The Cornflower Witch Chapter 168

“What is a witch?”

A long time ago, the person who guided him onto the transcendent path once asked him this. Of course, Karl, who was only 12 at the time, had no specific answer and could only give a vague reply.

“Probably someone very powerful and rather mysterious.”

“That’s right.”

The affirmation surprised him, as he had expected to be corrected and then told the true answer.

“Witches originally referred to those who possessed mystical magical abilities difficult for ordinary people to comprehend, and that is the origin of witches.”

“Therefore, witches always exist on the periphery of the conventional world. They know more dark and strange knowledge from outside, and they also master these peculiar and obscure secret arts.”

“Regarding the understanding of the world, witches believe that not everything can be explained and understood through words and language. This is our biggest difference from scholars and mages.”

“Mages believe that there is a hidden truth in the world. As long as it is explored and understood, everything can be explained by it and used to plan and control all things.”

“Blindly pursuing knowledge is not always a good thing. In fact, it is a kind of arrogance, believing that once understood, it can be controlled and driven. We must recognize that the vastness and unknown of the world will always exist, and we should approach it with reverence.”

“Witches can disregard conflicts of concepts and instead explore directly from phenomena, mastering them according to their laws. We don’t need to deliberately understand their principles, nor can we ever know the fully true world.”

[A completely objective true world is unknowable; we can only ever see the experiential world processed by senses and intellect.]

…

These were the words Karl’s teacher taught him in his early years, and he still remembered them. In fact, in his later studies and life, he increasingly realized that the so-called human heart was also something difficult to truly comprehend.

So, he chose to follow his teacher’s guidance and no longer tried to explore the truly specific thoughts deep within everyone’s hearts. Such things could sometimes be too real and make people feel unapproachable.

Since then, he gradually maintained a certain distance from others, neither excessively prying into their thoughts nor overly revealing his own emotions and ideas. This led his teammates to always say he was cold and unsociable.

Fortunately, he met the current captain and Yarn, who always liked to crack jokes to liven the atmosphere and wouldn’t complain or accuse him of being deliberate because he spoke in a cooler manner.

“Everyone has their own temper, isn’t that normal?” Bad Apple had explained with a smile at the time.

“If I eat an apple, do I have to specifically check where the tree it came from grew? If I knew the farmer used certain things to water the tree, would I then spit out the apple?”

Although there were occasional disagreements in this team, no one ever forced others to comply or questioned “why” using various excuses, trying to persuade them. This attitude of mutual respect and understanding assistance probably made him feel no pressure, creating a comfortable environment to be in.

So, for once, he became a permanent member of this team.

Though Bad Apple claimed not to care, Karl knew that if Bad Apple wanted to advance, that “Stone Mist Water” was almost indispensable, a vital resource impossible to replace in his planned Class. He had been planning this for years.

Not only him, but Yarn and Bona also knew. So, when Bad Apple suggested coming to Bain Town this time, they almost all agreed. He even specifically came up with a reason to concur, saying his phantom black cat also needed the “Ash-Wrought Fruit” to complete its advancement and enhancement.

…

“Karl, what are you thinking about?” Bad Apple walked over after they finished discussing tomorrow’s plan.

“Nothing, just recalling some past events.” Karl raised his hand, and a black cat emerged from his sleeve, stretched yawned, then curiously settled on his lap, looking left and right.

“I’ve always wanted to ask, is this black cat yours from before?” Bad Apple asked with curiosity.

“No,” Karl explained, a rare occurrence, as he lowered his head to pet the phantom black cat.

“I don’t really like keeping animals.”

“Its previous owner wasn’t me, just an acquaintance of mine.”

“Later, when it was about to die, I happened to need experimental materials, so he gave it to me.”

“Sounds like a deep story. Forget it, I won’t ask.” Bad Apple shrugged.

“If you told me, I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.”

“Hehe.” The firelight reflected in Karl’s eyes, and he chuckled softly, his gaze complex and profound.

WWW ◆ttkan ◆c o

“I’ll tell you guys later, after this adventure is over.”

“Alright, it’s a promise, don’t go back on your word this time,” Bad Apple pressed on. “I will,” Karl’s voice held a lingering sense of emotion.

The night passed quietly once again.

…

In the early morning, the team set off, embarking on the final stretch of the journey to the Gate of Distant Mountains.

As they approached the upper slopes of the mountain range, the path grew steeper, forcing them to lead their horses step by step through the forest.

Fortunately, as the altitude increased, the vegetation became sparser, eliminating the worry of stumbling over rocks and potholes hidden in the undergrowth.

However, with the rising altitude, the mist intensified, and everyone began to feel varying degrees of discomfort.

“I feel a bit dizzy,” Yarn said, stopping with an unwell expression.

“Me too, a little,” Karl gasped for breath.

“I’m slightly better, but something doesn’t feel right here,” Bad Apple observed their surroundings.

“How about Lia?”

The girl at the back of the group was also resting under a tree.

“I’m alright, but it feels very damp and stuffy,” Hylial felt sticky, like the humid return of spring in her previous life.

“We’re already here, it’s time to use that thing,” Bad Apple thought for a moment, then pulled a special torch from the saddlebag on his horse.

As Hylial watched him light the torch, a blast of hot air swept through, gradually dispelling the mist in the forest, making everything much clearer, as if suddenly rendered in high definition.

“Is this the effect of the Aurora Wind Torch?” It was her first time seeing a teammate use it.

“Yes, it’s specially purchased from an alchemist. One costs 3 Gold Coins and only burns for an hour.”

The torch was held high, and as the mist met the warm air, it immediately dissipated, making everything in the forest a bit clearer.

“Let’s go, we’ll continue.” With that, they resumed their journey.

Although the final straight distance was only 25 li, they had to navigate many slopes and detours. They walked intermittently for nearly six hours before gradually approaching their destination.

“This should be it; the map’s markings end here,” Bad Apple put down the map.

“Here?”

Hylial, like the others, looked around. They were still in a mountain forest with no visible edge, and there was no sign of the “stone archway.”

The mist-shrouded mountains were eerily quiet; no bird songs could be heard, not even insects were visible, only endless trees.

Seeing everyone’s bewilderment, Bad Apple turned around and spoke with interest.

“Have you forgotten that ‘Mist Shadow’ is best at concealment and illusions?”

He lit another Aurora Wind Torch. The orange-red flame flickered, and hot air diffused, then he tossed it high into the air.

A slender blade flashed rapidly through the air, tearing the torch into fragments. Countless sparks rained down, scattering into the forest, igniting everywhere simultaneously, filling the air with hot Aurora Wind.

Like an invisible canvas slowly being burned through, everything in their vision slowly shed its veil, revealing the true scene behind it.

They were still standing on a stone-covered hillside, surrounded by two towering mountains. Between them, a stone staircase wound upwards, leading to the narrow gorge in the distance.

There, an ancient stone archway stood.