Chapter 411 Does the witch Su Miao block the anger of the evil god? - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

The innkeeper's face was filled with despair upon seeing the Abyss Priests bursting in. She knew they would arrive quickly, but she didn't expect them to be so swift, catching her completely off guard without any time to prepare. Ultimately, Zhang Qian's unexpected and swift return was what she hadn't accounted for. "You sneaky rats, at least two of you will die today!" The innkeeper pressed down with both hands, causing the broom she held to disappear, replaced by two electromagnetic long swords. Sparks danced along the blades, with dark red bloodstains hinting at the many lives they had claimed. "Hehehe." The lead Abyss Priest lifted a limb. To be precise, it was a tentacle. With it, he revealed a cloak, exposing an octopus-like visage with extremely unsettling eyes. "Want a face reveal? Here, let me show you mine." "My name is Black Snake." Tiny tentacles twisted and writhed on the priest, appearing utterly disgusting. Black Snake's grotesque form made Xia Xiao An and Lin Jiu Jiu profoundly uncomfortable. After his self-introduction, he politely covered his hood again. As a villain, it was unclear if this was etiquette, politeness, or something else entirely. "This is Black Raccoon, and this is Black Dog." Black Snake introduced the two Abyss Priests beside him. His behavior was baffling to those present. "You're Black Snake?!" The innkeeper's expression changed dramatically as if recalling something, she shouted, "Zhang Qian, run!" Zhang Qian was bewildered; she couldn't comprehend the situation unfolding before her. "Where can I run now?" Black Raccoon made his move. He charged straight toward Zhang Qian. The innkeeper reacted even faster, shifting in position to stand between Zhang Qian and Black Raccoon, initiating an attack. One strike, two strikes, three strikes, she exchanged three moves with Black Raccoon. "You..." Suddenly feeling powerless, the innkeeper staggered back several steps, thrusting her twin blades into the ground to barely support herself. "In truth, I'm a moth." Black Raccoon lifted his hood, revealing a face covered in fine scales, resembling a large moth. The face looked even more abstract and repulsive. Lin Jiu Jiu felt compelled to act. She looked at Xia Xiao An, "Xiao An?!" Xia Xiao An swayed painfully before collapsing softly, "Be careful..." Lin Jiu Jiu suddenly realized why Xia Xiao An had stopped talking in the team's voice channel earlier; it turned out to be this. Turning back, Lin Jiu Jiu noticed Zhang Qian had already fallen. Lin Jiu Jiu was the only one left standing in front of the three Abyss Priests. "Little girl, your mental defenses are unusually strong." Black Snake spoke leisurely, "You are among the strongest mental ability users I've encountered. Mind reading and control are exceptional, but not every ability bearer is suitable for being read or controlled." "Like me, for example, with my mental pollution—do you understand?" Xia Xiao An recalled what Su Miao had once told her. Be cautious of backlash when using mind-reading abilities. But Xia Xiao An never imagined encountering something like mental pollution. Black Snake's self-introduction was merely a stalling tactic. So devious. Black Snake continued, "However, little girl, you're impressive. Even under mental pollution, your emotions remain stable. I'm curious how you achieved such mental fortitude." "And you, young girl, I can tell you want to attack us. A word of caution, our entire bodies are contaminated." Lin Jiu Jiu frowned slightly as she locked eyes with Black Snake. She seemed to be the only one unaffected, likely due to her control over the celestial powers. As Black Snake spoke, Black Dog had silently maneuvered to flank them. Lin Jiu Jiu prepared to put the priests into a dream state in an instant with a flick of her hand. Suddenly, a roaring sound echoed. Duan Tian Gang rushed in. He glanced at the scene, momentarily confused. A few moments prior, he received word of a skirmish between his subordinates and several ability user groups, resulting in heavy casualties. However, it was noted that Xia Xiao An, Lin Jiu Jiu, and Zhang Qian had entered this small shop. So, Duan Tian Gang had immediately arrived with reinforcements. The adjacent district was enveloped in chaotic fighting, perfect for him to operate undetected. Even if someone noticed, the situation appeared so daunting that no one dared to speak up—a strategy Duan Tian Gang was quite experienced with. "Old Duan, do you think it's possible that those dressed so well might be from a sanctuary?" questioned Yu Wen Nian, a plump figure, before setting off. "Impossible." Duan Tian Gang countered, "Whenever a lady from a sanctuary ventures out, isn't she always accompanied by guards? Look at these three—do they have any?" "Rather than ladies from a sanctuary, they're more like fallen aristocracy." He spoke with certainty. But upon arriving at the shop and launching an assault, he realized something was off. The brothers he brought were gone, replaced by three cloaked, ominous ability users. Among the three young women he took interest in, one had fallen, another was on one knee. The remaining one seemed a bit flustered. An older woman knelt on the ground, supporting herself with twin blades. The situation exceeded his expectations, especially the presence of three Abyss Priests, whose malevolence was evident even at a glance. "Ahem, sorry, wrong place, wrong place." Duan Tian Gang waved a hand, attempting to retreat. But escaping the formation barrier set by the Abyss Priests was no simple task until they deactivated it. "Since you're here, don't leave." Black Raccoon quipped with a cold smile. Their purpose in creating the barrier was to ensure that events within weren't witnessed by outsiders. Although how Duan Tian Gang managed to breach it was a mystery, now that he was inside, leaving was moot—he was to die. Like a wraith, Black Raccoon lunged forward menacingly. Duan Tian Gang clenched his fist, raised a pinkie, and pointed it at Black Raccoon. Swoosh! A surge of energy shot forth, tearing through Black Raccoon. Caught off guard, Black Raccoon took the hit head-on, tumbling to the ground, spilling black blood. "You bastard, dare to tangle with your grandpa?" Duan Tian Gang retorted, "I should warn you, my guys are outside; none of you are leaving." Drawing his gaze from Lin Jiu Jiu, Black Snake addressed him, "Prince Duan Tian Gang, care to join the Abyss?" Duan Tian Gang chuckled, "Mental abilities? That's what bothers me the least." With a roar, he launched himself like a cannonball. Black Snake was taken aback. His psychic powers were being countered, and his body was on the verge of becoming a puppet under someone else's control. Sensing danger, Black Dog quickly intervened, pulling Black Snake out of Duan Tian Gang's attack range. Examining the scene closely, threads crisscrossed the barrier intricately. "Watch out, puppet strings." The innkeeper, still on one knee, warned, aiming her caution at Lin Jiu Jiu. To prevent injury to Xia Xiao An and Zhang Qian, Lin Jiu Jiu swiftly moved them aside. Unexpectedly, her action entwined her, Xia Xiao An, and Zhang Qian in threads. These threads were a peculiar form of ability-infused strings. Saying nothing, Lin Jiu Jiu retrieved a cup of mixed juice from her spatial storage device, feeding some to Xia Xiao An. This was a concoction made by Su Miao, with restorative powers and the ability to heal injuries and neutralize toxins. Though uncertain if it would help Xia Xiao An, she knew it couldn't hurt to try. "A puppet?!" Black Snake gave his sleeve a brisk pat, corroding the threads ensnaring him, and smirked, "Your abilities were well-concealed, but unfortunately useless against us." Duan Tian Gang replied, "We'll see if it's useless." With a slap to his spatial storage, he unleashed six puppet ability users. In their former lives, these were formidable ability users, tricked by Duan Tian Gang and turned into fully controllable puppets. The moment they appeared, the puppets launched an aggressive offensive against the Abyss Priests. With a sweeping gesture, Black Snake stepped forward. "Hellfire." Forming a seal with his hands, he conjured a dark blood-red fireball with a 60 cm radius. The temperature around them rose sharply, as if threatening to incinerate everything nearby. With a thrust of his hands, Black Snake sent the hellfire towards the puppets, detonating it in a blazing explosion. The puppets coordinated in a valiant attempt to withstand it. As Black Snake reeled in shock, Duan Tian Gang pointed a finger at him, unleashing another forceful blast. He was utterly confident—Black Snake couldn't withstand this move. If Black Snake truly accepts this move, it would spell his demise. Because this was the Decline Finger. But in the next moment, Duan Tian Gang witnessed a horrifying scene. A tentacle emerged from beneath Black Snake's robe, forcefully absorbing the energy blast. Though the tentacle quickly withered from the impact, just as the decay was about to spread to Black Snake’s main body, he severed it like a gecko losing its tail. "Duan Tian Gang, is it? I'll remember you." Black Snake's voice was chilling. "Black Raccoon, Black Dog, take the sacrifices, kill everyone else." Black Raccoon and Black Dog nodded, advancing with murder in their eyes. "Arrogant." Duan Tian Gang pulled on the threads, restraining Black Snake's movements. Black Snake was slowed by 0.5 seconds. It was humiliating, a disgrace. He halted, fixing Duan Tian Gang with an eerie stare, "You're courting death." Duan Tian Gang chuckled, "Relax, I'll slay you all; none of these girls are going anywhere with you." Just as the battle was about to resume, a very polite and melodious voice interrupted. "May I ask, how can this pollution be resolved?" Lin Jiu Jiu asked with remarkable restraint. The mixed juice she had given Xia Xiao An earlier hadn't had much effect, as her condition deteriorated. She had to act quickly. Black Snake glanced at Lin Jiu Jiu with minimal reaction. Duan Tian Gang eyed Lin Jiu Jiu, feeling an overwhelming joy. A naïve simpleton? No, after years of apocalypse, who would still be innocent and naive? "Didn't you hear her?" Lin Jiu Jiu pointed at Black Raccoon. Black Raccoon tried to dodge but still fell into a dream-filled slumber. Black Snake was shocked. Impossible! Since becoming Abyss Priests, they were immune to dreaming, yet his colleague had fallen asleep without warning. "Who are you?" Black Snake noticed a few strands of blue-purple hair peeking from under a cloak and recognized the distinct white hair of Xia Xiao An lying on the floor... [Could they be minions of the Witch Su Miao?] [What nonsense is this?] [...] This was absurd. "Trying to stall for time?" Lin Jiu Jiu gestured at Black Dog, who charged directly at her. In an instant, Black Dog collapsed into slumber. Duan Tian Gang could not help but blurt, "The witch's followers?" Looking around suspiciously, he searched for any signs of Su Miao, relieved not to find her. For a fleeting moment, Duan Tian Gang feared that Su Miao was watching him, but he had no evidence. Where did he get the audacity to attack Xia Xiao An and Lin Jiu Jiu? Even when arriving to find them under siege, he regretted not taking Yu Wen Nian's advice to do nothing. Now, trapped in this situation, what was he to do? Looking at Black Snake, Black Dog, and Black Raccoon Priests, his decision was clear: prioritize killing one to prove loyalty! With this in mind, Duan Tian Gang commanded the puppet quintet to attack the sleeping Black Raccoon. The puppets launched a savage assault, obliterating Black Raccoon. Instantly, fragments of black flesh and blood scattered across the ground. Though Black Snake wanted to intervene, he was forced to remain where he was. Duan Tian Gang coldly smirked, hoping Lin Jiu Jiu would appreciate his performance and allow him to leave later. In truth, Su Miao's magical phantom watched them from the void. To Su Miao, the hesitance in Xia Xiao An and Lin Jiu Jiu's actions was mildly disappointing. Had they acted more decisively, things wouldn't have escalated to this point. For now, she continued to observe. Lin Jiu Jiu said, "Who I am is none of your concern." Black Snake remarked, "Lin Jiu Jiu, you are Lin Jiu Jiu, and she is Xia Xiao An... if you two are here, could it be that the Witch Su Miao is here too?" A glance at the fallen Zhang Qian—taking the sacrifice from this distance seemed impossible. This was a sacrifice specifically designated by the evil god! Lin Jiu Jiu repeated, "Lift the barrier, cleanse the pollution from them, or I won’t be so polite." Black Snake responded, "I'll dissolve the formation barrier to let you leave. As for their symptoms, it's excessive mental pollution; a bit of rest will resolve it." Is that true? Lin Jiu Jiu pointed at Black Snake. Silence fell. Black Snake's eyes widened with terror. He felt as though his soul was being torn from his body; no wonder Black Raccoon and Black Dog couldn't withstand it. Such supernatural powers were terrifying. Yet, in just one second, Black Snake shook off Lin Jiu Jiu's control, "Lin Jiu Jiu, this trick might work on humans, but I ceased being human long ago, hahahaha!" Black Snake's body expanded abruptly; countless tentacles emerged from his base, grasping wildly at anything nearby, particularly the sleeping Zhang Qian. He had intended to leave. However, Lin Jiu Jiu showed no signs of letting him go. If that's the case, he wouldn't hesitate. Others might fear offending a witch, but he didn't. Once he obtained the sacrifice, evoking the evil god, could mortal witch Su Miao withstand the god's wrath? Impossible! Conversely, failing to secure the sacrifice could mean instant annihilation for him. Thus, he chose to take his chances. Black Snake gambled that, despite all this time, Witch Su Miao hadn't appeared—she possibly wasn't even here. Hehehe! (End of the chapter)