Chapter 1000

Fortunately, the judges all wore masks; otherwise, if anyone had seen Black Constable’s stunned expression right then, all the hard-earned prestige he’d built up would’ve been ruined.

But what could she do? After all, Dorothy was using her power for the first time officially—she never expected the moon she summoned would actually wink at her.

Tell me, is it reasonable for the moon to wink?

Fortunately, Dorothy waited a moment and quietly observed the others’ reactions, finding no one else reacted strangely—as if only she had seen the moon’s blink.

Moreover, when she looked again at the red moon, everything seemed perfectly normal, as if the wink had been an illusion—but the Dark Witch didn’t believe in illusions at all; even now, she felt the moon seemed almost fond of her.

Strange. Truly strange.

But judging by appearances, the strange moon meant no harm. Unable to understand it, the Dark Witch simply gave up thinking about it—maintaining Black Constable’s prestige was far more important.

She turned her gaze away from the red moon and toward Grand Judge Red, who had fallen into a strange state of sudden enlightenment.

Hmm, it seems Aunt Hati’s experience went smoothly—then all’s well.

Dorothy exhaled in relief.

Meanwhile, the others also focused intently on Red. Though every one of them was desperate to grab her and ask how it felt, whether it was real or not, they all managed to stay silent, fearing they might disrupt her insight.

Fortunately, the moonlight lasted only a short while; soon, the red moon shyly retreated behind the clouds, and the ceiling above their heads reappeared.

That was the Dark Witch withdrawing her power.

“This was merely an experience. True power cannot be grasped in an instant. Wake up. After the mission is complete, I will reward each of you with varying lengths of experience time based on your contributions.”

Dorothy spoke, awakening Red, still lost in the power’s embrace, then addressed the others.

Finally, she added one more thing.

“Also, those who perform exceptionally well in this mission may choose to join my Underworld Faction. Though our faction lacks the wealth and resources of others, we do have some expertise in guiding others in spells and powers—members may later exchange mission rewards or merits for such guidance.”

Hmm, it was time to recruit new members for the Underworld Faction. Otherwise, with only herself as the sole commander, future operations would be difficult. She truly intended to carefully observe everyone’s performance in upcoming missions and select trustworthy judges to absorb into her faction.

After that, Dorothy said no more, instead giving everyone time to reflect and converse freely.

Though the reward made others eager, they still turned their eyes first to Red, awaiting her description of the brief experience.

Red, for her part, offered no concealment or secrecy, openly describing her feelings.

“That was indeed the red moon’s power. I cannot describe the sensation to you properly, but I swear by my honor that Black Constable was not lying—just now, I truly felt the red moon’s power laid bare before me, far clearer and more direct than any other method I’ve ever experienced for learning power.”

Hati spoke thus, her eyes visible beneath her mask still filled with awe and reluctance, as if still lost in the fleeting experience.

She spoke truly—she had no reason to lie or falsify testimony. As the top combatant of the Werewolf Witch Clan, she’d had many opportunities to learn power, and had already experienced numerous similar chances.

She’d received direct instruction from the Sage, studied the notes and relics of past sages, and entered mystical spirit realms.

But all those past experiences paled into nothingness compared to what Black Constable had just shown her.

Those past opportunities did help with understanding power, but they were always obscured, hidden in mist—you had to painstakingly explore and deduce to gain even a little.

But what Black Constable summoned—the red moon—was completely open to her, as if she had already fully mastered the blood moon’s power. It was as if the meal had been placed directly into her mouth. If you still refused to eat, that was your own fault—not Black Constable’s.

Hati was straightforward, always speaking plainly: if something was good, she said so plainly.

But now, this made her conflicted. After all, not experiencing it was one thing—but now that she had, she realized Black Constable’s reward was truly irresistible. If she could get even a few more such experiences, she was confident she could master her power before age 500; then, with a bit more time to master the Nine Systems, she’d almost certainly ascend to Sage before 1000.

Who could refuse such an opportunity?

But she’d already planned to stand with the Joker. What now?

Honestly, the choice was easy. She’d only known the Joker for a short while—no deep bond existed. The Joker was merely her ex-wife’s stepdaughter, her daughter’s older sister, and she owed her only a modest favor—that was all.

Compared to this direct path to Sagehood, even a fool would know what to choose.

Yet after describing her experience, Hati glanced at the Joker, who stood nearby with arms crossed, watching the scene like a play—then walked over and silently stood beside her.

Hati had made her choice.

Though the opportunity was precious, she valued her heart more. To abandon friends and family for opportunity violated her soul.

And she’d already missed her chance once—she wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

The Werewolf Witch Elder’s gaze dimmed slightly.

Back when she was young and foolish, she hadn’t understood what truly mattered—leading to her breakup with Lilith.

Back then, she’d thought both of them were in their ascent phase—they should focus on their careers and power first, to better resist pressure from both families. But Lilith wanted a child. Giving birth, while not fatal for them at the time, was still a massive burden they couldn’t ignore—so she firmly opposed it.

In the end, Lilith slapped her unconscious, forcibly performed the birth ritual, and stubbornly paid the cost for both of them—causing Lilith, who had originally been far more talented than her, to remain stuck at the Rank of Sealed Grand Witch ever since.

Over the years since their breakup, Hati had finally understood: power meant nothing compared to family and friends. If time could rewind, she would never have so adamantly opposed Lilith—and thus avoided everything that followed.

Of course, what truly angered her wasn’t Lilith slapping her unconscious to perform the ritual—it was that Lilith paid the cost alone. That wounded her pride.

She hadn’t opposed the ritual because she minded paying the magic cost—she simply thought it was too early. She wanted to wait until they were stable, then consider having a child. After all, both families were pressuring them heavily; only by growing stronger could they gain freedom and provide a stable upbringing for a child.

But Lilith seemed to truly believe she was unwilling to pay the cost—so in anger, she paid it alone.

Lilith’s lack of trust in her was what truly broke her heart.

Werewolf Witches always valued family. In Hati’s mind, having a child was a shared duty—both should contribute. But Lilith’s actions turned it into something where Hati did nothing but sleep through it, then suddenly had a daughter—she felt zero participation.

So, in her youthful arrogance, she couldn’t hold back her temper—and they shattered.

Now, looking back, Hati couldn’t say who was right or wrong—she only felt it was fate’s design. They’d fallen in love at first sight, yet ultimately lost to reality.

Thinking carefully, even whether their “love at first sight” was real love was uncertain—it seemed more like mutual attraction. In truth, they barely knew each other.

Just as she couldn’t understand why Lilith was so desperate for a child, Lilith seemed unable to understand why she was so eager to pursue power.

She’d only wanted to become strong enough to protect that home.

Sigh. Now she was the top Werewolf Witch, powerful enough to silence every elder who once opposed them—just by threatening to beat them. And then?

The home she wanted to protect was gone. What meaning did this strength hold?

Dammit. It had only been thirteen years. Thirteen years—mere blinks for immortals like them. Why couldn’t Lilith just wait?

Well, her current strength came mostly from her post-breakup self-destruction: she’d gone to the Werewolf Sacred Mountain, accepted her ancestors’ legacy, and gained ancestral power—exploding in strength within just thirteen years.

Otherwise, even with normal growth, she might not have reached this level in 130 years.

The Werewolf Sacred Mountain’s trials were incredibly dangerous. Had they not broken up, she might never have had the courage to climb and endure the test.

It was simply fate.

Hati, having already suffered the loss, had no intention of repeating her mistake. Though it might sound arrogant, she believed she could still master her power and become a Sage—even without Black Constable’s guidance. She had full confidence; it was merely a matter of time.

So she had no need to tarnish her inner mirror for the sake of a slight head start.

Hati had made her decision.

But—

“Uh… why are you standing here?”

The Fairy King Joker, puzzled, glanced at the suddenly silent Werewolf Aunt beside her.

Hati: “.”

Wait, Your Highness—this hurts. I just made a hard choice—and this is how you treat me?

The Werewolf Elder was momentarily speechless, unsure how to explain.

Fortunately, the Fairy King was blunt but deeply perceptive. In an instant, she guessed Hati’s thoughts—and felt a small warmth in her heart.

Wow. No wonder Werewolves are famed for loyalty.

And you’re still Fenrir’s reincarnation—your straightforwardness hasn’t changed one bit. You’re wonderfully foolish.

But to spare Hati further embarrassment, the Fairy King smiled and stepped forward.

Hmm. Black Constable’s show was over—now it was the Joker’s turn.

“Alright, everyone. Who’s ready to join the mission? Come to me, sign the confidentiality agreement, and then I’ll give you the full mission details.”

She announced loudly.

Among the judges present, only those already aligned with the Joker, or the Four Harbingers and Spider Teacher—those already close to Dorothy—rushed to sign up immediately. The other Grand Judges, less familiar with Dorothy, turned to glance at Black Constable.

Everyone now knew the Underworld Faction, though only two members strong, had split into two factions. This was the moment to choose sides—they were here for Black Constable’s power.

In response, Black Constable snorted.

“Go ahead. This mission was originally released by the Joker. She’s the leader. Follow her orders.”

The Grand Judge looked displeased but resigned.

Hearing her words, the others surged toward the Joker.

The Fairy King handed out confidentiality agreements one by one.

After all, the matter involved the Nine-Star Gold Pact—must be handled with care. Though theoretically, these Grand Judges wouldn’t easily betray, the Nine-Star Gold Pact world was too precious—who knew if someone might leak it under massive temptation?

This agreement was drafted by Dorothy using Sister Fan’s power, and she’d personally stamped it with seals from her own special titles—making it effectively a joint witness of the Four Kings. Absolutely reliable.

Once they received the agreement, everyone realized its terrifying weight—many hearts sank, understanding the mission ahead was no ordinary affair.

But it didn’t matter. Under the lure of power, few could resist. Such a powerful reward naturally meant high risk—this was reasonable.

Without further hesitation, everyone signed the agreement.

Only then did the Joker pull out the Nine-Star Gold Pact for the Wisdom Machine Wasteland.

“This is the mission objective. You will all assist me fully in seizing this world.”

The Dark Witch issues the mission.