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A thick, ink-like mist swirled all around.
It wound its way through the gnarled tree trunks as if alive, exuding a damp, decayed scent. Deep in the fog-shrouded forest, a pair of ghostly green eyes glowed like twin will-o'-the-wisps, radiating chilling menace in the darkness.
"Who's there?"
The gaze from the Black Forest was far from friendly. The young wizard instinctively drew his wand, and the instant their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze.
Ian could clearly sense the confusion in the other's gaze.
"Who are you?" He asked in a deep voice that echoed through the silent forest. But there was no answer. The eyes simply continued to stare at Ian as if scrutinizing him to his core.
"An outsider wizard..." A hoarse voice came from the eyes, seeming to resonate from all directions at once and echoing in the flowing river.
The owner of the pentagonal eyes advanced slowly. The mist around her formed a swirling vortex that enveloped her completely, but Ian could sense that she was an elderly woman.
"You do not belong to the realm of the deceased."
She stared at Ian, puzzled, her eyes full of contemplative thought.
"I'm just passing through."
Ian kept his wand steady, quietly tracing a hidden protective rune on the ground with his toe. "If this forest is your territory, then I, "
Before he could finish,
The old witch suddenly let out an eerily piercing laugh, as if she had weighed something carefully. Her laughter seemed to awaken the entire Black Forest. The twisted trees opened their bark-covered knots, revealing eyes hidden within.
The hanging moss transformed into thousands of emerald serpents, all of which turned sharply toward Ian.
"If you're just passing through, you'll have to pay a toll, my dear...young legend." At that moment, her voice seemed to rejuvenate by fifty years.
It was sweet as honey, seductive, and captivating.
She had already recognized Ian as a legend, yet she showed no intention of backing down. Instead, it seemed as if she wanted something from him.
Ian immediately sensed a shift in his surroundings.
The magic for Apparating no longer seemed to work.
Clearly, this was the work of the old witch.
"Here we go~"
She moved with anticipation.
At the last moment, Ian's protective rune flared with golden light, blocking a sudden volley of bone spikes that erupted from the ground. He leapt backward, his wand tracing a graceful arc in the air.
"Blazing Path!"
The tip of Ian's wand suddenly erupted in dazzling light.
The brilliance was like a scorching sun, instantly illuminating the black forest. Then, countless flames surged from his wand like a tidal wave, sweeping toward the witch hidden in the dense fog.
The flames twisted and coiled in the air, forming a colossal dragon. It roared as it streaked through the sky, its blue-tinged body bearing destructive power as it lunged at the old witch.
"Oh, what delightful magic."
The witch appeared like an ant before the blazing dragon, yet she showed no sign of panic. Instead, she chuckled and raised both hands, almost gleefully.
Her fingers danced like a puppeteer's, and suddenly, Ian's magic was twisted and transformed in a strange rhythm. The colossal dragon that had blotted out the sky instantly warped into thousands of black butterflies.
Under the old witch's control,
The butterflies abruptly changed direction, swarming toward Ian in a deafening, relentless wave. Their wings fluttered gracefully yet reflected a sheen as sharp and deadly as blades.
"Manipulating reality through cognition?"
Ian's pupils constricted. He was already familiar with such techniques from his lessons with the vile Morgan. However, having only recently reached legendary status, he had not yet studied them in depth.
He hadn't expected to see the same tactic used again, this time by the Black Witch on the new map. Anyone daring to attack a legend must possess considerable skill.
He only didn't know who this old witch was in history.
"Forbidden Spells: End!"
Ian waved his wand. The self-created spell, derived from Finite Incantatem, instantly unleashed its power. In an instant, the countless butterflies were obliterated into smoke.
"Eh?"
For the first time, the old witch revealed a hint of surprise.
"Impressive," she murmured.
The mist surrounding her dissipated under Ian's magic, revealing her withered face.
Indeed, she was an evil, villainous old witch. Her skin was wrinkled and dry, like a desiccated riverbed. Yet, this seemingly frail figure possessed immense power.
Her sunken eye sockets housed ghostly green eyes that flickered with berserk intensity and an eerie light.
"I didn't mean to intrude on your territory," Ian thought. He tried to reason out why the Twilight Zone had brought him there and what this old witch was exactly.
His apparent submission did not earn her mercy.
"My dear, you still don't understand. Whether you intrude here or not is of no consequence to me." The old witch lifted her hand and caressed her exposed face as if adjusting to being observed.
"Then what is important?"
Ian subtly mobilized his magical power while feigning curiosity.
"Of course, it's using your body to return to the living world once more. That's what truly matters!" The witch revealed her true intention openly and confidently.
"I see...so this is a mortal grudge," Ian realized.
"Yes, that's right, child. I will use your body well, and you will stay here in my stead." The witch's skeletal fingers twitched in the air.
Immediately, the forest floor began to writhe, the black soil rising to form dozens of humanoid clay effigies. Each one was a perfect replica of Ian, wand in hand and stance mirrored exactly.
"Interesting."
Ian licked his suddenly chapped lips and felt his magical power surge through his veins. Except for when he faced Merlin, he had never felt such intense pressure from another wizard.
Hmm.
Herpo didn't count.
At that time, Herpo had already ceased to be a true wizard.
"Can she replicate my magic?"
Ian studied the clay-like puppets carefully.
The next moment, the old witch provided the answer through action. Her fingers danced as if she were playing a piano, and the puppets simultaneously raised their wands and cast spells in perfect unison.
Dozens of colored beams crisscrossed, forming a net that sealed off all of Ian's escape routes. These spells were real, the witch had somehow used cognition-warping magic to make the clay replicas cast real magic.
"Indeed, interesting."
A flicker of surprise passed through Ian's eyes.
However, that was all.
"Too bad, they don't have my magic power, nor the magic I possess!" Ian's magic surged through his entire body, and an immense pressure descended, as if the heavens themselves were tilting.
(To Be Continued…)