Miss Witch Doesn't Want to Become a Songstress-Chapter 194

"Who... who are you? I’m from the Leopard Head Gang. If you mess with us, you won’t survive in Northern 2nd District 2."

Despite the inexplicable fear he felt toward the icy black-haired girl before him, the man forced himself to finish his threat.

The black-haired girl sitting in the chair didn’t respond to his question. She simply stared at him coldly, as if looking down at garbage.

The bound men on the ground continued to threaten her, but there was no reaction. The air grew still, and their voices gradually weakened. The chilling aura emanating from the girl seemed to seep into their very souls, freezing them from the inside out. Even their consciousness began to stiffen and blur.

"Please... please... let me go..."

Finally, the leader of the group couldn’t bear the fear any longer. He knelt down, begging for mercy.

At first, Thilan had wanted to ask them some questions, but as she sat there, her desire to interrogate them slowly faded, leaving only a faint sense of disgust.

What was the point of asking? It was all about lust or greed. Expecting morality from such scum was impossible—they probably didn’t even understand the concept.

So, she stopped speaking. Under her imposing presence and the emotions she radiated, the others also fell silent, standing quietly and watching the four men slowly reveal their ugly sides.

Time passed minute by minute. Just as the men’s consciousness was on the verge of freezing, the black-haired girl finally spoke.

"Give me a reason to spare you. This is your last chance to survive."

After saying this, she fell silent again.

"I... I..."

Seeing that the girl had slightly loosened her grip, the men on the ground gasped for breath and struggled to speak.

By now, the sky had darkened. Unseen by the men, several flames floated over from behind, surrounding them.

In the cold wilderness, these orange flames were the only source of warmth, giving the kneeling men the strength to speak. Before them, the black-haired girl remained seated, her face, skirt, and expression swaying in the flickering firelight.

She didn’t speak unnecessarily or put on airs. As she watched them, she remained as still as a statue. Her astonishing calmness and self-control filled the men with dread.

"I can give you all my savings and money, just to make up for my earlier offense," the shorter middle-aged man pleaded. This was the best solution he could think of.

Money? If it had been a year ago, Thilan would have been desperate for money, struggling to afford even snacks. But now, she no longer lacked for it. Even without the support of Edess Academy, she could live comfortably thanks to her talents and the power of her transcendent sequence.

The girl’s eyes slowly closed, as if mocking the man’s foolishness and hopelessness.

"I... I can cut off an arm to show my remorse. Please, spare us," one of his lackeys blurted out in desperation.

But the black-haired girl remained unmoved, sitting quietly.

"I can swear... uh, swear..."

As he spoke of swearing, his voice trailed off. Who would believe such an oath? He probably didn’t even believe it himself.

If someone with a good reputation and credibility made a vow in a crisis, it might save their life. But for someone with no credibility and a history of wrongdoing, once caught, no one would believe them, and they would receive no forgiveness.

The men tried to come up with reasons to save themselves, but their excuses were weak, and even they lacked confidence in their own words.

It seemed she had overestimated them. The black-haired girl slowly opened her eyes and raised her hand. A cold aura spread from beneath the four men, frost creeping up their bodies and gradually freezing them into ice.

The scene fell silent again. Then, she stood up, no longer maintaining her previous seated posture.

"Whew, I finally caught my breath," Alen said, clutching his chest.

"Is this what the president is like when she’s serious? So terrifying," the others murmured, still shaken. Perhaps because the black-haired girl was usually so gentle and soft-spoken, they had forgotten how formidable she could be.

Jinzerk approached the frozen figures and gently tapped one with his hand, unable to resist asking, "Are they dead, or just frozen?"

Meanwhile, Thilan was about to return to the vehicle to rest. Hearing the question, she turned back.

"They’re just frozen for now, but if they stay frozen too long, they’ll die."

With that, she boarded the vehicle to catch up on some sleep. Inside, Dolores watched as the girl curled up on the bed and gently stroked her hair and shoulders before going to prepare some food. It was already evening, after all.

That night, the group gathered around the campfire for dinner, while the captives from earlier were tied up near the frozen figures.

Seeing their boss, Brother Long, and the others frozen solid, the remaining captives were terrified but also felt a sense of relief. Though their leader was gone, they had survived.

...

Late at night, Thilan woke up, rubbed her eyes, and checked the time. Remembering the men she had frozen, she put on her shoes and stepped out of the vehicle.

Only two people were on night watch: Valk and Phyllis. Phyllis was flipping through an old book he had bought at the last supply station. It was printed during the early days of the Verdant Veil rise and told stories from that time.

As for Valk, he sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating in the cold wilderness wind, as if engaged in some kind of training.

"President, you’re awake?" Phyllis greeted Thilan as she stepped out of the vehicle.

"I’m a bit hungry," the girl admitted honestly. Phyllis chuckled and handed her a can from the campfire.

"T5-grade Orange Codfish Can," Thilan read the label before carefully opening it. She ate small bites with a spoon, staring blankly at the campfire.

After finishing her meal, her body and mind gradually recovered. She then walked over to the frozen figures.

Seeing Thilan approach, Valk stood up, grabbed his gun, and followed her.

Under the cold silver moonlight, the girl sat back in the chair, though this time in a more ladylike posture. Valk stood behind her, and she nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

She raised her hand, and the frozen men began to thaw. The frost on their bodies melted away, and they collapsed to the ground, struggling to lift their heads after a while.

During their frozen state, they had experienced something akin to near-death—or perhaps it was truly near-death. They had felt the heat of consciousness and hallucinations before death, as well as the deep drowsiness that crept in. The fear of teetering on the edge of death had been etched into their bones, and even the slightest recollection of it terrified them.

Though the girl hadn’t asked, she understood what they had experienced because she had been through it herself—once in the tunnel during the attack on her way home, and another time when she nearly drowned in stagnant water.

Many of life’s troubles and illusions are shattered like glass in the face of death. Only death is so fair and real, revealing the true treasures of life from the depths, making one appreciate the beauty of living.

This, perhaps, is the meaning of the Necromancy Sequence–Decay Sequence.

"Let me tell you the meaning of your survival," the girl said softly, her voice now the only sound in the night.

"Strive to be people with a conscience. I don’t expect you to do good deeds, but at least don’t do evil. Don’t follow the crowd into corruption. If you can’t survive in Northern 2nd District, leave. The world is vast, and there are many choices. Falling into depravity isn’t the only answer."

Though she appeared to be a dark, mafia-like princess, her words were surprisingly warm and compassionate, almost unbelievable. In the past, Brother Long would have mocked such naive and laughable ideas, perhaps even spitting in disdain.

But today, he didn’t dare. Instead, he felt a sense of relief at having survived. Whether the girl was naive or ignorant, it was precisely because of her nature that he had been spared. If they had encountered someone truly ruthless, he would have been dead long ago.

Living was better than anything else. He greedily breathed in the air, experiencing a sensation he hadn’t felt in decades. If someone could offer him a warm bed and a hot meal now, he would trade all his money for it.

"I... I can do it. I swear," he said weakly, his hands on the ground, feeling the granular soil and gravel beneath his fingers. Things that had once seemed so ordinary now brought tears to his eyes.

Will I live to see another sunrise? He couldn’t help but ask himself.

The girl nodded slightly, then shook her head.

"I want to believe you, but my reason tells me it will be difficult for you to change."

With a sigh, she raised her hand again. The men, terrified, knelt and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

Frost spread across the ground, the fine crystals reflecting the moonlight and forming a gray-white expanse. The frozen waves of sand and ice parted around the four men, continuing to spread into the distance.

The frozen sand and ice particles, the undulating frozen waves surrounding the four men, and the frost-covered earth stretching to the horizon under the moonlight.

The gray wasteland, already bathed in moonlight, now appeared almost pure white under the thin layer of frost, extending as far as the eye could see.

For at least dozens of miles, the ground was covered in this thin frost, as if the entire world had frozen and stopped. This miraculous scene was deeply etched into the men’s minds, something they would likely never forget.

"I hope you remember today’s words," the girl said, closing her almost eerie blue eyes and slowly standing up.

Then, like ripples on water reversing, the frost that had spread far and wide melted and receded, passing by the four men and returning to her feet before disappearing entirely.

...

The next morning, the group woke up to the morning sun. During breakfast, they noticed that the captives from the previous day were gone.

"Thilan got up last night and let them go," N said casually, sipping a cup of hot milk as if it were no big deal.

"Huh? Just like that? What if they come back?" Guro asked, his mouth full of instant noodles.

"It’s fine. They made a serious oath. They probably won’t come back," N replied, stroking his chin.

"Even N approves?"

Guro was puzzled, but he wasn’t the type to dig too deep. If they were let go, so be it. Keeping them around would have been a hassle—killing them was out of the question, and taking them to the nearest police station would have meant traveling hundreds of kilometers, which they didn’t have time for.

Among the others, the girls didn’t seem to care much about the matter. The boys, Valk and Phyllis, remained silent. Jinzerk grumbled about losing his "toys," while Alen was curious about what the men had said to make Thilan release them.

After getting no answers, the group set off again, heading to the next sampling point. Out of the 683 nodes, they had already completed over 200, averaging about 7-8 per day. Most of their time was spent in the vehicle.

"Now that you’re getting the hang of it, I’ve decided to move on to the second phase of your training," N announced two days later.

"What is it, teacher?" the group asked curiously.

"From now on, I won’t be driving. You’ll take turns driving. Also, you’ve probably noticed that the fuel costs in Northern 2nd District are exceptionally high, and the initial funds we were given are running out. We’ve only completed about a third of the journey."

"So, from now on, in addition to collecting samples, you’ll need to take on small tasks from local residents or find legal ways to earn money to keep the journey going," N explained, crossing his arms.

"Can’t we just use our own money to cover the costs?" one member asked.

N shook his bony finger.

"No. If you just throw money at every problem, what’s the point of this training? Rules give the training meaning. Otherwise, you might as well ask, ’Why even go to school? I have money, so I don’t need to worry about food or drink.’"

"Also, I should remind you that the use of firearms will be gradually phased out in the next stage. That means you can’t use the guns you brought. If you confiscate any along the way, that’s a different story."

"In short, use your wits. Chaotic regions are full of danger, but they’re also great places for experimentation and real combat. The bustling Southern 1st District wouldn’t allow you to act so recklessly."

"Think about it—you should be grateful to have a teacher like me guiding you and the academy backing you up. When I first joined the agency, it was common for companions to die. Some of them, I even thought were more talented than me. But in the end, I survived, while many either died along the way or left after various setbacks. Not many made it to retirement like I did."

After understanding N’s decision and the academy’s arrangements, the group reluctantly accepted and began planning and assigning tasks for the next phase of their journey.

"Feels like we’ve boarded a pirate ship. Why did I, a big idol star, sign up for this life of bullets and danger?"

Ruby complained, pulling out a small mirror to check her reflection. Seeing that she still looked perfect, she snapped the mirror shut.

"You’re one thing, but our Evony is the real surprise," Dolores said, placing her hands on the golden-haired girl’s shoulders and asking if she regretted or was scared.

"No, perhaps I really do need this kind of training," Evony shook her head lightly, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at the quiet black-haired girl ahead. Over time, she had grown to respect and admire her, though her usual pride made it hard for her to approach or strike up a conversation.