Chapter 394
Chapter 394
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 394
Chapter Title: The Witch of Desire
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1.
His hair turned stark white.
His insides boiled as if he'd swallowed a mouthful of searing embers.
"Takasho..."
The friend who had supported Siu more than anyone during those five years as a slave.
The friend who shattered the stereotype of a street thug and charged toward his dreams with unmatched flair.
That friend was being reduced to a ragged mess.
By one filthy Public Enemy.
The footage captured in the long-distance communication crystal orb that Bianca had shown him laid bare endless hours of torment.
When he snapped back to his senses, a metallic tang filled his mouth.
He'd bitten his lip without realizing it.
"Isn't it impressive? Your friend. He didn't utter a single word until he ended up like this. Even though it was all utterly pointless."
The scenes of Takasho being tortured.
The mockery of his loyalty and unbreakable will.
I want to kill her.
For the first time in his life, Siu felt raw, visceral killing intent toward another person.
Not the vague fury of curses, but killing intent in its purest, most literal form.
The Public Enemy record tome he'd obtained from the archive with Diana not long ago.
Even as the recorded video played on without end, he flipped open the massive volume.
Separate from the rage threatening to burst his brain's blood vessels, his mind coldly dissected the situation.
Letting raw emotion throw him into panic was the worst possible move.
The video's true purpose wasn't mere sadistic cruelty.
Obviously, it was bait to lure out Shin Siu.
Which made knowing everything possible about the enemy he'd have to face absolutely crucial.
The record was compiled in 1972.
Over fifty years ago, yet Siu easily identified the figure from the video.
A faded black-and-white photo was attached.
Witch of Desire.
Bianca Belliri.
Godmother of Mexico's largest cartel and a Cliphoth-affiliated Public Enemy.
Active since 1860—a 22nd Hierarchy witch who'd persisted as a Public Enemy for over 150 years.
"What I want is Red Branch... and you, Shin Siu. You have to come rescue Takasho, who held out so desperately for his friend's sake, don't you?"
Her Nature Magic: Possessiveness.
A collector who had amassed over a thousand artifacts and five Relics.
These days, witches widely agreed that magic engineering had hit its limits, but the Witch of Desire was a different story.
She wasn't just a collector—she was a master artisan capable of "assimilating" and radically modifying any artifacts or Relics that fell into her hands.
"The spot is here. Busan Yeongdo Shipyard. Time... hmm, I'll generously give you until noon."
Page after page of Relics and artifacts in her possession.
Dozens of pages in this hefty tome were devoted solely to outlining Bianca Belliri's dangers.
And even this data was fifty years old.
"But there's one crucial condition. Come alone, without telling a soul.
In hostage negotiations, one-on-one is the golden rule, right? If you tip off another witch or bring backup, Takasho dies."
Siu rapidly flipped through the listings of Bianca's magic tools and their effects.
No time for a leisurely deep read.
Like snapshotting pages, he crammed every detail straight into his brain.
"Don't think this is my final offer. Skip this one, and next I'll snatch up your precious ones one by one and truss them up again. Your apprentice witch twins... Sharon Evergreen... and so on."
The resolve to hold onto his reason.
His fury cooled to ice.
And reality came into sharp focus.
"I'll be waiting with bated breath. Good luck."
The Witch of Desire knew their side far better than expected.
This wasn't a blind ambush like with Ea Sadalmelik—she'd thoroughly investigated before issuing the summons.
And her opponent wasn't some two-bit crook, but at minimum a 22nd Hierarchy Public Enemy.
Even this fifty-year-old record gave no real gauge of her power.
An enemy resorting to such brutal tactics surely wasn't inviting Siu over for tea.
In his now crystal-clear mind, dread over the future bloomed like mold.
He could dodge if he chose to.
Look the other way if he wanted.
"...Takasho..."
But he couldn't ignore the friend who'd writhed in agony yet clung to his loyalty.
He had to go.
He erased every other "safe" option from his mind.
Closing his eyes, he analyzed the memorized intel and formulated a plan.
Every contingency assumed combat with the Witch of Desire.
Even standing alone before her, there was no guarantee Bianca would honor her word.
To secure Takasho's safety, he needed to prepare for battle.
Siu checked his watch.
About five hours until the deadline.
A long time, or a short one—depending on perspective.
She'd likely factored in delays spotting the crystal and Gehenna customs clearance.
Positioning herself as "waiting patiently with the hostage" after granting so much time also signaled confidence.
Even if Siu brought allies, she could slip away at will.
The key point: this sliver of time was Siu's final chance to prepare.
Every minute, every second was too precious to waste.
Siu grabbed Red Branch at once.
Feeling the hefty Relic's weight, wrapped in its black ribbon, he immediately began calculating coordinates.
"Just hold on a little longer. I'll come get you."
Knowing his words wouldn't carry, Siu murmured lowly all the same. His body vanished in a swirl of blue mana.
2.
The pinnacle of great witches—who could warp natural laws and defy the very fabric of the world—lay at the 20th Hierarchy.
Bianca Belliri stood two ranks higher.
Stronger than any foe Siu had ever faced.
Even if he'd studied elemental magic under Sharon to bolster Shadow's Law.
Even if Master had taught him close-quarters combat, letting him push Contract of the King of All Diseases to its limits.
Siu remained a raw novice witch.
Charging in like this offered zero chance of victory—just one meaningless dog death.
He needed more prep time.
Siu's destination: Kybele Periwinkle's mansion, whose address he'd noted down earlier.
Periwinkle, lounging idly with paperwork, greeted the unannounced arrival with delight.
"What brings you here?"
"It's been a while, Lady Periwinkle."
The lucky four-leaf clovers she'd crafted.
They didn't just draw fortune to their owner—they could deflect even the jaws of death.
In a battle where his life hung in the balance, they'd be his ace for cheating demise.
"Coming without a heads-up? Here to make good on that promise?"
Siu approached Periwinkle without pause, striding right up.
She rose to embrace him, but he gently held her back.
"Sorry, but I'm afraid that's not possible today."
"What? Not here to fuck? Then why are you?"
"......"
Periwinkle cocked her head at Siu's uncharacteristically rigid vibe.
She'd figured he was here to pay up with host-bar consulting, but the stiff demeanor was off-script.
"Could you give me as many of those four-leaf clovers from before as possible?"
"Out of the blue?"
Flustered by the abrupt ask, Periwinkle prodded his chest with pokes.
"Think I hand these out like candy to just anyone?"
"Whatever terms you name next time, I'll meet them."
"Huh? You're really playing it serious."
"I'm begging you."
Periwinkle's eyes raked Siu from toes to crown.
A gaze appraising his worth while probing the crisis.
The tension he couldn't hide. The lack of any leisure in his face.
And the shadows lurking deep in his eyes—she clocked it all.
"Four."
The air around the silent Periwinkle shifted.
She let out a deep sigh before speaking.
"That's my max interventions to drastically alter one person's fate. Get what that means?"
"Leaves me with three."
"Pisses me off how you phrase it like you've already cashed them in. Eh, not a bad deal anyway."
Periwinkle shut her eyes.
From her clenched fist erupted an iridescent glow, pulsing with immense mana.
When she unfurled her hand, three utterly mundane four-leaf clovers rested there.
Having wrung out her mana to the dregs, she shook her head as if dizzy with exhaustion.
"Ever grasp the insane value packed into one of these?"
For any regular human, mere ownership summoned heavenly luck.
Love, money, business—uncountable fortunes beyond listing.
And he now had six.
A half-assed chicken joint would balloon into a global franchise.
Unattractive? Women would swarm like bees. Lotteries bought on whims? All jackpots. Nothing weird about it.
"All the world's magic splits into subject and object. Way harder to cast on an object than yourself as subject. And I can flawlessly apply my Nature Magic to others."
"Yes, I'm aware."
"That's why I never hand these clovers to randos. If one lands in a Public Enemy's grubby mitts, facing that witch could end me—identical Nature Magic cancels out."
Saying this, Periwinkle still wove the clovers with mana into a bracelet.
She slipped it onto Siu's wrist, then rose on tiptoes for a soft forehead kiss.
"So, whatever mess you're in, I won't pry. Just don't let some bastard snag it—and come back safe."
"Thank you so much."
"Thanks for what? You've gotta repay me like the stud horse you are."
Siu, butt smacked with a playful smack, gave a final bow of thanks before teleporting to Flora's Tailor Shop via coordinates.
One last preparation remained.