The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 174 - The Witch’s Box (2)

—

“You’ve finally arrived.”

“I’ve been waiting for so, so long.”

—

10°C.

Where is the witch’s dwelling?

What makes their whereabouts so mysterious, so difficult to find?

In this world, the most hidden places are within the depths of “dungeons.”

The first witch, Yal, struck a deal with a dungeon empress, creating her own “interlayer” within the dungeon and providing the empress with trinkets crafted using ancient witch magic.

But, in this world, the loneliest places are also within the depths of “dungeons”—what witches call the “Witch’s Box,” a place marked by a redwood door and filled with all sorts of witch tools.

Aside from the occasional lost child or adventurer, they avoid contact with anyone. They also refrain from interacting with the “creatures” that inhabit the dungeon, beings entirely different from their own kind.

It’s only when they leave that they realize they’ve emerged from the depths of a dungeon.

A small mushroom cottage.

A home so cold, so lonely, and so far removed from the world.

—

20°C.

The witches’ long lifespans and fear of separation drive them to avoid humans.

They reach out but ultimately choose to retreat.

Like all witches with immense power, they sneak into human society only to quietly leave again.

Even when surrounded by kind people, their instinct is to escape.

The laughter and chatter of humans don’t belong to them. They walk alone through the labs and classrooms of Entark’s First Academy.

They avoid meeting anyone’s gaze, avoid responding to anyone’s attention, avoid looking directly into anyone’s eyes.

And no one looks back at them.

No one cares about the little witch who will inevitably leave humanity behind.

—

30°C.

But then her student came along!

Just an ordinary young master, with neither remarkable physical abilities nor talents.

He even got himself entangled with the royal family and stole her most prized witch coin!

A brash, overly proactive troublemaker who constantly said bizarre things in front of her.

Someone who would pin her against the wall to talk, exploit her reactions to crimson mint essential oil, and even drink her blood—what a bad student!

He was clearly a bad student.

Clearly approaching her with ulterior motives.

Clearly full of endless schemes.

But…

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For the first time, she saw her reflection in someone else’s eyes.

Look at him—his gaze was so sincere when he looked at her.

He was looking at her.

He was looking at her so earnestly.

With a passion that defied all logic.

In his light blue eyes, she shone brightly, as the strongest, the cutest, the most dazzling.

He pulled her out of her years of cold loneliness with sheer force.

—

40°C.

The crimson mint essential oil made her overly excited, her magical circuits spinning uncontrollably. For the first time, she successfully demonstrated “Gentle Warmth,” an ancient magic she had been researching for years.

But she realized that wasn’t what she truly wanted.

What she wanted was…

To see him sitting alone in the exam room, to catch his glance as if he were waiting for her.

To drape her victorious robe over him when he collapsed to the ground after barely passing a makeup exam…

To see him lift his head, his clear eyes framed by slightly smudged glasses, reflecting nothing but her…

“You must become my student.”

“Don’t let those people up there take you away.”

He became her student, didn’t he? He would stay by her side forever, wouldn’t he?

After all, she was a witch, a witch deeply versed in the ancient magic he was so fascinated by, a witch who could teach him for a lifetime.

—

50°C.

What a joyful three years—

Every single day…

He was by her side.

He called her “Leah-sensei” and followed her instructions.

He looked at her through test tubes.

He looked at her across the lab bench.

He looked at her from across the classroom.

Every time she “took the initiative,” he responded.

Every time she “smiled,” he laughed.

Every time she was “straightforward,” he acknowledged her.

Gradually…

It catalyzed her “love.”

—

60°C.

Where did he go? Why did he leave? Who did he leave with? What was he thinking?

She missed him.

Missed his responses to her, missed his laughter with her, missed his acknowledgment of her.

She wanted to find him, wanted to find him, wanted to find him.

She wanted to follow him, follow him, follow him.

She wanted his gaze, his attention, his focus, his eyes, his pupils, his very soul.

Come back, come back, come back.

Where are you?

—

70°C.

He no longer looked at her.

—

75°C.

His gaze had turned to another woman.

—

80°C.

He no longer seemed to be her student.

—

85°C.

She successfully created the “Witch’s Box” within Moonlit Ice Extreme.

—

90°C.

Look, look, look—are you scared now? Are you terrified? Are you panicking? Wander aimlessly; you’ll walk right into the little box I’ve prepared for you.

—

100°C.

This is…

The temperature at which he will finally appear before her again.

Will, Will, Will, Will, Will, Will, Will—

He’s coming, he’s coming, he’s coming—

He’s here, he’s here, he’s here—

He’s standing before the door, finally reaching out his hand.

…

As her mind repeated his name over and over, Leah sat there, staring at the icy wall in front of her. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably, yet she continued to twirl her twin tails.

“You’ve finally arrived.”

“I’ve been waiting here… for so long.”

“Come, come, come, come, come, come—”

“Will Hysterm.”

“My student.”

—

Will opened the door.

Stumbling forward, every step felt heavy, as if he had just woken from a deep sleep.

The door he had just opened released a cloud of red mist.

“Lea… Leah… sensei?”

Thud.

After taking only two steps into what he thought was his “salvation,” Will collapsed to the ground.

Just as Leah had planned.

Yes.

He had finally appeared here again, just as she had imagined.

No…

Just as she had told herself—

“Do you want to love someone? Do you want someone you love to stay by your side? Do you want to never be alone again?”

“With your immense power and long lifespan, Leah, there’s nothing you can’t have if you reach out for it.”

“If you act, his eyes will hold no one but you…”

“Will, right? See? I got him.”

tln : fcuk , this is epic.