Sequence 7, Witch.
Main potion ingredients: Agate Peacock egg, complete blood of Black Abyss Demon Fish.
Supplementary materials: 80 milliliters pure water, 5 drops Golden Mandala juice, 3 Shadow Lizard scales, 10 drops Daffodil juice.
In the dim basement, Angel removed the agate-stone-like peacock egg from its box and placed it beside the crucible.
She then double-checked the black abyss demon fish blood contained in a transparent cup.
Shadow lizard scales were also complete—for insurance, she'd purchased an extra one.
Pure water and plant juices: prepared.
Taking a deep breath, Angel began configuring the potion.
Preparing the potion in her home basement, her mindset was far better than during her advancement to Instigator.
Yet recalling how she'd been reborn in the body of the deceased Kors Granger in this very basement—Kors had lost control and died after consuming the "Witch" potion in this same room—made advancing here feel somewhat ominous.
Shaking her head to dispel these strange thoughts, Angel measured exactly 80 milliliters of pure water with a measuring cup and poured it into the freshly cleaned crucible.
Next came 5 drops of Golden Mandala juice, 10 drops of Daffodil juice, then she tossed in three Shadow Lizard scales slightly larger than a fingernail into the yellowish-green water.
The water in the pot remained motionless. Through the mixture of plant juices and pure water, she could see the scales sinking to the bottom, surrounded by a few bubbles—air escaping from within the scales.
Before adding the main potion ingredients, these supplementary materials wouldn't undergo any changes in the mystical sense.
"Next is the Agate Peacock egg."
Angel muttered to herself, relieving the tension in her chest. She took the peacock egg worth over 500 pounds and slowly lowered it into the water from the pot's edge.
As this main potion ingredient entered the crucible, the water seemed heated by invisible flames—boiling instantly. The eggshell's red, green, orange, and various colors peeled away, dissolving into the water and transforming the entire pot of liquid into a multicolored, scalding broth.
Not daring to delay further, she grabbed the nearby glass cup and poured the ink-black blood into the crucible.
The Black Abyss Demon Fish blood had congealed into an asphalt-like semi-solid after leaving the fish's body. As she poured, the entire "asphalt" block automatically covered the now-colorless Agate Peacock egg before dissolving into the water formed by the supplementary materials, transforming the crucible's contents into a cold liquid.
The liquid was purple—like her eyes.
Just like the potion Kors configured in my memories... Is this correct or incorrect?
The only reference point—someone who first successfully transformed into a woman, then lost control and died—made her doubt whether the potion was properly configured.
After a moment's hesitation, she decided to consume the potion anyway.
Pouring the potion from the crucible into another clean cup, she watched the slowly rotating liquid, feeling the coldness seep through the cup wall into her fingertips. Taking a deep breath, she raised the cup and drank the "Witch" potion in one gulp.
The icy liquid descended like an inseparable viscous mass through her throat, traversing her esophagus to her stomach. Then the cold transformed into warmth, heat, scalding temperature—spreading from her upper abdomen throughout her body.
Maybe I can change back to male?
As the potion's burning sensation rapidly spread throughout her body, Angel harbored a sliver of hope. Perhaps a woman drinking the "Witch" potion would, due to its gender-changing effect, transform back into a man?
"Boom—"
Intense roaring erupted in her mind, followed by indiscernible feminine whispers surrounding her like stereo sound, alternating between loud and soft. The crucible, furniture, and damp basement walls in her vision gradually blurred and vanished.
This is just like advancing to "Instigator"—could it be...
The moment this thought surfaced, Angel felt her body lighten as her perspective rose, once again separating from her physical form and floating near the basement ceiling.
Looking down, she saw herself in a black dress falling from the chair, lying sideways by the table. Her pale golden hair splayed out as her limbs slowly contracted, curling into a ball.
Then strange yet familiar scenes enveloped her.
She lay covered in blood, eyes bulging, on the basement's cold floor. Beside her were two indistinct human figures, conversing in low voices...
Above, a shattered starry sky with an extinguishing sun. Below, cracked earth and boiling, evaporating oceans. Before her, cities reduced to ruins...
Viewing from the sky downward, on turbulent seas, a fog-shrouded island with a city inside bearing a style completely different from Tingen...
The rustling whispers gradually faded. Her vision went black before she opened her eyes again to find the wooden cup still rolling before her.
Again... strange visions, omnipresent whispers. Fortunately, I didn't experience the near-loss-of-control that occurred when advancing to "Instigator"...
The moment this thought flashed through Angel's mind, excruciating pain spread throughout her body. She felt the bones in all four limbs creaking, muscles repeatedly tensing and relaxing, skin seeming corroded by acid.
Is this... the potion restructuring my body?
She gritted her teeth and endured, limbs continuing to curl as if this could somehow reduce the agony.
Time felt like seconds yet also an entire night. The pain gradually receded until everything returned to calm.
Angel's dress was completely soaked. Her exposed skin was covered in beads of sweat the size of beans, and a pool of perspiration had formed on the floor where she lay.
Groping her way up from beside the table, she inhaled deeply, letting the basement's humid air enter her lungs—only then did she feel truly alive.
Controlling black flames, summoning frost, mirror divination, wand substitution... The various spell knowledge now filling her mind proved she had successfully advanced to Sequence 7 "Witch."
And unlike "last time" consuming the Witch potion, she hadn't lost control!
Picking up the fallen chair and sitting properly, Angel closed her eyes, quickly emptied her thoughts, and entered her first meditation after advancement, gradually restraining her scattered spirituality.
Moments later, she reopened her eyes. The first thing she did was touch her chest, then sigh.
The bad news: they hadn't shrunk. The good news: they hadn't grown larger.
It seemed the "Instigator" pathway's subsequent potion being called "Witch" had good reason. Even in a female body, successfully advancing after drinking the potion still resulted in remaining female—not simply "switching genders"...
That made sense. If women could become Sequence 7 men through the potion, it would have been renamed long ago, and the "Witch Sect's" upper echelons wouldn't be entirely devoid of males.
Though she hadn't harbored much hope initially, facing reality still brought a trace of disappointment.
"Look on the bright side—at least I don't need to forge new documents. If I'd transformed back into Kors Granger's appearance, I'd have to flee to another city with a wanted poster..."
Muttering self-consolation, Angel shakily stood and ascended the stairs with uneven steps back to the first-floor study. The sun had already descended to the horizon. On the other side, the sky gradually shifted from indigo to black as night enveloped the streets and the starry sky revealed its true form.
Gazing at the familiar sky and streets, she recalled the apocalyptic visions from her advancement—were they residual mental influences from the potion, or guidance for her future "Witch" role-playing?
Watching the yellow sunlight outside replaced by crimson moonlight, Angel sighed, cleared the chaotic thoughts filling her mind, and looked down at her raised right hand. In the dim light, this "Witch's" arm appeared even more pale and delicate, boneless as jade.
"Bang—"
A flame erupted from her palm, seemingly absorbing surrounding light, appearing pitch-black and eerie.