Chapter 443 – Witch Hut

As Roland stood there, facing the enigmatic Professor Fortuna and more precisely, her strange spectral manifestations, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. Her presence here was quite unsettling and he couldn’t even measure her strength properly as she was nothing more than a conjured phantom made from spiritual energy.

“Professor Fortuna, if you intend to intervene, may I ask about your stake in this matter?”

He posed his question while the will-o’-the-wisps around the area increased in numbers. Roland wasn’t sure what to think about this old lady’s involvement. If she witnessed the whole fight from a safe distance, it was probable that she saw his face and knew about his true identity. What she would do with this knowledge was unknown but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to stop her if she chose to leak it.

“You wish to know my reasoning, young lad? Hm… how about we change our location, this isn’t really the greatest place to have a chat, would you join me for some tea?”

“Uh, some tea, Professor?”

“That’s right, I’m sure you’ll enjoy my special brew young man.”

It was quite a surprise that he was invited to go to her abode. Roland knew that the Spiritualist from the Institute lived in the dungeon so this was a chance to get what he came here for. His main goal was to meet this woman and analyze her spells to help him with his phantom rune limb project. Already, as he was looking at the strange energies he was making recordings for future use.

Professor Fortuna was not an ordinary figure and Arion had already informed him about her. Considering that she was left alone to live in this dungeon made her unique and he wasn’t sure if he could refuse her request. The magical energies around him were starting to gather but luckily their aim was not him but Professor Ulfine whom he knocked out.

The will-o’-wisps that had been intensifying in the area gathered around her body and began to lift her up. It looked like she was floating on a cloud made from spiritual energy that pulsated from time to time. It was clear that this woman didn’t account for his opinion in this matter and killing Ulfine to tie up this loose end would probably be impossible. Yet, for some reason, he felt like she wouldn’t leak any incriminating information.

“Special brew? I’ll accept the offer then…”

“Wonderful! Please follow me then, it won’t take long.”

While Roland didn’t really want to follow this old woman to her lair, he needed to see what she would do with Ulfine. Considering her reputation it was probably safe but if not, then escaping would probably always be an option. Arion would have not lied to him and she wasn’t known for being openly hostile to other institute members. Thus, after considering his options and the possibility of making a breakthrough with his research, he decided to go with her.

With a nod, Roland followed Professor Fortuna as she led the way deeper into the dungeon. The will-o’-wisps floated around them, casting an eerie light that danced along the swamp water and trees. Roland remained vigilant, his senses on high alert, but the old Spiritualist seemed nonchalant as if they were simply taking a leisurely stroll.

As they walked, Roland couldn’t help but notice the strange fog gathering around them. It had encompassed them fully and made seeing anything past a few meters impossible. Only thanks to his enhanced mapping device was he able to keep track of his position which his golems that were outside were keeping track of. However, in just a second something happened that jumbled up his entire map.

“Dimensional Shift?”

“Oh, you’re quite a perceptive young man, the institute must be glad that such a youngster is one of their professors.”

The old lady chuckled as he blurted out the sentence out loud. A dimensional shift had occurred which meant that he had gone through something similar to a teleportation gate. After going through the institute that was filled with dimensional magic, he became quite sensitive to the changes. He had also included sensors in his armor to feel out for such magics.

‘That was some high-level magic, I only noticed it once I was passing through it… I should be really careful here.’

All sorts of red flags were going off in his head but he needed to continue. It was now too late to turn back, even more so now that he found himself without his golems that had been left behind on the first floor of this B-rank dungeon.

‘The signal isn’t coming through, either there is a magical barrier around this place or I’m really deep underground.’

He was certain that he had been brought to one of the lower levels of the dungeon where Professor Fortuna’s home was. The moment he saw it, he was even more reminded of old fables from his original world. This woman already looked like some type of evil witch but her home also filled the bill. They were still inside of a swampland and before him was something that looked quite interesting.

‘She’s not going to throw me in the oven and try to eat me, is she?’

While having some intrusive thoughts he looked at the hut that was perched on a small island in the middle of a murky swamp. It was surrounded by a large quantity of vines and twisting trees. It exuded a strange aura of ancient magic and had various symbols etched into the wooden walls. Many glowing orbs floated around the water and he could see some strange apparitions within the depths.

“Here we are, young man. Welcome to my humble abode”

“Ah yes… it certainly looks… welcoming.”

Roland hesitated for a moment before stepping onto the rickety wooden bridge that led to the entrance. His armor wasn’t the lightest so the wood creaked beneath his weight and added more to the eerie atmosphere. As he approached the hut he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was putting himself in danger but at the same time, it was too late to retreat. He could only steel his nerves and try not to offend this witch-like woman.

Professor Fortuna seemed entirely at ease as she opened the door and beckoned him inside. Roland followed with his senses on high alert and ready for any sign of danger. The interior of the hut was dimly lit by flickering candles which cast shadows across the wooden walls.

“Please, make yourself comfortable and I’ll have that tea ready in no time!”

Professor Fortuna said, gesturing to a wooden chair by a small table. Roland nodded warily but before taking the seat he looked at the second guest, Professor Ulfine. She was still being transported by the bunch of glowing orbs and being led to what seemed to be the cellar of this witch-like hut.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“What are you going to do with her?”

“Don’t you worry, young man. She will be dealt with according to the institute’s rules and don’t worry, your little secret will be safe with me~”

The apparition of the old woman chuckled a bit before vanishing from sight. Roland was skeptical of the whole situation but at the moment the woman had not shown any animosity towards him. It was better to remain a good guest and ask about his research, the only problem was bringing it up. He wasn’t really sure why she invited him here in the first place, which made him a little bit nervous.

Once the spirit version of the witch was gone, he was left to his own devices inside of this strange hut. To not push his luck too much, he decided to just take a seat on the chair that was presented to him and wait. The dimly lit interior of the hut, coupled with the strange atmosphere of the swamp outside made him want to leave.

Minutes passed and he could hear some strange creaking sounds of wood below him, probably where Ulfine had been carried out to. Her fate was something he was interested in but the woman already assured him that she would be dealt with. Finally, the sound of footsteps broke the silence as Professor Fortuna returned now in her true corporal form. She carried a tray with a steaming teapot and a couple of cups that were floating around her.

“My apologies, these old bones don’t move as well as they used to.”

The woman looked almost identical to the spectral form she presented herself as. Her skin was wrinkled and weathered but her eyes shone with a sharp intelligence, and her smile held a hint of mischief. Roland couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease in her presence but he remained composed while trying to think of a way to ask her for some insights into spiritual magics.

“No need to apologize, Professor Fortuna. Thank you for the tea.”

Roland replied politely, trying to maintain a respectful demeanor despite his reservations. The old woman poured the tea into the cups and handed one to Roland before taking a seat across from him. Instantly, he activated his helmet to make a chemical and magical analysis of the brew. While his system wasn’t perfect, it was capable of identifying compounds that could cause harm to his body. Luckily, this brew didn’t seem to be anything more than regular green tea so he chose to take a sip.