Chapter 73: The Magical Girl and the Witch

"Hello, kin."

"I am the Magical Girl Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei. It is a pleasure to meet you."

A faint floral scent followed her words; though the fragrance was intense, Li En did not feel overwhelmed by it.

The gorgeously dressed girl dropped her magical defense, revealing a youthful face so young it could be called childish.

The girl, hissing with a sweet smile, exhaled like orchids and wore an expression of pure innocence.

This blend of three parts innocence and seven parts allure was the type most difficult for men to resist.

"Kin, have you mistaken me?"

What she received was the woman smiling and shaking her head.

How could she be mistaken? It was clearly kin of the same source and blood, but she would confirm it anyway.

"Heh, how could I be mistaken? You carry the scent of the Beast, a very pure scent (Ancient Elvish: Mári, níMúraisa)."

Instantly, Li En's hair stood on end; this was a very serious accusation.

"I am just an ordinary person; you must have misunderstood! (Ancient Elvish: Lesuilon, i-'wenMurthorn!)"

Li En suspected he had fallen into a trap; was this the Beast Cult's retaliation? He even suspected assassins with axes were already lying in wait outside the door!

"Apologies, perhaps I did mistake you. (Ash Dwarf: Grommdm-az, zund-kharag-nok.)"

The sudden softening of the other's attitude made Li En breathe a sigh of relief.

Could it be that this was merely a probe? How could a true Beast Cultist be so easily frightened out?

"As long as it is a misunderstanding, as long as it is a misunderstanding (Ash Dwarf proverb: harn-rukvorn-ak, tharn-rukvorn-ak! (Ignorance and misunderstanding are unrefined ore; the hammer and furnace are destined to smelt the true gold of truth!))"

Hearing this, Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei also showed a look of surprise; your bloodline is pure enough to come with Ash Dwarf proverbs on its own.

However, she was too lazy to play with kin anymore; let's just say it directly.

"You still say you are not a Beast? Recall carefully; what language did you just speak? (Common Tongue)"

"What language? Wasn't it the Kingdom's Common Tongue... uh."

Li En only then noticed that his tongue had gone numb from curling; what he had just spoken was clearly not the Common Tongue!

【Beast Transformation: 2.5%, Bloodline Ability Awakened: Comprehend Languages (Understand Human Speech).】

【Comprehend Languages (Legendary): As a successor of %&#, beyond the nine divine tongues of this world, you can instantly understand the languages of most lower races.】

"Damn, this isn't even a 'Golden Finger Cheat'?! It's a huge trap!"

Bloodline abilities and Beast Transformation; at this moment, Li En, having realized everything, understood nothing else.

Since this was not a transmigration beneficiary's privilege, then naturally, it had a source.

The universal translator he had always used was the "Power of the Beast"!

"Hello, kin (Hiss hiss hiss... Hiss. Hiss.)"

The same words as the first meeting, yet they sounded like a string of hisses.

Their meaning lay entirely within the resonance of the aura; ordinary people could only hear the snake hissing, but Li En understood it.

"I... I said it was a misunderstanding. Do you believe me? (Hiss hiss hiss... Hiss.)"

He opened his mouth to reply, but it was not the Common Tongue.

Now, even Parseltongue had come out; Li En was truly numb, no need to argue anymore.

"Don't tease the little one; he must have awakened naturally, and his blood is still very faint. Without bloodline memories, he should know nothing. Heh, little one, look up, look up; sister is talking to you."

Then, another soft female voice suddenly came from above his head.

Li En looked up and saw that great serpent speaking... and this time, it was clearly true Common Tongue.

"Little one, do not rush; we are different from other 'Beasts'. We 'Snakes' are allies of civilization, members of the Seven Beasts Alliance, the most benevolent and least fond of conflict among the Beasts..."

Li En breathed a sigh of relief and stopped the Dragon Speech spell he had been triggering.

As long as they were not here to trouble him, he would see a bit more.

Under the explanation of one human and one beast, Li En gradually learned what was actually happening.

Not all "Beasts" are enemies. Actually, in ancient times, regarding the future goals of their kind and whether the "Beast Hordes" should possess human hearts, emotions, and feelings, the Ancient Beasts were divided.

The final result was a century-long war that completely destroyed the Beast Era, and also the beginning of this current Era of Beast-Human Transformation.

"We 'Snakes' have always stood with the reformers; the alliance of the seven orderly Beasts was originally led by us."

The seven Beasts, represented by the Snake, accepted the human heart, accepted order and emotion, ultimately leading to that extremely cruel civil war.

"In the end, did the Seven Beasts win? Thus came the Beastmen..." Now, Li En understood a little.

"We lost; we lost terribly." But the great serpent's cold response was quite cruel.

"How could we win? How can seven fight hundreds and win? The initial reformist faction was nearly annihilated in the civil war; three Ancient Beasts have not yet revived to this day, including our ancestor, the 'Ancient Snake'..."

Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei added that this was "forbidden knowledge" absolutely impossible to tell ordinary people.

But for Beast Awakened ones, it was history that must be known; after all, they would sooner or later have to make a choice.

"But with the help of other races and an increasing number of Beast-Humans who possessed human hearts, after a thousand years of bitter warfare, the heartless Beast Hordes were eliminated, and the Ancient Beasts of the opposition faction were sealed one by one."

This was the "Ancient Beast War" that ended the Beast Era, but the true victors were not the reformist Beasts, but the Beast-Humans who possessed human hearts, the true ancestors of the various Beastman races today.

It can be said that this is also the origin of "modern civilization."

As for these other races who came to help, considering the hatred from the previous battles, Li En estimated there were definitely Dragons, and they should have been the main force.

"So, the Beastmen knocked their own Laozu Sect flat and then pinned them underground, never to rise again for eternity." Li En wore a cold face; were the Beastmen a bit unscrupulous?

"... Uh, you could say that. On the current continent, only the descendants of our Seven Beasts can act legally; news of other Beasts must be strictly sealed off. When we act externally, we also call ourselves Magical Girls; the name 'Beast' cannot be mentioned."

Every Beast's abilities and authority are different, but their existence is a calamity of drowning for modern civilization.

They can create infinite Beast Tides simply by sharing their Beast blood, not to mention their powerful original physical bodies.

It is said that the "Deer," which is not good at fighting, holds authority over the directions of Heaven and Sea (gravity is just one part); historical records state it once created several "Floating Cities," causing a tragedy of a million people falling to their deaths.

And the "Elephant," not a combat faction among Beasts, created a world-ending disaster just over ten years ago; several small nations were overturned, and the casualties were countless.

Considering the fates of these Laozu Sect ancestors, they would kill without hesitation upon emerging; perhaps in their consciousness, they were merely stretching their bodies and incidentally helping their "descendants" return to the ancient times.

And if the Age of Beasts truly returned, it would be a calamity of drowning proportions for the Beastmen of today.

The Seven Beasts, their descendants, and kin stand completely on the side of the Beastmen in this regard; to be precise, they have long since thoroughly integrated into Beastman civilization.

Among them, there are even their own organizations and factions, as well as kingdoms belonging to the Seven Beasts.

Among them, the "Snake" is the most low-key; they understand human hearts, speak human tongues, and comprehend language (understanding human speech) is their most basic bloodline ability.

"Rest assured, child. Your scent is faint; it is just that we are all descendants of the Snake, so even face-to-face, I would not notice."

This great snake leaped onto Li En, its forked tongue lightly licking Li En's cheek.

Li En, who originally did not like reptiles, felt no discomfort; instead, he felt a deep sense of relaxation and comfort from within, as if being kissed on the forehead by an elder.

"I am Melur. The contract beast and teacher of the Magical Girl Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei, and also the special envoy of the Magical Girl Fan Club, entrusted by the Atherlin Royal Family to handle this incident and to observe your situation on the front lines." This statement had too many flaws, but the other party seemed to be speaking very seriously.

Those who hold the power of the Beast that chose civilization are undoubtedly experts in handling matters related to "Beasts," and are guests of honor in the courts of various royal families and churches.

Their Magical Girl Fan Club is a well-known official organization; young-generation Magical Girls often come out to gain experience under nominal titles. Li En had heard their names before and even suspected the worldview because of them (mentioned in Chapter 2).

And when facing crisis matters related to Beasts, they would rush to the front lines without hesitation.

Those who come into contact with Beasts are easily corroded and assimilated, yet Li En had fought a life-or-death battle directly with a "Beast Kin with High Awakening."

Naturally, the Royal Family sent experts to examine him to determine whether he had been corroded, turned into a puppet of the Beast, or become a hidden bomb within civilization. Given the previous "examples," this was absolutely necessary.

"The other children have no problems. When I smelled the scent of the Beast on you, I was startled. Fortunately, you are a natural awakening of the same kind." Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei looked very happy, her beautiful eyes staring fixedly at Li En, constantly flickering.

It seemed she had some extra thoughts.

"Rest assured, I will tell Her Highness the Princess that nothing is wrong with you. Yes, I will tell her that you naturally possess Beast resistance and are completely trustworthy." Since they were of the same kind, she naturally hid the truth without hesitation.

"Then, what can I do, what do I need to do, do I need to seal the bloodline or something?" Glancing at the "2.5% Beastification," Li En felt a bit numb; this seemed to be a bomb as well.

"Do nothing; continue on your path as a professional. It will help you constrain the source of the bloodline. Even though the power of the 'Snake' is the gentlest and most stable, do not respond to it; after all, it is a Beast." Those who approach the flame are destined to be ignited or melted.

The Snake witches, however, persuade men not to use the power of the Snake.

"Unless, you also want to become like me." The great snake Melur said this, seemingly implying that she herself had once been a Beastman?!

"What a pity. If you were female, I would take you back to the Association without hesitation."

Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei was a bit regretful; "Magical Girls" need stable Beast awakeners.

Corresponding stable Beast blood holders (Snakes) are too rare; she herself had long wanted a junior!

Li En was also quite curious about "Magical Girls" and directly asked two questions.

"Magical Girl? Actually, we were originally called Beast Priestesses. After all, we are basically female users of Beast power. And the name 'Beast' is best not to be spoken at all. Someone suggested changing the name to 'Girls Who Use Beast Magic,' and at some point, everyone started calling us that."

The two women did not care about the name; whether Beast Priestess or Magical Girl, it was just a name.

Moreover, "Magical Girl" is very fitting; due to the existence of the contract and Beast power, they maintain a maiden state for a long time.

Directly using Beast power is destined to lead to assimilation and corrosion by it.

This has nothing to do with the Beast itself; it is simply because of getting too close to the "Source." A small stream encountering a river and ocean is directly merged and assimilated by it.

And just as Priestesses and Holy Maidens, professions that serve high-ranking existences, often choose young and pure women, "restraint" is always the primary task in using this overly powerful force.

"Male users of Beast power... they find it very difficult to control their instincts and desires; they lose control too easily. There are quite a few Beast Cults, but they are basically insane." Well, this power is also sexist!

But Magical Girls are naturally powerful; even the weakest can easily surpass the baseline power of ordinary Grand Knights and Grand Mages, and their upper limit is ridiculously high.

"Trained for a lifetime and still can't beat a village girl..." This was a famous quote from a certain legendary spellcaster after his defeat.

And the "village girl" in his mouth was a pure supernatural newcomer who had only become a Magical Girl three months ago!

No need for effort, no need for combat training, no need to learn spells; just fighting according to instinct as experience and bloodline grow, making them ridiculously powerful.

Compared to Warlocks, this is true power gained while lying down; the only thing needed is to restrain the overly powerful force within the bloodline.

"You can't even beat a little girl!" This unreasonable miracle is also the origin of this self-deprecating name.

"In a sense, we are also a type of Warlock (Hexblade), except we do not contract with high-ranking existences from outer planes, but with our own blood kin." Seeing that Li En seemed interested, Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei explained briefly.

To avoid being overly corroded, Magical Girls use Contract Beasts (some of whom are Witches, others are Beast descendants with human hearts) as filters to indirectly use Beast power.

For them, power is not that important; maintaining mental stability after gaining power is what matters. This is also the reason Li En was taken seriously and received answers to his questions.

He had no Contract Beast to share the burden, yet possessed bloodline abilities and remained quite stable; he must be a very high-quality Snake bloodline.

What Li En paid attention to became increasingly strange; if there are Magical Girls who get corrupted, could there be Witches as well?

"Witches? Of course there are, I am one." The great snake Melur proudly flicked her tongue. This is the adulthood and graduation of a Magical Girl; maintaining sanity at this stage has already proven her strength.

However, a Witch in this form needs a new Magical Girl to contract with, to share humanity and suppress bestiality.

Passed down generation after generation, a one-to-one partnership, which could be sisters, mother and daughter, or master and disciple.

There are not many Male Magical Boys because it is more difficult for men to restrain their instinctual desires; they might hit the gas and not be able to stop.

"Male Magical Boys" are not zero, but the ratio is less than one percent of Magical Girls.

Magical Girls will eventually become Beast Witches; after erasing the "Beast" that cannot be casually mentioned, they are naturally called Witches. Since this world has other types of Witches, Beast Witches generally refer to themselves publicly as "Contract Beasts."

"Contract Beasts, Magical Girls, and Witches." Li En felt a bit numb; he sensed obvious malicious humor, especially the tradition of naming Magical Girls after "flower names."

There was no need to doubt anymore; it must be the work of some Li En Sudar!

"Awakened bloodline abilities, such a high concentration of Beast blood, and such mental stability in an awakener; this is too rare. How about changing your gender? I can help you collect magic potions... Don't be nervous, don't back away, I'm joking." But Magical Girl Young Lady, your eyes are quite serious!

If this Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei reaches the point of "retirement" and still wants to run around outside as a Witch, she will need a "Snake Magical Girl" junior.

Upon hearing this, Li En had no more doubts; this power is absolutely a major hazard, and he should absolutely never use it in the future.

"Gah! Nonsense! Others can't, but you, use it freely!" Kuk, who had been listening on the sidelines, had a different opinion.

But when Li En asked further, the other party completely refused to answer, only saying, "You will know later," and "Forbidden knowledge, cannot be spoken!"

One Contract Beast and one Magical Girl seemed very busy; they had only just arrived and were dragged into a meeting.

After chatting briefly, the two, with faces full of fatigue, left their contact information and agreed to meet again later, then intended to leave.

Li En also learned that Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei's real name is "Lillian Winsil," and she warned Li En not to spread it; Magical Girls seem not to reveal their real names to outsiders.

"Uh, then why did you tell me?" Li En's question only received a sweet smile in return.

But in the end, just as Violet Lilyan stepped out the door, she suddenly turned back.

"By the way, a reminder: do not get too close to female snake-people."

Instantly, Li En thought of Miss Shaliman; he hesitated for a moment, then asked.

"Uh, may I ask why..."

"Nothing. Your stable Serpent Origin will naturally attract other female snake-people on a bloodline level. If you do not wish to be dragged off to marry early, stay away from female snake-people."

But seeing Li En with his mouth agape, seemingly frightened, Violet hurriedly added.

"Ahem, do not panic; it is merely an increase in affinity, not a love potion. Those who originally found you agreeable will feel you seem very suitable for marriage; small matters that previously added a little affinity will inexplicably jump by a large margin." Probably, it is on the level of Snake Mint.

Yet this made Li En even more rigid! He turned to stone directly!

"Uh, looks like you have already been struck?" Violet clicked her tongue; she had arrived too late! Which little brat moved so fast!

(End of this chapter)