The Warden of the Witches Chapter 188

 Chapter 188 - Reaping Benefits

    In Abigail's summoning space, Aiden sat at the end of a long table, having a meeting with the grand witches.


    "Bounty hunters? We were already aware of such things. In recent days, people other than nuns have occasionally been entering the Sabbath Forest," Abigail replied after listening to Aiden's account. "It's just that we now know their headquarters is set within the autonomous state's territory."


    "They've shifted their main focus to your side. I guess their attacks on the Sabbath Forest have intensified these days?" Aiden asked.


    Abigail was silent for a while before answering, "Yes, just last night we had quite a few 'guests'. They have indeed started to spare no expense."


    Vera glanced at Abigail but said nothing.


    In fact, the attack from the Bountiful Mother Goddess cult the previous night was far more than just "quite a few guests". A force of hundreds of battle nuns and desperate hunters had surged in along the routes they had previously scouted.


    The fact that the cult had launched a serious offensive against the Sabbath Forest right after suffering a setback was somewhat unexpected for them.


    "I guess they won't change locations until they get the sole authority," Aiden smiled. "So, when do you plan to strike? I'd like to follow and reap some benefits."


    "Goddamn it! You little brat, can’t you even try to be subtle?" Hasbinis cursed.


    "Anyway, your situation is more urgent than mine, and that's a fact," Aiden shamelessly replied.


    He had long decided in his mind that if the witches' gathering didn't make a move, neither would he.


    It wasn't a matter of passive response; he simply didn't have the confidence to face the cult head-on without the witches' help. 


    Aiden's involvement with the witches' gathering and the Bountiful Mother Goddess cult placed him in a very disadvantageous position. Both the witches' gathering and the cult had a much higher mastery of divine language than he did.


    In a direct power struggle, he couldn't defeat the saints of the cult, and he had no leverage in negotiating with the witches' gathering. 


    Therefore, in his collaboration with the grand witches, he tried to conceal his true capabilities as much as possible, making them overestimate his strength or the forces behind him.


    The intensifying conflict between the cult and the witches' gathering was a good development for him. He quickly realized that he should exploit this situation, pushing the witches' gathering to launch a frontal counterattack, allowing him to backstab the cult.


    Action was inevitable, but he had to seize the perfect moment.


    "After all these years, the king of the old Reiss Kingdom has likely completed his adaptation ritual," Abigail said calmly. "I estimate that once he obtains the Hatchling's Egg, he can ascend directly to a Dominator, and then his next target will be you."


    At that moment, Vera suddenly stood up.


    "What's the matter?" Abigail glanced at her.


    "The golems nearby have reacted. Intruders are approaching!" Vera said anxiously.


    "Those ants have reached our location? No way!" Qimora was so surprised that she dropped the cigarette from her hand.


     The place where Vera was stationed was the usual meeting venue for the witches' gathering. She had set up a workshop there to manufacture golems, and producing the straw men in large quantities to counter the cult's attacks.


    But just last night, a large number of fully armed battle nuns and hunters had suddenly surged into the Sabbath Forest, slaughtering magical beasts and destroying many golems, significantly advancing their penetration into the forest.


    The exposure of the meeting venue's location was no small matter for the witches' gathering. If the cult spread the location and entry routes of the venue, the annual witches' gathering would no longer be safe, and the number of witches willing to attend would drastically decrease.


    "Why didn't your animal familiars sense this in advance?" Lamia asked Abigail.


    "I sent most of my familiars to the autonomous state, so the defenses here in the Sabbath Forest were naturally weakened," Abigail paused, then waved her hand, summoning a crystal ball which floated above the center of the long table, reflecting the scene within the forest.


    Several battle nuns were attacking a willow man together. One nun fearlessly charged forward, allowing the willow man to grab her and trap her inside its belly to burn her. But just as the flames engulfed her, the nun's body suddenly "exploded"—this sacrificial nun had explosives strapped to her.


    The explosion blew a huge gap in the willow man’s body, disrupting its containment and causing the spells on its branches to extinguish the flames to prevent setting the forest ablaze. 


    Seizing this opportunity, the other nuns swarmed in. This time, they had switched their close-combat weapons from scythes to axes, which were more effective for hacking. They surrounded the off-balance willow man, chopping off its branch-like legs to bring it down.


    Abigail chanted an incantation, and the scene within the crystal ball changed. Now it showed several beast hunters with rifles, led by a burly tiger-man wielding a blood-stained double-headed axe and carrying a bow. Surrounding them were heaps of slain magical beasts.


    Aiden recognized the tiger-man; he seemed to be on Rebecca’s list as a renowned beast hunter, likely one of the most formidable mercenaries hired by the cult.


    "It's no use; they've completely figured out how to deal with the willow men," Lamia remarked.


    "From the looks of it, we can’t hold the area near the meeting venue any longer," Abigail thought for a moment before making a decision. "Vera, abandon the workshop. Take your token, and I’ll guide you to safety."


    "But..." Vera seemed anxious.


    "There’s no other choice," Abigail interrupted her. "You don't want to be caught by those hunters and handed in for a bounty, do you? Leave the place, I'll find a way to deal with them."


    Vera was an S-class wanted criminal. If those hunters found her, they would relentlessly pursue her. Though skilled in golem-making and alchemy, her combat abilities were lacking. If caught, she would certainly die.


    Vera hesitated no longer, severed the connection, and exited the summoning space.


    Aiden watched the images in the crystal ball. The the Bountifull Mother Goddess cult must have been amassing their forces at their base in Northwind Town. If not for the surprise attack by the Inquisition, they probably would have continued their preparations for a while longer.


    Now, having just been hit by the Inquisition, the cult immediately poured substantial resources into a sustained assault on the Sabbath Forest. This aggressive and risky advance caught the witches' gathering off guard.


    With a significant portion of the cult's forces now converging on the Sabbath Forest, the conflict between the witches' gathering and the cult was intensifying. This might be a prime opportunity to stab the cult and reap some benefits.


    With this thought, Aiden raised his hand. "I have a proposal. How about we launch an attack on their main base right now?"