Chapter 217: Chapter 198: Pain Witch

Viola sat in the luxurious armchair with a cold metallic texture, overlooking the entire camp through the large floor-to-ceiling window of the tower laboratory, which operated like a steel machine.

Her posture was supremely elegant, her long hair cascading like a silver waterfall, wearing a simple yet regal white robe that made her appear like a flawless snow sculpture.

At this moment, her gaze was fixed on a colleague in the center of the laboratory, clad in a second-level wizard’s robe.

The wizard’s face was contorted by intense psychological struggle, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his hands clenched into fists with white knuckles.

His eyes kept darting to the glass bottle on the table before him, its contents blood red yet exuding an enticing fragrance.

Viola did not hurry him, her expression was even somewhat indifferent, as if she were merely a spectator enjoying an insignificant mime performance.

However, if one observed carefully, they could almost see the faint hint of a smile in the depths of Viola’s eyes.

Like a deep cold pool reflecting the prey’s final struggles.

This torment was precisely the moment Viola savored the most.

The wizard’s inner world was undoubtedly experiencing a violent storm— a battle between reason and instinct, a longing for power against the fear of extreme pain, pulling furiously at the depths of his soul.

This silent torment touched essence more than any physical torture could.

After a long psychological battle, the wizard’s body even trembled slightly.

Ultimately, as if making some resolute decision, he gritted his teeth and purchased the magic potion from Viola.

He didn’t utter a word, nor dared to glance at Viola again, simply securing the magic potion bottle carefully, and hurriedly leaving Viola’s office, as frantic as a criminal fleeing judgment.

Viola watched his nearly embarrassed, somewhat relieved yet deeply pained and panicked figure, and let out a long, gentle sigh of satisfaction.

That sound carried an extreme satisfaction, as if she had tasted the world’s most delicious fruit.

…Her own personality issues were truly significant.

This was something Viola had realized since she was very young.

From the earliest memories she could recall, the first clear images in her mind were not the warmth of sunlight cherished by people or a mother’s smiling face.

But the ugly shapes of insects and frogs twisting, struggling, and eventually dying under her fingertips from severe pain.

The vibrations from life on the brink of collapse gave her an indescribable thrill and peace.

Later, entering the Wizard Academy and encountering more profound knowledge, this twisted interest not only did not fade but grew as her knowledge expanded.

She was no longer content with randomly captured wildlife and instead targeted those experimental subjects in the academy.

She obsessively observed those living test subjects altered by runes and eroded by the magic potion, watching them struggle, howl in different kinds of pain, until finally soul-ravaged demise.

By the time Viola realized.

She found herself, a common apprentice meant to concentrate on the Alchemy School at the start of her enrollment, unknowingly had become recognized as a “genius” in both the Biological School and the Pain School due to her unique understanding of “pain” and deep analysis of “life.”

Mentors from these two schools had both offered her olive branches, promising the best resources and the deepest knowledge.

Under normal circumstances, personality problems like Viola’s, with an abnormal interest in pain, would easily lead individuals down extremist and twisted paths.

Ultimately falling into evil or stepping into the abyss.

But Viola was different.

Perhaps due to her psychological issues, though she genuinely enjoyed watching the pain of other life forms, she was more rational and clear-minded than other wizards.

She had a clear understanding of how to balance her twisted interests with harsh realities, dancing on the edge of law and morality.

Realizing she had grown weary of the shallow pain experienced by non-human entities like magical beasts and test subjects, she even began to secretly pursue a higher level of pain— the pain of a wizard!

Once such an idea surfaced, Viola was not swayed; instead, she immediately became vigilant.

She understood that directly targeting her peers, even at the pleasure of ecstasy, would cost her dearly, possibly leading to her premature downfall, which was not aligned with her rationality.

Therefore, after careful thought and meticulous planning, Viola resolutely gave up all the olive branches extended by the Biological School and the Pain School, opting instead for the seemingly tedious Magic Potion.

With immense perseverance, she started learning from scratch to satisfy her interest in a different way.

The extensive knowledge she accumulated in biology and the study of pain allowed her to precisely grasp the mechanism of how living beings react to pain, the interaction between drugs, and the soul.

Utilizing the knowledge she originally accumulated out of interest, she quickly made impressive achievements in Magic Potion— which is her pride and the series that made her famous in the workshop: the “Pain Magic Potion Series”!

This series of magic potions covered a wide range, enhancing Spiritual Power, increasing physical fitness, accelerating injury recovery, and temporarily stimulating life’s potential, covering almost all the functional magic potions a wizard requires.

Their greatest commonality is that, in order to achieve better effects than other Magic Potions of the same Level, the user must endure extreme, even extreme Pain during consumption!

Viola’s grasp of the Magic Potion formulas has reached a state of precision and subtlety.

The effects of these Pain Magic Potions are often slightly stronger than similar Magic Potions of the same Level available on the market—this small margin is enough to make countless Wizards who pursue the extreme flock to them, willing to take risks.

But the cost is the unparalleled immense Pain during consumption.

However, aside from the Pain, the Pain Magic Potion series has no other permanent side effects.

They do not damage the foundation, leave no hidden injuries, nor do they pose any obstacles to future promotions.

For Wizards, who are known for their rationality and view their bodies as precious vessels, these Magic Potions with no permanent side effects and stronger effects should theoretically be the optimal purchase target!

But Wizards, after all, are living beings, and they have the most primal, instinctive strong resistance to Pain.

They can rationally calculate gains and losses, but when the actual Pain hits, the physiological repulsion is not something that can be completely overcome by willpower alone.

And the most wonderful, and also what makes Viola feel joyful, even proud about the Pain Magic Potion series, is the very crucial “unavoidable” setting!

Once during consumption, if Wizards use other witchcraft or Secret Techniques to perfectly cover the Pain, then these Pain Magic Potions will become ineffective, producing no effect at all!

They will just become an ordinary puddle of liquid, with all potion effects lost.

This is Viola’s true intent.

Not only can the twisted and struggling appearances of those Wizards while consuming the Magic Potion due to the excruciating Pain bring her extreme happiness.

Even the conflicts, struggles, balancing, and ultimate painful choices those Wizards experience while purchasing the Magic Potion due to the sharp conflict between “rationality” and “instinct” can make her feel unparalleled pleasure!

To Viola, the appearance of Wizards in Mental Pain brings her more joy than when they are merely in physical Pain.

“Perfect…” she gently exhaled, her entire breathing becoming much calmer, and the smile in her eyes gradually receded.

All emotions reverted to their essence, and she was no longer that Master of Magic Potions with a latent twisted interest, but reverted to that elegant and calm Wizard at the Nolan Workshop, always graceful in front of others.

“Beep! Beep! Beep!”

An urgent and rhythmic notification sound emanated from the Magic Network Terminal on Viola’s wrist, interrupting her thoughts.

Previously still immersed in the aftertaste of the previous Wizard’s painful struggle, Viola’s expression of intoxication instantly withered away.

Her eyes regained their clarity, the corners of her lips curled into a perfectly appropriate arc, instantly returning to her elegant and reserved perfect stance, as if she had just detached from a serious academic study.

Connecting the communication, a young but slightly balding face immediately appeared on the light screen—it was her mentor, Clark.

“Viola, how have you been lately?” Clark’s tone always carried a hint of gentle fatigue.

“Mentor, I’m doing very well, you don’t need to worry.” Viola’s voice was soft and gentle, revealing no flaws.

The arc of her lips deepened just a bit, almost imperceptibly: “And, as for my junior, Jeming, I’ve been taking good care of him, allowing him to constantly grow through the arduous Plane wars, you can truly rest assured.”

Master Clark’s mouth involuntarily twitched, a hint of helplessness apparent in his eyes.

“It’s precisely because it’s you taking care of him that I’m worried!” Clark’s tone carried a trace of helplessness, evidently well aware of Viola’s “peculiarity.”

But there was nothing he could do about this disciple.

Subsequently, he sighed lightly, as if with a hint of resignation: “Alright then, just don’t take it too far, as long as he can grow normally. After all, that kid does have considerable potential.”

“Mentor, what are you talking about?” Viola’s face carried an innocent smile, “I will of course keep a close eye on this junior of mine. His potential is enormous, even stronger than I was back then.”

Indeed, Viola’s words weren’t entirely deceitful.

She was indeed very satisfied with Jeming’s demonstrated powerful adaptability, extraordinary resilience, almost cold-blooded decisiveness, and that kind of ineffable “Pain” deeply hidden beneath all the facades.

“However, it seems my junior has been fretting over something recently, too busy to touch the ground. Such a pity, I had wanted to assign him more research tasks to see where his limits lie. But then again, the Pain brought about by such worries isn’t bad either…”

Although she didn’t understand the source of Jeming’s Pain, the fluctuations exuded by that Pain made her feel exceptionally stimulated and joyful.

This kind of internal conflict was undoubtedly the “high quality” Pain she pursued.

Master Clark momentarily lamented for Jeming in the distance.

He understood that Viola’s “satisfaction” probably meant that Jeming was being subjected to far greater “tempering” than ordinary people in an invisible way.

“I hope this child won’t have any psychological shadows…”

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