So I Became a Witch and Started Doing Daily Quests

Chapter 157: Group Battle Erupts

After flying at full speed for about half an hour, Janna finally located Maro Heigel by tracking the aura of the “Seed.”

Due to the curse intensifying once again, Maro Heigel's body began exhibiting symptoms of fever and coughing once more.

Upon seeing this, Janna sold him a “Rotfruit” at the price of thirty-five “Marsh Arrow Frog” tongues plus one Nameplate.

This “Rotfruit” was the very one secretly stashed away by the Thornflower Sprite when it destroyed the “Rotfruit” guarded by several Blackbone Grove apprentices.

After the battle concluded, the Thornflower Sprite had presented it to Janna like a treasure.

It was precisely this fruit, worth fifty-five Academic Credits, that completely drained Maro Heigel's current savings.

Yet, he felt no reluctance—instead, he believed he had profited greatly and thus became even more determined to cling tightly to Janna.

After all, if not for Janna’s intervention, given that Maro Heigel had only just broken through to Second Tier Wizard Apprentice, he would have already been eliminated during yesterday’s siege by the Blackbone Grove apprentices.

To have survived this long was already exceedingly fortunate.

Time passed swiftly within the Secret Realm, and the ten-hour hunt felt like the blink of an eye to Janna.

With Maro Heigel’s active cooperation, their hunting efficiency improved even further. Up until now,

Janna had collected over four hundred Marsh Arrow Frog tongues.

During this time, a minor incident also occurred.

Because Maro Heigel was once again discovered by four Blackbone Grove apprentices, he was ambushed once more.

However, Maro Heigel not only didn’t flee, but even actively played the role of bait.

He lured the attackers into the Mirror Illusion constructed by the Hundred-Eyed Specter, and seized the opportunity to draw them into the “Mirror Layer Domain,” successfully turning the tables.

Yet, this time, Maro Heigel paid a significant price for acting as bait.

He was not only heavily poisoned, but his injuries, under the effect of the [Severe Injury Curse], kept worsening,

bringing him to the brink of death.

This incident made Janna clearly realize just how determined Maro Heigel was to remain in the Secret Realm.

At the same time, having recognized Maro Heigel’s value as a “teammate,” Janna spared no effort to heal all of his injuries, pulling him back from death’s door.

Afterward, upon waking, Maro Heigel decisively handed over both Nameplates he had earned as bait to Janna, and devoted himself even more earnestly to his role as a “tool man.”

“There are only four hours left until the assessment ends—”

Looking at the Swamp Secret Realm ahead, now completely shrouded in a layer of deep purple toxic fog, a flicker of fear crossed Maro Heigel’s eyes.

Just five minutes earlier, the entire Secret Realm had suddenly been enveloped by a faintly sweet-smelling purple mist.

Maro Heigel, who had some knowledge of the Swamp Secret Realm, immediately deduced that the curse ritual had likely added a new [Venom Curse].

As the purple toxic fog thickened, and Janna began to clearly feel unwell, she immediately abandoned the nearby swamp and, together with Maro Heigel, dashed toward the ever-shrinking inner circle at her fastest speed.

However, as a Water Affinity Wizard Apprentice, Maro Heigel’s resistance to poison was far inferior to Janna, who possessed Plant Affinity.

He hadn’t run far before he began vomiting uncontrollably due to severe dizziness.

Seeing this, Janna promptly tied him up like a dumpling with a vine. Then, her butterfly wings folded in, and her two arms transformed into a pair of massive white wings through a Transfiguration Spell.

She carried the near-shock Maro Heigel out of the toxic mist and into the core zone.

“Miss Janna, if it weren’t for you this time, I probably would have been eliminated again.”

Feeling the [Venom Curse] on his body had been completely purified, Maro Heigel expressed his deep gratitude, though a hint of guilt lingered on his face for frequently “dragging her down.”

“I feel the same. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have discovered so many Marsh Arrow Frogs.”

Upon hearing this, and seeing Janna’s calm and sincere expression, Maro Heigel’s previously gloomy mood inexplicably improved.

“The luckiest thing for me in this assessment was meeting Miss Janna—no matter what happens in the future, as long as Miss Janna asks, I will do everything I can to fulfill it!”

Besides clinging to her, Janna’s repeated life-saving acts had long exceeded the worth of a few Academic Credits.

Precisely for this reason, Maro Heigel silently vowed that no matter what Janna asked of him in the future, even if it meant using the power of the Heigel family, he would go all out to satisfy her.

“Mister Heigel, we’re teammates now. And the reason I help you is also because you’ve helped me—so, there’s no need to dwell on it.”

Perhaps because he had just escaped death, Janna could clearly sense that Maro Heigel’s emotional state

was still quite unstable.

In response, Janna, well-versed in social interaction, quickly adjusted her facial expression using the [Muscle Control] talent, and while doing so, gently soothed him with the effect of the [Voice of the Heavens] talent, to prevent any post-poisoning shock reactions.

“Bang bang bang bang—”

Just as Maro Heigel was about to express more gratitude, a sudden intense sound of battle erupted behind them.

Seeing this, the two exchanged a silent glance and fell quiet.

Under the cover of the Hundred-Eyed Specter’s illusion, they cautiously approached the source of the commotion.

“Just as expected—it’s the apprentices from the three major academies.”

In the core area of the Secret Realm’s inner circle, around twenty individuals were engaged in a large-scale group battle.

Besides apprentices from Blackbone Grove and Mist Tower, there were also White Coral Academy apprentices involved in the fight.

“These Black Wizard apprentices sure know how to unite when it counts!”

Judging from the current group battle situation, Maro Heigel could clearly see that the Mist Tower and Blackbone Grove apprentices seemed to be jointly encircling the White Coral Academy apprentices.

Of course, this alliance didn’t mean that the two factions were on good terms.

On the contrary, it was because they had a poor relationship that they prioritized eliminating the group-loving White Coral apprentices first.

Only after removing White Coral, the biggest threat, could these Black Wizard apprentices feel secure in fighting individually for the final victory.

“Vivian and Bell have been eliminated already?”

There were eight White Coral Academy apprentices participating in the group battle.

Apart from classmates like Nia Flare and White Ballet Shoes Club’s Lo Silverfox and Hugh Stone, there were no other apprentices Janna was particularly familiar with.