The Witch's History: Part 5 / Back to the Present

After the duo came back to Achard's hut. Ethedred studied to become a T2 Witch.

One day, Ethedred felt she had absorbed enough of the energy nodes (mana). She has reached a T2's standard capacity of holding energy nodes.

Next up on her list is that she had to learn a new spell and draw a T2 magic circle then she would be considered an official T2.

Achard gave instructions on how to make a conventional magic circle and let Ethedred choose which type of spell she wanted to learn.

Ethedred did not want to use the conventional magic circle and decided to make her own. The spell she learn was (small) tornado.

Days, weeks, and months passed.

Ethedred took 4 months to make her own magic circles. It was two times more powerful than a conventional magic circle, but it's not as efficient as a regular one. As it takes a week to replenish it's magic and a 10 to 20 second delay to cast.

Achard believe that it was a great start and it could revolutionize magic circles if Ethedred shared it to the academy.

While, Ethedred believed that can improve it once she ranks up to another tier.

The magic spell that wanted to learn was Tornado and it took her less than a month to learn the T2 spell.

Though it caused a large commotion. A hundreds of people who were try to emigrate to a different kingdom on the roads were scared and ran away.

Ethedred and Achard didn't know about people crossing these roads and continued casting spells. Since, they thought that people already heard the news of Kreonevell's fall and wouldn't be taking these roads to go anywhere.

Ethedred already surpassed Achard and was relearning her fundamentals she learned in the past.

Though Ethedred didn't want to go away since she created such a bond with Achard for long time. He was her only family left.

Achard asked Ethedred that she should go to the academy that he went to. Since, the academy had more resources, better teachers to learn from, and friends that she can make.

Ethedred listens to Achard and goes to the academy.

---Travelled for two months---

Achard and Ethedred travelled to the academy that Achard learned from, Pratyce, Academy of Arcane.

With twists and turns, Achard found the secret entrance and showed the two young Wizards guarding the door the school's insignia. One of the Wizard went to ask the headmaster of the Academy to see them.

They met the headmaster and Ethedred was tested of the tier lv. The headmaster allowed Ethedred to join the Academy as an exchange student. Achard then left Ethedred there to study and went back home to his hut to wait for Ethedred to be done with her studies.

She was very welcomed to the Academy, since she was a T2 Witch.

Though she wasn't too trusting with the other students, but still tried to associate with them.

--- 3 year time skip ---

Ethedred is now 15 years old and about graduate early from Pratyce in month's time.

Ethedred's time at Pratyce, she was very quiet and studious. All the teachers loved her attitude in studying magic and other curriculums that the school provided. Students had various emotions about her but didn't do anything with her and just left her alone. People gave her the title of "Studying Queen" and that her aura was hard to approach. Thus, she had no friends in general.

Still that wasn't the best news as she even reached the peak of a T3 Witch and can become a T4 at any moment.

Even her magic circle creation was praised from the teachers and students alike. Her perfected low magic circle allowed a magic spell to be 2.5 times stronger, near insta-cast lv, and a 3 time usage per day.

Some students heard that news and wanted to get Ethedred to tutor them, since she was very successful for her age.

Of course, Ethedred allowed to them to get tutored from her, but she didn't forget to tell them to pay for their tuition fees.

She also encountered something very interesting in Pratyce's library. It was an old book that she couldn't decipher and ask the headmaster if she can keep it for research.

The headmaster agreed and allowed her to keep it for research. None of the other headmasters, teachers and students can decipher anyways. If Ethedred takes the book, it can free up space for another book in its place.

--- Graduation Day ---

Ethedred graduates along with a few more people who are older than her.

The current Headmaster, teachers, and students congratulate them for finishing the school's curriculum and gave them an insignia of the school that meant that they graduated here at Pratyce.

Ethedred headed home to Achard's hut as she couldn't wait to tell him the news.

--- Short time skip---

It took Ethedred two weeks to reach Achard's hut as she flying and taking breaks/sight seeing to arrive at the place.

At Achard's hut everything was destroyed. She was shocked to see signs of battle: many arrows, swords, spears, shields, horses, and men on the ground.

Ethedred went to inspect the men who have died and saw a familiar insignia. It was the insignia of the Church that Achard showed to her before.

She didn't see Achard's body and assumed that he was captured by the Church.

She left in a hurry to the Church's main headquarters

--- time skip ---

Ethedred flew for three weeks with breaks in-between and reach the Church's HQ near the Eclium's Holy city, Pholis.

Though she had to lay low, since the Church's men were patrolling around. Not to mention the Church's teachings have made people be more wary of suspicious people.

Ethedred used a disguise magic once she got close to the city. She deceived both the Church's men and the people who live in Pholis.

She would ask the people for directions to the Church posing as a traveler who has heard about the Church's greatness.

The people happily obliged to help Ethedred and showed the way to the Church.

Ethedred saw that the Church's premises were heavily guarded. She gathered intel using Wind's Whisper to hear the Church's men out and inside the Church's building.

She got to know where the secret entrance underground and the way to open it as well.

Following the directions of the wind she arrived at the entrance and opened easily.

Clinkk Clackkk [12]

She walks down the stairs slowly and observes her surroundings with light magic.

Seeing that there's only one way to walk to, she continues walking in that one direction. What seemed like forever, Ethedred finally saw light.

She then enters the room and sees people locked in prison cells. Most of them had soulless eyes.

Though there were two familiar people when Ethedred was scanning the prison room. One was Achard whom she was trying to save. The other person to her surprise was Cateline! She was still alive!

She came to their prison cells and opened them up with wind magic. Achard gave her a hug, but Cateline was still in a daze.

Walking up to Cateline, she tries to touch her to see if Cateline would move.

Cateline didn't flinch nor moved from her position.

Still that didn't stop Ethedred and hugged Cateline and said, "Cateline it's me, Ethedred!? Do you remember me?"

Cateline jolted a bit and her eyes gained back it's clarity. She looked up in disbelief and touched Ethedred's cheek to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

With tears in her eyes, she said, "It's really you, Ethedred!"

After their reunion, Ethedred tells both Achard and Cateline, "We have to escape out of here and I know the way out!"

Achard nods his head to show his agreement with Ethedred's opinion thay they should get out as fast as they can.

Cateline was hesitant before telling Ethedred, "What about the other people here?"

Ethedred looked around to see if anyone would have a spark of hope in their eyes when they heard Cateline's question.

No one really moved, but Ethedred came to each of their cells and opened it with wind magic anyways. If fate allows it, these people can escape this traumatic place to turn over a new leaf.

Ethedred showed the way she came from, but notices the entrance was closed.The group heads back to the prison room and Ethedred used Wind's Whisper to find another way out.

She found another way out above their heads. Using magic, Ethedred brings them up and opens the sealed door covering.

They have arrive at the sleeping quarter of a person-- Ethedred, Achard, and Cateline can see that there was a bed, a desk table, and other personal belongings.

They looked around for any clues. The girls did find anything but clothes and valuables.

Achard went directly to the desk table and found a letter on the desk and read it to himself. He was surprised by it's content and walked back to the girls and hands over the letter to Ethedred.

Ethedred and Cateline read over the letter and was stunned to why this person demands Cedraybar help him overthrow Eclium and gather people for some experiment.

This is a very big task and responsibility to handle this type of matter. Ethedred knew that she had to ask for help from Pratyce.

Ethedred and the other two people left the room, but Ethedred first checked her surroundings with Wind's Whisper. She out that there was no body else and left the room.

Already knowing the area, Ethedred takes the other two and ascend the staircase. They arrived at the dining for the Pope, his cardinals, and guests; and saw a robed person sitting on a chair eating fine course meal with wine.

The robed person stops eating and said to the trio, "Well, well. It looks like I have guest who just arrived to dinner. Would like to join me?"

The trio put their guards up, not knowing how the robed person arrived here without Ethedred knowing.

Ethedred looks at Achard and Cateline before she silently waits and sees what will be the robed person's next move.

"This is all I get, silence? Even though, I warmly welcomed you all? Oh, that's ashame that I couldn't make new friends." As the robed person smiled underneath his robe.

The trio tensed up even more as the robed finished talking.

The robed person talks out loud, "Stop playing around we have work to do."

Achard grabs Cateline. Ethedred and Cateline were stunned in how Achard could do such a thing. How could he beyray them and sided with the robed person?

Ethedred even thought about all the times they spent together during their travels and back. The kindest old man whom she looked up to as her grandpa-like figure faded away.

Ethedred asks, "Why?"

Achard's laughs echoes throughout the dining hall before stopping and told Ethedred his reason, "The robed man gave me what I can't achieve by myself."

Ethedred steeled her heart to face Achard. She begins to teleport to Achard holding Cateline and once she close enough she teleports Cateline elsewhere from his grasp.

"You have improved so much the last time I saw you." Achard clutches his hand while looking at Ethedred, "Now it's my turn!"

An epic battle scene occurred [13]

Bursts of magic and scars can be seen from the duo's battle.

At first, it looked like Ethedred was winning due to her superior magic circles and variety of magic spells she had casted.

She slowly lost her advantage and started to lose. As she hasn't recovered her mana when she arrived to the Church's HQ, because she was worried about Achard.

Exhausted, Ethedred stops her casting with a paled face.

Achard slowly takes out a potion given by the robed person and throws it towards Ethedred.

Cateline who was very scared had the courage to move her body and rushed to Ethedred's side. She pushes Ethedred away and the bottle hits her.

Her body becomes electrified and she screams in pain and agony of her body's transformation, "It hurts, it hurts!!! Make it stop!!"

What's left of her was a blob of flesh with only big eyes, stubby arms/hands, and a large mouth.

The blob looks at Ethedred and gasps like a fish.

Ethedred looks at the blob, dumbfounded. She walks towards the blob and hugged it tightly while saying, "I'm sorry Cateline, I'm sorry Cateline."

"How touching that is, but I said there's no time for this." As the robed person rubbed his eyes for a little bit before telling Achard, "End it."

Achard walks towards Ethedred and the blob and tore apart.

Achard then takes the blob and throws it to the ground. Stepping on it until blood matter and bits of flesh and bones were left.

Tears from Ethedred's eyes came down.

Both the robed person and Achard laughed in the dining hall.

Ethedred who just reunited with her friend, now lost her friend, forever. Both her spirit and mind were broken beyond repair. She no longer trusts anybody, but herself.

The robed man makes Achard take Ethedred to the torture room.

The clouds turned black. Rain and thunder then start to pour and descend down onto the lands [14].

--- 3 year time skip ---

Eclium was conquered and it's people were enslaved. Wars and rebellions emerged for various reasons. The robed person killed many Wizards and Witches in their path.

The only ones who got away from the massacre were a couple, lucky hundred or so T1/T2 Wizards/Witches whom have limited knowledge of Wizardry and Witchcraft.

The robed person also burned and erased majority of their books and knowledge from history.

Ethedred was tortured in every possible/unthinkable way in the 3 year time period. Looking like an old lady, around her 70s, at the end of the process.

She couldn't escape, because the robed person used magic seals to seal her mana reserves and destroyed them to the point that she can't use magic to escape.

She did get to eat meals and drink water, but it was poison until she got used immuned to the poison. The robed person would add more and more to see her limits. It was just one of the many options the robed person used on Ethedred.

She could only withstand the torturing for a whole year, but it was just too much until she lost her will to live.

She wanted to kill herself or let the robed person kill her in the process, but the robed person would just heal her and control the amount damage they have done until the next torture method.

As days, weeks, months, and then years. The robed person saw their toy being boring and just left Ethedred's body to rot.

Ethedred thought to herself, 'I can finally be free from all of this and reunite with my family and Cateline.'

The book that Ethedred took from Pratyce suddenly appeared in front of Ethedred and said , "Do you want change your fate?"

"Yes, but I would rather rest in peace." Ethedred responds back.

The book becomes silent and asks Ethedred another question, "Then do you want to bring back the people you love?"

Ethedred looks up at the book her answer was obvious from her eyes.

The book asks one last time, "Do you agree to change and get what you desire?"

Ethedred said, "Yes!"

The book lights up and forms a summoning circle.

Appearing before Ethedred was a demon, the demon asks Ethedred, "You have summoned me here. Now tell me what you want deep inside your heart, girl."

"I wish to live. I wish change all of this and have back my loved ones!" Ethedred tells the demon her wishes.

Demon tells Ethedred his name and grants her wishes, "Remember, I am Gaz'gozen Durgokach, but nothing comes for free. Here is a contract for your wishes."

Ethedred reads over the contract and sees that she will be granted the power and life force of a peak T6 Witch and get a forbidden ritual to summon her loved ones back to life. All for the price of her soul.

Ethedred didn't sign the contract and asks Gaz'gozen Durgokach if can change the price of the contract, "Gaz'gozen Durgokach, I wish to change the price of my soul for something else!"

Gaz'gozen Durgokach was in a generous mood and asked, "That can be done, but I require as many virgin girls' souls in return.

I will give you a deadline of 1000 years to see how much you can collect.

I will also give you a soul jar to store them and once you find the last virgin girl uses this summoning ritual to summon me."

"I promise in my name", stated Ethedred as she signed her name onto the contract.

Gaz'gozen Durgokach nods and gives her what she desired within the contract.

Ethedred feels her life force growing and the power of a T6 coursing through her veins. The information of the forbidden ritual was inside her head.

Though, her body/face remained like an old lady and her eyes changed to a pitch black color.

She said, "Thank you, Gaz'gozen Durgokach for your help!"

Gaz'gozen Durgokach disappears and the book burns to ashes.

Ethedred knew what she had to do and looked at a certain direction and teleports to the location.

--- p.v. change ---

The robed person, Achard, and Drard were eating and celebrating the success of taking over Eclium.

Drard raised his glass and cheered with them. The other two did the same thing.

Unexpectedly, an unknown old lady teleported in front of them.

The trio were surprised, but that didn't stop Achard and Drard when they sprung into action to stop the unknown old lady.

They were stopped right in their tracks.

"Do you remember me, Achard and you faceless person [15]?" As Ethedred asks a question to both Achard and the robed person.

Achard and the robed person were confused until Ethedred used jer disguise magic to show her real face to help jog the two men's memories.

"It's you!" Both Achard and the robed person were shocked to see Ethedred still alive.

"Yes, you finally remembered me." Ethedred giggled before her face becomes stern.

"How--" The robed person was interrupted by Ethedred, "You talk too much!", and sealed his magic.

"This time, you all, shall see how I felt when I was being tortured for all those years!" Ethedred snapped her fingers to put them in an illusion for three years.

After three minutes, Ethedred snapped her fingers to stop the illusion.

All three men had the same appearance like Ethedred. What happened in the illusion happens in reality.

"Happy now?" While Ethedred put her hands behind her back and looked at the three men. The three men didn't talk before looking at her with fear in their eyes.

Ethedred palmed her forehead, "I forgot the final touches"

Ethedred snapped her fingers.

The men felt nothing but pain. Their balls were crushed slowly that blood and white matter were dripping down their pants.

Ethedred waited until the pain has gone slightly away before waving her hand slowly. The men fell, screamed, and rolled on the ground in pain, while clutching their genitals.

The men felt as if their glans and other parts of their genitals were being cut slowly with a dull knife.

The slicing motion didn't stop as every men can feel every single muscle, nerve, arteries, and veins of their genitals connected to their body's being severed. They were now eunuchs.

"Do you men like that? I'll give one last gift as well. As I have other places to be."

Ethedred snaps her fingers one last time. Three large wooden stakes/oil appear. Ethedred used magic to plant the wooden stakes firmly to the ground and spilled oil to the stakes' top.

Next, Ethedred used magic to take the men's pant off and cutted their anuses wide enough so that it can barely fit the stakes' size. She raised the men to the stakes and let them slide down.

"Enjoy~" Ethedred said her last words before she teleports again.

Ethedred went around the whole continent to kill all the men who have started/joined all the wars and rebellions. She even killed the women who were apart of these men's families. Guilty or innocent, she didn't discriminate them at all.

People then felt "peace and quiet" when the wars and rebellions stopped.

Still that did not stop weeds from growing again. More evil men or women will rise to replace the other who've fallen. It's an endless cycle.

After a few years pass, the people who survived the wars/rebellions used this as a scary, fairy tale to scary their own children. The population started to grow back and increased exponentially.

More, more, more, more, and many more years passed.

Ethedred saw many civilizations fall and rise.

Ethedred didn't stop killing and used many methods to gather the virgin souls: used mutiple plagues to decrease the population; instilled ideas of wars; told ideas of experimentation for curious scientists, and etc.

She has traveled to many places from East to West. Once, she finished cleansing the West-- she would go back to the East to kill some more. She didn't care for these people's lives as they were insignificant to her.

All that matters was to bring back her family and Cateline from the dead.

All the way to the present day, the Witch has finished her contract with Gaz'gozen Durgokach.

The black mist was something extra to make Ethedred look young again.

--- Reminiscing Ends [16] ---

Ethedred recovers from her daze and gathers the remaining materials for the forbidden ritual.

She kills the caterpillar hybrid of a person and cleans the mess up to start the ritual. Ethedred then place the brewed some materials to form a concoction while the rest of her materials were placed inside a magic circle.

She then cut her hand allowing the blood to drip to the magic circle and starts to chant the words to the forbidden ritual.

The magic circle lights up and three figures took shape. The three figures were Ethedred's parents and Cateline (in her human form). The chant ended, but the ritual is still continuing as Ethedred's parents and Cateline have no clue to why they were inside an unfamiliar place.

"Momma, Papa, and Cateline!" Ethedred showed no signs of her murderous self, but a cheerful, bubbly, and an emotional girl aura-- without killing them in the process-- hugged them all with controlled strength.

The trio's minds were still in a daze until they called out, "Ethedred!", and hugged her back.

They all had a conversation with Ethedred to understand the situation they are in.

The trio found out and were very shocked to see that their daughter and friend had to go through and do many horrible things when they were dead.

Ethedred the looks at the trio, "Will you stay with me then?"

"No, my dear"

"No, my daughter"

"No, Ethedred"

Ethedred's mother tells Ethedred, "We can't stay with when you took so many lives away.

You do understand that dear?

We all love you very much and we hope to see you again."

Ethedred's mother and father hugged and kissed her before waving their hands. They became ash and went back to where they came from.

Ethedred cries and notices that Cateline was still there. She asks Cateline, "Will you stay with me or will you leave me too?"

Cateline hugs Ethedred and whispers into her ears

After the short conversation with Ethedred, Cateline releases her hug and looks at Ethedred one last time before waving her hand and mouthing her words saying, "Goodbye, Ethedred", as she disappears too.

The ritual ended, but it came with a backlash, since none of the people Ethedred wanted to stay with her. All the powers she had as a T6 Witch disappears and her life force was also drained.

Ethedred still looked like her peak beauty, but her life was shortened. All her creations (experiments) that she also made lost its functions and begin destroying itself one by one. All that there was left was her house, it's furniture, her books, and the alchemy room, etc.; and herself.

Ethedred walked and sat on her chair next to the window. Outside, she only sees rain and thunder.

Tears dropped down to her clothes, while Ethedred hums a sad tune to herself.

She waits and waits. Waiting for the rain and thunder to stop. The next day arrived, the rain and thunder have already stopped some time ago.

[6 and 7] Repeats of my part 3 chapter.

[8] Repeat.

[9] Repeat.

--------

New stuff for the alternative ending

[1] The Witch looks like Latte Cookie from Cookie Run Kingdom (Human Form Art), but not her hair length/color, eyes, skin tone, the dress, no gloves, nor white boots.

[2 and 4] Bone Break Crack Sound Effects All Sounds at 0:38 to 0:48 is the crunch sounds the monster is making when eating Ashe's empty husk of a corspe. Maybe it sounds like crunch noises for (4)? I don't know how would it sound like for a caterpillar eating.

[3] Somewhat like Grandpa Max from Ben 10, he transformed into a Stinky Fly/man caterpillar hybrid. Though much more uglier and horrifying

[5, 8, and 14] On YouTube and playing EPIC THUNDER & RAIN | Rainstorm Sounds For Relaxing, Focus or Sleep | White Noise 10 Hours by Relaxing White Noise.

[6] For who didn't know nor remember what is a peasant's supper. A peasant's supper consists of dark bread, pottage, some vegetables (lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes, etc.) and berries or nuts for dessert/snack.

[7] Referencing Knight's Armor by Wav3vil on DeviantArt is what Lord Rothhall is wearing, but it is a variant as shown from the description above.

[9] Don't be dirty.

[10] The magic fundamentals would be alchemy, learning characteristics (biology/behavior) of different plants or creatures, magic incantations/circles, etc.

[11] Not Hogwarts

[12] A/N: my attempt of making footsteps/ going downwards. Any better SFX spelling that I should use?

[13] A/N: Lots of descriptions have to be used and I'm too good with this. It's not going to be Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power (Universe Survival Arc) / 54 episodes to describe it. I'll do that for another chapter or something.

[15] The robed person as you have read is faceless. How could the faceless person talk/listen/"see", it's because of a magic spell that allows it to do so.

[16] The reminiscing part only lasted for 10 minutes

A/N: Never told you the tier levels for a Witch/Wizard = magic strength for one spell they cast, info dump. We don't need to have each tier lv to have a name :

A normal Tier 1 - minimum strength of a 100 normal men. Can live up to a minimum of 100 years old.

T2 - " " 1000 men, 150 years old

T3 - " " 10,000 men, 300 years

T4 - " " 100,000 men, 1000 years

T5 - " " 1,000,000 men, 2000 years

T6 - " " 10,000,000 men, 5000 years

The highest/maximum tier a Wizard/Witch can reach would be T4 with the help of resources, hard work, and talent. As there are not of mana (/energy nodes) in the air around them to push a Wizard/Witch to T5. There is only 20 Witches/Wizards who have reached T4.

Lower (1-3) magic circles are used to store same tier lv magic spells/insta-cast them, but can be used 2 times a day.

Higher (4) magic circles can be used once a year.

No record of T5 or T6 magic circles or spells

If you don't use them and learn chantless incantations then you can save/rebuild that magic circle to be the same tier lv as you and use the same tier spells.

Pretty op/can save your life.

Still it takes a lot of mental strength to just form and remake them, especially the higher magic circles. The lower magic circles have been perfected that you can use it that many times each day.

Here's stuff to watch (or read not on YouTube) on YouTube to ease your pain of me using too much clichés:

You DON'T get the UNICORN (YouTube)

Patrick Finds Light's Deathnote (YouTube)

(Webtoon List: for New or Old readers (Male or Female reads), maybe?)

Teenage Mercenary (Saw this in an ad, it's not bad)

Study Group

The Predator

The Lone Spellcaster

I Get Stronger the More I Eat

Surviving Romance

Return to Player

The Lazy Lord Masters the Sword

The Boxer

Hero Killer

Everything is Fine

Homesick

Rotten

It's Mine

Room of Swords

Sweet Home

Lookism

DICE

Siren's Lament (Saw this on an ad)

Bastard

Melvina's Therapy

Catharsis

HIVE

Scorching Romance

Oh! Holy

Ghost Teller

Cat Loaf Adventures

A Budgie's Life

Nano List

The Remarried Empress

LUMINE

The God of High School

Tower of God

I Love Yoo

The Gamer

Hardcore Leveling Warrior

Boyfriend of the Dead

unOrdinary

Omniscient Reader

Bluechair

Cursed Princess Club