Well, this was definitely outside the norm.
Lyle's gaze narrowed, a flicker of concern and surprise flashing in his eyes as he rapidly sifted through the scattered intel he had on the so-called Twin Witches.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much to go on.
Whether it was from his previous life, the scraps of information he'd squeezed out of the lizardmen, or even the half-witted cave-dwelling lizard before him, none of it amounted to anything useful.
The only solid fact Lyle had was this: four years from now, even after the Great Tomb descended, the Twin Witches would still be around.
That alone was unsettling.
A faint unease curled in his gut. Something about this entire situation reeked of trouble.
Of course, it was also possible this bizarre display was intentional, crafted by the witches to confuse or scare him off.
Lyle smirked quietly as he stared into the fog-draped depths of the marshy forest ahead.
"Alright then. Let's see what you're playing at."
Whatever tricks they had up their leafy sleeves, it didn't matter. Power was the only thing that counted in this world, and he was confident the Twin Witches weren't beyond level 30. At best, they might be hovering above level 20.
His scroll stockpile hadn't been replenished recently, true, but he wasn't empty-handed. He still had 15 scrolls of [Flame Archangel], 18 of various fourth-tier angels, including 10 [Observation Principality] and 8 [Principality Peace]. He'd used two of the latter during the recent tussle with the lizardfolk.
"Lead the way."
His voice was calm as he signaled the mind-controlled cave lizardman to take point.
The dense forest around them pulsed with dampness and decay. Twisted trees with gnarled bark clawed at the sky, vines like serpents winding through every crevice. Even the air felt heavy, soaked with the scent of rot and moss.
Lyle held a magical item known as "Forest traversal" in his palm. It ensured that his hound companion could move unhindered through the thick terrain.
Gu-guu…
Hssss—
Chirp-chirp… crackle—
Faint noises echoed through the woods — distant birdcalls, insect clicks, and something that sounded suspiciously like a frog choking on its own tongue.
They had barely gotten deeper when a massive black shape loomed ahead through the mist.
Lyle motioned for his barghest to stop. He lifted his head, peering through the thick fog, eyes narrowing. The shadow was indistinct. Too large for a beast, too structured for a tree.
"That is Master's castle," the lizardman intoned in a dull monotone, still under the charm spell.
Castle?
Lyle raised a brow, a touch of amusement in his expression. A subhuman building a castle deep in a marshland? Seemed the Twin Witches not only had brains, but also a flair for comfort.
Still, now that they were close enough to see the castle, it meant they had entered enemy territory.
"Heeheehee~"
Suddenly, a light, musical giggle rang out from the gloom.
"Oooh, little lizard, you brought a human here? That's very naughty of you. We're not happy, not happy at all…"
The voice was melodic and faint, drifting from every direction in the fog-drenched woods.
The Twin Witches.
Lyle's eyes sharpened. He couldn't pinpoint the speaker's location, so he gave his hound a light tap on the head.
Rrrr…
The beast growled, lifting its nose to sniff the air, trying to track the source by scent.
No luck. The swamp reeked of too many things — mildew, rot, moss, something that might have been bat guano — masking any trace of the witches.
"How strange… why isn't the little lizard reacting?"
"Ohhh, he's been charmed, hasn't he?"
"Heehee… clever human, using mind tricks."
Their voices swirled like mist, growing clearer, closer.
[Detected spell: "Phantom Echoes" — Requires a Psychic-type base class. Conditions... met.]
[Would you like to spend 1 skill point to learn this spell?]
"Tch. Parlor tricks."
Lyle glanced at the notification window on his status board, raising an eyebrow at the unexpected prompt, then gave a short, dry laugh.
Psychic-type magic users were far rarer than other caster paths. Even he, up till now, had only unlocked the [Wizard] class. Yet the presence of [Phantom Echoes] meant the Twin Witch held a psychic-type class as well.
Still, that was just a spell. They hadn't used any psychic-exclusive class abilities yet, only basic spells.
The status board allowed him to learn spells via skill point expenditure — but not talents or class inheritances. A minor limitation, but one that mattered in the long run.
He waved his arm once.
Immediately, two [Flame Archangels] floating at his side responded, their blazing swords sweeping out in wide arcs toward the surrounding vines and trees.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions of fire and wood sent branches and leaves flying as burning cuts tore through the underbrush.
The eerie voices fell silent.
Lyle's eyes gleamed. So, that had done something.
Besides the sound-manipulating spell, the Twin Witch clearly had some kind of natural stealth ability, blending perfectly into the environment.
His interface could help learn spells and skills, but it could not replicate a racial or inherent gift.
"You bastard! Human filth!"
The once-giggling voice was now shrill and furious.
"Darkness!"
At her cry, the forest plunged into an even deeper gloom, an unnatural night swallowing all light in seconds.
Even the gentle glow from the [Flame Archangels] flickered out, devoured by the abyssal black.
Swish!
CLANG!
"Ahhh!"
The sound of steel on armor, followed by a scream of pain, echoed through the murk.
Moments later, the unnatural darkness faded, replaced by the regular dim light of the swamp.
Lyle remained seated atop his hound, calm and composed.
One of his [Flame Archangels] floated back beside him, though a deep dent marked its armored chest — clear evidence of a heavy blow.
The other was further ahead, blade raised against an opponent who now stood visible in the clearing.
She was slim, her figure wrapped entirely in layers of vibrant green leaves, only a pair of bright yellow eyes peeking through. Despite the foliage, her shapely silhouette was unmistakable.
This… was one of the Twin Witches?
Lyle studied her with interest. The leaves concealed her features too well to identify her species, but she was clearly not human.
Wait — was she the only one?
His gaze flicked around the clearing. No sign of the second witch.
"How did you see me?" the witch hissed, clutching her shoulder. Part of her leafy covering was charred, a fresh wound still smoldering from the angel's blade.
"Magic tools, of course," Lyle replied with a lazy smile, tapping the monocle on his left eye.
The [Darkness] spell didn't cause a negative status, only removed light from the area. His passive [Divine Body] wouldn't help in this case.
Truth be told, his monocle's low-tier night vision wasn't much help either.
What actually saved him was activating a combat technique called [Mind's Eye] at just the right moment, which allowed him to sense her intent before she attacked.
"[Darkness] is from the arcane school. [Phantom Echoes] is psychic. So she's a dual-path caster," he noted calmly.
His hand shot forward.
"Magic Arrow!"
Whiz!
Three glowing arrows shot toward the witch just as the nearest archangel lunged again, its flaming sword cleaving through the air.
He'd already realized the leaf armor was particularly vulnerable to fire — an obvious weakness.
"Corruptive Ruin!"
The witch screeched, releasing a burst of shadowy energy that disintegrated the magic arrows mid-flight and slammed into the angel. The impact wasn't enough to stop it, though.
Fwoosh!
The flaming sword bit deep, slicing a burning gash across her chest. Red blood spattered as the leaves on her chest combusted violently.
"Corruptive Ruin!" she screamed again, snuffing the flames with a second cast. Her golden eyes locked on Lyle with rage.
"Human Racial Charm!"
"Undying Will."
Lyle's eyes glowed faintly as a magical shield shimmered around him. At the same time, he ordered the [Flame Archangel] to continue its assault.
"Help me!" the witch cried out.
And then, something horrifying happened.
From the burning wound on her chest, another head began to rise — bright yellow eyes gleaming from behind a veil of white mist.
Another presence had emerged from within her own body.