Boss, You're Finally Back

Scarlet spots were scattered across the white snowfield.

It looked like a quiet yet eerie painting.

Those splashes of scarlet were none other than blood.

However, due to oxidation, they had already begun to turn black.

It was because of these bloodstains that Vivian, a vampire exceptionally sensitive to blood, had caught the scent and flown this way.

Since there were bloodstains, whether they were left by humans or monsters, they would help the group find human settlements more quickly.

Thus, Lan Qingyou led her group to follow the general direction.

While witches could not smell blood like vampires, they could see the residual mana in the air.

A vampire's mana was unique and very easy to spot.

One group followed behind while the other flew ahead.

But even after half a day, when they finally spotted humans and towns, they still hadn't caught up to Vivian.

Then again, considering that the girl was even more furious than Lan Qingyou right now, it made sense that her speed was maxed out.

In contrast, Lan Qingyou's side was more concerned with the temperature.

Some might have forgotten.

Although their clothes were enchanted so they wouldn't feel the cold even if they lay in the snow...

The freezing wind slapping against their faces was a different matter entirely.

To ensure everyone's safety, Lan Qingyou only flew in second gear.

After all, Lan Qingyou valued the living more than the dead.

Even though she desperately wanted to get back to assess the situation and resurrect the witches who had died in the dungeon, she had to consider those behind her first.

One must remember that the previous dungeon had been the picture of spring.

Suddenly emerging onto a snowfield, the temperature difference alone could cause those with weaker constitutions to catch a cold on the spot.

“Hey, look, those are witches, right?”

“Riding brooms, wearing robes and witch hats—you can't tell that's a classic witch outfit?”

“No, I mean, why would they show up in this area?”

A fellow who had just woken up and hadn't even washed his face looked up in confusion at the witches flying through the sky.

Even though there were fewer than a hundred witches now, the sight of them ‘whooshing’ past only five or six meters overhead was still quite striking.

“You don't know yet? Besides these witches, about twenty minutes ago, a group that looked like vampires flew past as well.”

“Wait! Vampires?!”

The man who hadn't washed his face suddenly thought of something.

The reason he had woken up was that he'd been roused by the world consciousness’s announcement.

After waking up, he had thought there was nothing to do today and stayed in bed. When he finally stepped out to find something to eat, he ran into the witches.

Vampires and witches appearing here together, combined with the earlier announcement from the world consciousness, made it natural to think of the Witch of the Tower who had been trapped in a dungeon for over half a year.

Hiss—

“Then the one leading the way just now was the Witch of the Tower?!”

The bystander who had seen Lan Qingyou for the first time widened his eyes.

He never imagined that by sleeping in just a little longer, he would actually witness such a legendary existence.

They had all been transported here at the same time.

But after two years, everyone had taken different paths in life.

He was just one of the masses, while others were legendary figures.

Humans naturally admire the strong. Even after evolving and ceasing to be human, that psychological trait remained.

Ordinary people like them had long since lost touch with top-tier players like Lan Qingyou.

Since they couldn't catch up, they could only feel a bit of envy or jealousy before going back to their ordinary lives. It was no big deal.

After all, that was how they had lived back on Blue Star.

Although the past two years had been somewhat surreal, for them, it was nothing more than an experience where they had gambled their lives.

Therefore, although it seemed like a lot of people were attacking the Abandoned Land—millions upon millions—in reality, most people were not swayed by that kind of rhetoric or by desires they weren't equipped to fulfill.

After all, the vast majority just wanted to live their lives.

The witches, meanwhile, completely ignored the gazes fixed upon them. Led by Lan Qingyou, they flew straight toward the Adventurers' Guild.

“Greetings, greetings. You must be the Witch of the Tower’s group. Her Eminence the True Ancestor has already paid. You all only need to use the teleportation circle.”

“Hmm?”

Lan Qingyou and her group had just landed outside the Adventurers' Guild entrance when a middle-aged man in an expensive long gown hurried out.

As he walked, he spoke words that confused her.

What did he mean, already paid? What did he mean, only need to use it?

That brat!

Do I, Lan Qingyou, look like someone who can't even afford a teleportation circle?

Lan Qingyou suddenly felt like she was being played.

Could it be that Vivian's previous rage was all an act, just so she could speed up, ditch them, and then force her way into paying the bill?

To be honest, as an agent of chaos, Vivian was exactly the type to pull something like that.

But whether that was actually the case was hard to say.

After all, her own home base had been backstabbed.

Oh, right.

I seem to have been backstabbed myself, so... I should get back as soon as possible.

Money aside, if that agent of chaos really used this incident to mock her, she would just throw the money in the girl's face—plaster it all over her.

However, compared to Lan Qingyou, Gu Xiaobei, who had also been ‘treated’ by Vivian, looked even more sour.

Thinking about how Vivian would likely bring this up once they settled down, Gu Xiaobei felt as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly.

Wait, no.

To Gu Xiaobei, insects like flies were just snacks to satisfy a craving.

But being messed with by Vivian like this—it would be a lie to say she wasn't upset.

At the very least, she was more upset than Lan Qingyou.

“We're going back!”

The unhappy Gu Xiaobei shouted at Lan Qingyou and was the first to step into the teleportation circle.

After Gu Xiaobei left, Lan Qingyou and the others also floated into the circle one by one.

Then, amidst the fawning smiles of the middle-aged man greeting them, they selected the restricted teleportation destination only accessible to witches, the Witch's Habitat, and teleported.

“Clan Leader, welcome back.”

“Boss, you're finally back.”

When Lan Qingyou recovered from the sense of weightlessness she could never get used to, she heard a chorus of welcomes.

Focusing her gaze, she saw countless witches standing or floating outside the tree hollow.

It made sense.

After the world consciousness’s announcement, the entire Kalim continent knew about her ‘emergence.’

Under these circumstances, it was only natural for people to be waiting at the teleportation circle.

And she could see from everyone's eyes that they were all very excited right now.

So...

“Wait a moment. Let's find a place where we can talk and clear this area. There are still several more groups behind us.”

Lan Qingyou raised her hand to signal.

Once everyone had cleared a space, she led her group out of the teleportation circle.

After all, if they blocked the circle, the people behind them wouldn't be able to teleport through.