Chapter 593: The Brave One

"Why is it these people?"

What appeared before Loren were the members of the Brave One's party whom he had beaten up before. The leader of the group, the Brave One himself, bore many fresh wounds, and he had also switched to a different sword.

Even before the blade was drawn from its sheath, Loren could sense the sinister aura contained within it.

"Damned witch! Get out here! We'll kill you first! Then we'll kill your master!"

Anna was used to being cursed at on a regular basis, and she had grown accustomed to it. But she would never tolerate anyone threatening Loren.

"Wait..."

In the blink of an eye, Anna had already charged outside with the Scythe of Harvest in hand. Just as she was about to cut down all four members of the Brave One's party in a single strike, Loren stopped her just in time.

"Master Mentor?"

Anna was a bit confused, but she obediently halted anyway.

Since Loren didn't want her to kill these people, that meant they were more useful alive.

"Remember the new weapon I gave you? This is the perfect time to try it out."

Over this period, Loren had already given the Abyssal Hunt to Anna. She was better suited for it than he was, and it would perfectly compensate for her lack of ranged combat ability.

The Requiem had finally returned to Loren's hands, which made him feel a little sentimental.

He hadn't just been parted from the witches for four years; he had also been separated from the Requiem for four years.

As for the Dull Light, Loren had handed it over to Veronica.

The Dull Light wasn't top-tier among cursed blades, but it was still far from weak. At the very least, it was better than the little knife Veronica carried around on her person.

"Got it!"

Seeing that these people wouldn't be forgiven, Anna flashed an excited grin and turned back to retrieve the Abyssal Hunt from the room.

Loren rested his hands on the Requiem and Bloody Battle at his waist. When the fight broke out, he planned to spare them a few times first.

They were a bit weak, sure, but something was better than nothing. And who knew, maybe they had gotten stronger during this time.

Before long, Anna came strutting out of the house with the Scythe of Harvest hoisted over one shoulder and the Abyssal Hunt in her other hand.

She had changed into a new, lightweight outfit, one that Loren and Mirrorheart had sewn for her during this period.

When Mirrorheart had returned, she had brought along plenty of daily supplies, including food and fabric.

"It's the witch!"

The moment Anna appeared, the Brave One's party spotted her. The mage in the group immediately began chanting a spell, ready to attack at any moment.

"I'll let you run ninety-nine meters ahead of me. Hurry up and run, before I change my mind."

Anna closed one eye and aimed the Abyssal Hunt at the leader of the Brave One's party.

"What did you do to the old man who came to subjugate you earlier?!"

The Brave One drew the sword at his waist, its surface covered in bizarre, twisted patterns.

Just as Loren had guessed, the sinister feeling only grew stronger once the blade was drawn.

"A demonic sword?"

Loren recognized what it was. That was a demonic sword, one that could temporarily greatly amplify the user's power. But the price was equally heavy: it required the user's life force.

Loren couldn't be bothered to use such a thing. Temporarily gaining power wasn't worth it when he could just pray directly to an Outer God instead. The power he traded to the God of Greed with this kind of life force was permanent, after all.

"Hand over the old man right now! Otherwise, the demonic sword in my hand won't show you any mercy!"

"Old man?"

Anna was a little puzzled, until Loren stepped forward:

"Are you looking for me?"

Loren kept his features somewhat blurred, just as he had been when he encountered the Brave One's party that day.

They didn't remember Loren's face, but they remembered his attire and the feeling he gave them.

"Old man? Thank goodness you're alright..."

Seeing Loren, the Brave One broke into a smile that came from the heart:

"You need to leave! I've obtained the demonic sword, and my strength has skyrocketed. I finally have a chance to fight the witch! I came here specifically to rescue you!"

Hearing that the Brave One had sought out the demonic sword purely to save him, Loren actually felt a bit touched:

"Do you know the price of using a demonic sword?"

"I do. Even if it costs me decades of my lifespan to save you and defeat the witch, that's a price worth paying!"

Even as he spoke, the Brave One had already activated the demonic sword. Loren could directly sense his life force draining away.

"Leave. Don't use the demonic sword anymore. It's not a good thing."

Loren meant it sincerely. He could feel that everything the kid said came from the heart. He had genuinely come to save Loren.

So Loren thought, this kid was a bit foolish, sure, but at least he was still a decent person.

"I must take you with me! I refuse to let you face the witch alone!"

Faced with Loren's persuasion, the Brave One remained utterly resolute, so much so that even Anna was a bit bewildered.

So Loren simply dispelled the blur over his face and continued speaking:

"I am Loren. If you promise me that you'll never reveal that I'm here, I'll let you go."

Even as he spoke, Loren had already activated the power of the demon card. He wasn't worried about them breaking their word.

"Lo... Loren?"

Staring at that face carved into his memory, the Brave One suddenly felt dazed.

"Yes, it's me. Loren, the Master of Witches. You can also call me the Perpetual Observer."

Loren introduced himself, watching the Brave One's expression shift from doubt, to shock, and finally to seething rage.

He didn't bother responding to Loren. Instead, he chose to swing his sword directly at Loren.

Loren casually drew the Bloody Battle and effortlessly blocked the Brave One's demonic sword.

The demonic sword could indeed boost one's power, but the gap between them was not something a mere demonic sword could bridge.

"So all of this was just to harm us... You damned blasphemer..."

The Brave One's eyes were bloodshot as he pressed down on his blade with everything he had. His arms were trembling, yet Loren remained utterly at ease.

"Don't you find yourself ridiculous? Back then, when I hadn't revealed my identity, I beat you up, and you thought I was protecting you.

"Now that my identity is exposed, I advise you to leave and spare your life, and you think I'm trying to harm you?

"Just because I keep witches?"

"Anyone who can coexist with something as utterly evil as witches is no good person either!"

Hearing Loren's reasoning only made the Brave One angrier. He began burning even more of his life force, and Loren could feel his strength growing steadily, but it still couldn't budge him in the slightest.

"Not worth listening to, not worth responding to."

Loren suddenly exerted his strength. The Bloody Battle swung out, and the Brave One was sent flying, yet he still clung tightly to his demonic sword.

"Brave One..."

The mage beside him had just begun to cast a spell when Anna's scythe was already at her throat.

At the same time, Anna hurled the Abyssal Hunt, pinning both the blacksmith and the priest to a tree with pinpoint accuracy.

The harpoon had pierced through their legs. Anna could tell that Loren didn't want to kill them for now, so she held back from going for the kill.

"I'll give you one more chance. Leave now, promise not to reveal any information about us, and I'll let you all go."

Loren walked up to the Brave One and pressed the Bloody Battle against his neck.

"I will never surrender to evil as long as I live!"

The Brave One raised the demonic sword once more. This time, his strike was faster and more vicious than before, but it still ended with him being knocked flying by a single swing of Loren's blade.

"..."

Loren remained silent. He had actually been able to predict the Brave One's shift in attitude long ago. This wasn't the first time Loren had witnessed such things; Luna's parents were exactly the same.

People's hatred toward witches had reached a level that was almost impossible to comprehend.

"I'll spare you one more time."

The Bloody Battle pressed against the Brave One's neck once again. But this time, Loren's other hand had already gripped the hilt of the Requiem.