Chapter 70
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Transcender
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The Elder Witch, Tainil, mentioned the Witch Council and then used magic to contact the Great Witch Moriana.
[Tainil? What's the matter?]
The magic connected with the Great Witch Moriana's permission.
As soon as the connection was established, Great Witch Moriana asked what was going on.
[I contacted you because there's something urgent I need to report.]
[Ah. I have a feeling I know. It's about those young witches having something strange, right?]
The forest where the witches lived was itself the domain of Great Witch Moriana.
She hadn't paid attention while deeply engrossed in research, but now that she was resting, it was different.
[Yes. First, someone from another channel approached Melani. And after that...]
Tainil summarized the story she had heard as concisely as possible and then got to the main point.
[So, we wish to hold a Witch Council. Please grant permission.]
[A Witch Council... If communication with someone from another world is possible, it could be a turning point for this world.]
The Great Witch Moriana considered the existence of the other channel mentioned by Tainil as a variable.
[Very well. Hold the Witch Council.]
Fwaaaah!
With that, a massive pillar of light shot up nearby, large enough for anyone to see.
It was the magic signal announcing the immediate start of the Witch Council. Tainil, seeing the light through the window, spoke again.
[See you in the council chamber.]
With those words, Tainil dispelled the magic and turned to Otil beside her.
"Come on. Let's attend the council."
"Yes."
Otil was tense at the thought of facing the Great Witch Moriana, whom she had only seen a few times in her life.
"No need to worry. The Great Witch won't harm a young one like you."
Otil sat in a nearby chair, encouraged by Tainil's words.
She closed her eyes and envisioned the council chamber, and in an instant, her consciousness was transported to that specific space.
Pop!
Soon after, Otil found herself standing at the center of a vast council chamber surrounded by numerous seats in a wide circle.
Tainil appeared beside her, and the other witches materialized on the chairs around the periphery and took their seats.
"How many years has it been since the last Witch Council?"
"Over 90 years, right?"
"Something like 98 years."
"A Witch Council out of the blue."
"Did they find a clue about dimensional travel?"
The witches chattered among themselves before turning their attention to Otil and Tainil in the center.
"That child..."
"It's Otil. The one in charge of mana potion production."
"And Tainil beside her. Did Tainil request the council?"
"Even if she did, the Great Witch accepted it."
In any case, the Witch Council was as good as an order from Great Witch Moriana, so no one was absent.
Soon, with over 3,000 witches in attendance, Moriana, who had called this council, finally appeared last.
Flash!
"It's been nearly 100 years since the last one."
At 1,124 years old this year, Great Witch Moriana appeared in her early thirties by human standards.
With long, straight dark purple hair reaching her waist and a tall, toned figure with sharp features, Moriana sat in the chairperson's seat with a relaxed demeanor.
"Let the Witch Council begin."
This place was Moriana's mental space.
Thus, conveying even a small voice to everyone was effortless.
"First, someone from another channel approached one of our witches. Surprisingly, communication was flawless."
At Moriana's words, nearly all the witches looked shocked.
This was because the witches themselves had been trying to translate text or voices from other channels in the gallery.
"Isn't communication with other channels impossible?"
"The Great Witch said something absolute was blocking it."
"How is communication even possible?"
"We should request cooperation from that person."
As the witches began buzzing, Moriana said shortly,
"Quiet."
The witches' mouths shut automatically, unable to make a sound.
As mentioned, this was Moriana's space, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say she could do anything.
"Otil. I want to hear it from you. Tell me everything without missing a single detail."
"...Yes."
Otil took a calm deep breath and recounted everything that happened with the Castaway.
"First..."
Otil explained how the 2-channel Castaway first approached Melani.
How she noticed when Melani, involved with mana potions, came to her.
And how she tempted the human Castaway with an immortality elixir to test him.
"And from our conversation, I realized he possesses a unique light of his own."
But when she mentioned the mana potion trade and the need for Tainil's Black Knight, the witches buzzed again.
"Tainil's Black Knight—Veronica?"
"Lending out a near-transcender."
"That's why young witches are... tsk tsk tsk."
"She'd give away her liver and gall bladder too."
After hearing Otil's full story, Great Witch Moriana asked,
"Otil. I want to hear your thoughts. What should we do?"
"It would be good to help the Castaway while demanding cooperation from him to advance our research."
Moriana shook her head.
"Is there really a need to help him? A clean trade for mana potions and research cooperation seems better."
"The Castaway can purchase items from 3-channel..."
"Would those items help our witches survive?"
As Moriana probed one by one, Otil couldn't say anything more.
For the witches now, the top priority was the survival of their race, not 3-channel items.
"If he could save us witches, I'd jump in barefoot, but I'm skeptical."
"..."
Otil realized that if things continued this way, even helping the Castaway would be extremely limited.
So, Otil desperately racked her brains and suddenly recalled something the Castaway had said, answering immediately.
"He performed dimensional travel."
At Otil's mention of dimensional travel, the council chamber fell silent in an instant.
Even Great Witch Moriana asked with a serious expression upon hearing the Castaway had dimensionally traveled.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. He said it himself."
Moriana had no choice but to change her thinking after hearing Otil.
If the person called the Castaway had indeed dimensionally traveled, they might find clues about it.
"I need to meet him once."
Even if the person himself said he didn't know how he did it, it didn't matter.
She could find small clues just by examining the traces of the past engraved in his soul.
"Meet him?"
"It requires one preparation, but it's not impossible."
Moriana affirmed that meeting was far from impossible.
Moreover, no witch doubted Moriana's words—it was only natural.
Moriana.
She was the Great Witch and a Transcender who had escaped the laws of life and death.
"..."
I slowly felt my consciousness returning and recalled yesterday's events.
After receiving elixirs and points from 7-channel Yoo Hyun-min yesterday, I ate as usual.
"After eating..."
I received another dose of murderous intent from Sirien, ate Raistal's heart, and fell asleep. That was it.
In any case, perhaps because I ate Raistal's heart again, vitality surged through my entire body.
"You're awake."
Elisicia, who had watched over me all night again, spoke as soon as I woke.
"Yes. Are you okay, Hero?"
"Staying up one night is nothing."
Still, her watching over me every time I ate Raistal was burdensome in many ways.
Of course, I understood she was being cautious because if something went wrong with me one day, it would be irreversible.
"Anyway, having eaten two Raistal hearts, I've gotten a bit stronger."
I figured I must be stronger than before.
As I thought that, Sirien nearby scanned me and spoke.
"Oh! The Castaway has gotten a little stronger!"
"You can tell?"
"Yeah. You could probably beat a young beastkin now?"
"..."
Even after eating two Raistal hearts, just a young beastkin?
"Should I be happy about this?"
Of course, my main strengths were telekinesis and 4-channel weapons, so I didn't need to obsess over physical abilities.
Besides, there was one more Raistal heart left, so eating that would make me even stronger.
"Getting stronger without any special training."
Considering wanting more would be greed, I decided to eat breakfast first thing in the morning.
"What would you like for breakfast?"
"Meat!"
Following Sirien's preference, breakfast was settled on pork cutlet sandwiches and milk.
After watching Sirien devour 30 sandwiches alone, I listed items in the 2-channel exchange and headed to the 11th floor again.
"By the way, Castaway. Does 7-channel have tons of those elixirs?"
"Seems like there are a lot."
I had received about 20 elixirs just from 7-channel Yoo Hyun-min.
I had only properly used Raistal's heart, but there seemed to be many elixirs overall.
"Elixirs come from monster bodies, so of course there are many."
Though I hadn't seen 7-channel myself, monsters were probably rampant worldwide.
Friend, ‘Otil’ has requested a 1:1 conversation.
"Huh? Otil?"
At the 1:1 conversation request from 5-channel witch Otil, I naturally thought of mana potions.
A few more, and along with improving Rubyel's constitution, I might even raise her realm.
"Anyway, accept."
As I accepted Otil's 1:1 chat,
You! What have you been doing that you haven't responded until now?!
Otil immediately scolded me for not responding.
Huh? Did you contact me?
Yes! I kept contacting you yesterday! But you didn't respond, so I thought something happened!
She must have kept contacting me while I was passed out after eating Raistal's heart.
Ah. Sorry. I ate an elixir from 7-channel and was asleep the whole time.
Nothing happened, right?
I'm fine. Nothing happened to you, Otil?
...Unfortunately, something did happen. And it's related to you.
Something related to me?
Me?
Yes. The Great Witch wants to meet you.
"...?"
I couldn't understand what this meant for a moment.
How could the Great Witch and I, in different worlds, meet?
"I thought of video call."
But 2-channel and 5-channel didn't have video calls unlocked yet.
As far as I knew, only 3-channel and 4-channel had video calls.
Did you succeed in dimensional travel by any chance?
No. Strictly speaking, it's not dimensional travel. It just pulls your consciousness into a specific space.
I wondered if that was possible, but Otil wouldn't lie, so I decided to believe it.
"Just how amazing is 5-channel magic?"
It could summon a person's consciousness from another dimension.
I was amazed it was possible with magic, but separately, I asked what was going on.
But why does the Great Witch want to meet me?
I asked to borrow something that can definitely protect you.
That was something I already knew well.
Otil had previously said she would send something to keep me from dying.
Because of that, the Witch Council was held, and the Great Witch became interested in you since you dimensionally traveled.
Is it dangerous by any chance?
No. You're an irreplaceable person, so there won't be any danger.
Fortunately, Otil said there wouldn't be danger.
But that was just Otil's opinion, so I couldn't be certain.
And if... you can gain the Great Witch's cooperation, the entire witches might help you.
With that, Otil also explained the potential benefits I could gain from this.