Anna nodded, stretching the black fire into a delicate thread that lightly rested against the crystal pillar.
The witches gasped involuntarily as the contact points between them began to emit swirling green smoke—not the color of smoke itself, but hues that shimmered with varying shades under the green flames.
Black fire embedded in the crystal.
"How are you doing?" Tilly asked.
"It's a bit of a hassle, but it can be cut open," Anna replied.
Suddenly, the 'Ice Coffin' transformed. With a crisp crack, cracks spread from the black fire's embedded spot, spreading like a spider web across the entire pillar in an instant. Almost simultaneously, Shawei raised the barrier, trapping the witches inside.
Yet the anticipated explosion never occurred. The shattered crystals crumbled like a collapsing earth, revealing a chilling core—the transparent column was actually composed of two layers, with a genuine ice crystal at its core. In an instant, everyone was hit by a wave of cold, and the temperature around them plummeted sharply.
Fortunately, Anna quickly stabilized the dropping temperature and restored it to normal.
Under the relentless heat of the black flames, the ice crystals melted at an accelerated pace, their transparency plummeting as they lost all angular edges, dissolving into a uniform mass like ordinary ice. Yet Tilly observed no pooling of water on the ground—the melted ice dissipated entirely into a mist, as if the 'Ice Coffin' had never existed.
When all the ice crystals melted away, the woman trapped within revealed her true form.
She appeared to remain in a deep slumber, her long hair and robe showing no signs of moisture—her state was identical to when she had been frozen. Without the pillar's support, her body slumped backward weakly, only to be embraced by the ashes.
"Are you still alive?" "Though faint, the heartbeat persists," Ash pressed his hand to the chest. "This... is... unbelievable." Indeed, it was unbelievable. Since arriving in Border Town, Tilly had witnessed more astonishing events in less than a week than in the previous year. Yet she breathed a sigh of relief—surviving in the freezing ice crystals likely confirmed her identity: a Witch.
The venture was not without its rewards.
As for her name, her origins, and why she was trapped in the ruins, these questions could be asked later when she returned.
...
Andrea stood by the hollow with a hint of boredom, occasionally glancing down at the bottom in hopes of catching Tilly's return first.
The Devil's shadow was nowhere to be seen around the ruins, and even the demonic beasts were scarce. Occasionally, only common wolf or wild boar types would emerge from the woods, but before they could even draw their bows, the Nightingale had already driven the dagger into their heads.
Time seemed to slow down. All the others at the cave entrance were members of the Witch's Guild, leaving her with no one to chat with. Though the woman named Wendy appeared kind, Andrea couldn't bring herself to strike up a conversation.
As a noble lady of the morning, grace and composure are essential qualities for unmarried women.
Never mind, I'll talk to Nightingale instead. I heard she once fought Ash and they were evenly matched. Since I'm gathering intelligence on an old rival, it wouldn't be a good idea to initiate the conversation.
Well, this is just a necessary job.
She brushed the snow off her head, then looked up—her heart skipped a beat. The nightingale was gone.
The woman with golden curly hair, who had once been leaning against the hanging basket with an elegance reminiscent of Noble, had now vanished. By the way, her ability seemed to be concealing her form.
At this moment, Andrea calmed down to observe the surroundings. When sight failed, her ears and nose became her best allies in tracking her opponent's movements.
Then she heard the sound of footsteps.
The nightingale?
No, Andrea felt a shiver run down her spine. The footsteps were unmistakably not a single person's—there was a group approaching, right in the jungle ahead, mere hundred paces away! Yet when she looked around, all she saw was still stillness, not a soul in sight.
The footsteps were already at our doorstep. Damn it, the enemy was transparent!
She was about to sound the alarm when a loud boom suddenly rang in her ears.
A flicker of firelight suddenly appeared in the air, followed by a sudden gust of wind. A bizarre creature emerged—its elongated head and sharp double scythes resembled a mutated mantis, yet unlike any insect, it walked upright.
The arrow from the musket shattered its side, and black blood spurted from its skull, nearly splashing Andrea.
The monster fell to the ground with a loud crash, and then she saw the nightingale's white cloak and hood fluttering in the wind.
Then came the second shot!
Damn, I was careless! Andrea bit her lip, having noticed it all before she did.
She summoned the Magic Power longbow but had no idea where to aim, so she slowly retreated to the basket and stood beside the other witches.
Four gunshots rang out, and four monsters fell, all dead on the spot.
When the nightingale reappeared beside the monster, Andrea swiftly drew her weapon and moved toward it.
"What is this?" "Either a Demon Beast or a Devil," she squatted down to examine the enemy's claws and sickle, "though by the color of their blood, it looks more like a Demon Beast." "When did you spot them?" "From the moment they appeared," Nightingale smiled, "in the mist, their Magic Power glowed as brightly as stars in the night sky." "Can Demon Beasts possess such power?" Andriya frowned.
The other's smile froze. "Uh... hybrids are probably the most unique." Just then, the Witch who had ventured deep into the cave returned to the surface. Alongside the original seven, a blue-haired woman now stood on Ash's shoulder.
"Is she the one who came to the ruins for help?" Andrea asked.
"Exactly," Tilly nodded. "We'll discuss the specifics on the Voyager. The longer I stay in this forest, the more uneasy I feel. By the way, haven't we encountered any dangerous situations up here?" "A few strange hybrid monsters appeared, but they're all dead now," Nightingale shrugged.
The hot air balloon quickly inflated and ascended, its basket soaring past the treetops and heading toward the town. Just then, Sylvie let out a gasp, "Oh my God, what's down there? Are those monsters?" "Monsters?" Andrea peered toward the ruins, but saw nothing.
No, something was indeed moving on the ground. The monster's corpse, which had been lying on the ground, suddenly had half of its body missing, and the black bloodstains were scattered by footsteps. At the boundary between the soil and snow, eerie writhing could be seen, as if viewed through a glass. Without closer inspection, these changes would be hard to notice.
"That strange hybrid creature again," the nightingale said nonchalantly. "There must be a hundred of them, all scrambling into the cave... Could it be drawn by that big bug, craving a feast?" She yawned. "But none of this concerns us."