"I Became a Witch, but Now Everyone's in Love with Me!"

Chapter 68: Martial Will
 

"Little witch of the Red Dragon family, how do you think Xiao Jiang Cha is withstanding the Great Sage’s attacks?"
Seeing Lina swallow in shock, Suicune smiled and slung an arm around her shoulders, asking softly.
"Because she’s calculating every move the Great Sage makes."

Lina had great talent for combat and quickly assessed the situation.
"That’s right~ This little one’s talent is really abnormal!"
Suicune complained bitterly.

She had been able to restrain Jiang Cha because of her fighting style—Jiang Cha’s offensive output couldn't break her refined defense. The Great Sage’s attack power far exceeded hers, but her defense…
Hey! When has your sister Monkey ever cast a shield?
Still, Jiang Cha was walking a tightrope in that arena.

One mistake, and she’d be flattened by the Monkey King.
Low-level magic had no effect on the Great Sage. As for mid-level spells—though Jiang Cha made up for it in sheer number—she still couldn’t cast them instantly.
It looked like she countered each attack just in time, as if every spell was prepared precisely to match the moment. But in reality, Jiang Cha predicted and pre-buffered every spell, always leaving herself room to react.

Take this ambush, for example.
The golden cudgel in the Monkey King's hand suddenly expanded, thickening and blocking Jiang Cha's escape path with blunt, brute force.
But the girl remained calm. The [Space Deflection] spell she had ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) preloaded launched just as she raised her staff.

The casting point was cleverly chosen—right at the beginning of the Monkey King's swing—deflecting the strike from the outset. The stick never had a chance to land, giving her ample space to dodge.
In theory, [Teleport] would’ve been the best counter to physical attacks, according to standard spellbooks. But [Space Deflection] could deal with a broader range of scenarios. Even if the Great Sage had suddenly switched to using an explosive fire spell, she could still divert it.
Not so with [Teleport]. If the Great Sage curved the flame and caught up to her mid-jump, she’d be toast.

That was the key to Jiang Cha’s survival.
Her high-level calculation ability, combined with a rough understanding of the Great Sage’s tendencies, allowed her to consistently prepare for worst-case scenarios. She always chose magic with wide applications—and prepared them ahead of time.
"I'm so tired of chasing you! Take this stick from me!"
The Great Sage was growing irritated.

Jiang Cha was like a slippery loach. She posed no threat, but she could wear her opponent out. She had turned a fast-paced battle into a long-distance contest of mana reserves.
That was the girl's quiet scheme.
The Great Sage had suppressed her own magical output and couldn’t compare to Jiang Cha’s stamina. And due to her altered identity as a transformed witch, her access to low- and mid-level spells was even more restricted.

So going up against Jiang Cha, who had trained across the board, in a contest of raw magical reserves?
Not smart.
But then—

“Space blockade? No… that’s martial will!?”
Lina cried out, her voice tinged with concern.
Witches could learn martial arts, but few were willing to go through the rigorous training it demanded.

However, the Great Sage’s stick technique had clearly reached an elite level. She used sheer martial will to seal off the battlefield and lock down Jiang Cha’s long-prepared [Teleportation].
“Am I really going to lose...?”
Realizing that none of her prepared spells could counter the attack, Jiang Cha dropped out of her emotionless, high-efficiency mode and sighed softly.

She still had trump cards.
She had [Sub-Tunnel Shuttle] for space blockades, [Creation Shield] for massive AoEs, and even countermeasures like [Demon Summoning] if the Monkey King decided to pull out hairs and call up clones.
But a purely martial strike?

That went completely beyond her calculations.
She had no way out.
But then—something unexpected.

The stick never struck.
The Great Sage’s iron rod swept past her, golden hair trailing in the motion. She turned, looking a little annoyed.
“Why didn’t you dodge!?”

The girl looked aggrieved, lips trembling with a trace of tears in her voice.
“I’m just a little witch… how could I dodge that!?”
Great Sage: “…”

Oh no.
She’d gotten so carried away, she forgot this little one had only been in school for less than a year.
The Jiang Cha in her memory was still that mysterious, nearly omnipotent witch from the fragmented world—not this fledgling who could easily be taken out in a single strike.

The shift in identity left the Monkey King momentarily helpless.
She needed time to adjust.
“If you really think it’s easier to kill me now, then fine, Great Sage. You can do it—go ahead.”

The girl blinked. When she saw the silence, the grievance melted into mischief. She smirked and reached out a hand—though she didn’t make contact like she once had with Taotao.
“Go, go, go.”
The blonde woman waved her off irritably.

That motion—identical to when Taotao used to get annoyed—was unmistakable.
“Why would I hit a little witch like you?”
“Hehe~”

Jiang Cha grinned, proud and playful. She said nothing more and skipped back toward the spectator seats.
“You still saying there’s nothing going on between you two?”
Lina glanced sideways at her.

Why did her own cabbage keep running off to flirt with others?
“What are you talking about? It’s just a coincidence.”
Jiang Cha rolled her eyes in annoyance.

No way Lina hadn’t figured it out.
Anyone who’d heard the name “Monkey King” could probably guess she was a transformation witch. Even in the 22nd century, the story of Journey to the West was still widely known.
Even if you couldn’t guess from the name—you could tell by her fighting style. She wasn’t an orthodox witch.

What witch fights without casting a single spell? Who charges in with just brute force and a stick?
Sure, some witches engaged in melee, but always with magic buffs. Unlike the Monkey King, who relied solely on raw power.
“Tea Treasure~”

Lina rolled her eyes, glancing between the Great Sage and the girl. She smiled sweetly, her intention obvious.
“If you want to ask for advice, just ask. The Great Sage isn’t stingy.”
“Then I’m going!”

Lina leapt forward with joy.
Earlier, she hadn’t known which sage would visit the Battle Club. So while she’d been excited, she hadn’t been this excited.
But if it was the Great Sage?

That was different.
She could learn so much about close combat—this was a rare opportunity!
She was going all in!

And got smacked down with three swift blows.
“You have talent, but you’re undertrained. Has the Red Dragon spoiled you?”
The “Red Dragon” she referred to was the Red Dragon Sage.

One of Lina’s two mothers.
“I owed her a favor anyway. Come, little one—let the Great Sage give you a few pointers.”
The words sounded righteous, but Jiang Cha saw right through her.

This monkey girl just wanted to vent by bullying someone weaker.
And poor Lina had walked right into it.