The Cornflower Witch

Dazzling beams of light erupted around Sylutia, piercing the monsters sprinting across the wilderness and shattering those howling, distorted creatures. Crackling sounds of electricity burst sporadically. The brief radiance of the activated beams illuminated the night, letting everyone see the monsters dismembered and washed away by the light. In less than a minute, the main force of the attacking monsters was picked off one by one and killed instantly. The remaining smaller monsters, intimidated by the surging power flowing across the battlefield, hesitated to advance.

This section of the defense line should be secure now. Sylutia swept her gaze across the field. The wings behind her flapped, launching her upward like a bolt of lightning, then she turned back and headed to the other side of the rampart.

Purple Fern Rampart was backed against a mountain on one side, with small hills on the other, leaving only two sides suitable for an assault. After finishing one side, Sylutia rushed to the other battlefield.

Here, monsters had already stormed the walls and were locked in chaotic combat with the stationed guards. Soldiers were frequently tackled by multiple monsters, torn apart and devoured. The crossbowmen originally stationed in the arrow towers were nearly all dead or wounded. A single ethereal, shifting beast lay sprawled beside a corpse, gnawing on it.

At another tall tower, several mages were trapped inside, fighting off the approaching "Split-Claw Beasts." These flesh-and-blood monsters, armed with sharp claws, moved swiftly and attacked ferociously.

[Appraisal School · Separation Light]

A mage swung his staff, and a bright light burst forth in an instant, slicing the two Split-Claw Beasts before him into four clean-cut segments. Their internal flesh and organs were exposed like a sliced watermelon. But such an attack couldn’t kill them. The separated bodies of the Split-Claw Beasts fell to the ground, their flesh twisting rapidly, transforming into four smaller Split-Claw Beasts that lunged forward again to attack.

One Split-Claw Beast tore at the collar of a mage apprentice with its claws, ripping part of his white shoulder blade out, causing him to let out a agonizing scream. "Damn it!" A nearby Third Tier mage, seeing this, temporarily abandoned his plan to prepare a large spell. Instead, he cast a spell inscribed on his own Chapter Page. A sharp moon blade sliced the Split-Claw Beast in two, temporarily saving the apprentice.

At this moment, inside the tower, besides them, another mage was barely maintaining a protective force field, pushing back a few approaching Split-Claw Beasts. "Quick, forget everything else! Cast 'Shattering Aura' and shred them!" he urgently shouted to his companions. "I know," the mage who had just used the moon blade to intervene replied, refocusing to prepare a large spell.

Unfortunately, relying on just another Third Tier mage and an apprentice couldn’t hold off the six Split-Claw Beasts inside the tower. The situation fell into crisis once more.

Just as the second attempt to prepare a large spell was about to fail again, footsteps echoed from the tower’s stairwell. Such steps naturally wouldn’t belong to a monster. Hearing them, the few people present felt a surge of hope. A mage in a gray trench coat appeared. Arriving at the top floor, he scanned the scene with a glance, said nothing, and immediately got to work. He fished a wolf-shaped bone from his leather pouch and began casting rapidly.

A massive, spectral wolf head materialized inside the tower. It seemed alive, turning its neck and fixing its gaze on the approaching Split-Claw Beasts below.

[Bionics School · Dire Wolf Bite] (Dire Wolf · Tear · Devour · Fangs · Sharpness)

The colossal wolf head swept through the area like a storm, devouring all six Split-Claw Beasts in a single bite, then grinding them into fine flecks of meat. The crisis was resolved. The three mages on scene let out a long sigh of relief. They moved to the tower’s window to assess the battlefield and provide aid.

But by now, they probably weren’t needed. A figure draped in wings of electric light darted across the battlefield at incredible speed. She gripped two silver blades entwined with flowers in her hands, easily slicing apart every monster she saw. Wherever the lightning and blades passed, soldiers who had been fighting desperately were freed from danger, left watching her back as she vanished before their eyes.

"This..." Staring at the scene before them, the mages gaped in shock, their mouths wide open.

They could tell that young lady was still using mage techniques, but her posture and combat style inevitably reminded them of the legendary "Angels." As humanity’s earliest highest-tier combatants, depictions and tales of Angels had spread across the human continents of every small realm.

Lightning flashed. Her white hair shimmered silver in the night. That fleeting, breathtaking figure roamed every corner of the battlefield, dispelling all crises. "What agile posture! What astonishing swordsmanship! What overwhelming power! That kind of strength is unforgettable!" the mage who had just cast the Dire Wolf Bite exclaimed with exaggerated admiration.

An hour later, the crisis at Purple Fern Rampart finally ended. The monsters within the walls had thinned out and scattered, fleeing in retreat. At that moment, the garrison soldiers finally had the energy to rescue the wounded from all sides. The city’s residents were also mobilized, clearing collapsed stone blocks, unblocking obstructed roads, and preparing cold water and food to aid the injured.

The next morning, when sunlight reappeared over the horizon, shining down on the city that had barely survived the calamity, the anxious hearts of everyone finally settled. Some leaned against the city walls to celebrate, slowly sinking to the ground as exhaustion washed over them like a tide from every part of their bodies. Finally, it was over...

Afterward came the time for cleanup and restoration. Sylutia was persuaded by the city’s residents to stay for a day. "Thank you for Miss Hedra’s assistance. On behalf of everyone in this city, I raise this toast to you." By the dining table, City Lord Boynton stood up, wine glass in hand.

In the banquet hall, after Boynton rose, the others followed suit, lifting their glasses. At this point, the young girl seated at the table found it hard to remain seated. After all, everyone present was older than her. Even though she had rendered them a great service, such discourtesy wouldn’t do. Sylutia also raised her glass, joining everyone in a communal drink. A round of applause echoed through the hall before everyone slowly sat back down.

To celebrate their survival from the brink of disaster, the event featured many high-end delicacies. Several were made from ingredients sourced from the monsters killed the previous night, meticulously prepared by skilled chefs who neutralized their toxic parts, making them delicious and nutritious.

As they dined, City Lord Boynton, seated beside Sylutia, continued expressing his gratitude. He then introduced her to the key figures in the city. "Miss Hedra, the third person to your left—that burly man with notably thick arms—is the head of our Purple Fern Rampart’s Craftsmen Guild. He is the pride of our rampart city. All the blacksmiths and carpenters here are under his management and coordination." Hearing the City Lord mention his name, the hefty man, who was gnawing on a large drumstick, nodded at the girl and gave her a thumbs-up.

"The handsome gentleman beside me is Wilson. He handles the city’s clerical work and some financial accounting. He is my capable partner, sharing countless burdens for me." At this introduction, Sylutia turned her gaze to the clerk in formal attire. His slick, neatly combed-back hair gleamed. Though he was only a 'Second Tier · Secret Word,' he appeared exceptionally efficient.

"Next is our Purple Fern Rampart’s guardian knight and captain of the guard, Malcolm. It’s thanks to him that we held out against the monster attacks." The knight, clad in full heavy armor, nodded at the girl, his eyes full of praise.

"Clink, clink, clink. Finally, there’s me—the newly assigned City Lord of this place, Boynton. Though I am a 'Fourth Tier · Castle,' my rank mostly comes from the boost of my position rather than personal cultivation. So my combat capability is quite poor, and I must rely on everyone’s assistance." He introduced himself modestly. But from the way he had introduced everyone earlier, it was clear that someone who could harmoniously coordinate all the city’s important figures was no ordinary person.

Although many had been lost the previous night, Purple Fern Rampart was largely preserved intact. Its core buildings and assets had survived the attack.

Beyond these city officials, Sylutia also encountered a rare member of the 'Bionics School' at the banquet. "This is Mr. Claude. He has supported our Purple Fern Rampart multiple times before and is a veteran who has fought through two years of war." At the end, City Lord Boynton introduced the disheveled man to the girl.

He looked around thirty-five, with stubbled facial hair, dull eyes, and heavy dark circles. Hearing the City Lord’s introduction, he only let out a simple "Hmm." It wasn’t until Sylutia drew closer that Claude’s gaze shifted to her. After a long pause, a voice raspy with smoke sounded. "Your bionic magic... who taught it to you?"

Sylutia was prepared for this question. In fact, it was the very reason she had come. "I learned from my instructor, Nox. He was once a member of the 'Bionics School,' proficient in avian runes." "Nox? Never heard of him," the man shook his head, turning away from her. "He left the school many years ago. Not many know of him now." Sylutia thought for a moment, then removed the griffin badge from her collar and handed it to him for inspection. "My instructor made this for me."

Claude took it, rubbing it in his palm for a moment, then returned it to Sylutia. "Exquisite craftsmanship, made with care. You have a good instructor." After this brief assessment, he fell silent again, his dark-circled eyes seeming heavy with drowsiness, unwilling to speak further. "Though I have studied the Bionics School’s knowledge under my instructor, I haven’t joined the school. I’d like to understand its current state."

"Current state..." He forced his eyes open, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and slowly smoked to stay alert. "The current state is just the same old thing. Nothing worth mentioning. The school can survive, but that’s all it can do. It won’t produce anything stunning, nor will it be too disappointing."

"I see. You want to learn something from me, don’t you? Young people are always curious. Hah." With that, he fumbled around his person for a while, eventually pulling out several yellowed pages with his fingers. Much of the black ink on them had blurred, looking like they had been soaked in water and not taken out in time, leaving fuzzy traces. "Here are records of the 'Dire Wolf' and 'Tear' runes, along with a supporting basic spell, 'Wolf Bite.' Take them if you want." He tossed the pages, which spiraled through the air. Sylutia reached out and caught them.

"Thank you." After receiving the pages, Sylutia bowed to express her gratitude, then curiously flipped through their contents. The runes she had learned from the 'Bionics School' before were all bird-related. This was her first time seeing beast-related ones. According to Instructor Nox, the 'Bionics School' was internally divided into four major branches: Beast, Bird, Insect, and Fish. Among them, the Beast system was the largest, further subdivided into Wolf, Lion, Bear, and others.

After the banquet ended, Sylutia temporarily settled in Purple Fern Rampart for rest and reorganization.