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Chapter 3: Witch Pursuit and Bear Problems

  Sayaka and I sprinted through the forest, branches whipping my face as the witch’s sparks lit up the trees behind us. Her cackle echoed, slurred but menacing. “Run all you want, hero! Poko’s got your scent!”

  “Poko?” I panted, dodging a root. “Her bear’s named Poko? This world’s trolling me.”

  Sayaka stumbled, clutching my arm. “She’s Mimika! Drunkest witch in the coven! They’ve been hunting me for weeks!”

  “Great,” I muttered. “A boozy witch and her gun-happy bear. Why’re they after you, princess?”

  “Don’t call me that!” she snapped, cheeks red. For a second, her timid act cracked, revealing something sharper. Interesting.

  No time to dig. The ground rumbled, and a bst of green light scorched the path ahead, singeing my new tunic. HP: 85/100. “Mimika!” I yelled. “Call off your light show! I’m fmmable!”

  Her ugh rang out. “Fme’s just the start, naked boy!” A shadow loomed: Poko, crashing through the trees, no gun but plenty of cws.

  I shoved Sayaka behind a boulder. “Stay down!” My twig was long gone, so I grabbed a jagged rock, my only weapon against a bear that probably bench-pressed oaks. Lady’s Grace still hummed, giving me a slight edge: Strength 15, Agility 13. Not enough for this madness.

  “Any bright ideas?” I hissed at Sayaka.

  She peeked out, trembling. “The coven’s camp is nearby. If we reach it, the other witches might stop her. They don’t like Mimika’s… chaos.”

  “Risky,” I said. “But better than bear chow.” I checked my skills. Basic Heal could fix minor scrapes, but MP was low: 30/50. “Lead the way.”

  Sayaka nodded, darting forward. I followed, rock in hand, as Poko roared behind us. Mimika’s wand fired another bst, missing us but toppling a tree. Achievement Unlocked: Dodger (Evade three magical attacks). Reward: +5 Agility (temporary, 10 minutes). My body felt lighter, Agility 18. Nice, but I’d trade it for a sword.

  The forest thinned, revealing a clearing with ramshackle tents and bubbling cauldrons. Witches milled about, some stirring potions, others arguing over a floating spellbook. None looked as drunk as Mimika. Sayaka pointed to a central tent with skull decorations. “That’s the elder’s!”

  We bolted across the camp, drawing stares. “Intruders!” a witch shrieked, but before she could act, Mimika burst into the clearing, Poko at her side. “They’re mine!” she slurred, wand sparking.

  “Elder!” Sayaka yelled, diving toward the tent. A wrinkled woman in a bck robe emerged, her eyes sharp despite her age. The camp froze.

  “Mimika,” the elder snapped. “Expin this mess.”

  Mimika swayed, pointing at us. “That’s the princess! And her… naked knight! They attacked Poko!”

  “Naked knight?” I groaned. “I’ve got clothes now, thanks. And your bear shot at us!”

  The elder raised a hand, silencing us. “You,” she said, eyeing Sayaka. “Why do you run from your duty?”

  Sayaka stiffened. “I’m no princess. I’m just… me. I didn’t ask for this!”

  “Cryptic,” I muttered. “Care to share with the css?”

  The elder ignored me, turning to Mimika. “You’ve endangered the coven with your antics. Stand down.”

  Mimika pouted but lowered her wand. Poko growled, sitting like an overgrown puppy. I exhaled, lowering my rock. “So, we good?”

  “Not quite,” the elder said. “You, knight, bear a goddess’s mark. Why are you here?”

  “Crime Much, electrician, not knight,” I said. “Got isekai’d by Dataris to kill some Dark Prince. Currently regretting it.”

  Whispers rippled through the witches. “Dataris?” the elder murmured. “Her chosen are rare. And troublesome.”

  “Tell me about it,” I said. “Can we skip to the part where you don’t kill us?”

  The elder studied me, then Sayaka. “The girl stays. She’s tied to our ritual. You, hero, may leave. Or join her fate.”

  “Ritual?” I gnced at Sayaka, who looked ready to cry. “What’s this about?”

  “It’s… complicated,” she mumbled. “They think I’m key to some prophecy. I just want to go home.”

  “Prophecy, huh?” I said. “Sounds like a scam. No offense, elder dy.”

  The elder’s eyes narrowed. “Bold words for a level 1.”

  I froze. “You can see my level?”

  “We see much,” she said. “Join us, or face Mimika’s wrath again.”

  Mimika grinned, cracking her knuckles. Poko huffed. Sayaka grabbed my sleeve. “Please, don’t leave me.”

  I sighed. “Fine. I’m in. But no creepy rituals until I get answers.”

  The elder nodded. “Very well. Rest tonight. Tomorrow, we talk.”

  A witch led us to a tent with two cots and a flickering ntern. Sayaka sat, hugging her knees. “Thanks,” she whispered. “You didn’t have to stay.”

  “Yeah, well,” I said, flopping onto my cot. “Knight of the Fair Lady, right? Gotta stick with my dy.”

  She blushed but smiled faintly. Progress.

  I opened my status, checking for updates: EXP +5 (Evaded Poko, Mimika’s spells). Still level 1, but Victory Streak was stacking. A new item appeared in my inventory: Worn Cloak (looted from tent). I equipped it, feeling slightly less like a hobo.

  “Sayaka,” I said, keeping my voice low. “What’s this princess prophecy deal?”

  She hesitated. “The coven thinks I’m… special. Born under some star alignment. They want to use me to summon something. I don’t know what.”

  “Summon?” I frowned. “Like, a demon? Or another bear with a bazooka?”

  She giggled, then caught herself. “I don’t know. I ran before they could expin.”

  “Smart move,” I said. “But we’re in their camp now. Any escape pns?”

  “Not yet,” she admitted. “But the elder’s fair. Maybe we can convince her.”

  “Or sneak out,” I said. “I’m good at sneaking. Well, decent.”

  A loud snore interrupted us. Outside, Mimika was slumped against a cauldron, wand dangling. Poko curled up beside her, snoring too. The camp was quiet, but I didn’t trust it.

  “Get some sleep,” I told Sayaka. “I’ll keep watch.”

  She nodded, lying down. I sat by the tent fp, rock still in hand, staring at the flickering cauldrons. Fiol was a mess: horned rabbits, gun-toting bears, prophecy-obsessed witches. And me, a glorified electrician, stuck in the middle.

  Achievement Unlocked: Camp Crasher (Infiltrate an enemy base). Reward: +10 MP (permanent). My MP ticked up: 40/60. Small victories.

  “Dataris,” I muttered, gncing at the purple sky. “You’d better have a pn, because mine’s falling apart.”

  Tomorrow, I’d get answers. Or start a riot. Either way, I wasn’t letting some drunk witch or her bear win.

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