Chapter 274: Disguise and Deception

“Come, let us continue completing our eternal union~”

To Wendy, this gentle invitation was nothing short of a death summons from hell.

He maintained his innocent pose with hands raised in surrender, sitting on the Bone Altar, yet his heart went “thump, thump, thump,” threatening to leap right out of his throat.

The Nation-Destroying Witch of the Seven Luminaries, Laxana.

One of the hardest bones to crack in the game Witch Hegemony, second only to the Witch Empress, Astreia.

‘What to do?’

‘Fight head-on? With what, my head? Just moments ago, the two strongest deans on the entire continent joined forces and were still toyed with like little chicks. If I go up there with this body of mine, I’ll probably be vaporized in a second.’

‘Run? This godforsaken place is obviously her home turf—space itself has been torn apart. Where could I even run?’

‘The only path to survival seems to be…’

Wendy’s gaze involuntarily drifted to the other side of the altar.

There, Astreia was encased within a ring of purple-black crystal, her golden hair cascading loose, her curves still as alluring as ever. She looked like a specimen preserved in amber, exuding a frozen, tragic beauty.

‘Wake her up!’

‘Make Astreia enter her Witch State too!’

‘Only a witch can fight a witch!’

The moment this thought arose, an icy, bone-piercing murderous intent instantly locked onto Wendy.

“Who are you looking at?”

The sickly smile on Laxana’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by displeasure and burning jealousy.

She vanished from where she stood.

The next second, Wendy’s vision blurred, and an irresistible, overwhelming force slammed into his chest.

His entire body was brutally shoved down onto the Bone Altar.

The cold, rough surface of the bones dug painfully into his back, forming a stark contrast with the soft, scorching body pressing down on top of him.

Laxana straddled him, her silver-white hair cascading down like a waterfall. A few strands playfully brushed against Wendy’s cheeks, sending tingles across his skin.

She leaned down, her kaleidoscopic heterochromatic eyes mere inches away. What churned within them was a crazed possessiveness capable of drowning a person whole.

Then, Wendy’s lips were captured. Domineering, forceful, allowing no refusal. This was not a kiss—this was a mark of ownership.

Wendy’s mind buzzed, going instantly blank.

His rationality screamed at him to shove her away, but his body, driven by instinctive survival desire, stiffened like a rock.

‘Resist? Are you kidding?!’

After 0.1 seconds of deliberation, Wendy’s survival instinct utterly crushed everything else.

He half-closed his eyes, his tense body gradually relaxing bit by bit, even skillfully reciprocating the kiss.

A long moment later, their lips parted.

Laxana straightened up, gazing at the handsome face beneath her flushed from lack of oxygen, and a satisfied smile curled at the corner of her lips.

She declared: “Forever. Wendy, you are mine.”

Wendy gasped for air, forcing a submissive smile onto his face.

“Mhm… mhm.”

“Now, let’s take care of one last little nuisance.”

Laxana casually pointed at the crystal sealing Astreia.

“That fool’s Paranoia toward you is the perfect catalyst. Using her soul as a sacrifice, we can complete the ‘Eternal Bond.'”

“Once that’s done, our life forces will be completely intertwined. You within me, me within you. No one and nothing will ever be able to separate us again.”

“Not even time itself!”

‘Just as I thought.’

Wendy’s heart sank, yet his face displayed just the right amount of confusion and bewilderment.

“But…” he carefully organized his words, then asked, “Laxana, weren’t you two childhood friends? You must have really liked Astreia back then, right? Why can’t the three of us… all three of us be together?”

“I… I can accept that. Why… why must Astreia be sacrificed?”

“The three of us together?”

Laxana let out a light chuckle, then leaned down and brought her lips close to Wendy’s ear.

“My prince, you’re far too naive, far too adorable.”

“But it doesn’t matter. I’ll keep you forever young and immortal. You’ll have endless time to slowly learn the true rules of this world.”

The witch’s laughter turned cruel.

“And that is—only the strong deserve to monopolize a beauty.”

“From now on, the only one who may kiss you, embrace you, and possess you… is me!”

These words completely extinguished the last shred of hope in Wendy’s heart.

‘Sharing is impossible. It will never be possible in this lifetime.’

This Lady’s possessiveness had been carved into her very soul, becoming a part of her power.

‘But on the flip side…’

‘This also means that until the “Eternal Bond” is completed, I’m absolutely safe.’

‘She can’t bear to kill me.’

At that thought, the pressure in Wendy’s chest suddenly lightened.

‘If that’s the case…’

‘Then act! Act like my life depends on it!’

‘Oscar owes me a gold statuette!’

The Prince extended both arms and proactively embraced Laxana’s slender yet powerful waist, burying his face into the hollow of her neck, which exuded a strange, intoxicating fragrance.

“Laxana… you’ve done so much for me…”

“Thank you… truly, thank you so much!”

This sudden, enthusiastic embrace made Laxana’s body stiffen for a moment.

Then, an unparalleled surge of ecstasy exploded from the depths of her heart.

‘Wendy…’

‘He accepted me!’

‘He understands my love!’

The witch’s heart, long consumed by power and madness, softened to an unprecedented degree in that moment.

She, too, reached out, gently and preciously, to embrace the man beneath her.

However, she didn’t see. The man who had buried his face in the hollow of her shoulder, putting on an intimate display, was rapidly scanning his surroundings with his eyes.

‘Found it!’

At the rear side of the Bone Altar, beneath a massive pile of Demon Dragon’s Skeletal Remains, Dean Aurelia was supporting Dean Layana, one hand propped on her scepter while the palm of her other hand radiated a soft Sacred Light, clearly giving Layana emergency treatment.

The two deans were also watching the “lovey-dovey” scene on the altar with expressions like they’d seen a ghost.

Wendy didn’t dare make any superfluous movements.

He merely, in the moment the embrace tightened, quickly blinked once in Aurelia’s direction.

Then, his gaze casually drifted toward Astreia’s “Crystal Coffin.” The message was crystal clear.

‘Don’t worry about me, I can still hold on!’

‘And don’t worry about her either—you can’t win!’

‘Go! Find a way to wake Astreia up!’

Having done all this, Wendy immediately released his arms, lifted his head again, and wore a look of being utterly intoxicated by overwhelming bliss.

To buy the two deans precious time to act, he had to completely divert Laxana’s attention away from this battlefield!

“Laxana… since you’re so powerful now…”

“Then… can you take me up into the sky to take a look?”

“I want to see up close why that blood-red moon is so red.”