Chapter 5: Witch

Ji Xun watched silently as she arranged the cards in specific positions around the room. Including room 2013, she had set up in nine rooms in total, using 108 cards. Some rooms were clearly decoys, probably to prevent others from seeing her complete setup. Ji Xun noticed this but didn’t say anything.He was more interested in the cards themselves. These cards, adorned with mysterious runes, were the source of the “magic” he had seen before. They were magical cards. Ji Xun had heard the term “curse card master” from the girl more than once, and he began to think that the power system of this world was related to cards.

Not only were the cards magical, but the physical abilities of the humans in this world were also abnormal. Ji Xun had quietly observed the girl’s actions. She could easily push and pull iron doors that he himself would have to use all his strength to move. Her reflexes were incredibly fast, and her stamina was abnormal. Ji Xun estimated that her strength value was at least “5.0”, many times his own “0.71”. Even professional athletes from his previous life couldn’t reach this level.

From the girl’s words, Ji Xun inferred that this was not some innate superpower, but something that all humans in this world could normally possess. Superhuman strength, magic cards, disaster monsters, steam equipment… All these pieces of the puzzle were coming together to form an increasingly bizarre picture. Ji Xun was gradually realizing just how special the world he had come to was. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NovᴇlFɪre .ɴᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

After the girl had finished everything, she sat down on the floor. The cloak she was wearing covered her entire body, adding to her mysterious aura. There was nothing left to explore on the second floor. All they had to do now was wait for the night, wait for the witch to come to them.

At this moment, she glanced at Ji Xun, who was sitting on the bed, as if she had remembered something. She took out a test tube filled with a red liquid and said, “This is an ‘Energy Potion’ produced by the Hydra Alchemy Factory. Drinking it will improve your condition. Of course, it costs 8500 per tube. If we can get out, this money will be deducted from your share of the spoils.”

“Okay,” Ji Xun replied without hesitation. He caught the test tube that was thrown to him, uncorked it without any hesitation, and gulped down the contents. The potion was cool and refreshing, and it instantly revitalized his parched body. He could visibly see his body’s attributes slowly recovering.

Seeing him drink the potion so decisively, the girl asked in surprise, “Aren’t you afraid it’s poison?”

Ji Xun responded with a carefree smile, “Is it really poison?” He had been drained to half his life by the disaster the night before, and he was panting after just a short walk. If he didn’t drink the potion and something unexpected happened, he doubted he would even have a chance to escape. When there was no choice, hesitation was just a waste of time.

Taken aback by his response, the girl replied simply, “No.” She couldn’t see his expression behind the gas mask, but she felt that this decisive teammate would be easier to work with. That was good.

Ji Xun didn’t dwell on the topic and asked, “What do you need me to do to cooperate with you tonight?”

Hearing him talk about business, the girl with the mechanical arm immediately perked up and explained carefully, “The ‘Fallen Witch’ is good at mind control, and its shell is impervious to swords and guns. Moreover, it can repair itself if damaged. So don’t act rashly if you want to kill it… When it needs to absorb human essence, it will expose its weak mouthparts. That’s the best time to kill it.”

As expected, Ji Xun would need to cooperate to kill the monster. He wasn’t surprised. He understood that he would have to use his body to lure the monster, wait for it to reveal its true form, and then attack. The risk seemed high.

The girl already had a complete plan, so Ji Xun didn’t need to interject. But he was more curious about something else. After a moment of contemplation, Ji Xun asked a question that had been on his mind, “You seem to know a lot about this monster.”

His teammate seemed to know too much. It was like playing a game with a mature killing strategy. It was impossible without having killed the monster many times before. But she had said before that no one had killed this monster, and almost everyone who had seen it had died.

The basis for cooperation was a certain level of trust, so this question wasn’t abrupt. The girl with the mechanical arm seemed to have expected this question and answered directly, “Although the books in the City of Innocence are very scarce, I happened to have read about this rare disaster in one of them. I got information from an information dealer that there was a ‘Fallen Witch’ in this alternate dimension, so I came in to take a look.”

City of Innocence? It seemed to be a place name. Ji Xun made a mental note of it. He listened and smiled, not believing that this was the whole truth.

Although they hadn’t known each other for long, a lot of information about a person could be gleaned from some details. This girl was well-equipped and could casually give a stranger a potion that was probably not cheap, so she clearly wasn’t short of money. Despite her deliberate concealment, the demeanor she unintentionally revealed couldn’t be covered up by pretending. She was wealthy, knowledgeable, and well-mannered… Why would such a person risk hunting monsters herself? Unless she was 100% sure she could get out, or there were other factors that forced her to come.

She was full of mystery. But Ji Xun didn’t think it was a bad thing. The stronger his teammate, the better it was for him at the moment. After all, the death rate in this alternate dimension was nearly 70%.

Ji Xun wisely didn’t ask any more questions, and the two of them sat quietly in the room. After a while, he noticed that the girl was sitting cross-legged, and an invisible energy field was gradually forming around her body. It seemed to be some kind of breathing technique or meditation method? Ji Xun watched in silent admiration.

The two of them sat quietly for several hours, tacitly not speaking. The “Energy Potion” was a big help. After a few hours of recovery, Ji Xun’s body’s attributes had recovered by about 20%. Although the “weak” label was still on his attribute panel, he was much stronger than before. At least he didn’t feel shaky holding the large revolver.

Finally, night fell.

In room 2013, the familiar “click” “click” sound of metal echoed. The iron doors on the entire second floor were locked. This was the start of the night. This was the time when the monsters would roam the corridors, and any humans who hadn’t hidden in their rooms would be killed.

The girl with the mechanical arm also looked at the pocket watch on her mechanical arm, then turned to look at Ji Xun, who was lying leisurely on the bed. She was slightly surprised by his calmness, “You’re more composed than I expected.”

Facing an imminent B-level disaster, she couldn’t understand why the man in front of her was so calm. Ji Xun sat up and casually replied, “Panic is a redundant negative emotion for humans. Apart from causing hormonal imbalances in the body and leading to erroneous judgments, it doesn’t help solve problems.”

The girl didn’t respond. She knew that his calmness wasn’t feigned. During the hours they had been waiting, she had noticed his observing gaze. And she had been observing him. In an alternate dimension with a death rate as high as 70%, it was hard for most people to remain this composed, especially when facing a B-level disaster. She just couldn’t understand why such a rational-looking guy would rush in so recklessly.

Thinking of something, the girl added, “When the monster comes, if you’re still conscious, try to stay as calm as possible. Monsters don’t like food with a strange smell.”

“Okay,” Ji Xun chuckled. Was she afraid he would wet himself in fear?

But before they could talk more, the girl suddenly seemed to sense something. Her expression instantly became serious, “Get ready, the witch is coming!”

Ji Xun also noticed something. Because he saw the familiar enlightenment: “Exemption from Mental Erosion”. The distance was too far, and the mental pollution didn’t cause any substantial damage. But it was clear that the monster was outside the door. And it was getting closer.