The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch-Chapter 84 - You’re More Hardcore Than the Cultists (1/3)

“Alright, thanks.” Goodwin waved dismissively without looking back, turned left, and headed straight for the corridor, avoiding the three guarding the entrance.

Just as she turned, about to step into the side corridor, a deep voice sounded from the entrance.

“Goodwin.”

Goodwin subconsciously turned towards the source of the voice and saw three dark gun barrels aimed directly at her.

Click, click, click—

“Shit!” Goodwin cursed under her breath, quickly stepped into the side corridor, pressed herself against the wall perpendicular to the entrance, and peeked out slightly towards the doorway.

Three empty shots...

But Goodwin, familiar with the traits of “Gamblers,” felt no relief that they had fired blanks.

She had teamed up with cash-strapped “Gamblers” for requests before and knew their strongest state.

Individually, a “Gambler’s” performance wasn’t particularly outstanding.

But with support, a “Gambler” could recklessly load only one bullet, leaving the rest empty, until a teammate stalled long enough for the “Gambler” to fire that final shot, instantly turning the tide of battle.

Goodwin bet that among those three gamblers, one definitely had only a single bullet loaded in his gun.

If he fired that shot, she was finished.

When did I provoke Deton Manor? Isn’t this place supposed to be the safest trading spot?

The sound of running footsteps grew closer. Goodwin bit her lip, reached into her waistband, and pulled out two daggers with sharp knuckle dusters attached.

Running away... solves nothing.

Only risky actions can make an “Adventurer” stronger.

With almost no hesitation, Goodwin gripped the two daggers in a reverse hold and stabbed them fiercely towards her shoulders.

The dagger tips accurately pierced the shallow skin and muscle, severing blood vessels and causing significant bleeding from the wounds.

The pain heightened Goodwin’s adrenaline secretion; her mind paradoxically became calmer.

As the footsteps neared, she rolled almost flat against the carpet, then leaped directly towards the fastest approaching “Gambler.”

Thud—

Closing in, Goodwin threw a powerful right punch. The spiked knuckle duster dagger pierced straight through the “Gambler’s” cheekbone and skin, knocking him unconscious to the ground with just one blow.

As the “Gambler” fell, two dice tumbled from his hand, rolling to a stop at Goodwin’s feet.

Two six-sided dice, landing on double sixes at Goodwin’s feet.

“Goodwin! We mean no harm, we just want you to come with us!” The “Gambler” on the left spoke while simultaneously pulling the trigger of his revolver, aiming precisely at Goodwin’s arm.

Bang—

The bullet, trailing an exaggerated vortex of air, flew towards Goodwin, piercing straight through her left arm.

The “Gambler” on the right also pulled the trigger at the same time.

Bang—

Another bullet came flying, but this time Goodwin was prepared, raising her right dagger in a token block.

Clang—!

A crisp sound rang out. Goodwin’s heart leaped with joy.

She had just raised her right hand on a whim, never expecting to actually block a shot...

Luck is on my side.

But she hadn’t anticipated that the bullet, after being deflected by the dagger, would slightly change trajectory.

The bullet originally aimed at her arm, now slightly diverted, flew straight towards her cheek, penetrating her right cheek, shattering teeth in her mouth, breaking through her left cheekbone, and tumbling out.

What kind of shitty luck is this?!

The intense pain momentarily stunned Goodwin, but soon, the threat of death stimulated all her body’s potential. Eyes bloodshot, like a mad dog, she lunged directly at the “Gambler” on the left.

With her left hand, she punched the revolver out of the “Gambler’s” grasp, raised her right hand high, and prepared to stab down towards his heart.

Drip... drip...

Goodwin’s blood continuously flowed from her mouth, dripping down her chin onto the carpet.

But her raised right hand remained unable to strike down.

“Miss Goodwin.” A detached female voice came from the entrance.

Goodwin’s vision blurred. She looked up and saw a woman shrouded in a black uniform dress, wearing a black chip mask, standing at the entrance.

The administra... tor?

“We are merely inviting you to a small gathering... Please grace us with your presence, don’t make things difficult for me.”

The administrator wearing the black chip mask stood calmly at the entrance speaking. A white shadow holding a vial of red potion slowly walked towards Goodwin.

Goodwin used the last ounce of her strength, rolling her eyes to look at her raised right hand.

Her wrist, at some unknown point, had been gripped by a white shadow. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

Despair spread through Goodwin’s heart. She never imagined that after nearly digesting the “Adventurer” potion, she would fall here, in the supposedly safe Deton Manor.

Goodwin soon slipped into semi-consciousness. Only when a potion vial was shoved into her mouth and she subconsciously swallowed the scalding liquid did her awareness gradually return.

“Three against one and almost got counter-killed...”

“Forget it, completing that lord’s task is more important...”

“Watch her, don’t let her die...”

In her daze, she seemed to hear the administrator saying something.

Goodwin was lifted by two maids wearing red chip masks, one on each side, and led towards the entrance.

Hazily, Goodwin saw the carnage in the other halls.

Most of Deton Manor’s members seemed to have gone mad, attacking anyone around them, even their own colleagues.

Members fled in all directions, but none could escape the main entrance. They were bound one by one and dragged away like livestock.

Whether they were transcendents digesting potions or completing rituals in the transcendent gambling dens, or ordinary people spending money in the regular casinos, everyone was dragged away in the same direction as her.

The entire manor had become a living hell.

The potion began to take effect, stopping her bleeding and restoring some energy.

But she knew that once the potion wore off, she would fall into an even weaker state. She had to find a way to escape before the potion’s effect ended...

Goodwin endured the intense pain in her mouth, squinting her eyes, memorizing her current location.

Heading underground... to the exchange area?

But soon, Goodwin realized something was wrong.

She had accepted many requests here and occasionally played a few hands at the gambling tables; she was familiar with almost the entire manor layout.

The path these two maids were taking her down clearly couldn’t lead to the exchange area.

The exchange area was on the first basement level... but the spiral staircase they were taking her down continued descending even after reaching the B1 level.

A secret room?

Goodwin was slightly astonished. She never knew Deton Manor had an underground secret chamber.

As the temperature gradually dropped, Goodwin was finally brought to the bottom of the spiral staircase.

She slightly raised her eyes and looked forward, her pupils constricting.

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This is...

A vast underground church, an emblem of a circle nested within a semicircle, faceless statues carved everywhere...

An intense sense of crisis washed over Goodwin.

A sanctuary!!! This is a cultist sanctuary!!!

A cultist sanctuary! Right beneath Deton Manor?!