That's not how you use a witch!

Chapter 2 Time is running out

into the night.

The evening breeze was like a tide, the chirping of insects was like a song, and a pair of bright moons appeared in the curtain-like dome, with stars like silver flakes faintly twinkling all around.

Under the night sky, Thornlands was gradually enveloped in quiet darkness, except for the brightly lit attic of the lord's castle.

"Oh my god."

Ronan examined the inexplicably appearing light screen three times over, but the shock in his heart still lingered.

Putting everything else aside, the core function of this system is nothing short of an overpowered cheat.

Simply put, Ronan's psionic power increases as the witch's corruption of the contract lessens, and on this land, the amount of psionic power is directly linked to the knight's level and combat strength.

Although in theory everyone can become a knight, the reality is quite the opposite: in addition to being hindered by various other factors such as the limited dissemination of knowledge, the monopoly of the powerful and wealthy, and the high cost, the process of cultivating psionic energy is itself tedious and lengthy.

Even the most gifted genius would never be able to cross the threshold of becoming a one-star knight without three to five years of training.

Not to mention that there are two-star, three-star... all the way up to nine-star. The gap between each level and the previous level is even greater than the gap between the previous level and a mortal. It is said that the combat power of a nine-star knight is not inferior to that of the top witches and can withstand the impact of the evil beast tide on its own.

Of course, it has been a long time since a nine-star knight has appeared in the world, and while witches of the same caliber are rare, they are not as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. This is why powerful witches are stationed in the great territories.

If the witch is a hero unit, then the knight is positioned more as an elite unit.

With the support of this system, Ronan essentially became a knight at zero cost, and his potential far surpasses that of the witch.

After all, a knight's training is limited by resources and innate talent, while a witch's advancement faces the threat of accumulated pollution. He, on the other hand, can become stronger on the spot simply by allowing the witch to rest properly.

It's incredibly easy to use and very user-friendly.

Furthermore, Madier, which was originally struggling due to pollution, will foreseeably usher in a second spring.

It could be said that Qin Shi Huang suffered from insomnia, and no matter how he tossed and turned, he could only win.

"So is it possible... that those charlatans and powerful people are actually wrong, and that witches aren't used like that?"

Ronan seemed to be deep in thought.

Although the system provides additional pollution removal efficiency, the underlying logic clearly encourages him to help Medall remove pollution, rather than using it to support the high-intensity battles of a traditional witch.

Talking about logic with a system sounds a bit absurd.

Ronan initially thought so too... but he discovered a chilling detail: the system settings interface allowed users to switch languages!

It includes not only Chinese and English, but also the world's native Terran language!

While it's common for transmigrators to be paired with systems, would a proper system support the native language?

Secondly, according to the system's annotations, my current powers come from the "Spark" project. The first three projects have either failed or are not responding... What are the contents of these projects?

What do "invalid" and "not responding" mean? What does the fact that the "Spark" project was the only one to be successfully restarted signify?

Ronan tried to figure it all out, but apparently due to insufficient permissions, he made no progress despite his efforts.

What also caught his attention was the "memo" that was unlocked along with the cheat code:

[July 1, 2136, Light Rain]

[Comparative experiments have proven that the approach of continuous medium-to-high intensity training is flawed. In the control group, 93% of the samples lost their chance to advance due to premature contamination peak. Although the remaining 7% successfully advanced, their stability and endurance were significantly lower than expected, and they also exhibited various personality issues.]

The experimental group, after proper training and sufficient rest, all completed the advancement, with all indicators meeting expectations and the advancement cycle shortened by 52%.

Eight hours is the baseline for exertion and rest!

We've just submitted our findings to command center, hoping to get everything back on track as soon as possible. Enceladus has fallen; we don't have much time left.

The memo wasn't long, but it had a profound impact on Ronan.

Based on the system's functions and the context, the contractual object here clearly refers to the witch, and the so-called experimental results are consistent with his previous conjecture. However, the author of this memorandum is obviously not some ornate noble scholar, and may not even be a contemporary Terran.

Putting aside the fact that the art style is clearly not medieval, according to the Gregorian calendar used in Terra, this year is 1736!

Why does the author say at the end that time is running out?

Ronan stood by the window, looking at the two moons hanging high in the sky, his heart filled with emotion.

After a moment of mental confusion, he shook his head and chuckled before sitting back down.

"Let's deal with the immediate problem first—in a sense, I really don't have much time left."

Compared to the system's various chilling details, the difficulties that Thorn Territory is currently facing are his most pressing concerns.

To put it simply, it could take three days and three nights to explain in a complex way, or it could be summed up in a single word: poor...

Although the Thorn Territory is not small, it is located on the western border of the Blackstone Empire. Wild shrubs and thorns are everywhere, and arable land resources are very scarce. Food and hunting output are barely enough to sustain life.

Such territories are actually quite common, especially in war-torn areas, where fields, once abandoned and left uncultivated, are quickly overrun by thorny bushes.

This is also the origin of the name Thornhold.

The reason the king was able to grant this land to his father was because no one else wanted it, and even the neighboring lords were too lazy to take it, since the output might not even cover the cost of governance.

In this vibrant and thriving world, poverty is a deadly hardship.

Given the current situation in Thorn Ridge, if any evil beasts or bandit routs ever come knocking on their door, it's basically a death sentence.

It's not a question of whether it will happen, but when it will happen. It is said that the previous lord died in the mouth of an evil beast.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.

As Ronan perused the original owner's notes, he sighed repeatedly.

Among the lords of this era, the original owner was considered a very charismatic figure: he not only personally investigated the customs and traditions of the Thorn Territory, but also drafted various "rebellious" policies such as allowing serfs to be promoted through labor, conscripting commoners to form a full-time army, and encouraging new inventions.

In the long run, there is indeed a chance to turn something rotten into something magical.

However, on the one hand, many of the contents are too idealistic, and on the other hand, the external environment itself is unstable. Any accident could wipe out the achievements. Therefore, most of these policies remain on paper.

To put it bluntly, no idea can be separated from a material basis, not even for a transmigrator with a system.

Rubbing his tired eyes, Ronan realized that it was already evening and the dinner brought by the servants was getting cold.

I need to pay attention to my diet and sleep schedule from now on, otherwise it would be ridiculous if I followed in my predecessor's footsteps... Ronan picked up the bread with a mix of self-deprecation and emotion.

Compared to the products of the bakery in the previous life, it was dry and hard, and the taste was just average, but in this era it was already considered a rare treat.

After dinner, he planned to take a stroll to clear his head, but found Bart standing guard at the door with a wary expression, his right hand resting on the sword at his waist, as if he were about to draw it at any moment.

Following his gaze, Ronan saw Meadow standing five meters away.

The girl stood tall and straight, her purple hair cascading down her back, and the candlelight reflected in her pale pink eyes. She was fair and slender, yet gave off a sense of solidity like a military knife.

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Yes, sir."

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