Chapter 404: Can You Handle It?

Chapter 404: Can You Handle It?

“Then go satisfy her yourself!” Zheng Yichen rolled his eyes. Listening to Dan Marina’s tone, it was as if the Undying Witch were just a toy to be manipulated. But really, this was probably just idle boasting. Sure, she might be right, but the Undying Witch had her pride too. How could she ever lower herself to such a wretched position for any reason?

If pushed too hard, she might just cut ties completely. Plus, there was one critical factor: Dan Marina didn’t actually know the Undying Witch’s true goal.

“I would definitely do it if I got the chance, but for now… this is it.” Dan Marina helplessly spread her hands. She propped her chin lightly with one hand, her eyes narrowing slightly until they curved like crescent moons. Her clear blue eyes seemed veiled in gray haze. “It’s no real surprise the Dark Church meddled. Since the Undying Witch went to such lengths, she’d naturally have backup plans. But the Dark Church supporting her so fully? That’s unexpectedly intense.” She let out a scornful laugh. “Those poor fools being played. This is exactly why the Dark Church will never measure up to the Sanctuary Church.”

“Why’s that?” Zheng Yichen asked. Secret stories about this world’s major forces fascinated him. Sadly, he couldn’t learn this stuff through books. Most came from talking with the Witches daily. As for intentional teaching? Beyond Loris, the others probably wouldn’t bother. Their experiences and knowledge, if discussed seriously, could fill countless books. So Zheng Yichen just kept piecing together bits over time.

“The Sanctuary Church would never believe any Witch, nor act solely due to outside pressure. Only if they chose to. Also, they control every partnership, placing themselves in charge—while making others agree the outcome benefits everyone. Naturally, their power makes such dominance possible.” Here, Dan Marina paused. Her finger tapped lightly against the table. Her expression turned thoughtful. “Perhaps the Sanctuary Church’s biggest success is holding total initiative without forcing others down. Instead, they offer genuine convenience. Yes, they’re recruiting people—but their skill at it is unmatched.”

“Oh, right. If you meet other Witches, except those I’ve vetted yourself, never fully trust anything they say. Treat every deal with refusal or vague hesitation, no matter how tempting. Never agree straight away. Even the smallest request deserves days of thought and discussion with us.”

She herself was a Witch. Yet Dan Marina now spared no effort badmouthing fellow Witches. Was this for Zheng Yichen’s sake… or personal motives? Annoyingly, he couldn’t refute her logic.

“After all… parts of your info have spread through Witch circles. Who exactly would seek you out, if not those driven by impure motives?” Dan Marina smiled faintly, watching Zheng Yichen’s troubled look.

“Damn it? When did that happen?” This was terrible news. The more time Zheng Yichen spent with Witches, the more he understood how rare his immunity to their innate curse truly was. He refused to become some Pillar Sacrifice patching up their weakness.

“Hmm… long ago, actually. After you rescued Loris, things started spreading. Plus some schemers deliberately fueled your rumors. Now most know about you… why are you glaring like you want to eat me?”

“So, tell me—are you the one behind those rumors?” Zheng Yichen narrowed his eyes, suspicion burning toward Dan Marina. Qin wouldn’t bother with such nonsense. Loris certainly wouldn’t. Annie joined their circle too late to fit the timeline. Irene had long outgrown such petty games. That left only the woman before him, who knew him best.

“Wow… since when were you so sharp?” Dan Marina covered her cheek, slightly flustered. Zheng Yichen kept staring blankly. Was she mocking him?

“Okay, listen: the harder something is to grasp, the more others will keep hunting it. Even if many Witches might resist, a few highly curious ones can achieve plenty. Especially working together. Better to reveal pieces myself, satisfying their boredom-starved curiosity. Then they’ll leave us be.”

Zheng Yichen’s tense face softened as he grasped her meaning. It was like showing test answers before the exam. Once revealed, solving problems lost its excitement. Less studying, less digging. Curiosity-driven Witches would largely quit. Those persisting would struggle against thinner numbers. This was the best outcome. Otherwise, many Witches teaming up to probe Zheng Yichen’s secrets—uncovering clues piece by piece—would only heighten their interest. Worse, it might attract more participants. Dan Marina cut this looming chaos off at its source.

“And for the remainder—if lucky…”

“Eliminate them. Or bring them to us—persuade them using your dragon charms, sleep with them!”

“Sleep with them!?” Zheng Yichen scoffed.

“Exactly! Look how blissful you are sleeping nightly with the Cursed Witch. You accomplished all mankind could not!”

Loris’s power always risked losing control. Conscious? She maintained restraint. But while asleep? Even clad in pajamas made of Zheng Yichen’s protective Scales, faint power leaked constantly—deadly to any life!

“Speaking of Loli, something confuses me. Wouldn’t ‘Witch of Destruction’ better suit her powers?” Zheng Yichen voiced his core doubt. He’d thought it mistaken before. But Irene and Annie referenced her as Cursed Witch too. Who was right?

“Ah. Destruction is merely one extension. You’ve seen Curse Power enough times, haven’t you?” Dan Marina eyed Zheng Yichen oddly. Why this question now? Probably Loris kept her ability’s darker truth veiled. After all, nothing about it felt remotely pleasant—only rejection. Like how other Witches steered clear of Dan Marina herself: caused by their powers. Unlike Loris, though, Dan Marina wasn’t shunned—unless she caused outright trouble… though her personality partly shielded her.

Loris differed. Even harmlessly, her ability repelled others—entirely. Thus she held lowest presence among Witches, yet none truly forgot her. Her power was lethally dangerous—especially when tapping its true core. Yet she constantly suppressed that core essence. Even during Berserk episodes! Those supposedly ‘controlled safety measures’ pre-scattered across battlefields during a Witch Rampage? Actually, they secretly diluted her power—helping self-restraint when most vulnerable. Weakened power surfaces least dangerously.

“Curse Power…” Zheng Yichen mused. Curse Power was intensely troublesome: persistent and highly contaminating like radiation. Exposure guaranteed slow ruin. Any Curse Power burned its host relentlessly, requiring either a barrier or direct cure. Curse Power’s presence inevitably turned land barren… wait. Thinking deeper, Loris’s unleashed power always left similar environmental scars…

“So, her Curse Magic was incredibly powerful?”

“That’s the core meaning—but when have you ever seen her use Curse Magic?”

“…” Zheng Yichen shook his head. Loris knew Magic, yet rarely used it. Few instances included creating a body he once needed for movement, or during Magic Weapon Summoning Book crafting. Beyond those times? Forget Curse Magic—he hardly glimpsed any Magic from her!

Even in few fights, her attacks stayed brutally simplistic: dark crimson orbs. Given their overwhelming force smashing everything—Magic or metal—perhaps she needed nothing else. But Dan Marina insisted this destruction tapped merely surface-level power? Not the core?

“If she unleashed her full core essence… wouldn’t she be invincible?” Zheng Yichen gasped.

“Eh… hardly.” Dan Marina shot him a look. She paid little mind to strength herself—given her Trait Abilities, ranking seemed pointless. Still, his words irked. “Surface-level already unleashed maximum destruction potential. Adding core essence wouldn’t boost her attack power much. The core essence’s uniqueness lies elsewhere.”

“That cursed toxicity?”

“Exactly. Lacking typical Curse variability, pure Power of Annihilation imbued with Curse traits already exceeds any Curse Magic’s limits. Years ago? Something called ‘Curse of Destruction’ appeared briefly—even worse than plague disasters—though it vanished almost immediately.”

“Hang on—’Years ago’?” Zheng Yichen’s gaze sharpened. Dan Marina, master of Tracing Ability, could surely pin exact dates! Her vagueness hinted deliberate concealment.

“You’re fixating wrongly.”

“Nope. I know you well enough—’how many years’ matters most. Tell me?” As for the Curse of Destruction? Historical silence implied either deep burial… or such fleeting presence that little survived.

“… Before my Awakening.” Dan Marina’s lip twitched. Loris was slightly older. So this legendary Curse struck shortly after Loris’s power surfaced. But its damage, however brief, proved catastrophic—covered up so fiercely even Dan Marina learned details through her own Trait Abilities. This remained the only known occurrence.

The ‘Cursed Witch’ title emerged then. Later generations suspected misnaming, but Sanctuary Church shut doubts: “No mistake!” Many felt Sanctuary Church lax concerning Witch titles—usually hinting power specialties—so Zheng Yichen’s doubt wasn’t unique. Established seniors still supported ‘Cursed Witch,’ overriding ‘Witch of Destruction.’ The wise sensed hidden layers; fools challenging this merely seemed ignorant.

“Alright, I know you’re curious. But since she hasn’t told you, clearly she dislikes this topic. If I spill more and she attacks me… will you protect me?”

“Er… let me think.” Zheng Yichen replied.

Dan Marina threw him a huge eye-roll. “Don’t mess around. Those ‘dealings with Witches strategies’ I mentioned earlier? For strangers! Using them on me—explain that!”

Zheng Yichen smirked slightly. He lifted the teapot to refill her near-empty cup. His tea skills sucked, yet she always stayed hands-off during chats like this.

“Practicing new tactics. Testing things out—issue with that?”

“A big issue! That hurts my feelings deeply.”

“I’d like to see you cry.”

“Well… throughout my life since becoming a Witch, I’ve never once wept.” Dan Marina rested her chin on her hand. A glimmer of recall passed in her eyes. “Can you manage it?”

Life as a Witch? Zheng Yichen considered those words. Despite her usual casual manner, Dan Marina always spoke precisely. This statement likely meant her Awakened period, excluding her Human days. He shook his head crisply. “I doubt any capability for such a feat.”

“And low confidence serves what?”

“Over-promising equals arrogance. You expect me to pummel tears out of you? Or…” Zheng Yichen rummaged through his Personal Space. Out came a pitted fruit suspended in a Magic Barrier. Stench emitted was a nightmare—exceeding onions dozens times over! Exposure demanded many baths to cleanse… Discovering this thing earlier caused Zheng Yichen, as a dragon, his first-ever shed tear since his transmigration. Disgraceful!

“Whoa! Where’d you scavenge such diabolical trash?!” Dan Marina exclaimed. “Put that junk away! Leak it, and prepare to ditch your home forever!”

“Heh. Using this—can I make you cry?”

“Cheating! Doesn’t count!” Dan Marina waved it off, eyeing Zheng Yichen warily. “Planning weaponized mischief with this filth? Seriously?”

“Just rough ideation earlier… But seeing your intense alarm? My brainstorm flourishes now. Design an anti-Witch tool—thoughts?”

“Sure—when deploying it, better bring Loris, Irene, or Annie. Or else nobody shields you!” Dan Marina answered bluntly. Anti-Witch?! This stuff screamed five-star mockery bomb! “Now if I use it? Different story. How many pieces per fruit?”

Her face brightened—typical smile shifting toward trouble-making delight. Zheng Yichen shuddered under her eager gaze. Divine mercy upon whoever provoked her!

“Accounting for coverage thickness…” Zheng Yichen sighed regretfully. “This one fruit? Maybe five units. I considered cultivating spare seeds too…” The tree deep inside that Mine Cave yielded strictly one fruit.

“Great! Reserve me three?”

“……”