The Witch’s Trap

“Won’t this be too obvious? Do you really think they’ll take the bait?”

“…This is the fourth time you’ve asked. If you have a better idea, you can just say it directly, without beating around the bush with these veiled probes.”

“I was just speaking casually, just casually… don’t take it to heart.”

Senior Yao Jing chuckled, avoiding The Doctor’s annoyed gaze, and peered towards a nearby room.

– There, a crimson gem lay securely at the center of a table, emitting a dazzling scarlet glow.

Though it appeared deserted, both individuals, having set aside their prejudices to cooperate, knew well that a Bloodkin, their form concealed, was lurking nearby the table, watching with predatory eyes.

It was quite astonishing, considering that not long ago, these two factions had been bitter enemies. Now, under the threat of a new foe, they had actually united.

Indeed, times had truly changed.

“I must say, you’re quite bold.”

The Doctor was the first to break the silence. “To dare to join forces with us, who are burdened with blood debts and great evils. Though we’ve lost The Gem and our power has been significantly diminished, we could still stir up trouble and make an escape if we truly wished.”

This was both a question and a probe.

Among the many adversaries he had encountered in his life, Senior Yao Jing was undoubtedly the most enigmatic. Coupled with recent intelligence gathered from The Supervisory Bureau, The Doctor’s mind was rife with suspicion.

“Heh…” Senior Yao Jing let out a soft laugh, then stated, “No, no, it’s not a matter of whether I trust you. Rather, it’s you who needs to earn my trust, isn’t it?”

“…”

“After all, if your goal is to oppose The Association, you’ll need plenty of ‘friends’… won’t you?”

“…” ‘He’s turned the tables on me,’ The Doctor mused.

Just as Senior Yao Jing had said, The Doctor’s reason for assisting The Supervisory Bureau in their research on Bloodkin and participating in this operation to capture the ‘Thief’ was to make his image appear as harmless as possible.

This would lead The Supervisory Bureau to perceive him as an entity of immense value, worthy of communication and cooperation.

Only then could he conveniently proceed with his subsequent plans.

– To gain the trust of The Supervisory Bureau, or rather, a faction within The Supervisory Bureau.

Shaking his head, he decided not to delve further into the topic and instead began to outline the current plan:

“Irina is currently synchronized with The Gem. Anyone who touches it, she’ll clearly sense.”

“And then using ‘Time Stop’ will allow us to successfully catch the Thief?”

Senior Yao Jing interjected casually, only to hear The Doctor speak with a tone of sudden realization:

“I see, I see. Using The Gem, Irina can even stop time. Truly worthy of the Witch lineage that has persisted to this day…”

‘So, you didn’t know.’

Senior Yao Jing was somewhat surprised, but quickly understood the reason.

While the Bloodkin were a collective, their members hailed from diverse backgrounds and professions, some even unfortunate souls driven to desperation. With each holding their own secret motives, it was only natural for them to keep a few tricks up their sleeves.

However…

He lowered his voice and asked, “If you didn’t even know Irina’s abilities, why did you specifically choose her to be the bait?”

Senior Yao Jing had initially assumed The Doctor’s plan was to use time-stop to capture the Thief precisely at the moment they stole The Gem, and had readily agreed.

But now, The Doctor’s apparent ignorance had sparked his suspicion.

“Irina is of the Witch lineage.”

The Doctor’s answer seemed to dodge the question.

“Witch… what’s that? Wait…”

Senior Yao Jing recalled something. “I remember a branch of the Divine Race that resided in the Black Forest region in the old era; they seemed to have this very appellation.”

“Precisely, Witches are a branch of the Divine Race. From what I understand, the priests who served the gods in the mythical era were the origin of Witches. They upheld the will of the gods and governed the lives on earth.”

“You must have heard those incredible myths, right? Moving mountains and oceans, breathing wind into existence, battling entire nations single-handedly – these are feats utterly impossible for modern humans. Yet, in the Age of Gods, they were commonplace occurrences.”

“Have humans grown weaker? Or did the departure of the gods bring about new changes to the world? This is also one of the subjects I am researching.”

“Does this relate to our current topic…?”

Senior Yao Jing interrupted.

“Ahem, before the establishment of the Bloodkin, I, half-amnesiac, wandered the earth. During an expedition, I stumbled upon Irina, a Witch descendant who, for reasons unknown, had become separated from her kin and was all alone.”

“She possessed a vast legacy of knowledge but lacked the means to unleash its power. We immediately hit it off and began to cooperate; that was the nascent form of the Bloodkin organization.”

“You mean, Irina is capable of various… spells?”

Senior Yao Jing summarized simply, based on his own understanding. After The Doctor’s affirmation, he continued to ask, “But what if…”

The Doctor’s movements ceased. No, more accurately, time itself had stopped. As if a pause button had been pressed, the quiet prison fell utterly silent, devoid of even a whisper.

‘Irina made her move!?’

Senior Yao Jing rushed to the trap’s location, only to find Irina standing alone, appearing to be deep in thought, as if pondering something.

‘Could the Thief also possess the ability to move within stopped time, having already escaped their inescapable net?’

He asked, a hint of urgency in his voice, “Where’s the Thief?”

“There.”

Following the direction indicated by the golden-haired Bloodkin, Senior Yao Jing scratched his head in confusion.

‘There’s nothing there?’

“Here, here! Are you blind? Don’t hunter assessments check eyesight? How did you even pass?”

‘Such potent aggression, almost on par with that grey-haired little girl.’

“What are you dawdling for? You brainless, dead bug, look where I’m pointing.”

Amidst Irina’s annoyed urging, Senior Yao Jing finally noticed the anomaly.

“No, this… is a finger!?”

Above The Gem, two pale fingers extended from empty space. If he wasn’t mistaken, they were a part of the Thief’s body.

“How about… we try chopping off their fingers?”

The two exchanged glances in the stopped time, and finally, Senior Yao Jing proposed a solution that wasn’t really a solution.

“Are you an idiot?”

Irina shot Senior Yao Jing a disdainful look. “If we really chop them off, where would we find them? Based on my recent research, this so-called Thief likely possesses abilities like etherealization, transparency, or invisibility, which is why they’ve been able to run circles around you all.”

“Tsk.”

‘That much was perfectly clear.’

“Then do you have a way to pull them out?”

“Of course! Who do you think I am?”

“A Witch?”

Irina’s movements froze. Her face suddenly flushed crimson, and with a trembling voice laced with shame, she cursed, “Shut your dog mouth! No one will think you’re mute if you don’t speak.”

Senior Yao Jing looked utterly bewildered by her words, but after a moment’s thought, he dutifully stepped aside to observe Irina’s next actions.

****

In a world of white, a streak of absolute blackness was sprinting wildly.

“Subject 43, stop wasting your energy. The artificial cosmic prison is a world composed of Infinity. By physical means alone, you will never reach its boundaries.”