Fairy Tale Survival with Ability Copying

The Grand Duke of Silverbrook wore a gentle smile as he looked at his adorable little daughter.

After hearing his words, Princess Milissa thought carefully for a moment before shaking her head. "Father, I wouldn't mind."

"Yes, there's a frog in the pond. That's the most normal thing imaginable. Even if that frog weren't in the pond, most people still wouldn't care, because it's such a common sight, right?"

"It's only unusual because this frog can understand human speech and speak like a person."

"It may be a naturally unique creature, or perhaps the result of some mysterious power, but that isn't important."

"What matters is this: if such a frog could be used by us, then tell me—would there still be any secrets in this world that could remain hidden from us?" the Grand Duke of Silverbrook said slowly.

"Father..."

"Milissa, actually, you shouldn't have run away yesterday."

"I was scared, Father. It's so ugly. Just thinking about eating from the same plate as it, sitting in the same place, sleeping in the same bed as it makes me sick," Princess Milissa said, voicing her grievances.

"But you could gain its friendship, couldn't you?" the Grand Duke of Silverbrook asked in return.

"Father..." Princess Milissa looked so wronged she was practically on the verge of tears.

"Your Highness, that frog possesses incomparable value to our duchy—if it can be used by us," the Sindru said at that moment.

"Yes, Milissa. You are blessed, and you are the one I love most." The Grand Duke of Silverbrook exchanged a glance with the First-Ring Wizard Sindru before continuing to his daughter, "Tomorrow... no, later today, you will return to the Emerald Forest and search for that frog again."

"If it wants to be friends with you, then agree to it."

"One day, it may prove useful in ways beyond your imagination," the Grand Duke of Silverbrook said.

No matter how unwilling Princess Milissa was, she could only agree.

The Grand Duke of Silverbrook could see it, and he smiled. "Then I shall accompany you myself."

"That's wonderful, Father." The moment Princess Milissa heard that, a smile appeared on her face.

Seeing this, the Grand Duke of Silverbrook smiled faintly.

After a pause, he looked toward the First-Ring Wizard Sindru and asked, "Have you found that mysterious individual yet?"

The First-Ring Wizard Sindru shook his head.

"Continue searching. He carries extraordinary significance for our Duchy of Silverbrook."

The First-Ring Wizard Sindru nodded. After a moment of silence, he reported another matter. "Henry, the envoy from the Kingdom of Amtyr, has already arrived in Aetherlan."

"Hm?" The Grand Duke of Silverbrook's expression shifted slightly. Meanwhile, Princess Milissa's face showed curiosity.

"He has two primary tasks. One is to search for the Third Prince of the Kingdom of Amtyr. The other is to negotiate the division of the border," Sindru said.

"Hmph!" The Grand Duke of Silverbrook's expression immediately darkened. "Those two kingdoms have joined forces and placed our duchy on the dining table."

Princess Milissa also realized something was wrong. Worry appeared in her eyes. Recalling her father's earlier words, she silently made up her mind that she would definitely become friends with that frog. Perhaps then she could help Father.

The Grand Duke of Silverbrook looked toward Sindru. "Two Great Knights are not enough. That person must be found."

"Yes, Your Grace," Sindru replied with a slight nod.

This was already the second time Princess Milissa had heard about that mysterious "person" at the dining table. She felt both worried and curious, so she asked, "Father, can you tell me who that person is?"

"My dear Milissa, you don't need to know. These are matters for adults. When you've grown up, that'll be the time for you to know." The Grand Duke of Silverbrook adjusted his less-than-pleasant mood and smiled at Milissa. "What you need to do now is deal with that frog."

"I will, Father," Princess Milissa said seriously with a nod.

"Very good." A gratified smile appeared on the Grand Duke of Silverbrook's face.

...

The summer wind swept through the ancient bodhi tree, stirring the mottled patterns of light and shadow scattered across the ground while dispersing the coolness rising from the old well beneath it.

Amid the quiet harmony of cicadas chirping and leaves rustling, a dust-covered witch leaned on a withered staff as she emerged from the wind.

The hem of her skirt brushed across the scorching grass before she finally stopped beside the well, standing there silently.

Time passed quietly within the soft rustling sounds.

The witch did not hear the cry she had expected. Her originally calm expression gradually changed, and her brows furrowed.

Then a young man's voice sounded behind her.

"Madam, what are you looking for?"

"Perhaps I can help you."

The witch's body moved almost imperceptibly. She then turned around and saw a young, handsome male... wizard.

He made no attempt to conceal his Magic Power. It surged around him, whipping up spiraling gusts of wind.

His strength had clearly reached the same level as hers—the level of a Second-Ring Wizard.

From him, the witch sensed an intense threat.

Within the Duchy of Silverbrook, even First-Ring Wizards were rare, yet now a Second-Ring Wizard had appeared—and a warlock at that!

The witch was inwardly shocked, but her expression remained unchanged. Instead, she let out a raspy chuckle and said to the wizard, "Thank you."

"I'm looking for a mischievous pet."

"Have you seen it?" the witch asked.

The wizard nodded. "The pet you're talking about is a frog, right? Perhaps he's a little mischievous... and perhaps a little pitiful as well."

"Pitiful?" A mocking look appeared in the witch's eyes. "If he's pitiful, then is my dead daughter not pitiful?"

"The greatest mistake my daughter ever made was falling in love with such a hateful man."

"He deceived her with love. He promised he would marry her and make her queen."

"Young wizard, do you think he's pitiful?"

"He betrayed someone who once loved him deeply!"

"Tell me, would anyone still love someone like that?"

"Once he no longer had a handsome appearance or a noble status?"

The witch's tone remained calm the entire time, like a silent iceberg.

The wizard said, "So that's why the key to breaking the curse is having a woman willing to eat from the same plate as him, sit in the same place as him, and sleep in the same bed as him?"

"I don't think any woman would fall in love with an ugly frog." The witch curled her lips slightly as she spoke.

"Then, Madam, you are truly... foolish!" the wizard said mercilessly.

The witch remained expressionless after hearing that, though a streak of black light flashed through her eyes.

The wizard continued, "It's true that no woman would fall in love with a frog, but breaking the frog's curse doesn't necessarily require a woman to love him. She only needs to agree to those conditions."

The witch said coldly, "If a woman doesn't love him, then why would she agree to do such things?"

"Madam, you're foolish in an almost adorable way! In this world, is love really that important? Do you have any idea how useful a frog that can understand human speech and speak like a person could be in certain fields?"

"For example, intelligence gathering. It would make the perfect spy."

"Compared to the benefits it could create, what do those little conditions even amount to?" the wizard said calmly.

The witch fell silent for a moment before asking stiffly, "Tell me your name, young wizard. I've never heard of you before."

"Not necessarily." A mysterious smile appeared on the wizard's face. "Madam, my name is Levi, and I'm from the Kingdom of Francis. How could you possibly not have heard of me?"

"It's you!"

"The Witch Queen's attendant!"

"Weren't you only at the level of a First-Ring Wizard?"

The witch's expression finally changed as she stared at Levi in shock.

"Who said that, Madam? In this world, who could possibly be truly all-knowing and all-powerful?" Levi said meaningfully.

"But you seem to be different. You seem to know me very well." The witch sharply sensed that something was wrong from Levi's words. "Logically, that shouldn't be possible!"

"You know I exist, and you knew I would come here."

"It feels as though you know everything already!"

"That's not normal!"

"Unless you have a powerful force backing you."

"A powerful force even the Witch Queen doesn't know about."

"The Church?"

"No! Not the Church!"

"Their Inquisition only dreams of burning witches like us alive."

"Then who is it? The Raven Queen? Or the Snow Queen of the North? Or perhaps that one from a hundred years ago..."

The witch's expression grew increasingly grave.

Meanwhile, Levi's heart stirred as well.

The Raven Queen?

The Snow Queen of the North?

That one from a hundred years ago?

Who exactly were these people?

Aside from the Snow Queen, Levi had some vague guesses.

As for the others, he had no impression of them at all.

Still, he had a vague feeling that the figures the witch mentioned were probably witches who had appeared in fairy tales before.

Judging from the witch's reaction, those witches were no weaker than the Magic Mirror Queen.

Were there really that many powerful beings in the fairy tale world? Levi wondered silently. It seemed this fairy tale world was becoming more and more interesting.

Levi was actually getting a little excited!

On the witch's side, seeing Levi remain silent, her gaze turned cold as she said, "The Witch Queen said you were originally nothing more than an ordinary attendant."

"I went to the Candy House. That woman said you were only a First-Ring Wizard, and that you used her Moonshadow Crab Shell to increase your Spiritual Power."

"But no matter how effective the Moonshadow Crab Shell is, it still couldn't possibly increase your Spiritual Power by that much in such a short time."

In truth, that wasn't correct.

It was precisely at the Candy House that Levi had raised both his Spiritual Power and spells to the Second-Ring level, becoming a genuine Second-Ring Wizard.

The witch from the Candy House simply didn't know that.

Speaking of the Candy House, Levi had previously seen in his intelligence reports that this witch had once gone there.

So he asked, "You went to the Candy House. Then what about the witch Margaret?"

"She disobeyed the Witch Queen's orders." The witch before him glanced at Levi. "Could it be that you actually care whether she lives or dies?"

"She helped me quite a bit. Naturally, I should ask," Levi replied.

"Then she truly deserves to die." The witch sneered, though she immediately added, "But don't worry. I didn't kill her."

"She was already on the verge of death anyway, so why would I waste Magic Power killing her?" As the witch spoke, her voice grew lower. "Besides, aren't enough witches already dead?"

"There are fewer and fewer witches left these days," the witch said.

"That's true. Maybe today there'll be one less." Levi nodded as he spoke.

"Not necessarily. The Witch Queen still wants to meet you," said the witch who had transformed the Third Prince of the Kingdom of Amtyr into a frog, the corners of her lips curling upward.

"But I don't feel like meeting Her Majesty the Queen just yet," Levi replied. "There'll come a day when I go see Her Majesty the Queen myself."

"I'll capture her and spank her!"

"Her Majesty's butt must be big and pale, and probably really bouncy when slapped," Levi declared confidently.

The witch clearly hadn't expected Levi to have such thoughts. Shock spread across her face before she suddenly burst into cackling laughter.

"Very well, young and mysterious wizard. I shall bring you before the Witch Queen and repeat every single one of those words to her."

"That depends on whether you even get the chance to say them," Levi said with a light laugh.

Blue light flickered within his eyes, and the witch's attributes were instantly laid bare before him.

[Mid-Level Second-Ring Wizard strength!]

[Three Spell Crystals!]

[First-Ring-level Crimson Flame Fireball!]

[Second-Ring-level Ray of Frailty and Decay!]

[Second-Ring-level Thorncrown Silent Ward spell!]

[A magic staff capable of amplifying spell power and turning others into frogs!]

The witch still knew nothing about this, though she vaguely sensed that something was wrong. The moment Levi finished speaking, she launched the first attack.

With a raise of her hand, the withered staff in her grasp shot a finger-thick grayish-white ray toward Levi.

It was precisely the instant-cast Second-Ring spell mastered by the witch—Ray of Frailty and Decay.

Thanks to the warning from Detection, Levi knew that this Second-Ring spell had its power increased by twenty percent through the amplification of the witch's staff.

The Ray of Frailty and Decay arrived in an instant.

But Levi's reaction was no slower.

Dense black light engulfed his body.

A gigantic Two-Headed Demon Owl shot into the sky, stirring up violent winds.

Levi had cast Level 5 Polymorph: Two-Headed Demon Owl!

The witch's Ray of Frailty and Decay failed to hit Levi, striking the ground where he had previously stood instead.

Instantly, within a radius of over a hundred meters, the leaves and wild grass withered away, stripped of all life.

It was enough to show the terrifying power of this Second-Ring spell.

This witch's strength could not be underestimated.

Yet at this moment, the witch's expression had become graver than ever before.

She tapped the ground lightly with her withered staff.

Second-Ring Spell: Thorncrown Silence activated.

Three faint, translucent green halos instantly appeared in the air.

Those halos rapidly solidified, transforming into a crown formed from illusory thorns, hovering roughly ten centimeters above the witch's head as it slowly rotated.

The unique aspect of this Second-Ring spell lay in its Distortion Field and Natural Counterattack.

Whenever an enemy's attack approached the witch, it would be captured by the invisible force field generated by the thorned crown, causing the angle of the attack to shift away.

At the same time, the thorned crown would instantly manifest a sharp spike and strike back at the attacker in return.

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I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

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