The Crimson Soul Pearl.
“Sniff, sniff…”
The Witch tilted her head slightly, her slender, pale fingertips gently fanning the air in front of her nose. A curve that bordered on obsession hooked the corners of her scarlet lips.
The midriff-baring top she wore was stained with wet blood, and her deep purple hair clung messily to her cheeks. However, her light pink eyes were startlingly bright — like ignited ghost fires flickering in the dim, dense forest.
The air was thick with the scent of blood and decay, as well as a faint trace of life magic that remained despite Su Yun’s efforts to suppress his presence.
It was a refreshing scent of vegetation that belonged uniquely to him.
“So fragrant… This feeling… Is it the Exalted One?”
The Witch’s breathing suddenly became rapid. Her light pink eyes erupted with a terrifying glint, like two high-powered detectors frantically scanning the surrounding trees, bushes, and shadows.
Her body trembled slightly, not out of fear, but from extreme excitement. Her fingernails dug into her palms, and the blood that seeped out dripped onto the ground, blooming into small, dark red flowers.
Hiding behind a tree, Su Yun’s entire body went stiff. His large, fluffy tail instinctively tensed and pressed tightly against his back.
He held his breath and suppressed his aura to the absolute limit, but a storm was raging in his heart.
‘What is wrong with this person?’
The aura on that strand of hair was clearly his own, yet it carried an indescribable sense of weight, as if it had traveled from a time far into the future.
‘Is she an acquaintance from my future? This is too strange!’
Su Yun’s small hand lifted slightly, a faint spark of lightning condensing at his fingertips, but he forced it back down.
He wasn’t sure if the other party had been lured here by someone else. If she really was a friend from the future, wouldn’t it be a disaster if he attacked recklessly?
Moreover, the blue and pink strand of hair hanging from the Witch’s chest was emitting a faint life force.
The intensity of that aura far surpassed his current self, as vast as a sea of stars, yet Su Yun could feel it with absolute clarity.
It was his aura — the unique fluctuations of his life magic.
He suspected it was some kind of life-saving charm left behind by his future self.
‘But… why is she a red-named player?’
‘Could my future self really be involved with a red-named mage?’
“Lord Exalted One, you are nearby, aren’t you?”
The Witch gently cradled the pendant on her chest. Her fingertips tenderly caressed the well-protected strand of hair as if she were touching the most precious treasure in the world.
Her airy tone carried a sense of near-humble piety.
“I couldn’t possibly have smelled it wrong… This scent is your unique fragrance, more alluring than any potion in this world.”
Her voice grew lower and more fanatical, a wave of obsession surging in her pink eyes.
“They don’t understand. Those old fossils don’t understand your greatness at all! Only I… only I love you! From the very first moment I saw you, my soul already belonged to you!”
‘What on earth is this?’
Su Yun, hiding behind the tree, felt goosebumps break out all over his skin. His scalp suddenly felt numb.
These lines, this tone — how could they sound so chilling?
“Faith from the mouth alone… that isn’t true faith!”
The Witch suddenly raised her voice, as if taking an oath or encouraging herself. An abnormal flush rose to her cheeks, her breathing grew heavy, and her long legs rubbed together uncontrollably. The fanaticism in her eyes was nearly overflowing.
“Look! I really did come here! And the first person I met was you! Ah!!! What… what a blissful thing this is…”
She trembled with excitement, and tears fell uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes. They weren’t tears of sadness, but of pure joy.
*Hiss.*
Su Yun’s scalp felt even more numb. The goosebumps came in wave after wave.
‘What exactly is this thing? A fanatical believer?’
‘Is she really… my future friend?’
‘This friend is a bit too terrifying!’
“It was all worth it. To see you, I poisoned those two old fossils to death and became a red-name.”
The Witch’s voice suddenly became spiteful, but it quickly turned back into a wronged obsession.
“They refused to let me look for you. They wouldn’t let me witness the moment you ######. They said the outside world was dangerous… but it doesn’t matter. I still… I still found you!”
She opened her arms as if to embrace the air in front of her, a happy smile appearing on her face. “This is our indelible fate! You were the one guiding me in the dark, weren’t you?”
Although a portion of her words had become blurred for some reason, Su Yun could roughly piece together the cause and effect.
This was a brain-dead fan of his from the future. To see him, she had actually poisoned her own parents and willingly became a red-named mage to be exiled here.
‘Was it really necessary, sister?’
Hiding behind the tree, Su Yun’s expression became quite complicated.
Having lived two lives, his parents had always treated him extremely well. He truly could not understand how someone could personally kill their own parents for an “Exalted One” they had never even met.
It was absurd, ridiculous, and carried a touch of bone-chilling madness.
However, since the other party was his fan and seemed to harbor no ill will toward him, Su Yun found it a bit difficult to act.
After all, she had killed her parents just to see him. Although she wasn’t right in the head, this kind of “sincerity” was truly overwhelming.
Unexpectedly, as if seeing through his thoughts, the Witch slowly lowered her arms. The fanaticism on her face faded, replaced by a near-holy calm.
She looked toward where Su Yun was hiding. There was no fear in her pink eyes, only deep attachment and resolve.
“I know I am not qualified to walk beside you.”
Her voice was as soft as a feather, yet it held an unquestionable firmness.
“But… you need help right now, don’t you? I can understand, I can see… You must really need credits and power right now, right?”
She took two steps forward, her gait as light as if she were floating in mid-air. Then, she slowly opened her arms, exposing her defenseless chest.
“Come, please kill me!”
The Witch’s voice suddenly rose, carrying a sacrificial fervor. Her eyes shimmered with tears, yet her smile was incredibly radiant.
“My steadfast faith will become your strength! Even if it only provides a few meager credits… even if it is meaningless… it doesn’t matter. Please, kill me!! I will use everything to prove my loyalty!”
Her expression was intensely fanatical, her eyes staring straight at the spot where Su Yun was hiding, as if waiting for a divine judgment.
Su Yun felt his scalp go numb from her gaze.
‘What is all this!’
He finally understood. This Witch was determined to seek death, and she insisted on dying by his hands.
He couldn’t stay hidden forever. Killing her felt a bit wrong, but if he didn’t, she would probably stand there until the end of time.
More importantly, Su Yun had a faint premonition that the Witch’s existence might be a problem for him.
With such a fanatical believer, there was no telling when she might do something shocking. If he were to be dragged into it later, the losses would outweigh the gains.
There was no other choice.
Su Yun sighed softly and withdrew his concealment.
“Fine. As you wish.”
His cold voice echoed in the forest, tinged with a trace of helplessness.
Su Yun stepped out from behind the tree, his pink and blue hair reflecting a soft luster under the dappled light. He didn’t condense any lightning magic, nor did he use his martial arts. He simply quietly circulated the life mana in his body, gathering it into his fist.
It wasn’t just to satisfy her little wish.
It was also because… Su Yun felt that her being alive would only make things more troublesome for him.
However, as an act of grace, Su Yun allowed her to see his form.
The moment the Witch saw Su Yun, her eyes widened to the limit, and her face was filled with unbelievable ecstasy. She opened her mouth as if to shout something, but only a choked sob escaped.
She didn’t resist. In fact, she intentionally sought death, lunging her chest toward Su Yun’s fist.
Su Yun’s fist landed on her chest. He used no violent force, only a strand of gentle life mana that instantly shattered her heart.
The Witch’s body paused. The ecstasy on her face hadn’t faded, and a satisfied smile slowly spread across her lips.
She slumped down gently. Her final gaze remained fixed on Su Yun, her eyes filled with attachment and no regrets.
*Hum!*
The moment the Witch’s body hit the ground, a pale blue Soul Pearl floated out from between her eyebrows, spinning rapidly.
However, just as the pearl was about to fall, it stopped in mid-air and began to rotate frantically.
An inexplicable, transparent current carrying dense power of faith flowed out of the Witch’s corpse. As if drawn by some attraction, it poured continuously into the blue Soul Pearl.
The blue pearl changed colors at a visible rate — from pale blue to light purple, then to crimson, until it finally turned into a scarlet Soul Pearl as vivid as fresh blood.
The surface of the pearl shimmered with a delicate luster. If one looked closely, a tiny, heart-shaped point of light could be seen inside, vibrating gently as it orbited the core of the Soul Pearl.
Su Yun reached out, and the scarlet pearl landed softly in his palm. A warm sensation traveled through him, followed by lines of faint golden text appearing over the pearl:
**[Variant Soul Pearl: Magic Power -20%, Total Soul Strength -20%, additional effect: every use of magic causes soul tremors.]**
**[When equipped by #### Su Yun, the effect changes to: Magic Power +30%, Soul Strength +15%, effects of other Soul Pearls increased by 10%, additional effect: grants immunity to soul annihilation once by shattering this pearl.]**
(Extreme faith, twisted fanaticism; willing to discard everything to become a humble stepping stone at your feet.)
Not only that, but there was also a backpack full of treasures and a custom-made small glove.
It was clearly made specifically for Su Yun.
Su Yun looked at the scarlet pearl in his palm, then at the Witch’s body and the items on the ground. His expression was complicated to the extreme.
He sighed softly, put the items into his safety bag, and turned to disappear into the depths of the forest.
—
(Three updates today! Please vote and tip! (1/0/11))