Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 773 - 642 Purchase Books

Chapter 773: Chapter 642 Purchase Books

The face that emerged from the bark disrupted Xu Yang’s plans, and he stepped back to look at the ancient visage.

"No offense intended," Xu Yang explained, "I’m not quite familiar with the rules here."

"You might be familiar, you had some dealings with me after a thousand years."

"Forest Master. But how... how can you travel through the world of memories?" Xu Yang realized.

"Memories are like rivers, thoughts like threads; those who master the power of memory can experience it, with lengthy silken threads connecting all nodes of past and future. When one end vibrates, it resonates continually, causing a corresponding tremble at the other end."

Recalling that the Forest Master had once been romantically involved with the Great River Goddess, Xu Yang understood how the Forest Master came to know about this power.

"I’m here to help; Farosa will become friendlier in the future," Xu Yang said, turning his head to watch Little Farosa fishing by the river.

"... I also helped Farosa when she was fleeing, but looking back after a millennium, she never felt grateful for it."

"Trust me," Xu Yang promised, "I will make Farosa better."

The Forest Master, seemingly disinterested, exited the scene, leaving its insignificant hope with Xu Yang.

Its image and power receded from this land, driving away evil dragons and monsters of the woods to keep them from disturbing Farosa’s childhood, and bestowed the entire valley to them, making the river gentle, the soil fertile, and set thorns and birds of prey at the entrance to stop outsiders from intruding.

All this aid was simply in the hope that Xu Yang would fulfill his promise by altering Farosa’s memories to improve her character.

Xu Yang chopped wood all day, crossed two logs together, piled them with leaves, and barely managed to build a shelter that could withstand wind and rain, then he and Little Farosa woke Madam Medusa.

"We have food now," Little Farosa cheerfully showed her mother the two fish she had caught.

How joyful... Xu Yang mused to himself. Farosa rarely showed such simple happiness in the future, at most her face would become unbalanced.

Madam Medusa sighed without speaking, instead trying to make sense of everything that happened before her.

Little Farosa was fascinated with her new, carefree life, with her mind fully occupied by her new beginning.

The next day, Madam Medusa realized through the river that they were in Etienne Valley, a secluded place on the edge of the domain, indeed a place where they could rebuild their lives.

All of Little Farosa’s repressed frustrations, anger, and despair dissipated through the joy of life.

She roamed the entire valley by herself, hunting like a true beast, easily killing the animals, gathering mushrooms, berries, and colorful stones of different species, and wading in the water to look for crabs and shrimp under the riverbed.

Whenever she returned with a day’s find, she’d see that Xu Yang had built their little shelter even taller and prettier.

Madam Medusa and Xu Yang conversed frequently; her pained expression eased more and more, and she grew more familiar with Xu Yang. Even as it took time to understand his words and the occasional new term, his kind attitude gradually let Madam Medusa lower her guard.

After another three weeks, when Little Farosa returned dirty from days of adventuring, she found they had a small wooden house!

It was a quaint, broad single-story house with a lot of handmade furniture in the living room connected to five rooms, with a stone stove in the center.

"Did you fix this all by yourself? Thank you!" Little Farosa jumped and hopped on the spot, utterly a child.

She was nothing like the future Witch of the Cyber Era. Xu Yang could not help but smile.

"Give it time, and we will also have a cellar," Xu Yang promised.

"That’s amazing," Little Farosa had something new to share every day.

As days went by, the things she brought back got increasingly curious, one time including half of a bloody bear hide.

Xu Yang found it hard to associate this little tomboy hopping around the dinner table with the future gloomy and malevolent Witch Goddess.

He always indulged Little Farosa’s behavior and shared a knowing smile with Madam Medusa. As they adapted to the valley environment, Madam Medusa’s condition improved day by day.

Later on, she announced that she would take Little Farosa to the market town to buy some books and continue Little Farosa’s reading and literacy.

"In the south, by the coast, there’s a big port town, Marseille. We are going there," Madam Medusa declared.

"As you wish," Xu Yang tidied up the house and prepared enough dry food and water for the journey.

Little Farosa maintained a composed expression, but in reality, she was so excited she couldn’t sleep all night and could only doze off on Xu Yang’s shoulder the next day, thus easing the hardship of the journey.

The road to Marseille was not safe.

"Wow, there are bandits on the way," a nearby woodsman warned.

Sensing Madam Medusa’s anxious look and Little Farosa’s hesitant expression, Xu Yang boldly moved hundreds of miles ahead of them and secretly took out three bandit dens on their behalf.

He fired directly, according to the realities of the time, aiming for deterrence and injury rather than seeking victory. Following this, the legend of the "Flame Knight" surfaced in the region: the Flame Knight would appear at night, carrying massive explosions and incredible flames, specializing in punishing the wicked. Even the most arrogant bandits wound up littering their own territory with tattered bodies and bleeding profusely by the next day.

With such tales spreading, the security in the area near Marseille improved significantly.

Since entering the town, Little Farosa looked here and there. The cobblestone streets, brick houses, and the huge squares and fountains left a deep impression on her.

Xu Yang led them away from all threats, standing guard invisibly beside them, as Madam Medusa bought a huge book box, filling it with expensive sheepskin manuscripts. Each manuscript was transcribed from the original by scholars and monks working tirelessly night and day, the handwritten font elegant and complicated, so much so that ordinary people could not read or copy them.

"Is the city fun?" asked Madam Medusa to Little Farosa.

"It’s not as fun as home," Little Farosa replied quietly. After her initial enthusiasm had passed, her gaze turned to the dirty streets around her, where people threw feces directly onto the streets, farmers coming to the city allowed their livestock to defecate at will, haughty guardsmen extorted money from merchants, and then there were the Church’s Imperial Guards, all wearing tentacle-shaped metal masks that resembled the incarnation of some kind of monster—the most terrifying of all were the Witch Council’s Judges and Secret Agents, clad in armor and wielding weapons, searching everywhere for the Council’s enemies.

On the way back, Little Farosa looked up at Xu Yang stealthily moving in the shadows and said the words she had been wanting to say, "This world is too dangerous."

"Yes, very, very dangerous. If you don’t accumulate wisdom and power, you will easily be destroyed by someone more powerful," Xu Yang reminded her.

"So I have to become the most powerful person... the most powerful, until I take out everything that bothers me or annoys me," Little Farosa said, looking straight ahead.

"But you can’t eliminate them just because they bother or annoy you. If everyone lived as they pleased without understanding, the world would be in chaos, and we would all live in a tense atmosphere, fearing that such an unreasonable person might emerge from around us," Xu Yang said to Little Farosa.

"I only need to be strong enough not to listen to others. Although I am not strong enough now, once I become stronger than you, I won’t have to listen to you, and you won’t dare to lecture me!" Little Farosa emphasized.

"You shouldn’t talk like that." Madam Medusa picked up Little Farosa, "Are you still my sweet Farosa?"

The hard edge in Little Farosa’s attitude softened as soon as she encountered her mother, pressing her little face to her mother’s cheek.

"I am mommy’s good child," said Little Farosa, her eyes seeming to shine.

Indeed, to deal with a little rascal, one had to find the rascal’s mother. Xu Yang thought to himself.

"Promise mommy... not to harm others on a whim, and not to do things that would make kind-hearted people anxious... There are still good people in the world, go among them, and use your power to protect them, to defeat those enemies who want to harm everyone, to become someone others would want to rely on... Will you promise mommy?" Madam Medusa spoke softly.

"...Hmm." Little Farosa was defiant to everything around her, but she became very gentle beside Madam Medusa, and now she responded from the bottom of her heart, closing her eyes and snuggling up to her mother.

Xu Yang carried the books as they made their way back to Etienne Valley together.

Little Farosa was very interested in the books and possessed a photographic memory; reading to increase knowledge had become her main daily activity. She rarely ran outside to frolic anymore, spending most of her time sitting at her desk with her head bowed.

They spent two peaceful months.

Late at night, as Xu Yang lay in his room flipping through disks in his mind to pass the time, he suddenly became aware of footsteps approaching. He turned his head to see Madam Medusa entering his room.

Before Xu Yang could speak, Madam Medusa put a finger to her lips to silence him and then gave him a gentle smile as she lay down beside him.

"Tell me the truth," Madam Medusa whispered.

"Hmm..." Xu Yang pondered for a moment, "I was sent by Farosa. I met her in the future, and she asked me to return to her childhood."

"So you...Yes, you mentioned you were entrusted by someone, so it was by Farosa, when she’s grown up." Madam Medusa suddenly realized.

"Yes, so Madam, we must take good care of Little Farosa and let her grow up happy and joyful," Xu Yang nodded.

"What kind of person did Farosa become in the future? Did she grow up to be a fine, good child?"

"Hmm..."

"Tell me, sir, no matter what, it’s okay. I just want to know what kind of person Farosa has become in the future," Madam Medusa said softly.

"She becomes a witch with the potential to destroy the world...the most powerful witch," Xu Yang warned.

"Does she hurt others? Does she become a witch to be feared?"

"Yes, very much so."

Madam Medusa immediately cried. Tears flowed down her face, and Xu Yang hurried to console Madam Medusa, wiping away the tears from her face.

"But she has the ability to protect herself; she can lead a stable life," Xu Yang said.

"She inherited the evil side from her beast-like father," Madam Medusa lamented in a hoarse voice.

Maybe it was indeed so, Xu Yang thought inwardly. Madam Medusa was kind-hearted and pure, while Farosa’s father was an out-and-out rogue. Much of Farosa’s malice, perhaps, came from her father.

"I am here to save all this," Xu Yang emphasized, "If we just do well, Farosa’s future will change for the better. This is a chance, an important chance. If we can exert a good influence on her in her younger years, she will do much less harm when she grows up."

"I believe you have gone through a great deal just to help us. Thank you, thank you... I want to express my personal gratitude," Madam Medusa paused for a while, then reached out to embrace Xu Yang.

"Madam..." Xu Yang was surprised.

Madam Medusa undid the fastenings of her clothes, and Xu Yang, by the dim glow of Hazuki, saw her size and hue, so different from the immature witch. A gentle, rich fragrance exuded from her, and her soft limbs were like silk, the tender young woman opened herself up to Xu Yang.

"First and foremost, I am a young woman, sir," Madam Medusa said with a smile.

"I can’t—"

"Sir, if you refuse, I will tell all these secrets to Farosa, which would expose your work and frustrate all your efforts; her memories will be a mess," Madam Medusa said cunningly, her eyes exceptionally bright in the night.