The Witch Hunter System

Sacred Tirtha, Inner Sanctum

On the forbidden and deepest floor beneath the Sacred Tirtha, an old woman in white robes knelt on a prayer mat with her hands linked like the most devout believer.

In front of her was a large dragon statue made of gold.

However, at that moment, boiling blood was pouring down on the golden dragon statue and out of its orifices as it deformed and melted away, gradually revealing a different statue of silver hidden within.

The silver statue was of a winged lady with seemingly unparalleled beauty and grace, shimmering with gentle moonlight.

Those who could recognize it would understand it was a statue of the Great Devil Hecate.

However, the luminescent silver-white light that emanated from it could easily instill doubts in people's hearts as Hecate's statue seemed like the very definition of sacred and holy.

It was hard to associate it with one of the Great Devils of Gehenna, commonly known as evil, impure, bad luck, and the bringer of calamities and sufferings.

"Oh, Holy Mother of Witches, the Goddess of the Moon, and Giver of Knowledge. Forgive this child's sins for going against your original teachings and bringing death upon the land graced by you," the Ex-Great Shaman, Laeticia, prayed.

"This child can no longer tolerate the sins of men and their heinous beliefs that disgrace the Great Mother; they are vile, incorrigible, and completely unworthy of your love and teachings."

"As it pains me, please grant this child divine protection and strength to carry out the great undertaking of cleansing this filthy land and letting it reborn anew, one made in your image."

"The world is blind, and the people are misguided. They oppress your children, and the lost ones remain ignorant of the origins of their magic – they believe their power is their own, never knowing of the great kindness you have bestowed upon them."

"Please give this child the strength to correct this flawed world and spread your name, Oh, Holy Mother!"

As Laeticia continued to seek forgiveness and blessings through her prayers, a younger lady with similar features to her barged inside the inner sanctum in tears.

"Mother! Laelana… My child is gone! She has been killed! Please let me go out there, Mother! I must avenge my poor child!" The current Great Shaman, Laemana, pleaded in tears.

Laeticia softly sighed before saying, "Cease your tears and sorrows, my child. Laelana is not dead. Her mortal body may have perished, but not her soul; she only went to see the Holy Mother before us and be welcomed into her Divine Kingdom. This is not a tragedy but a blessing."

"Her premature departure only tells us she was not ready for this tainted world. When she is ready, and the Holy Mother deems her so, she will be born of flesh and blood once more."

"Separation is only temporary, not eternal. You will see her again in due time, my child. Once our mission is complete, we will definitely reunite," Laeticia consoled her daughter as her eyes flashed with a hint of sadness.

She was not completely indifferent to Laelana's death. After all, while Laelana was Laemana's daughter, she was also her granddaughter. Furthermore, she was far more obedient than her two eldest daughters, whom she had disowned for their defiance and unteachable behaviors long ago.

"Thank you for your kind words of wisdom, Mother," Laemana held Laeticia's hand to her cheeks and felt its soothing warmth, washing away the sorrow in her heart a little.

However, it did nothing to extinguish the burning hatred she felt at the same time.

"What should I do with all this anger I feel in my heart, Mother? Am I supposed to pretend it doesn't exist?" Laemana asked helplessly as her desire for revenge burned.

"Keep it burning in your heart, my child. Laelana may have gone to see the Holy Mother, but it also does not change the fact that her killers took her away from us. Thus, we must never forgive them, let alone forget," Laeticia preached.

"The chance to avenge this debt of blood will come, but it is not now, my child. Right now, we must focus on carrying out our great mission and ensuring the Ceremony of Great Cleansing succeeds."

"Once the Ceremony of Great Cleansing succeeds, your chance will come," Laeticia promised with wholehearted conviction as if the future would be as she foretold.

Laemana took in a deep breath before calmly replying, "I understand, Mother. I will heed your words."

"Um… There's something this child doesn't quite understand and hopes Mother can shed some light on. What exactly is the Ceremony of Great Cleansing?" Laemana asked.

"I've received instructions for the preparatory steps, but the function and purposes are unclear…"

"The Ceremony of Great Cleansing is a Divine-level array that will wash this land of its filth and remold it in the Holy Mother's image, allowing us, her children, to preach her name and spread her faith openly without fear of being tainted and oppressed by the worldly filth again…"

After Laeticia's vague explanation, she hesitated for a moment before adding, "Actually, I'm not too clear either. However, it is something your grandfather entrusted us to prepare."

"He is the Holy Son, the one chosen by the Holy Mother. Only he can hear and interpret the Holy Mother's divine messages. We only need to listen and follow the tasks he delivers to us, no matter how contradictory they seem to the Holy Mother's original teachings."

"The Holy Mother's intentions will be clear to us in time, child. Until then, we can only have faith in the Holy Son, and in the Holy Mother—"

Rumble…!

Just as Laeticia finished speaking, the inner sanctum's limestone ceilings suddenly shook due to a powerful impact on the surface.

The sudden disturbance surprised both mother and daughter.

It didn't take long before they heard the cries of alarm, fear, and panic from the surface, causing their expressions to change.

"We are under attack! Does that mean Grandfather… The Holy Son failed to delay the enemies?" Laemana doubted.

"Cease your impure thoughts, child. There's no time for blind guesses. You are Sacred Tirtha's current Great Shaman – Our people will need your leadership to resist external threats," Laeticia mentioned solemnly before urging, "Go, quickly!"

"Yes, Mother!" Laemana was allowed no time for other thoughts as she quickly complied.