Chapter 54: The Fourth Encounter with the Witch Approaching

"Eh? Me?" Lady Violet pointed at herself, looking somewhat dazed.

When Char nodded, a glimmer of surprise and longing subconsciously appeared in her eyes. However, it was quickly suppressed by the weight of reality.

After a moment of silence, she glanced at Char, then lowered her head to look at her fair, delicate hands, letting out a gentle sigh.

She smiled and said, "Well, Mr. Cain, I'm happy that you say that... But it's getting late, and you should leave."

She lightly tucked a strand of silky hair behind her ear.

In that moment, Lady Violet's smile was incredibly serene and gentle.

"Why?" Char withdrew his hand and gazed at her beautiful face. "Don't you want to escape from this cage?"

"Are you suggesting that we elope?" Lady Violet's dewy eyes trembled slightly in the darkness, silently questioning Char.

"If that's what you want, you can," Char replied after a pause.

In reality, his main objective was to disrupt the "Sun" organization's plan, and saving her from this quagmire happened to be a convenient side effect.

But Char was never a cold-hearted person, especially since he was the type of young man who enjoyed eating fruits, like melons.

In fact, there were signs of it during his first visit to the Abyss Palace. Influenced by the Witch's murmurs, Char saw the gentle and sisterly figure of Miss Witch under that tree.

Upon hearing Char's response, Lady Violet's face blushed.

She lifted her head, looked at Char, and stammered, "I have a husband and a daughter... Besides, in the book 'Jane Eyre,' the heroine also rejected Rochester's elopement request, didn't she?"

Lady Violet gently twisted her hands together, gathering her courage to speak.

After uttering those words, it seemed as if she had exhausted all her strength, and her snow-white shoulders relaxed.

At the same time, her face, which appeared as youthful and fair as that of a girl despite being in her thirties, blushed slightly, as if she had just sipped a cup of honeyed wine.

For a traditional woman in a setting resembling the medieval era, summoning the courage to speak the words "elope" was already an immense act of bravery.

Char couldn't help but smile.

"I wrote the book myself... and you're using characters from another book to argue against me?" he said.

"Since you like 'Jane Eyre,' then you should be able to discern the core ideas of my book. From beginning to end, I encourage women who read this book to be like Jane Eyre, daring to pursue love and daring to resist the existing order."

"But why is it that when it comes to you, you remain stationary and hesitant?"

Lady Violet was stunned, then lowered her head deeply.

After a long while, she whispered softly, "But... they won't let me go..."

"Who?" Char asked, sensing Lady Violet's hesitation.

"My husband and that man with the black mask," Lady Violet thought for a moment and replied.

"That's easily solved. Wait a moment," Char snapped his fingers and promptly disappeared from the spot. "Pack your things while I'm gone."

Lady Violet stared blankly at the place where he vanished.

Could it be that he intends to...?

.....

As the ball approached its end, the majority of people had already danced two sets, but the main protagonist of this event, Sally, remained bored, leaning on the railing of the second floor, her chin resting on her hands, gazing absentmindedly at the main entrance.

Ignoring the curious gazes directed her way, she, wearing a white angel mask, gritted her teeth as she thought about a certain individual who had broken their promise.

No one had ever dared to treat her like this before, from her childhood until now!

Filled with resentment, Sally picked up her wine glass and gulped down half a cup of grape wine, already feeling a bit intoxicated.

She lowered her head, observing the Fifth Prince, who was dancing with his tenth partner of the evening in the grand hall below. She let out a cold laugh but remained silent.

Their engagement was merely a loveless political union, and both parties were free to play their own games. It was a matter of adhering to tradition.

Although the prince seemed to have some desire for her body, Sally wouldn't allow that fool of a prince to touch her even for a moment.

After a while, the Fifth Prince, with a sweaty forehead but in good spirits, approached the second floor and stood beside Sally.

"At the very least, you're my fiancée. It's fine if you didn't dance the first set with me, but as a finale, shouldn't you grace me with your presence so that the surrounding guests can see?" the young blond man said, smiling.

Sally looked at the hand he extended but remained silent.

At the same time, a wave of disgust and repulsion washed over her.

He merely saw her as a tool to flaunt in front of friends and guests, much like asserting his "dominance." Treating her as an object made her feel uncomfortable all over.

However, out of respect for the royal family, Sally lifted her head, took a sip of wine, and refrained from uttering her thoughts on the spot.

Dancing was out of the question. Right now, all she wanted to do was hold Char down and unleash her fury upon him, venting her pent-up resentment.

"Sally."

Seeing that the other person ignored him, the Fifth Prince frowned and spoke with a more serious tone.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed a glimmer of unknown radiance in Sally's eyes.

She, who had been lazily leaning on the edge of the second-floor railing, blinked her eyes, straightened her body while holding onto the railing, and placed her wine glass aside.

Why did she suddenly seem lively?

The Fifth Prince didn't think much of it, assuming that she had come to her senses. His eyebrows relaxed, and he said, "That's right, this is..."

"My dance partner has arrived."

Sally looked at him with a mocking expression, pointing towards the main entrance.

A young man with a slender figure, wearing a black raven mask, entered the grand hall of the banquet with a smile, appearing composed as if he hadn't been late at all.

Subsequently, Sally lightly lifted the edge of her purple fringe gown, stepped delicately in matching high-heeled shoes, and gracefully descended the spiral staircase, her diamond earrings gently swaying with her steps.

In front of all the onlookers, the young man wearing the black raven mask and the young girl wearing the white angel mask slowly approached each other.

Then, the young man slightly bowed, like a true gentleman, and extended his hand towards Sally.

"Apologies, beautiful Princess, for my tardiness."

Char gazed at the enchanting girl before him and praised.

"Princess? Kekeke, if others were to hear that, aren't you afraid they'll arrest us as rebellious lovers?"

Sally covered her mouth and chuckled, her small hand, adorned with light purple nail polish, gently placed in Char's warm palm, and then took a step forward.

Char naturally embraced her slender waist and pulled her into his arms. "In that case, let's forget about it. I'm quite scared of death."

The music began to play.

Accompanied by the melodious rhythm, the two sometimes separated, sometimes held hands, sometimes paused, and sometimes spun around.

The purple fringe gown twirled gently like waves, revealing a glimpse of her fair and slender leg.

Their dance was so elegant that it gradually attracted the attention of the entire hall.

But the two immersed in a peculiar atmosphere ignored the gazes of those around them.

Finally, when the music reached a crescendo, Sally looked up, gazing at Char's face with a charisma score of 15, and her eyebrows trembled slightly.

In truth, what she said in the Tower of Judgment that day was true.

She truly was a wicked woman, and in that moment when Char's charisma reached its peak, she indeed felt a strong possessiveness towards him.

To conceal the unfamiliar emotions stirring within her, she had pretended to be tough and uttered the outrageous statement of wanting to kill Char and turn him into a doll to display at home.

Sally licked her glistening lips and whispered softly, "Do you want to kiss me?"

"No, not really?"

Char blinked his eyes and honestly replied.

"But I want to kiss you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Sally suddenly tiptoed, her rosy lips lightly touching Char's mouth, like a dragonfly skimming the water, and then swiftly pulling away.

"Let's go to our demise together, you and the wicked woman!"

Sally looked at Char with a playful smile, completely disregarding the consequences of her actions, and said in a sweet voice.

Moist, sweet.

Unfortunately, the moment was too short, leaving Char somewhat regretful.

So he thought for a moment and said, "I was just kidding earlier. The truth is, I'm not afraid of death at all."

After saying these words, Char lowered his head deeply.

Sally, who had just been happily playful like a little fox, froze instantly.

Gasps echoed around them.

"Crack!"

Somewhere on the second floor, the Fifth Prince, observing the scene in the dance floor, angrily shattered the glass in his hand.

A few seconds later.

Char, satisfied with himself, gradually halted his dancing steps and released the slightly breathless Sally.

The music also gradually faded away.

The dance came to an end.

"While I know you've been using me to some extent, since I've benefited from it, I won't hold it against you," Char smiled and said, "Besides, haven't I been using you as well?"

"Oh, by the way, be careful with your fiancé. He's not a good person."

Char raised his head meaningfully, gazing at the prince standing on the second floor.

The system's annotation for him was the glaring label of "antagonist."

Finally recovering from the deep kiss, Sally stood still in a daze, looking at Char.

At the same time, Count Violet, who had arrived after hearing the news, appeared on the second floor.

The military-bred Count, at this moment, took off his mask, furrowed his brows, and looked down at the young man who dared to insult his daughter in public.

Char met his gaze and casually took a champagne glass from a nearby waiter's tray.

Then, he gently raised his glass in a silent gesture, mouthing something to Count Violet.

"BOOM!"

As soon as the words fell, the wine cellar of the mansion erupted in a towering blaze!

Over by the altar, Char had found some deep red stones, These stones were minerals with a strong magical conductivity.

However, they had certain peculiar drawbacks.

For example, if soaked in blood for a long time, they would explode.

...

"Halt!"

With a stern shout, Char, who had just taken off his mask, stood in the darkness and slowly turned around.

After leaving the banquet hall, he returned unhindered to the rear of the estate.

Most of the forces had been dispatched by the panicked Count Violet to fight the fire, but the masked figure who had arrived upon hearing the news seemed to sense something unusual about Char and chased after him.

"There's a scent on you that feels very familiar to me."

The masked figure was clearly a high-ranking member of the Night Shadow Society, possessing extraordinary insight.

"Archmage of the Seventh Circle," Ember proactively spoke in the realm of consciousness, but she didn't seem eager to engage in conversation with Char.

Char nodded and looked at the masked figure.

"What happened at the altar, it's related to you, isn't it?" the masked figure chuckled sinisterly. "Although I'm not from the 'Descendants' faction, it's still part of the plan from above. I can't let you walk away so brazenly."

"Moreover, those valuable materials worth millions, they're with you, aren't they?"

"Hehehe..."

The masked figure smiled, revealing a hint of murderous intent in their eyes.

Although those materials were collected through a collaboration between the upper organization and the Violet family, now that the ritual had been disrupted, the materials were considered "lost."

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—"

Accompanied by a continuous sound, rings of crimson, accompanied by flames, appeared successively behind the masked figure, indicating their status as a mage.

"What's your codename?"

Rather than retaliating, Char asked a rather strange question.

"Hehehe, I am the Vice President of the Night Shadow Society, codenamed 'Apollo'," the masked figure suddenly tightened their right hand. "What a strange last words."

A crimson pillar of fire shot up into the sky like a tornado, instantly reaching the heavens!

Divine Flame: Pillar of the Sky!

A flame magic that reached the seventh circle, like a raging dragon, engulfed the surrounding area, swallowing the young and frail figure into its radiant blaze.

Almost instantly, the masked figure sensed that the opponent's life force, accompanied by the burning flames, was gradually dissipating.

After several tens of seconds, the flames that engulfed the hundreds of meters of surrounding grassland gradually extinguished, leaving behind charred ashes.

"Hehe..."

The masked figure shrugged.

The young boy had been burned to ashes, leaving only a shining dimensional ring that fell to the ground.

Without much thought, the masked figure walked towards the spot where the ring had fallen.

Then, he bent down and picked it up.

"Splurt—"

Before he could stand up, their expression suddenly froze on his face.

A cold power pierced through their chest from the back.

In disbelief, he coughed up blood, slowly lowering their head.

In the location of his heart, a large hand covered in black scales tightly grasped their still slightly beating heart.

"You... you were already..."

"That's right, I was indeed killed," Char crushed the heart, pulling out his arm. "But who said a player using cheat codes can't be resurrected?"

Although this person had the strength of a seventh-circle Archmage, their intelligence seemed lacking.

But that was normal. Who would be on high alert when facing someone as seemingly weak as Char?

Moreover, he had indeed died once in front of the masked figure and deliberately took off the ring, throwing it on the ground as bait.

As for the respawn point, Char had set it behind the masked figure while he were distracted.

No Archmage would willingly allow a transcendent knight who can instantly unleash double the strength to get close to them, especially at a distance almost touching.

That's the irrationality of a brute.

"But you really are useless."

Char glanced at the stagnant experience bar and quipped.

As his gaze gradually dimmed, Char lowered his head and removed the masked figure's mask and the ring from their hand.

He also had Ember read their thoughts and memories.

This was a manifestation of Char's power in the realm of his consciousness. After reading the memories intentionally conveyed to her by Char, Ember flawlessly transformed into "Mevis."

After completing all of this, Char turned into a shadow without looking back, disappearing into the night.

The entire Violet Manor fell into chaos.

...

Upon hearing a loud explosion, Lady Violet's heart was immediately filled with a strong sense of unease.

What has Mr. Cain done?

"He's already dead."

A voice suddenly appeared in the bedroom.

Lady Violet quickly turned around, expecting to see the familiar figure of the handsome young man. However, what greeted her eyes was a masked man.

"Click—"

She stood still for a moment, covering her mouth as she took a few steps back, then fell to her knees in a daze.

"It's me... It's my fault..."

Tears gradually filled Lady Violet's beautiful eyes as they gently rolled down her delicate cheeks.

Her gaze was filled with sorrow.

"Cough, cough, just kidding, just kidding."

Char realized they had gone a bit too far and quickly took off the mask.

"The masked figure is already dead by my hands. Your husband probably doesn't have the mood to care about you now, and may not have it in the future either."

"If you don't agree to this, I might just have to carry you and run away, huh?"

Char playfully clenched their fist, trying to appear fierce.

Upon seeing Mr. Cain "come back to life," Lady Violet quickly wiped away her tears and broke into a shy smile.

She didn't doubt it too much.

Because the words spoken by this mysterious young man seemed to naturally possess a convincing power.

"Th-then, if it's not too much trouble, Mr. Cain, could you carry me? I... I can't walk very well."

...

For the majority of the Violet Manor's residents, including the Count himself, it was a terrible night.

But for Char, it was a wonderfully fruitful night.

Total spoils: various ritual materials worth millions of gold coins, including the Stones, fragments of memories from a seventh-circle Archmage, a sweet kiss from a beautiful girl, and a high-maintenance, mature, artistic young woman.

Well, in terms of temperament.

So at this moment, Char sat comfortably in a certain magical tool shop.

"So, this is your reason for bringing other women into my house?"

A white-haired loli in pajamas stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the young man as if he were a monster.

"Madam, I'm counting on you to take care of things for now. I'm not quite at ease placing her elsewhere. Once I finish dealing with the recent matters, I'll come back to find you."

Char glanced at Lady Violet, who was sitting nearby with a cup of hot tea, and said to Octavia.

"Hehe, unless you share a portion of these materials with me, it's a non-negotiable deal."

Octavia had never seen so many ritual materials before. Her crimson pupils sparkled, revealing a gaze of avarice.

"Alright, consider a portion of it as offsetting the debt."

Char remembered the face of a previous customer who ran away without paying and nodded in agreement.

"What do you think about this Dimensional Stone?"

Octavia asked as she looked at the stone, which was about half the size of a fist.

"Can you help me make a spatial magical tool specifically for teleporting to a fixed location? You can take some extra materials as compensation for your labor."

Char pondered for a moment and asked.

"Of course! I'm a noble vampire! I'm the strongest artisan in the capital!"

The little loli pouted with her hands on her hips, displaying her pride.

"By the way, before you start making it, reserve enough powder for three rituals for me. I'll need it later."

Char estimated the remaining quantity of other materials in the base and said.

After destroying the "Sun" plan, he didn't relax at all. Instead, he felt a stronger sense of urgency.

Just the vice president of the Night Shadows organization had the power of a Archmage. Char had to forcefully kill them by taking advantage of his knight's physical strength and the secrecy of his special abilities.

It was difficult to imagine just how terrifying the formal members of that organization could be.

After taking possession of the Dimensional Stone, Char immediately arrived at this place.

Not only was it for the purpose of accommodating Lady Violet but also for their own leveling plan.

After a while, when Octavia presented three purified test tubes, Char pocketed them and then disappeared into the streets as the dawn began to break.