Chapter 141: Melee

When Sally presented her servant to "Auntie," Ron and the others behind Polly were all stunned.

Although the Elf wore the same style of mask as them, obscuring his face, his build, his clothes, and his hairstyle all made it clear—this was undoubtedly Ming Datiss!

But the Elf was clearly not in his right mind. He seemed soulless, like a walking corpse, following the Ghost Witch who had captured him. He was like a string puppet, completely at her mercy.

’We’re supposed to be acting. Don’t tell me this one... actually fell for the Ghost Witch’s trick?!’

"Should we take them out now?" Sera, who had clearly recognized the Elf, tugged on Ron’s sleeve and asked in a low voice.

Given her temperament, she would have charged right in and wiped out all three Ghost Witches along with Ming Datiss in one fell swoop. That would be cutting the Gordian knot.

But Ron motioned for her not to be hasty. Polly had told them that this seemingly standard three-person Ghost Witch coven actually had four members—the twins’ mother was still somewhere unknown.

Acting rashly and alerting the enemy would only increase the difficulty. After all, they weren’t here to exterminate bandits, but to get more information from the two Ghost Witches of the previous generation’s coven.

"My offering may not be as numerous, but it will surely suit your tastes better than those seven!" Sally said, glancing smugly at her sister. "You can just obediently get lost!"

"Hmm..." "Auntie" murmured thoughtfully. She had her own considerations. For a Ghost Witch who had lived for so many long years, the number of servants was not actually that important.

"No, ’Auntie,’ you can’t be serious..." Polly was also taken aback by Sally’s move. She never would have imagined that "Auntie" could be swayed by the meager bargaining chip of a single Elf. How was that possible?

"No, impossible... Yes, possible... No!" "Auntie" seemed to be waging a fierce internal struggle. She changed her mind several times, her expression growing more and more ferocious.

In the end, it was unclear which side won out. "Auntie" suddenly waved her hand, her sharp claws leaving four deep gouges in a tree trunk. "No! No matter what this Elf once was, he is now my servant and is not worthy of comparison!"

"Polly, you are my only sweetheart. As for you, ’Gloomy Sally,’ you have two choices: prove your sincerity, or die!"

The look of sure victory on Sally’s face froze. "No, it’s not supposed to be like this! You clearly said that you would... I understand!"

She began to shriek hysterically, the monster becoming more like a wild beast than a humanoid creature. "I understand, Mother! You’re the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, aren’t you?!"

"I can’t believe you’ve gone this far! But it doesn’t matter. I will never let you control me again!"

"Choices? Choices? You never gave me a choice! I’ll fight you to the death!"

The Ghost Witch untied a cloth pouch from her waist and threw it forcefully at "Auntie." The moment the seeds left her hand, they burst from the pouch, transforming into several thick, thorny vines that shot toward "Auntie" to bind her. Meanwhile, Sally immediately took out a mortar and medicine pestle, adding some unknown substance and grinding it while chanting an incantation.

"You dare defy me?!" "Auntie" sneered. She raised her palms, and a great swarm of insects erupted from under her armpits, instantly devouring the vines. "How many of your little tricks did you learn from me? And you still dare to defy me?!"

A shadowy double appeared behind "Auntie." Although this double looked nothing like her, with "two Ghost Witches" Casting magic at once, Sally, who was already the weaker of the two, was immediately pushed into a desperate situation, narrowly surviving one bizarre spell after another!

"Sister!" the Ghost Witch let out a bloodcurdling shriek. "You don’t really think they’ll treat you like a sweetheart after I’m dead, do you?! Help me!"

The cry successfully distracted "Auntie," allowing Sally to escape a fatal blow. But at the same time, it exposed Polly. That Ghost Witch had never intended to reconcile with "Auntie" either; she had been preparing a sneak attack from the very beginning and had been on the verge of success!

"You short-sighted, son-of-a-bitch maggot!" Polly cursed. "Don’t try to distract her with a swarm of hornets! It’ll never work!"

"You can tell they’re sisters," Aive muttered under her breath. "Their mother must have taught them both."

Together, the two of them could barely fight "Auntie" to a standstill. Now, with both Ghost Witches prioritizing their own survival and secretly sabotaging each other, how could they possibly be a match for her?

"My darling, come save me!"

Seeing things were going badly, Sally quickly took control of Ming Datiss, who was still standing there in a daze. The Elf responded like a clay puppet, raising his sword to flank "Auntie" with Sally.

"Don’t just stand there watching, help me!" Polly also called for backup. But Ron and his group weren’t actual puppets. Only the two Night Howling Hounds responded, pouncing on their former master.

"Something’s not right," Silvia said without moving. Her voice, from behind the mask, held a hint of confusion. "You’ve fought Ming Datiss before, haven’t you?"

"More than once. What’s wrong?" Ron was taken aback. ’Could Ming Datiss be pretending to be controlled, too? Can an act really be this convincing?’

"He’s always used a rapier?"

"Yeah."

Silvia grew even more puzzled. "A person who uses a rapier as their main weapon wouldn’t be unskilled with a sword, would they? Why does his technique look so awkward?"

Unlike Ron, who hadn’t received similar training, Silvia could tell at a glance that this Ming Datiss’s swordsmanship was clearly not that of a veteran. It would be understandable if he were human, but an Elf?

’Wasn’t such a long lifespan enough for him to master his most-used weapon?’

"Maybe it’s because he’s being controlled?"

"Forget about the Elf," the Gold Dragon disguised as Aiksuuri suddenly interrupted them. "I’ve tracked the other Ghost Witch’s location. She’s in a hollow not far from here."

"There are about ten Night Howling Hounds there with her. Her physical body is in a near-dormant state, which is probably why she can appear behind ’Auntie’ as a phantom."

"Cut off the head of the snake!"

Just as the Gold Dragon marked the location in the minds of Ron and the others, Sera, who had been suppressing her rage and fighting spirit for so long, could finally hold back no longer. With a roar, she charged out!