Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 755 - 628: The Base of the Tower

Chapter 755: Chapter 628: The Base of the Tower

On the other side, the Witch, guided by Kirino Reisei, made her way into the underground layers of the Xisheng Shrine.

At the very bottom of the Xisheng Shrine lay an "Ancient One," and the time had come for this secret to be unveiled.

Initially, as the Witch was in a deep slumber, no one dared to open the sealed layer to check on the Ancient One’s condition. But now, with the Witch taking actions herself, even if that Ancient One had a thousand tricks up its sleeve, it couldn’t possibly create any chaos.

Unlike the region containing the black walls, the true underground layer was even deeper. There was no light here; all that could be seen were smooth walls, made of pure metal, lacking any inscriptions, like an invisible tomb.

Kirino Reisei, holding a flashlight, led the way, and the Witch followed close behind.

The place was dim, but the Witch had long entered a transcendental realm; she now needed no light to perceive things. Light to her was merely one of the countless illusions of the mortal world.

Her footsteps were light and silent as she walked. She wore a pristine white dress adorned with flawless gold embroidery on the hem and cuffs that enhanced her elegance. With jewelry worth a fortune, she decorated her white neck. Her perfect, slender legs were tightly wrapped in black stockings. Her brown hair was plaited into two attractive braids on each side of her forehead. Her enigmatic eyes stared straight ahead, unwavering.

Kirino Reisei, walking in front, couldn’t see the Witch but could imagine the stunning goddess that followed her, making her feel somewhat flustered.

"So, Mr. Web Monitor paid you a visit, did he? He went to the scenic Mingge Mountain, didn’t he?" the Witch suddenly asked.

The Witch’s gentle voice sounded like a death sentence in Kirino Reisei’s ears. With all her experience, she still felt an overwhelming invisible threat.

If the Witch misunderstood and thought she had had a fleeting romance with Xiao Xu, that would be a huge injustice, Kirino Reisei thought to herself.

Being indifferent by nature, even if she did have a fling with Xiao Xu, it wouldn’t be a big deal—it would be just one night in a long life.

But being wronged didn’t feel good, especially when talking to the Witch. If she angered the Witch enough to be killed, that would be terrible.

"He was just enjoying the scenery and relaxing at Mingge Mountain," Kirino Reisei tried to convey the message indirectly, careful not to be too explicit to avoid falling out with either side.

Ever since she got involved with Nestor Corporation, Kirino Reisei had more or less figured out the relationship between Mr. Web Monitor and the Witch.

While the Witch was asleep, Xiao Xu played around quite a bit. Now that the Witch was fully awake, she seemed determined to track down and clear out each one.

"He hasn’t changed one bit. I’ve heard of someone taking an indefinite maternity leave because of it," the Witch followed step by step behind Kirino Reisei.

"I wouldn’t dare to speak rashly about that matter," Kirino Reisei said, feeling the chilling atmosphere, really afraid to be killed by the Witch in the secret passage where no one could even find her body.

"What are you afraid of?" the Witch pressed, "What is it that you’re afraid of?"

Kirino Reisei’s heart tightened, feeling she had misspoken. She found that whatever she said, the Witch would sharply catch any slip, and the more she talked, the easier it was for the Witch to grasp onto something.

It was better to say nothing... to remain silent. If she ever had the luck to tell others about the key to dealing with the Witch, the first rule would be to not speak at all.

"I fear my shallow words might not align with the truth and wrongly harm the innocent," Kirino Reisei said with difficulty.

"Who are the good people then? If he’s philandering everywhere, are he and his lovers the good ones? If he hasn’t overstepped the boundaries, what are you hiding?" the Witch said with a smile.

Kirino Reisei sweated profusely despite the extreme cold.

She turned to look at the Witch. The Witch’s flawless figure was enviable, with a high, tight bust wrapped inside a dress, appearing as if it might burst forth. Even a Witch like Kirino Reisei couldn’t help but be moved.

It was hard to imagine that Mr. Xu spent every night with such a woman and still managed to be unfaithful elsewhere.

"Please allow me to show you the secret in front of us," Kirino Reisei bowed to the Witch and then proceeded down a set of stairs.

It was quite a struggle to walk. In such a deep place, without even heating, she felt freezing cold despite wearing a thick down jacket.

She admired the Witch, who brought no cold protection gear. Surely, the present Witch couldn’t be measured by the standards of common folk or Witches; her constitution was akin to that of mythological creatures.

"Have you been here before?" the Witch inquired.

"I came here when the Xisheng Shrine was freshly built. At that time, Honma Noriko was merely an ambitious career investor. She had the guidance of a sage to construct the Xisheng Shrine. Its existence sheltered the Xisheng Group, helping it become the top-ranking company in the Archipelago Continent in just over a decade."

"So the Xisheng Shrine is a marvel?"

"Yes, the source of power for this tower is called ’Wealth,’ it’s the tower of wealth. To build the tower, an Ancient One must be sealed at its base. Only the Ancient One can serve as the Pillar of Humanity, to accommodate this overwhelming power."

"It was the Seven Seals Organization that was instructing Honma Noriko, now it’s clear to me. Seven Seals correspond to seven towers, seven modern marvels. They had been nurturing the right candidates and recruiting suitable members since the last century," the Witch understood.

"But Honma Noriko only emerged from obscurity, it would be more convenient to support other entrepreneurs who already wield significant power," Kirino Reisei speculated.

"What they need is loyalty," Farosa said.

"Indeed... Hence, by looking at their modus operandi, many modern wonders are incredibly suspicious—there’s the Xisheng Shrine we’re in, followed by the World Trade Twin Towers at the Lighthouse Core East Coast, the New Taixi State Pyramid on the West Coast, Lundinium Big Clock, the Gaul Sena Riverside Iron Tower, the Agave Continent Savior Statue, the Near East Khalifa Spire, the Greeny City Corporate Alliance Building... These gargantuan structures echo each other from a distance," Kirino Reisei moved forward.

"We live amidst a gigantic conspiracy," Farosa traced the geographic layout of these buildings.

She still remembered many mysterious memories, Farosa knew that the Great River Goddess feared beings from beyond the stars, and the Seven Seals were some kind of servants to these extrastellar existences.

The Seven Seals Organization controlled the Xisheng Group and Honma Noriko, and now Xisheng was in shambles. By excavating the remnants at the base of the shrine, Farosa might gain more knowledge, enough to destroy all her enemies.

"We’ve arrived," Kirino Reisei, holding a torch, came to a stop.

They stood before a massive black door at least 4 meters high, adorned with numerous peculiar bas-reliefs which seemed to narrate a segment of ancient history.

By interpreting and observing these ancient reliefs, Farosa saw different towers rise from the ground, meteors, witches, and foreign creatures falling from the sky. The Old Ones hid within the towers and gradually perished.

"The civilization of the Old Ones was destroyed by ’witches’ and alien lifeforms, the Seven Seals left these reliefs as a warning to Honma Noriko. The last time I merely glanced at them and did not delve deeper, fortunately, everything here remains unchanged. I saw them bring something into the room behind that door and then there was silence. After so many years, it’s unknown whether the containment is still alive," Kirino Reisei caressed the engravings on the door.

"Quite hideous," Farosa frowned at the strange outer-worldly creatures, depicted with particularly ferocious, shapeless forms.

Merely looking at them filled Farosa with an innate revulsion and hatred, and Kirino Reisei dared not look any longer after a brief glance.

"They ravaged the Ground, dealing a heavy blow to the civilization of the Old Ones," Kirino Reisei’s gaze fell on the secret script at the bottom.

The lines of secret script, written in a pessimistic tone, expressed desperate verses about how the Old Ones retreated layer by layer from outer space to the Ground, then back to the base of the Giant Tower.

"Don’t worry, the stars are my domain. I will kill all the traitors and enemies, this time, no threats will reach the Ground. Now open the door," Farosa nodded.

"Yes," Kirino Reisei cautiously pushed open the black door.

The instant the door cracked open, Farosa’s spirit pierced through the doorway, swiftly scanning all the details within the room.

She frowned without speaking, merely motioning Kirino Reisei to open the door faster.

Kirino Reisei pushed the doors open with both arms and turned to look inside, causing her heart to skip a beat.

At the base of the Xisheng Shrine, an inverted pyramid shape formed, piercing straight down, impaling an Old One.

"Pillar of Humanity..." Kirino Reisei murmured.

The Old One was extremely tall, roughly 2.5 meters; it seemed as if the door was designed especially for the Old Ones to pass through.

The skin of the Old One was pale, with only a few rags wrapped around his body. Two heavy iron chains bound his arms, stretching them out, suspending his body in air and fixing him firmly in place, making him use his own spine to support the Xisheng Shrine, while three Black Long Spears penetrated the Old One from different angles, resembling a horrific form of torture.

Yet, the Old One was not dead.

Upon hearing the door open, he opened his eyes, looking at Farosa and Kirino Reisei with a deep, eerie gaze that showed no fear.

Farosa first looked not at the Old One, but at the surrounding walls, which were covered in gold runes that emitted a dazzling bright light.

The path to wealth was imprinted here.

"These runes have made the Xisheng Group wealthy, no wonder Honma Noriko handed over the entire Xisheng Group to the Seven Seals from the start. She wanted to strike it rich too," Farosa examined the runes.

"Will the runes also make Nestor Corporation wealthy?" Kirino Reisei inquired.

"Honma Noriko has already bound this power," Farosa captured the direction of the power flow.

It still served the Xisheng Group, which corresponded to Honma Noriko accumulating vast wealth in the Near East Region. The Xisheng Group was revitalizing, waiting to return and reclaim the Xisheng Shrine.

Kirino Reisei’s gaze fell on the sealed Old One in the center, deep in thought. If the "Xisheng Shrine," this unparalleled Tower of Wealth, was truly mastered, then Nestor Corporation would far surpass every other company in gathering wealth in the future, like completely stealing Xisheng’s "luck"—terrifyingly potent.

With that, she turned her eyes to Farosa, awaiting her