose control of their bodies and kneel on the ground—an unprecedented situation.

"Augustus, is that goddess really the Goddess of Holy Light worshipped by the Holy Church?" Saint Monica asked Augustus.

Zimmerman and Wadsworth's eyes were also fixed on Augustus.

His Holiness the Pope, at this moment, also frowned deeply. "I cannot be sure."

"After all, we have never seen the face of a deity."

Although that deity possessed a powerful, surging Holy Light... would a deity truly appear in such a normal form? Despite being a bit taller, it still looked beautiful.

Augustus had the privilege of witnessing the seven auxiliary gods beside the Goddess of Holy Light, all of whom were bizarre, twisted, and terrifying beings, completely different from the feeling that the goddess behind Qin Chu gave Augustus.

"If it really is the Goddess of Holy Light, then what's with the chains binding her? Why was she dragged into the Void? Could the Goddess of Holy Light have been imprisoned by another god?" Wadsworth frowned as he posed this hypothesis.

If this news gets out, it will be a fatal blow to the Holy Church.

Of course, the Holy Church wields immense influence, and even so, its core base remains intact despite the news spreading. Overthrowing the Holy Church will take a long time.

"Do you guys think the Magic Creature appeared because the Goddess of Holy Light was imprisoned?" Zimmerman also proposed a hypothesis. "And perhaps the phantom of the Goddess of Holy Light appeared on Qin Chu in an attempt to use the power of the Hero to release herself from her cage?"

Silence reigned all around; no one spoke.

With so few clues available, they can only offer various speculations, and no one can guarantee how close these speculations are to the truth.

However, one thing is certain: Qin Chu's identity is no longer simply that of Hero.

If the speculation is true, then Qin Chu is still a divine messenger.

If this news gets out, Qin Chu's status will immediately rise dramatically, while theirs will become extremely precarious.

"Everyone, why don't we broaden our thinking a bit? Since Qin Chu can even summon the goddess's avatar, eliminating Magic Creature shouldn't be a problem... We can use Qin Chu to destroy the Magic Creature on the Skyvault Continent and bring peace to this world."

"After eliminating the Magic Creature, we can then persuade Qin Chu to go and save the goddess..." Saint Monica's eyes gleamed with an eerie light.

"A being capable of sealing a goddess is no ordinary being. What chance do you think Qin Chu has of surviving against those beings? If Qin Chu dies... no, if he sacrifices himself on the way to save the goddess, then our position will be unshakeable..."

"Even if other gods ruled this world, they still needed believers, didn't they?"

"If Qin Chu really succeeds in rescuing the goddess, then we, who have been supporting the Hero from behind the scenes, should also be credited, right?" Saint Monica said confidently.

These words reveal that they have no faith in the gods they worship.

Gods and faith are merely tools for them to gain power, status, wealth, and strength.

Saint Monica's words brought smiles to their faces. This woman was indeed very shrewd. It was a good choice. As long as they could maintain their own status and power, they didn't care who the high and mighty deity was.

As long as it brings them higher status, more power, and greater strength, they don't care if they believe in darkness.

"By the way, regarding the Evil God summoned by the Crown Prince, have you found anything?" Wadsworth said, "I ordered my men to search the entire royal library, but unfortunately, there's nothing..."

"I found something here. More than a thousand years ago, there was a small religion on the Skyvault Continent. The members of the religion considered themselves elegant and noble, but they were also succumbing to Desire."

"Once they become believers, they abandon all morality and law, dedicating themselves to pursuing more stimulating and perverse pleasures through fanatical hedonism and indulgence."

"And that deity, the one worshipped, is revered as... Sin of Desire!"

On the other side.

Inside the imperial palace.

In the bedroom, after a tender moment, Qin Chu was held in Violet's arms...

Violet's body was soft and comfortable, but this position made Qin Chu feel a little strange. After all, he was a man; shouldn't things be reversed?

Even so, Qin Chu still lay comfortably on Violet's chest.

Violet ran a finger through Qin Chu's hair, her expression somewhat strange. "Qin Chu..."

"What's wrong?"

"That girl this afternoon..."

"You mean Norma? What happened to her?"

"That girl...something's strange," Violet said carefully, a hint of doubt on her face, as if she couldn't be entirely sure of her deduction. "I seem to sense an aura similar to mine emanating from her..."

Qin Chu was suddenly startled, his pupils contracting. An aura similar to Violet's?

Could it be that Norma is Witch?

Around 6:15, there will be another chapter.

Chapter 167 Earth Witch

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Is Norma Witch?

This is truly remarkable news.

Qin Chu's face also showed doubt. "This... is impossible, right?"

"Violet, you once said that Witch were all born a thousand years ago, and the only Witch since then is the Dark Witch Saya. How could Norma, who is only in her twenties, be Witch?"

Violet's face also showed obvious doubt. "I can't be sure either."

"Although I sensed a similar aura on Norma, it was like a candle flickering in the wind, extremely faint, almost imperceptible without careful observation."

"Could it be that, like me, there's a Witch's soul attached to Norma?" Saya suddenly popped out and asked.

That's a possibility.

If that's the case, then Witch possessing Norma?

To be honest, Norma was a rather strange girl to begin with.

Almost everyone, including a master like Wadsworth, is influenced by Jello, except for Norma.

She could even vaguely sense the danger lurking beneath Jello's gentle exterior, and instinctively wanted to stay away.

Could it be because the Witch's soul also resides within Norma, granting her Divine Authority and the ability to sense Norma 'Jello danger?

Karthus, that idiot! He has such a wonderful fiancée but doesn't appreciate her. Instead, he's obsessed with Jello. Who else but him deserves to die?

The more this is the case, the less we should hand Norma over to Karthus.

It seems I need to contact Norma again... Of course, this won't take too long; she should appear soon.

On the other side, Norma returned to Sunset Residence.

It was still the same terrible environment, with a stench permeating the air, and rats and cockroaches strutting around in the rotten and filthy corridors as if no one else was there.

As Norma walked through the narrow corridor, she could clearly sense men secretly watching her, an atmosphere filled with malice and Desire.

That gaze made Norma tremble with fear; her body shook uncontrollably.

Norma is really timid.

She instinctively clutched the branch-like magic wand in her arms, her head bowed, enduring the prying gazes from all around... Even though she was powerful enough to easily blow the entire Sunset Residence to pieces.

She bit her lower lip hard with her pearly white teeth until she reached her room door. She pushed the door open forcefully and slammed it shut, blocking out the prying eyes. Only then did the intense fear temporarily subside.

Her cheeks turned pale, and she leaned against the door, trembling.

If I went with the Hero to his Hero's Palace, I wouldn't have to endure this fear, right?

But no, if I really did that, Karthus would be very sad if he found out.

After catching her breath, Norma calmed down a little, but then a strong feeling of hunger washed over her; her stomach was growling... She didn't even have the money to buy a single steamed bun.

I'm so hungry.

She missed the pastries made by Miss Angelica in the Hero's Palace; she hadn't tasted such deliciousness in a long time.

She patted her cheeks with her two thin little hands... She couldn't keep thinking about those things. Compared to Karthus, who was still in prison, her situation was much better now, so it was fine.

She knew that Karthus's crime of killing three thousand two Knight was undeniable, and she didn't intend to let Karthus escape any punishment, as that would be unfair to the dead Knight.

She only hoped that the judges would give Karthus another chance, considering Karthus previous significant contributions, even if it was just to let Karthus charge to the front lines against the Magic Creature.

There was no water in the room, so I couldn't even wash my face.

She didn't have the courage to go to the public restroom; just walking through the corridor gave her the creeps.