Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 236 - 223 What is a Witch
"Disappear? How could witches just disappear?"
"Yes, although they’ve vanished without a trace, my judgment is that it’s highly probable they gathered together and went to some place for some unknown purpose. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such silence,"
"Even you do not know the whereabouts of the witches, Teacher?"
"When you were still dodging their curses and familiar searches three days ago, suddenly going from the hunted to the hunter, you needed time to adjust your mindset. Before they left Andrey, I had not yet felt a calming sense of relief in my heart; I did not know their whereabouts, Plague Doctor."
The scholar looked at Lyle, who was deep in thought, and stuffed the book in his hands back into the shelf.
"Don’t worry about them, child. The arrogance of witches is tied to their strength; they won’t be in danger, usually."
"Moreover, seeking the help of witches to learn Soul Scream is like chasing after wind. It’s a mistake."
"You won’t learn it because witches differ fundamentally from your body; witches are not mages, humans in control of power. You can consider witches a new species, a new life form transformed from humans."
"What?"
"Witches aren’t human; think of them as a form of abnormal Liches. From another perspective, the motive behind the Church’s witch hunts isn’t necessarily wrong, just as knights would rid a lord’s land of evil wolves. I’ve told you before about saving a witch, after which I did some research on the physical and mental changes they undergo."
"Witchcraft can be seen as a more sinister form of magic. Its reception centers around females, and it’s not only within humans. My conclusion is that witchcraft seeks out mystically symbolic female groups of reproduction, like an innate biological instinct. When a woman is possessed by this magic power, the deeper her understanding of witchcraft, the more the power consumes their bodies. Their organs desiccate and fail, releasing more witchcraft power, a transformation often first evident in the life-symbolizing heart and reproduction-symbolizing uterus. Witches lose their physiological ability to reproduce, spreading their kind by passing witchcraft to unsuspecting females. As the power deepens, their physical forms gradually evolve towards a non-human state, from physical to ethereal, becoming a being akin to a Spiritual Body, or a female demon. Their life forms ultimately become close to that of a Spiritual Body, perhaps why they can use Soul Scream; they turn into a mass of overflowing witchcraft energy and then parasitize on other women to start anew."
"Some of their characteristics have made them devils in human eyes, targets of the Church’s purges. They consume little or no normal human food because they have no stomach, only dark power within them. They remove their own necrotic organs to prevent them from tainting the rest, and such grotesque, witchcraft-infused organs are made into witchcraft tools. This is also the source of rumors that witches eat human hearts. It’s not impossible some wicked witches really use others’ viscera for their crafts."
"The existence of witches reduces the number of normal women; they are a different life form wearing the same skin as humans, so their presence is a threat to all life species. The reason I prevented some witch trials in the past was that foolish people had been terrified by witches, sending innocent girls to the stake."
"Now, those who were once falsely accused of being witches have become real witches, ... that was their own choice."
"All in all, the overall number of witches is very small. They segregate into small groups for better survival. The damage done by the Church, the people’s detest, and their own fragile lifespans. After the decay of their three organs, most witches face their death as the original body completely collapses, unable to function. Some powerful witches become female demons and survive the ordeal. Witches have thought of various ways to elongate their lives, so they always mix one or more different powers into their being. Like the Witch Council here, they name themselves the Witches of Death, both witches and the deceased. Becoming Undead is indeed a very effective choice."
"So, Plague Doctor, do not engage with those witches unless you wish to be transformed by that power into a witch. That power works even on Liches, damn it."
The scholar’s gaze lingered on Lyle a few times.
"Actually, about soul studies, I could introduce you to an even more outstanding mentor... it’s just not the time yet."
Crack, crack, crack...
The noise not far away drew the attention of the teacher and student who had just finished the witch’s lesson; it was Nia, munching on something.
Lyle looked at the cyan, glowing, diamond-shaped gemstone in Nia’s hands and hurried over to stop her.
"Naughty girl, let go! That’s the teacher’s Mana Jade!"
"Nia won’t give, glurp! It’s yummy!"
"You little imp!"
The scholar watched the chase between father and daughter and let out a kindly, grandfatherly laugh. He beckoned, and the blue Mana Silk Thread drew the gemstone into Mr. Scholar’s hand.
"Want to eat!" Nia ran after the Mana Jade and upon reaching the upright figure of the scholar, she cowered, squatted on the ground, lifted her head slightly and timidly said to Mr. Scholar, "Nia just wants one more little bite, a very tiny one."
The scholar bent down and placed the Mana Jade in front of Nia, "Nia, you can’t bite it. If you want to eat something yummy, you have to try a different method."
"How do you eat without biting?"
"Use magic, to pull, to perceive." The scholar released his hands, and the Mana Jade spun in mid-air. Following the scholar’s Mana Silk Thread, streams of glittering mana within the gemstone swirled around Nia like snakes.
"Yummy, use magic!" Nia stretched out her hands, imitating the scholar, and slowly brought her palms near the gemstone. Mana Silk Thread extended from Nia’s hands, connecting to the Mana Jade like veins. Nia began to greedily absorb the mana.
It was only when Nia could eat no more that Lyle bid his farewell to her and departed. His chances of learning the Soul Scream technique had indeed been cut off, but with Alianna and the scholar’s comforting in turns, Lyle had already adjusted his mindset. If he couldn’t learn it, it wasn’t the end of the world. After all, he had Nia, and Nia knew how to Soul Scream. Nia was his extension, which meant he could do it too, in a way. And if all else failed, he still had Mr. Ernest and Mr. Deckard.
The scholar’s room.
The scholar did not immediately start reading; the Mana Jade spun in his palm, its light flickering.
"The Evil God mastered all the forces of the world and was a genius of mysticism, but there’s no difference between a genius and a madman."
