"What else?" Ash asked in surprise.

"Every aspect... that's why we mortals possess longer lifespans, healthier bodies, stronger self-healing abilities, and greater malleability." Phyllis said slowly, "And this also includes our temperament."

"Temperament... what does that mean?"

"If we desire to achieve a certain goal with magic, magic will guide us in that direction – like wanting to avenge dead comrades, wanting to kill demons at all costs, etc. The witch's heart will become increasingly indifferent, or rather, ruthless." Phyllis said, looking at the flickering firelight, "For fighters, this can indeed make them stronger, but it can also gradually turn us into something else..."

"Something else?"

"Non-human."

Ash's heart tightened.

She thought of herself in the past, single-mindedly seeking opportunities to kill church personnel, regardless of anything else. That was indeed her strongest time, and the surging killing intent gave her almost infinite power, but apart from that, she had nothing. If she hadn't happened to meet the Fifth Princess, she would probably be no different from a beast.

"Of course, not everyone will be like this, it's just a trend – the pressure of war leaves most survivors with no time to care about anything else. Even ordinary mortals without magic will be driven mad in the face of a long and hopeless war. Compared to them, we have at least transformed madness into power, which is already quite good." Phyllis continued, "Therefore, a series of changes that occurred in the Union at that time may seem difficult to understand to you, but they were taken for granted at the time. Without extremely firm resolve, the Three Chiefs could not have become Extraordinary Ones."

"I see..." Ash reached out and poked the fire, "If the Divine Will Battle continues, what will witches eventually become?"

"No one knows the answer, maybe even their appearance will change," Phyllis said casually, "After all, outstanding beauty is still judged by human perception. If in the end we are no longer human, we may become all kinds of strange things, like demons, which is not uncommon."

The flames flickered, and silence temporarily enveloped the stone cave.

After a while, the God's Punishment Witch spoke again, "Can I ask, what is your reason for deciding to fight demons?"

Perhaps sensing Ash's hesitation, she took the initiative to say, "Our goal is very simple: defeat the demons, win the Divine Will Battle, and restore the glory of Taqila – if not for this belief, the surviving witches would not have persevered to this day."

"You want to rebuild Taqila?"

"Of course, that is the place we have dedicated our lives to. But it will be more of a symbol than a holy city under the rule of the Union. If His Majesty Roland can defeat the demons, it also proves that the path he is taking is more correct than the Three Chiefs. Since the cooperation between witches and mortals can bring broader prospects, we have no reason not to support it."

Ash was silent for a moment before replying, "I just want to protect someone and help her realize her wish. Since she hopes to drive the demons out of the Dawn Realm, then I will fight on her behalf."

"Is that so..." Phyllis shook her head, "Forgive me for speaking frankly, but that's not a good belief."

"Why?"

"Because the goal is too broad." She spread her hands, "It's easy to lose yourself, especially in the face of life-and-death battles. A person's wishes are difficult to define, and more importantly... do you really know what she wants?"

"Of course I—" Ash paused halfway through her sentence.

Would Tilly want her to fight demons on the front lines? The answer was obviously no, it was just her own decision. If the previous Illusion Instrument positioning action still had the necessity of taking risks for the other party, Tilly did not need to participate in this sniper battle herself, but she still joined the team at Roland's invitation.

Undoubtedly, there was a reason for Sleeping Spell to gain prestige and merit – the more important Sleeping Spell was in Neverwinter City, the higher Tilly's status would naturally be.

But was that all there was to it?

She couldn't help but look at the witches who had already fallen asleep, their faces showing exhaustion but also calm and gentle, her gaze first on Sylvie, Maisie, and others from Sleeping Island, and slowly extended to all the partners traveling with her.

"Why are you telling me this?" Ash suddenly asked.

No matter what, Phyllis's relationship with her had previously only stopped at occasionally sparring and improving combat skills, which was far from being considered close. Asking to this point was a bit strange. And the impact of magic on temperament, as well as the demands of the Taqila survivors... she always felt that the other party would not talk to everyone about these things.

"Because you are an Extraordinary One," Phyllis's tone also became serious, "The natural pride of witches, with unimaginable potential. In the Union era, every combat-type Extraordinary One was a key training object. Once they broke through the limit and were promoted to an Extraordinary Above, their power could directly kill high-ranking demons, and they would also become the new leader of the Union."

After speaking, she stood up and bowed to Ash, "Perhaps I am not qualified to guide an Extraordinary Witch on how to take it a step further, but for any Chief, a clear goal and firm will are essential. All the Extraordinary Aboves recorded in the Union achieved their promotion in battle, while those who failed to cross this threshold all fell under the hands of demons." She paused, "I hope you can become the former."

At the last sentence, the God's Punishment Witch used honorifics.

"You don't have to be so..." Ash frowned.

"Consider it nostalgia – it's been over four hundred years since I've seen an Extraordinary Above." Phyllis smiled, "Don't worry, I won't use this set of ancient etiquette in front of everyone. Then I'll go to sleep, see you in two hours."

"Ah, good night."

When there was no other sound in the cave, Ash raised her head and looked at the small piece of night sky exposed by the cracks in the rock above, and did not move for a long time.

*******************

After ending the call with the front lines, Roland marked a new path point on the map.

Operation Apex had entered its twenty-second day after its official implementation. The plan had been going very smoothly so far. The number of patrol Terror Beasts observed by the sniper squad had increased significantly, and their range of movement had gradually moved away from the First Army's predetermined route – obviously, in the eyes of the demons, the Taqila ruins were more important, and the vast airspace south of the outpost was gradually becoming a blind spot.

Of course, none of the patrol teams deployed around the outpost had been withdrawn. According to common sense, any enemy army that actively attacked the outpost would be discovered in advance.

However, the First Army was not a common-sense team.

Equipped with complete firing tables and improved fortress cannons, the artillery battalion could launch a fatal blow to the target from ten kilometers away.