City ​​of Witches 367

## Chapter 367 – #79_Sewer Rat (2)

#365

1.
Diana stomped forward, fuming.
She knew her anger was irrational.

She couldn’t even explain to herself why he seemed so infuriating, yet she had stormed off in a fit of rage. Her accusations of him being detestable, annoying, and insignificant were nothing more than outbursts fueled by her surging anger.

“As if he’d even apologize…”

She realized she had overreacted a mere 30 seconds later.
Diana shook her head, trying to ignore it.
She had no intention of apologizing first. However, if he came rushing after her and grabbed her, she might casually admit she had been a bit harsh.

But no matter how far Diana walked, she didn’t hear a single “Miss!” from behind.
This only fueled her frustration.
She had passed the docks and reached a secluded area lined with warehouses when…

“Hoo… hoo… Hello?”

Diana was startled.
A fat, ugly man had popped out of an alleyway and spoken to her.

She immediately recognized his type.
His shabby clothes, the sweat pouring down his face as if he had just finished working, and the unsettling glint in his eyes.
He was likely a slave bought by smugglers.

She had heard from her mother that the slaves used in this port were all death row inmates.
Her mood was already foul, and now a piece of human trash like a death row inmate was talking to her.
Diana’s brow furrowed, and her usually languid eyes narrowed sharply.

“What is it?”

The dress Diana was wearing wasn’t just any ordinary dress worn by the witches of Border Town.
Though her shoes were a bit dirty, the silk dress she wore could easily buy a decent villa.
It was obvious at a glance that she was a noble witch, so his very act of addressing her was suspicious.

“Um, I’m sorry… Miss Witch, could you spare a cup of water?”

And what he asked for was a cup of water.
Diana was even more dumbfounded.

“Do I look like I have water? Get lost.”

Diana’s refusal was sharp.
Usually, he would have run away by now, but the fat man was strangely closing the distance.

A clueless fool.
Diana’s lips twisted.
She had tried to be polite, but if he couldn’t understand, she would have to resort to force.
However, Diana didn’t get the chance to gather her magic.

“Kya… mmmph…!”

Suddenly, a hand reeking of cigarette smoke clamped over her mouth from behind.
Diana, caught in an embrace, looked up in a panic to see a man with a gruesome scar on his face holding her from behind.

“Hello, missy, wanna have some fun with us?”
“Mmmph… Ugh… Ugh…!”
“Stay still.”

Too flustered to use magic, Diana struggled to break free, but she froze when she saw the sharp blade right at her throat.

“They say a witch’s eyes glow when she uses magic, right? Go ahead and struggle if you want. I’ll slit your throat before you can even scream like a pig.”

At the same time, men emerged from who-knows-where, sneering and chuckling as they approached.
They were like sewer rats scurrying out of the drain.

“Heh heh, I don’t mind corpses when they’re still warm.”
“Wow, was it this easy?”
“Heh, it’s cute how feisty she is for a witch.”

Diana was a witch from a prestigious family.
If she could properly unleash her magic, these lowlifes wouldn’t be able to lay a scratch on her.

But they knew about the magic reflection.
Moreover, a blade that was clearly not a toy was pressed against Diana’s throat.
Two seconds would be enough, but the blade slicing through her soft neck would be faster.

Furthermore, she was a flower that had never been tainted by the world’s malice.
It was only natural for Diana to panic in a life-or-death situation.
Her mind went blank, and her legs went weak.
She couldn’t think of anything.

“Stop the crap and put that thing on her.”
“Why the cursing? Is it on?”

And Diana’s options were instantly erased.
As soon as the headband they had was placed on her head, she was unable to use any magic, as if she were bound by a lasso.

“Let’s move her before anyone sees!”
“I, I was the one who caught her attention, so I get to go second, right?”

The menacing man who was firmly holding Diana from behind spoke in a rough tone.

“Don’t scream, don’t resist, just come with us.”

Then, he released her mouth.
Diana, who had been frozen by the shock, instinctively knew that this was her last chance.
Whether she screamed, used nearby objects, or resisted as much as possible, if she could just buy a little time…

Diana desperately tried to get her frozen mind working.

“…Ah.”

Diana tried to scream for help.
But all that came out of her throat was a sigh-like puff of air.
Moreover, her legs didn’t run; they just shuffled along after the dirty man.
It was as if she were connected to strings and someone was controlling her.

The slaves surrounded Diana, hiding her from view.
They entered the dilapidated warehouse they used as their hideout.

2.
The dilapidated warehouse they always used as a hideout.

The slaves couldn’t help but be amazed the moment they dragged the captured Diana inside.

A completely different thought structure than ordinary people.
There was a beauty that made even beasts, who could readily kill other humans for their own desires or gain, swallow hard.

She was on a different level from the cheap whores they had known.
The faint scent of gardenias wafted from her just by being near.
Her body, wrapped in a dress they had never seen even in their previous lives, shone with a noble white light.

“Wow, look at her smooth hair.”
“Her skin is whiter than snow…”
“How can a person look like that?”

As if they were in the presence of a beautiful work of art, they felt a sense of reverence.
Even the smugglers, who were usually teeming with all sorts of desires, admired her beauty for a moment.
But when their eyes caught Diana’s fear-frozen expression and trembling legs,

They all thought the same thing.
That tearing apart her flowing dress.
That defiling the beauty that made them bow their heads.
That dragging the promising apprentice witch into the mud.
It was entirely within their rights.

They had already crossed a major line.
Touching an apprentice witch was the greatest taboo in witch society.
Now that they had even kidnapped her, there was no chance of survival if they stood idly by.
Even those who had been afraid of Jack, the leader, and had reluctantly gone along with him, were now in a do-or-die situation.

Moreover, the flower trembling before them was worth tasting, even if it meant risking their lives.
They slowly approached Diana.

Meanwhile, Diana was completely unable to grasp the current situation.

The leering gazes surrounding her were incredibly unpleasant, as if they were wrapping around her body. The bulging crotches and smirking lips were emitting a foul stench of lust.

With a single magic incantation, she could have swept away these vermin. However, the moment the artifact, undoubtedly a cat-ear headband, was placed on her head, Diana became an ordinary being, not a novice witch. All she could do was issue a threat with a trembling voice.

“Y-you… do you really think… you’ll survive… after doing this?”

It was a threat that squeezed out the last drop of pride from the young lady of the Yesod County, which had shrunk in fear. The reply to her trembling voice was a sneer mixed with vile laughter and lust. Jack strode closer, grabbed Diana’s hair, and bared his teeth.

“I don’t care.”
“Hic…!”

Diana had never been treated so roughly, let alone been yelled at. The intense pain and the sticky, malicious violence, which she had never imagined, made her gasp for breath.

“You’ve been happy living as that fancy witch, haven’t you? While some of us were working like dogs in pigsties, you were elegantly lifting teacups.”

Diana gritted her teeth and glared at Jack.

“T-that’s because you’re… paying for your sins….”

“I don’t know about that.”

Jack, once again, roughly grabbed Diana’s cheek with his coarse hand.

The day I turned twenty, I received a strange gift.

It was a small, old-fashioned music box. The kind you’d see in a dusty antique shop. The box was made of dark wood, and the surface was worn smooth, as if it had been touched by countless hands. The lid was inlaid with a simple, yet elegant, silver design.

I didn’t know who had sent it. There was no sender’s name on the package, just my name and address written in neat, unfamiliar handwriting. I was curious, so I opened the lid.

A delicate melody began to play. It was a tune I’d never heard before, but it was strangely familiar, like a forgotten memory. The sound was clear and pure, like a tiny bell ringing in a quiet forest.

As I listened, I felt a strange sensation, as if something was stirring deep within me. It was a feeling of both excitement and unease. I closed the lid, and the music stopped. The feeling faded, but the curiosity remained.

I tried to find out who had sent the music box, but no one seemed to know anything about it. I asked my family, my friends, even the post office, but I couldn’t find any answers. It was as if the music box had appeared out of thin air.

I decided to keep it. I placed it on my desk, and every now and then, I would open the lid and listen to the melody. Each time, the same strange feeling would come over me, and each time, I would close the lid, wondering what it all meant.

One day, as I was listening to the music, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. There was a small inscription on the inside of the lid. It was written in a language I didn’t recognize, but somehow, I knew what it meant.

“The melody will guide you.”

I didn’t know where it would guide me, but I knew I had to follow it.

“우리도 당한 게 많으니까 분풀이가 좀 필요하거든. 이제부터 니가 죽을 때까지 돌려먹을 거야. 견습마녀는 아다가 뚫리면 마녀가 되지 못한다지? 네 스승도 참 슬퍼하겠어. 이렇게 예쁜 견습마녀가 돌림빵 당한 끝에 마녀도 되지 못하는 폐기품이 된다면 말이지.’
The old woman’s face, wrinkled like a dried persimmon, was a canvas of deep furrows. Her eyes, though clouded with age, held a sharp glint that belied her years. She sat hunched over a low table, her gnarled fingers deftly manipulating the worn pieces of a Go board. The small, black and white stones clicked softly as she moved them, each placement deliberate and precise.

Across from her, a young man with a face as smooth as polished jade watched her with an intensity that bordered on reverence. His eyes, dark and piercing, followed every move she made, his mind analyzing the patterns and strategies unfolding before him. He was a student, eager to learn from the master, and the old woman was his teacher, a legend in the world of Go.

The room was small and sparsely furnished, the walls lined with shelves filled with ancient scrolls and books. The air was thick with the scent of old paper and the faint aroma of herbal tea. A single ray of sunlight pierced through the window, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. It was a place of quiet contemplation, a sanctuary where the ancient game of Go was revered and practiced with utmost dedication.

The old woman paused, her hand hovering over the board. She looked at the young man, her eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement. “So, what do you see?” she asked, her voice raspy but firm.

The young man leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the board. He studied the intricate pattern of stones, his mind racing through countless possibilities. He saw the subtle traps, the hidden threats, and the delicate balance of power. He saw the old woman’s strategy, her patient and methodical approach, and the wisdom that came from years of experience.

“I see a trap,” he said, his voice low and thoughtful. “You’ve created a seemingly vulnerable position, but it’s a trap, a carefully laid snare.”

The old woman smiled, a network of wrinkles crinkling around her eyes. “And what will you do?” she asked, her voice laced with anticipation.

The young man’s eyes narrowed, his mind focused on the task at hand. He reached for a black stone, his fingers trembling slightly. He placed it on the board, a decisive move that shifted the balance of power.

The old woman’s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with approval. “Very good,” she said, her voice filled with pride. “You have learned well.”

The game continued, the stones clicking softly as they moved across the board. The old woman and the young man played with a quiet intensity, their minds locked in a battle of wits. It was a game of strategy, patience, and skill, a dance of intellect that had been played for centuries. And in that small room, in the quiet of the afternoon, the ancient game of Go continued to weave its magic.

They pass it around.
A virgin gets deflowered.
Gangbang.

These were vulgar expressions that Diana was unfamiliar with.

But Diana instinctively understood what he meant.

이들은 지금 디아나를 강간하려 드는 것이다.
“N-no… I don’t want to…!”

“I’m good with this? Hey, grab her and lay her down.”
“Is the boss going first? Let’s have the rest of you guys gather and draw lots.”
“I, I was supposed to be second!”

Diana was thrown mercilessly onto the muddy ground where straw was piled, her hands and feet instantly restrained.
She belatedly tried to struggle, but the difference in strength between a man hardened by manual labor and an apprentice witch unable to use magic was stark.

“Aren’t you going to give an order?”

“우리 대장이 꼴잘알인거지. 이편이 더 강간하는 느낌이잖아.”
“Oh.”

My arms are pinned up above me, and my legs are easily held down.

“N-no, don’t…! Stop…! Please stop…!”

Diana’s desperate scream was ignored by everyone.
After all, this was a secluded warehouse where no one but the ten captains ever set foot.
Even if, by some stroke of luck, the scream managed to escape the warehouse, it would surely be buried by the noise coming from the loading dock.

“I’ll let you keep your clothes on until I’ve had my turn. It’s too much of a waste to just rip them off.”
“Mph…! Ugh…! Mph…!”

Just as Jack knelt between Diana’s spread legs and was about to tear her dress,

-Thud!

A sound that made everyone’s heart drop was heard.
It was the sound of the warehouse door, made of slate, being opened.
Jack instantly clamped his hand over Diana’s mouth and glared at one of the ten captains.

“You idiot, didn’t you lock the door?”
“N-no! Captain! I definitely locked it properly! With that huge padlock.”
“Then how did someone get in, you moron?”

Jack glared at his flustered, pathetic subordinate.
Someone walked in, cutting through the chaos and disarray that had descended upon the shabby warehouse.

“What are you doing?”

The man, with a sturdy build and wearing an eyepatch,
asked, suppressing his coldly rising anger.