Chapter 146: Lily Base
"Where is this...?"
When I regained consciousness, I found myself standing.
Before my eyes stretched a forest I’d never seen before, dominated by an awe-inspiring, massive tree.
It wasn’t just any tree. It was a brightly burning tree, its crimson flas capturing my attention entirely.
Tck, tck, tck—
Countless leaves burned, emitting a sound like faint screams.
The vivid inferno filled my field of vision. The entire forest was engulfed in flas.
Yet, the scorching heat that should’ve accompanied such a sight was absent.
I felt detached from it all, as if I were standing in an entirely separate dinsion.
“...It’s happening again.”
My voice wouldn’t co out. My senses were completely gone.
Given the aftermath of Trigger Release, my body should’ve been utterly incapacitated, but here, I couldn’t feel a thing.
This wasn’t the first ti sothing like this had happened.
It was a dream.
A mont from the novel When Villains Grow Stronger.
The scene when the Butcher Kal beheads Dorneth and brings down Veneta flashed in my mind.
Was I about to witness yet another pivotal mont through this dream?
"Where is this?"
The forest around made it hard to pinpoint my exact location.
All I could focus on was the gigantic tree, whose overwhelming size and fiery spectacle left an impression I couldn’t shake.
Once, it must have radiated an aura of overwhelming majesty. But now, it stood desolate, entirely consud by flas.
I was staring up at it blankly when—
KRAAAAHHH!!!
A ferocious howl pierced the air.
Turning my head, I saw a massive beast engaged in a bloody battle with a group of humans.
It had black fur, two pointed ears, and fierce crimson eyes. Its razor-sharp teeth glead ominously.
The sight of the beast stirred a mory deep within , and its na naturally slipped into my mind.
“Keros.”
It was none other than the companion beast of Lily Base, the Witch of the Moon.
The Millennial Tree and the beast, Keros...
As these two defining features aligned in my mind, I realized where I was.
This was Ordor Forest, the sanctuary of the witches.
And that blazing tree had to be the Millennial Tree, revered by the witches as sacred.
The Millennial Tree ablaze?
“...No way.”
The burning of the Millennial Tree marked the beginning of Chapter II of the novel.
It was the ti when the Tower Federation, seeking to root out witches, revealed its fangs to the world.
The Last Day of the Witches.
The Ghost Forest's protective barrier was shattered by Kal’s sches, and the Tower Federation launched an all-out assault, burning the witches’ sanctuary to the ground.
In that catastrophe, only one witch survived.
KRAAHHH!!!
A fierce roar erupted as Keros unleashed black flas from its jaws, scorching everything in its path.
This was Hellfire, one of the abilities of the Hellhound Cerberus.
The black flas surged like waves, swallowing the humans in its path.
But the humans weren’t ordinary soldiers.
They conjured transparent dos as they advanced fearlessly through the inferno.
Shields! Shields! Shields!
The dos grew in size as the mages chanted in unison.
Through the breach in the Ghost Forest’s barrier, wave after wave of mages poured in, their robes of various colors forming a chaotic sea.
Their sheer numbers made it impossible for Keros to hold them back.
Moving from defense to offense, they unleashed a relentless barrage of water and ice spells, the natural counters to fire.
The Hellfire began to waver, and the attacks hamred Keros’s massive fra.
Keros let out a pained cry.
Its enormous body staggered as frost spread across its fur.
And then, from among the mages, a group clad in black robes with butterfly emblems on their chests darted forward.
They conjured sinister magic spears in their hands.
The Black Butterflies.
An elite combat force drawn from certain magical schools, these were mages who had trained to overco the inherent frailty of a mage’s body.
With their exceptional spellcasting abilities and enhanced physical prowess, they were versatile warriors capable of close-quarters combat.
The Black Butterflies sward Keros with their spears while the mages behind them continued their relentless magical bombardnt.
In the end, Keros collapsed to the ground, vomiting blood.
Magic spears pierced its massive fra as its body trembled one last ti.
It was the final mont for the great beast.
[Erase all traces of the witches.]
The mages did not stop.
They unleashed fire spells in all directions, setting the forest ablaze.
The humble huts, the whimsical treehouses, the crude tools of daily life—all were reduced to ash.
Erging from the flas, the Black Butterflies carried the severed heads of dead witches in their hands.
It was a one-sided massacre.
When the slaughter was done, the mages turned their attention to the Millennial Tree.
[The Witch of the Moon is here.]
They sward past as though I didn’t exist, forming a dense periter around the tree.
Their sole target was clear now.
“Ah…”
Only then did I notice a figure standing beneath the Millennial Tree.
Long, jet-black hair shimred amidst the ash and flas.
Her smooth, pointed ears and striking features left no room for doubt.
This was Lily Base, the Witch of the Moon.
She stood silently, gazing up at the burning Millennial Tree.
“...Damn it.”
Following her gaze, I couldn’t help but curse.
Hanging from the branches of the Millennial Tree were countless corpses.
Judging by the context, these were likely the elders and guardians of the witches.
The moonlight streaming down onto the blazing tree made the scene unbearably somber.
The mages had declared this night to be a day of justice, but to , it was nothing more than an act of brutal hypocrisy.
Lily’s head slowly turned, her expression unreadable.
She showed no emotion, but tears stread endlessly from her eyes.
Her gaze fell upon Keros’s bloodied corpse.
[Why? We only wanted to live.]
[The witches corrupt human souls and sow discord. For the peace of the world, witches must be eradicated.]
[Even the children?]
[They are witches all the sa.]
[...]
[Accept your capture quietly, and we’ll ensure a painless death.]
[No, you’ll bleed dry, use as a lab rat, and discard once you’ve had your fill.]
Lily let out a piercing laugh, a sound so sorrowful it sent shivers down my spine.
When she finally stopped, her face was devoid of expression.
Her voice was low and cold as her eyes fixed on the mages preparing their spells.
[Hypocrites, you don’t even realize you’ve already beco slaves.]
She began stepping backward toward the burning Millennial Tree.
[Nothing in your existence is real, and you foolish humans are too blind to see it.]
The Black Butterflies lunged forward, their magic spears aid at her heart.
Behind them, the mages unleashed a dazzling cascade of magic.
Just as the spells threatened to engulf her, a brilliant yellow light erupted from the Millennial Tree, extinguishing the incoming magic in an instant.
The mages recoiled in shock, but the Black Butterflies pressed their attack.
[In accordance with the laws of vengeance, I will kill every mage, no matter their age or gender, as long as they are connected to magic.]
Lily’s body rged into the Millennial Tree.
The magic spears struck its trunk but did no damage.
Her voice echoed hauntingly through the fiery void.
[From this day forward, all humans are my enemies.]
This marked the birth of Lily Base, the Great Witch.
***
I blinked, and my eyes opened to the real world.
This ti, I was lying on the ground.
It didn’t take long to realize I was no longer dreaming.
The sll of roasting at filled the air, and my stomach growled instinctively, saliva pooling in my mouth.
The ground beneath was cold, but the warmth of the campfire made the surrounding air cozy.
The crackling of the fire was calm and soothing, unlike the inferno I’d just seen.
“...What about my body?”
I felt weak but not in pain.
Considering the severe aftereffects of Trigger Release, perhaps fainting had been a blessing in disguise.
But as I turned my head toward the night sky, sothing strange caught my eye.
Three figures were looking down at .
"He’s awake."
"Is he okay? What the hell was that earlier?"
“Oh, that? I know.”
“Of course the witch knows. So, what was it?”
“Move your ugly face. It’s ruining the mood.”
“Damn it...”
The faces were familiar: Lochter, Karl, and...
"AAAAHHH!"
When I locked eyes with the dark-haired woman, I scread and shot to my feet.
It was the sa face I had seen in the dream, the one that had coldly vowed vengeance on all of humanity.
Lily Base, the Great Witch.
Why was she here!?
The terrifying figure from my dream tilted her head and leaned closer, making flinch.
Karl burst out laughing, pointing at .
“Looks like your face really is sothing—he’s terrified just looking at you.”
“It’s not ,” Lily said with a huff.
“He’s looking at you while panicking.”
“Ugh!”
Scoffing, Lily pulled out a small mirror and inspected her reflection.
After smoothing her hair and nodding in satisfaction, she smiled brightly and extended her hand toward .
Was she going to turn into a frog if I shook it?
The image of her in my dream still lingered, and even her smile looked terrifying.
But before I could decide what to do, sothing moved on her shoulder.
It was Keros, the Hellhound.
The beast’s nose twitched at the sll of the at, and its glowing red eyes opened.
"Woof!"
“AAAAAHHHH!”
I scread again as mories of its Hellfire flooded my mind.
Karl doubled over with laughter.
“See? Told you he’d freak out!”
But before Karl could revel in his victory, Lily pointed to his rear and said, “Bite.”
Keros imdiately leaped off her shoulder and clamped its jaws onto Karl’s backside.
“OW! You little—!”
As Karl’s screams filled the air, Lily turned to , her expression suddenly serious.
“Why did you scream when you saw ?”
Because you’re Lily Base.
But I couldn’t say that, so I ca up with an excuse.
“You look just like soone I know…”
“Liar.”
Her narrowed eyes sent a chill down my spine.
Could she, like the elves, see through lies?
“There’s no one as beautiful as in this world.”
As she inspected herself in the mirror again, I let out a nervous laugh.
In the dream, her eyes had been filled with anguish, malice, and a murderous hatred toward humanity. Her mature, alluring presence had been overwhelming.
But this Lily looked younger, almost innocent.
Her eyes were pure and clear, free from any malice.
The contrast between the Lily in my dream and the one before was staggering.
“The Great Witch, huh…”
Thinking back, this was likely the ti when she was still loved and protected by her fellow witches.
Though she bore scars from her childhood experiences of war, she was more curious than hostile toward humans.
It was only my vivid dream that had temporarily thrown off.
Just as I began to relax, a sudden realization hit .
“Wait, hold on!”
There was sothing important I needed to confirm.
I didn’t know why she was here with us, but there was one reason I absolutely needed to et her.
My Divine Na.
If anyone could know it, it would be her.
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