The Warden of The Witches

Willow People

In the Sabbath Forest, three gray-robed nuns wielded short-handled sickles and flintlock guns as they walked through the mist.

They were now nearing the core of the forest. Through the explorations of previous teams, the sect had gradually grasped the knack of navigating through the mist in the Sabbath Forest and the routes to traverse its outskirts.

At this rate, seizing Abigail's stronghold and the grand meeting place of the witches was only a matter of time. For Abigail, the natural advantage of the Sabbath Forest, this fortress, would soon cease to exist.

Suddenly, the nuns' steps came to a halt.

Rustling sounds came from the treetops of the towering trees, prompting the nuns to aim their guns towards the source of the noise.

In the next moment, a colossal bird-like figure abruptly materialized from the mist and lunged recklessly towards the three women.

The three firearms simultaneously spat flames. The monster, hit by the bullets, let out a pained roar, but its attacking momentum remained undiminished. It forcefully knocked down a combat nun who couldn't evade it, pressing her under its claws, while violently spreading its wings to push away the others.

This was a monster larger than an adult, with a body resembling a hawk but a head akin to a stag. Its mouth curved in a half-smile, filled with razor-sharp teeth.

A Deerhawk Beast, a mystical creature said to have a monster-like body but a humanoid shadow, specialized in hunting humans and consuming their hearts.

In the Sabbath Forest, these rarely seen monsters dwelled densely, with rumors even suggesting that the mist cloaking the forest gradually transformed humans and animals into monsters.

However, the nuns were well aware that most of these monsters inhabiting the Sabbath Forest were bred and nurtured by Abigail.

The Sabbath Forest was Abigail's monster ranch. The large groups of monsters tamed by Abigail roamed the forest day and night. They were Abigail's watchdogs, ready to devour any uninvited guests who dared to intrude.

The nun who was fiercely pounced on by the Deerhawk Beast had several ribs broken on the spot, as the beast swiftly opened its mouth and punctured her windpipe.

"She gave me flesh, yet bestowed upon me shackles," chanted another nun upon witnessing the scene.

In an instant, the mortally wounded nun convulsed, and the fresh blood flowing from her neck abruptly transformed into crimson ropes, tightly binding the Deerhawk Beast's neck and mouth.

The bound beast immediately flapped its wings in an attempt to break free, but the blood shackles firmly tethered it to the nearly lifeless nun, like a ball and chain, rendering it immobile.

Seizing this opportunity, the other two nuns aimed at the beast's forehead and fired. This time, the bullets finally pierced the creature's vital spot. With a muffled sound, the Deerhawk Beast collapsed, and the blood shackles that bound it reverted back to blood.

The two nuns holstered their guns, silently moving the beast's body aside to check on their comrade pinned beneath.

The injured nun was unable to speak due to her severed throat, and could only scan back and forth between the two with hollow eyes.

One nun, without hesitation, raised her sickle and pierced the other nun's heart deeply, ending her life.

However, as she withdrew the sickle, a faint blue light flashed in the deceased nun's eyes. Subsequently, the fallen nun slowly rose from the ground, staggering forward with faltering steps.

With a simple necromancy spell, the corpse was set back into motion. They were all worker bees dedicated to the hive, giving their all even in death to serve its purpose.

Leaving behind the slained beast, the trio continued their exploration deeper into the forest.

However, before they could take more than a few steps, loud footsteps resounded from directly ahead. This time, the enemies intercepting them seemed intent on a frontal assault rather than the stealth of the previous monster.

The nun manipulating the bodies controlled her comrade's corpse to lead the way. Within the mist, a giant figure over four meters tall emerged between the towering trees, slowly advancing towards the corpses.

Under the control of necromancy, the corpses aimed and fired their guns. Their movements were extremely sluggish and lacking precision, yet the bullets unmistakably hit the looming figure—given its immense size and lack of evasion intent.

However, the bullets had no effect upon entering the black figure. The giant continued to stride steadily through the mist, and finally revealing its true form before the nuns.

It was a massive effigy made of willow and thorns, with a hollow interior stuffed with straw. Woven in a grid pattern of willow and thorns, this willow figure appeared like a humanoid cage.

The willow figure reached out, seizing the nun's corpse. Simultaneously, its body parts opened like a door, creating an opening into which the corpse was stuffed before closing again.

Subsequently, the corpse sealed within the willow figure ignited fiercely with the burning straw.

As the flames surged, the giant woven from willow seemed to awaken completely, emitting a deep, eerie roar and charging towards the remaining nun with agility far beyond the previous encounter.

The nuns retaliated, but their efforts were futile. Their equipment was designed to combat monsters, and not such lifeless colossal golems.

Soon, another nun was drawn into the willow figure and engulfed in raging flames.

With each additional burning prey within its body, the movements of the willow figure became swifter.

Amidst the nuns' agonizing cries, the willow figure began pursuing its final prey. The third nun desperately fled into the depths of the jungle, but with her solitary effort, even if she managed to evade the pursuit of the willow figure, she would inevitably fall into the clutches of the monsters sooner or later. The demise of this trio was only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, within Abigail's summoning space, five grand witches gathered around a table, watching this scene through a crystal ball.

"Hahaha, burn them alive... Truly a spectacular sight, just like the witch hunts long ago," remarked Lamia, chuckling as she gazed at the crystal ball.

"What's so funny... You're a witch too," Vera, who was seated beside her, glanced at her, unable to comprehend her companion's cruel amusement.

"How did you come up with such an intriguing invention?" Lamia asked Vera with keen interest.

"This was originally a sacrificial method by the ancient Lulin people to offer to the gods. They would weave cages in the form of animals using willow, placing a livestock inside and burn them alive. Later, they used these to execute heretics. In the process, the priests of Lurin developed a way to animate these willow figures, making them actively hunt down heretics. I simply restored this technique," Vera explained.