The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 181: Butterfly Wings

Vol 2 Chapter 181 Butterfly Wings

[Tipu Flower Purifying Antidote]: An antidote specifically formulated against insect venoms. (Can neutralize most Third Tier insect venoms)

[Mantis Blade Edge] (Insect Moth): Imbues a weapon with serrated sharpness beneficial for cutting, granting extra armor-piercing effect.

[Copper Beetle Pendant] (Third Tier · Excellent): Projects a copper beetle phantom, usable as a barrier and shield (3 uses/day)

There were attack cards, a defensive pendant, and an antidote—this reward batch was very well rounded. Sylutia took each of the three items in turn to inspect them.

She then wrapped the pendant around her wrist to wear as a bracelet and tested the [Mantis Blade Edge]. A faint cyan serrated force formed along the blade; slicing through a stone slab left a clean cut easily, as effortless as slicing bread.

Does the owner of this tomb have a connection to the Insect Moth Aspect? Many of the abilities and items here were insect-related.

After Sylutia accepted the items, she examined the room and the passageway beyond.

After passing through that room, the corridor’s patterns changed, as if they had entered a new layer; the corridor’s material, patterns, and hues all differed here.

On the other side of the maze, the others were also arriving at rooms occupied by powerful monsters. The Third Tier monsters inside mostly possessed the Nesting Beast core ability; in the maze rooms, their abilities were significantly amplified.Seven people in total entered, three of whom were killed outright by the powerful monster attacks, leaving only four who managed to defeat their opponents. Among those four, two had sustained serious injuries.

The four reached the lower layer of the maze. The tests became more difficult here, but the rewards improved noticeably.

A red-haired youth gripped a lion-sword, clad in vivid red battle armor, fighting a human-headed snake monster before him. Its body was serpentine with strange limbs and a human head.

“Da da da~”

His teeth chattered, producing an eerie laugh. His bulging eyes fixed on the red-haired youth, then he wielded twin blades in a relentless assault. This reckless, bizarre blade style left the red-haired youth struggling to respond, barely able to defend.

After several minutes, he began to take wounds, while the human-headed snake remained intact.

Sweat seeped from his temples; after being injured, the youth felt his stamina continuously draining, and a dangerous premonition crept closer.

If this continued, he would die here. Thinking that, he gritted his teeth and once more took out a special beetle, placing it in his mouth.

[Blood Armored Beetle] (Insect Moth · Bloodline): Temporarily grants the power of ancient insects, consuming internal blood and causing the bloodline to gradually lean toward insect traits. (Remaining uses 1/3)

Once more swallowing the special beetle, red light flashed in his eyes. He raised the lion-sword high and brought it down with immense force, breaking the monster’s guard and cleaving the human-headed snake monster in two.

......

Lusha darted through the room with a dagger in hand. She raced upside-down along the ceiling, avoiding the two-headed monster’s attacks, then dropped from its blind spot; her dagger tore open the creature’s nape.

Having lingered near Third Tier for nearly sixteen years as an experienced apprentice, she desperately wanted to advance, and this maze expedition gave her hope.

Not only had she found many valuable treasures, the ability cards discovered here also brought surprising gains.

[Red-Tail Bee Sting]

Sharp poisonous spines suddenly sprouted from behind her elbow, piercing the monster’s body, then she withdrew and evaded the creature’s frantic counterattacks.

Soon the monster staggered, its body weakening. In the struggle against Lusha, it deteriorated until finally collapsing.

Indeed, poison is the path an assassin should follow, she thought. She had been going astray before, limiting herself to combat techniques and physical development.

.....

After fighting and looting through several rooms, the four gradually adapted and regained their earlier rhythm, until—

“What does this pattern mean?” a short apprentice asked, looking at the room they were about to enter. The pattern on the entrance was an intertwined []x] shape: two humanoid lines spiraling and entwining with each other.

Curious, he stepped inside.

Stone slabs descended and sealed the room. Standing within, he sensed the room rapidly shifting, which left him unsettled.

Soon the room stopped; a wall slowly lowered on one side, revealing the opponent he needed to defeat—

It was another Third Tier apprentice who wore a similarly puzzled expression. The opponent had shorter hair, light leather armor, and a dagger—clearly an assassin.

Was this battle meant to kill another apprentice? He frowned, finding it absurd. After all, this was supposed to be an expedition. If he killed another apprentice, the Hidden Grove Alliance might investigate and punish him severely.

“I was going to—” Before he could finish, the other acted. Rapid footsteps blurred into afterimages, and a crimson blade swept elongated through his vision.

Bad. The apprentice rolled on the ground and pressed his palm to the earth, causing violent tremors to ripple outward.

[Earth Quake Strike]

He had previously used this move to stun a giant stone-board boar and then claim it as his prey.

Unfortunately, this time he had encountered a sharper human opponent.

Lusha launched herself during the ambush, flipping in the air and then plunging down; the spinning blade tore open the lower apprentice’s body.

One single lapse was enough for one side to be defeated and die.

Afterward, Lusha, exhilarated, gathered the various spoils left by the fallen apprentice. Under the influence of a certain special ritual, she felt a new power pass from the dead apprentice into her.

Her long-dormant Aspect tier began to loosen; a primal impulse guided her toward a specific path of advancement.

Minutes later.

The light around her retracted; her eyes, closed for a long time, opened again, a look of ecstatic joy spreading across her face.

“I—I advanced!?”

“Advanced...” she murmured, feeling as if she were dreaming. She looked around, touched herself, checking.

“It happened just like that.” She repeated the sentence, as if still trapped in the echo of a recurring nightmare, unable to fully wake.

Finally she came to her senses and realized she had truly stepped into the Fourth Tier. Strange, suppressed laughter echoed through the room.

That repressed, ecstatic laughter, twisted disbelief, and a few sobs of joy mingled together.

......

On the other side, Sylutia cleared the maze monsters and collected the post-battle reward.

[Butterfly Wings] (Insect Moth): Giant butterfly wings grow from the back. Their patterns vary by person and grant the user the ability to fly.

Fly? That was a rare ability. Many professions only encountered flight-related powers after reaching Fourth Tier, and not every Aspect could gain flight.

For example, the Secret Word and Slumbering Winter Aspects offered no flight-related powers.

Holding the card depicting beautiful butterfly wings in her hand, Sylutia felt curious. She slowly integrated the card into her Fate Plate and began to adapt.

A lovely starlit blue glow wove behind her. Before long, a pair of butterfly wings like a starry sky unfolded on the girl’s back.

The patterns on the wings resembled a deep, shifting starfield; angle them slightly and different glimmers appeared. If one forced a natural counterpart, it would be something like the Great Blue Flashwing butterfly.

Legends said that Fairies were the first joint offspring of the Insect Moth and Verdant Nectar Aspects. They had butterfly wings and humanlike bodies—delicate, beautiful, the perfect blooms of flora come to life.