The Silver-Haired Witch’s Dual Life

“Brother, the dungeon raid is complete; it will vanish before long.”

Ji Xuan, guarding outside the teleportation array, slightly opened his mouth, his eyes filled with shock.

What had he just witnessed?

The two individuals who had only just entered were now emerging, claiming the dungeon raid was finished.

How could this possibly be?

That was an A-rank dungeon!

Even an S-rank dungeon couldn’t be cleared in less than ten minutes.

“General Aya! If I may be so bold, are you truly not jesting?”

“Do I look like the kind of person who would joke about such things?”

Aya Tone glared at him with displeasure.

“By my reckoning, it’s almost time for it to dissipate.”

As the words left her lips.

The teleportation array behind them suddenly flickered erratically, as if its power source was failing.

The next instant.

The teleportation array slowly receded, eventually dissolving into nothingness.

“It’s true!”

The disappearance of the teleportation array signified the dungeon’s successful completion; someone had genuinely cleared an A-rank dungeon in under ten minutes!

Ji Xuan felt as though he had borne witness to a historical moment.

What he didn’t realize, however, was that Aya Tone would have emerged much sooner had it not been for the need to collect resources.

‘Was magic plowing a joke to you?’

“Then I’ll be off.”

Aya Tone waved a dismissive hand, preparing to depart.

She still had several dungeons to attend to, and while all were located in Fengtai City, reaching them would undoubtedly consume time.

She certainly didn’t have the luxury of extended conversation with Ji Xuan.

“But your companion seems to be in rather poor spirits; are you certain she doesn’t require some rest?”

Ji Xuan gestured worriedly towards Li Jia, who stood nearby, resembling a zombie and muttering incoherently to herself.

Before entering, the young woman had been entirely different, yet upon emerging, she appeared utterly bereft of her soul.

‘Was she truly alright?’

“Oh, her? She’s fine; she’ll recover shortly.”

Aya Tone grumbled, pulling the dazed Li Jia along as they left.

‘All I did was call her weak and show off a little, didn’t I?’

‘Was it really that big a deal?’

“Farewell, General!”

Watching the two figures gradually vanish from sight, Ji Xuan let out a soft sigh, then turned to manage the aftermath of the dungeon.

‘One shouldn’t assume that merely because the dungeon was cleared and the teleportation array vanished, the task was truly complete.’

Restoring normalcy for the populace was, in fact, the paramount concern.

****

“Li Jia, I’m leaving now.”

After Aya Tone meticulously cleared the remaining dungeons on her list, she had initially intended to rush to the airport.

Observing Li Jia’s current state, however, it became evident that she was far from alright.

Consequently, she found herself booking a room for Li Jia in Fengtai City, and also depositing the resources acquired from the dungeons there.

Fengtai City boasted rather commendable security, leaving her with no apprehension whatsoever about the items being stolen.

‘Of course, even if they were stolen, it wouldn’t truly matter.’

‘Though Aya Tone’s chest might be modest, her magnanimity was equally limited.’

‘Anyone audacious enough to pilfer from the Silver-Haired Witch would surely be made to regret their very existence.’

“Ah… oh…”

Li Jia, assuming Aya Tone was simply hungry and heading out for a meal, responded absently without much thought.

She currently possessed no appetite, having been utterly devastated by the blow.

Lying on the bed, her eyes stared blankly at the light above, her mind reeling in turmoil!

‘She couldn’t comprehend it, absolutely couldn’t fathom it!’

‘She was aware that Aya Tone could utilize teleportation magic.’

‘But why was it that Aya Tone, a damage dealer, managed logistics with more proficiency than she, a specialized professional?’

‘With merely a gentle flick of that pink magic wand, the ore on the ground would willingly deposit itself into a storage pouch.’

‘Such speed…’

‘Her own skills as a spatial mage seemed utterly useless in Aya Tone’s presence.’

‘Waaah…’

The withdrawn Li Jia had yet to realize that Aya Tone, whom she had been pondering so intently, was already en route home, having boarded a plane.

By the time she finally came to her senses, evening had already descended.

****

Yan’an City

Emerging from the airport, Aya Tone felt the warm sunlight caress his face.

He pulled out his phone to check the time.

4:16 PM

Xiao Jiu’s school dismissal was still over ten minutes away, making the timing absolutely perfect!

After casually sending a message to Fire Finch, informing her of his return, he put his phone away.

“Teleport!”

The distance from the airport to Flip-Flop Kindergarten, where little Aya Jiu was enrolled, was considerable; it would take at least half an hour by car.

And that was assuming the traffic flowed smoothly.

Such a journey would undoubtedly prove too lengthy, necessitating the exceptional use of teleportation magic.

Laws in every nation stipulated that ability users were prohibited from employing their powers in public spaces.

Failure to comply would inevitably result in legal repercussions.

In cases of severe transgression, direct detention would be imposed.

Thus, Aya Tone’s use of teleportation magic in broad daylight constituted, to a certain extent, a violation of the law.

As Aya Tone’s figure vanished from his spot, alarms blared throughout the airport.

Travelers paused, craning their necks to watch, brimming with curiosity about what had transpired.

Several security personnel swarmed in from every direction within the airport.

‘It had been years, and this was the first time anyone had dared to openly defy the regulations.’

‘This was a performance bonus waiting to happen; they absolutely couldn’t let it slip!’

‘Can’t find the person? No problem!’

‘Check the surveillance footage!’

Consequently, Aya Tone, without surprise, found himself added to the list of wanted individuals.

Yet, he remained entirely unperturbed.

‘The one who committed the offense was Aya Tone (female), so what did that have to do with him, Aya Tone (male)?’

Emerging from a narrow alley, Aya Tone, having shed his female form, deftly integrated himself among the group of parents awaiting their children’s dismissal, becoming a natural part of their number.

“Xiao Jiu!”

Shortly thereafter, the teacher emerged, trailed by a long procession of children.

Aya Tone instantly recognized his daughter, waving with a gentle smile.

The very next moment, however, his smile faltered.

He regarded the boy beside little Aya Jiu with the vigilance one would reserve for a formidable enemy.

‘Blondie!’

Indeed, the small boy walking alongside little Aya Jiu was none other than the “Blondie” he had seen in the photograph earlier that day.

‘And he was so close to his daughter?’

‘Unforgivable!’

“Papa~”

Little Aya Jiu, spotting Aya Tone at the entrance, joyfully waved back in response.

As his daughter looked his way, the darkness in Aya Tone’s eyes instantly vanished without a trace.

He watched her gently as she bounded through the gate.

“Xiao Jiu… were you happy today?”

Aya Tone scooped up little Aya Jiu, nuzzling her soft cheek.

“Happy!”

Little Aya Jiu delightedly recounted the day’s events at kindergarten to her father.

Aya Tone merely smiled, saying nothing, as he carried little Aya Jiu and walked towards their home.

Finally!

“Xiao Jiu, that boy who was just beside you…”

After little Aya Jiu paused, Aya Tone eagerly pressed on, “What’s his name?”

“Zhang Xinyu? He’s my friend, you know.”

Little Aya Jiu, not understanding why her father had suddenly inquired about him, happily introduced her friend.

“Oh… a ‘friend’,” Aya Tone uttered, grinding the word out through clenched teeth.

‘How many men had used those very words to deceive innocent young girls?’

‘He absolutely couldn’t allow that brat to corrupt his precious daughter; perhaps he should find an opportune moment to eliminate him.’

Darkness gathered in Aya Tone’s eyes, and a dangerous smile already played upon his lips.

‘Hehehehe…’

“Papa, your laugh sounds so awful.”

Little Aya Jiu’s sweet, soft voice pulled Aya Tone back from the dark abyss.

“Er, Xiao Jiu, you’re learning bad habits.

Papa is very sad, so you can’t watch TV tonight.”

“Huh? Papa looks the coolest when he smiles, Papa…”

In her eagerness to watch TV, little Aya Jiu had already learned to tell a white lie.

‘Waaah, adults’ hearts are all so dirty.’

“Too late! Hehehehe…”

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the father and daughter’s shadows stretched infinitely, eventually fading from view.

****

A hotel in Fengtai City

–Li Jia: Where’s Tone? Why isn’t she back yet?

…………