Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 12: What Do I Do If My Spawn Point Is in the Enemy’s Base? Urgent, Online Waiting!

When Xia Ya’s consciousness returned, the first thing he noticed was the cold metallic ground beneath him.

Did I fail to enter the Historical Echo?

Am I still inside that hidden chamber within the ruins?

That thought was quickly dismissed as he heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

"Xia Ya, the time is almost up! Are you coming or not?"

The voice was unfamiliar—he didn’t recognize this person.

But clearly, they knew him.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought," Xia Ya responded naturally, turning around with an apologetic smile.

In just a few breaths, he had already confirmed his Soul Pact links with Shiny and Silver.

As a Beastmaster, no matter how unfamiliar his surroundings, as long as his summoned beasts were still with him, he had the confidence to face any unknown situation.

"The family’s coming-of-age ceremony is about to begin. This will determine our future status within the clan—you can’t keep acting so absentminded!"

The speaker was a young man around Xia Ya’s age, about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a family crest on his chest—a silver-white longsword engraved on a badge.

"The Elder has already summoned us. If we’re late… the consequences..."

The young man’s voice trailed off, and an unmistakable hint of fear flickered in his eyes.

Clearly, this Elder was no ordinary figure—his mere presence was enough to leave psychological scars on others.

Xia Ya’s mind turned swiftly, though he kept his expression neutral.

Right now, he was essentially an imposter, thrown into an unknown setting. The best course of action was to speak less and listen more.

So, he simply repeated the young man’s words, adapting them into his response.

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"Then let’s hurry. If we make the Elder angry, the consequences will be unthinkable."

The young man wiped his sweat and nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes! Let’s go!"

Inside the Grand Duke’s Estate – A Modest Hall

Xia Ya found a quiet corner seat, scanning the seven or eight other people in the room.

They were all around his age, dressed in modest but not luxurious clothing, and shared one common feature—the same silver-white longsword family crest pinned to their chests.

"That crest… It must be the emblem of the ruling family of the former Cangting Principality—the Branstat Grand Ducal House."

"I never expected the Historical Echo to actually simulate a time-travel effect to this degree."

"Everyone I’ve encountered so far feels like a living, breathing person, not just illusions or projections."

Xia Ya quietly analyzed his situation.

At first, he had assumed that a Historical Echo would be nothing more than a recorded playback of past events.

Even if he managed to enter it, he thought he’d merely be a spectator, unable to interfere with history—otherwise, it would create paradoxes like the Grandmother Paradox.

But now, it was clear—this Cangting Principality’s Historical Echo was far more complex than he had imagined.

Was this an ultra-large-scale illusion, created by the lingering obsessions of a supreme being?

Or had an actual fragment of history been sealed away and preserved?

Since it involved Space-Time Laws, Xia Ya couldn’t make any definite conclusions.

However, one thing was certain—he was truly inside the Cangting Principality, before its destruction.

Which was good news for him.

If he had been stuck in a purely observational time-travel scenario, his favorability-based quests would have been impossible to complete.

"Thank goodness! I made it just in time!"

A relieved voice sounded behind Xia Ya.

"Leonard, relax. Mind your image. You don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of the Elder," Xia Ya said, frowning slightly as he gave a subtle reminder.

During their walk to the hall, Xia Ya had carefully guided their conversation, subtly gathering key information about his current predicament.

Here’s what he had learned—

The Grand Duke of Cangting, Branstat, was the sovereign ruler of the Principality.

Due to Beast Tide invasions, Branstat had been stationed at the border, leading the military defense forces.

Back in the Grand Duchy’s capital, the Branstat family’s affairs were largely managed by the family Elders.

Among these Elders, the most powerful was Elder Norton, the Grand Duke’s younger brother and the current acting head of the Branstat family.

Xia Ya, Leonard, and the others present were not direct descendants but rather war orphans adopted by Elder Norton during past battles.

So, this gathering was a meeting convened by Elder Norton.

"Yes, Xia Ya, you’re right! If you hadn’t reminded me, I really would have embarrassed myself!" Leonard nodded gratefully.

"Good," Xia Ya replied coolly.

He had already noticed that Leonard was utterly terrified of Elder Norton.

Now was the perfect time to take control of the conversation.

After subtly reinforcing his influence, Xia Ya casually threw out a question that mattered most to him—

"By the way, how has Sylvia been recently?"

Xia Ya had no prior knowledge about his quest target, the Grand Duke’s daughter, Sylvia.

He didn’t even know if she was currently in the Grand Ducal Estate.

So, he intentionally worded his question vaguely, leaving room for adjustment based on Leonard’s reaction.

However—

The moment Leonard heard the name Sylvia, his expression twisted into undisguised disgust.

"Her? What else? Still as insufferable as ever!"

A trace of hatred flickered through Leonard’s eyes.

"If not for her, the disaster sixteen years ago might never have happened..."

"...And we wouldn’t have been orphaned in the first place."

"A disaster sixteen years ago?"

Xia Ya’s instincts immediately picked up on a major revelation.

For someone like Leonard, who was not even a direct family member, to openly express resentment toward the Grand Duke’s daughter—

There had to be huge secrets buried in this history.

But before Xia Ya could press for more details, a chorus of respectful voices suddenly rang out—

"Greetings, Elder!"

Xia Ya stood up alongside Leonard, while discreetly observing the figure approaching from afar.

The elderly man wore luxurious robes and carried himself with undeniable authority.

His aura was heavy, radiating a powerful presence that clearly surpassed the level of High-tier Beastmasters and had fully entered the Master-tier domain.

However, even more alarming than his Master-tier strength was something far more sinister—

A faint, nearly imperceptible aura of decay clung to the Elder’s body.

To the average person, this trace of corruption would be unnoticeable.

But to Xia Ya, who had personally encountered an Evil God Relic, the resemblance was...

Not just similar—

It was identical.

And according to history, the Cangting Principality was destroyed by the "Twilight Catastrophe" caused by an Evil God...

Oh, fantastic.

I just spawned directly into the cultist headquarters.