GemiPT Island was filled with modern glass skyscrapers. The city on the island was every bit as advanced as Puresight City. Driverless cars were everywhere, and space-magic transit stations could be found every two or three kilometers.
At the human and cargo transfer stations, frog-shaped AI Witches worked without pause. They blew out bubbles that wrapped around passengers and goods, then transported them to their required destinations.
Cafés and restaurants had been built on the backs of gigantic AI Witches, such as turtle-shaped ones, floating high in the air. Above the island, they often flew even higher than the skyscrapers. Diners hovered by the magic of the AI Witches as they enjoyed food and coffee, chatting cheerfully.
The W symbol of Witchiecoop Corporation was everywhere: lit in LEDs on buildings, displayed across colorful digital billboards, and more.
Long had witnessed the splendor of Puresight City before, but this place had been taken to another level.
Dreamy "King" exclaimed,
"Wow. After more than a thousand years, humanity has advanced tremendously thanks to the magic of AI Witches…"
Long turned to him and asked,
"So in your time, we hadn't developed this much yet?"
Dreamy "King" replied,
"Back then, humanity was still struggling through the war… Ah, never mind! I'm starving. Let's go find something to eat, shall we? I also want to see what the food on this island is like!"
Long gently placed a hand on his rumbling stomach. It was not just Dreamy. Long himself was also painfully hungry. The whole group turned to Mai as if asking for help, for one simple reason: none of them had any EN left to spend.
Mai looked at the EN balance in disappointment.
"Haaah… we really don't have any EN left to spend…"
From afar, a sleek, gleaming car drove toward them, then stopped abruptly in front of the group. Inside sat a girl with short hair and straight bangs. She wore black sunglasses and a short-skirt uniform, with the W insignia of Witchiecoop on her chest. Sitting in the seat beside her was a pumpkin-shaped AI Witch wearing a pink dress.
"Elena and… Pumppy?" Mai asked, puzzled.
Elena took off her sunglasses and looked the group up and down. Then she giggled.
"My dear contestants of the Corporation, I'm here to pick everyone up and take you to the contestants' shared house! You'll be able to rest and eat there!"
The AI Witch Pumppy spoke up.
"But don't sit with my master and me, all right? You people look filthy."
Dreamy "King" said sarcastically,
"Oh… where did this insolent AI Witch learn that personality? Its learning data must have a problem!"
Pumppy immediately transformed into an eagle and lunged at Dreamy, pecking his head until he cried out in pain.
The group got into Elena's car. Elena simply sat with her arms crossed, scrolling through her phone, while the driverless car continued moving smoothly on its own and handled every situation intelligently. At one point, it nearly collided with another vehicle, but the car automatically flew upward to avoid it. Dreamy forgot to fasten his seat belt, and Long grabbed Dreamy's paws just in time. Mai quietly gazed at the city with a hint of nostalgia. Nguyen leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. Elena, meanwhile, calmly scrolled through her phone and worked on a simulated screen through a special device.
The car stopped in front of a mansion.
Elena said goodbye to everyone.
"Food has been prepared for you in your rooms. Oh, and one more thing. Another contestant will be arriving too. She has a little work to finish, so she'll be here tomorrow morning!"
Mai asked,
"So this contest only has four contestants?"
Elena said,
"The other contestants are staying in different mansions, in separate shared houses owned by Witchiecoop Corporation. Each house includes three or four contestants. To save lodging and space, we assign people together…"
With that, Elena drove straight off.
Then, as if remembering something, she backed the car up. A loud screech rang out.
"Oh, I forgot. There's a tablet on the table. A waiver is displayed on it, so make sure you sign it…"
Pumppy called out in a sharp voice,
"Make sure you sign it!"
This time, Elena drove straight away without looking back.
Everyone stepped into the shared house for the contestants. Each person was given a room. Dreamy, however, would sleep with Long.
On each person's table was a tablet, and on it was written:
"Liability Waiver… By signing, the contestants/ participants agree that they fully understand the risks related to their health and lives. If any risk occurs, the contestants will not hold the Witchiecoop Corporation or any related parties responsible…"
After reading that, the whole group felt uneasy. But when they thought of the device that could locate the cores of the AI King Witch, as well as their own dreams, they gently touched the tablets and began to sign.
The AI Witch tournament would take place in one week.
Tomorrow morning, the group would welcome a new member of the shared house.
In a distant village…
There was a petite girl wearing a red hanbok, her hair tied into peach-shaped buns on both sides.
She quietly entered a pitch-black house. Outside, the villagers waited anxiously for the result.
Before the girl was an old woman with white hair and milky-white eyes staring at her. The old woman's lanky frame made her look as if she wanted to eat the girl alive. Then the old woman suddenly leaped up, her arms and legs clinging to a pillar, and crawled across the ceiling as fast as a spider. After that, she jumped down from the ceiling, trying to attack the girl in the red hanbok.
The girl remained calm. She closed her eyes and softly called,
"Crany…"
A crane-shaped AI Witch appeared behind her and froze the old woman in midair. The crane-shaped AI Witch radiated dazzling golden light, its eyes glowing red as it stared at the old woman. A demonic spirit emerged from the old woman's body.
Recognizing the magic, the demon begged the girl.
The girl replied,
"Demonic spirit, you have failed to respect the boundary between the living and the dead. I will banish you to hell. Crany… open the gate!"
The crane-shaped AI Witch let out a cry. The gate of hell opened, dragging the demonic spirit through it amid its agonized screams. Outside, the villagers heard the mournful cries. Terrified, they clasped their hands and bowed again and again.
The old woman's body was slowly lowered.
The girl stepped outside and greeted everyone. The villagers breathed a sigh of relief, thanked her repeatedly, and gave her EN as payment for the exorcism.
Suddenly, a phone rang.
From the other end of the line came a voice.
"Jin, it's Elena. I've arranged a room for you. Come to the contestants' shared house on GemiPT Island tomorrow morning. Your roommate will be…"
After hearing the information, Jin froze. In her mind echoed the prophecy of her late master, Sorcerer, Madam Li-Chang: "When a great future arrives, you must support that person…"
"Has the wheel of fate begun to turn…" Jin murmured.