Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam

The cold arrow streaked across the Silver Fox’s cheek. Even though he cast the Soul Transfer Spell at the first moment, the ice element’s trail still left a wound on his face.

Blood flowed from the wound, immediately throwing Anna into a panic. She blurted out, "Are you okay?"

The Silver Fox ignored Anna’s concern.

More unsettling than the sting on his cheek was Anna’s resolute gaze and her decisive action of tearing the magic scroll. Both indicated a single message—she wanted to rebel.

Just like those Neseriel Holy Hall Knights who spoke endlessly about defiance and virtue.

But Aisoke preferred compliant women.

"Miss, you’ve really been led astray by that young lad, haven’t you?"

The Silver Fox wiped the wound on his cheek with his index finger knuckle and glanced at the layer of frost forming over the blood. Anna’s action made him change his mind.

He knew how to deal with people who intended to rebel; in the Imperial Military Industry, it was almost routine work.

Crushing people’s hopes, pushing them into the abyss of despair, turning them into obedient zombies. He had seen many such people in the factories, their eyes devoid of any light, living on basic sustenance to sustain life, working mechanically until the day they broke down.

But this was likely what Aisoke wanted to see as well.

Rather than a fiancée, he preferred a docile, hard-to-break toy.

"Still fantasizing that he returned from the front lines with glory, becoming a famed knight of the Holy Hall, and proposing to your family?"

Only naive children could entertain such unrealistic fantasies. The Silver Fox once promised Horn to handle this matter with discretion, but now, he would personally push Anna into the abyss of despair, "Didn’t your Grandpa Horn tell you, he’s not coming back?"

"... Not coming back? What do you mean?"

"He’s as good as dead."

The Silver Fox’s face broke into a cruel smile, "At the Empire’s border, he’ll meet a Magic Master who enjoys dissecting humans. I heard the last victim was cut into hundreds of pieces by her magic. Should I bring back images of the body fragments? But even if I did, could you recognize them?"

Ultimately, the expedition was always a suicidal mission, meant to eliminate knights overly loyal to Henry VI by using Dream Eclipse as the Pope believed the king’s close ties with the Neseriel Sanctuary had become the Empire’s biggest obstacle to progress.

"Miss, let me tell you another thing. That young lad’s name wasn’t originally on the expedition list. It was your unrealistic fantasy that pushed him into a pit of fire. Your father recommended him to the Kingdom Army, and he eagerly jumped in. Achieving fame, which sounds so wonderful."

The Silver Fox admired Anna’s dazed eyes with satisfaction and said, "You personally killed him. You’ve been like this since you were young, haven’t you? Everyone you cared for ended up dead because of you—the young lad, your former maid, even your mother. Of course, Horn couldn’t escape either... In the end, they all left you."

"Grandpa Horn!"

Anna turned back aimlessly, looking towards the mansion still shrouded in darkness.

"The guillotine, the gallows, or burned at the stake. He can choose one; after all, he’s served your family so devotedly for years. Your father should mercifully fulfill his last wish."

The Silver Fox walked toward Anna, keeping an eye on the ice arrow scroll in her hand. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Once this is over, he’ll personally go to Fireplace Bay. He’s curious to know which Elemental Shaper dared to meddle in the capital’s affairs.

This was certainly not a common elemental shaping spell.

"What, hesitating? Wondering if you obediently return to the mansion now, maybe Horn won’t be punished?"

He lowered his voice, like a devilish whisper, "It’s already too late. Remember this lesson: from today, every mistake you make will have consequences. Horn will die, that young lad will die, and you’re destined never to see them again—I’m curious how many more people you’ll cause to die before becoming a docile, sensible wife?"

Silver Fox was already standing bewildered in front of Anna. From this distance, as long as he raised his right hand, he could press down on Anna’s shoulder. In his eyes, this fine-boned little girl was merely a canary whose fate was sealed from the moment she was born.

All he had to do now was put this canary attempting to escape back into its cage.

But in the next moment, the Silver Fox’s pupils shrank.

He saw that his hand reaching for Anna was pierced by several ice spikes. It happened in a split second, before he even felt the pain, and the wound and blood were frozen.

However,

Anna had been holding the magic scroll all along, never tearing another one!

The Silver Fox could not care about any of that soon enough. An unprecedented sense of danger attacked from behind him. He had almost instantly cast the Soul Transfer Spell, turning his body into black smoke. As his perspective shifted, he saw the thorn-covered ice vines and the frightening scene behind him.

At some point, the district behind him had been engulfed by ice. The growing ice extended into a forest, with thorn-covered vines continuing to expand, putting a singular thought into his mind.

The ice elements scattered all over the city had come to life. They were endowed with life force by some magic power, possessing thoughts almost akin to humans!

In the limited knowledge of the Silver Fox, he had never encountered any magic similar to this.

In fact, it went beyond the concept of magic, making him feel as if he were contending with nature itself.

The Silver Fox suddenly remembered the ice arrow that had missed earlier. He had dodged the arrow easily and paid no mind to its disappearing trajectory, yet the ice arrow that should have disappeared had instead birthed a forest behind him, swallowing the entire district.

Even worse, he had been targeted by the ice elements.

The thorn-filled vines relentlessly pursued him.

The unknown fear spread in Silver Fox’s heart. How much longer could the Soul Transfer Spell last? How many more times could he cast the Soul Transfer Spell with his magic power?

Could he escape from the range of the vine’s attack?

In just a few seconds, all the questions were answered.

In the instant he reappeared from the black smoke and before he could hurriedly cast the next Soul Transfer Spell, the thorny vines wrapped around his ankle, their spikes piercing his skin. In an instant, his magic power was frozen like his wounds and blood.

Next was the arms, the torso, almost in the blink of an eye, the vines wound around his body, binding him firmly in place.

The Silver Fox watched as Anna walked step by step towards him.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the ice elements raging inside him deprived him of his ability to speak.

Anna’s eyes were no longer filled with fear and confusion.

The Silver Fox knew that Aisoke would definitely dislike Anna’s current gaze, nor would he like her current actions.

The last three ice arrow scrolls were torn open, her gaze unwavering, "I want to see them!"