The Witch's Anatomical Notes

Chapter 100

The Old Lands and the Dragon

The pass of Dusk Gorge, under the setting sun, looked as if it had been cast in molten gold. The cliffs on either side revealed a dark red hue like rusted iron.

Lucy lightly pressed her heels against the horse’s flanks, but the pure-blood warhorse gifted by Arnos suddenly refused to move forward, snorting defiantly at the thought of stepping into the shadow of the gorge.

The sound of horseshoes clashing with gravel echoed between the rocky walls, as though some invisible force had seized hold of the steed’s will.

She stroked the tense neck of the warhorse, attempting to coax it onward this way, but all her efforts ended in failure.

Helpless, she could only tie the reins to a withered tree at the entrance to the pass.

“Stay here.”

She patted the taut neck of the horse, tied the reins to the withered tree, and walked alone into the depths.

On both sides of the rocky walls, glimmers of light flickered.

Beyond the pass, the city she had expected did not appear. Instead, there stretched a barren expanse of desert.

Yet when she closed her eyes and focused, she could perceive the faint fluctuations of magical energy between the dunes.

“An illusion array?!”

Lucy, no longer a novice in witchcraft, immediately analyzed the situation before her.

Just as she was preparing to study how to enter, the desert suddenly twisted.

In the next instant, two black dots flew out from that vast “canvas.”

As they drew closer, Lucy saw that they were two birdfolk guards wielding long staves.

She had dissected creatures like these back at the Tower of the Four Sages, though at that time it had been a banshee from the undead side. The two before her were living birdfolk, half-human in form.

With the gusts stirred by their beating wings raising yellow sand from the ground, the birdfolk landed before Lucy, one after the other.

“Gray Feather and Iron Ring of the birdfolk guard greet the honored witch.” The leading birdfolk spoke in a hoarse voice. “Please state your purpose in entering Dusk Gorge. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to escort you out.”

Lucy keenly sensed the surging magical energy emanating from them. This overwhelming power was something she had only ever felt before from Lilith, the peak-level apprentice.

But constrained by her own identity as a witch apprentice, the two guards’ attitude did not seem arrogant; on the contrary, there was a trace of humility about them.

“Lucy Felicia.” She produced the invitation letter and said, “Invited by Master Theodosius to enter the Old Lands.”

When they heard the name of Master Theodosius, the two birdfolk immediately showed expressions of surprise.

Gray Feather took the letter, and after only a quick glance, respectfully handed it back.

“The seal indeed belongs to Master Theodosius.”

They would never suspect that anyone would dare forge a personal letter from a great Star Ring Wizard.

“However, Master Theodosius has not yet arrived at Dusk Gorge.”

“Our appointed time is three days from now.”

“In that case, please follow us, so we may arrange accommodations for you first.”

“Thank you.” Lucy put the letter away and gestured in the direction of the pass. “By the way, there is a horse tied up outside. I’d appreciate it if you could see to it.”

“No problem.”

Under the guidance of the birdfolk called Gray Feather, Lucy passed through the desert canvas.

When the faint fluctuations of magical energy brushed over her skin like a sheer veil, the world before her eyes made her widen them in shock.

She had imagined countless times along the way what the Old Lands might look like, but she had never expected a scene such as this.

Beneath a blood-red sky, over a wasteland shrouded in gray mist, rivers of magma flowed, and at the boundary, towering fortresses rose—no fewer than fifty wizard towers stood in this place!

That meant there were at least fifty formal witches stationed here year-round.

Lucy hesitated, about to speak, but Gray Feather spoke before she could.

“Everything in the Old Lands is forbidden to be shared with the outside.” Gray Feather cut off her astonishment. “Any questions you have can be left for Master Theodosius to answer.”

Lucy could only set aside her curiosity about the Old Lands for the time being.

Soon, Gray Feather led her into the Dusk Fortress.

Inside the Dusk Fortress, an eerie silence prevailed. Only a scattering of birdfolk stood watch atop the walls, until Gray Feather settled her into a tower.

“Honored Lucy, someone will deliver food and water to you every day on schedule. During this time, you must not leave this tower, even by a single step, or you may provoke the guards to attack.”

After confirming again and again that Lucy had remembered, Gray Feather finally departed, looking back over his shoulder every few paces.

Once the birdfolk had left, Lucy finally indulged in a long-overdue hot bath. After enjoying a meal that was at least somewhat palatable, she threw herself onto the soft bed.

It was the first time in nearly two months that Lucy had slept in a bed.

This sense of ease quickly drew her into slumber.

When she opened her eyes again, she was awakened by a deafening roar.

She hurried to put on her wizard’s robe and boots.

“What’s happening?!”

She blurted out the question reflexively, though naturally, no reply came.

The roar was growing closer and closer, until it seemed to press right against the side of the tower.

Not knowing what was happening, Lucy nevertheless chose to go out. But she did not forget Gray Feather’s warning and did not dare leave the tower. Instead, she climbed the spiral staircase up to the top floor.

Beneath the crimson sky, a red dragon, a hundred meters long, swept over Dusk Fortress like a bomber.

The hurricane stirred by its body nearly knocked Lucy off her feet.

The oppressive force of such a supreme lifeform made it hard for her to breathe, chilled her to the marrow.

“A dragon! A real dragon!”

Lucy stared in disbelief at the terrifying figure that suddenly pulled up into a climb at its lowest point.

Any adult dragon was a Tier-4 lifeform capable of rivaling a formal witch.

Such fearsome creatures had never appeared on the Continent of Witches, but many treatises preserved their likenesses.

As Lucy was admiring the dragon’s perfect flowing form, the red dragon Ignavus, Scorcher of Worlds, also noticed this little creature radiating the faint curse of dragon blood.

A witch marked by dragon blood was nothing unusual.

The dragon race was lustful by nature among ten witches, at least two or three had gotten their hands stained with the blood of dragonkin offspring.

But this was the first time that a witch apprentice bearing the curse dared to brazenly provoke it!

In scarcely an instant, it had already decided to tear this little insect to pieces.

When the dragon’s roar resounded across the sky once more, its terrible breath swept down from the heavens.

Lucy also realized that the dragon blood curse on her body had become a mark of provocation!

Just as she was wondering whether she should immediately escape into the Nightmare Plane to save her own life.

Within the Nightfall Fortress, one among the dozens of towers lit up with blue light that signified magical energy.

Immediately after, a terrifying surge of power clashed with the dragon’s breath and annihilated it.

“Scorcher of Worlds, allowing you to soar above the Witch Fortress is already a concession. Any act of aggression will be regarded as a declaration of war against the Star Law Institute!”

As the voice rang out, a black-robed figure appeared high above the fortress.

The scrawny witch was dwarfed in size by the hundred-meter-long dragon, yet in presence, he was not the least bit inferior.

In the dragon’s eyes, there was even a flicker of wariness.

“I truly had no intention of attacking you insects, but you have allowed this cursed apprentice to provoke me!”

Clint was slightly taken aback and, following the dragon’s vertical pupils, locked onto Lucy’s position.

A Tier-3 apprentice appearing atop the Nightfall Fortress?!

Whose disciple was this? And why had she climbed to the roof to anger the Scorcher of Worlds!

Clint, who was not in charge of personnel oversight, frowned in bewilderment.

Though there were many stationed witches within the Witch Fortress, and with the tower’s formations he did not actually fear this troublemaking adult red dragon, he certainly did not wish to court disaster on his watch.

With a cold expression, he directed his question to that reckless Tier-3 apprentice.

“Who permitted you to enter the Old Lands?”

Lucy, her face full of bitter resignation, was just about to reply.

“It was I.” An aged voice rose from the ground. “She is my guest.”