Chapter 77 The Witch's Blood

Chapter 77 The Witch's Blood
​Third-Person Point of View

Coriander’s eyes gradually widened as she recognized the familiar woman who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.

The moment the woman stepped into the garden, an overwhelming presence swept across the area, bringing nearly everyone to become frozen. Even the raging battle seemed to lose its momentum as countless pairs of eyes turned toward the unexpected newcomer.

For a brief moment, silence swallowed the battlefield.

“M-Madame Tulfa...” Coriander whispered, unable to hide the shock in her voice.

Madame Tulfa looked exactly the same as the last time Coriander had seen her. She was still dressed in the same black dress, with dark makeup on her face, long black nails, and black lipstick that made her appearance even more intimidating. Not a single detail about her seemed to have changed. It was almost as if she hadn’t aged at all.

It had been five years since Coriander had last seen her, and she never expected their reunion to happen under circumstances like this.

Coriander slowly turned her gaze toward King Mavros. The Lycan King had a serious expression on his face, and from the look in his eyes, it was clear that he hadn’t expected to see Madame Tulfa here either.

What was Madame Tulfa even doing here? Had she come here to help the Obsidian Fang Pack since she knew the Lycan King?

The moon was full tonight, which was why the wolves and lycans had become more aggressive than usual. Under the light of the full moon, their instincts and strength were heightened.

Perhaps that was also one of the reasons why the power radiating from Madame Tulfa was so overwhelming. She had previously said to Coriander and others that the power she has comes directly from the moon.

Coriander could feel the pressure from where she stood. Madame Tulfa’s presence alone was enough to make the surrounding wolves uneasy.

“H-How?” Elder Mara asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Coriander’s brows furrowed. Something was clearly wrong. The way Elder Mara was looking at Madame Tulfa across the battlefield made it obvious that she knew her.

Madame Tulfa slowly smiled. Then, with a faint smirk on her lips, she spoke. “Long time no see... Mother.”

The surroundings were enveloped in a deafening silence because of what Madame Tulfa said. She felt like she’d momentarily forgotten to breathe because of what was happening. 

“M-Mother?” Coriander’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Coriander’s gaze shifted repeatedly between the two women.

She had known Elder Mara for years, yet not once had the woman ever mentioned having a daughter. Coriander had never even sensed that she had a child. She had always assumed Elder Mara was simply too occupied with the Hundi Pack to concern herself with having a family.

But now, everything suddenly made sense.

One by one, the wolves and mages that had been scattered throughout the garden began to disappear. At the same time, the violet smoke slowly faded from the area, signaling that Elder Mara had lost focus—or that the power she had been using was no longer active.

Even Beta Lief seemed to snap out of a deep sleep. He blinked several times, looking around the battlefield with clear confusion, as though he had no idea what had happened while he was under Elder Mara’s control.

The entire garden fell strangely quiet. Everyone’s attention was now focused on the two women standing at the center of the battlefield, as though they were witnessing a long-awaited reunion.

Coriander noticed Elder Mara’s body stiffening. Her eyes remained fixed on her daughter. For the first time, the powerful Elder seemed to have completely lost her words.

Madame Tulfa slowly lowered the hood that had concealed her face earlier, revealing her features to everyone.

“Aren’t you going to greet your daughter, Mother? ” she asked, a faint smirk playing on her lips.

Elder Mara’s expression changed. “H-How are you alive?” she asked.

Coriander’s brows furrowed even deeper. She had heard those words earlier, but there was one major difference—this time, it wasn’t Mavros asking the question, it was Elder Mara herself. 

“Well, let’s just say bad weeds are hard to kill, Mother,” Madame Tulfa said with a faint smirk. “But forget about that for now. I’ll deal with you later.” She paused before turning her attention toward Coriander. “For now, I’m here to collect a debt.”

Madame Tulfa’s eyes locked onto Coriander, her expression suddenly turning cold.

Coriander stiffened.

Why is she looking at me like that?

She couldn’t understand what she had done to deserve such a look. Before she could say anything, Mavros stepped forward.

“Don’t you fucking dare touch her, Tulfa,” he warned coldly.

Madame Tulfa slowly turned her head toward him. The moment their eyes met, the tension in the garden immediately grew heavier.

Coriander looked between the two of them, becoming even more confused.

What the hell was going on?

It felt like everyone here knew something she didn’t. There were too many secrets, too many questions, and somehow, she seemed to be standing right in the middle of all of them. And the worst part? She had absolutely no idea how everything was connected.

The tension between Mavros and Madame Tulfa grew heavier by the second. For a brief moment, no one dared to move.

Then Madame Tulfa smiled. “Enough talking.”

She suddenly raised one hand. A wave of dark energy exploded from her body, sweeping across the garden and forcing everyone nearby to step back.

“Everyone, move!” Mivron shouted.

Coriander barely managed to raise her golden daggers before the attack reached her.

​BOOM!

The explosion sent several warriors flying. Mavros immediately rushed toward Coriander, shielding her from the remaining shockwave.

“You’re not touching her,” he growled.

Madame Tulfa tilted her head. “Then I suppose I’ll have to go through you first.”

In the next instant, she vanished. Mavros’s eyes widened.

“Behind you!” Coriander shouted, but Madame Tulfa had already appeared behind him.

Mavros turned just in time to block her strike, but the impact pushed him several steps backward.

“So you’ve grown stronger,” Mavros muttered.

Madame Tulfa smiled. “You have no idea, King. I told you I am not your ally or enemy unless you did something…”

She struck again, this time, Mavros was forced to fight back.

The battle had officially resumed.

The Obsidian Fang warriors quickly returned to the fight as well, attacking the remaining wolves and mages that had begun emerging from the violet smoke once more.

Luka released another arrow, taking down an enemy before looking toward the center of the battlefield.

“She’s with them...” Coriander stared at Madame Tulfa in disbelief.

Coriander had expected Madame Tulfa to either help them or leave. But instead, she had joined the enemy.

And judging by the way Mavros was struggling against her, she was not an ordinary enemy.

“Master, what should we do now?” Imus asked.

Her eyes moved from Madame Tulfa to Elder Mara. Then to Lief.

The situation had just become far worse.

“Fight,” she said firmly. Her golden daggers shot forward. “Don’t let them take control of the battlefield again.”

The golden daggers flew across the battlefield, forcing the enemy mages to scatter.

Coriander immediately followed. She rushed forward, forming another set of daggers around her as she moved. One after another, she sent them toward the enemies surrounding her people.

“Don’t let them regroup!” Gamma Fengk shouted.

The Obsidian Fang warriors pushed forward with renewed strength. For a moment, it seemed like they were finally gaining control of the battlefield.

BOOM!

A powerful blast of dark magic struck the ground. Coriander stopped. Her eyes widened as she looked toward the source.

Madame Tulfa stood in the middle of the battlefield, one hand raised. Dark energy continued to gather around her fingers.

Mavros was several meters away, his clothes torn and blood running from the corner of his mouth.

“You’re stronger than before,” Mavros said, wiping the blood from his lips.

Madame Tulfa smiled. “And you’re slower than I remember.”

She disappeared. Mavros immediately raised his arms.

BAM!

Her fist slammed into his guard and sent him skidding backward.

Coriander clenched her teeth. She wanted to help him, but before she could move, a familiar voice came from behind her.

“Don’t take your eyes off me.”

Coriander turned. Elder Mara was standing there.

The violet smoke had returned. But this time, it wasn’t spreading across the entire garden, it was gathering around her body.

“You still haven’t shown me the true power of that Solar Sigil,” Elder Mara said.

Coriander’s expression hardened. “So you noticed.”

“Of course I did.” Elder Mara raised her hand, and then violet magic formed above her palm. “But I wonder… Can you still protect everyone without using it?”

Coriander’s golden daggers immediately surrounded her. “There’s only one way to find out.”

Elder Mara smiled, then she attacked. At the same moment, Madame Tulfa and Mavros clashed again on the other side of the garden.

Two battles erupted simultaneously, and this time, neither side intended to hold back.

“Pip, Nico, Imus,” Coriander called out seriously to the three lycans residing within her.

“Master...” they replied simultaneously inside her mind.

​​“Prepare to shift at any moment. We need to end this war as soon as possible so I can return to my son,” Coriander said solemnly.​​