Chapter 12
Chapter 12: The Wheel of Fate
Funis followed Chexia through a long corridor to its end, where the witch slowly pushed open the double doors carved from walnut wood.
This was a place Funis had never visited before.
Chexia had confined her activities to certain areas within the hideout, and in the presence of a Third Sequence supernatural being, clever tricks were useless. Funis’s best option was to obey.
In her impression, Chexia often brought the witches of the society here to meet and discuss certain matters.
Before being defeated by Chexia and transformed into a witch, when she was still Sera Fred, she had fought against the witches of the Black Rose Society and sent several of them to the Church’s prison.
After that, Funis never saw these witches again. Perhaps the Humility Institute had cured them, or perhaps the Temperance Institute had executed them. At that time, Funis had never cared about their fate.
She had always believed the Church was right.
She had always believed that her actions were noble and valuable.
Now Funis knew that the founder of the Black Rose Society was actually Chexia. Like other dangerous and fearsome witch groups, the Black Rose Society was led by an ancient, powerful witch with a long lifespan.
But did Chexia truly care about the fate of the witches in her society? Or, as she had admitted herself, did she merely view these girls who trusted her as means and tools?
If it was the former, then Chexia probably resented Funis to some extent.
After all, she had personally taken away Chexia’s sisters.
Despite having such thoughts, Funis couldn’t say she felt remorse. Even though she had become a witch herself, her view of witches remained unchanged—they were a hazard, a threat, a group that must be completely eradicated.
While Funis was lost in these thoughts, Chexia finally pushed the wooden doors fully open.
Behind the doors was a spacious tea room. A rectangular table made of moon oak with intricate carvings stood in the center, high-backed chairs neatly arranged along both sides. An expensive, luxurious crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and red velvet curtains covered the glass doors leading to the balcony.
Funis poured a cup of tea for both Chexia and herself.
Now she had returned to her initially cold and elegant demeanor. After rearranging her dress and smoothing her hair, her every gesture revealed her refined upbringing, like a true lady.
Brewing tea had been one of Funis’s common tasks over the past year, though previously she had done it in the bedroom and office for Chexia and herself, and now the location had changed to this tea room.
Funis didn’t originally have a habit or preference for tea. Her former work and identity were at odds with this activity.
But ever since she had fainted from dehydration one day, she accepted any sweet drink without refusal. Tea with milk and sugar had even become a necessity in her life in a sense.
“You mentioned an advancement ritual… Does the witch’s path also require potions and rituals for advancement?”
Funis sat with her legs to one side next to Chexia, her fair hands gently pressing down on the edge of her snow-white skirt—a series of natural and fluid movements. Under Chexia’s strict etiquette training, these had become muscle memory.
“Of course, witches are essentially an alternative form of supernatural being,” Chexia tore open the paper packaging of a measured amount of sugar. “The Whisper Potion functions similarly to the Ninth Sequence basic potions of the fourteen paths.”
“To incorporate supernatural characteristics into the body, changing the form and nature of the user,” Funis quietly recited from memory.
“This is the first step to becoming a supernatural being. The pure and pristine Ninth Sequence is the starting point, a blank sheet of paper unmarked by any ink,” Chexia nodded. “You once reached the Fourth Sequence ‘Legion Commander’ of the Temperance path. The Church must have taught you these basic supernatural knowledge extensively.”
The sequence of supernatural paths is numbered from high to low in descending order of power. The smaller the sequence number, the more powerful the supernatural being. Advancement in sequence requires consuming the corresponding potion and performing the appropriate ritual.
People often use the name of the potion to refer to the corresponding path and sequence. For example, when Sera Fred advanced from the Fifth Sequence to the Fourth Sequence, she consumed the “Legion Commander” potion provided by the Temperance Institute.
Forcibly consuming potions across paths or sequences without proper adaptation often results in destruction—deformation, madness, vascular rupture…
Sometimes, a simple and quick death is even a relatively easier release.
Chexia was right.
Funis knew these basics by heart. Before accepting the potion provided by the Church to become a supernatural being, he had to understand this knowledge. Every supernatural being should understand this knowledge.
However, the current Funis had lost her original body and her original Temperance path.
She had become a newborn witch, a Ninth Sequence of the witch’s path.
This was completely unfamiliar to Funis. Despite having directly confronted many witches, everything about the witch’s path remained unknown territory for her, awaiting recognition and learning.
Fortunately, before her stood an ancient and authoritative witch.
Unfortunately, the one who had transformed her into her current form was also this ancient and authoritative witch.
“Witch, may I ask—” Suppressing the urge to pour a large amount of milk into her teacup, Funis looked up and asked softly, “What makes the witch’s path special? Why have I never heard of any potion names before?”
“Based on your experience, which path of supernatural beings should I theoretically belong to?” Chexia stirred gently with her spoon, countering with a question.
Funis was taken aback.
“The rapid breeding and growth of plants, that’s the characteristic of the Seventh Sequence ‘Gardener’ of the Lust path; the strange blood transformation, legend has it that’s the characteristic of the Third Sequence ‘Crimson King’ of the Pride path…” The silver-haired girl counted on her fingers, answering honestly, “So, Witch, if you hadn’t randomly consumed potions during your previous advancements and somehow survived, theoretically, I would consider this mostly impossible.”
“You know quite a lot about the supernatural characteristics of other paths,” Chexia paused her cup-raising motion, showing surprise. “But your intuitive feeling isn’t wrong. I do indeed possess supernatural characteristics from both the ‘Gardener’ and the ‘Crimson King’, two different paths and sequences.”
“May I ask if this is related to the special nature of the witch’s path?” Funis inquired again.
Her petite body leaned slightly forward, the silver bells gently swaying.
The girl sat obediently, her long silver hair elegantly groomed, her white dress and stockings, along with various delicate accessories, adorning her daintily.
Curious, and unintentionally carrying a hint of coquetry.
This beautiful doll with light purple, bright eyes naturally appeared endearing, striking directly at the core of Chexia’s girlish heart that had been pretending to be calm and indifferent but was naturally drawn to cute elements.
“Ahem.”
Tactical throat clearing.
Putting the half-raised teacup back on the porcelain tray.
Chexia strove to maintain the image of a teacher and elder, sitting upright, trying to appear solemn and reliable before the girl. “You must have heard that witches are simultaneously cursed by angels and demons, and that the witch’s path exists outside the Seven Virtues paths and Seven Sins paths.”
“Yes, Witch,” Funis nodded obediently. “Please do tell me the reason. I’ve always been confused about this.”
She had always been studious, whether as Sera or Funis. Showing respect and an active attitude toward mentors was her instinct.
And this struck at Chexia’s soft spot.
The witch wanted nothing more than to stop all explanations and immediately pick up this crystal-like girl to play with her mercilessly until she was cross-eyed.
But having lived for several hundred years, she did have some self-control.
Chexia restrained herself.
With great difficulty.
She took a deep breath, then explained to Funis:
“That’s because each advancement on the witch’s path has no clear direction. Even if two Ninth Sequence witches drink the same potion and perform the same ritual, they might ultimately advance to completely different Eighth Sequence paths—”
Chexia paused for a moment.
“A witch’s advancement is variable and unpredictable. In your next advancement, you will randomly select one of the fourteen existing paths, and gain all the supernatural characteristics of the corresponding sequence.”
“It’s as if an invisible hand is drawing lots for your fate. This undoubtedly desecrates and destroys the current system of angel and demon beliefs,” she said softly.
“That’s why witches are viewed as the cancer of the world.”