Lord: I have built a witch's sanctuary.

Chapter 2 The Witch's Awakening Ritual

In the long-abandoned fireplace at the White Wolf outpost, an iron pot is currently sitting on the stove.

The water in the pot was bubbling away. Anna had somehow found some aged spices, and even though it was just a simple dish of dried salted meat stewed with wheat porridge, her skillful hands managed to create a rich and appetizing aroma.

This aroma is almost the most luxurious comfort on a cold winter night.

Lorraine sat by the fire, holding a warm wooden bowl in her hands. Although her gaze was fixed on the dancing flames, her thoughts had already wandered far away.

The food problem was temporarily solved; the food in the cellar, though coarse in taste, was enough to fill our stomachs.

However, the number of magic crystals on hand is still pitifully small.

He subconsciously touched the few magic crystals he had left in his pocket.

He just used one in order to ask a question about the Witch's Codex.

Based on the minimum consumption of one magic fire per day at the outpost, the remaining stock in my pocket is only enough to last for five days at most.

Five days later, if the magic crystals are not replenished, the magic fire will go out, and the monsters of the Moment of Change will rush in and tear them to pieces.

We must find a way to acquire more magic crystals.

"Young master, is the taste... alright?"

Anna's timid voice interrupted Lorraine's thoughts.

Lorraine snapped out of her reverie and nodded: "Hmm, not bad. I didn't expect you to be such a good cook."

Hearing the praise, a satisfied blush appeared on the girl's dirty little face. But Lorraine quickly noticed something was amiss.

Although Anna was also holding a bowl, she didn't touch the stewed meat and porridge in the pot at all.

She simply kept her head down, taking small bites of a piece of hard, dark, dry ration that felt like a rock, swallowing it with a little hot water every now and then.

The dry rations were what they had left over from the journey; they were cold, hard, and even had a musty smell.

Lorraine frowned and put down the wooden bowl in her hand.

"Anna, there's rice in the pot, why aren't you eating?"

Anna was startled, shrinking back like a child who had done something wrong, hiding the piece of dark, dry rations behind her back, and muttering softly:

"Young master... Although there seems to be a lot of food in the cellar, I just calculated that if we eat as much as we want, it will only last for half a month at most."

"I think... I want to save some money, and I'm used to eating this kind of food."

She raised her head, her eyes clear yet humble:

"I am very grateful that the young master did not choose to abandon me and leave alone."

"For a servant like me... to be able to sit by the fire and eat with the young master is already a happiness I never dared to dream of before, how could I dare to ask for meat?"

Lorraine looked at the slender girl in front of her.

Beneath that large fur cloak, her body was so thin that it seemed a gust of wind could blow her over.

These slaves were mostly sold into the castle by their parents, who were unable to support them, when they were young, just to survive.

In that rigidly hierarchical aristocratic family, she was a private property stripped of her dignity, a slave who could be beaten and scolded at will.

Lorraine had a twisted personality since childhood, and he often took his anger out on her, but she never complained. The only rule she had been taught was to "serve her master well."

Even if she was so hungry that her stomach was cramping, she would still bring the last mouthful of hot soup to her master.

Anna.

Lorraine's voice deepened, and she ladled out a bowl of meat soup and pushed it towards him.

"You can only work if you're full. You eat first, I'll go keep watch."

Lorraine got up, went outside, looked at the endless snowfield, and continued searching for anything usable nearby.

In the ten minutes after Lorraine left, Anna kept munching on her bread until the smell of meat made her mouth water, and then she looked longingly at the meat soup.

Recalling the young master's words, she prayed to God with some distress, hoping that He could forgive her greed.

Then, filled with gratitude for the young master, Anna sipped the broth, drinking faster and faster until she finished a bowl of rice.

"If there's not enough to eat, there's more in the pot. You'll go outside and keep watch for a bit."

Lorraine put down the few pieces of firewood she was holding and started weaving handicrafts, no longer looking at Anna who was holding the bowl and was so stunned that she didn't know what to say.

Anna stared at the empty bowl of meat, wondering when the young master had returned, since she had no idea.

Could it be that the young master witnessed her rude behavior just now?

The more I think about it, the more frightened I feel.

In the past, the young master would only complain about her clumsiness, but now he not only shared his meat with her, but also gave her the fire and everything else.

Holding the soup bowl, Anna fell into deep thought.

Perhaps, this is the young master's true nature.

……

After the meal, the wind and snow continued to howl outside, banging against the wooden door with muffled thuds.

Lorraine stood before the raging demonic fire, gazing at the orange-red flames, pondering the answers offered by the "Witch's Codex".

"Anna, come here."

Upon hearing the summons, Anna, who was clearing the dishes, immediately wiped her hands and jogged over to Lorraine's side.

"Young master, give your orders."

Lorraine turned around and stared intently at her, a gaze that made Anna feel a little hot.

"Anna, do you remember what we said on the way here? I said that if you behave well, I will make you a witch."

Anna paused for a moment, then smiled wryly, "Young Master, please don't tease me. How could someone like me..."

"I'm not joking," Lorraine interrupted her, his expression unusually serious. "I've found the right awakening ritual for you."

Before Anna could show any surprise, Lorraine's voice suddenly turned low and cold, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression:

"But Anna, you must understand one thing. In this world, every confirmed path to witch advancement is built upon the bones of countless pioneers."

Lorraine pointed to the raging demonic fire behind him, its light casting shifting shadows on his face:

"And the path I've found for you is among the most insane of all known rituals. There's no turning back; once it begins, it's either life or death."

Anna's eyes slowly widened, and her breathing became rapid.

Young Master... is he serious?

How could she transform herself, a lowly maid, into a high-ranking, revered witch?

"Are you afraid of dying?" Lorraine stared intently into her eyes.

Anna looked at Lorraine and remained silent for a moment.

Then, the shock in her eyes faded, replaced by a chilling resolve.

"Young master, my life is worth less than the wild grass on this wasteland."

Anna's voice wasn't loud, but it was unusually firm. "Back in my hometown, someone like me would risk my life even for a mouthful of moldy swill. If I had the chance to become a witch, to bring honor to my family, to become someone useful to the young master..."

"I'd jump into any danger, even a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire!"

She paused, took a step forward, and looked up at Lorraine, her eyes shining with complete trust:

"Besides, I trust the young master. Since it's the young master's choice, it must be the right one."

Seeing the girl's resolute expression, Lorraine felt certain.

The awakening ritual described in "The Witch's Codex" is indeed crazy and dangerous, but it seems that the girl in front of us has enough courage.

"it is good."

Lorraine took a deep breath, turned to the side, and pointed to the ball of demonic fire burning fiercely in the center of the outpost, radiating intense heat.

"Anna, that ceremony is—"

"Jump in."

Anna's pupils constricted sharply as she looked at the raging flames of the demonic fire, which could instantly engulf a person.

But she didn't back down, and she didn't even ask "why" again.

She glanced at Lorraine, and after confirming the encouragement in the young master's eyes, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes.

The next second, under Lorraine's gaze, the frail girl, like a moth drawn to a flame, leaped into the orange-red demonic fire!

boom--!

The flames seemed to be enraged by some force, instantly surging and completely engulfing Anna's figure.

There were no screams, only the crackling sound of the flames burning.

Lorraine clenched her fists tightly, her palms sweating profusely.

Although the secret manual said this was the best way to awaken her potential as a fire witch, the visual impact of watching a young girl jump into a fire pit was simply too great.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Just as Lorraine's heart was about to leap into her throat, the originally orange-red demonic fire suddenly mutated and instantly turned into a pure crimson gold!

A powerful and sacred heat wave spread outwards from this center.

"call--"

The flames seemed to possess a spirit, obediently parting to both sides.

A figure slowly emerged from the fire.

Lorraine held her breath.

That was Anna, but she was no longer that dirty little maid.

The hair, which had been dry and yellow due to long-term malnutrition, was now jet black and shiny, and at the tip of each strand, a cluster of inextinguishable crimson flames burned, like a flowing sunset.

Her tattered linen dress had turned to ashes in the fire, replaced by an illusory long dress formed from the flames.

What was most astonishing was her skin. All the scars and grime left by frostbite and labor had disappeared. Under the baptism of the blazing fire, her skin became as smooth and white as a newborn baby's, with a faint luster like jade.

She slowly opened her eyes, and her originally black pupils now seemed to hold two rising suns.

Anna looked down at her hands burning with flames, feeling the surging power within her body. The feeling of being connected to the outpost's demonic fire left her speechless with shock.

The girl looked up at the stunned Lorraine and gave a shy smile:

"Young Master... I think I really did it."

The Flame Witch Awakens.