After taking a small taste of Diana's blood, Lilith finally understood what was going on.
Witch · Diana: "Is there really something special about it?"
Diana immediately perked up.
Vampire · Lilith: "Yes. I think this is very likely the reason why they want witch blood."
Witch · Diana: "Tell me what it is."
Diana took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for anything.
Vampire · Lilith: "To summarize it in the simplest terms, your blood contains the [shadow] of your Clan Leader, Lan Qingyou."
Witch · Diana: "A shadow?"
Vampire · Lilith: "Yes. I previously had the honor of receiving a drop of your Clan Leader's blood from our own leader. Relying on that single drop, I successfully promoted from Marquis to Duke. I couldn't possibly be mistaken."
Witch · Diana: "Wait, when you say 'shadow,' you don't mean that our blood is actually our Clan Leader's blood, do you?"
Vampire · Lilith: "Exactly. My theory is that what they actually want is her blood, but since she is far too difficult to deal with, they've decided to target you witches instead."
Vampire · Lilith: "However, I only have your sample right now. I can't be certain if every witch is like this."
Witch · Diana: "...There's no need. Knowing how things work, that is almost certainly the case."
Diana was momentarily speechless.
To be honest, she had witnessed the process of Lan Qingyou creating the Witch potions before, and it did indeed require Lan Qingyou's blood.
She hadn't thought much of it at the time.
But looking at it now, the answer had been right in front of her the whole time!
Because Lan Qingyou was the Origin Witch, the Witch potions used by her lineage were all concocted using the blood of the Origin Witch.
In fact, even the very first batch of Witch potions Lan Qingyou had brewed before she officially became a witch contained her own blood.
That was the only way to establish a complete lineage.
It made sense—it made perfect sense.
But the more sense it made, the more it proved Lilith's theory correct.
This wasn't just a period of unrest; it was a targeted demolition.
Diana quickly excused herself and immediately sent out new messages to the witches she had contacted earlier.
...
High atop the snowy peaks in the northern Abandoned Land, [Moonlight Witch] Lucia stepped out of her cave shelter as the sun began to set, just as she did every day.
After looking up to observe the trajectory of the sun and moon as they traded places, she took out her observation tools and notebook from her cards. She began recording the temperature, brightness, and subtle shifts of the moonlight.
Observations like these would continue from dusk until midnight, when the bright moon hung directly overhead.
"Phew..."
Because of the biting cold, Lucia exhaled a breath of warm air onto her hands as she wrote.
Nearly four months had passed since Lan Qingyou's disappearance.
The weather had shifted abruptly from the pleasantly warm transition of spring and summer to a winter of swirling snow.
However, since everyone had experience from the previous cycle, most people—especially those living within the safe zones—were largely unaffected.
It was simply a matter of adding more layers of clothing.
Truth be told, if it weren't for her need to observe the moon directly, Lucia would never have stepped out of her home in this near-blizzard weather.
Her research focused on the influence and application of lunar tides on mana.
She had previously gained a great deal of inspiration from Lan Qingyou's Five Dragon Reincarnation Protection Magic Circle.
It was just that, up until now, she hadn't been able to develop a magic spell or circle that was uniquely her own.
She didn't consider herself a fool; if she were, Sophia wouldn't have handpicked her for the Witch Group to study magic circles under Lan Qingyou in the first place.
But no matter how much she researched, she felt as if there were a thin layer of window paper she just couldn't poke through, which left her incredibly frustrated.
"Lucia, looking at the moon again?"
Just as Lucia finished her preparations and was about to start recording, several figures approached from the mountain path.
They stood roughly three meters tall, were built sturdily, and were covered in snow-white fur.
They carried snow rabbits and mountain rock sheep over their shoulders, looking like hunters returning from a successful trip.
The Yeti race.
They were one of the many races that had announced their intent to join the Abandoned Land family after the auction.
Since joining, they mostly resided in the Abandoned Mountains.
After all, as yetis, the snowy mountains were their natural habitat.
Ever since Lucia moved her shelter here, members of the Yeti race would pass by her door every few days.
Since this was the only viable path up the mountain in the immediate area, Lucia wasn't so overbearing as to demand they find another route.
Besides, once she got to know them, they were quite pleasant despite their intimidating size.
As long as they didn't interfere with her research, she didn't mind.
"By the way, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Here, take this snow rabbit. Just grab a handful of snow to stew it with; the flavor of that soup is absolutely divine."
As they passed, they exchanged greetings, and one of the yetis untied a snow rabbit from his waist and placed it on a flat stone in front of Lucia's shelter.
This kind of thing had happened many times before. Lucia, used to the gesture, tossed a few potions over as payment.
At first, the yetis hadn't wanted to accept them, as those few potions were worth far more than the game they provided.
But Lucia insisted they were worth it to her.
Over time, the two parties had formed a tacit understanding.
As a hunter-gatherer race, the yetis truly did need those potions to treat wounds or trade for other necessities.
After all, the resources on the snowy peaks were not exactly abundant.
"Thanks."
"Yeah, no problem."
After nodding to each other, the yetis stepped around Lucia and continued their way down the mountain in a single file.
At that moment, the 'beep-beep' of an alert sounded from Lucia's card.
Good grief, this was the first time she had ever encountered an emergency alert like this.
Lucia immediately picked it up to check and saw the warning Bei Adolis had sent to the Witch Group.
"Witch hunt? Is this some medieval game simulator?"
"And this part about blood... what do those guys want with witch blood? I don't get it."
Lucia muttered under her breath as she read through the explanatory messages Bei Adolis was firing off.
Just as Lucia finished her critique, a leisurely, mocking voice drifted from behind her.
"Blood? Witch blood is for evolution, of course..."
"Huh!?"
Lucia whipped her head around, only to see a blade held by a yeti inches away from her.
Puchi—
Before Lucia even had time to react, the knife plunged directly into her chest.
No... more accurately, it pierced her heart.
Although her health pool prevented it from being an instant kill, it was more than enough to completely strip her of any ability to resist.
The yeti thought victory was assured, but...
Moonlight Witch: "111"
Moonlight Witch: "111"
Flame Witch: "?"
Moonlight Witch: "111"
Golden Witch: "?"
Dream Witch: "!?"
Moonlight Witch: "111"
Thorn Witch: "!!!"
Rate on N.U.
