[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-armed-witch":3,"chapter-armed-witch-armed-witch-chapter-18":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Armed Witch",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2353558,4604,"Chapter 18","armed-witch-chapter-18",18,"\u003Cp>As the junior island mistress, Isabella enjoyed considerable privileges on Haiyuedao; everyone gave her some face, so her two attendant witches, Ella and Behi, returned quickly, accompanied by the arena’s manager—a capable witch with a big-sisterly aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Mistress, I never expected you’d have the leisure to visit us today—this is truly an honor for our arena. I’ve already prepared a venue for you. Would you prefer a public match or a private one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The capable witch smiled brightly, as if greeting a VIP, with warm enthusiasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Private match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella was already used to being fawned over; she gave a casual order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, the arena offered two modes for clients, much like a restaurant having a dining hall and private rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Public matches were open to spectators—like eating in the dining hall—since ticket revenue could be earned, the venue fee was cheaper. But fighters had to endure spectators’ commentary and risk exposing their favored spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Private matches were like private rooms: only the two fighters and approved spectators could enter. But the venue fee was far higher—over ten times the cost of a public match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella clearly had no shortage of money; a young mistress wouldn’t tolerate being judged like a circus act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, her matches with Alice had always been evenly matched—she had no confidence to risk a public match. If she lost this time, it would be too embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood. Here is your room card. Enjoy your match, Young Mistress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The capable witch nodded, said no more, pulled out a card, and handed it to Isabella with both hands, then politely withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go, Alice. You still have time to back out—don’t cry later and blame me, your sister, for bullying you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the room card, Isabella smirked at Alice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh. You’re the one who should regret it. Hope your mouth stays as tough when my magic bullets greet you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alice, who had been building up anger all the way, wasn’t about to back down now. She cracked her knuckles one by one, her voice brimming with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the group arrived at the arena entrance. Isabella swiped her room card across the bronze-gate-style portal and stepped through first; Alice followed without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy, the instigator, put on a look of “helpless resignation,” exchanged a weary glance with Ella and Behi, and the three finally entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The familiar teleportation dizziness returned. As soon as they stepped out, Dorothy lightly pressed her forehead, feeling unwell—but her eagerness to watch the spectacle helped her ignore the side effects of her hypersensitive body. This time, she didn’t vomit rainbows; she adapted quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the discomfort passed, Dorothy found herself and the others in a lavishly decorated, unmistakably upscale private suite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The suite contained about a dozen high-grade wyrm-leather chairs, each with a small snack table beside it. Along the walls were fully stocked self-service snack and beverage shelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Directly ahead was a massive floor-to-ceiling glass window, offering a clear view of the enormous circular arena below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the window stood a control console, its center dominated by a large crystal ball—the arena’s configuration hub, capable of fine-tuning the arena’s layout and rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Random terrain. No restrictions. Free-for-all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Isabella could taunt further, Alice stepped forward, expertly operated the control crystal, then walked out of the suite first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue-haired young mistress wasn’t intimidated; she even smiled politely at Dorothy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please, Sister, act as referee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she stormed off through another exit into the preparation zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once both rivals were preparing, Dorothy calmly went to the snack shelf, grabbed some sunflower seeds and chips, took three chilled soda bottles, then carried them to the control crystal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, Ella, Behi, good sisters—let’s all gather and watch the show.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She called out to Isabella’s two attendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Miss Dorothy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two attendants didn’t bother with formalities—since the young mistress wasn’t here, they could relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Witch workplace norms were always like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the witch world seemed traditionally aristocratic, it wasn’t fully feudal. At least, among witches themselves, equality was a societal consensus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, a lord witch and her subordinates resembled a modern workplace relationship—boss and employee—not the feudal master-servant dynamic where the lord’s command meant death, and the servant had no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I’m happy working for you, I stay. If you make me unhappy, don’t blame me for quitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ella and Behi, like Dorothy and Alice, had mothers who were research witches under Haiyue Witch. Though their mothers’ rank was lower than Dorothy’s stepmother’s, they were still key figures in the Haiyue domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serving as Isabella’s attendants was merely a side job for Ella and Behi—like someone in Dorothy’s past life taking up a part-time maid job. It was just work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Alice, who was exceptionally gifted, Ella and Behi were ordinary witches with no grand ambition to become lords. Instead, they hoped to one day support Isabella as their mothers had supported Haiyue Witch, contributing steadily to the Haiyue domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, witches had to eat. Earning money wasn’t shameful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the ideal of equality applied only among witches. Below them, humans—the origin of witches—received half the treatment and still enjoyed some freedom. As for other races...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was up to fate. All you could do was pray your witch lord was merciful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like not every pet has a good owner—this was truly a matter of luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, just as Dorothy’s past world had animal protection groups, some witches in this world, overly sentimental, tirelessly promoted kindness toward other races. The mainstream witch opinion always favored them, and laws existed to protect rare species.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most witch lords treated other races well; some even loved them like their own children. After all, kind people were always more popular—no one wanted to deal with a cruel monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But exceptions always existed. Dorothy often read newspaper reports of cruel witches abusing other races—just like in her past life, people who abused cats and dogs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But beyond condemning them and avoiding them, others could do little. By witch tradition, other races on a witch’s land were her property, and she had the right to dispose of them as she wished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh. When the forest is vast, all kinds of birds appear. With such a big world, if there weren’t a few fools and perverts, you’d think you were living in heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, wait—this world’s heaven isn’t peaceful at all. Angels are brutally cruel. Never mind then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Dorothy, everything’s ready. It’s time to begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ella’s voice interrupted Dorothy’s wandering thoughts. She snapped back, checked the control crystal, and saw that both Alice and Isabella were prepared. She then infused magic into the crystal, activating the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the duel began, a massive one-minute countdown appeared in the air above the arena. The previously flat ground began to transform dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Invisible power moved mountains and filled seas, reshaped landscapes, turned seas into fields and fields into seas, accelerated plant growth—soon, a complex tropical jungle terrain emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the minute countdown neared its end, the gates of the two preparation rooms groaned open slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, two figures shot out at high speed, becoming twin streaks of light that collided.\u003C\u002Fp>",1187,"2026-06-21T03:49:44.850Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1c1db2e6a562fb495a8860d2494b6849eb9412b76a651a93c48080d5f141add2","armed-witch-chapter-19","armed-witch-chapter-17",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Farmed-witch-cover.jpg"]