Chapter 654: Because She Must Die!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 654: Because She Must Die!
Horasso Swamp.
Also known as the Horasso Swamp Scenic Area, it served as one of the final destinations for migratory birds in the Main World.
It was located within the territory under the jurisdiction of the Wizard Academy.
When the Witch Academy was repairing the expansion realm, they had accidentally poked a hole here. The Wizard Academy had naturally protested, though their complaints were limited to mere words.
Now, however, that hole had been targeted by the players.
At the cost of several lives, the players seemed to have discovered that the rift led to an entirely new world—one they might have visited before. Regardless of the specifics, the players had set their sights on this location, desperate to cross over.
Back when the numerous teaching assistants were evacuating the expansion realm, these players had already begun openly displaying their desire to seize the area.
Since then, the Horasso region had been rocked by several riots instigated by the Descendant Sect. Their goal was to occupy the area and establish a stable passage to the other side.
However, the players had been outmaneuvered by the students of the Wizard Academy. The Wizard Academy’s Floor Lords—a group equivalent to the Witch Academy’s teaching assistants—had utilized the False World Space Great Witchcraft to trap them.
This Great Witchcraft was the same method used during the exchange competition in the Bobapus Archipelago to sweep up the Descendant Sect in one fell swoop. To distinguish the brainwashed cult members from the actual players, the academy had gone to great lengths.
In doing so, they had managed to extract a significant amount of information from the players.
Naturally, rumors began to circulate from the Wizard Academy, claiming they had obtained extraordinary intelligence.
The implications of such news were self-evident.
Many people flocked to the area just to hear what kind of intelligence could be described as... a turning point.
This information had been jointly acquired by the Wizard Academy Floor Lords and the Witch Academy teaching assistants. Originally, the Wizard Academy hadn't wanted to include the Witches, but they couldn't withstand the other party’s persistence and "unconventional" tactics. Furthermore, the Witches' methods were truly no less effective than those of the Wizards, so they eventually joined forces.
This collaboration, however, directly led them to a brand-new breakthrough.
After identifying the players among the Descendant Sect, they had initially attempted a period of interrogation and torture. However, they were forced to stop after several players died during the process.
No method could pry a word from the players' mouths. Not only were they fearless in the face of torture, but they could even control their own "death"!
That death came without warning, as if their life force simply vanished in an instant.
Even a Resurrection Spell proved useless.
It wasn't that they couldn't be resurrected, but rather that the person who returned had no memories and no cognitive abilities. They were like empty shells—idiots. Even an Consciousness Communication Spell couldn't decipher what they were trying to express.
Moreover, it wasn't just a lack of mental communication; their bodies suffered from various endocrine imbalances and other physical failures.
What was the difference between that and total death?
Both spirit and flesh were crushed unto death; that was the state they remained in even after a Resurrection Spell.
This was a textbook case of a death that even a Resurrection Spell could not fix.
It was also the form of death that the students feared most.
Using their connections, the Witch Academy teaching assistants employed a Great Knowledge Seed to obtain information they hadn't previously known.
They discovered it was a form of consciousness invasion technology used by the players, seemingly related to Luck. Once someone became a player, their original body was considered completely dead. The reason the Resurrection Spell failed was also revealed: a lack of Soul Essence.
Although the most critical information remained elusive, the members of the Wizard Academy couldn't help but look at the Witch Academy’s Great Knowledge Seed with envy.
Still, they couldn't stop trying to gather intelligence from the players, even if they were making no progress.
That was, until a player proactively offered to cooperate.
He claimed he was willing to act as a representative for the will of those behind him to communicate with them, on the condition of a fair exchange of information.
They agreed. There was nothing to hesitate about; after all, they had the Transcendent Academy to back them up.
Whatever trouble they might face later paled in comparison to their desire for the enemy's intelligence.
At the very least, they viewed this as a "game" of intelligence.
The teaching assistants and Floor Lords who were working so hard to target the players were all, in fact, connected to the families of the Main World.
Thus, their first question was: Are the players related to the mentors of the Transcendent Academy?
The players were shocked by this question. They knew the waters of this world ran deep and hadn't fully grasped the situation yet, but learning that the people they were facing weren't the top combatants—and that the official mentors hadn't even made a move—truly stunned them.
After some "friendly" communication, they continued their exchange of intelligence. However, it became clear that the players had suddenly become very "interested" in the Witch Academy.
Specifically, they asked about the level of the girl known as the Calamity Witch.
Upon learning she was a teaching assistant on the same level as the others and not an actual mentor, the player became visibly "panicked."
He began frantically questioning the Witch Academy teaching assistants about "Transcendent Witches" and the "Witch Race."
He repeatedly sought confirmation on whether the "Witches" taught at the academy were a profession-based power system or a form of racial assimilation...
Given that the player had asked so many questions at once, the teaching assistants weren't foolish enough to answer them all. However, the player's attitude was so intense that effective communication became impossible for a long time afterward.
The session had to be temporarily halted to allow the player to calm down.
When communication finally resumed, the player asked a different question: Why hadn't the Transcendent Witches stepped in to expel the players from this world?
Even the Witch Academy teaching assistants were unsure how to answer such a bizarre question. They could only give a vague response: the mentors left the troubles of the outside world to the students to handle; perhaps the Transcendent Witches simply didn't care.
Once that answer was given, the player fell into a total silence. He hadn't "logged out"; he was still alive.
In the period that followed, the influence of the players in the Main World began to steadily weaken. In fact, several high-level members of various families suddenly dropped dead. This wasn't just one or two people—it was a mass occurrence!
Almost every major family with a name for itself experienced this.
Initially, they thought it was a targeted assassination campaign by the players to intimidate the families, but they quickly dismissed that theory.
Those who had witnessed players "logging out" recognized the signs. This situation meant only one thing: the people who had died were players!
It was because this terrifying scene had played out across so many families that they placed such high importance on the previous conversation.
They never imagined that the players' infiltration of this world had reached such a horrifying depth!
If it hadn't been for that conversation touching a nerve with the players, they wouldn't have known how dire their situation was. If the players had truly succeeded, the entire social structure would have completely collapsed!
They had originally thought this would be a long war of attrition, waiting for a spark to ignite a world-wide conflict between them and the players, and they had been accumulating strength for that purpose.
No one expected the invasion from outside the world to take this form. The power they had gathered would likely have become the very blade that brought their families down overnight...
One could say that before the war had even officially begun, they were already lying on the guillotine without knowing it.
But there are no "ifs" in reality. The players' collective "logout" served as a warning of their impending doom.
However, this development seemed like a good thing for the families. If the players were retreating voluntarily, did that mean the world no longer needed to undergo a restructuring of order?
In that case, the methods the Witch Academy had prepared in the expansion realm for social restructuring seemed like wasted effort.
But the whole situation was so surreal that they couldn't understand why. Why had the players suddenly retreated?
They pored over the contents of the intelligence exchange... Every one of the players' questions had been aimed at confirming one thing.
They seemed to be trying to verify if the "Transcendent Witches" of the Witch Academy were the same Transcendent Witches they knew.
Two things could be inferred from this: first, the players were familiar with the concept of Transcendent Witches; second, they were terrified of them.
This was the most baffling part. Why were the players so afraid of Transcendent Witches?
Weren't they afraid of Transcendent Wizards or Transcendent Holy Angels?
They needed an explanation.
And their only way to get one was through the players captured by the Wizard Academy’s Great Witchcraft.
Miraculously, these captured players had not chosen to log out; they were still alive.
As long as they were alive, it proved the players hadn't completely abandoned the Main World. Despite their fear and the waste of so many hidden pieces, these captives hadn't fled, which meant there had to be a reason.
So, they found an opportunity to gather together.
"You people from the Witch Academy are late. Strange—shouldn't your academy be the most proactive about this sort of thing?"
"Hmph. Do you think we're idle? We're just as busy in the expansion realm."
"This is a matter of life and death for the family factions. You Witches... do you really believe the rumors that the players are afraid of Transcendent Witches? Those Transcendent Witches won't lift a finger to save you."
"I heard those Witches are already testing techniques for rapid social reconstruction. If a Great Purge really happens, don't think you'll have it easy either."
"Enough! Stop arguing!"
At that moment, a Floor Lord from the Wizard Academy spoke up. For some reason, the Wizards seemed exceptionally calm today. Perhaps it was because they had initiated this gathering.
Or perhaps they had learned even more from the players before the others arrived.
The representatives of the various families, all current students, had gathered here to discuss vital matters. This was perfectly normal.
"We are all here to solve a problem, not to bicker. Since everyone is present, we won't waste time on formalities. We will take you to a large conference room where we will broadcast a live feed of my upcoming contact and interrogation of the player..."
"Why are we watching a broadcast? Can't we be there in person?" someone from the Witch Academy side asked.
"Will you take responsibility if something goes wrong during the contact? We at the Wizard Academy are taking a massive risk. I know what you want; you can relay your demands directly. After all, you are participants. Is that enough?"
"Fine."
With the reluctant agreement of the Witch student, the matter was settled. The more important the issue, the more efficiency was required. Everyone was sensible enough not to waste time.
They quickly arrived at the location. A massive light screen displayed a sealed space, the center of which was heavily restricted by various forms of witchcraft.
This was a secret underground space in the Horasso region, a prison the Wizard Academy had temporarily carved out within the False World Space Great Witchcraft. Everyone was now gathered here, and no one from the outside could peer into the information within.
"Before we begin, I declare on behalf of the Wizard Academy that I have already communicated with this player previously..."
"What do you mean? You've already communicated? Why weren't we notified?"
"We have been in constant communication with the players; you knew this. How were we supposed to know when they would finally decide to come clean? They aren't actors who have to wait for you all to gather before they speak," the Wizard Academy Floor Lords retorted bluntly.
"Then did you Wizards call us here today just to waste our time? If I just wanted to hear your conclusions, why would I travel all this way?"
"The reason we called you here so urgently today is for something else, which also concerns this player. This player requires a promise from all of you."
As the Wizard Academy Floor Lord finished speaking, the perspective on the screen shifted to a front-facing view of the player. The player looked disheveled, and the large screen revealed every speck of grime on him in vivid detail.
At that moment, the feed became two-way.
The player looked up, his gaze fixed intensely on the crowd. From his perspective, he could see everyone who had arrived.
The Silence Spell bound to the player's mouth was lifted.
"Pah... Heh... The Wizards certainly have their ways. I didn't expect so many people to actually show up."
Even with the silence lifted, the player remained nonchalant, his tone indifferent.
The Wizards understood why: these players could adjust their own pain sensitivity.
Because of this ability, all their methods of torture had proven ineffective.
"I know the situation you're facing, and I know you want information from me. But you have to cooperate with me! No—cooperate with us players!"
"On what grounds? Why should we cooperate with you?" someone countered.
"On what grounds? On the grounds that your families have been infiltrated until they're like sieves. Those players who logged out did so because of a minor accident, but don't think that's the end of it. If we want to, the social system your families have built will completely collapse within days."
Hearing this, a chill ran down everyone's spine. This was the answer they dreaded most. As for whether the players were bluffing... they didn't dare gamble on it.
"What do you want us to do to cooperate with you?"
After a long silence, someone finally asked the question. This time, it was the player's turn to be silent for a long while.
"...Cooperate with us... to kill the Calamity Witch." After a long pause, the player stated a condition that baffled everyone.
"Do you mean the teaching assistant, Yang Yuehan? Why?" This time, the question came from the Witch Academy side.
If they moved against one of their own, they would surely suffer a miserable fate. Moreover, plotting to assassinate her?
Her network of connections with Transcendent Witches was terrifying, and she even had close ties with more than one Academy Dean.
More importantly, the mentors of the Witch Academy mastered the Resurrection Spell!
To kill the Calamity Witch, they would need to kill her so thoroughly that even a Resurrection Spell would be useless!
The difficulty was unimaginable.
"Yes, her. Because she must die."
Someone spoke.
But it wasn't the player. It was the Wizard Academy Floor Lord who was presiding over the meeting.