The Witch’s Convent

At the edge of the port, Guild Commander Kentez of the Dark Intelligence Network was still worried that the monster would once again focus its attention back on him, remaining cautiously vigilant of the creature's movements.

However, he never expected that the monster would suddenly abandon all its targets here and turn to dash in another direction.

What was happening?

He squinted into the distance and could only see his most capable subordinate, the cyclops, seemingly trampled by the witch, now unknown if he was alive or dead.

Further away, he spotted a white-haired figure—small and thin compared to himself—running for his life.

The monster is chasing that white-haired person?

Who is he?

He didn’t know, but at this moment, the greatest threat had moved away. He quickly set aside these peculiar thoughts and retreated with his subordinates, creating distance from the Amazon women while remaining on guard.

As he looked down and saw the ground littered with headless corpses, he felt his heart bleed.

What a tremendous loss!

Not only had he lost the cargo, but he had also lost so many subordinates. Continuing like this, he wouldn't be able to explain himself to his superiors!

He desperately wanted to break through the blockade of the Amazon women and rush into the port to check if his goods were still among the cargo boxes.

However...

Looking back at the thugs behind him, Kentez could see the expressions of those who had survived the ordeal. He knew their morale had completely collapsed, and it was impossible for them to follow him into a new assault.

People’s hearts cannot be forced. Losing the cargo would only cost him some money. But losing his subordinates, or diminishing their resolve, would take a long time for his forces to recover!

He was indeed a powerful Warrior, but simply being a strong enforcer for the guild came with far inferior rewards compared to leading troops.

Thus, in the end, he could only bitterly glance at the sky before turning his head and roaring, “Retreat!”

Meanwhile, Amazonian Executive Portel also noticed that the massive creature's attention had been drawn to a young white-haired man, momentarily taken aback.

She remained alert to Kentez’s movements but then realized that they were actually planning to retreat?

Well, that’s fine. Though they couldn't kill Kentez, they had severely wounded him. Furthermore, tonight's losses were still within acceptable limits, and it was time to cut their losses!

Since Amazon Fisheries Company was a legitimate organization, they couldn't kill recklessly like the Dark Intelligence Network; at least on the surface, they needed a reason to justify their actions.

Now, with this monster involved, all the deaths and the losses of so many female warriors could be attributed to it, and no one would pursue her responsibility.

With this in mind, she raised her left hand and called out, “Let’s retreat!”

The female warriors swiftly evacuated, and the bodies of their fallen comrades would be handled by the company’s undertakers. Soon, the area was cleared of any living souls, leaving behind a ground strewn with hundreds of heads, dried blood, and more corpses.

However, even though these scenes were terrifying, there was no one to appreciate them now, because the only living person at the scene, Hawthorne, was currently being pursued by Yuta in a state of sheer panic!

Damn, wasn’t I quite far away just now? How did she suddenly find me?!

He didn’t know, but at this moment, his Mana had not yet fully replenished, so he could only run!

Still, he understood that continuing to run like this wouldn’t solve the problem. With his energy depleted, dragging things out would only lead to a dead end, so...

He needed to counterattack!

Stay calm, Hawthorne; you’ve already thought through your plan on this journey, right?

Don’t panic, just hold on a little longer. When your Mana is full, you can find an opportunity to purify her!

With this thought in mind, he continued to run, taking turns to try to gain distance from Yuta, buying himself more time, while simultaneously layering defensive spells on himself.

Soon, the spells covered his entire body, his Mana began to gradually recover, but his stamina was rapidly depleted, and his lungs felt nearly as if they were going to explode from the pain.

It all comes down to this one move!

After making another turn, Hawthorne leaned against a wall covered in blood and mud, listening to the growls and clattering of metal from behind him. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to muster his courage, silently reciting “Shield,” then suddenly turning around with the shield raised!

In that moment of distraction, he saw that there seemed to be a guillotine ahead, its sharp giant blade hanging above, with his neck positioned directly beneath it!

This was Yuta's attack pattern; she intended to sever his head!

Now’s the time!

Though his vision was clouded by illusions, his mind was still relatively clear. He reached out and pressed against the base of the guillotine, roaring, “Purification!”

Buzz—

Milky white light erupted once more, instantly enveloping Yuta's entire body. Surging power flowed into him with that white light, and in an instant, Hawthorne felt all the fatigue within him dissipate!

Ah...

What a wonderful feeling, just like the first time I purified Heidi.

"Ah—!"

Yuta let out a piercing scream, and then the guillotine's blades came crashing down!

Clang—!

Bang—!

In an instant, the layers of protection formed by his Shield, Blade Ward, False Life, and Agathys' Armor shattered completely; the blade struck his neck, sending a jolt of intense pain through him!

"Ugh—!"

He couldn’t help but let out a muffled grunt, watching the milky white light of Purification wrap around Yuta, still unaware of how long it would take to complete. The guillotine's blade was raised high again, ready to strike down a second time!

I can't wait; if I stay here any longer, I’ll lose my head!

With that thought, he quickly released his grip, turned, and continued to run.

He felt in excellent condition; he wasn't panicking, his lungs weren't hurting, and all the muscle soreness had vanished. He felt like he could run five more kilometers without difficulty!

In contrast, while Yuta's momentum remained fierce, her speed was clearly slower than before!

Indeed, this Purification is essentially siphoning her strength, isn’t it?

With this thought, he pulled out another spellbook and while running, cast Cure Wounds on himself. The sharp pain in his neck disappeared, the wound healed, and in an instant, he was back in top form.

At this realization, he couldn't help but feel uplifted.

Great, the effect is significant! At this rate, if I purify her a few more times, I can surely subdue Yuta!

Fortunately, tonight's Witch's Night lasts a full thirteen hours; there's plenty of time, and the slum is large enough to allow him to keep delaying her.

Don’t be fooled by how messy I am right now; in reality, the advantage is mine!

He continued to sprint, engaging with Yuta, trying to use time to wear down her strength.