Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

“Damn it!”

Several glow sticks scattered across the ground as shadows moved erratically in the cavern. A group of roaring and snarling monsters splashed through the water, their twisted forms illuminated by the occasional crackle of blue electricity. Each flash pierced the darkness, tearing through the monstrous flesh and leaving bursts of blood in its wake.

Yang Che raised his electromagnetic rifle, firing with precision. His brow furrowed deeply as he glanced at the bodies of several teammates lying nearby, all wearing the same uniform.

“When is reinforcements arriving?!” he shouted.

“Another hour!” Luther replied, crouching in a corner of the cavern. He periodically popped out to take shots with his handgun, fending off any stragglers that slipped through.

“This place is too deep underground. The Arpeggio City special police aren’t familiar with the terrain and can’t get here quickly,” Luther explained, panting between words.

Once his pistol ran out of ammo, he tossed it aside and reached for a heavy machine gun lying nearby. It was Pascal’s weapon, left behind after the older man had fallen unconscious from his injuries. Luther had done his best to stabilize him with first aid, but it was only enough to keep him alive for now.

“If Pascal hadn’t been taken out, this would’ve gone differently. Who could’ve guessed we’d run into an ambush this massive, attacked from both sides?” Luther grumbled as he clumsily adjusted the machine gun, cursing and praying under his breath.

“Is this guy building an army underground? Hundreds of these creatures are dead, and they just keep coming!”

After securing the weapon, he carefully calibrated its fuel and energy ratios, meticulously checking a series of glowing dials. Once satisfied, he sealed the machine, locked the cover in place, and set up the gun on its mount.

Lying prone, Luther aimed at the advancing horde and pulled the trigger.

Boom!

A sharp, clear sound rang out as a golden-red projectile shot forth and exploded moments later.

The resulting blaze lit up the cavern, casting flickering shadows on the walls as an oppressive wave of heat washed over them.

“Don’t use that again! It’ll suffocate us!” Yang Che yelled, knowing the low oxygen levels underground would make firing that weapon again a death sentence.

Luther reluctantly adjusted the machine gun’s fuel and energy settings again. Fortunately, the wall of fire provided some breathing room as the creatures hesitated to approach.

Yang Che took the opportunity to drag injured and unconscious teammates to the rear while scavenging for usable weapons and supplies.

Their team had been ambushed by mutated creatures as they pursued their mission. Though initially manageable, they had called for reinforcements and set up a defensive line while steadily advancing. Things had gone smoothly until they discovered artificial underground facilities—a room filled with transparent cultivation pods, rudimentary maintenance robots, and surveillance cameras.

Triggering the alarm had released a swarm of grotesque, flesh-aberrant monsters from the pods. To make matters worse, a second wave of creatures had attacked from behind, breaking their formation and leaving many injured.

Forced to retreat into a dead-end cavern, Yang Che and his remaining teammates used the terrain to mount a desperate counterattack.

After reorganizing their defensive line, Yang Che handed electromagnetic rifles to two teammates who could still fight.

“This isn’t looking good, boss,” Luther remarked as he adjusted the machine gun. “These creatures don’t have intelligence, but they’re coordinating too well—not attacking each other and even pulling off basic flanking maneuvers. Someone’s definitely controlling them.”

“Yeah, but we can’t see how they’re doing it. We haven’t spotted a single trace of their commander,” Yang Che replied thoughtfully.

“Could it be some kind of cloaking technology?” he wondered aloud. Moving to a fallen teammate’s pack, he retrieved a shiny, octagonal device.

The Wind Seeking Eight Mountain Compass was a bronze-colored tool with intricate, clockwork-like internal components. Its surface bore gilded inscriptions, channeling a stream of microscopic, luminous particles into its mechanism. As the device processed this input, it generated a detailed analysis of its surroundings.

After configuring the compass’ settings, Yang Che inserted a silver fluid capsule, triggering a silvery wave that rippled outward.

A 3D hologram of the underground terrain appeared above the disc, showing several glowing points of light. Stable blue dots marked his allies, while erratic red ones represented the chaotic energy signatures of the creatures. Among the red lights, a single deep-purple dot flickered briefly before disappearing.

“They noticed us,” Luther observed.

“Good. At least it might intimidate them,” Yang Che replied.

Carefully studying the hologram’s edge, he spotted an unusual area near the top.

“What’s over there?”

…

Meanwhile, in another underground location, Hestia worked tirelessly to treat the wounded. In a quiet room, she isolated the less severely injured behind a curtain and began her work.

Blue motes of magical light floated around her as she closed her eyes, focusing her energy. Running her hand gently over a gaping wound on a large man’s abdomen, she gradually mended his torn organs and reconnected blood vessels. Minor internal injuries and bleeding were also painstakingly repaired.

Once done, she repeated the process for the others, her movements precise and efficient despite her evident fatigue.

Finally finishing, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and adjusted her disheveled hair. Healing others was far more exhausting than healing herself, as it required significantly more energy and control.

After ensuring her patients were stable, Hestia donned her hooded coat and prepared to leave.

As she opened the heavy iron door, the scene outside was anything but peaceful.

A fractured fang flew past her face, embedding itself in the wall with a spray of blood.

Not far away, a bloodied monster resembling a giant lion pinned Qiao Long to the ground. Its gaping maw, filled with fangs and sharp teeth, hissed low growls and exhaled foul, hot breath. Qiao Long gripped the creature’s upper and lower jaws with both hands, straining to keep them apart and prevent it from closing. The two brute forces wrestled with each other.

Meanwhile, Jennifer, with her short purple-green hair, fired her pistol repeatedly at a nimble creature darting across the ceiling and walls. Agile like a monkey but equally ferocious, the beast’s claws and teeth still bore remnants of torn flesh.

During a brief pause in Jennifer’s shooting, the vicious monkey-like creature lunged at her, sinking its teeth into her gun-wielding wrist with a sickening crack of breaking bones.

“Hiss—” Jennifer’s face contorted in pain, but she seized the opportunity to grip the creature’s nape with her free hand.

A spreading frost rendered the beast rigid. As it froze completely, Jennifer threw its hardened body to the ground, motionless.

Hestia approached as the battle between Qiao Long and the blood lion took a turn.

Having regained some strength, Qiao Long braced a foot against the lion’s body and flipped it to the ground. With bulging muscles and veins coursing with adrenaline, he tore the blood lion’s jaws apart, ripping flesh and exposing stark white bones.

Writhing in agony, the lion thrashed violently, nearly unseating Qiao Long multiple times. Its hooked black claws raked deep gashes across his back.

But the creature’s demise was inevitable as blood loss took its toll. Without its fangs and jaws, it was no longer a threat.

Qiao Long plunged a hand deep into the lion’s throat, shredding its lungs and internal organs. The beast finally stopped resisting and lay still.

“Another attack?”

Hestia stood beside them, surveying the aftermath. Most of the gang members who had been guarding the area were now dead or wounded, leaving only a few still capable of moving.

“I can’t heal this many people.” She shook her head.

“No worries, no need to trouble Miss.”

Qiao Long got to his feet, flicking the blood off his hands before wiping them clean with whatever he could find.

As a Dragon Sequence transcendent, his robust body and healing abilities meant these injuries would heal in a matter of days.

Hestia said nothing. She pocketed her hands and slowly walked out of the base, sensing something unusual outside.

The cavern was as dark as ever. Dim, broken lights faintly illuminated the area littered with battle scars, corpses, and bloodstains. Even with a mask shielding her, the air carried an unpleasant stench.

The silence was unnerving; it seemed as though no living beings remained nearby.

However, Hestia’s gaze fixated on a shadowy corner. Though seemingly empty, her awareness told her that someone stood there, as still as a ghost.

Her brows furrowed slightly. Just as she prepared to draw her gun, the figure vanished.

Was this the culprit behind the chaos? she wondered.

She had no interest in chasing anyone underground, especially at her age—just 16 years old. Not even a high schooler yet, she had no ambition to become some heroic savior.

“Did you see something?”

Qiao Long emerged, supporting Jennifer, whose injured wrist had been cleaned and bandaged.

“Yes, someone who can turn invisible.” Hestia’s soft voice felt strangely out of place in this underground world.

Hearing this, Jennifer shot Qiao Long a glare. She hadn’t expected him to actually bring a schoolgirl here. She had assumed he’d hired an eccentric or someone unusually petite.

“Any way I can see through their invisibility?” Qiao Long asked after setting Jennifer down on a nearby bench and approaching Hestia.

“Unlikely for you.”

Hestia shook her head. Although the Dragon Sequence contained techniques to perceive invisible entities, learning such skills required extensive knowledge—something more suited to a university curriculum. Qiao Long, who looked like a dropout, stood no chance of mastering them anytime soon.

“I can see through their invisibility, but I don’t want to get involved any further,” Hestia explained. The chaos had already drawn the attention of the Federation government, which likely meant troops would soon arrive to sweep and clear the area. If she were caught here, explaining her presence would be troublesome, leading to unnecessary complications.

She simply wanted to pass her school re-exams in a few days, enroll in her classes, and continue living a normal, quiet life. Coming underground to save someone was a rare act of compassion for her, but she wouldn’t let it happen again.

In today’s highly connected world, Hestia Thilan knew her unique talents might bring both opportunities and trouble if exposed. She had no desire to draw attention. Hestia preferred the solitude of quiet corners, observing the beauty of the world while living a simple, undisturbed life.

“However…”

Though reluctant to get more involved, Hestia didn’t intend to leave them completely empty-handed.

She pressed her hand to her forehead, and specks of blue light gathered until a palm-sized sapphire crystal formed in her hand.

This crystal, condensed with Decay Sequence magic, had been inscribed and refined. When shattered, it would release a revealing mist, temporarily exposing hidden entities to Qiao Long.

“Take this.” She tossed the crystal to Qiao Long and briefly explained its usage.

“You’ve got one shot. Whether you succeed depends on you.”

With that, she leaped off a nearby rock. It was time for her to leave.

“Don’t forget our deal. You still owe me help finding someone.”