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Book 1 Chapter 210: The Black Witch (1)

[If Lucifer becomes the balance of the Continent, it will become a world no better than Hell. I don’t even need to explain. The example is right in front of you.]

As he said this, Lord looked out over the Demon World once again. Frey was also looking at this scene.

‘This is Hell.’

In truth, he felt that the name Demon World was more suitable.

This place was a different world. At first glance, it seemed chaotic, but there was an order in the chaos.

There were many different forces and factions, and they all combined to form a strange balance.

Except for a few fundamental values and ways of thinking, this was a place where living beings could live.

But that didn’t mean he would want to see the Continent become like this. Extreme change was always followed by chaos. It was possible that even more blood would be spilled once the Demigods began acting in earnest.

“Is it not picking between two evils?”

[Right.]

“…”

To be honest, Frey could not really understand Lord’s reactions at that moment.

‘Something has changed.’

He felt completely different from the last time.

From Lord’s perspective, he would certainly not feel comfortable unless Frey was torn apart and killed. He should’ve hated Frey just as much as Frey hated him.

However, during this reunion, Lord did not once show any signs of that hatred.

It felt strange. As though something important was missing.

Was this really Lord?

Frey suppressed his suspicions and asked.

“What if I don’t interfere?”

Lord’s and Lucifer’s powers were almost equal.

Their fight would definitely be determined by subtle advantages, and neither of them would end up the winner.

Frey could certainly take the position of fisherman while watching the situation progress.

But Lord didn’t overlook Frey’s idea either.

[The one who loses will be consumed by the other. Either Lucifer or I… will be absorbed by the winner. Do you know what will happen then?]

“What will happen?”

[I don’t know.]

Frey furrowed his eyebrows.

Was he joking?

No. Lord’s expression was serious.

[However, an unprecedented ‘something’ will definitely be born. Something that is definitely close to the level of God. An absolute, not a transcendent. If you’re confident that you can take on such a being, you’re welcome to watch.]

“…”

It was a very impactful statement.

No matter how powerful Frey was, he would not be able to defeat a combination of Lord and Lucifer.

[So choose.]

Lord’s voice urged him to answer.

Frey closed his eyes.

This was not a decision that he could delay making. The fight between Lord and Lucifer was about to begin.

But before that, there was still something he needed to know.

It was probably the question that he should have asked as soon as he arrived there.

“Before I answer, there is something I want to ask you.”

[Say it.]

“Where is Iris?”

Lord fell silent for a moment.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, Frey spoke first.

“I will warn you in advance. I will not tolerate any lies or tricks on this matter. Think about it carefully, Lord.”

Frey’s warning was sincere.

Realising this, Lord closed his mouth before he could say what he was about to.

He didn’t speak for a long time.

The Demigods around them became a bit noisy at this time.

Then, as everyone focused on Lord and waited for his answer, he opened his mouth.

[The Abyss.]

Frey’s pupils enlarged before becoming even smaller than before.

“…I see.”

He closed his eyes, and a hot wind blew over at that moment.

The winds of hell were ominous and disgusting. It smelled horrible, like the burp of a monster that carried the scent of flesh and blood.

When the breeze passed, Frey opened his eyes.

“I want to meet her.”

[I can’t do that.]

“Why?”

[Iris is deeply connected to Lucifer. She also had many secrets. Maybe just her existence is a trump card for Lucifer.]

So he imprisoned her in a space that was filled with nothingness?

It was only then when Frey realised just how tightly he was clenching his fist. His nails had pierced into his palms, but no blood came out.

This was natural. After all, his body wasn’t there.

“In that case, I will go to the Abyss.”

Even Lord couldn’t help but make a speechless expression at those words.

[…are you serious? Don’t you know that if you enter that place you might not be able to come out ever again?]

“There is proof right in front you that your words aren’t accurate.”

Frey’s existence was the best proof that the Abyss was not a perfect prison.

But unexpectedly, Lord burst out laughing at his words.

[Huhaha…]

“Why are you laughing?”

[Do you really think that? That you were able to successfully find and attack a flaw in the Abyss and escape?]

“Is that not the case?”

[You were human at that time. Even if you were 9 stars, you weren’t able to break out of the frame of humanity. And my powers are not so weak as to be exploited by a mere human.]

“You’re too confident in your strength. I spent 4,000 years in that place.”

Not 100, not 1000, but 4,000 years. Forty centuries.

That was an amount of time that even transcendent beings would not be able to scoff at.

“A long time passed, and a flaw appeared. And I managed to take advantage of that flaw perfectly.”

[Huhu.]

Unlike Frey, whose voice was becoming sharper, Lord’s voice remained calm.

He simply chuckled and nodded.

[In any case, it doesn’t matter what you think. Above all, it has nothing to do with me.]

“…”

[In your current state, it shouldn’t be too hard for you to escape from the Abyss. So do whatever you want.]

With those words, space split open, and a world that was darker than Hell appeared.

Lord smiled brightly as he pointed to this pitch black world that seemed to be filled with solitude.

[Welcome, Frey Blake. To your dear old home.]

* * *

Iris Phisfounder was able to hear special voices from the moment she could speak.

The voices were countless, and each of them was different, and they all talked to Iris about different things.

Nevertheless, there was one thing that they all had in common. And that was the fact that they all favoured Iris.

At first, she thought they were spirits.

She’d seen them in fairytale books.

Pure and innocent beings who were close to nature, also known as fairies.

But they weren’t. They weren’t such cute beings.

As she got older, she no longer just heard their voices, but she also saw their figures. Even though they were blurry, she could tell with a glance that they were far from spirits.

They were demons.

Iris learned of her identity when she was 9 years old.

Witch.

Witches were terrible things. Regardless of race, ethnicity, or age, they were treated like a terrible curse.

Every Witch had no choice but to hide herself. If their identities were revealed, they would suffer from the constant pursuit of the Heretic Inquisition, which transcended the frame of the state, and after being captured, they would be subjected to hundreds of different types of torture.

Iris was smart. Even though she was only 9 years old, she already understood what it meant to be a Witch in such a society.

She could have concealed her secret.

…The only exception was her family.

Iris told her parents her secret. Unfortunately for her, her parents had more religious passion than affection for their child.

When Iris, who had dinner as normal and went to sleep, opened her eyes again, she realised that she was in a place she’d never seen before.

The strong smell of blood pierced the nose. On the floor, she could see puddles of blood and pieces of flesh. Then, she heard the screams.

Dozens of tortures that her mind would never have been able to conceive were all being carried out in front of her.

This scene, which was of the torture chamber in the basement of the Inquisition’s base, was not something that a girl her age could bear to see.

She burst into tears immediately.

Of course, there were many girls her age there as well. And as she later learned, the torture was supposedly a means to purify the soul.

After the torture, the body would then be lit with a torch and the soul would rest as the body burned.

That was what those lunatics believed.

Then, when the members finally laid their hands to Iris, she instinctively summoned a demon.

The High-rank demon turned the headquarters of the Inquisition into a sea of fire in no time.

After leaving the hideout, which had become nothing but ashes behind, she walked aimlessly.

And when she came to her senses, she’d returned home. She wasn’t sure what her goal was, but her footsteps had led her home.

She missed her parents. She wondered what they’d say.

“We didn’t give birth to something like you. You, you are a monster.”

“Oh God… I’m sorry… Please forgive me… I’m so sorry.”

“…”

And she regretted her choice.

She hadn’t wanted an apology.

If so, then what did she want?

Iris was unable to answer her own questions.

She left her fearful parents behind, and at the same time, her heart cooled. She was cold.

Her body was shivering. But she wasn’t scared or nervous.

Her expression became cold as though she lost her emotions. And she felt this coldness would never go away.

There was no way she’d ever trust humans again.

Never.

* * *

Ten years passed.

Iris was now 19 years old.

She lived alone in a deserted forest. It was a place in which she had no problems being self-sufficient.

But it was a life without a purpose.

At a young age, she was already feeling empty deep inside.

‘I should just die.’

This was the first thought she had every morning after opening her eyes.

However, she felt it was unfair to just take her own life.

That day. The day that changed Iris’ fate forever was a little more special than any other day.

She had a visitor.

“Are you the Black Witch?”

It was a man in a brown robe and a long staff.

He didn’t have an appearance that stood out, but Iris felt a strange sense of familiarity to this man.

Of course, it was just a hint of it. By that point, Iris had already become sick of the human race.

But there was a decisive difference in this man who appeared to be a Wizard.

“Am I?”

It was a name. And naturally, Iris was not happy to hear it.

Being distinguished from other Witches meant that she was becoming well known, and that meant that the Heresy Inquisition would fall upon her soon.

The man continued in a calm tone.

“I saw a forest to the west. It was terrible. Hundreds of trees were uprooted. That was your doing, wasn’t it?”

Iris couldn’t help but sigh.

She didn’t even bother denying it.

“…right.”

She just nodded with a tired expression on her face.

It was true that she’d done it. There was naturally a reason, but she didn’t bother trying to explain it.

He wouldn’t accept it. And he wouldn’t understand anyway.

He wouldn’t even have the slightest intention of understanding Iris. As long as she was branded as a Witch, all of her actions would be seen as carrying out the work of the devil.

She decided to just moderately threaten this man and chase him away.

Then, she would have to find a new place to stay.

Just as she decided to summon a demon.

“Thank you.”

“…huh?”

This was something Iris would never have expected.

The man continued, ignoring her blank expression.

“It was already a dead forest. It’s probably the work of a Lich who has been active around this region. If it wasn’t for your quick action, the entire forest would’ve become rotten.”

“…”

Iris hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth,

“Did you come here just to say that?”

“Right.”

“…I am a Witch.”

Hearing this question, the man responded with a confused look on his face.

“I know. Did you forget already? I called you the Black Witch.”

“And you still believe me?”

“To be precise, I believe my eyes.”

The man’s voice was filled with self-confidence.

It wasn’t just his words. It was clear that he truly believed what he said.

“If you’re a real Witch, then you know at least a dozen ways to make the forest rot more efficiently. Nevertheless, by cutting only the rotten trees, it shows that you’re actually trying to help the forest heal.”

“…”

“Am I wrong?”

Iris heard a beating.

It was her own heart. She didn’t know why, but she felt her face become hot.

Her throat felt tight, and her eyes felt like they were burning. (Note: Sounds like an allergic reaction)

She felt like she couldn’t move her lips easily.

“That…”

Iris understood why.

This was the first time she’d been understood by another person since she was born.