novelraw Chapter 67: The witches table.
Chapter 67: The witches table.
"Sit."
The command was barely a whisper, yet it carried the weight of a god’s decree.
They sat. Instantly.
There was no hesitation, no questioning of authority. Seven beings capable of leveling kingdoms dropped into their chairs with the obedience of well-trained hounds.
Ash leaned back into the obsidian throne, his face a mask of bored indifference, though his mind was racing at a mile a minute.
He gestured vaguely to the table, his eyes sliding over the terrifying assembly.
"Raphael," Ash said, not looking at her. "Mind introducing these people to me properly?"
Raphael smiled. It was a genuine smile, devoid of her usual mockery, yet it was infinitely more terrifying. She gestured to the table with a hand that had slaughtered thousands.
"As you command, my King. You know Echidna already, the Witch of Sloth."
Echidna, whose head had only recently been reattached to her neck, nodded rapidly. Her eyes were wide, wet, and fixed on Ash with a look of desperate adoration.
"Next to her," Raphael continued, pointing to the small figure clutching the bear. "Valac, the Witch of Greed."
The little girl giggles. She hugged the bear tighter, and the realistic human teeth sewn into the doll’s mouth seemed to chatter.
"Asmodea, the Witch of Lust."
The voluptuous woman in the barely-there silk dress bored her head. She licked her lips, her gaze raking over Ash as if he were a banquet and she had been starving for centuries.
"Beelzebub, the Witch of Gluttony."
The thin, pale woman paused in her chewing. She swallowed a sharp splinter of the ebony armrest she had been gnawing on, wiped a trail of drool from her chin, and grinned. Her teeth were rows of serrated needles.
"Satanachia, the Witch of Wrath."
The armored woman slammed her gauntleted fist against her breastplate. The sound rang out like a gong of war.
"And Leviathan, the Witch of Envy."
The green-skinned woman narrowed her eyes, glancing at Raphael with pure venom before turning to Ash and bowing her head respectfully.
"And I," Raphael finished, lifting her goblet of wine and swirling the blood-red liquid. "Lucifer. The Witch of Pride. And your Queen."
The moment the names settled in the air, the System went berserk.
[System Alert]
[Multiple High-Tier Entities Detected.]
[The ’Court of Sins’ has recognized you as their Master.]
[Mass Bonding Initiated...]
Ash gasped.
He felt a surge of energy unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Rage. Hunger. Desire. Laziness. Pride. Envy. Greed.
The emotions crashed into him, threatening to drown his consciousness. He gripped the armrest of the throne, his knuckles turning bone-white. He bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted copper.
I cannot pass out.
Not here. Not in front of them.
If he showed weakness now, the illusion would break.
[Bond Established: Valac (Greed) - 85% Loyalty]
[Bond Established: Asmodea (Lust) - 90% Loyalty]
[Bond Established: Satanachia (Wrath) - 88% Loyalty]
[Bond Established: Beelzebub (Gluttony) - 82% Loyalty]
[Bond Established: Leviathan (Envy) - 81% Loyalty]
[Bond Established: Echidna (Sloth) - 100% Loyalty]
[Bond Established: Raphael (Pride) - ??? Loyalty]
[New Title Acquired: King of the Witches.]
[Stats have increased significantly.]
[New Skills Unlocked for Review.]
The rush subsided as quickly as it had come, leaving Ash feeling heavier, denser. He felt stronger, infinitely more dangerous, as if he were a loaded gun that had just been taken off safety.
A single bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. He ignored it, maintaining unblinking eye contact with the seven monsters staring at him.
’Fuck, what was that?’ Ash thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. ’I could have sworn I blackened out for a few seconds there.’
He exhaled slowly, controlling his breathing, and glanced to the side.
Aisha stood frozen, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword so hard her fingers looked like they might snap. But it was Kelvin who drew Ash’s attention.
The mage looked like his mind was fracturing.
His eyes were darting from the witches to Ash, his mouth opening and closing without sound. He knew the legends. He knew that the Devil King had plunged the world into an age of darkness and slaughtered the previous generation of Heroes.
And now, he was in a room with the Devil King and her entire court.
If anyone else were in his shoes, they would be dead. The Witches despised humans; their malice was a palpable weight in the room. The only reason Kelvin and Aisha were still breathing was that they belonged to Ash.
"What the hell is going on right now... Echidna..." Kelvin whispered, his voice trembling. "You better explain this to me once we get out of here."
Ash, with his enhanced senses, heard him loud and clear.
He sighed, the sound echoing in the silent hall. He turned his gaze back to the table. Every single Witch was focused on him. They weren’t blinking. They were drinking him in.
"It’s fine that I know your names now," Ash finally spoke, his voice steady. "It should be easier to identify you all."
The reaction was immediate.
As though his voice were a divine gift, the Witches leaned forward. Their cheeks flushed red with excitement. Valac hugged her bear tighter. Asmodea let out a soft moan. Even the stoic Satanachia looked as if she had just been praised.
They were fanatics.
Raphael beamed, pride radiating off her. These were her creations, and they were finally serving their purpose.
"Raphael," Ash said, cutting through the adoration. "Not that I wish to dismiss your effort to gather the witches. But I do hope you do not expect me to use their powers to take over the earth like you once did."
Raphael placed a hand on her chest, looking aghast.
"Goodness, no. That thought has long since left my mind. My only purpose is to serve you, and nothing more." Her eyes darkened slightly. "And by that, I mean we are here to ensure you get your revenge on the heroes who killed you. To ensure your name is echoed through all seven nations until the heavens themselves tremble."
Ash’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’I see. So they know about the death. They think I am a vengeful spirit returning for my due. Now it’s starting to make some sense.’
He could work with that. Revenge was a powerful motivator, and he needed an army that wouldn’t question his morality.
Ash proceeded to rest his chin on his palm, crossing his legs casually on the throne.
"How many of you," he asked softly, "are willing to lay down your life for me?"
The silence lasted for a microsecond.
"As the devil king wishes!"
Seven voices screamed in unison.
Satanachia drew a dagger and held it to her own throat. Valac offered her bear. Asmodea clawed at her own chest. Even Echidna, who had just died, looked ready to do it again without a second thought.
The sheer intensity of their devotion washed over the room like a physical force. Kelvin whimpered and took a step back.
Ash looked at them, at the madness in their eyes.
A slow, cold smile spread across his face.
"Good," he whispered. "Because I intend to use you until there is nothing left."
...
(A few months later)
Ash opened his eyes.
The transition from sleep to wakefulness was instant. There was no grogginess, no confusion. His mind simply turned on.
He looked toward the window, squinting slightly as the bright morning sun seeped through the heavy velvet drapes.
The room was nothing like the cramped inn rooms or the cold forest floors he was used to. It was massive, a chamber fit for a king.
The bed was a sprawling four-poster monstrosity draped in red silk and decorated with hanging beads of polished mana stones. The floor was tiled with marble, and the walls were adorned with intricate frescoes highlighting the beauty of the room.
’Another day, eh...’
Ash sat upright, stretching his arms until his joints popped satisfyingly.
Ding!
[System Notification]
[A new slave has joined your ranks.]
[Subject: Male, Level 15.]
[Trauma Quest: Completed via Proxy.]
[Bond Level: 80% (Initial Fear/Gratitude)]
[No Unique Skill acquired.]
Ash read the notification with a passive expression, swiping it away with a flick of his wrist.
A somewhat worried look played on his face for a moment, then vanished.
Things had changed drastically since the meeting at the Witches’ Table and the death of the Hero, Isaac.
Ash had decided that skulking in the shadows wasn’t enough. He needed a base. He needed resources.
He had taken over the epicenter of the illegal slave trade—a sprawling city hidden near the border of the Beast Lands. He hadn’t just liberated it; he had conquered it.
All the slaves that had been awaiting sale—over two hundred of them—were recruited.
Not a single one refused.
When you are in chains, and a man walks in with seven demons, slaughters your captors, and offers you a choice between death or servitude, you choose servitude.
Ash now commanded a total of 212 slaves. 78 were men, mostly laborers or failed mercenaries. The rest were women, ranging from elves to beast-kin to humans.
Initially, Ash had viewed this as a logistical nightmare.
The [Slave Contract] skill required him to complete a "Trauma Quest" for each slave to maximize their bond and unlock their potential. The thought of playing therapist to two hundred broken people was exhausting.
But then, he realized he didn’t have to.