[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-born-as-a-witch":3,"chapter-born-as-a-witch-born-as-a-witch-chapter-91":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Born as a 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},1702388,2172,"Chapter 91: Who will win?","born-as-a-witch-chapter-91",91,"\u003Cp>The cries of the black, screeching bird-creatures still echoed faintly behind Lira’s team as they pushed forward through the narrowing trail. Their breaths were ragged, clothes torn, and faint scratches lined their arms and faces, reminders of the vicious fight they had just endured. Yet despite the exhaustion weighing on them, a fire burned in their eyes, the treasure was close. Every step forward carried the heavy promise of triumph or failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side of the forest, Dominica’s team moved with ease. Their path had been strangely free of danger, dotted only with fleeting visions of foxes with shimmering, silver coats and tiny, round-eared rabbit-like spirits that hopped gently past them as though in greeting. No claws, no teeth, no wings that tore through the sky. Just calm, steady steps. It filled them with confidence. Dominica smirked, her gaze sharp as ever. \"Looks like fate favors us. We’ll be the first there,\" she murmured, her teammates nodding eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fate, as always, had two faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two trails converged at the same clearing, a sacred grove where the air shimmered with faint golden light. At the center of the grove stood the treasure: a luminous orb resting atop a stone pedestal carved with ancient runes. Its blue glow pulsed like a heartbeat, radiating power into the air, making every hair on their skin stand on edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira’s group stumbled out of the thicket just as Dominica’s team burst through the opposite side. For a breathless moment, both sides froze. Two pairs of eyes, Lira’s steady and determined, Dominica’s burning with ambition, locked across the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, as though a silent signal had been given, they ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grove erupted in chaos. Boots pounded the earth, branches snapped, and shouts filled the air. The teams clashed shoulder to shoulder, each one desperate to be the first to touch the shining prize. Arms shoved, elbows blocked, legs tangled. It was not a graceful race, but a furious scramble, the kind where every ounce of strength and will was thrown forward without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dominica’s hand stretched out, her fingertips inches from the orb. She could almost feel the warmth of it radiating against her skin. Lira, heart hammering, felt the weight of despair slam into her chest. For a fleeting instant she thought: We’ve lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then something inside her stirred, deep, steady, ancient. The earth answered her call. She pressed her foot down, and the ground beneath her pulsed with energy. Stones shifted, roots coiled, and the soil itself lent her a surge of strength while vines pushed her feet towards orb. With a final desperate push, she propelled herself forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hand shot out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And before Dominica’s fingers could graze the orb, Lira’s palm pressed firmly against its glowing surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light exploded across the grove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The orb blazed with brilliance, sending waves of golden energy rippling through the forest. Both teams froze in awe, their struggles halted as the radiant glow enveloped them. Then, from within the orb, a voice resounded, deep grandmaster’s , echoing not in the air but within their very hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Team Lira... has claimed the treasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The declaration rang like thunder, final and undeniable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dominica’s hand fell back, her face twisted in disbelief and anger, but she could not challenge what the orb itself had decreed. Her team stood stunned, shoulders slumped in bitter disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Lira’s group erupted into victorious laughter. Their exhaustion and wounds were forgotten in the rush of triumph. They threw their arms around one another, breathless and exhilarated. \"We did it!\" one of them shouted, their voice breaking with joy. Another lifted their fist high, letting out a triumphant cheer that echoed into the still-glowing grove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira, still standing with her hand against the orb, allowed herself a shaky smile. The weight of doubt that had pressed her moments ago was gone, replaced with pride and relief. For all their struggle, for all their pain, they had won, together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The orb pulsed one last time, then faded, its light dimming as though it had completed its task. In its place, a gentle warmth surrounded the victors. And in a shimmer of magic, both teams found themselves lifted away, the grove dissolving around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When their vision cleared, they were standing once more at the grand plaza of the academy. The stone halls loomed tall, the banners fluttered in the wind, and students gathered to see the returning challengers. Gasps and whispers spread through the crowd as the two teams appeared side by side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officials of the trial stepped forward, their robes marked with the sigils of the academy. One spoke clearly: \"The contest is complete. Team Lira has triumphed and claimed the treasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Applause erupted from the Academy, the sound filling the air like a wave. Lira’s team basked in the moment, laughter bubbling up uncontrollably as they hugged one another once more. Their scratches and their bruises, all became marks of honor. They had not only fought but prevailed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And though Dominica’s eyes burned with silent fury, even she could not deny what had been decided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, Lira’s team stood victorious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The path back felt different, almost as though the forest itself recognized their victory. Where before thorns and shadows had clawed at them, now the undergrowth seemed to shift aside, leaving a softer trail beneath their boots. The heavy tension of battle had lifted, and in its place was a strange kind of quiet triumph. Lira carried the orb carefully, its glow still pulsing faintly in her hands, a steady heartbeat that filled her with warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Feels lighter now,\" whispered boy, rubbing at a scratch across his cheek. He glanced back at the twisted path they had come from. \"Like the forest is letting us go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" replied Lira, her voice steadier than she felt. \"It wanted us to prove ourselves. And we did.\" She smiled faintly, though her muscles still ached from the fight with the screaming birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group pushed forward, and soon the distant sounds of cheer began to drift through the trees. It was faint at first—just a ripple of voices, laughter, the beat of drums—but with every step the noise grew louder. It was the sound of the academy. The sound of home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They already know,\" Mira said softly, eyes wide with excitement. \"They’re waiting for us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dominica’s team trailed not far behind, their faces unreadable. Though they had walked the easier path, their journey had ended in second place. They glanced at Lira’s group now and then, their pride pricked, but no one spoke. Even Dominica, usually sharp-tongued, remained quiet, her gaze locked on the glowing orb in Lira’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the trees parted, the two teams stepped into the academy’s great courtyard. A sea of students and instructors was gathered there, torches burning bright in the dusk, banners streaming overhead. The celebration had already begun, tables were laid with food, music filled the air, and the crowd erupted into cheers the moment they saw the victors appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re here! Lira’s team!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look, the orb!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voices rose in waves, and students rushed forward to surround them. Lira felt heat rise to her cheeks, overwhelmed by the sudden noise, the clapping on her shoulders, the congratulations that spilled over her. Talen and Mira laughed out loud, the tension of their long struggle breaking free at last. They clutched each other and spun around, caught up in the sheer joy of the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the steps of the main hall, the Headmaster appeared. His long robes shimmered with runes that glowed faintly in the torchlight, and his voice carried easily over the crowd without him raising it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Students of the academy,\" he said, his tone solemn but proud, \"the trial of paths has ended. And before us stand the victors.\" He extended his hand toward Lira’s group. \"They have endured deception, hardship, and battle. Where others sought the easy way, they pressed on through pain and darkness, for their courage, they hold the treasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira stepped forward, holding the orb out before her. Its light grew brighter as if answering the Headmaster’s call. The courtyard went quiet, every eye fixed upon the glowing sphere. Then the orb rose gently from Lira’s palms, floating in the air, spinning slowly as beams of soft light streamed outward and touched every student in the courtyard. A hush of awe passed through the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It recognizes them,\" murmured one of the instructors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It recognizes all of us,\" Mira whispered, eyes wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The orb pulsed one last time, then drifted down into the waiting hands of the Headmaster. He cradled it, nodding with approval. \"You have brought honor to yourselves and to this academy. Let this day be remembered as proof that strength is not in shortcuts, but in perseverance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd erupted once more, cheering so loudly the walls of the courtyard seemed to shake. Lira felt her chest swell, not just with pride, but with relief. For a moment she thought of the birds, of the scratches on her skin, of the doubt that had crept in when she believed they might lose. And then she thought of how she had reached, pushed beyond her limits, and grasped the orb with everything she had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With one hand she reached into her spatial bag and gave healing potion to everyone in her team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dominica stood a few steps behind, her jaw tight. She offered no congratulations, though her team members murmured grudging words of respect. Their rivalry was far from over, but for tonight, the celebration belonged to Lira and her friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of the night blurred into a whirlwind of celebration. Tables groaned under the weight of roasted meats, spiced breads, fruits glistening with honey. Students danced to the rhythm of drums and flutes, torches painting everything in a golden glow. Lira’s team was swept along, hugged, congratulated, pressed with food and drink they could barely hold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At one point, Mira raised her orb high and shouted, \"To victory!\" and the crowd answered in thunderous unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To victory!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira laughed, truly laughed, her voice mingling with her friends’. This time, she let herself believe that they had not just survived but triumphed.\u003C\u002Fp>",1703,"2026-06-06T14:30:21.780Z",1,"novelbin.me","c40927a2028463dcea40237cfb39312c51bb466fe8a440e745bb0158d239ffd1","born-as-a-witch-chapter-92","born-as-a-witch-chapter-90",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fborn-as-a-witch-cover.jpg"]