Lord: I have built a witch's sanctuary.

Chapter 4 Hunting and the Great Witch

It was behind a snow-covered hill not far from the White Wolf outpost.

A figure draped in a gray robe was silently observing all of this.

Her name is Catherine, a fourth-tier Storm Witch who is currently in a weakened state.

As she passed by, she intended to quicken her pace and leave, but she happened to be caught in the "moment of change".

Looking at the simple outpost and the swirling snowflakes, Catherine shook her head, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes.

"Without the protection of the 'Tower,' a newly promoted first-tier witch, accompanied by a mortal lord, actually dares to open the gates to face the insect swarm?"

"That's practically suicide."

A faint wisp of lightning had already gathered at her fingertips.

Although she was indifferent, she couldn't bear to see her kind being eaten away by insects.

"Fine, I'll help them when they're about to collapse. Saving their lives is fair; a few loaves of bread and some hot water in return."

She timed it perfectly.

Based on experience, that little witch can only last for five minutes at most before collapsing due to depletion of her magic.

however.

Just as she was about to make her move, she witnessed a scene she would never forget.

The seemingly weak lord actually commanded the witch to shoot a spark at the empty ground.

"What are you doing? Did you miss?" Catherine frowned.

But the next second, her pupils contracted sharply.

The moment that spark pierced the swarm of insects, it seemed to ignite a gas-filled mine.

Rumble—!

A small, crimson mushroom cloud rose with a roar from the snowfield!

A terrifying shockwave, carrying intense heat, spread wildly in a ring outwards. The once invincible white swarm of insects, faced with this chain reaction of explosions, was like snow under the scorching sun, instantly vaporized!

"Sizzle sizzle—"

Just one strike!

The live snowflakes within a radius of 100 meters were completely cleared away!

The insects that filled the sky were no longer flying everywhere, but rather raindrops of magic crystal fragments shimmering with a ghostly blue light.

The lightning at Catherine's fingertips quietly extinguished.

Her mouth was slightly open, and her usually calm and composed face showed a look of utter disbelief.

"This...this is the damage a first-tier witch can deal?"

"Impossible! Even a third-tier Flame Witch couldn't clear the area to this extent without using high-level magic!"

Her gaze pierced through the wind and snow, fixed on the man standing at the gate of the outpost.

The young lord maintained his commanding posture, his body upright, his face showing no trace of relief at surviving the ordeal, only a calm indifference as if he had everything under control.

"The key isn't that little witch... it's that man."

Catherine took a deep breath, her heart filled with turmoil.

"He actually saw through the airflow nodes of the living snowflakes? He used the monster's own characteristics to create a secondary explosion... This insight into the battlefield, this textbook-perfect micro-management command..."

"Is this really an ability that a bastard child exiled by his family could possess?"

In front of the outpost.

Anna stared blankly at the scene before her, her hands still trembling.

"Young...Young Master? Did I really do this?"

Lorraine patted the snowflakes off her and smiled, "You did it, but it's also the power of knowledge. Go on, retrieve our spoils."

"Yes!" Anna cheered and rushed into the snow like a happy little deer to collect magic crystals.

As Lorraine watched her retreating figure, the smile on his face slowly faded.

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the wind and snow, and precisely aimed at the snow-covered hill where Catherine was hiding.

"Hey you over there, have you had enough of the show?"

Behind the snow-covered hill, Catherine's heart skipped a beat.

Discovered?

How could this man, who only possesses the strength of a first-tier cultivator, detect my hidden aura?

At this moment, Catherine, who originally intended to descend as a "strong woman," lost all trace of arrogance.

She straightened her robes, put away her contempt, and slowly stepped out of the shadows.

When the mysterious woman in the gray robe entered the outpost, Anna instinctively stepped in front of Lorraine, a wary flame igniting in her hand.

"Fourth tier, Storm Witch."

Lorraine patted Anna on the shoulder, gesturing for her to step back. "If she had any ill intentions, she would have been dead when you picked up the magic crystal."

Anna was startled. A fourth-tier Great Witch? That's a legendary figure!

Catherine lifted her hood, revealing a cool and refined face.

At this moment, her eyes were filled with inquiry as she looked at Lorraine.

"Good eye," Catherine said casually. "My name is Catherine. This is my payment for staying the night."

She casually tossed out a bag containing ten magic crystals.

A few minutes ago, this would have been charity.

But now, it's more like an equal exchange, or even a gesture of goodwill.

Lorraine readily accepted: "Welcome."

Catherine found a seat, but her gaze kept lingering on Anna.

As a seasoned witch, she couldn't help but speak up: "Although that attack was amazing, I have to say, you ruined this child."

Anna was stunned: "Destroyed?"

"In pursuit of explosive power, perhaps some kind of extreme awakening ritual was employed?"

Catherine's tone carried a hint of regret, as if she were looking at a ruined work of art.

"Jumping directly into the demonic fire? While this barbaric method might lead to a rapid awakening, it would cause her magical energy circulation to become violent and her foundation to become unstable. She'll probably be stuck at the second tier for the rest of her life."

She looked at Lorraine, as if hoping to see regret or panic on the man's face.

However, Lorraine laughed.

That was the polite yet helpless laugh one gets when a layman is instructing a professional.

"Senior, have you ever heard of 'Nirvana Echoes'?"

Catherine frowned: "What?"

"Traditional, gentle rituals are indeed safe, but they also stifle the most core characteristic of the Flame Witch—'Explosion'."

Lorraine walked to Anna's side and gently touched the girl's forehead with her fingertip.

"Reborn from utter destruction, though outwardly appearing violent and chaotic, in reality..."

"Anna, unleash your magic, don't suppress it, let it flow naturally for this senior to see."

Anna was scared, but she did as she was told.

boom!

The crimson flames rose up, but instead of scattering wildly in the air, they subtly formed a strange Möbius strip, endlessly cycling and repeating.

"This is……"

Catherine stood up abruptly, took a few steps closer in a flustered manner, and even her breathing became rapid.

What did she see?

The extremely violent fire element actually achieved a terrifying dynamic balance under a peculiar rhythm never heard of before!

This has not damaged the foundation; on the contrary, because of this high-intensity internal circulation, it is refining the quality of magic at an astonishing speed!

"A perfect closed loop?!" Catherine's voice changed.

This is not just destroying the foundation! This is clearly the "perfect spirit origin" that only the first legendary witch could possess!

This loop means that her magic recovery speed and burst potential are more than ten times that of an ordinary witch!

"How...how did this happen?" Catherine looked at Lorraine in disbelief, her eyes filled with the as if she were looking at a monster.

If this method of awakening can be replicated, then the entire witch system of the world will have to be rewritten!

"It's a family secret, I can't tell you." Lorraine smiled mysteriously, directly using the tiger's skin as a banner.

In fact, this was a unique awakening ritual tailored for Anna by the Grimoire.

But of course he wouldn't say it out loud.

Catherine remained silent.

She re-examined the young man before her.

A family secret? Don't be ridiculous. The background of this young man has already spread throughout aristocratic circles.

How could an illegitimate son who defies the mistress possibly obtain the family's secrets?

This unfathomable theoretical knowledge, this ability to turn the mundane into the miraculous…

The only possibility is...

He definitely harbors a huge secret, or perhaps he is a reclusive legendary mentor.

Originally, she even considered buying this talented little witch with five hundred magic crystals and taking her as her apprentice.

In retrospect, the idea seems utterly ridiculous.

Following such an unfathomable "mentor" is the greatest opportunity for this little witch.

"call……"

Catherine let out a long breath and put away all her arrogance.

She took out a card that glowed with purple light from her bosom and handed it to Lorraine with both hands.

It is no longer charity, but an equal friendship, and even a request with a touch of respect.

"Lord Lorraine, I was mistaken just now."

"My name is Catherine, and this is my personal keepsake. I will be passing through the North again in a month. If you have established your territory by then, I hope... to discuss a long-term collaboration with you regarding 'potions'."

"Or rather, I hope to get some guidance from you."

Anna, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed.

She looked at the high and mighty fourth-tier witch, who was now using honorifics to address her young master who had been expelled from his family.

Young master... is really strong!

Lorraine took the card, her heart pounding with panic—if a real fight broke out, the other person could crush her a hundred times over with a single finger.

However, he remained outwardly composed, maintaining his enigmatic persona.

"Can."

Lorraine carefully put the card away, her gaze deep and thoughtful.

"You'll see what you want in a month."

The wind and snow continued to howl.

But that night, the situation at White Wolf Outpost completely changed.