Chapter 166: The Enemy Has Appeared

The 3 Witches made their way across the muddy ground.

The mud was so soft it was practically a swamp, yet the women’s feet didn’t even get dirty. They moved as though they were simply walking through the air.

It was one of the properties of their robes and shoes, artifacts designed to minimize contact with dirt and keep them from getting dirty.

Moving with their guards up, a while later, Aveline came to a stop.

"I can sense the farm a little ahead."

She didn’t even use a spell. It was her bloodline trait that let her easily detect any type of plant within a wide area. She could even identify them without getting close enough to see them properly.

Next, Celeste’s Shadow trembled as Titus returned.

"There’s no sign of the beast nearby."

Corvo came back not long after too, rising from the shadow.

"Same on my side."

It was good news, since they could now start their plan without worrying about the boss of the territory.

Still, it didn’t mean they could lower their guard.

Each Witch first used her best detection spells, thoroughly scanning the entire area for any unseen enemies.

Then, even after making sure there were no signs of any presence around them, they still used their concealment spells to hide themselves.

While Celeste changed her body into transparent ice, making herself completely invisible to the naked eye, Aveline used her nature spell to move underground.

Rowena didn’t go with them. Instead, she stayed a little farther away. As their main firepower, she would act as backup, sniping and supporting her team with long range spells if they ran into an enemy.

So far, everything was going well. Celeste had already come close enough to see the Golden Sunberry farm, spread across a huge area, covered with bushes filled with hundreds of round mana fruits.

Aveline also emerged from the ground behind her, her keen eyes carefully scanning the surroundings.

"I’ll start casting the spell to relocate the farm."

She had already decided to take the farm after seeing there was no danger around them.

She first called her Shadow. A bulky man covered in armor resembling tree bark emerged behind her. Even the helmet covering his head had green leaves growing from it like hair.

Then she began to chant, raising her hands into the air.

"O Vein of the Living World, River that has flowed since before the First Dawn, Silent Mother of Rain and Sea. Let the roots take hold, let the branches shape the land."

The moment her casting finished, an unbelievable amount of mana surged from her body, causing the entire area to begin shaking.

All around the place, dozens of sprouts suddenly began growing from the muddy ground. The sprouts quickly became saplings, and the saplings grew into massive trees towering several meters above the ground.

These weren’t mindless trees either. The moment they had fully grown, their roots tore themselves free from the earth.

Moving like enormous tentacles, they began crawling and twisting across the ground.

Seeing that the trees were ready for her command, Aveline raised her hand again and spoke in a commanding tone.

"Hold the farm."

The trees moved the instant they received her order. Like loyal soldiers, they surrounded the Golden Sunberry farm, forming a complete ring around it.

Their thick branches began stretching outward. One after another, countless branches drove themselves into the ground like spears.

They continued extending and spreading beneath the earth, their branches forming an enormous network underneath the entire farm. They intertwined with one another, creating a massive web of wood beneath the soil, with countless branches supporting every part of the farm.

Once their preparations were complete, the trees began raising their branches.

The ground trembled once again.

Slowly, the entire farm began to rise.

The soil beneath it lifted together with the branches, keeping the whole farm intact as it separated from the surrounding ground. The massive network of branches underneath acted like a giant wooden net, holding the circular piece of earth in place as it rose higher and higher.

Meanwhile, Celeste, who had kept casting her detection spells nonstop, informed them in a calm tone.

"No nearby enemies so far."

The process of taking the entire farm in one piece was quite noisy, yet despite that, no enemy had appeared. It was quite strange and at the same time reassuring.

The idea that Sable Thorn’s farm had simply been abandoned was a possibility, but an unlikely one.

After giving the trees another command to start relocating the massive farm, Aveline said in a heavy tone,

"Stay alert. We can’t let our guard down until we reach your territory."

Celeste’s territory was the closest one to the place, so as long as they entered her territory and put down the farm, they could consider the immediate danger over.

Aware of this, the group followed the trees as they began moving slowly but steadily on their crawling roots, their first priority being to leave the area of the Giant Crimson Lizard.

It was another strange thing. Despite all the commotion, the beast still hadn’t shown itself.

Since it was nighttime, it was normally the Lizard’s sleeping time. It was known for its deep and undisturbed sleep, but to be sure, Celeste sent Titus out again to search the surroundings to make sure the Lizard was truly asleep.

As he was about to leave, a loud explosion made all of them stop in their tracks.

Just a little ahead, a pillar of fire suddenly materialized from the ground, rapidly stretching toward the sky and lighting up the entire night.

"That’s where Rowena is."

Celeste immediately understood whose spell it was. It was actually a signal, indicating that something unexpected had appeared there.

The fact that the signal was so large and eye-catching, looking more like an attack than a signal, could only mean that whatever had appeared was extremely dangerous.

"You go and support her. I can handle things here," Aveline said, making her trees continue moving.

If things became impossible to handle, she could destroy the farm as a last resort before escaping herself.

She was also a 12th Trial Witch known more for her defensive and support spells, so she could take care of herself better than the others.

Celeste nodded, then cast her movement spell. Her body instantly changed into water as she rushed toward the pillar of fire like a powerful wave crashing against the shore.

She quickly reached the area, ready to begin casting her spells and support Rowena, whoever she was currently fighting.

But the moment she came close enough to see the scene and the enemy she was fighting, her water form deactivated, and her calm expression cracked with a sliver of shock.

"How is that possible?"

Rowena and Corvo were currently in a very bad state. They were already covered in numerous wounds, and the Shadow had even lost an arm.

As for their enemy, it was none other than the Giant Crimson Lizard.

But the main shock was that the beast was nothing like Celeste remembered.

It was currently nothing but a giant skeleton, with 2 massive flames burning inside its empty eye sockets.