"Finding a god is the solution, and although the company destroyed all the temples, there must be some surviving ritual sites. As long as we make contact with the god and bring to him what has happened, God will surely help us."
"If it were that simple, witches would have made contact already."
"You don't understand," Farosa said sullenly, "how would they know, how would the witches of this era know? By what means? According to you, a large number of witches from the old world were slaughtered, and many methods have been forgotten, and the witches' history has been altered and obscured by your so-called company."
"Indeed..."
"The glory of the gods dims, while small-time thugs strut about, utterly despicable. The aggressiveness and equipment of those people just now were far too superior to that of the average Witch Hunter."
"You think those people were 'Witch Hunters'?"
"Those mortal bastards who go around causing trouble for witches, aren't they? There are such people in this era too, always some who find witches displeasing."
"Close enough." Xu Yang didn't know what Matteo and his gang were planning to do with Farosa after they captured her, whether to sell her or hand her over to Black Fire Innovation to domesticate her into a new Battle Witch.
"No matter which court they are employed by, I will punish them and make them understand the consequences of provoking me," declared Farosa indifferently.
"You can be quite frightening at times... I just hope you're not the type to kill innocents at random."
"What are you talking about," Farosa smiled at Xu Yang, "I'm quite friendly, you always think I'm the bad one, but I've always been defending myself only."
"Friendly people don't get locked up in tombs."
"Actually, I was quite comfortable, they had no way to deal with me, so they used this method to send me to the future, to avoid disturbing them at the time," Farosa smiled.
"If it were me, I would do the same, send you thousands of years into the future, for you to torment the people of later generations."
"My enemies are all bad eggs, sometimes they don't care who you are, they just target you. It's tough for them, chasing me to such distant places." Farosa's smile did not diminish, "But now, I don't have to worry about someone using the same method against me anymore, my fellow witches, they have become weaker."
There should be a way to lift the seal on her power; her original power is indeed terrifying. Other than the "Restoration Law" she mentioned, there must be at least one other kind, a "Grey Light" capable of mass destruction.
"Hmm..."
"Hey, Xu Yang," she clapped her hands, "the timing is just right."
"What?"
"Witches are a troublesome and proud race. I once thought that if the rule of the witches were destroyed, I would revitalize the witches' power! Now is the chance. Since the so-called company has exterminated the Witch Council, I'll follow the style of the Council, gather all the powerful and ambitious witches, and rebuild a Council to accomplish the witches' revenge."
"The company is not easy to deal with, and their strength is growing day by day, and the witches are not as flourishing as they were in your time."
"But that's my goal. I want mortals to remember again the pain of living under the witches' feet, bending their knees in submission, and you will be the assistance during our journey, revealing the eccentricities of this era to me."
"I refuse. It sounds like I would be a traitor to humanity."
"Do you like the company?"
"I don't."
"Then let's change the status quo together," Farosa leaned towards Xu Yang, staring into his eyes, "I want to see this world collapse into turmoil, make everyone go insane. I hate monotony, I like to see blood, I like to hear screams of breakdown. I want the once thriving 'company' to plunge into chaos, and have the witches now enslaved regain the power of life and death, just like in the old days."
Clearly, it was because of this personality that the witches of her era had buried her underground.
If Matteo won and took her back to Black Fire Innovation, she would likely infect them with her own mania, leading numerous destructions, and even incite a new round of internal corporate war.
"Before you regain your power, you'll still need to keep a gun in hand."
Xu Yang took out the submachine gun he had found earlier and loaded it with bullets.
"A gun? So that's what those Witch Hunter used, a vile heretical weapon."
"Used for self-defense, there is no distinction between good and evil."
After resting, Xu Yang was still in some pain, the implants were still damaged and needed to be repaired at a Prosthetics Clinic soon.
They moved on, and perhaps it was because of the mutual assurances, Xu Yang felt extremely relaxed, no longer having to worry about threats from Farosa.
On the edge of Katagi District, there were scattered iron shacks, all haphazardly constructed by people who couldn't even afford to rent a proper apartment.
Underground there were no storms, just the need to cover one's privacy.
These houses were tiny, walls made of rusty steel plates nailed together, about 2 meters tall, with square windows cut out with scissors, like tin shells.
Living inside them felt like being in a small, insignificant prison cell.
If not for dire poverty and desperation, no one would willingly live in such places.
Here, even in death, no one cared; Xu Yang observed his surroundings. Who would keep track of their mortality? Security services were unwilling to protect the people here; before help could arrive, they were already dead, affecting the company's reputation for no good reason.
It was pitch black everywhere, likely a result of a large-scale blackout. Major blackouts were strange in these times.
Still no lights anywhere.
Xu Yang could only use the weak beam of his flashlight to distinguish between the underground roads and buildings. The light brought only a small sense of security, as dangers seemed to lurk in all directions.
Bang, bang, bang—
Xu Yang heard a rhythmic knocking sound.
At first, he didn't intend to pay attention to it, but the sound persisted, as if someone was tirelessly knocking on a pipe with a wrench. Perhaps someone was calling for help?
"Is that a living person? Should we check it out?" Farosa asked, puzzled.