The world of Dunayala, above the Star Harbor of the Vast Sea City.
The silver-white battleship’s engines let out a death rattle-like roar, accompanied by violent jolts as it careened crookedly into a docking berth at the Vast Sea City Star Harbor, like a steel behemoth with its backbone ripped out.
The ship’s gravity buffer system hissed with electrical noise.
The emergency lights in the cabin flickered twice before finally returning to normal illumination.
“Urgh—”
An Lin tore off her seatbelt, her face pale as she leaned against the cabin wall, dry heaving twice.
Although her body had undergone some degree of alchemical modification as an Alchemy Witch, her delicate witch’s stomach still protested vehemently against this rollercoaster-like hard landing.
“Phew… finally landed.”
An Lin let out a long sigh of relief, pulling a crumpled handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.
Through the porthole, one could see a shimmering expanse of azure sea outside the battleship.
Massive floating platforms hovered above the water’s surface, with countless radiant airships and transport vessels shuttling between them.
This was one of the trade hubs of the Dunayala world—the Vast Sea City.
“Liuli! Warner! Stop playing dead over there. Help Tunzuo down. I’m going to the management office to handle the docking procedures and entry declaration, and submit this expedition’s records while I’m at it.”
An Lin straightened her somewhat disheveled dark blue trench coat, calling out to Liuli and Warner behind her without turning her head.
They were still dizzy from the battleship’s hard landing.
“Urgh— Captain, I have to ask, how exactly did you pass your witch battleship pilot’s license exam?”
Liuli covered her mouth, dry heaving once, then turned to help Tunzuo, who was also reeling from the shaking.
“Has she always been like this?”
Tunzuo, fighting back intense vertigo, asked Warner beside her with a hint of exasperation.
“You’ll have to learn to get used to it. You’ll be spending a lot of time with Captain An Lin from now on.”
Warner gave a bitter smile.
Everything was understood without words.
A few minutes later, An Lin stepped out of the battleship hatch with somewhat heavy footsteps.
A salty, damp sea breeze, mixed with the smells of machine oil and magical dust, hit her face, refreshing her spirits.
The Vast Sea City Star Harbor Management Office was located in the central area of the harbor, a hemispherical glass structure.
An Lin pushed open the heavy alloy door and entered the dimly lit lobby.
The management office lobby was empty, save for the sound of crisp glass clinking and a sarcastic quip coming from the front desk.
“Well, well, if it isn’t our ‘Bankruptcy Queen’ An Lin. What’s the matter? Did you strike gold on this expedition? Or did some rich witch finally decide to keep you?”
Behind the counter, a witch with skin so pale it was almost translucent and long, deep purple hair was idly playing with several test tubes filled with colorful liquids.
She wore a slightly loose-fitting white uniform, with a conch-shaped badge pinned at her collar.
The pair of signature spiral horns on her head shimmered with a pearl-like luster under the lights.
The witch in charge of the front desk was named Eve.
Like An Lin, she was a Siren Witch and also one of An Lin’s few friends at the Vast Sea City Star Harbor.
“Shut up, you jinx.”
An Lin walked over with a huff, slapping a heavily worn ID card onto the counter.
“I was on a proper exploration mission this time. Almost lost my life on that wasteland planet called K-739, too. As for you, Eve, seems like your harbor management job is pretty cushy. Slacking off again, are you?”
“Tch, I call it work-life balance.”
Eve picked up An Lin’s ID card and swiped it on the registration machine at the front desk, then raised an eyebrow.
“K-739? What’s there to explore in that godforsaken place? And something dangerous enough to nearly kill you there? Wait… why do you have a strange aura on you? A bit like the shadow aura from a Necromancer Witch, and also a bit like… the residue of some ancient magic?”
Eve suddenly stood up and leaned closer to An Lin, sniffing a few times.
“It’s a side effect of a new alchemical potion. Been researching a new formula lately.”
Eve’s sharpness made An Lin’s heart skip a beat.
She retreated half a step without changing her expression.
“Heh, like I’d believe that.”
Though she said it, Eve didn’t press further.
After all, every witch had her own little secrets.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, An Lin began handling the relevant procedures.
During this time, she briefly recounted the expedition’s experiences to Eve.
Of course, the information about Tunzuo possessing a magic reserve comparable to a Grand Witch was naturally omitted.
In a witch society where strength was revered, An Lin understood the principle of ‘a treasure invites disaster.’
“…Anyway, we found a little one in the canyon. A Lost Witch. She looked pitiful, so I brought her back with us.”
An Lin said casually while filling out forms.
“A Lost Witch?”
Eve was stunned for a moment, then a glint of gossip appeared in her eyes.
“Not bad, An Lin. Pretty lucky. These wild little witches wandering out there are often either prodigies with hidden talents or devastatingly beautiful femme fatales. Which kind did you pick up?”
“Let’s say… the latter.”
The corner of An Lin’s mouth lifted slightly, revealing a hint of imperceptible pride.
She wouldn’t tell Eve that Tunzuo was both.
Just as An Lin and Eve were talking, the battleship hatch opened again.
Liuli and Warner led Tunzuo down from the ship.
Tunzuo was still wearing her black gothic-style long dress, a section of slender, pale ankle peeking out from beneath the wide skirt hem.
Her waist-length, raven-black hair shimmered with a cold luster under the harbor lights.
Her emerald-green pupils flickered with confusion and curiosity.
At the moment, Tunzuo was looking left and right, surveying the bustling, unfamiliar world before her.
Giant holographic billboards projected dazzling images in the air.
Witches of all kinds and various non-human beings shuttled through the skies above the harbor.
In the distance, massive whale-shaped aircraft circled at low altitude.
“Wow…”
Tunzuo couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
This strange spectacle of intertwined technology and magic felt like a dream to her, having lived in ruins and shadows for the past few years.
Eve followed An Lin’s gaze, which landed squarely on Tunzuo.
The moment she saw Tunzuo, the test tube in Eve’s hand clattered onto the table.
The colorful liquid inside splattered everywhere.
“Wow… This is the ‘little’ one you mentioned?”
Eve let out a meaningful exclamation, her eyes instantly glued.
She leaned on the counter, her greedy gaze sweeping over Tunzuo without restraint.
“An Lin, you’ve hit the jackpot! That aloof, world-weary aura, those delicate, porcelain-doll-like features, and this figure…”
Eve’s eyes grew somewhat feverish.
Her gaze slid down from Tunzuo’s slender waist, finally settling on Tunzuo’s exceptionally perky and rounded posterior.
It had to be said, Tunzuo’s proportions were excellent.
Though she always concealed them under her dark long dress, it couldn’t hide those striking, eye-catching curves.
As a veteran connoisseur of derrières, Eve couldn’t tear her eyes away from Tunzuo at this moment.
“Tsk tsk tsk, that butt… so round, so perky. Must feel amazing to the touch…”
Eve muttered to herself, drooling slightly as she made a grasping motion with her hand, her technique extremely practiced.
Tunzuo, who had been curiously looking around, suddenly felt an inexplicable chill—a feeling of being watched by a venomous snake.
Cold, slimy, and carrying a desire that made her shiver all over.
Following the feeling, Tunzuo turned her head and met Eve’s lecherous gaze, along with the other witch’s unabashed stare fixed on her behind.
“Eek!”
Tunzuo was so startled she shuddered all over, instinctively covering her rear with both hands and taking two cautious steps back, almost bumping into Warner standing behind her.
This was a matter of dignity for Tunzuo as the “Shadow of the End”! Even if this perky curve was “work-related injury” from years of Antuxi spanking her, it wasn’t for just any witch to ogle!
Seeing this, Eve coughed awkwardly, retracting her overly blatant stare and turning to wink at An Lin.
“Tsk tsk tsk, An Lin, An Lin. Never thought you, an eternal old spinster, would finally wise up.”
Eve said in a teasing tone, though her voice carried a clear note of envy.
“Bringing back such a beautiful Lost Witch… planning to play the child bride game? That kind of ‘raising your own wife’ romance isn’t rare in witch circles, you know. Especially with these helpless Lost Witches—they’re the easiest to fool. Just be a little nice to them, give them a bite to eat, and they’ll stick to you devotedly, eventually marrying you. It’s the ultimate dream for many single witches.”
Hearing Eve’s words, An Lin jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“What nonsense are you spouting! Am I that much of a beast?”
An Lin retorted righteously, though for some reason, a strange blush appeared on her face.
“I brought Tunzuo back purely out of concern for a young witch! It’s care for a vulnerable sister! Am I the kind of witch who takes advantage of others’ misfortune?”
“Oh? Aren’t you?”
Eve looked utterly unconvinced.
She knew all too well what kind of witch An Lin was.
She pointed out the window at Tunzuo, who was still covering her rear and trembling.
“Then why did you look at her just now like she was a financial investment? And don’t think I didn’t notice—you definitely have other motives for bringing her back. Let me remind you, while these ‘raising your own wife’ relationships can be beautiful, the corresponding risks are huge. You’ll have to spend a lot of energy and time nurturing feelings with her, all while guarding against other witches swooping in to steal her away. Every year in witch society, there are several fights that break out because a witch’s painstakingly raised young witch gets snatched away. Some even escalate into generational feuds.”
“That’s because they’re incompetent!”
An Lin snorted disdainfully.
Then, as if to refute Eve’s negative interpretation of her bringing Tunzuo back, An Lin abruptly and loudly declared her romantic orientation.
Her voice was so loud even Tunzuo in the distance could hear it clearly.
“Besides, I’m not the type to go for just any witch! My romantic preferences are very specific—I like the kind that are fragrant, soft, and under one hundred and sixty centimeters tall! Loli witches! Only that petite, adorable type that makes you want to hug them and squeeze them is my type!”
An Lin gestured a height in front of her chest as she spoke, a perverted grin spreading across her face.
“Tunzuo is pretty, but she’s too mature. Clearly not within my hunting range! I do like aloof beauties, but I prefer the kind of little ones that make me feel protective! If you like a witch, you should like her at every stage. Lolis fit that perfectly—petite and pure from childhood to adulthood. That’s what I call pure appreciation of beauty!”
An Lin’s logically bizarre, perverted speech left everyone present in silence.
In the distance, Tunzuo, Liuli, and Warner collectively retreated with looks of disgust, gazing at An Lin as if she were non-recyclable trash.
“The Captain is truly beyond saving…”
Liuli covered her face with both hands, unable to bear the sight, trying to distance herself from An Lin.
Warner silently adjusted her glasses, then turned to Tunzuo beside her and spoke with grave sincerity.
“Miss Tunzuo, take my advice. If you ever look for a wife in witch society in the future, never choose an Alchemy Witch like Captain An Lin.”
“Why?”
Tunzuo’s curiosity was instantly piqued.
She also glanced warily at An Lin, wondering if this Alchemy Witch had some other unspeakable, peculiar fetish.
“Because Alchemy Witches are the second least popular group for marriage in witch society.”
Warner explained seriously to Tunzuo.
“First, Alchemy Witches often shut themselves in their labs. They always carry the smell of alchemical potions that can’t be washed off—a mix of sulfur and the burnt odor of failed experiments. Very off-putting. Second, most Alchemy Witches have extremely low emotional intelligence. Their heads are full of formulas and reaction equations. They can’t sweet-talk, and their attempts at romantic lines are cringe-worthy, just like earlier—packaging perverted thoughts as philosophical theory. Third, and most crucially, most Alchemy Witches are financially strapped. Like Captain An Lin here, she has to borrow money just to support a young witch. Being with them means not only enduring loneliness and toxic fumes but also worrying about your own livelihood.”
“The second least popular? Then who’s the first least popular?”
Tunzuo blinked, mentally noting what Warner said, then asked curiously.
At this point, Liuli leaned her face over, adding with a look of lingering fear.
“The absolute first least popular has to be Dragon Witches.”
“Dragon Witches?”
“Right. The kind with horns on their heads and tails.”
Liuli glanced around, confirming no Dragon Witches were present, then lowered her voice.
“Dragon Witches are greedy, lustful, and have extremely strong possessive streaks. They love causing romantic entanglements everywhere, collecting all sorts of ‘trophies,’ but absolutely forbid any emotional involvement between their chosen prey and other witches. Total hypocrites. And…”
Liuli swallowed, pausing, a trace of lingering fear on her face.
“Dragon Witches have incredibly strong and stamina. They often exhaust their partners in bed but still aren’t satisfied! Dating a Dragon Witch can shorten your lifespan! There was a witch once who was pursued by a Dragon Witch. She packed up and ran away in less than three days. Rumor has it she ended up in the hospital from physical exhaustion.”
Tunzuo listened, dumbfounded.
Her understanding of witch society was once again refreshed.
“So… the waters of witch society run this deep?”
Tunzuo looked at An Lin, who was still arguing about loli aesthetics with Eve in the distance, then at Liuli with her terrified expression, silently hugging Huanye tighter in her arms.
“It seems… getting a good night’s sleep peacefully in the witch world isn’t easy either…”
After quite a while, the procedures on An Lin’s side were finally completed.
“Here’s your docking permit. Seven days free. After that, it’s charged daily. Don’t even think about skipping out.”
Eve took a card from behind the counter and tossed it to An Lin.
“Old hand here. No need to remind me.”
An Lin took the card and stuffed it into her trench coat pocket, then turned and walked toward the battleship.
“Let’s go, Tunzuo. Let’s get some good food to celebrate our safe return!”
An Lin waved at Tunzuo, a bright smile on her face.
Tunzuo looked at An Lin’s sunny yet perverted smile, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to follow.
Though this Alchemy Witch was a bit strange, at least… she didn’t seem like the type who would sell her off.
At least, not for now.
The bustle of the Vast Sea City Star Harbor continued.
Waves crashed against the pillars of the floating platforms with dull thuds.
For Tunzuo, this was only the beginning of her life in the world of Dunayala.
Ahead of her lay more unknown challenges and… strange witches.
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