Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 11: Silver: "I Only Care About Master"

After a brief round of testing, Xia Ya had mostly grasped Shiny’s current ability status.

Not only had the maximum distance of each Blink increased, but its cooldown time had also been reduced. Moreover, with its proficiency level nearing the peak of Expert and not too far from Perfect, the skill’s activation delay had become extremely short—practically instant-cast now.

Additionally, the teleportation target was no longer limited to just itself.

For living beings, Blink could only be used on Shiny itself and Xia Ya, as its Soul Pact master. However, for inanimate objects, there were far fewer restrictions.

In other words, it could now ram into things while blinking.

Overall, while upgrading the proficiency of Blink—a high-tier spatial skill—had cost far more experience points than Xia Ya had expected, the payoff was well worth it.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

Perched on Xia Ya’s shoulder, the little golden snub-nosed monkey excitedly showed off its newly enhanced ability to Silver.

This was the real deal—an actual space-time skill! Spatial teleportation! Compared to its kin who evolved into forms that could either spew fire, spray water, throw punches, or chuck rocks, this was on a whole other level of prestige.

However, as it continued boasting, Shiny suddenly sensed something off.

On the other side, Silver was lightly rubbing against Xia Ya’s arm, looking up at him with her big, watery eyes.

“Ying-ying~ (Master, ever since you perfected my Tsukuyomi, you haven’t allocated any more points to me...)”

“Ying-ying-ying~ (Tsukuyomi is mostly a control-type skill, but I feel like I still need an attack-type ability...)”

“Chirp! (Big Sis, you can’t do this!)”

“Chirp-chirp! (I’m the newbie here! You have to take care of newbies!)”

Shiny panicked instantly.

I never expected Big Sis Silver to be like this!

The order of skill upgrades directly determined the hierarchy within the team. Even if Silver was the senior member, she couldn’t just monopolize the power-ups!

Besides, an attack-type skill? I need one too! Blink needed combos to be truly effective!

Then, as if hit by a revelation, Shiny froze.

Silver’s eyes had suddenly welled up with a faint layer of mist.

“Ying... (Master, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so selfish...)”

“Ying-ying-ying... (I understand. The new summoned beasts joining the team in the future will only have better racial stats and more innate talent. It makes sense that Master would favor them more...)”

“Ying-ying... (I—I’ll just keep using illusions to support them...)”

“Ying... (Master, don’t mind me, go ahead and give the points to Shiny first...)”

“Ying-ying-ying... (I—I’ll be fine on my own...)”

“Chirp!”

The little golden monkey was shocked.

Wait… you can play it like this?!

Compared to Big Sis Silver, its own manipulation skills were clearly way below her level—completely different leagues.

Even Xia Ya found himself sucking in a sharp breath because, at some point, Silver had activated Charm at a Master-level proficiency.

Of course, as Silver’s Soul Pact master, Xia Ya wasn’t affected by her illusion magic at all.

But—her species was naturally skilled at acting adorable!

If she were dealing with a softhearted female Beastmaster, Silver would probably already be getting pampered beyond belief, cradled in their arms like the most precious treasure.

"What do I do if my main summoned beast turns out to be a master manipulator? Urgent, online, need help."

"Alright, I seriously have no more points left right now. Even if I wanted to power you guys up, I can’t."

"But the future is promising."

"Shiny, always believe—good things are coming."

"And Silver, don’t say things that hurt team morale."

Xia Ya chuckled as he put an end to his two summoned beasts’ playful antics.

As their Beastmaster, it was his duty to mediate such disputes and, at the same time, paint an optimistic picture of the future for them.

And maybe… maybe this wasn’t just empty hope.

If Historical Echo really worked as he expected, then perhaps his upcoming beginner quests would also have clear objectives.

By then, skill upgrades—and even self-created offensive techniques—wouldn’t be an issue.

Silver had already learned Tsukuyomi, so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for her to master Amaterasu next, right?

With these thoughts in mind, Xia Ya finally shifted his attention back to the distorted doorway ahead.

"Silver, return to my Soul Pact Space for now. Shiny, you’re coming in with me."

Silver flicked her fluffy tail and gradually faded from view.

Before fully disappearing, she shot Shiny a smug little glance, as if to say:

"See, newbie? Now you know who Master’s real favorite is, huh?"

And Shiny… completely agreed.

Big Sis Silver’s level of manipulation was something it, as a rookie, couldn’t even begin to grasp.

As the newbie, I have a long way to go.

Shiny leaped into Xia Ya’s hand, closed its eyes slightly, and focused all its power on controlling the Spatial Laws it wielded.

Invisible ripples of space spread from the monkey’s body, gradually enveloping Xia Ya as well.

Since they were linked through the Soul Pact, part of his summoned beast’s abilities would naturally transfer to him.

With preparations complete, Xia Ya turned his gaze toward the shimmering, warped entrance.

Historical Echo was an extremely rare phenomenon. Even in the grand libraries of the Imperial Capital, there were barely any records detailing its internal structure.

Entering it meant taking an enormous risk.

But at this point, Xia Ya had no retreat.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the glowing portal.

His figure vanished in an instant.

And the moment he disappeared, the distorted light also began to fade—until it completely dissipated.

The Ruins of the Cangting Principality returned to their previous state of deathly stillness, as if all the previous commotion had never happened.

Meanwhile, in Resa City, at a Order Bureau branch—

A middle-aged officer removed his cloak and stood respectfully beside the desk.

Seated at the desk—his desk—was a slender figure dressed in a black standard-issue long coat and wearing a metallic mask.

"Three hours ago, my Void Eye detected spatial fluctuations southeast of Resa City," the masked woman stated coldly, her tone carrying an undeniable authority.

"Based on Void Eye’s initial assessment, the magnitude of this spatial fluctuation exceeds what an ordinary low-tier summoned beast could produce. Furthermore, the few Imperial-tier and above spatial beasts in the region have remained dormant recently."

"Thus, unless something unusual occurred, I believe a Historical Echo has manifested near Resa City."

The middle-aged officer cleared his throat. "Lady Fioren—"

"No need for formalities. Use my title during work."

"Yes, Inspector Fioren," he immediately corrected himself.

The Order Bureau’s branch in Resa City was under his direct command, placing him as a high-ranking official who reported straight to the Imperial Order Bureau—a true imperial envoy.

Even if the City Lord of Resa stood before him, he wouldn’t normally have to tread so carefully.

But he knew—the woman before him was different.

Setting aside her vastly superior status and strength, the fact that she was a trusted confidant of the Second Imperial Princess was already enough to suffocate him.

The Fresta Empire was in a delicate and complex situation, and the middle-aged officer was keenly aware of his position—

The very reason he held his current rank was because the Second Imperial Princess was his greatest political backer.

"If a Historical Echo has appeared near Resa," he said, "the most likely location would be Gray-White Hills, about 200 li southeast of the city."

"A senior student from Saint Roland Academy, named Xia Ya Egut, acquired the archaeological excavation rights for Gray-White Hills two years ago through a political donation and has since employed an archaeological expedition team to explore the area."

He delivered his report in the simplest, most direct terms.

The masked woman’s indifferent voice paused briefly.

"He hired an expedition team? Which high-ranking noble family does this Xia Ya Egut belong to?"

"He… doesn’t seem to have the backing of any major noble house."

The middle-aged officer wiped sweat from his forehead.

"In fact, part of the money he used to hire the expedition team came from bounties he personally completed for the Order Bureau."

"...Interesting."

For the first time, there was a slight shift in the woman’s cold tone.

"Most Historical Echoes are uncovered purely by chance."

"But this Xia Ya Egut—his actions are far too purposeful. He must have knowledge of historical secrets even the Empire is unaware of."

"Did he stumble upon some clue by coincidence? Or is there someone guiding him from the shadows?"

"...Or perhaps, he has inherited an ancient legacy..."

"Or even worse—he himself is an ancient being, revived from the flow of time?"

The middle-aged officer swallowed hard.

He had just heard something he definitely shouldn’t have heard.

If either of her last two guesses were true, then his earlier attempts to recruit Xia Ya had been nothing short of a death wish.

"But ultimately, whatever secrets or fortunes he possesses—Her Highness does not care."

"As long as he still considers himself a citizen of the Fresta Empire, then the Empire has the capacity to accommodate all hidden truths."

The calm statement finally allowed the officer to relax a little.

Indeed, as the strongest human nation in the Western Continent, the Fresta Empire naturally possessed the breadth of mind to handle such matters.

His earlier worries now seemed excessive.

Compared to the grand scale of the Empire, even a Historical Echo, while rare, was far from an earth-shattering event.

"However, the fact that he executed such a large-scale operation alone, without any external support, is noteworthy."

"Regardless of his connection to the Historical Echo, his capability alone is already outstanding."

The woman tapped her fingers on the desk, summarizing her evaluation.

"He’s a talent worth nurturing."

"You did well in bringing him to my attention—you deserve some credit for this."

Unlike the fortuitous encounter tied to the Historical Echo, which could not be replicated, what truly mattered to her—and the Second Imperial Princess—was reliable talent.

A competent individual was always more valuable than mere wealth or artifacts.

"Your role here is finished. Dismissed."

"Yes, ma’am."

A fleeting glint of excitement flashed through the officer’s eyes.

Receiving direct acknowledgment from Lady Fioren meant that his contributions would reach the Second Imperial Princess’ attention.

This could finally be the career breakthrough he had waited over a decade for.

Of course, compared to himself, Xia Ya Egut was undoubtedly the luckiest person here.

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The officer donned his cloak and was about to take his leave when a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"In that case, should we deploy personnel to investigate the Ruins of the Cangting Principality at Gray-White Hills—"

BOOM—!

The middle-aged officer’s face turned deathly pale.

His hands clenched the desk with a white-knuckled grip, veins bulging along his arms.

Behind him, the shadows of three formidable summoned beasts emerged—some majestic, some ferocious.

Yet, despite their High Commander-tier strength, and even with one nearing Monarch-tier, they shrank back in fear, trembling under the sheer oppressive aura filling the room.

This is... the power of a "Six-Ring Titled Beastmaster"—a level beyond Master-tier...

It was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

For the first time, the slender figure before him stood up, towering over him.

Her long crimson hair swayed wildly, and from beneath the metallic mask, her golden-red eyes burned like molten lava.

"Repeat. That. Name."

The officer, barely suppressing his shock, forced himself to respond:

"The name was mentioned in Xia Ya Egut’s archaeological rights application. The document clearly stated—Cangting."

Even as he spoke, his mind was racing, desperately trying to piece together why this name had triggered such an intense reaction.

Due to Beast Tide Uprisings and Twilight Catastrophe, much of the Western Continent’s historical records had been obliterated, leaving behind massive gaps in knowledge.

This was precisely why archaeology had become such an important field.

But there was no doubt about it—Lady Fioren’s reaction stemmed specifically from the name "Cangting Principality."

His thoughts rapidly sifted through his memory.

And then—it clicked.

Before becoming a follower of the Second Imperial Princess, Lady Fioren was originally from the White Chalk Tower.

And the founder of White Chalk Tower, who had ascended to legendary status over five centuries ago—

Was none other than the Argent Witch, a powerful figure who was said to have originated from...

Cangting.

The Argent Witch had vanished centuries ago.

But her position as Tower Master of White Chalk Tower had never been replaced.

Even though new Legendary Beastmasters had risen from White Chalk Tower in recent years, none had ever been appointed as her successor.

A heavy silence engulfed the room.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lady Fioren spoke again.

This time, her voice—usually so cold and indifferent—was undeniably touched by emotion.

"Gather every single detail about Xia Ya Egut."

"I will personally report this to Her Highness."

"...I may also need to return to White Chalk Tower immediately."