Chapter 14: This Woman Has the Bearing of a Witch (2)
The spotless floor gleamed under the soft magical lighting, resembling a mirror. The spacious bed could easily accommodate seven or eight people. All furnishings – bedding, linens – were new and neatly arranged, for Wozwoz wished to leave no poor impressions on the esteemed hero guest.
Amenities were fully provided – toothbrush, toothpaste, hot water and even a wide bathing pool inlaid with crimson fire crystals maintaining a constant pleasant temperature.
A brown desk by the bedside held a neat stack of books conveying basic information about the Celestial Continent, seemingly intended to help Qin Chu understand this world’s fundamentals. The rough, yellowed pages evidenced this world’s modest papermaking skills.
The wall above the desk featured an embedded milky-white magic lamp resembling an oil lantern, its illumination casting long shadows across the floor.
A bas-relief image of the Goddess of Sacred Light adorned the rear wall, soft radiant carvings emanating holy brilliance.
Opening the large wardrobe gave Qin Chu pause.
Inside were dozens of outfits, but only about a fifth seemed intended for him – the rest were unmistakably female attire.
Lace maid outfits, skintight female rogue leather armor, bikini-styled warrior plate, high-slit robes hugging a sorceress’ curves, elf ear accessories, cat-eared headbands, fluffy tails, slave collars…
His lips twitched involuntarily. Was this Wozwoz’s idea of provisions? Did that pervert really take him for some lecher?
And they went quite elaborate with it too – was this supposed to be cosplay temptation? The emperor had exerted considerable effort to try swaying the hero.
Most appallingly, there were even pristine white, black and bicolored nun habits and priestess robes…wasn’t that a form of desecration? One uncannily resembled
Matriarch Monique’s attire.
Wasn’t Wozwoz afraid of divine retribution?
He had even thoughtfully included a case of ten vials filled with pale green potions.
Qin Chu was well acquainted with their effects, having consumed them frequently before.
Essential for replenishing vigor after grueling demon battles, instantly restoring energy and vitality…from certain perspectives, providing similar benefits to the famed Celestial viagra.
A priceless alchemical masterpiece requiring exceedingly rare ingredients worth over a hundred thousand mana per vial. Wozwoz’s indecent allocation further exemplified the upper class’s excessive indulgence in this world.
Returning to the desk, Qin Chu brightened the magic lamp and leafed through one of the books.
It merely provided a simple introduction to the Celestial Continent’s basics.
The Celestial Continent was essentially a massive island surrounded by boundless oceans, similar to Australia. As for what lay across those seas, none knew.
Throughout millennia since civilization emerged, no one had ever reached the far shores.
Not for lack of attempting – countless skilled navigators and mighty experts had ventured into the abyssal depths, only to disappear without trace.
According to their final accounts, the oceanic abyss held only stifling blackness, raging tempests scattering drifting ashen snow.
Even Great Sages could barely resist the primal dread assailing their souls, their magic shields easily shredded by the howling gales.
Over ten thousand years untold heroes perished within that black void.
The Celestial Continent comprised thirteen nations, the Owell Empire being predominant – the other realms utterly outmatched. Had the sudden demonic invasion not occurred, Wozwoz would have already unified the entire continent.
While harboring numerous faiths, only two religions wielded continental influence – the Sacred Church worshipping the Goddess of Light, and the Earth Mother Church.
Both vied with the Owell Empire for supreme authority over the Celestial Continent.
However, such matters held little relevance for Qin Chu, already intimately familiar after his previous life’s experience. Skimming the book briefly, he closed it and pushed the window open a crack before extinguishing the lamp and crawling into bed.
Not long after, the guard Nikles heard faint snores from outside.
It seemed the hero was indeed exhausted – understandable after the abrupt transition from his familiar world into the Celestial Continent without chance to acclimate, followed by hours of travel and lengthy ceremony.
Nikles simply needed to fulfill his duty of ensuring the hero’s undisturbed rest, preventing anyone from approaching.
What he failed to notice was a black bat taking flight shortly after Qin Chu ostensibly fell asleep, fluttering out the open window while the snoring figure remained abed.
Illusion Creation.
Though magical reserves were modest and overall strength lacking, Qin Chu’s abundant prior experience allowed fluid recreation of skills like this simple slumbering illusion, attributes sufficing.
He harbored no concerns about discovery.
The imperial guards Wozwoz assigned were exceptional knights, highly combative yet lacking sensitivity to magic – none would detect the true hero departing in bat form.
Even if discovered, Qin Chu had prepared excuses invoking his hero status, which they dared not scrutinize regardless of flimsiness.
Taking full advantage of that esteemed title, though initially unaccustomed, he soon grew comfortable in this transformed state.
Metamorphosis was indeed a remarkably convenient ability, granting no direct combat enhancement yet incredibly versatile in application. Batting leathery wings, he took to the night skies.
Nearing midnight, the dual moons already angled slightly.
Apart from some lingering nobles, none would pay heed to a solitary flitting bat.
Soaring over the imperial city walls into the commoners’ outskirts, the illumination abruptly dimmed, only the moonlight remaining – this was night’s true visage.
Following his memories, Qin Chu winged briskly until alighting before a tavern entrance minutes later.
A 24-hour establishment called Braveheart Tavern, its ever-burning scarlet signboard familiar.
He harbored numerous adversaries, today exacting vengeance upon one through decidedly vile means.
Risky, yet Qin Chu trusted his mastery in this performance’s flawless execution.
For now, he was but a mysterious, worldly stranger.
Smiling faintly, he pushed through the tavern’s glass doors into a vacant interior lit by sickly yellow oil lamps emitting an acrid reek through wafting black smoke.
Behind the long counter, a statuesque woman meticulously wiped glasses, an alluring figure with long lavender tresses and elegant purple eyes akin to amethysts. Porcelain skin like a newborn’s complemented a formfitting black dress, its palm-wide waistband cinching her svelte waist as pulchritudinous curves flowed from bust to hips and legs.
Among the women Qin Chu knew, this lady’s statuesque beauty arguably rivaled or surpassed even the likes of the buxom Angelica and Matriarch Monique herself.
Only the Brave Squad’s former archmage Athena could perhaps match her sublime figure.
Too beautiful, too perfectly shaped – even aristocrats coveted her, countless balding elders hoping she would become their mistress.
She refused all their entreaties that could elevate her from commoner squalor, persisting with this humble tavern.
Hearing the chime, she raised her eyes, those deep violet orbs possessing an inexplicable, enthralling allure.
Flickering with faint amusement upon this unfamiliar guest.
“Welcome. Your order, sir?”
Qin Chu chuckled, seating himself before her and resting his chin on interlocked fingers, gaze lingering on her exquisite features until her brow creased slightly from his uncomfortable scrutiny.
“A witch’s heart, if you please…”
She inclined her head wordlessly before deft, dexterous fingers began mixing his beverage with practiced flourish, movements practically blurring before his eyes.
“Princess Candice’s bartending skills improve by the day…” The compliment slipped unexpectedly from Qin Chu’s lips.
“You flatter me, though I still have…” She responded automatically before freezing mid-motion, tension abruptly weighing upon the tavern’s silence.
Several taut seconds passed before she resumed pouring, not meeting his gaze.
“You must have me mistaken for someone else, sir. I’m Catherine – we have no one called Candice here…”
Sliding the crimson cocktail before him, her demeanor betrayed no change, as though their prior exchange never occurred.
Sayeni’s spectral form materialized on Qin Chu’s shoulder, her tiny dangling feet intermittently passing through the drink, nearly prompting concern she might kick it over.
How was he supposed to drink this? Though incorporeal, those wayward feet permeating his beverage felt distinctly disconcerting.
“What are you doing out here?” Qin Chu mentally grumbled.
Ignoring his question, Sayeni fixated on the barmaid. “This woman…bears a witch’s bearing!”
