ã€ŠPilgrimageã€‹


 Chapter 1: The beginning

    CLAANGG!

    A sound of a breaking metal weapon echoed in the corridor of the glorious temple of War. It was a common thing in this War temple - the home of hundreds warrior-priests.

    In a small bedroom on the East side of the grand temple, a priestess quickly sat up on her bed, like she had just escaped a nightmare.

    ¡°Where the fuck am I?¡±

    The priestess covered her face by both hands, trying to figure out the current situation.

    ¡°I was sleeping on my bed, and then...¡±

    She walked up inside this strange room. Her soul had possessed a body living in a fantasy world!

    Unfamiliar memory flowed into her head like a waterfall pouring into a small pot. Her head felt like it would crack any moment while heavy memories were smashing her thin mentality. The name of this body was Eithne Noceur. The last name Noceur indicated her position as a priestess belonged to Chaos faction in the temple of War god.

    The disciples of the War God were divided into four factions: Chaos, Warriors, Dread, Wrath. Each faction took the name of the holy beasts that served the War God as their last name, respectively: Noceur, Moros, Tuhka, Ragnar. In Eithne¡¯s case, it was the holy serpent Noceur.

    The new soul that took over the priestess¡¯s body realized a serious fact. This priestess was not a random stranger, Eithne Noceur was a side character in a comic that she had read the night before.

    ¡°M*****F******! I¡¯m screwed!¡±

    She could not help but to blurt out some coarse words. It could have been a great advantage if she remembered the plot, but the comic mainly focused on romantic moments of the main couple, while many side characters were thrown aside with no major development so she couldn''t care less about them. After scanning through a few chapters to kill some time, she deemed the story to be a waste of time and paid little attention to the plot. Despite that, she still remembered the tragic fate of this character.

    Eithne Noceur was a distant relative of the male lead, who would commit a grave sin and receive punishment from the High Priest of the War temple. It seemed that even the War God had abandoned her for her terrible deed, she could not use her holy power properly and fail to protect herself against the High Priest, which led to Eithne¡¯s demise.

    ¡°Horrible¡­¡± ¨C She thought.

    As for the detail of her grave sin¡­ Eithne squeezed her forehead, she did not remember the detail.

    Luckily, the current ''Eithne Noceur'' had not done something terrible, at least that was what recorded in the memory she received.

    The original ''Eithne Noceur'' had already sensed the dwindling of her power. Perhaps the original priestess''s resentment after knowing God abandoned her contributed to her later transgression in the original story. Regardless, everything was just a wild guess. The comic did not even bother to explain the actual reason of her losing power.

    Having read countless fantasy novels where the main characters were transported to another worlds, Eithne knew there was not a single character that could easily go back to their home world. She had better live as Eithne Noceur from now on, at least in couples of years before she could find a way to go back home.

    ¡°Okay, I just need to stay still and make sure not to do something stupid¡­¡±

    Eithne took a deep breath and calmed herself down, thinking that she could lay low to avoid any attention from everyone, especially the scary High Priest.

    "I will not get into trouble..."

    Woefully, the previous priestess was the type of person seeking for trouble. Eithne who took on her body naturally would take on the mess that ''she'' left behind.

    Bang! Bang!

    Someone slammed her bedroom¡¯s door loudly. He shouted:

    ¡°Hey little punk! Quit pretending to be sick and come fight me!¡±

    What the fuck? Eithne startled.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After a few minutes, the stranger outside heard no response from the priestess, he said:

    ¡°I¡¯m at the sparring ground waiting for you, coward. This time, I will definitely beat you up.¡±

    Beat¡­ who? Me?? Her eyes dilated with fear.

    Eithne did what she did when she was a little kid at home alone, pretending to be invisible when there was a stranger knocking on the door. She heard his footstep going far and scratched her head in frustration.

    How was she going to deal with this?

    No other option, Eithne had to step out of this room eventually, because the kitchen providing food and the bathroom was far from her room.

    The previous owner of this body had a rival, his name was Hesata Ragnar. Their fighting abilities used to be on the same level, but since the god decided to abandon his daughter, Eithne were losing her holy power and had almost lost in her last sparring match.

    ¡°This is scary¡­¡±

    She thought, knowing that she was not good at fighting in her home world. She had the memory of Eithne Noceur, but there was no way that she could fight like the real priestess of War.

    Eithne decided to ignore the duel challenge from that priest. She would stay in her room a few more hours, then Hesata Ragnar might give up.

    She walked toward the large mirror in her room. This priestess looked like a person who was inapproachable. Her figure was tall and elegant. Her hair, bore the resemblance of dried straw, was cut to shoulder length. Her golden eyes which were cold like the holy serpent that ''she'' worshipped, they judged herself in the mirror. No expression could be seen on her face, as if it was the original priestess''s habit to hide her true feelings.

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    Eithne touched her black uniform. The priestess had a vigorous body, a six-pack belly that Eithne could never achieve back in her home world. The original Eithne Noceur was a strong fighter, even if she had been lazy in her room for weeks, she still gave off a dangerous aura.

    Hah.¡­ Eithne sighed.

    She looked out the window. It was midday. There was nothing that she could do for now, so Eithne decided to take a nap.

    --

    Five hours later.

    --

    Eithne sneakily got out of her room.

    ¡°Hey! You finally got out of your den.¡±

    A man''s voice startled her.

    What the heck? Eithne frowned.

    She saw the same priest who had asked for a duel. He hopped out from who knew where and obstructed her path. Had he been waiting since the afternoon? It was evening now.

    They were standing in a long corridor of the priests¡¯ accommodation area in the temple. Eithne were planning to go to the kitchen when she encountered Hesata Ragnar.

    Eithne tried to speak calmly, while her heart was racing like a motor.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight you today. I have other business to do.¡± Other business such as eating and pooping.

    Eithne walked past him.

    However, Hesata Ragnar would never let go of his opponent. He was a proud priest of Warriors faction in the temple of War. His opponent was a person carrying the last name of Noceur from Chaos faction, which was the strongest faction despite its tiny number of members. There were only two members of Chaos faction in this temple of War god and entire kingdom: the High Priest and Eithne Noceur. There was no slightest chance that Hesata could fight against the High Priest, so if he could defeat Eithne, his position and reputation would be raised much higher in this temple and entire country.

    The imagination of achieving victory against such a priestess had fully excited Hesata Ragnar.

    ¡°Where are you going? What an unsightly scene that a War priest run away from a battle.¡± ¨C He tried to provoke Eithne.

    The original Eithne Noceur would react fiercely, but she did not bat an eye this time. Eithne just wanted to avoid fighting at all costs, because she was not confident in her defending skill at all, let alone fighting to win. Eithne ignored Hesata and walked faster.

    "Hmm¡­"

    Hesata Ragnar looked at Eithne¡¯s back and rubbed his chin. If she did not want to go to the sparring ground with him, they could not fight outside. The temple''s rule forbid them from fighting outside the designated area.

    However, Hesata and Eithne were usually the troublemakers that never fully obeyed the rules of the temple. Hesata checked the surroundings. There were very few people around this place at this time.

    As long as the High Priest did not leave his office on the second floor, he would not care if they caused small ruckus.

    ¡°Alright then.¡±

    Hesata smirked, he cracked his knuckles. The priest quickly caught up with Eithne and launched a sudden attack.

    Eithne flinched and dodged the punch that slipped past her cheek. She stepped back and looked at Hesata in shock. Was it the difference in culture that people acted this way? They fought without a reason and prior notice like that all the time?

    Hesata Ragnar did not stop there, he kicked at Eithne¡¯s side. The priestess dodged the kick and other consecutive leg attacks from Hesata. The War priest¡¯s attacks were extremely fast and steady, since he had practiced fighting for his whole life. His fighting was something that could only be seen in animated movies, yet it was happening right before her eyes and even more skillful than what she could imagine!

    At the same time, it was also surprising that Eithne could really keep up with his speed without a single drop of sweat, solely relying on this body former experience. She only focused on dodging.

    "Amazing¡­" - Eithne thought.

    Were her old body to fight against Hesata, she could have been minced from the first punch. But now she had possessed Eithne Noceur¡¯s good physique, so things might be much different than her expectation.

    Eithne tried to fight back for the first time.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why don¡¯t you fight back?¡±

    Hesata said provokingly, but he was cautiously checking if Eithne had something up her sleeves. He decided to attack faster, throwing punches and kicks at faster speed so Eithne had no spare time to think.

    Eithne swiftly looked at the weak spot on Hesata¡¯s neck. She parried his kick with her knee, dodged the punch passing her shoulder, and grasped his right arm to pull him closer. Hesata flinched, bended his body to escape her grasp, but Eithne¡¯s arm swing was faster. She stepped one step closer and aimed for his neck.

    In that crucial moment, Eithne did not realize that she unconsciously activated the holy power within her body, which concentrate on her hand like a sharp knife that was ready to stab her opponent¡¯s neck.

    Hesata Ragnar felt his life threatened by Eithne Noceur for the first time of his life. Goosebumps appeared on his neck along with cold sweat. Right before the knife made of Chaos holy power could touch his neck, Hesata Ragnar''s holy power expanded from his body to destroy the knife and force Eithne to step back.

    He concentrated the power in his hand, it immediately turned into a bright flame spear.

    ¡°Ha! Vicious like a snake, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Hesata smirked, but he was shocked inside. He realized Eithne¡¯s fighting style was changed. She used to fight him in a straightforward manner, swinging her large sword to clash against his spear and barely dodged. Even though they fought a lot, they never actually aimed at each other''s lives. But today, Hesata sensed the wicked intent in Eithne''s movement.

    "Eithne Noceur..." - Hesata murmured.

    She was ominous as a poisonous snake waiting for the right moment to bite, which truly matched the crest of a serpent on her chest.

    Eithne did not show any emotion on her face, but her thoughts were a mess. She had used the holy power somehow, but it was faint and easy to be broken by Hesata¡¯s power. Then, this crazy guy summoned a big, frightening fire spear that seemed ready to burn anything touched it. Eithne did not have enough power to stop this attack!

    Run. She decided.

    Hesata Ragnar felt his blood boiling. He was really excited that his opponent did not let things go easily. He would rather lose than having to fight an easy target. It was the spirit of Warriors faction of the temple of War.

    Seeing Eithne ran away, Hesata threw his spear without further thinking.

    BAAANG !!!

    The spear struck the ground where Eithne had just stood. She managed to roll over to avoid the damage from the destructive fire.

    A large hole appeared on the marble floor of the temple. Eithne flopped on the ground next to the large sink hole, she mumbled.

    ¡°Crazy¡­¡±

    She did not dare to think what would happen if she were hit by that fire spear. How could a human possess such destructive power?

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The person who caused that sink hole raised his eyebrows. How odd it was that Eithne Noceur did not fend off just a simple fire spear. However, Hesata did not have much time to think. Many other priests gathered around the fighting scene, some of them had already ran off to report to the High Priest as soon as they saw Hesata Ragnar used his power.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    An angry voice stopped the fighting instantly. A woman in her late thirties walked in the path that other priests made for her. Her long chestnut hair was tied up neatly in a low bun, and her eyes shone an aura of a mountain tiger that easily inflicted fear to anyone had the guts to challenge her authority. It was the Vice High Priestess, who was in charged of the Dread faction of the temple of War.

    Hesata Ragnar and Eithne Noceur lowered their heads as low as possible. While Hesata were trying to make up an excuse, Eithne cursed him endlessly in her head.

    Whose fault was it that they had to face the wrath of the Vice High Priestess?

    He started the fight!

 Chapter 2: Fighting chickens

    ¡°This isn''t the first time you rascals destroy the property of this temple. Both of you, follow me to the High Priest''s office. NOW!¡±

    The shout of the Vice High Priestess was a roar of a mountain tiger in human language. Eithne and Hesata flinched in a same time. They had no choice but to follow the Vice High Priest to the office on the second floor, because she could beat them to pulp if they refused to follow her order.

    The War temple was wide and only have two floors. The first floor of the temple was divided into many areas for all priests and guests of the War temple, but only few people were allowed to freely enter the second floor, who were the High Priest, Vice High Priestess and four Faction Chiefs. The High Priest Office on the second floor was a place to hold meeting with prestigious figures, as well as the place to decide the fate of sinners - like Eithne and Hesata.

    Eithne observed the doors at the entrance of the High Priest Office. They were three meters high and made of white marble. A large spear head was intricately carved at the doors'' center gap, surrounded by four holy beasts which served under the War God. Those white doors were as elegant as the clouds leading to heaven, but also as heavy and majestic as the God''s judgement.

    Naturally, they emitted immense pressure for viewers.

    Eithne already felt butterflies in her stomach just by standing outside of the office. However, that damn culprit who blew a hole on the floor did not seem to worry much, as if he had been visiting this place quite often.

    Hesata Ragnar truly had been to this place a few times, whenever he ascended his priest¡¯s rank in the Warrior faction, he came to the High Priest Office to claim some merits. He assumed that Eithne was familiar with this place too. However, the Chaos faction had been inactive in organizing internal event due to its humble number of members, so Eithne Noceur had no reason to ever set foot in this place.

    If the Chaos faction had the ranking system similar to the Warrior faction, it was no doubt that the High Priest would be the strongest and Eithne would be the weakest of her faction.

    CREEK¡ª

    The doors opened. They could see a wide and luxurious office room that took the space of entire second floor, and one man was sitting at the main desk.

    Eithne sensed goosebumps on both of her arms. Only one person could sit in that position, the High Priest of the War temple!

    He was very handsome in his sixties. His white hair and beard were tidily trimmed, and his robust physique was noticeable in the High Priest¡¯s attire. Waves of abundant Chaos power were crashing each other in his eyes, as if to reflect the bloody past of a thousand battles that he had been through.

    He just sat there quietly, but his strong aura made him the absolute dominator of this room. If the Vice High Priestess resembled a mountain tiger, then this man was truly the reincarnation of the War God.

    Eithne recalled the scene when the High Priest stabbing his spear through Eithne Noceur¡¯s heart in the comic. Suddenly, she felt weak in her knees.

    ¡°High Priest.¡±

    The Vice High Priest called her superior, then two young priests behind her raised their hand in salutation.

    The High Priest was not surprised by their presence, even after the Vice High Priestess reported their wrongdoing, he did not show any emotion. Eithne deciphered his reaction as ''utterly unbothered''. The old man quietly observed Hesata Ragnar, who expressed his regret about his misdeed, and his only junior, Eithne Noceur, who was constantly avoiding eye contact.

    The room went silent in a few minutes as they were waiting for the High Priest¡¯s decision. Eithne could feel the sharp gaze of the High Priest piercing through her soul, so she subconsciously held her breath.

    ''Wait... didn''t the comic describe strong people like Demir can hear other people''s breath?'' - Eithne thought in panic. ''Should I breathe normally to show that I didn''t cause the mess, or should I act scared?''

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Both Eithne Noceur and Hesata Ragnar had joined this temple from a very young age. They were high-grade priests of the War temple, so their destructiveness simply accorded with their rank. The temple always had a place for fools who wanted to show off their skills, but these wreckers did not utilize it.

    ¡°Well, the one who dug the hole should fill it up himself. Let both of them clean the training ground for two weeks, maybe after that, they will remember the purpose of having a training ground.¡±

    The High Priest nonchalantly said. His voice was deep and cold, sending a chill down Eithne''s spine.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Eithne and Hesata had no choice but to accept their punishment. They bowed their head and left the office.

    The doors of the office slowly closed themselves after Eithne and Hesata completely stepped out of the room.

    ¡°¡­Thanks God I¡¯m still alive.¡±

    Eithne let out a heavy breath and mumbled. She tried her best to hold her breath in there, so that the High Priest would not suddenly feel annoyed with her breathing sound, and her existence that he might send her to afterlife immediately. Their meeting only lasted for a few minutes, but she thought half of her lifetime was taken away.

    On the other hand, the priest of Warrior faction seemed happy. He could not stop smiling, since cleaning the training ground was a child play to him, though there might be a bit of humiliation for a high- grade priest.

    Looking at the satisfied Hesata, Eithne wanted to slam his head with a brick. It was his fault that he started the fight, but since she had fought back and many people saw their clash outside the training ground, she must take the responsibility as well.

    Hah¡­ Eithne sighed. She grabbed her hair.

    Could a priestess retire at this age?

    --

    Eithne picked up a broom and started sweeping.

    This was the third day of her two-week cleaning mission. There were debris indicating elemental powers everywhere.

    Dried leaves and branches, burnt cloths, puddles and even small sand dunes on the floor. Scattered pieces of broken weapons could also be found in every corners.

    This cleaning mission would be less tiring if Eithne and Hesata could lend a helping hand of wind or water magic. However, Hesata Ragnar could only do tricks with fire, while Eithne Noceur used a power related to earth which Eithne known from the original priestess''s memory she received. If they used their power, they might cause an even bigger mess.

    Therefore, the priests had to use the most primitive method of cleaning: sweep everything.

    Eithne kicked a dried tree that abnormally grew on the floor, this must be the work of some priests controlling the wood elemental power. There were noises catching her attention from the other end of the training ground. She motioned her gaze to the crowd out of boredom.

    There were cadets in their training course at the temple of War. This scene made her think about the leader of this temple.

    The High Priest, Demir Noceur, who was known as the previous Military General serving Lumovas Empire for decades prior to his retirement. In his later years, Demir Noceur had decided to build a grand temple worshipping the War God in his hometown Sandrel. The temple later became the Royal Military Academy, which was a bridge to connect Demir to this empire''s foundation.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    A group of cadets noticed Eithne, they bowed their head respectfully.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Eithne nod her head to greet them back.

    High-grade priests were highly respected in the War temple since they had mastered both martial art and war strategies. Additionally, they were usually the main instructors of these cadets. Both Eithne Noceur and Hesata Ragnar had achieved the title of high-grade priests, but they were too young and inexperienced to lead the trainees, so the Vice High Priestess never let them do the job of instructors.

    Nonetheless, their talent was recognized by other people because they were the youngest high-grade War priests.

    Eithne looked at Hesata, who had been focusing on his duty. Surprisingly, he did not try to provoke any fight during their working hour and honestly completed his tasks, totally out of Eithne¡¯s expectation. It was stereotypical that characters controlling fire in the comics would endlessly looking for troubles with their fiery temper.

    Well, she could not complain anything if he was being reasonable.

    Eithne came up with the explanation that the temple¡¯s education was too good that such a hot-headed person would be so obedient. Sometimes Hesata offered his help to Eithne, so she had a new perspective about this character, who did not even appear in the comic.

    ¡°Hey, can you grab our lunch? I will finish the rest.¡±

    Hesata said.

    Eithne could not be happier about this. She wholeheartedly offered all of her work to Hesata without any doubt. What could go wrong when someone ask to help you doing all the work?

    The priestess happily skipped through the hall to the kitchen, before she came back and realized what could really go wrong when she left Hesata alone.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Somehow, a simple stadium was built in a short amount of time in the middle of training area. There were many shock-absorption devices placed around the stadium, which were meant to be used for high-grade priests¡¯ combat.

    ¡°Hey you¡¯re back early. I prepared the sparring ground for us, how¡¯s that?¡±

    What do you mean ¡°how¡¯s that¡± ?

    Eithne frowned.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to clean up? Why did you make another mess?¡± ¨C She asked.

    The young man laughed while he was eating the sandwich brought by Eithne.

    ¡°I¡¯m very bored recently. Don¡¯t you feel so too? How about a quick match? Come on -- don¡¯t look at me like that! We can fight in the training ground, and there are shock-absorption devices too. It¡¯s going to be fine this time.¡±

    Ugh! This punk! He still wanted to pick a fight with her. Eithne had been lucky last time to escape his fire spear, she believed that it would not go smooth this time and she could seriously got hurt.

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    The priestess refused and prepared to leave.

    ¡°I will not use fire this time. It will be bothersome if I have to clean up burning mess again.¡±

    He said with a sincere look in his eyes. Eithne stopped and sighed.

    This guy was smart. He sure understood what she wanted.

    ¡°OK then.¡±

    Eithne also want to know this body''s ability.

    The priestess stepped in the stadium. She had been trying to adapt with the old memory of Eithne Noceur, as well as familiarize with her fighting skill. The only problem was that she did not know how to manipulate the holy power in her body, but since Hesata did not use his fire, their strength should be on the same level.

    Hesata stood on the opposite side of Eithne. He observed his opponent, and his eyes lit up with excitement. Hesata smiled brightly, but he didn¡¯t know that his opponent suddenly felt extremely nervous the moment she saw his smile.

    ''He sure is confident.'' - Eithne thought.

    Hesata did not wait any longer. He charged at her at incredible speed and launched a side kick to her shoulder. Eithne was surprised by his sudden move, that she quickly used her arm to stop his leg.

    Wait wait! This was so sudden, she had not mentally prepared. Where was the start signal? Fuck!

    Could she withdraw now?

    However, Hesata - the pride of Warrior faction did not leave a second for Eithne¡¯s hesitation. She could only defend herself under his fast attacks.

    Meanwhile, people started gathering around the stadium to witness the thrilling combat between two high-grade priests, but both Eithne and Hesata were too caught up in their fight so they did not notice. The cadets were overly excited, they even made a bet on it.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the priestess going to lose if she keeps defending?¡± ¨C A cadet asked.

    Another cadet who seemed to be the senior student, shook his head.

    ¡°I have seen them fighting many times. They usually end up draw, there is no guarantee that the priest would win even if he seemed on the advantageous side.¡± ¨C He explained, showing his many years¡¯ experience before the admiring gazes of his juniors.

    Eithne was truly in the disadvantageous position. She could not escape from the perfect chains of attacks from Hesata. As Eithne quietly observed Hesata¡¯s attack patterns, he also kept a safe distance from her.

    Hesata remembered her vicious grab on his arm from the last time they fought in the hall. He did not want to be caught again.

    Although his attacks might seem fast, they were not really that strong. He was saving his stamina.

    Of course, the stamina of a high-grade priest was superior to a normal person. Hesata Ragnar actually could maintain his attack speed for few more days, but Eithne Noceur should be able to do the same. Hesata even thought that Eithne Noceur could last longer than him, because her physical strength was better than him due to her Earth attribute power.

    As a high-grade priest, Hesata¡¯s standard defined ¡°not really strong¡± as destroying a boulder with a simple poke. Therefore, Eithne was having a hard time defending. Luckily, the people around them have shock-absorption devices, or else they would be collapsed from the immense pressure from the stadium.

    Since Hesata did not use his fire, Eithne also did not use her Earth power for fairness. The more she fought, the more she realized how amazing this War priestess was. Using this body''s flexibility, Eithne decided to move forward and target Hesata¡¯s abdomen.

    Hesata noticed her movement, he swiftly dodged the thrust from her hand then raised his knee aiming for Eithne¡¯s stomach instead. The priestess flexibly turned her body around and swing her arm to his side head. Hesata lowered his body to dodge and escaped the close contact. Eithne chased after him, but Hesata had been cautious of her grabbing from the start, making it hard to capture him.

    Tsk. Eithne clicked her tongue.

    Her fighting instinct was triggered. She stopped defending a while ago and only focused on striking the weak points on Hesata¡¯s body. Sweats appeared on both priests'' faces, while they continued to clash against each other nonstop. The people around could not follow their speed anymore.

    Hesata fixed his gaze on Eithne. He could not let her grab on him, because she was a vicious snake that bit its prey and never let go. After fifteen minutes, Hesata started to feel uneasy. Eithne did not budge an inch on his attacks, but she could not reach him either. Things would have different if he could use his fire magic.

    The priest kicked to Eithne¡¯s hip making her staggered a little. Hesata grasped the chance, he quickly launched another crescent kick to his opponent¡¯s head. However, Eithne successfully grabbed his leg this time.

    Shit! He had been tricked. Hesata was cursing in his head, but then he froze a bit when Eithne¡¯s eyes looked at him.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Eithne Noceur¡¯s irises usually had a shining golden color, but oddly, they were dull now as if she was fighting in the dark.

    High-grade War priests had strong sense of predicting their opponent¡¯s movement and were trained to recognize the intention of other people by the movement of their eyes. The only subject that they could not tell through the eyes were blind people, or monsters without eyes which adapted with dark environment. Eithne Noceur was definitely not blind, her eyes were lively just a moment ago. Hesata furrowed his eyebrows since he had not seen her like this before.

    The moment Hesata was hesitant, Eithne struck his face. The priest flinched, he quickly came back to his sense and barely dodged, so her attack went to his shoulder instead. Hesata escaped her grab and stepped back, holding his throbbing left shoulder.

    ¡°Ha¡­ Not bad.¡±

    Hesata smiled. It felt like she hammered a needle into his shoulder. Her physical strength was not a joke. However, he did not care much about his shoulder. Hesata was observing the abnormal eyes of Eithne Noceur and quickly connected the previous fight in his head¡­

    Eithne did not know about the scary dullness of her eyes. Her thought became blurry at some time, now only her instinct drove her to strike him again.

    This guy was disgustingly sharp. She thought.

    ¡°Bravo!¡±

    Suddenly, a cheering voice of a kid came from the people gathering around the stadium.

    Hm?

    Both Eithne and Hesata stopped. They looked at the young boy who was walking between the line of people.

    ¡°His Highness the Imperial Prince has arrived!¡±

    What?

    Two priests surprised. Eithne noticed Demir Noceur came along the Imperial Prince.

    "High Priest..."

 Chapter 3: Chicken fight goes wrong

    Imperial Prince? What business did he have with this place?

    Eithne was curious, but she remained quiet and followed other people¡¯s action.

    ¡°Greeting His Highness, the Prince of the great Lumovas Empire.¡±

    The priests bowed their heads toward the young boy who barely reached his teenage. The Imperial Prince smiled brightly, he raised his hand and naturally accepted the respect from the adults around him.

    ¡°No need to be so formal. Please raise your heads.¡±

    As the Imperial Prince permitted them to stand up, Eithne finally had a chance to closely observe him.

    The direct bloodline of the imperial family had a distinct eye color that resembled the clear blue sky and their hair looked like million rays of sunshine woven together. The wealthy royal family dressed their child in the most lavish attire and had the most elite knight brigade accompany him.

    The young prince standing in front of Eithne Noceur right now was only twelve this year, yet he was so confident and well versed in communication.

    What an amazing person he was. Eithne thought.

    It was no doubt that he would soon grow into a handsome man who would be the main topic of young ladies¡¯ gossip in the future.

    A romance comic having medieval setting would always reserve a special role for children from the royal family. In other words, a prince normally had a role of potential male lead in a love story, where many young girls would find themselves captured by his attractiveness, but he only paid attention to the female lead.

    ¡°I am Azriel Daneva. It is a pleasure to meet such talent priests in this temple.¡±

    The Imperial Prince introduced himself to Eithne and Hesata. He even offered his small hand to shake with them.

    Azriel? Eithne flinched. This name felt so familiar¡­

    She suddenly remembered one of most crucial characters from the comic, who was the emperor of Lumovas and best friend with the male lead, his name was also Azriel. It was obvious that she could not remember Azriel¡¯s face in the comic, or else she might recognize the younger version of that character from the start.

    Eithne finally grasped the current timeline of the story. The average age of main characters in the comic was twenty, so she was transported into this world about ten years before the plot of the comic started!

    If ¡°the emperor¡± was still a prince, then where should the male lead and female lead be? Eithne wondered. And there was also a villain who want to destroy this empire would appear later in the comic too¡­

    Hesata Ragnar looked at the spacing-out priestess, whose eyes were no longer dull when she dropped her guard. She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts to notice the waving hand in front of her face. Hesata lightly hit her shoulder.

    ¡°Hey, are you sleeping?¡±

    ¡°Ah what?¡±

    Eithne shook her body. She turned her head to look at Hesata, who had a disbelieving expression on his face.

    ¡°Did you really fall asleep while we¡¯re talking?¡± ¨C He said.

    Eithne had a seriously dumb look on her face as if she had not been here for a while. Hesata could not stand this. It seemed like he had to explain everything back. The priest sighed.

    ¡°The Imperial Prince asked for a demonstration of the War¡¯s temple power.¡±

    ¡°What demonstration?¡± ¨C Eithne tilted her head. Stupidity was clearly presented on her face.

    ¡°Since this is not a big event, the temple will have a friendly sparring between priests to show-off our strength.¡± ¨C Hesata said.

    Eithne nodded. She knew from the memory of the previous priestess that the royalty often checked on the power of the War temple. They would send a representative annually to witness the match between priests, in particular, it was the Imperial Prince this year.

    Hesata seemed annoyed. Was he not the type that liked fighting?

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this because we have to go easy on each other. It¡¯s like we are only dancing, not really fighting.¡±

    She knew it. Eithne was not surprised.

    ¡°And it¡¯s you and me, who will do that demonstration.¡±

    ¡°What? Us??¡±

    Eithne¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise. Why did they have to do this?

    ¡°The High Priest commanded us.¡±

    Hesata crossed his arms. He was also wondering why it had to be them doing this.

    High-grade priests were prestigious people that even a prince had to respect them, so they never had to participate in such demonstration. Middle-grade or low-grade priests usually took this job, but the High Priest decided to let Eithne and Hesata do the sparring today instead.

    Maybe it was because the Imperial Prince already saw them fighting, and Demir Noceur thought it would be convenient that they could do the sparring too?

    But Eithne could not use her holy power¡­ What would she do¡­?

    Eithne was flustered, but she would not dare to disclose this secret to another person. She got the feeling that the High Priest would execute her if he knew she was not the original priestess.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I can¡¯t think of any excuse¡­¡± ¨C Eithne mumbled. Her head was a mess.

    __

    ¡°Hey¡­ is your shoulder ok?¡±

    Eithne asked Hesata while following him to the larger stadium for their match. The priest snorted at her; he easily spun his arm to show that her worry was unnecessary.

    ¡°You think just a punch can defeat me?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ alright.¡±

    Eithne did not say anymore.

    Tsk¡­ Hesata clicked his tongue. Honestly, it was still slightly aching, but his pride would never let him say that.

    They arrived at the large coliseum on the left side of the temple of War. The coliseum was mainly built for important events and demonstration purpose, so it had many seats for visitors and special equipment to ensure the audiences¡¯ safety. The massive shock-absorption devices installed here were ten times larger than the type that Hesata used for his temporary stadium, and the ground had much higher endurance than normal training ground.

    The Imperial Prince was safely seated behind three layers of magic barriers. Next to him, the High Priest leisurely drank his tea. The prince only kept two bodyguards by his side, since the strongest person in the country was sitting next to him, so he did not worry much about potential dangers during the match.

    Eithne and Hesata stepped on the stadium once the shock-absorption devices were activated. A transparent hemisphere barrier enclosed the stadium from outer area, locked the two priests inside.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The people of this world used mana from the nature to perform magic or enhance their physical ability, such as mages and other weapon wielders like knights. Priests were also mages and weapon users, but they possessed an extra power beside mana, which was the divine power bestowed by the gods.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    There were many ways to use the holy power, and priests tended to mix it with their mana. However, the grade of a priest was decided based on their ability to wield as much pure holy power as they could. To compete against another priest, one must use their holy power. It was a rule of their religion to respect the god and show how much god loved them, by the amount of granted holy power.

    Eithne did not like the god of War and the god probably hated her too. Her Chaos power was hard to control. Furthermore, it was fading after each day. She wanted to file a complaint to the god of War, as Eithne Noceur had been fulfilling her duty as a priestess, yet her god provided inadequate holy power to his dedicated believer. What an unfair deity!

    A priest gave a start signal.

    Hesata took a deep breath and activated the holy power inside his body.

    A crimson power started flowing around his arm then formed into a long spear in his hand, but it did not stop there. The crimson flow continued to swirl violently inside the shape of the spear, just like monsters trying to break free from a tiny cage and release their destruction.

    The young priest with a bright red hair pointed the crimson spear to his opponent. The spear was made of pure divine power without a single thread of mana mixed in. This was the ability of a high-grade priest.

    Eithne wiped her cold sweats.

    The crimson spear absolutely looked much more dangerous than the previous fire spear. Although it did not seem as bright as the fire spear, she could sense the density of holy power within that spear - which surely could create a lake on the ground with a single touch. Hesata  with a crimson spear just had an extra violent aura.

    Fuck. Where was the exit from this madness? Was this really a ¡°friendly¡± match?

    ¡°Please go easy on me...¡±- The priestess murmured.

    Huh? Hesata raised his eyebrows. What was she talking about?

    Hesata Ragnar never once in his life took his opponent lightly, especially the priestess who wielded the mysterious Chaos power. Without a second to spare, he rushed toward Eithne Noceur and plunged his spear to her chest.

    Was he trying to kill her? Eithne panicked. This was nowhere near the ¡°friendly¡± term that he said.

    She rolled to one side to dodge. The spear oddly brushed past her arm without a single scratch, but the priestess felt her flesh was fiercely burnt inside.

    Damn that was hurt!

    Eithne ran away to keep a distance from Hesata.

    The Imperial Prince curiously looked at the sparring, he had never witnessed the pure power of high-grade priests before. Although it seemed like they fought using normal weapon, those massive shock-absorption devices were intensely shaking. Without these devices, the little prince might be blown away at any moment.

    Azriel Daneva took a peek at the person sitting next to him. The young prince wondered how strong a High Priest would be. Two high-grade priests already gave him goosebumps, then the old man should be ten times scarier. The Imperial Prince was young, but he was not na?ve. He promised himself to never provoke the High Priest.

    Demir Noceur did not know what was going on inside the prince¡¯s head and he would not care. His eyes were fixed on two figures on the stadium while his hand was holding a boiling hot teacup. He seemed to contemplate something that only the God would know. The High Priest had been an unpredictable person for almost fifty years in his life.

    The old man lifted his cup to sip the hot tea.

    ¡®What a peaceful morning.¡¯ - He thought.

    Contrary to the relaxing atmosphere in the audience¡¯s room, the battle on the stadium was extremely tense.

    Eithne wanted to cry so hard.

    She had been dodging for fifteen minutes already and burnt several times because of Hesata¡¯s spear. This guy was merciless. She wanted to surrender immediately, but since she had not used her holy power once, surrender was not allowed.

    Hesata pushed her to the edge of the stadium. Eithne¡¯s back touched the transparent barrier. Her body felt seriously hurt and her mind was exhausted.

    ¡°This is the end.¡±

    The priest raised his crimson spear. His eyes showed no waving emotion, he did not stop even if Eithne could not fight back. His divine power roared to victory, like a thousand warriors roared toward their enemy. The air around the spear had to tremble in this immense aura. Even the sun felt so small compared to the destructive crimson light.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    All of a sudden, desperation swept in Eithne¡¯s mind.

    Shouldn¡¯t she be happy because it was finally end? Why did she feel¡­ so cold in her heart?

    Eithne grasped her chest then collapsed on the ground. All the heat from the burnt marks suddenly disappeared. Her body felt so cold as if she had fallen into an icy cave and Eithne¡¯s eyes became blurry in an instant. An unknow dark power escaped from her heart and drowned everything around her in pitch black.

    The last thing she saw was the crimson spear being swallowed by the darkness¡­

    Clang!

    The teacup was crushed in the High Priest¡¯s hand.

    ¡°This¡­ this is¡­.¡± ¨C The Imperial Prince mumbled.

    The people outside the fighting area could see the hemisphere barrier was filled with ominous darkness. This was the first time such phenomenon ever happened. No one could confirm the two priests¡¯ current situation inside.

    Although Azriel did not know much about holy power, he could recognize the seriousness of the situation. The prince quickly turned to look at the High Priest, but the old man already took action. Azriel saw the High Priest¡¯s eyes were shining with bizarre purple light.

    The divine power of Chaos circled around in the irises of Demir Noceur. His vision drilled through the darkness in front of his eyes. Only one priest from the Warrior faction was spotted, while Eithne Noceur was no where to be seen. However, the priest was still fighting against an invisible opponent.

    Hesata Ragnar was swallowed in the darkness. He could not see, but he still sensed the other existence within the barrier. The experience of a high-grade priest never faltered in any circumstance.

    His crimson fire was put out like a tiny flame on the candle grasped by human¡¯s fingers. It was hard to defend himself until the rescue could arrive, but Hesata did not struggle. The dark power and his fire canceled each other, so he managed to hold on. This darkness was different from nighttime, since Hesata sensed neither sound nor living energy from the enemy. He solely relied on his prediction to counter the attack from the dark.

    A crimson spear appeared in Hesata¡¯s hand. He threw the spear to his left side.

    BANG!

    The spear clashed against an invisible blade and exploded. Exploiting the flash of light coming from the explosion, Hesata saw a human figure. Her eyes were as dull as clay, reflecting no light or color. The priestess swiftly withdrew to the darkness.

    ¡°Eithne¡­¡±

    Hesata furrowed his eyebrows. The power came from Eithne was strange, she had never been like this before. Even priests controlling water found the crimson fire hard to deal with, but this darkness gobbled up his power in an eyeblink. Hesata suppressed his suspicion since he needed to focus on defending himself first.

    And Eithne did not seem to be in her right mind. This was the second time the priestess of Chaos becoming the menace of Hesata¡¯s life.

    Her hand swiped the darkness. After her command, many invisible blades were born from nothing, they slid through the air to Hesata.

    A dozen of crimson spears was created instantly from the young man¡¯s hand. He swiftly threw all of them toward the blades.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    A chain of explosions lighted up the dark in mere two seconds. Hesata saw nobody. A sudden pain came from his stomach reached his brain.

    The priestess¡¯s face appeared so close before his eyes, and her left hand had pieced through his body. A stench of blood quickly spread in the air.

    The hand of Eithne was as cold as a piece of metal, it clashed with the crimson power running in Hesata¡¯s blood. The priest gave out a little groan, but soon he smiled brightly. Eithne tried to retreat her hand, but Hesata had firmly grabbed onto her left shoulder.

    ¡°Not so fast!¡±

    One sharp crimson spear formed in Hesata¡¯s hand. He stabbed it right on Eithne¡¯s shoulder and nailed her body on the ground. However, the priestess did not slow down. She was like a monster that lost her mind and knew no pain. Eithne punched directly into Hesata¡¯s chest using her remaining free hand.

    Hesata¡¯s crimson power gathered in front of his chest to protect his heart, but the impact was quite huge. He could not hold back the blood  dripping out from his lips. His chest bones were probably broken.

    ¡°Goddamnit High Priest! Do something!¡± ¨C The priest blurted out god-insulting words.

    Hesata did not want to kill Eithne, so he used his own body to trap her down. He could have stabbed the spear through her neck to end this easily, but he did not want to lose a friend like this. Hesata knew that Demir Noceur already found his way into the darkness, since he had sensed a faint familiar Chaos power. The High Priest should be able stop this crazy priestess.

    As soon as Hesata started shouting, Eithne raised her head. She saw a gaze that penetrated through her soul. An alienated power bypassed all her physical defense to aggressively stir her mind into chaos.

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¨C Eithne groaned.

    She felt an immense pain in her soul. It was far worse than the moment she received the memory of the previous Eithne Nocure. Her mind was trampled by the vehement holy power from that gaze.

    Soon, the priestess slowly closed her eyes and plopped down. The pitch-black power withdrew into her body like water rushing into the drain, just right after the darkness disappeared, the transparent barrier covering the stadium cracked and shattered into pieces.

    CRACK! KLAANG!

    Tens of shock-absorption devices were overheated and malfunctioned, some of them were even broken apart. They had lasted for many years through countless battles of the priests. This was the first time the temple received such huge loss.

    The Imperial Prince was shaking his body tremulously while he hid behind the High Priest¡¯s back. The moment that the barrier shattered, Demir Noceur had to step up to cover the prince. His aura diminished the remaining pressure escaped from the battle ground, so the prince was completely protected. Other priests and knights were blown ten meters away from the stadium.

    As the darkness withdrew, the bloody battleground was revealed under afternoon light.

    The red-haired man sat on the ground with a horrendous injury on his abdoment. He was drenched with his own blood and sweat. Hesata looked at the unconscious priestess next to him. He smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I want to faint too. This hurts so bad.¡±

    His lunch had probably escaped from the hole on his stomach. What a shame, the sandwich today was quite good.

 Chapter 4: Sick leave

    ¡°Eithne, wake up little punk. I¡¯m bored. Wake up¡ª¡ª.¡±

    The patient room was supposed to be quiet, but the patient himself did not stop rambling. The patient number one was a red-haired man wrapped in thick bandage around his abdomen. Although his belly felt hurt whenever he spoke, patient number one would rather bear the pain than shut his mouth. He wanted to jump off the bed, but his abdominal muscles refused to sit up.

    The only thing that worked properly was his mouth, so the patient number one did everything he could to bother patient number two.

    Patient number two was a young woman with blonde lob hair lying still on her bed. She had lost her consciousness for three days already.

    ¡°Aaaahh¡ª¡ª¡°

    Patient number one gave up on speaking in human language. He decided to demonstrate a wild animal¡¯s call, while he longed for the day his freedom of movement to be returned.

    Well, it was not his fault that he could never faint or sleep when he was hurt, but it was boring to lie still doing nothing.

    ¡°Haizz¡­¡±

    Eventually, the young man got tired. When he was about to shut his mouth, his miraculous ramblings brought the patient number two back from her coma.

    ¡°Urgh... so noisy...¡±

    Her face was deeply frown like a wrinkled piece of cloth. Eithne leaned her body to a side and covered her head with her arms.

    This guy was unbelievable ... Who did he call punk? Who was being loud here?

    ¡°Oh, you wake up?¡±

    The guy¡¯s face brightened up. Hesata was overjoyed that he succeeded in finding someone else to talk to.

    Eithne squeezed her arms against her head, as if she was squeezing fear out of her mind. The gaze of the High Priest was terrifying. Her mind was chaotic when she recalled that painful experience. Eithne had expected the High Priest to be strong, but the feeling of helplessness when facing him scared Eithne to the deepest in her soul.

    No, she must leave this place. The High Priest would kill her!

    Eithne hastily jumped off the bed, resulting in her stumbling and falling on the ground.

    THUMP!

    ¡°Ouch....¡± Maybe not today. She thought.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    Hesata was surprised by her sudden movement. He asked, watching her climb back onto her bed.

    Eithne did not answer him. Her vision was shaking with dizziness and her legs were wobbly. Climbing back onto the bed strained the very last power in her body. The priestess looked around the patient room. Everything was blurry, but she could recognize it was nighttime. Eithne heard the voice coming from the patient bed next to her.

    ¡°Do you remember what happened?¡±

    What had happened? Eithne lightly furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°You almost killed me¡­¡± ¨C She said.

    ¡°But you ended up almost killing me instead.¡± - Hesata sighed. ¡°You crudely poked your hand in my stomach to steal my lunch. Because of you, I have to drink liquid meal for dinner. It¡¯s sucks, do you know that?¡±

    The priest had no one to complain about the nutritional supply to the patient recently. He clicked his tongue and glanced at Eithne, who was dumbfounded by his words.

    ¡°Tsk. You couldn¡¯t have known because you fainted happily.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Whaat?¡±

    Eithne looked at her victim regretfully, but Hesata found it was hard to believe her.

    The pale moonlight from the window lighted up a part of her cheek, while the priestess¡¯s eyes sunk in darkness. Those irises which were lifeless had never felt so unfamiliar to him before. Hesata Ragnar doubted whether he was speaking to the same punk that shared their childhood together. Those golden eyes used to be arrogant, they would shone even in the dark, and Eithne Noceur had never been sorry for her ruthless actions before.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hesata opened and closed his mouth several times without saying anything. It was shocking that Eithne had said sorry to him for the first time in ten years they knew each other.

    ¡°¡­At first, you shut yourself in your room saying you was sick. Then a weird power came from you and now you speak weirdly to me. Did something happen to you lately?¡±

    Hesata asked. However, her sullen silence gave him no satisfying answer. The priest¡¯s face became serious.

    ¡°You better talk to me right now, or else you will be interrogated by the High Priest.¡±

    Eithne flinched. Anyone but the High Priest! She gulped. The fact that she was not the original Eithne Noceur should never be revealed to the world, so she made something up.

    ¡°That was my Chaos power. It is unstable lately because I have not fully controlled it yet.¡±

    She pretended to look in Hesata¡¯s eyes with sincerity, but she stared at his forehead instead. It was the best trick she had learnt to efficiently communicate with someone else. Hesata looked askance at the priestess.

    ¡°Chaos divine power, huh.¡±

    It sounded legit, since the wound on his stomach did not react with potions. Healing potions were created from holy power. While they healed normal injuries at incredible speed, potions were useless in treating wounds caused by holy power. If Eithne had used her Chaos power, it was understandable that healing potions did not work on his body. Consequently, it took Hesata a long time to recover.

    Hesata was still suspicious, but he would let her go this time. He was suffering from insomnia and tired, so he wanted to rest now. There was still plenty of time, he could find out later.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Seeing Hesata closed his eyes to rest, Eithne exhaled in relief. That excuse was questionable, but at least it got her through this time.

    Eithne turned her back to Hesata. To be honest, she failed to convince herself of that excuse too. The strange power never appeared in the memory of previous Eithne Noceur, so she could not identify it.

    However, she knew it started from the desperation within her heart.

    Eithne placed her hand on her chest, where her heart was beating fast. Would a divine power¡­ give people such hollow feeling? The moment it was activated, her humanity was gone. All she knew was fighting until death came upon one of them.

    ¡°What a monster I am¡­¡± ¨C She murmured.

    ¡°What are you talking alone there?¡±

    Hesata gave a huge yawn. Although he could barely keep his eyes open, his mind was restless. This incurable insomnia made him stay awake until he was completely recovered, which was quite useful on the battlefield, but at most of the time, it was more like a curse.

    ¡°You can¡¯t sleep?¡±

    Eithne slid down her bed to come closer to the priest. She looked down to examine his tightly bandaged abdomen. Hesata was thinking of saying something cool, but her hand already tapped him on the most painful area.

    ¡°You Devil! Don¡¯t press me! It hurts as hell!¡±

    __

    The night was still young. In the long hall of the grand temple of War, a figure was rushing on her feet without making any sound. The ethereal beauty of the pale moonlight stopped her hasty steps for a little, and the priestess gazed upon the unreachable dominator of the night sky.

    ¡®The High Priest won¡¯t be here for a few days. He is going to the capital to see the Queen.¡¯

    Eithne reminded Hesata¡¯s words. She went out of the patient room with the excuse for going to the bathroom, but she actually wanted to sneak up the High Priest Office. Her shiny golden eyes turned into dull state as she used her new dark power, the priestess went back to her original plan.

    White marble tiles under her feet gleamed with gentle light. At night, they gave off an even more sacred aura to the temple. The hall was wide and empty. As the priestess dashed across the hall, her lonely shadow dissolved into the dark. Her existence was hidden perfectly.

    Eithne wanted to leave this place. She was scared of the High Priest. However, she could not hide from the temple, since they would know where she was and whether she was dead or alive through a magical stone seal, which each priest had one of their own and must bind their soul on it. The stone seal recorded its contractor¡¯s position and living status, such thing only broke when the contractor ceased to exist. Thus, it would be best if Eithne could steal her stone seal and run away.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Those stone seals were extremely crucial to the temple, so they were kept and protected in the High Priest Office. Demir Noceur was currently absent, so Eithne used this chance to take a look around the second floor of the temple. She walked to the large doors where the huge spearhead and four holy beasts were carved. They looked so lively that they seemed to glare at the uninvited guest.

    Eithne saw the light coming from the gap beneath the large doors. Her eyebrows lightly furrowed.

    It was likely that the Vice High Priestess stationed at the office to guard those stone seals. There was no sound being heard from the room, but an aura of a strong existence had covered an entire second floor.

    A mountain tiger taking her nap was still a fearsome tiger. Even if the Vice High Priestess was letting her guard down and falling asleep, she could still be alert to sudden intrusion into the office. With Eithne¡¯s current strength, she was no match for the Vice High Priestess, so she had better withdraw before she got caught wandering around.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The priestess with dull eyes stepped back in the darkness again.

    She then took a stroll to the front area of the temple, where the great statue of the War God and four associated beasts were placed across the main entrance.

    The War God was sculpted in his heavenly armor. In his hand was a gigantic spear that pointed toward the sky, challenging the mighty pantheon in the realm beyond human world. Eithne¡¯s eyes followed his spearhead pointing direction, but all she could see was the empty celling.

    Well, since it was indoor¡­ Eithne lightly scratched her chin. She was hoping to see something interesting at the tip of the holy spear, but there might be none.

    The Noceur beast representing Chaos faction was an ancient serpent. Two long fangs like twins of crescent moons bore from its large mouth, and its scales were intricately chiseled with endless magic patterns. On the other side, the Ragnar beast raised its mane proudly. The Warrior faction¡¯s symbol was a massive lion with a horn on its forehead, but its tail was unusually big like a boat paddle. Behind Ragnar, the Wrath was a two-headed horse breathing fire, and the Dread was a cloud-shaped monster with million eyes.

    Such magnificent artwork could only be done by extremely talent sculptors. Eithne wondered how the High Priest had enough fund to build this statue and entire temple. It was not like the War God would lend him any money.

    ¡®Demir must have earned a lot from dealing with the royals. He has enough money to feed this whole temple and statues.¡¯

    The priestess observed the statue thoroughly. She had many questions to ask the God. Like why did he take back the divine power from priestess Eithne Noceur? Why had only Eithne Noceur received this punishment? Why did ¡®she¡¯ have to be Eithne Noceur?

    But the God in front of her was just a lifeless statue. They gave her no answer.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Eithne had an intent to raise her middle finger to the God to test His reaction, but her back suddenly felt cold. The chilling was so authentic that she felt like she was locked in an ice dungeon. At that moment, the statue of the War God appeared to be  too colossal and intimidating to Eithne.

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡¯

    The priestess shivered and honestly ran to the bathroom. Going to the bathroom was her excuse given to Hesata to leave the patient room. While she repeated in her mind the apology to the War God, Eithne with her cowardice did not dare to look back at the statue.

    ¡®Never test the God! Never again! God is real!¡¯

    __

    ____

    Eithne was fine without any major injury, so she decided to take care of her victim out of guilt. Hesata was happy that he could boss Eithne around, but after a while, he didn¡¯t feel right. Hesata crossed his arm, while his face frowned. Although she was a qualified caretaker, this punk ate all of his sweet desserts that were gifted by other priests. Obviously he could not consume those confections anyway, so he gave all of them to Eithne. However, the culprit enjoyed good food from the victim while the victim himself had to suffer from those disgusting liquid meals. Somehow, he felt mad.

    ¡°Want a bite?¡± - The priestess waved the chocolate bar at Hesata¡¯s face.

    She did it on purpose! He swore she intentionally did it!

    Although she kept a straight face, Hesata knew that Eithne was laughing inside. He squinted his eyes.

    ¡°Evil.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± - Eithne was confused, but she explained anyway. ¡°Chocolate can melt in your mouth, so you don¡¯t have to swallow hard chunks like peanut candies.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Eithne was being sincere, she did not mean anything vicious. Hesata reluctantly took the chocolate and put it in his mouth, but the overwhelming sweetness made his throat sore. He held back the cough, otherwise his stomach wound might burst open.

    Ah... He did not like these blocks of sugar, but it was better than nothing.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Eithne confusedly looked at him. Hesata¡¯s face seemed like he had just eaten a shit.

    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t like chocolate. Well then, I¡¯ll eat them all.¡± - Eithne shrugged.

    ¡°Hey! I should be the one who decides, not you.¡±

    Hesata retorted.

    It was lunch time, so Eithne went to pick up his liquid meal from the temple¡¯s chemist. Hesata looked at the bottles on her hand with dead fish¡¯s eyes. The man seemed desperate more than ever. He feared nothing but those disgusting liquid.

    ¡°What is the flavor today?¡± - He asked.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s peach. It has a pink color.¡±

    ¡°F********@#$&*.¡±

    The priest pulled his hair and groaned in a mysterious language.

    Not peach again! When would he escape this hellish liquid meal?

    While Hesata covered his nose trying to swallow the fluid, a priest came to the patient room looking for Eithne.

    ¡°Priestess Eithne Noceur. You have a mail delivery.¡±

    After placing the letter in Eithne¡¯s hand, the priest bowed his head and left the room.

    ¡°A letter?¡± - Eithne was surprised. The letter had specific sender¡¯s name and location, so it was not trash mail. Who could have sent her?

    ¡°Paper mail? They were probably commoners then.¡±

    Hesata glanced at the mail on Eithne¡¯s hand after he noticed her stupefied expression. It was unexpectable, since both Eithne and Hesata had no acquaintances outside the temple to receive such mail.

    Originally, they were orphans picked up by the temple from the street and had joined the priesthood since they were around ten. When they grew up and became high-grade priests, magic mail delivery devices were provided to communicate with aristocratic society. Only commoners would send their message through postal mail because they could not afford magic devices.

    ¡®Rogers Monre... He isn¡¯t in Eithne Noceur¡¯s memory.¡¯

    The priestess examined the sender¡¯s information on the envelope. This letter was sent from Isny village, located near the South border of the Lumovas Empire. The sending date was written about a month ago, since the village was far from here. Nonetheless, the most important detail was the receiver¡¯s name, which was not ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯, but ¡®Eithne Oranim¡¯.

    The priestess¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise.

    How did he know her original last name?

    It was true that Eithne Noceur was an orphan, but she used to have a family and a proper last name ¨C Oranim. The Oranim household used to live near the South border of Lumovas Empire, but she was not sure if their previous home was in the Isny village, since her childhood memory contained no information about that. However, the outbreak of war between Lumovas Empire and Southern neighboring countries had separated the family forever from a decade ago.

    At that time, Eithne Oranim was just a child, but she remembered being sold away by one of her aunts for travel expenditure when they fled from war. Having been betrayed by her family, Eithne Noceur wanted to cut all ties with them and never tried to find them back.

    Could Rogers Monre be one of the family¡¯s old acquaintances?

    Out of curiosity, Eithne opened the letter.

    ¡®To a member of Oranim household,

    I am Rogers Monre, one of the old friends of madam Nesta Oranim. Unfortunately, the Madam passed away eight years ago and left behind her son, Rigel Oranim. I have taken care of him until now, but I believe that his family dearly wished to reunite with him, so I sent this letter to let you know the boy is growing healthily in Isny village.

    Please send me a reply or come here as soon as possible, as Rigel yearns for his family too. I will welcome anyone who wants to stay at my house for free.

    Best regards,

    Rogers Monre.¡¯

    Rigel Oranim? Rigel ¡­ the male lead !?

    Right¡­ Although she did not know who Nesta Oranim in the family hierarchy was, Eithne Noceur was still a distant relative of the male lead in the comic.

    The original priestess would have ignored this letter since she did not want to involve any further with the Oranim household. Eithne Noceur and the male lead had no chance to meet each other in the plot, because the High Priest had already built her a grave when Rigel first came to visit the War temple.

    The comic¡¯s plot stated that the male lead¡¯s father, the Duke of Solinue, had participated in the war in the South of Lumovas Empire ten years ago. He met his first love at the South border and married her. His wife was probably Nesta Oranim, who was fleeing when she met the duke. However, the Duke died on the battlefield, so his wife had to run away while she was pregnant with their child. Two years after giving birth, she passed away. Luckily, her old friend took the child in.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¨C Hesata curiously asked.

    ¡°They said they had my lost family member. He¡¯s eight.¡±

    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you go see him?¡±

    ¡°See him?¡±

    Eithne asked herself: Was that necessary? In the comic, the ducal family would eventually go pick him up two years later.

    ¡°Why? Shouldn¡¯t family members reunite?¡±

    Hesata tilted his head. He could not understand Eithne¡¯s hesitance.

    ¡°But what will I do when I see him?¡±- She asked.

    What would she do? Raise him? The priestess was poor. Merely come to say hello and leave? That was awkward. They were no different than strangers to Eithne Noceur. Having the male lead by her side could not stop the High Priest from killing her, and the male lead must join the ducal household later. They would provide him the best education and resources. So, what was the point to see him if both sides receive no benefit?

    ¡°Eh¡­ The child must be lonely because he had no family by his side, so you can come and play with him?¡±

    Hesata was not sure either. He had zero experience dealing with family issue.

    Eithne did not expect anything from him since they were both orphans, growing up under the temple¡¯s education. Neither previous Eithne Noceur nor the current ¡®she¡¯ knew what to do. She had never been a babysitter before.

    ¡°But you really must go to see him. Or you will regret later. ¡±

    Hesata insisted on her going despite his lack of reason. The priest let out a deep sigh. He had never dreamt of seeing someone sharing the same blood with him. Unlike Eithne, the priest¡¯s family did not exist from the start, even before the war. However, there was one thing he firmly believed in, that every child wished to be with their family, since it was also his personal experience.

    ¡°The child might need you, Eithne. Don¡¯t you remember what you felt when you were abandoned as a kid?¡±

    ¡°Just go. I won¡¯t be lonely without you so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Hesata shooed the person whom he had acknowledged as a friend for many years. Eithne bit down her lower lip.

    Just go like this?

    She could not lie. She was a real coward when it came to dealing with the people in her life.

    __

    A day later.

    Eithne held the luggage in her hand. She stepped into the large teleporting gate.

    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡±

 Chapter 5: Southern peoples star

    Teleporting gates were perfect for travelling between distant lands. However, due to its operation requiring a large amount of mana, as well as potential invasion through teleporting, the number of gates was restricted and managed directly by the government. To travel to Isny village, which was near the South border of Lumovas, Eithne must go through the teleporting gate in the capital, then transit the temple of Peace to arrive at the Southern territory.

    The temple of War was located on the outskirts of the capital, so it did not take her long to go to the Central teleportation station. The Capital streets were bustling with all kinds of trading and communication, but Eithne did not have time to observe their liveliness. She carried her suitcase and grabbed the ticket in her hand. It was time for her departure.

    In front of the teleportation gate that was as large as a castle¡¯s gate, hundred people gathered with their luggage, while some nobles stayed on horse-drawn carriages waiting for the gate activation. The mages who were responsible for the teleportation attached mana crystals to the power storage of the gate, then they made a signal for the train of passengers to begin their journey. The teleporting gate started to shine brightly.

    Eithne stood in the horde. Her height was noticeable among common people. Priests in War temple were normally tall because of their martial art training. Hesata Ragnar and Eithne Noceur grew up together and had the same height, so sometimes she even forgot that people of her age might have different physiques.

    The experience of only seeing other people¡¯s heads was quite interesting. Eithne thought.

    The passengers walked to the gate and disappeared on the other side of it. When it was Eithne¡¯s turn, she felt an embrace of the warm light before everything turned white. After two seconds, she arrived at a vast piazza next to the majestic temple of the Peace God.

    The god of Peace had the highest number of followers in this continent. Their donors were also extremely generous, so the temple was built more glorious and extravagant than any other religious constructions. The temple¡¯s huge columns were crafted from expensive mana crystals and the stairs to the main entrance were covered with shining gold tiles. On the front yard, magnificent fountains were ringing a delightful rhythm of water nymphs. Statues of angels in various postures lined up on the temple¡¯s roof. They were sculpted beautifully and sparkled with diamond dust that could be seen from afar.

    ¡°Tch, tch. Look at this. The War God is just a country pumpkin to the Peace God.¡±

    The priestess of War temple exclaimed. Somehow, her courage had risen when she stepped in the god of Peace¡¯s territory. It must be the holy aura of richness that drove her innermost feeling out.

    ¡°Cough¡­ Why am I talking such nonsense?¡±

    Nonetheless, one could never be too careful. She let out a fake cough and blamed herself just in case the god of War might hear. Afterall, she still resided in his temple.

    Ah shit! She felt cold on her back again.

    The priestess grabbed her luggage and ran as fast as possible, hoping the chilliness was just her imagination.

    While Eithne was running, she noticed a crowd of people in front of the Peace temple. Those people were receiving free food from the priests, so it must be a charity event.

    ¡°Hey, do you know that the Saint will come to the charity event today?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡±

    Hm?

    Eithne overheard the people who were heading toward the temple.

    The Saint of Peace? In her memory, the previous Eithne Noceur had never seen the Saint before. She had only heard many good rumors about him, one of them saying he was a kind-hearted envoy of god. Eithne was quite curious what a saint would look like, so she changed her direction to the temple of Peace.

    She got a few hours before her next scheduled teleportation. Taking a peek of a celebrity would not be bad, Eithne thought.

    When the priestess came close, the crowd before the temple began to cheer loudly. Eithne could see a person step down the golden stairs. His white attire was more fancy than other priests, so he must be the admirable Saint in rumors. The Saint lifted up the hood that was covering his face.

    GASP!

    Eithne thought she just saw the most beautiful person in this world.

    His hair was pure white, the kind of white which seemed unreal in the mortal realm. He had the eyes that carried a heavenly benevolence, of the will that escaped the grasp of time. In the brilliant sunshine, those beautiful irises shimmered in a green hue of a fresh summer lake. His gentle smile was like a blessing from God to his believer, so holy that it would burn any evilness from this world.

    Such¡­ such high-quality public face!!

    Eithne wiped the sweat on her forehead. He was so handsome that he made everyone look ugly. Now she understood why the Peace temple had so many devotees. Their public image was completely perfect!

    ¡°Oh God!¡±

    Speaking of a temple¡¯s representative, the High Priest of the War temple was also handsome. However, he was already sixty and he rarely smiled. Not everybody could withstand his scary face, so it was understandable that the temple of War was less popular.

    Urgh. The priestess frowned. She did not want to remember his nerve-racking gaze again.

    The charity event continued after the Saint¡¯s appearance. Eithne went on a walking tour around the vicinity of the temple. Nobles visited this place often, so the priests prepared many picturesque gardens and greenhouses for them. The scenery was even more beautiful than the royal gardens in the capital.

    After an hour of walking, Eithne returned to the free food stall. She noticed a woman and her daughter were helping to distribute the bread to poor people. Judging by their luxurious clothes, they were probably aristocrats.

    Pale blue eyes¡­ Distinctive pink hair¡­ Huh? They matched the appearance of the female lead in the comic!

    Was the little girl possibly the main character?

    Eithne observed the two nobles happily handing over the food for the people. The little girl smiled brightly when a beggar thanked her. However, the more Eithne looked at the child, the more her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Crick. Crack.

    Eithne heard some footsteps on dried leaves behind her. By habit, the priestess intended to walk away, but a silvery voice reached her ears.

    ¡°Pardon me. You must be a member of the War temple?¡±

    Eithne turned back.

    Below the blazing midday sun, a beautiful figure was smiling at her. The person standing there seemed like a hologram of a celestial being, since everything about him was so unreal.

    ¡°My name is Raphael Ascian, a humble servant of the Peace God. May I ask your name?¡± - The Saint introduced himself.

    ¡°My pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Eithne Noceur.¡±

    Eithne shook his hand. The Saint might recognize a follower of the War God by looking at the crest on her sleeve. He must have noticed her for a while.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t greet you sooner. Is the scenery at the Peace temple to your liking?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Splendid.¡± ¨C The Saint smiled.

    Eithne nodded. Indeed, the best scenery was in front of her eyes right now.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re looking at Madam Gynren and her daughter. They come every month to do charity. Madam is a very charismatic person.¡±

    ¡°It was rare to see nobles being so kind to the poor.¡±

    Eithne nonchalantly replied. She glanced at the Gynren people. The little girl being the female lead was confirmed, but the priestess expressed no emotion.

    The two priests stood below the large shade of an old oak tree and exchanged some general words. It was mostly the Saint asking and Eithne answering. The priestess in a dark suit with a cold expression on her face was completely opposite to the kind saint who dressed in white and smiled gently. And yet, they conversed smoothly.

    Time passed by while they were talking. Eithne looked at the time on her wristwatch.

    ¡°It seems I have to go now.¡± ¨C She said.

    ¡°I see. It was a pity that we have to say goodbye this early.¡±

    ¡°I hope we can meet again in the future.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always welcomed at the Peace temple.¡±

    The Saint nodded. Eithne observed him one last time before she went. Seeing up close, his eyes were as clear as mist droplets on a sprout. They seemed to be proving the truthfulness of his statement.

    A cool breeze swept through them and headed toward the direction of the piazza, as if it was telling Eithne to hurry to the teleporting gate. She brushed her hair backward using one hand, while the other hand lifted the suitcase.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Thank you for today.¡± ¨C She said.

    Since the priestess was taller, she could see Raphael¡¯s soft eyelashes lightly fluttering at her words.

    ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± ¨C He smiled, again.

    Eithne nodded and left for the Southern teleportation. Raphael stayed at the same spot until her tall figure disappeared on the other side of the teleporting gate. He glanced at the young lady Gynren, then put up his hood before he left for his next schedule.

    After an eyeblink, Eithne walked out from the teleporting gate in the Southern territory¡¯s station. The station was more rustic than the previous teleporting spots. Their security was also less strict compared to the Capital. Nonetheless, the signature warm weather of the South already made her feel great. The priestess took off her long coat and put it in her suitcase. Then, she hired a carriage to travel to the Isny village.

    The carriage¡¯s driver pulled the lead line of the horse. After a long neigh, the horse lifted its foot and the carriage rolled its wheels. Eithne plopped down on the back seat and let out a sigh.

    ¡°What a tiring day.¡±

    She looked out the window to see the scenery outside, placing her chin on the palm of her hand. Eithne thought she was already involved with all important characters in the comic¡¯s plot.

    In the temple, there was a person who would murder Eithne Noceur.

    Fighting with Hesata, she met the friend of the male lead.

    On her way to meet the male lead, she saw the female lead and talked to the biggest villain of this shit show. Was there anything that could surprise her more?

    Eithne squeezed her forehead. There was absolutely no other ¡®Raphael Ascian¡¯ in the comic, although she did not expect to meet him there. This villain only appeared once and even wore a mask to cover his entire face in the latest update of the comic. He came to declare a war with Lumovas Empire and ran away. After that, the author seemed to forget about his existence, which they only drew boring moments of the female lead and her sweet food, her cute pet, and some romantic scenes with the male lead.

    Eithne did not know what would happen with the villain while the female lead was enjoying her life. Although she was already fed up with the female lead, she could not stop herself from reading the next chapter hoping to see the villain. However, she was reincarnated as Eithne Noceur before the new chapter could arrive.

    To summarize this shit show, the female lead whose name Eithne had forgotten, the young lady of the Count Gynren was someone chosen by the god of Peace. Young lady Gynren had a short temper and did not want to be sainted, so she caused many ruckuses and troubles to show she was a bad person. Somehow, it made her attractive to the men. The male lead, whom Eithne going to meet, was a young duke that fell in love with the Count¡¯s daughter. After several lead couple¡¯s dates, a villain was added to create a climax. The villain popped in a royal ball to tell his name and announce Lumovas¡¯s future destruction, then he ran away like a silly prank to the emperor.

    The author covered Raphael Ascian¡¯s face with a white mask. He looked like the Saint this morning, wearing a pure white hood, having pure white hair, but his face was erased and replaced by a blank disguise. Could it be that the author was too lazy to color this character?

    Honestly, this villain felt like an incomplete product to Eithne. He was a mysterious page that fitted in nowhere in the plot, even his debut was incomprehensible to her.

    The priestess leaned back and closed her eyes. In the pitch dark, she saw a white villain whom everyone worked together to kill him. It should be the path of righteousness that the author wanted to show.

    However, the image of his back lingered in her mind for a long time.

    He stood alone.

    ¡°Ha! Now I have seen his face¡­ I wonder what will happen next.¡±

    Corners of her mouth curved up, but her expression was neither happy nor bitter. The young woman gazed at the carriage¡¯s window again. The green scenery outside moved backward in Eithne¡¯s golden eyes, it pushed her vision of a colorless character to a corner of her memory again.

    Well, if that villain was truly the Saint, he needed to deal with Demir Noceur and the lead couple before he could destroy their home. If this priestess was still alive in the future, she would try her best to enjoy this live-action shitty show.

    __

    When the sun slowly sank into distant hills, Eithne finally saw the rural Isny village. In the velvet twilight straddling the dreamy blue sky, a small village naturally merged its presence into the vast green valley. Herds of cattle roamed freely on the young grass carpet, they looked curiously at the stranger walking on the dirt road into the village. Eithne lost her way for an hour before she could reach the house of Monre in the evening.

    The family of Monre was preparing their dinner when they heard a knock at the door.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    ¡°Coming!¡±

    Rogers Monre, a man who spent his retirement years living with his daughter¡¯s family in the Isny village, had a frugal yet upright appearance. His steady steps and strong body were the results of many years¡¯ dedication to the army, which he had not given up training as the habit of a soldier.

    The man opened the door, wondering whether it was his neighbor coming over, but he saw an unfamiliar face instead. The young woman standing in front of his door was taller than every man in this village. Her pale skin and formal outfit looked like the people coming from the Capital, and the suitcase in her hand suggested that she had travelled a far distance.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­?¡± ¨C Rogers reluctantly asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Eithne Noceur, or you can address me as Eithne Oranim.¡± - The woman said.

    Then she took out the letter sent by Rogers a month ago as evidence. Rogers quickly recognized his handwriting. He had sent tens of letters to the scattered Oranim family around the world for years but there was not a single reply, so Rogers already gave up the hope that someone would come to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s really you! Please come in.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The man was overjoyed, so he stepped aside for her to enter the house. The woman had to bend down to go inside, since she was even taller than the door.

    Eithne felt like a colossus travelling in a dwarf''s village. Everything gradually shrunk starting from the capital to this small village, particularly the size of buildings. The priestess had not yet adapted to the small house, so she clumsily tried to find a place to stand. The ceiling already touched her hair, so Eithne was making every effort to avoid cobwebs.

    The priestess suddenly recalled her superior. Demir Noceur was even taller than Eithne, so if he happened to visit the Monre¡¯s house, the High Priest¡¯s head could dig into the ceiling.

    ¡°Oh please excuse my small house. The Capital¡¯s people were always bigger than countryside folks.¡± ¨C Rogers Monre laughed. ¡°Please sit here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Eithne gladly accepted her seat. It was way better than standing.

    The Monre owned a simple wooden house, but it was noisy and full of lively people. Rogers Monre and his daughter¡¯s family were four people in total, including the newborn grandchild of Rogers. It would be five if the male lead, Rigel Oranim was counted. Eithne noticed several army medals hanging on the wall.

    ¡®So Rogers Monre is a veteran¡­ since the last war was about ten years ago, his son-in-law or daughter should not be there.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    ¡°Rigel should be coming home right now. He works as a cowherd. I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting for him.¡± ¨C Rogers said.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I have plenty of time.¡±

    The man offered her a cup of tea. Eithne drank all the tea at once since she was thirsty, then she lightly placed the cup on the table. The priestess looked directly into Rogers¡¯s eyes and asked.

    ¡°Sir Monre. I¡¯m curious how you found out about my residence. Can you please tell me about that?¡±

    ¡°Please call me Rogers, esteemed priestess. I used to be a soldier serving the army under previous General Demir Noceur. Thanks to my connection with my old comrades, I knew the previous general had personally brought a little girl whose last name is Oranim into the temple of War.¡±

    He stopped a bit to slip his tea.

    ¡°But I never thought she had grown up this much. Ha ha ha!¡±

    Eithne slightly nodded her head, but quickly, her face stiffened up. Wait what? The High Priest brought her to the temple himself?

    How¡­ How ironic! But her memory contained no information about that.

    In any case, Demir Noceur being Eithne¡¯s adopter was extremely scary. No, it was horrible to even think about it. The priestess¡¯s eyes were shaking with fear.

    Eithne wanted to ask more, but a fragrance of beef soup coming from the kitchen caught her attention.

    ¡°You must be hungry. The dinner is ready so would you like to eat with us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor. Thank you so much.¡±

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s nothing. Please feel free to make yourself at home.¡±

    Clack!

    The house¡¯s door suddenly opened, and a boy cheerfully shout from the doorway:

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±

    However, he froze immediately at the sight of a stranger sitting in the house. Rogers called him over and pushed the boy in front of Eithne. The priestess tried to smile as friendly as possible, although it was a bit awkward.

    ¡°Hello. My name is Eithne Oranim.¡±

    She decided to use her true last name to increase friendliness.

    ¡°Nice¡­ Nice to meet you. My name is Rigel Oranim.¡± ¨C The young boy nervously greeted her.

    This child¡¯s hair was as black as charcoal, but he had the eyes of an Oranim, which were bright in golden color. Rigel was shy around the stranger, but as soon as he heard her last name being the same as him, the young boy plucked up his courage to ask the priestess.

    ¡°A¡­Are you my mother¡¯s family?¡±

    ¡°I am a distant relative of your mother.¡±

    Eithne calmly answered. She did neither affirm nor deny him, as Eithne Noceur was no family with the Oranim. She and Nesta Oranim were strangers, but the fact that they share the same blood was undeniable.

    Rigel was still astounded that his mother¡¯s relative came here. However, the Monre did not know he was also the son of the late Duke Solinue, since Rogers mentioned Nesta had been hiding the information about Rigel¡¯s father until her death. Eithne did not say anything after that. The priestess guessed Nesta was trying to protect her son from assassination or something, so she should not ruin Rigel¡¯s mother¡¯s effort. If the Monre family had known the blood of late Duke Solinue running inside the orphan, they would not have to find the Oranim day after day.

    Actually, Eithne had not been sure what to do with the male lead. There were two years left until the ducal household came to pick him up, so should she help him prepare for that? Well, the comic did show some backstory about the male lead having a hard time to adapt with the etiquette and full-time education.

    Nonetheless, they had dinner together and Eithne slept at the Monre¡¯s house for a night. She had to sleep on the floor, since she was too tall to fit in the tiny bed. In the next morning, Eithne followed Rigel and Rogers to the old house of Nesta Oranim. The priestess helped clean the house and decided she would stay there for the next month. Little Rigel also wanted to move back into his mother¡¯s house, so he decided to stay with Eithne.

    In the next month, everything happened smoothly. Eithne¡¯s daily routine was helping the Monre family with heavy chores since she was strong, while Rigel continued to herd the cows. In their free time, Eithne would teach him some basic knowledge about etiquette and tell him some random stories about the War temple. The male lead¡¯s inquisitiveness did not let her down. They had become much closer since the first day. Even Eithne could not believe it, she did not know she had such an amazing babysitting skill to properly communicate to a child, but she doubted it was Rigel being tolerant of her¡­

    Hesata face- called Eithne several times to see how she was doing, using his magic calling orb. The orb projected his face into a rectangular screen above it, so Eithne could see the red-haired man on his patient bed.

    His face always frowned like a dried raisin whenever he complained about the new peach-related dish of the War temple.

    ¡°Peach fried rolls are the most disgusting thing in this world!¡± ¨C The dried raisin screamed.

    The priestess felt sorry and funny at the same time, but above all, she wanted to laugh at his face. However, Hesata threw her a bomb.

    ¡°The High Priest is asking about your situation.¡±

    Now Eithne was the second dried raisin.

 Chapter 6

    The next morning in the Monre¡¯s house.

    ¡°I greet the Head of the Monre family.¡±

    Rigel Oranim placed his hand on his chest and bowed formally before Rogers Monre. The people around him began to clap their hands and cheered.

    ¡°Oh my! Just like a true gentleman.¡± ¨C Rogers laughed.

    He gently patted the young boy¡¯s head.

    ¡°Good job, Rigel.¡±

    The young boy blushed happily. He had been practicing etiquette for a month to do it naturally, as Rigel wanted to prove to the people of Monre household that he was mature and could deal with things of his own. However, the eight-year-old boy was still a kid, no matter how hard he tried to pretend to be an adult, Rigel still wanted to receive compliments from his loved family, though they did not share the same blood.

    The boy then gave a speech to express his deep appreciation to the people who had helped him unconditionally for years.

    ¡°I am greatly indebted to you. You have provided me shelter and food, raised me and even helped me to find my family. Thank you so much for all these years. Without your generosity and kindness, this Rigel Oranim cannot make it today. I will do everything to repay you back, and I love you all!¡±

    The ending was Rigel embracing his family, his short arms trying to wrap all three adults¡¯ hips.

    ¡°My goodness. So cute!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, Rigel.¡±

    ¡°Let me hug you too!¡±

    The members of the Monre family happily welcomed the boy¡¯s affection. Behind them stood a young priestess, she also smiled at the merry sight. Eithne felt an immense sense of pride in her young kin, as the speech today was Rigel overcoming his timidity to express his feelings by words.

    ¡®Getting rid of his bashful side will benefit him greatly in the future.¡¯

    The priestess lightly nodded her head in satisfaction. Rigel¡¯s practice of etiquette had also improved greatly, by the time when the Solinue ducal family came, he should have learnt all the necessary things to deal with aristocrats. Nobody could make his lacking manner as a joke like how it had happened in the plot anymore.

    Rigel released Rogers¡¯s legs from his embrace and turned to the priestess.

    ¡°I have something for you too. Wait here Eithne.¡±

    The boy lightly tapped her hand and ran to the back of the house.

    Something for her? What could it be? Eithne was curious.

    After a minute, Rigel returned. He carried a flower basket and skipped to the priestess like a happy little lamb. The basket was overflowed with freshly picked daisy flowers, and between the dainty petals, a glass candy jar peeked out with a pink ribbon on its lid.

    The little kid lifted the flower basket as high as possible, since he was too short while the priestess was too tall.

    ¡°Please accept this as a token of my gratitude!¡±

    Rigel spoke softly as he was a bit nervous if Eithne liked this casual gift. Obviously, Eithne could not let him down.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Rigel.¡±

    Eithne smiled when she hugged the flower basket. The priestess might look like an unapproachable person, but she never turned down any present made from sincerity.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m happy that you like it!¡±

    Rigel said. His cheeks flushed with excitement, melting the hearts of the adults around him.

    The priestess looked at Rigel waving goodbye to leave for his cow-herding work. The young boy hummed and even danced on his way. Rigel was kind and obedient like a dream child of every parent. Additionally, he was even hard-working to make his own income from a young age.

    Eithne let out a deep breath. She did not deserve this little angel.

    ¡®Damn my selfish soul!¡¯

    At first, she did not come here because she worried about the male lead, instead, it was her intention of running away from the temple using her kin as an excuse. Now that she had been avoiding the temple¡¯s eyes for a month, they were telling her to go back.

    Hesata called Eithne yesterday to inform that the High Priest was looking for her, indicating it was time she returned under the temple¡¯s surveillance. Truthfully, the High Priest had been far too lenient with Eithne Noceur. She and Hesata caused a lot of trouble, but he never applied any harsh punishment on them. Last time, Eithne showed suspicious power and destroyed many properties of the temple, yet Demir Noceur still let her run free outside for a whole month.

    However, he was not a saint.

    The High Priest had been famous for his strict and cold personality for decades. His reputation as a cruel General was established even before Eithne Noceur was born, and after Demir Noceur retired, he acquired another title of the War temple¡¯s dictator. In the memory of the original priestess, there were times she had witnessed some people go missing mysteriously. Rumors said they had the guts to go against the moral principles of the High Priest.

    Eithne definitely did not want to be the next person.

    Therefore, she sometimes wondered if the High Priest was silently collecting enough evidence to give her a death sentence. He must have something up his sleeves, maybe he would reveal it this time when she came back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back at all¡­ ¡° ¨C The priestess was depressed.

    She felt insecure and nervous like a criminal turning themselves in.

    ¡°I ought to make a will¡­¡± ¨C She mumbled.

    __

    In the old house of Nesta Oranim, Eithne waited for Rigel to come back from work until the evening.

    This morning the priestess had gone downtown to buy souvenirs for Hesata and gifts for the Monre family since she prepared to leave. However, there was nothing in the small town of the South border that the rich Capital did not have, so Eithne had yet to choose something for Hesata. Maybe she should buy a fresh Southern delicacy on the day she went back to the temple.

    Eithne looked at the clock on the wall.

    ¡°Huh¡­ Normally he would have come home at this time?¡±

    Rigel had done this job for a year and the Monre family ensured it was safe enough for a kid, so Eithne did not suspect anything. However, one more hour passed and Rigel was nowhere to be seen. The priestess furrowed her eyebrows. She decided to go check at the Monre house to see if he was there.

    ¡°I thought he had already come home?¡±

    Rogers Monre did not see the little boy either. Eithne suddenly felt worried.

    ¡°I will go to the grass field to look for him.¡± ¨C She said.

    ¡°Wait I will go too.¡± ¨C Rogers grabbed his jacket and followed behind the priestess.

    The man also found it odd that Rigel did not come home on time. The little boy had been a good kid who never played outside when it was this late.

    They went to the wide grass field where cattle were usually herded. Only the cows remained munching on grass, while the young boy was absent from his job. Eithne and Rogers called his name several times but there was no answer. After a few minutes, the owner of the cows also came looking for Rigel since he did not see his cows going back.

    ¡°So Rigel didn¡¯t come to you either¡­¡± ¨C Rogers talked to the cows¡¯ owner.

    Eithne strayed far from the herd of cattle, thinking Rigel might hang around the forest nearby. She was hoping to find some footprints in the mud but to no avail, there was no trace of him as if the boy disappeared into thin air.

    ¡°Rigel!¡± ¨C She shouted one more time.

    Suddenly, a faint odor reached her nose. It was very weak, almost scentless, but the sense of an elite priestess was strong enough to feel it.

    Blood.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± ¨C Eithne blurted. Bad omen!

    She tracked down the smell to a tall bush of grass. A broken wine bottle was found in the middle of the bush. On the pointy shards of glass, traces of dry blood were unmistakable.

    Rogers noticed Eithne''s abrupt movement so he came to look inside the bush. Seeing the mess made the man deeply frowned, he cautiously picked up the half-broken bottom of the wine bottle to find the brand.

    ¡°This¡­ looks like some thugs¡¯ wine¡­¡±

    However, Eithne could not stay calm to hear Rogers¡¯s next sentence. Blood¡­ Blood at the place Rigel was working and he went missing!

    She quickly rushed into the forest. Her instinct was telling that Rigel was probably hurt.

    ¡°Goddamn it!¡±

    ¡®Rigel¡­ please hold it on until I come¡­¡¯

    It was confirmed that Rigel did not return to the village from the afternoon.

    ¡°Rigel! Rigel!¡±

    The Monre family and several villagers lit up their torch and went into the forest to look for the missing boy. Their cry of his name echoed back and forth in endless crowns of forest trees, but only the screech of wild animals answered them.

    Every passing second sank the people¡¯s hearts into a downcast feeling, but the night seemed to be everlasting.

    Eithne was running aimlessly. She had gone deep into the woods before the villagers for almost half an hour, but she had yet to discover anything.

    It was all her fault! She was too careless with a child!

    If anything were to happen to him¡­

    Her hands were trembling in fear of dreadful scenarios. The priestess¡¯s mind was even more chaotic than when she was facing the High Priest. Eithne did not notice that her sanity was wearing away the longer she wandered in the forest.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Rigel!¡± ¨C She cried. Her voice was strained and despairing.

    The night kept quiet to her anguish. Eithne was advantageous when she moved in the dark, however, the dark¡¯s silence scared her. Her hands gripped each other trying to ease her soul, but she was tormented by the night¡¯s gloomy silence for too long.

    She knew it clearly. It was the same for her past life.

    No matter how hard she screamed, the dark would not reply.

    Eithne slowed down her steps and took a deep breath.

    Instantly, her golden eyes turned dim. They became hollow, similar to the eyes of the creatures roaming in total darkness all their life.

    ¡®I have been desperate enough to use this stupid power¡­¡¯

    The mysterious power that had almost killed Hesata was summoned again.

    The priestess could feel the cold flow of desperation escaping her heart like millions of ice needles threaded its way through her flesh. There was no barrier to stop Eithne¡¯s power this time, so it gushed through the trees like an invisible flood. Branches and leaves shook and screamed their rustling violently in the flow of the insidious matter, they had no choice but to succumb in the vehemence of darkness.

    The pitch-black matter quickly filled every nook and corner that it could find. It mixed in the night and quickly muted every object within its touch. The forest¡¯s spirits shrieked in agony as they were being drown in the silent corruption. Wild animals and the villagers suddenly lost their senses, even the flame on the torches was extinguished strangely. Nobody could see or hear anything, even if they tried shouting and stomping on the ground.

    At that moment, the gravelly soil whispered all kinds of noises into Eithne¡¯s mind. Consequently, her head throbbed painfully.

    ¡®What¡­ what happened?!¡¯

    Thud! Thud!

    ¡®I can¡¯t hear anything!!¡¯

    ¡®Screechh!¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Ouch!¡¯

    ¡®I can¡¯t see!¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    Quickly, she recognized a familiar voice. It was as thin as a spider silk floating in the air.

    ¡®Help¡­ me¡­¡¯

    Deep in the wilderness, there were two men and a big sack on the ground. They were hastily digging a hole to bury the sack, but the men suddenly lost their vision. Luckily, their fright did not last long. After a few seconds, they regained their sight.

    ¡°Just what happened? I couldn¡¯t see anything.¡±

    One man shivered with anxiety. He picked up the oil lamp and looked at the surroundings. The other man stood up from the ground. He had tripped over his foot and fell down when his eyes could not see.

    ¡°Let finish this quickly to get out of this hellish place.¡±

    That man picked up the shovel to continue digging despite cold sweats running crazily on his back. It seemed that the fear increased his productivity.

    The second man holding the lamp swallowed his dry saliva. He looked at the big sack next to him. It was his first time doing such a filthy job.

    In the sack there was a person that they were trying to bury alive.

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡±

    The man tried not to look at the sack. He was about to pick up his shovel, when he heard the sound of breaking dried branches.

    Crack¡­ crack crack!

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    The man hurriedly held up the lamp as if it was the talisman to repel the evils. The other man also stopped digging and alertly looked around.

    ¡®If it was a wild animal, then their eyes should reflect the light¡¯ ¨C The person holding the lamp thought.

    The feeble light coming from his lamp lit up a small area in front of the man. He carefully walked toward the bushes to inspect the source of sound. When the human¡¯s light touched the shadows of surrounding trees, they twisted deviously and retreated backward.

    ¡°AGH!¡±

    The man dropped the lamp and plopped down the ground. The flame was flickering on the tiny bits of remaining oil, but it was enough for them to see a tall figure standing silently.

    It was in the shape of a woman, but her eyes reflected no light like a dead corpse.

    She then disappeared.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    Crash!

    In an eyeblink, a steel-like grip crushed one head as if a human''s skull was made of foam.

    Slash! Slash!

    Invisible blades flew past the other man to detach his limbs. The man had not gotten a chance to speak, but the shadows of the trees already dragged him deep down into the dark hole under their roots. The ground then closed the hole as though there was nothing abnormal.

    Eithne tore the sack on the ground to reveal the bloodstained body of Rigel trying to breathe. The priestess hugged him and ran toward the direction of the villagers in the forest.

    ¡°HELP! HE¡­LP!¡±

    Her weep was dry and gruff like an animal growling in the middle of nowhere.

    The shadows of the trees swirled violently in the failing light of the oil lamp left behind, then they chased after her weary footsteps¡­

    __

    Rigel was lying silently on the bed, all bandaged up.

    The doctors said he was hit on his head severely, probably by a sharp object. There were injuries all over his body and one of his legs was broken. Most importantly, Rigel lost too much blood.

    He might not make it through tonight.

    The priestess sat tiredly next to his bed, supporting her forehand on the palm of her hand. She had a splitting headache right now. Voices were coming from the ground beneath her feet, pouring constantly into her ears.

    ¡®Let me go!¡¯

    ¡®CLANG!¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®Ha! That wench thought if she could find the heir back, then we can¡¯t take the duke position.¡¯

    ¡®Who¡­ are you?¡¯

    ¡®You are too noisy.¡¯

    ¡®Thump! Thump!¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®Bury this brat somewhere secretly. Then you will receive the remaining payment.¡¯

    ¡®¡­Scritch ¡­ scratch¡­¡¯

    In the confusing mixture of sounds, Eithne heard the familiar voice of the child whom she cherished and some despicable noises tagging along. Based on those scattered audio recordings, the priestess could somewhat speculate the cause of Rigel¡¯s abduction.

    The duke that they mentioned must be the Solinue Duke. Those kidnappers had probably followed the order of someone who schemed to take over the Duke position by killing the true heir of the Solinue family. Furthermore, the fact that they transported Rigel leaving no footprints behind suggested the enemy had experts carry out their crime. If the broken wine bottle was not found earlier, then they would never have known Rigel was in danger.

    Eithne looked at the thick bandage on Rigel¡¯s head. The shattering sound of glass that she heard was likely the broken wine bottle in the grass bush.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe this¡­¡± ¨C She gritted her teeth.

    Those bastards might have smacked Rigel¡¯s head with that bottle to knock him unconscious.

    But how on earth did they find out about Rigel? The comic clearly stated that the male lead lived peacefully until he met the Solinue family. Eithne could not understand. Was that because of her? Because the priestess acted differently from the plot so Rigel¡¯s fate twisted accordingly?

    ¡°What bullshit¡­¡±

    Eithne clenched her hands. This could be the reason Nesta Oranim had hidden her son after her husband died. Fighting for power was too brutal for a child, so Rigel¡¯s mother gave up all the wealth and power of a duchess to run away and lived in obscurity. Even so, it did not guarantee those bastards would let Rigel alone.

    Outside the window, there were shouting of an angry mob. A thug was being beaten up by the veteran Rogers Monre, who ignored all the begging for mercy. They had just found out the person who sold off Rigel to the kidnappers, he was the owner of that wine bottle. No wonder nobody saw any stranger approaching the village, since the culprit was one of the villagers himself.

    ¡®But that doesn¡¯t matter anymore¡­¡¯

    Eithne looked at the pale young boy on his deathbed, she took his small hand into her left palm. As the night wore on, the priestess could feel the warmth of the child dwindling away.

    ¡®If anyone is to blame, it¡¯s me.¡¯

    She was helpless. She had mistaken, thinking herself was powerful enough to protect a child. What was the point of killing all offenders if Rigel was not here anymore?

    ¡®I¡¯m being pathetic again¡­¡¯

    Tears rolled down her eyes. Eithne placed her forehead onto the child¡¯s hand. The priestess wished that she could bear the pain in Rigel¡¯s stead. She had never asked anything from the gods, but right now, only miracles of gods could save him.

    ¡°Please¡­¡±

    ¡®I will grant your wish.¡¯

    All of a sudden, a disembodied voice echoed in Eithne¡¯s mind. Everything around her disappeared into dust.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Eithne was dazed by the scene. After an eyeblink, she saw herself standing in a foreign ruin.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    What just happened? Where was she?

    Her hands and legs were smaller than usual. Eithne could see her vague reflection on the broken block of white marble beside her place. It showed a very young girl with eyes opening wide in shock. She also had blonde hair and golden eyes.

    It looked like Eithne Noceur when she was a kid!

    However, the ruin was not included in her childhood memory. Had the original priestess been to this place before?

    A huge statue standing at the center of the ruin quickly caught Eithne¡¯s attention. The statue which depicted a god was divinely white and appeared untouched, unlike the damaged surroundings, but Eithne had not seen this deity elsewhere. She stretched her neck to look up at his face, then she noticed an eerie hole penetrating his head.

    The god¡¯s existence suddenly became creepy.

    The girl gulped. She sensed chilliness running down her spine.

    Without warning, the statue moved its hand. It reached out toward Eithne.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    ¡®I will grant your wish.¡¯

    The mysterious voice repeated in her mind again. The language it spoke was unfamiliar, yet understandable. An earthquake struck the ground beneath Eithne¡¯s feet. The young girl struggled to stand, but before she got a chance to speak, the ruin and the great god all turned to dust.

    ¡®Shit!¡¯ ¨C The only thought in her mind before she had a blackout.

    Eithne opened her eyes. She was back in the patient room and saw Rigel lying on his bed again, as if the ruin and the unknown god were just a vivid dream.

    However, Eithne recognized it was not a nonsense dream. Rigel ,who was dying, regained his life force at spectacular speed. His face became pinkish like a healthy boy who was just sleeping.

    Did¡­ did the god really accept her wish?

    The priestess¡¯s jubilant mood lasted until she noticed pain on her left arm, which the left hand was holding Rigel¡¯s hand. The wounds on the child¡¯s body could be clearly seen moving to Eithne¡¯s left arm like living creatures migrating to a better land.

    ¡°I must be crazy¡­¡± ¨C The priestess murmured.

    After a few seconds, her flesh burst under the pressure of heavy injuries.

    Red blood dribbled from both sides of her left arm, but the corners of her mouth twitched up with delight. Soon, the bizarre phenomenon stopped. Eithne lightly moved her limb away from Rigel.

    ¡°It was not that bad. Ha!¡±

    The price she paid was too cheap for saving an almost dead person. She only got a few injuries on her arm, while Rigel successfully avoided his death.

    But then again, Eithne knew that it was just the tip of an iceberg.

    The unknown god did not look like a benevolent deity. If he gave her what she wanted, it was highly likely that Eithne must do something bigger for him in return. She just had yet to know what it would be.

    ¡®Just a few drops of blood to change the fate, that is way too cheap.¡¯

    The priestess whispered to herself, then she smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Oh Great God of War, it seems that your servant needs a raise to pay her debt...¡±

    A few strands of callow sunlight pierced through the night. Early dawn came and ignited the tiny bits of hope in the hearts of people. Rogers opened the door to the patient room. He had dark circles around his eyes as the result of a sleepless night. The man was ready for the worst scenario that might happen.

    Eithne Noceur stood up from her chair. The priestess walked unsteadily towards Rogers and tapped on his shoulder, then she left for her room. The veteran could smell the heavy stench of blood from her, but he assumed it was Rigel¡¯s blood.

    Roger¡¯s heart ached from thinking that the cheerful boy whom he raised left this world too pitifully. He was angry at himself too for neglecting the boy¡¯s safety. The man thought beating the thug yesterday was not enough, he must find out the culprit behind and kill all of them, even if he had to be locked in jail because of that.

    At that moment, Rogers saw Rigel moving his hand. The boy gave a big yawn after he had woken up from a deep sleep.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±

    ¡°Ri¡­Rigel!¡±

    The man shouting in happiness could be heard from the next room. Eithne collapsed on her bed. It had been a long time since she had a good sleep.

    Good morning everyone.

 Chapter 7

    Eithne sat up on the bed. Her head lightly dangled on the tired neck that did not want to hold still.

    ¡°It¡¯s already afternoon¡­¡±

    She tried to open her eyes as wide as possible to figure out the time on the wall clock, then she dropped her body onto the bed again. Eithne was aching all over, as if she had been rolling around a gravel ground but not sleeping.

    Blazing sunlight drew a vague shadow of windowpanes on her white blanket. The priestess slid her feet out of the warm zone and stretched.

    In the moment of tiredness, Eithne contemplated her life.

    She had only been in this world for more than one month, yet so many dramatic things happened.

    At first, Eithne¡¯s goal was to run away from death, which she did not even know the true reason that the priestess must die in the comic. She just ran in fear of the High Priest.

    ¡®I¡¯m ashamed of my cowardice¡­¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought. ¡®¡­ also my tardiness.¡¯

    In common plots, those characters reincarnated in comics and novels already firmed their resolution to change their fate from the first chapter, didn¡¯t they? Yet what was she doing here, wandering around without a future plan?

    All Eithne could think of was fleeing from conflicts so she did not have to deal with the original priestess¡¯s affairs.

    ¡°Hu¡ª¡ª To be a main character, I must not run away from danger¡­¡± ¨C She sighed deeply at the thought.

    Eithne wrapped herself in the blanket again.

    ¡°Maybe I will do it tomorrow¡­¡±

    Her eyes slowly closed.

    Knock! Knock!

    ¡°Eithne¡­ you¡¯re up yet?¡±

    A reluctant child spoke from outside the door. The priestess rolled down from the bed. Right, she should not sleep in the middle of tension. Eithne Noceur already got entangled with the fate of Rigel Oranim.

    The priestess dragged herself to open the door and saw Rigel standing with a tray of delicious food in his hands. The wounds on his forehead were closed and almost healed, owing to Eithne¡¯s sacrifice last night.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t had lunch so I brought it to you.¡± ¨C Rigel said. ¡°But ¡­ but if you don¡¯t want to eat right now, I will bring it another time. Just call me.¡±

    The severe fatigue made Eithne look like her soul had left the body, so Rigel worried that she might collapse during her meal. However, the priestess shook her head and signaled him to come in.

    Eithne was enjoying the food wholeheartedly when she heard a child¡¯s sniffle.

    ¡®Oh no, please don¡¯t cry while I¡¯m eating¡­¡¯

    Rigel was sniffing and wiping his eyes with both of his arms. The priestess wanted to pacify the boy, but she had no idea why he suddenly cried so she just sat there awkwardly with a piece of bread in her mouth.

    ¡°Sniff¡­ I heard Rogers say that you saved me¡­ Thank¡­ Hic ¡­ Thank you. I thought I would have died back then. Sniff¡­Sniff¡­¡±

    Eithne gave him a tissue to clean his nose. She swallowed the food and gently patted his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re alright now.¡±

    ¡°Hic! ¡­ Hic! Thank you¡­¡±

    Her expression was probably too stiff to cheer Rigel up. The boy was still upset that his tears were relentless. This must be the hardest challenge of dealing with a child for Eithne. She remembered one of the most famous lines from the stories she had read: ¡®I promise I will protect you from now on.¡¯

    ¡®I guessed it¡¯s time to say it to calm him down.¡¯ ¨C The priestess thought.

    However, there was a lump in her throat blocking that sentimental line. Eithne could not promise something that was impossible. She failed to be conscientious, just yesterday, the god of Death almost stole Rigel away in a few hours of her ignorance, and it could be worse if she did not make it on time. The priestess could not guarantee something like that would not happen again.

    ¡®Sorry, Rigel. I¡¯m not reliable enough for you.¡¯

    In the room of two people, only the sob of young Rigel could be heard, while the priestess was silently waiting for his tears to dry up.

    Rigel left after he vented all his emotions, carrying the food tray with him. Eithne looked at the closed door for a while. Determination rose up in her eyes.

    If she was not reliable enough, she would find a stronger shield for him. Eithne decided to contact the Solinue household sooner than the time in the original plot. Everything was happening at a fast rate so she could not slow down to match the plot¡¯s timeline.

    The priestess took out a small cubic device from her suitcase. It was the magic messenger mainly used to contact the noble houses. The current head of the Solinue house was Rigel¡¯s aunt, Astraea Solinue, whom the comic depicted as someone truly caring for her niece. If the ducal house officially involved in Rigel¡¯s safety matter, assassination attempts would be much harder to succeed.

    ¡®Thanks to Astraea that the original male lead could survive from the harsh conditions of the aristocratic world.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought as she pushed the device¡¯s button to send her message.

    __

    Evening.

    Eithne stood in the front yard of the house, trying to concentrate her power in the loud chirping of crickets. She was going to meet the High Priest, so Eithne thought she should prepare beforehand.

    The attribute of Eithne Noceur¡¯s mana was Earth, so she was thinking of creating some magnificent scenes of earth magic that she had seen in comics and novels.

    ¡®Something like earth thorns or giant rock spears¡­¡¯ ¨C The priestess imagined.

    However, reality was cruel. The effect of Earth mana strengthened her flesh as hard as the rock surface, but nothing more. The High Priest was able to attack her mind, so it would not be much help. It was disappointing that Eithne could not perform tricks like Hesata playing with his fire, but she had not given up yet. The priestess tried to find back her Chaos holy power. As she was focusing, a faint grey power appeared in her right hand in the form of a machete.

    ¡°Huh¡­ A knife as thin as paper¡­¡±

    Eithne could not help but felt ashamed of her tiny bits of divine power. Contrary to Hesata¡¯s vigorous crimson spear, the grey knife resembled a wisp of smoke that could be blown away at any moment. Eithne guessed the holy magic was almost useless now, leaving the power triggered by desperation being the only thing that was dependable.

    The priestess blinked. Her golden eyes instantly turned into the dimmer shade. In the dark, her figure seemed like a lifeless statue which might be easily overlooked.

    ¡®Hiding ability? Check.¡¯

    The strange power escaped Eithne¡¯s body and formed a hemisphere barrier around the front yard. Inside the barrier, everything was silent. Even the crickets were muted mercilessly. Eithne waved her hand to create ripples in the air, several invisible blades were formed and flew forward at light speed.

    Slash! Slash! Slash!

    They cut deeply into the nearby hill¡¯s side and pierce through the soil to reach the other side. The priestess controlled them to turn back before they could mince someone else¡¯s house.

    ¡°Quite impressive¡­ but I doubt it will work on Demir Noceur.¡± ¨C Eithne thought when she rubbed her chin. ¡°Hm¡­ How about combining powers?¡±

    The priestess summoned her Earth mana. Her muscle hardened, but nothing more happened despite Eithne driving mana out of her body.

    ¡°As expected¡­¡± ¨C She sighed. No earthquake, boulder spears or earth crack for her then.

    Eithne withdrew the dark power and mana. She turned back and was about to go inside the house, but something quickly shot from the ground under her feet.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    A sharp rocky thorn suddenly rose up. The priestess tripped over the thorn and fell on her left arm which was still hurt. Similar to normal injuries caused by holy power, those sacrificed flesh did not heal with potions.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Why did the thorn appear so late? Her magic must have lagged.

    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± ¨C The priestess mumbled as she hugged her left arm.

    Next morning, an extravagant carriage stopped in front of the old house of Nesta Oranim. A noble woman carefully stepped out of the carriage, supported by the coachman. Both of them looked tired as they had been rushing here all night without a resting minute.

    ¡°Is this the place¡­?¡±

    The noble woman was reluctant when she saw a bizarre thorn of rocks in the front yard. Her coachman was not sure either, he remembered there was no such detail mentioned in the destination¡¯s description they received yesterday. Nonetheless, they avoided the thorn and knocked on the house¡¯s door.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    A middle-aged man opened the door.

    ¡°We came from the Solinue Duchy to meet Rigel Oranim. Is he available right now?¡± ¨C The noble woman spoke gently.

    Rogers Monre visited today to take care of Rigel, who was still terrified of the previous assassination. Unexpectedly, some strange guests also came looking for the boy. The veteran could tell at a single glance that they are aristocrats, based on their luxurious clothes and fancy horse-drawn carriage. However, due to Rigel¡¯s abduction happening not long ago, Rogers became wary with unfamiliar people coming to the Isny village. As a result, his tone turned hostile.

    ¡°What¡¯s your business with Rigel?¡±

    The noble woman flinched and stepped back. Luckily, Eithne came on time to resolve the awkward situation.

    ¡°I invited them. They don¡¯t come here to harm Rigel.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Rogers finally calmed down when he heard what she said.

    ¡°Is that so? Sorry for my rudeness, please come in.¡±

    __

    ¡°I will introduce myself again. My name is Astraea Solinue, and I¡¯m currently the Head of Solinue Duchy in the Southeast border of Lumovas Empire.¡±

    A beautiful talking noble woman with charcoal hair falling down her waist and fair skin, while her clear chartreuse eyes focused on the two people sitting opposite.

    ¡°My name is Rogers Monre. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Eithne Noceur.¡±

    Astraea Solinue smiled dazingly. It was accurate to say that she was the prettiest lady of the Southeast land.

    ¡°I am Madam Oranim¡¯s sister-in-law, in other words, Rigel is my niece.¡±

    Hearing the surprising statement from the aristocratic woman, Rogers furrowed his eyebrows. He suspected that she was spouting nonsense, since Astraea gracious appearance seemingly related nothing to the rustic boy.

    ¡°As Rigel¡¯s guardian, I¡¯m happy to see the family of the late Madam come looking for her son. But how do you prove that Rigel is truly your niece?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It wasn¡¯t easy to trust someone claiming without evidence. The Madam had never announced her pregnancy before she left the family, so we had a hard time looking for the heir of my brother.¡±  - Astraea sipped the warm tea. ¡°However, I¡¯m hoping Rigel¡¯s guardians would give me permission to test his blood with the Solinue¡¯s heirloom. The heirloom will react if Rigel possesses Solinue¡¯s blood.¡±

    She exchanged eye contact with the quiet priestess.

    ¡°What do you say?¡±

    Rogers also looked at the host of this meeting to expect an opinion from her. Eithne simply nodded.

    ¡®No need to consider long and hard when I know everything¡­¡¯

    Eithne was in a torpid mood this morning. Black coat lazily draped over her shoulder, it slid down when she leaned back to cover the bandaged left arm. Her white blouse¡¯s collar was loosely buttoned, revealing the shapely neck and visible clavicles at its end. The woman crossed her long legs. Her idleness turned the plain armchair which she sat on into an elegant throne of the living room.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you agreed.¡± ¨C Astraea said.

    The noble woman silently admired the liberated aura of the priestess. She lightly tilted her head to the last person of the meeting. The lady¡¯s earrings dangled as she moved and rested on her smooth cheek.

    Rogers thought for a bit, eventually he approved. It would be a loss for Rigel if the boy missed the chance of acknowledging his true family. Besides, Rogers trusted Eithne would not call somebody to harm him.

    ¡°Rigel Oranim greets the prestigious Matriarch of Solinue Duchy.¡±

    Rigel bowed his head toward Astraea Solinue. The noble woman was impressed, since she did not expect a country boy to have such courtesy. They began to exchange some words enthusiastically.

    In the meantime, Eithne was leaning nonchalantly against the wall. The relaxed ambience between aunt and niece made her relate to the moment when the nurse was trying to deceive the child with sweets before she extracted his blood by a scary needle. Of course, it was for the sake of the child.

    Rogers and Astraea managed to convince Rigel to test his blood on Solinue''s heirloom. Astraea signaled her servant to bring up a long silver box, then opened its lid to reveal a beautiful sword inside.

    It was a blade without a handle. Countless ancient symbols filled up its surface, highlighting a huge white gem at the center of the blade.

    Rigel gulped. The boy hesitantly swiped his finger on the sharp edge of the sword. Red blood quickly flowed out from the cut, but the artifact absorbed it cleanly like a dry sponge touching water. After a few seconds, the symbols on the sword shone brightly and the gem heated up in a vivid red color like a burning charcoal.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± ¨C Rigel dropped his jaw in surprise.

    Although the result was in Eithne¡¯s expectation, she had never seen this scene in the comic. Eithne rubbed her chin, she found those ancient letters understandable since learning ancient language was a compulsory subject for every priest. Those symbols worked as a magic matrix to identify a specific bloodline, which was not that impressive. However, Eithne was not sure about the gem, as the comic had yet to mention it in the latest chapter.

    ¡®Heh¡­ It belonged to Solinue. None of my business.¡¯ ¨C She thought.

    Astraea Solinue requested Rigel coming back with her as the official heir of Solinue Duchy. While the boy was too young to know how to react, Rogers Monre had not trusted Astraea completely. He was afraid that the harsh ducal household would disturb Rigel¡¯s life greatly.

    ¡°Please think about the boy¡¯s future. He will receive better education and have a wealthy life quality.¡±

    Rigel¡¯s aunt tried to persuade Rogers as much as she could, but he did not seem convinced. The veteran clearly knew that behind the glittering wealthiness, those aristocrats were rotten to their bones.

    Rogers cared more about Rigel¡¯s opinion, so he crouched down to ask the little boy.

    ¡°Do you really want to leave with her?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    Rigel fidgeted his fingers. After all, he had just met Astraea today, so he actually did not want to leave. However, at the same time, Rigel thought he must go to see his father¡¯s family. The boy then came up with an idea; if he traveled with someone whom he knew better, it would not be too bad.

    ¡°Can you come with me?¡±

    He grabbed Eithne¡¯s hand and looked at her with pitiful eyes. The priestess sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rigel. I can¡¯t go with you.¡± ¨C She said to Rigel, then faced Rogers. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that I cannot abandon my duty as a god¡¯s servant. I will have to leave soon so it would be dangerous to let Rigel stay here. He is the son of the late Duke, so there will be more assassinations coming.¡±

    Rigel became sullen as he heard her decision. Eithne glanced at the small boy and continued to talk.

    ¡°Therefore, I sincerely ask you to accompany him on his journey, Rogers.¡±

    ¡°M¡­ Me? Is it okay for a commoner to stay in a noble¡¯s house?¡±

    The man was surprised by Eithne¡¯s request. Astraea quickly nodded her head after she met the gaze of Eithne. She must comply with the request of an esteemed priestess, otherwise it might negatively indicate that the Solinue family opposed the temple of War.

    ¡°Of course! We welcome the dear guest coming to our land. I wholeheartedly believe that Rigel needs mental support in his early age.¡±

    Rigel cheered up again because he was not alone anymore. Eithne patted his head, there was one last thing she could do for him before he left. The priestess told Rigel to go pack his luggage, after that, she asked Astraea and Rogers to follow her. They went to the forest where Rigel was kidnapped.

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¨C Astraea curiously asked.

    She had heard about Rigel¡¯s abduction from Rogers, that the boy was found severely injured and almost dead in the forest. Therefore, Astraea anticipated that they would go to the crime scene. She was right.

    Eithne led them to an empty ground in the woods. The hole intended to be used as Rigel¡¯s grave was still there. Astraea and Rogers were confused about what Eithne was going to do when she scanned the nearby trees looking for something. However, the matriarch of the Solinue household quickly realized the unusual atmosphere. Astraea might seem like a fragile lady, but in order to hold the Head position of a prestigious duchy, the woman had more than met the eyes. She could feel the twisted mana flow under a tree¡¯s roots.

    ¡°The forest¡¯s¡­ spirit?¡± - She whispered to herself.

    Astraea had some prior experience with tree spirits. They were normally beautiful and jovial creatures, but rather than that, those existence peeking from below the tree roots only gave her a spine-chilling feeling. The woman stepped back to get out of the tree¡¯s shade, she felt more secured in the warm protection of the Sun god. Rogers also backed away when he noticed some tiny, hideous figures crawling from the ground.

    ¡°Screechhhhh¡­.¡±

    Those spindly creatures let out a sinister shriek when Eithne reached her hand into the dark hole on a tree trunk. They seemed angry as she was taking away their food, so they pulled the thing backward inside the hole. Eithne furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Let go.¡±

    ¡°Screech¡­ screech¡­ skriek¡­¡±

    The spirits sounded disappointed, but they had to withdraw back into the tree¡¯s trunk. Finally, Eithne pulled out an upper half of a man¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Is this¡­¡± ¨C Rogers gulped.

    ¡°The kidnapper.¡± ¨C Eithne answered.

    She carefully placed it on the ground. The corpse had shriveled up as if the tree absorbed all his life force. Astraea¡¯s expression grew solemn, she stepped up to examine the body.

    The woman was about to lift up his shirt¡¯s pocket, suddenly, the dead man winced.

    ¡°HE¡­LP ¡­HELP ME!¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Astraea was so shocked that she fell down on her knees. Rogers violently kicked the man aside and swore.

    ¡°Goddamn!¡±

    How the fuck that he was still alive?

    ¡°So¡­ Do you still need him to investigate?¡±

    Eithne asked, pointing to the amputated body with her thumb. Astraea was shivering when she turned to look at the priestess.

    ¡°Ah yes!... Yes of course¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    Astraea held up her thumb to confirm her status, but the finger was shaking too. The woman was wondering what kind of black magic kept that person alive.

    ¡°Alright then.¡±

    Eithne sat in the tree¡¯s shade while Astraea was interrogating the kidnapper with Rogers¡¯s help. It was a matter of confidentiality that a priestess, who represented the temple¡¯s power, should not intervene in an internal affair of a noble family, but if Eithne wanted, the spirits of trees would eavesdrop on the process for her. Rogers was not affiliated to any party, so Astraea allowed him to join in the interrogation.

    The priestess could see from afar that the Solinue lady was using a recording orb to note down the criminal¡¯s confession.

    It was boring to wait, so Eithne picked up a tree spirit. The creature looked like it had just walked out from the horror movie about bloodthirsty tooth fairies: malnourished body, no eyes, wrinkled grey skin and saw-like ivory teeth. When it was caught, the spirit¡¯s transparent wings dropped down in sullenness.

    Eithne clicked her tongue.

    ¡°My bad.¡±

    She guessed it used to have a cute appearance, but after being affected by her dark power, the spirits had turned into a horrendous species. Eithne put the spirit down next to her seat, but it did not run away, instead, the spirit also sat down and sighed as if it was fed up with life.

    The creature began lamenting about its atrocious life in spiritual language. Eithne did not really understand, but somehow she knew it was bemoaning: Not only did she turn it ugly, but she also took away its meal.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne felt extremely guilty. She wished there was a guidebook about how to reverse this strange magic.

    After a long wait, the interrogation finally ended.

    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±

    Astraea came back with a cold face. Rogers also had a taunt expression and he did not say anything after that. Both of them looked oddly at the priestess. Eithne guessed they likely have heard the exhortation of the kidnapper about her gruesomeness. Even so, she did not care.

    Eithne lightly flicked her finger at the sullen spirit sitting next to her. It stood up in a grumpy mood. Astraea found the creature quite interesting, but it disappeared quickly before she had a closer look.

    The half-dead man whom they had just met was dragged into the tree hole again. The people except Eithne observed the process in amazement, at the same time, it gave them goosebumps to think about those human-eating spirits. They questioned Eithne on how she stored the kidnapper in such a place, but the priestess only shook her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡±

    Eithne had no idea. Those fairies did not tell her about their food container. She found the corpse¡¯s location by following the blood trace on the tree trunk. However, Astraea mistook her word as a promise of secrecy that a spirit-contractor must keep. The matriarch of the Solinue household had seen some cases that the spirits requested contractors to hide their true power.

    ¡®As expected of the War temple¡­¡¯ - She nodded.

    Eithne did not notice that she had become an amazing spirit-controller in Astraea¡¯s eyes. She flicked her finger to fling a devil-like fairy off her shoulder.

    It was time that Eithne departed from the Isny village. Rogers and Rigel also sat in Solinue''s carriage to travel to the Southeast land of Lumovas Empire. The young boy tried his best to hold back his tears, he waved to the priestess.

    ¡°Will we meet again?¡±

    He had been with her for almost two months, but so many things happened during their time together. Rigel had not started his journey, yet the homesickness already swirled up in his mind. Eithne smiled at the boy.

    ¡°Of course. See you at the capital.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    The boy sounded sulky, but the thought of seeing her again partly comforted his mind.

    ¡°Goodbye, Rigel. Take care.¡±

    ¡°You too! Bye!¡±

    The boy was still waving when the carriage moved far away from the village¡¯s entrance. Eight years of his childhood spent in this tiny place. From a country boy to the heir of the prestigious duchy in a distant land, his life changed dramatically. At least his future would be brighter than the original plot, since now Rigel had his trusted people guide and encourage him.

    ¡°I should practice calling him Rigel Solinue now.¡± ¨C Eithne smiled.

    She also began her journey back to the War temple.

    __

    Seeing the familiar gate of the temple, Eithne remembered something was missing.

    She forgot to buy Hesata a souvenir.

    ¡°Ah¡­ That punk will nag at me for the rest of my life.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Eithne arrived at the War temple in the early morning when the sun had not risen above the temple¡¯s roof. Even the birds were still snoring, but most priests already started their strict routine. Eithne waved at some priests who were sweeping dry leaves in the front yard.

    Looking at them reminded her that she had not finished the two-week punishment of cleaning the training ground. To sum up the past two months, Eithne and Hesata had done it for three days, then they were knocked down on sick beds before she decided to flee to Isny village.

    ¡°I hope they forgot it¡­¡±

    The priestess entered the main hall. Across the room, the statue of the War God was as magnificent as usual, which jogged Eithne¡¯s memory about the mysterious deity who granted her a wish to save Rigel. She wondered if the War God knew what had happened between her and the unknown God. It was a vague debt that she needed to pay back somehow.

    Considering the current situation, which Eithne Noceur fell out of the War God¡¯s favor, she guessed even if the sky collapsed on her head, she would have to deal with the debt collector herself.

    ¡®Expecting a protection from a deity is merely absurd.¡¯

    Eithne glanced at the statue, her sharp golden eyes darken when a chilling feeling ran down her spine. It had been like this several times whenever she stood in a deity¡¯s sight, whoever they were. In front of the statue of the War God, near the temple of Peace or meeting the ominous unknown God, it was the same. The chilliness had become more familiar each time.

    Holy power concentrated in the palm of her right hand to form a faint grey knife. Eithne clenched. The knife crumpled into dust and escaped between her fingers.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I got it¡­ How can I expect to become the beloved child of gods like the female lead?¡±

    She smiled dryly. The woman turned away to go back to her room, blinking several times to erase the trace of dark desperation in her pupils.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my souvenir?¡±

    A red-haired priest put his hand out in front of Eithne, as if he was collecting a friendship fee from the priestess. The smirk on his face clearly said: ¡°Don¡¯t you dare get away¡±.

    Hesata could have been punch-worthy if not for his pitiful health condition. Dark circles had formed under his eyes due to insomnia and the man¡¯s thick face became much thinner since his stomach was injured. This maniac managed to stagger around and even train with his spear, but Eithne could not stand such a sorry sight.

    ¡°Sheesh! Take this.¡±

    The priestess took out a glass candy jar from her suitcase and shoved it to Hesata¡¯s face. The mason jar was transparent so he could see the colorful candy inside, but the priest was amazed by the cute pink ribbon on its lid.

    ¡®Why does it look like a present for kids?¡¯- He thought.

    Even so, Hesata received it happily. He had never been picky with free gifts.

    Eithne secretly sighed when Hesata opened the candy jar. She really hated to give it away, but it was a sudden attack of conscience that she handed out whatever she had to him. After all, Hesata was suffering because of her.

    ¡°Do I have to meet the High Priest now?¡±

    The priestess had just unpacked the luggage, but she was so worried about meeting Demir Noceur that she was unable to rest. Luckily, Hesata shook his head. He threw a candy in his mouth.

    ¡°Wait. Really?¡± ¨C Eithne¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t he require my presence?¡±

    The red-haired priest shrugged. He smiled with closed lips.

    ¡°Who knows.¡±

    ¡°What did it mean???¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know~~~¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please explain.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t tell ya~~ I¡¯m not in the mood right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please speak, don¡¯t bark.¡±

    "Tatatatata ~~"

    The feeling of guilt had evaporated from Eithne¡¯s mind when Hesata tried to test her patience, but it was as thin as an ice sheet. He clearly knew that she was afraid of the High Priest, but he messed with her anxiety anyway.

    Hesata chuckled as he saw the priestess¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed tightly enough to squeeze a fly between her glabellae. Eithne walked up to him and stared silently. The man was still smirking when her arm suddenly wrapped around his neck.

    ¡°I hope God pities you.¡± - Eithne murmured.

    She strode forward. Slam!

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Hesata fell backward on the ground and spit out the candy piece. He wiped his mouth and jumped to his feet quickly.

    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ You! Can¡¯t you be a little gentler? I¡¯m still a patient!¡±

    Hesata dusted off his butt in irritation. Hmph! He would let her go this time, just wait. The thinner her patience, the greater his endurance.

    Eithne took a chair and sat across from him, resting her chin on the fingers of her intertwined hands to wait for Hesata¡¯s explanation. The habits of the original Eithne Noceur had completely been absorbed in her soul so she felt all the actions were natural.

    ¡°Eh hem!¡± ¨C Hesata let out a fake cough. ¡°Let me explain. The Queen¡¯s birthday is coming next week.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± ¨C Eithne tilted her head.

    ¡°Heh. The Vice High Priestess will be on a vacation this year to visit her sister who has just given birth to a baby. You know that normally she would accompany the High Priest to the Queen¡¯s birthday celebration in the Imperial Castle, right?¡± ¨C Hesata rubbed his chin. ¡°Without the Vice High Priestess, other faction chiefs don¡¯t want to meddle with the aristocrats, so they refused to go.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± - Eithne started to gulp.

    ¡°The High Priest needs attendants during aristocratic connection events. We are the only people left who have high ranking as nobles.¡±

    ¡°We¡­ we are not going to the street festival this year?¡±

    Danger alert! In the memory of the original priestess, they always went to the street festival on the Queen¡¯s birthday. The invitation for attending the royal ball was only for the High Priest and other superiors, but Hesata seemed to indicate otherwise. He smiled deviously.

    ¡°Ho ho! Instead of the street, we are going to tour the Imperial Castle this year. The High Priest demands our attendance. You don¡¯t have to meet him now because we will soon be stuck together in the Imperial Castle during the Queen¡¯s birthday celebration. For- a ¨C whole- week.¡±

    Bam! His last sentence struck Eithne like thunder burning a chicken alive.

    The birthday of the Queen was going to be celebrated throughout the week. At first glance, the long-duration event seemed to deliberately exhibit the wealthiness of the royal family. However, since many nobles and foreign diplomats gathered at the Imperial Castle to honor the reign of the Queen, she made use of her own birthday to annually host an international conference at the capital of Lumovas. Thus, extending the celebration¡¯s duration gave more time for political activities to increase the empire¡¯s influence.

    Eithne did not understand the Queen, who turned her birthday into a tiring working week. Regardless, the priestess wished it would end soon, since she was stuck with someone that might kill her.

    ¡®Maybe Demir Noceur wants to keep me in check.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    She had been thinking about the unusual demonstration fighting from last month. There was no way that a prince had a privilege to watch preeminent servants of God fighting for fun. Eithne suspected that the High Priest wanted to examine her strength level, so he ordered her to fight with Hesata.

    ¡®This time, he made me stay by his side so I don¡¯t run away, right?¡¯

    Cold sweats were pouring off Eithne¡¯s face because of her own thoughts. She was like a goldfish living in a small bowl, looking suspiciously at the small bait of Demir Noceur.

    ¡®Just why would he bother to fish at a fish tank in his home? Don¡¯t you have another thing to do? Ignore me and mind your business.¡¯

    Obviously, the priestess would not let her grumble reach the High Priest¡¯s ears, but she could not hide her sullenness on the day she went to the Imperial Castle.

    Today was a day before the official Queen¡¯s birthday, when nobles and foreign diplomats arrived at the Capital to prepare for the royal ball tomorrow. However, to those who had deep connection with the royalty, the Queen¡¯s conference already began. Demir Noceur retired from army management, but he still worked as the royal advisor. Therefore, Hesata and Eithne had to enter the Imperial Castle as his attendants today.

    Two young priests dressed in black formal suits stepped alongside each other. Distinctive symbols of two different factions were carved on the golden tags attached to their sleeve bands. The silvery crest of the War temple was embroidered on the flowing capes behind their tall figures, signifying the strength of God covering their back. They saluted their leader then stood beside him like his shadows.

    Their leader was a revered senior who also dressed in dark attire. His eyes reflected the storms of wisdom, swirling up in the flashing of turbulent Chaos power. The man¡¯s hair had turned gray after decades of bitter youth, but it did not stop him from moving forward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¨C He commanded.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    They entered a special teleporting gate that was used only to travel to the Imperial Castle. After an eyeblink, the priests had arrived at the large entrance hall in the palace.

    The room was wide enough to fit a thousand people inside. Fancy decorations were hung on the wall to maximize the space, they were sparkling in extravagance enough to temporarily blind first-time visitors. There was a matrix of crystal chandeliers on the ceiling, it was so gigantic and elaborate that it seemed like a separate dimension of glass floating above people¡¯s heads. Eithne could feel the amazing softness of the red carpet under her feet, which made her feel guilty to step on such high-quality fabric.

    There were many aristocrats waiting in the room, they bowed their heads respectfully toward Demir Noceur, but he just casually nodded back. As the High Priest¡¯s subordinate, Eithne was extremely awkward when those nobles reverentially greeted her, but the priestess maintained a stiff expression so nobody knew her feelings. Eithne silently moved closer to Hesata, then if someone approached them, he had to suffer the awkwardness with her.

    ¡°Chief Demir Noceur. It¡¯s good to see you here.¡±

    Suddenly, a silvery voice came from behind them. Eithne turned back and saw a group of priests in white attires, and their leader whose face she would never forget. The man lifted up the hood which was covering half of his face. A few strands of white hair falling down on his forehead, just like soft threads of cloud resting on the heavenly immaculate face.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    He had not changed at all after two months, being blindingly beautiful which blurred everyone else¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Saint Raphael Ascian, you came early.¡±

    Demir Noceur replied to the Saint of the Peace temple with a cold face. Despite that, the Saint smiled warmly. His enthusiasm fiercely struck against the indifferent wall of the High Priest.

    ¡°It¡¯s a right thing to come in time to celebrate Her Majesty¡¯s birthday. I¡¯m very excited about this year¡¯s ball since the overseas empire had sent their diplomat to attend our events.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then I hope you enjoy the week.¡±

    The people around them could feel the contrary atmosphere between the two parties. One was dark and cold, whilst the other was bright and warm. Even the Gods they served had opposing names. Most importantly, the temple of War was deeply connected to the center of political power, whereas the temple of Peace largely controlled the morale of commoners.

    Fortunately, they did not seem competing against each other right now, otherwise it would be extremely unpleasant for Eithne.

    ¡®I¡¯m invisible. I¡¯m invisible. I¡¯m invisible¡­¡¯

    The priestess tried to deny her existence by repeating over and over the spell in her mind. She wished Raphael Ascian forgot about her, but the Saint pulled her in this conflict as soon as he finished speaking with the High Priest.

    ¡°Priestess Eithne Noceur, how do you do?¡±

    Goddamn it, Raphael.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m good.¡±

    Eithne had no choice but to act distantly to Raphael, because she could sense the odd gaze from the High Priest and Hesata.

    ¡°Have you met Saint Raphael before?¡± ¨C The High Priest asked.

    His eyes slightly squinted when he examined Eithne¡¯s expression. The priestess secretly shuddered her toe in nervousness.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Eithne gulped. She did not dare to say a spare word. Why did it sound like she was suspected to be the enemy¡¯s spy? She swore she related nothing to that villain.

    Thanked heavens that Demir Noceur had to attend an audience with Queen soon, so Eithne had to part the Peace priest group to follow him. The priestess was glad that she did not need to face the Saint much longer, but before she actually left his sight, Eithne quickly glanced at Raphael one last time.

    He waved goodbye and gave her a meaningful smile.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne¡¯s left eyelid slightly twitched. Was it a bad omen?

    Eithne and Hesata only followed the High Priest until he entered the confidential meeting with the Queen and other royal court¡¯s members. As his subordinates, they had to stand guard outside the room. When fifteen minutes passed, two young priests started to feel bored. Eithne had observed every single detail of the intricately decorated hall, while Hesata made futile effort to eavesdrop on the discussion inside the room. However, there were noise canceling devices installed on the door and the wall, so he heard nothing.

    ¡°I wonder what they are talking about inside.¡± ¨C He said.

    ¡°Why do you care?¡±- Eithne yawned.

    Those political matters did not bother her a single bit. After all, she was just a lowly character who had minimal influence on this world. Speaking of the current Queen, Eithne remembered the comic briefly described her background as a stepmother of the Imperial Prince. She was someone that the male lead and his friend had to defeat to achieve the true political power of Lumovas. But it would happen in the far future, not now.

    They were standing on the third floor of the building, which had balconies on the opposite side of the meeting room.

    ¡°¡­ The sky looks dark today.¡±

    Eithne crossed her arms and leaned on the cold wall.

    The morning¡¯s murky weather made her lethargic. Howling gales blew past the long hall somewhat helping her remain conscious. The priestess¡¯s gaze drifted far away to the distant buildings in the royal palace. Under the grey cloudy sky, those magnificent constructs seemingly shivered in the cold humidity.

    ¡°Is it going to rain?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± - Eithne shook her head at Hesata¡¯s question.

    The red-haired priest leaned out the balcony. It would be a pity if the weather was foul on the birthday of Lumovas¡¯s ruler, so Hesata hoped it would be sunny tomorrow. He looked at other attendants of the court members who also stood guard before different entrances, they did not appear bored as him because they were used to this.

    ¡°It must be tiring to be attendants¡­¡± ¨C Hesata murmured.

    Eithne approved in silence. The priestess continued to study the artistic patterns of the palace¡¯s constructs to kill some time. However, she found it hard to impress those images in her mind today. The buildings were losing their vibrant colors in the gloomy celestial sphere, becoming grayish and mundane in the fragile new memory that Eithne tried to preserve in her head.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Between the fading snapshots of surroundings, Eithne spotted a white figure standing on a tower¡¯s rooftop. Hesata was also watching the scenery, but he did not notice that person.

    ¡®Is it Raphael?¡¯ ¨C The priestess thought. ¡®What¡¯s is he trying to do?¡¯

    As if the person in white robe could feel her gaze, he turned to look in Eithne¡¯s direction. It was truly the same Saint that she met earlier. The white-haired man looked a bit surprised as he got caught, but soon, he smiled beguilingly.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    What the fuck? That was what she was about to ask, but a streak of lightning suddenly ignited the sky behind him.

    BANG! Thunder crashed.

    Eithne must close her eyes in the flashing light. When she looked for Raphael again, he had disappeared.

    ¡°Even thunder. It¡¯s going to rain.¡± ¨C Hesata said.

    Rather than rain, Eithne felt something terrible was going to happen. Raphael Ascian was the great villain of the comic which was full of bullshits, but since she was inside that comic now, Eithne could not help but worry for her life. The priestess rushed to the balcony and concentrated her vision again. This time, her irises changed into a dim state.

    ¡®Where are you?¡¯

    Her hands clenched the handrail. Eithne bit her teeth and motioned her eyes to scan every building for a white figure. She must find out what he was doing because she knew nothing about the villain¡¯s next move. Since Rigel¡¯s incident, the priestess did not dare to sit back and stay ignorant anymore.

    ¡®Focus! Focus! Focus!¡¯

    As all the trivial thoughts in Eithne¡¯s mind vanished, the vision of grayish scenery shattered before her eyes. They were divided into big and small frames, similar to a comic page¡¯s spreading panels.

    Prowling from frame to frame, a white individual was spotted running on a long roof amid a grove of trees.

    ¡®Hah! Found you, sneaky mouse.¡¯

    She was about to fix her gaze on Raphael, but a loud call disrupted her concentration.

    ¡°Eithne!¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    The panels trembled and merged together. Eithne¡¯s vision returned to normal state, but she lost Raphael¡¯s track again.

    The priestess was annoyed and looked fiercely at the punk who had just disturb her, but Hesata had an oddly fazed expression.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ look mad.¡±

    Hesata was at a loss for words. Just a moment ago, this woman had rushed to the balcony and stared at the empty space until she had bloodshot eyes. The priestess even gritted her teeth furiously, regardless of his attempt to call her, she had completely ignored him. Hesata thought Eithne had lost her mind.

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡±

    ¡°Hello. We meet again.¡±

    Huh?!

    Eithne turned back and froze to the spot. Just two mere seconds had passed since she saw him on a far roof!

    Raphael Ascian was already standing behind them with his group of Peace priests. Not a wrinkle on his clothes nor a drop of sweat on his face showed he had been running in a rush.

    Just how?

    Even teleportation would take him at least a few more seconds to appear perfectly like this, as if what Eithne saw a moment ago was just a fake reality! Did he cast an illusion spell to trick her? But casting magic without permission would trigger the alarming devices in the palace, how did he manage to cast a spell?

    ¡®This isn¡¯t good.¡¯ ¨C The priestess thought when cold sweats poured on her back. Her mind was too confused to converse properly.

    ¡°We just saw each other earlier. Why do you look so surprised to see me?¡±

    Raphael said. Although the day was overcast, there was light twinkling in his green eyes. The young man was like an angel walking around the human¡¯s realm, yet in Eithne¡¯s perspective, he was a ticking bomb rolling to her feet.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡±

    As the Saint smiled, his mischievous eyes curved up like a pair of crescent moons.

    ¡®Happy my ass!¡¯ ¨C Eithne swore in her head.

    It was absolutely not an illusion! Though she did not know what trick he had used, this villain truly had been on the top of the tower and he noticed her. She must have caught him doing shady business.

    ¡°Oh my.¡± - Raphael said, and like a true saint who was empathizing with other people. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re on duty so I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Let¡¯s meet again tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°See you again, Saint Raphael Ascian.¡±

    Hesata nodded his head as a goodbye. Eithne remained silent until the group of Peace priests left. Raphael was still smiling when he walked past the priestess. The hem of his white robe swept her numb left hand, its feeling was faint and uncertain like the scene of him meeting her gaze from the roof before the rumbling of thunder came.

    Until he disappeared from Eithne¡¯s sight, Raphael did not look back.

    In the end, it rained.

    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t know how crazy you looked earlier. Has something happened? Gosh you scared the crap out of me!¡±

    The rambling of Hesata mixed with the sound of rain pouring. Eithne did not really know what happened with her eyes earlier. She was thinking not to use magic, so only her eyes changed dimmer to have a better sight. Unexpectedly, Eithne¡¯s vision became bizarre.

    ¡°Is it really that bad¡­¡± ¨C The priestess hesitantly asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    The strong winds messed up Eithne¡¯s hair, so she tried to brush it back with her hand. She unwittingly covered her eyes. The separated vision and comic panels that Eithne saw before¡­

    ¡®Did I catch an eye disease???¡¯

    And Raphael¡¯s ability to move so fast that he almost altered the reality¡­ If the previous phenomenon did not trigger the magic alarms in the palace, then it might not be magic or he had found some way to trick those devices.

    The comic had not mentioned this power of Raphael in the latest chapter. No wonder nobody could catch the villain in the plot, though they were equipped with all kinds of magic detecting devices.

    ¡®Ah¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore. Weird things keep emerging from who knows where.¡¯

    Hesata saw the priestess mess up her hair again. He was confused by Eithne a lot lately.

    ¡°Are you being crazy again?¡± - Hesata frowned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think I¡¯m having hallucinations.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°I just saw a white mouse standing on a tower''s roof and smiling at me. It even asked how I¡¯m doing these days.¡±

    ¡°¡­"

    "I will book an appointment at the temple''s clinic for you." - Hesata quickly took out the magic messenger device.

    "... I''m just joking."

    "And I don''t believe it. Here, 9 AM tomorrow at room 105."

    "..."

    __

    The priestess wiped her eyes with the handkerchief. The sound of rain knocking on the ground overwhelmed almost every other sound. When Eithne remembered about those separated visions again, the voice of rain became an additional noise to the grayish recordings in her head, just like an old television with a bad reception.

    ''I must be careful from now on...''

    Clack!

    The door of the meeting room burst open. Demir Noceur stepped out while someone was shouting from behind.

    ¡°Your Majesty! We must not comply with Quenaz¡­¡±

    Warm light from the room attracted Eithne¡¯s attention. Contrary to the cold and rather dark hall outside, the room was cozy and vibrant, yet chaotically busy. Eithne peeked over the High Priest¡¯s shoulder.

    A dazzling beauty was sitting nonchalantly on the throne. She was leisurely watching the wine swirling in the glass, despite people¡¯s shouting and speaking nonstop.

    ¡®She must be the Queen¡­¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    As if all the precious jewelry in this world could not overcome her brilliance, the Queen twirled her wavy hair which beautifully shone in platinum-blonde hue. When she glanced at Demir Noceur¡¯s back, the cherry-colored eyes coincidentally met Eithne¡¯s gaze.

    However, the door was quickly closed so Eithne could not see more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¨C The High Priest said.

    Eithne quickly followed behind him and Hesata. After walking for a while, the High Priest suddenly asked:

    ¡°How¡¯s the child from the Solinue family?¡±

    ¡°¡­ He¡¯s¡­ a good kid.¡±

    His surprise attack made Eithne flinched. She had not prepared any fancy words for the question, so it sounded like a facile answer. Luckily, the High Priest seemed to pay it no mind and he was quiet again. However, his face was still as cold as ice, and somewhat menacing.

    The light was dusky and the air was getting cooler due to the rain. As a result, Demir Noceur¡¯s expression became vague and extra ominous in such conditions.

    Eithne wiped the cold sweats in her palms with the handkerchief. It was getting darker in the palace so the servants were lighting up the candles and chandeliers. The priestess was extremely grateful to them because the sight of Demir Noceur¡¯s murderous expression in the dark was solely nerve-racking. If the High Priest suddenly glared at her in such a dark place, Eithne would likely faint.

    ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Eithne!¡±

    A cheerful call of a kid rang through the grand hall, jumping across the bustling crowd to reach a person who isolated herself next to the wall. Eithne escaped the preoccupation to look for the voice¡¯s owner. Under the warm light of a glory banquet, she saw a familiar kid running on his toe with a brightest smile.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in a while, Rigel.¡±

    The boy had changed his rustic appearance and turned into a formidable aristocrat after a few days staying in the duchy, but he could not conceal the childish excitement about seeing the priestess again.

    ¡°Where is Rogers?¡± ¨C Eithne asked.

    ¡°He is¡­ uh¡­ somewhere else¡­¡±

    Rigel hesitantly answered, fidgeting his fingers. It was highly likely that he had just escaped Rogers to run frantically to Eithne. She patted his shoulder.

    ¡°How have you been recently?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good! There were a lot of pretty things in the duchy, like big greenhouses and ¡­¡±

    Realizing the priestess overlooked the fact that he ran away from the boring adults, Rigel quickly told everything he had seen and experienced in the Solinue¡¯s mansion, hoping to change the topic. The boy even waved his arms to illustrate the situation, making Eithne have to chuckle at the energetic kid.

    ¡°Urgh¡­ I can¡¯t believe it. Why are there so many peach desserts?¡±

    Hesata came back after he scanned around the tables for sweet foods. It was currently peach season, so 80% of the desserts were related to peach. More than that, there were some rumors saying the Queen¡¯s favorite fruit was also peach.

    ¡°My god those liquid meals are still haunting!¡± - He pulled his hair.

    The red-haired priest was going to find Eithne when he saw a kid talking to her. Hesata greeted the boy with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Oh my! Is this Rigel Solinue that you told me?¡±

    ¡°H.. Hello! You¡¯ve guessed my name right. Nice to meet you.¡±

    Rigel was surprised by the sudden appearance of a very tall man behind him. It was the first time he had encountered another individual of the tall species beside Eithne. The shadow of the red-haired man was large enough to fully engulf Rigel, making the little boy seem humble like a pebble between two huge towers.

    While Hesata was talking to Rigel, Eithne moved her gaze to the highest terrace of the hall.

    This evening banquet and later, a ball party was meant to be held until dawn, during which nobles would celebrate the first hour of the Queen¡¯s birthday when the sun rose. The banquet was going to end after the dessert serving, and they would rest for a bit after the meal to prepare for the next ball.

    The star of this event, the Queen, was sitting on the highest terrace with an envoy from the Quenaz Empire, and the Saint of the Peace temple. Eithne did not know what they were talking about, but she constantly had an ominous feeling about this.

    An enemy declaring to destroy Lumovas was sitting with the Queen of Lumovas. That might be worrying.

    ¡®What are you scheming, Raphael?¡¯

    On the highest terrace of the grand hall, where the stars shone above their head through the clear glass roof, the Queen was leisurely playing chess with the envoy from the Quenaz Empire, while the Saint was spectating the match from aside.

    ¡°Her Highness, about the sea route¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes.¡±

    Every time the Quenaz¡¯s envoy spoke about the sea route, the Queen brutally cut his sentence. She fluttered the red fan and glanced at the Saint.

    ¡°What do you think of this move, Saint?¡±

    ¡°This lowly servant dares not to judge Her Highness¡¯s tactic.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    As soon as the envoy heard the slightest dissatisfaction in the Queen¡¯s tone, he flinched. The Queen folded her fan. Her gaze returned to the chess table. It was hard to guess what she was thinking behind those beautiful cherry-colored eyes, and her action indicated neither enthusiasm nor concurrence that the envoy expected. They had been playing this meaningless chess for an hour and the envoy had done everything he could to please the Lumovas¡¯s Queen, yet she did not allow him to talk about the offer of the Quenaz Empire.

    ¡®Tsk!¡¯ ¨C The envoy lost his patience gradually.

    He was annoyed by the Queen, but he had to hide his true emotion. Normally, the envoy would express his displeasure to the Lumovas¡¯s royalty since he believed Quenaz was superior to every country. Such intention was erased when an audience with the Queen of Lumovas happened in the presence of the Peace God¡¯s messenger, Saint Raphael Ascian. As a result, this religious man did not dare to display any arrogant attitude when God was observing him through the Saint. Even so, it was getting harder to control his feelings.

    Subconsciously, the envoy threw a desperate look at the Saint, hoping that nice person would help him out somehow. However, Raphael only smiled quietly as if he was unaware of the current situation. His expression was bright and holy, but it clearly indicated: Don¡¯t look for me. I¡¯m just an ornament here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted during a chess match.¡±

    The Queen raised her eyebrows. She leaned back on the soft armchair, using the red fan to cover the lower half of her face. The velvet gown embraced her voluptuous figure like an igniting flame, whilst the ruby tiara resting on her smooth hair also emitted a sense of high heat. And the Queen''s eyes, which perfectly matched with the accessories, fixed on the envoy and drowned his reflection in her irises under the sweet but dangerous cherry hue.

    The ruler of Lumovas twirled a strand of her hair. Long ago, someone told her to dress in red on merry days to accumulate luck, so the Queen had put on every red thing she had to maximize the efficiency of fortune. Although she hated to admit that it was not how fate worked, the Queen¡¯s superstition urged her to welcome every chance that she could snatch.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk.¡±

    The royal woman clicked her tongue. The envoy had been giving her many chances to win the chess, but whenever she was about to achieve victory, the Queen oddly turned her chess back to elongate the match. Her manipulation somehow trapped him in the chess play for an hour already.

    ¡®Urgh!¡¯ ¨C The envoy wiped his nose in anger as he thought. ¡®This wench is probably buying time¡­¡¯

    He must finish this bullshit game as swiftly as possible, then handle the trading between two empires.

    Meanwhile in the banquet hall, Eithne met the Imperial Prince and the ¡®female lead¡¯ again. As if fate had connected those people together, Rigel Solinue instantly got on with prince Azriel Daneva and the female lead, Noori Gynren, who barged in the boys¡¯ conversation to look for some friends. These main characters were attractive poles to other kids, so they started to gather up to have a chance to speak with the prince and the ducal heir, also get to know the beautiful daughter of count Gynren.

    ¡°Hold on¡­¡±

    Hesata wiped the sweat on his forehead. He tried to sneak out of the children''s mob but Rigel, Azriel and Noori were following him like baby ducks, therefore, the rest of the children also chased after him.

    ¡°Haiya¡­¡±

    Eithne enjoyed the peach tart while she was watching the red-haired priest struggling. Somehow, the tart tasted better than usual.

    Who could have guessed that Hesata was the kind of adult that those ambitious main characters like the most? The little prince had seen Hesata fighting so he deeply admired the priest. He then told his new friends Rigel and Noori about this amazing person. Noori saw the tall and handsome man as a brave knight in her bedtime story, while Rigel wanted to learn more about the person who fought on term with Eithne. Moreover, Hesata was nice with kids and willing to tell everything with them, resulting in the children perceiving him as a beacon to follow.

    ¡®HELP ME!¡¯ ¨C Hesata gave a signal to the priestess who was eating cake in pleasure.

    The kids started to grab his pants so he could not escape.

    ¡®Children are scary!¡¯ ¨C He panted.

    Eithne gave him a thumbs-up. She grinned evilly and watched him enthusiastically, then she took a mouthful of cake as if she was seeing an interesting show.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Hesata gritted his teeth. He was about to run away, suddenly, the ground beneath his feet shook violently.

    BAAAANGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    A loud explosion occurred somewhere near the hall, shaking the entire building in mayhem.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Hesata quickly covered the kids. A large magic circle appeared in his hand, it turned into a hemisphere barrier to protect the children from falling vases. The magic detecting alarms started to yell loudly because of Hesata¡¯s unauthorized magic casting.

    ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!¡±

    ¡°Protect Her Majesty the Queen!!!¡±

    The nobles started to scream in panic, some people cried for their children¡¯s names. They ran to the entrance, trying to escape from this place.

    CLANG! CLANG! SLAM!

    Large chandeliers fell off from the ceiling and slammed on the floor. Their beautiful frames were distorted and crystals shattered all over the ground. It was fortunate that nobody got stuck beneath it.

    Crack! Crack! Crack! The cracks spreading on the wall were as fast as lightning, but they immediately stopped when countless magic circles appeared on the wall. The defense mechanism of this building had been activated.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    The Queen had stood up from her chair to observe the situation from the highest terrace. The envoy had plopped down on the ground when something exploded. He grabbed on the Saint¡¯s ankle, trembling with fear.

    ¡°Save¡­ save me Saint.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m here.¡±

    Raphael patted on his shoulder to calm the envoy down. At that moment, a servant ran frantically to the terrace.

    ¡°Your¡­ your Majesty! The building of Quenaz¡¯s faction exploded!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    The envoy rose up when he heard the servant say. Raphael bent down to speak with the man sitting on the ground. His sorrowful expression instantly captivated the envoy.

    ¡°I will send priests to save Quenaz people. Don¡¯t worry, I will help you as much as I can.¡±

    ¡®He is the true Saint! I¡¯m so lucky.¡¯ ¨C The envoy thought. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m indebted to you!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. Now, please evacuate as soon as possible.¡±- Raphael helped the envoy to stand up and showed him the exit.

    ¡°Of, of course!¡±

    The envoy quickly stood up and ran down the stairs.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we should go too!¡± ¨C The servant said to the Queen.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The royal woman lifted her gown to follow the servant. Amid the chaos, she was still calm and as elegant as ever.

    When all of the people left and only Raphael remained on the terrace, the Saint smiled faintly.

    He stood organizing the messy chess table, as if nothing serious had happened. The chaotic atmosphere and screams had become a harmonious symphony in his ears, and it somewhat inspired the burning passion deep in his heart that this man could not stop a happy humming coming from his mouth.

    When Raphael finished putting back the chess pieces in their original positions, he picked up a black bishop piece. This was the black chess that the Quenaz¡¯s envoy had played earlier.

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    He smiled and threw the bishop piece off the terrace.

    Clang! The ceramic chess piece fell from a high distance and shattered as soon as it touched the hard ground. In the middle of turmoil, hardly anyone noticed a small chess piece breaking.

    Except for one person. The chess fell right before her shoes.

    ¡°Oops¡­ Almost hit your head.¡±

    Raphael could see the burning gaze of the priestess direct to his face. The Saint cupped his hands around his mouth like he was about to shout loudly, but instead, he whispered:

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Then the man grinned ruefully before he turned back to exit the terrace.

    __

    The first hour of the Queen¡¯s birthday was disastrous.

    Dark, confusion, injuries.

    However, nobody was permitted to leave the Imperial Castle, because the Queen needed to investigate the culprit behind the explosion.

    ¡°Sniff! Sniff! Mama¡­¡±

    Noori started to cry out of anxiety. She was only seven years old, the youngest girl among the kids in the banquet, so Rigel had to grab her hand to ease her mind. All the children were gathered at one place, thanked to Hesata¡¯s protection, they evacuated safely without losing a single strand of hair. The Imperial Prince, who was the most mature and responsible, led the children to priests of Peace temple so they could receive medical treatment if necessary.

    Several nobles were hit by falling objects earlier so the Peace priests were healing them. Imperial knights were digging up the ruin of the building, which the Quenaz¡¯s emissaries used to stay, to find survivors. They turned off magic detecting devices around the area so the mages could use magic freely to speed up the process.

    ¡°Survivor found!¡±

    Hesata lifted a collapsed wall up easily with just one hand, shouted loudly to notice the knights and priests of Peace temple.

    ¡°Another survivor!¡±

    Two priests from Raphael¡¯s group also helped find the missing people. The knights and mages would help them to remove the debris at the place they pointed.

    Eithne was standing behind Demir Noceur, who was watching the rescue operation from a safe distance. She saw the Captain of the Imperial Knights approaching the High Priest.

    ¡°Teacher¡­¡± ¨C He whispered.

    However, Demir raised his hand to stop the Captain speaking.

    Eithne glanced at the Peace priests. They were moving injured people into a temporary tent used for emergency treatment.

    Most priests of the Peace temple were blessed with the ability to heal other people. They were also the only people that were able to produce healing potions by concentrating their power in holy water. Therefore, nobody dared to offend them or else the Peace priests would refuse to sell the precious potions. Indeed, it was a monopoly.

    ¡®Raphael must be rich¡­¡¯ ¨C Eithne rubbed her chin.

    If she was not wrong, that villain must manipulate the income of the temple to benefit himself already. However, it was said that the Saint of the Peace temple was bestowed with offensive power to repel the dark instead of healing ability like other priests, so it was likely that he had to exploit his underlings to have precious potions for himself.

    The envoy ,who had sat with the Queen earlier, was scavenging the debris of the building, anxiously looking for something. Raphael Ascian followed the envoy to offer his help, smiling slyly like a snow fox. Meanwhile, other two Peace priests also looked back and forth too many times at locations where injured people were found.

    ¡®Those people look suspicious¡­¡¯- Eithne squinted.

    The envoy, Raphael and his two subordinates. Why did they seem like looking for something else, not survivors?

    ¡°High Priest, I will go to give them a hand.¡±

    The priestess bowed slightly at her superior, after Demir Noceur nodded, she immediately left for the rescue site.

    Eithne got down on one knee at the edge of the ruin. The explosion had wreaked havoc on a huge mansion with at least five floors, resulting in a mountain of debris. She snuck her left hand under a big piece of broken wall. Dark power escaped from her fingers and hid themselves among the darkness beneath the debris to spread as far as possible. Using the chance that the magic detecting devices were turned off, she tried to find something special that Raphael might look for as well.

    Obviously, she had to avoid getting too close to Raphael or other Peace priests, otherwise they might notice an abnormal magic circulating under their feet.

    ¡®Hm¡­ I can¡¯t sense any peculiar energy source¡­ Am I wrong about them?¡¯ - Eithne tilted her head.

    No sooner had she begun to doubt herself, Eithne spotted one of Raphael¡¯s subordinates tugging out a piece of paper from the scrap. The priest then stealthily hid it in his sleeve.

    ¡®Oh ho¡­¡¯

    Eithne extended the dark power to the place under the priest¡¯s feet. Coincidentally, her power passed the standing place of the Quenaz¡¯s envoy and his subordinate, who were using noise canceling devices to discuss with each other. Eithne did not expect to hear anything from above, but the voices spontaneously transferred into her mind.

    ¡°What should we do now, sir?¡±

    ¡°Those bastards! This useless royalty can¡¯t even stop a terrorist from entering the palace.¡±

    ¡°What if it was Lumovas¡¯s plan?¡±

    ¡°Urgh, I can¡¯t go back until Lumovas¡¯s ships fall into sea monster¡¯s mouth. Enough talking! The contract of sea route is still missing. Keep finding!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Oh God, I¡¯ve heard something dangerous.¡¯ ¨C Eithne pressed her lips together so she would not laugh out loud in excitement, but her mouth formed a hysterical smile anyway.

    She did not know that the dark power could be this useful, even surpassing the device¡¯s noise cancellation.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    The priestess clicked her tongue and stood up. It was highly likely that the Quenaz¡¯s contract already fell into Raphael¡¯s hand, since a Peace priest picked it up earlier.

    ¡°Now, what should I do with this information?¡± - She looked around.

    Raphael was standing with the noble children, who had to gather here to wait for their parents being investigated by the Queen.  He seemed to get along pretty well with them, but his smile was a bit¡­ struggling???

    His expression was exactly the same as Hesata earlier.

    Noori Gynren the heroine was hugging his leg and wiping her nasal mucus on his pants. Some spoiled brats were yapping nonstop about their tiredness and demanding to go home. Meanwhile, the timid kids were tugging the Saint¡¯s robe to gain a sense of security. They also fought each other to win over the place standing next to the famous god¡¯s agent.  Even if Raphael Ascian was an amazing Saint, his gaze eventually turned desperate in this nerve-racking reality.

    ¡°I want to go home whoaaaaaa¡­.¡± - A child cried.

    ¡°Shut up you¡¯re so loud.¡±

    ¡°How dare you say that to my sister? Take this!¡± - A boy threw a handful of dirt to another kid¡¯s face.

    ¡°Ah! Whoaaaaa! Mommy!¡±

    ¡°Your Grace! He hit me!¡± - A kid told Raphael.

    ¡°You¡¯re ugly!¡±

    ¡°You bad-mouth me!¡±

    ¡°Take another dirt!¡±

    Raphael looked at everything silently with a stiff smile on his face. The Imperial Prince wearily sat down next to scruffy Rigel, who was unluckily caught up in other kids¡¯ rioting that his clothes were dirtied by stray dirt bullets. Azriel Daneva the Prince had given up in stopping the children from causing trouble, as if it was a forewarning that his future as an emperor would be hard to deal with those succeeding aristocrats.

    Eithne witnessed everything speechlessly.

    ¡®It must be hard to be a Saint¡­¡¯ - She thought.

    In front of public eyes, Raphael could not be harsh with the children so he must endure this.

    The Saint¡¯s pitiful eyes suddenly directed at Eithne.

    ¡®Hah? Now you¡¯re looking at me?¡¯ - The priestess frowned. ¡®I won¡¯t help you.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Thankfully, the Queen finally released the nobles so they came to pick up their kids. The crowd then dispersed in relief.

    __

    Eithne stepped on the sill and escaped the toilet room through the window.

    She actually needed to use the toilet, not a fake excuse to escape from the High Priest. However, she had just seen a person sneakily dashing across the tree branches, which was too suspicious for her to ignore him. Whoever¡¯s subordinate he was, Eithne wanted to eavesdrop on them. It would be best if he was Raphael¡¯s underling.

    ¡®You¡¯re a Peace priest, yet you make me anxious and I can¡¯t take a shit in peace.¡¯

    Eithne landed quietly on the ground. The magic detecting devices were operating again, so she could not use her power or else they would set off.  The priestess¡¯s eyes turned dim. In the dark, it seemed natural that hardly anyone was able to realize her abnormal state.

    She chased after the direction of the mysterious man. Her steps were quiet and smooth like a snake sliding behind its prey, while she cautiously hid her breath and noticed the surroundings. After a while, the man in black clothes jumped off the tree and landed on the ground. Eithne stopped chasing and hid behind a large tree trunk. They were in the royal garden behind the collapsed building of the Quenaz¡¯s envoy.

    ¡®Hm¡­ I can hear the breath of one more person coming. Who would it be?¡¯

    However, Eithne was wrong this time. There were two white figures coming to meet with the man, they were Raphael and another Peace priestess. The living presence that Eithne sensed was the priestess.

    ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ ¨C Eithne squinted.

    ¡°Nothing found¡± ¨C The man in black reported.

    He was probably the priest who had picked up the paper from the ruin.

    Raphael nodded indifferently. He was cold unlike before, whose eyes were rid of the fake saintliness that only cruelty and malice remained. Raphael took out a bag and handed it to the priest in black.

    ¡°Bury this.¡± ¨C He commanded.

    The priest nodded and returned to the original route that he had taken to get to this place. Raphael and the Peace priestess looked at him until his back was fully engulfed in the woods¡¯ shadow, the Saint told his underling:

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The priestess nodded.

    Eithne smiled. In the silent darkness, her presence became insignificant.

    As soon as the Peace priest stepped past the tree trunk, she grabbed his neck from behind.

    ¡°Wha¡­cough!¡±

    ¡°May I have this bag?¡±

    The War priestess easily overpowered the Peace priest and snatched the bag from him. The man was terrified, but his neck was choked tightly so he could not yell out. The priest drew a short knife from his back pocket to stab her arm, but Eithne was faster.

    She conveniently slammed him to the nearby tree trunk.

    Bam!

    The tree was knocked to the ground with a hole on its body, while the Peace priest instantly lost his consciousness in Eithne¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Too much force¡­¡±

    ¡°Let go of him!¡±

    Eithne heard the shout of a woman. Raphael and the priestess had returned when they heard the sound of the fallen tree. The Peace priestess was glaring at Eithne.

    ¡°Hm? Please repeat?¡±

    The War priestess spoke eerily. She lightly lifted her chin, dragging the fainted Peace priest out of the dark shadow. There was no moon or star tonight. The sky was condensed with ponderous clouds, from which the heavy darkness dropped down to the mortals on earth. However, Eithne was already a part of the dark, so only the Peace priests found it hard to breathe in this atmosphere.

    The Peace priestess suddenly felt extremely dizzy. When she was about to fall on the ground, Raphael stepped up to cover her. His strong aura was released to cancel Eithne¡¯s influence on the priestess so she could stand up again. Raphael signaled her to move back while he faced the priestess of War temple.

    ¡°Would you mind releasing our priest?¡±

    The Saint remained calm and even talked politely, but his voice lacked minimal warmth. Darkness was a veil draping over Eithne¡¯s face, hiding her expression completely from Raphael¡¯s sight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He could be an important clue¡­¡± ¨C Her answer was vague, and there were sounds of her hand picking up an object from the bag. ¡°Where did you find these impressive bombs?¡±

    ¡°Haha. It seems that you don¡¯t want to return our property.¡± ¨C Raphael smiled. ¡°Alright then.¡±

    CLAAAANGGGGGG!

    In an eyeblink, lightning crashed with an invisible force, generating metallic sound of blades cutting each other. Raphael already appeared above Eithne, electricity currents ran down from his hand like a whip coming down at her head. At the same time, invisible blades were also flying up to defend against his attack. Eithne¡¯s expressionless face was revealed in a flashing of light.

    Both of them flinched.

    ¡®Why none of those magic alarms is set off?¡¯ ¨C They thought of the same thing.

    However, they would think deeply about it later, since the most important thing right now was killing each other.

    Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

    Eithne stood at the same place controlling invisible blades to clash with Raphael¡¯s lightning whip. There was no magic circle being casted during the fight, they just fought each other with their own strange power.

    Eithne glanced at the unconscious priest next to her feet. She had a feeling that Raphael was not fighting at full strength, and his attacks were always trying to avoid his subordinate.

    ¡®What a good boss he is.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought. ¡®Or this priest must be very valuable that a villain had to fight to save him.¡¯

    She smirked. The dark power ignited from desperation escaped her body to form a silent field between her, the fainted priest and Raphael, locking the Peace priestess outside. In this way, that priestess could not find a chance to save her peer.

    Raphael coldly looked at Eithne. He disappeared in an instant.

    ¡®!!!¡¯ ¨C Eithne flinched. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t I feel his presence in this field?¡¯

    It was completely different when she was fighting with Hesata in the dark field. She could hear every breath and even blood flowing in Hesata¡¯s body, but her opponent should not be able to do the same.

    However, Eithne sensed nothing right now.

    Her left cheek suddenly felt itchy. She dodged to the right quickly. A bolt of lightning cut through the dark right at the previous position of her neck. Eithne looked down. The unconscious priest was already stolen.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Eithne felt a disruption of power at the edge of the field. Raphael¡¯s lightning punched a hole through her black barrier. It was enough for him to carry his underling and escape.

    The Saint quickly threw his subordinate at the Peace priestess.

    ¡°Catch!¡±

    Hardly had he freed himself from the human baggage, Raphael turned back to stop an invisible blade from cutting his neck. The Saint gritted his teeth furiously while he was constantly pushed back that his shoes created two lines on the ground. His arms were shaking as they crashed directly with the invisible blade which the lightning power on his arm destroyed after a second. He quickly stabilized his body, but Raphael had to raise his arm again to stop a side kick from Eithne.

    Bright white lightning currents gathered at his other hand to form a spearhead, Raphael instantly hammered Eithne¡¯s leg with it before she got the chance to withdraw.

    Crash! The destructive white electricity fiercely cut the solemn black power protecting her leg, exploding the flesh on her calf. Eithne was forced to step back.

    ¡®What kind of unprecedented magic is this?¡¯ ¨C She furrowed her eyebrows.

    The pain on her leg was not as important as the fact that Raphael¡¯s power was even more opposing to her darkness than Hesata¡¯s crimson fire. Moreover, she did not remember if the comic had revealed the villain''s ability in the latest chapters yet.

    Raphael huffed and puffed, but quickly, he smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to stay longer, but I¡¯m busy so see you another time.¡±

    He suddenly disappeared and a bomb replaced his position.

    ¡°Shit!¡± ¨C Eithne panicked.

    She ran away in a random direction, hoping the bomb would not explode too soon. If the bomb''s impact was as large as the previous explosion, she would undoubtedly be dead. Eithne ran as fast as she could, in a moment of panic, she thought of finding a place to hide.

    After dashing through a grove of pine trees, she saw a large decorative boulder in the middle of a colorful flower bed. Without much thinking, she jumped behind the boulder. Unexpectedly, this boulder was already occupied.

    The white-haired man that she had just fought earlier looked up at her in surprise. He was crouching down and covering his ears, probably trying to protect himself from the bomb.

    ¡°Oh hi¡­¡± ¨C Eithne awkwardly waved at him.

    ¡°Wait, hasn''t the bomb exploded?¡± - Raphael was google-eyed.

    ¡°How should I know???¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ OK, bye.¡±

    Raphael got on his feet trying to run away.

    ¡°Not so fast!¡±

    Eithne¡¯s eyes turned dim again. Her vision shattered into separate frames like panels in a comic¡¯s page, oddly locking Raphael in one frame. Everything seemingly moved slower to the point that they almost stopped, turning into beautiful realistic artworks of an unrealistic fantasy dream of the comic¡¯s author.

    Crack! Crack! Crack!

    Electrical currents spread out from Raphael¡¯s body to tear down the strange force hampering his movement. He eventually broke free from Eithne¡¯s frame, however, the invisible blade successfully slashed his left shoulder. Blood quickly flowed out from the cut on his shoulder, dying his white robe in red.

    BANGGGG!!

    At that moment, the bomb Raphael left behind finally exploded. Eithne staggered in the blast and lost her concentration on him. Using this chance, Raphael escaped and disappeared.

    Eithne sat on the ground, panting for breath.

    ¡°He got away¡­¡±

 Chapter 10: Nightmare

    A white-haired man used his hand to cover the scary wound on his shoulder. Red blood had stained all over his white robe, dyeing a sense of hurtful beauty on his angelic figure. However, the man¡¯s steps had never faltered. His green eyes bore no anguish feeling because of the severe physical pain, as they only focused on the road ahead.

    Even the dark could not stop him.

    Raphael slipped behind a seemingly deserted storehouse, where his subordinates were waiting for him. A priestess of Peace temple, who was supporting her fainted peer, looked at him in fright. In her mind, Raphael Ascian was the strongest person that she had ever known, but even he was injured this much after confronting that War priestess¡­

    The Peace priestess gulped.

    ¡°Master!¡± ¨C Another Peace priest called.

    He quickly used his healing ability on Raphael¡¯s shoulder. A holy golden light emitted from the priest¡¯s hands shining on the bloody injury, but it did not change a bit.

    ¡°This¡­¡± ¨C The priest flinched.

    He could clearly see what was happening on Raphael¡¯s shoulder. His collar bone was broken, while the flesh was turning black and rotting away because of a strange power digging in his shoulder like a terrifying earthworm. In the middle of rotted flesh, Raphael¡¯s lighting power was fighting back that ominous black worm.

    The Peace priest furrowed his eyebrows. If this was some kind of power associated with death, the power of Peace God should be able to push it back. As he was thinking, the priest increased the intensity of light from his hands.

    Yet after a while, the irksome worm was barely affected.

    ¡°Enough.¡± ¨C Raphael said. ¡°Stand back.¡±

    Following his command, the Peace priests quickly stepped back.

    The Saint looked at his dirty wound. Flashes of lightning instantly gathered at his uninjured hand, the man mercilessly attacked his own shoulder.

    Slash! Slash! Slash! Only when the sound and smell of electricity burning human¡¯s meat reigned, did the vicious black power start to distort and slowly disappear.

    Raphael frowned, but it was more likely because of annoyance rather than pain. His face had the expression of a person who had just smacked a bug with his bare hand. When the black power was completely annihilated from Raphael¡¯s body, the Saint told his underlings:

    ¡°Find me something to stop the bleeding.¡±

    ¡°Y¡­ Yes sir!¡±

    The Peace priests were flustered at the sight of their master¡¯s decisiveness. They hurriedly bandaged Raphael¡¯s shoulder with normal medical herbs. The Saint averted his gaze from the messy wound.

    That woman¡¯s emotionless face appeared in his mind again.

    ¡°How venomous¡­¡± ¨C He murmured.

    That cold and silent darkness resembled a cobra¡¯s fang, stabbing violently and never letting go. It was strongly opposed to his light element, as if once their powers met, they would not stop tearing down each other until the demise of one side.

    It would be troublesome if she was going to be his enemy.

    Nonetheless, obstacles were inevitable in a big plan. He just needed to find a way to conquer them. The Saint blinked.

    ¡®But why does that darkness feel so familiar¡­ like I have seen it somewhere¡­¡¯

    ¡®Cold¡­ hollow¡­ violent¡­¡¯

    He gradually sank into his own thoughts, unaware of how other priests looked at him.

    His subordinates did not know what their master was thinking.

    Raphael¡¯s appearance might be deceptive. His clear eyes were like a pellucid pond exposing all the greenery at its shallow bottom, deluding people into thinking they saw all of his character thus taking him lightly. However, it was just an illusive sense of depth. Under the camouflage of a harmless person hid an unfathomable mind, which was still unreachable to the people knowing him for five years.

    The Peace priests finished treating Raphael¡¯s wound. They draped over his shoulder a new robe.

    ¡°Master, your next order?¡±

    Raphael glanced at the fainted priest. Contemplation turned his face solemn.

    ¡°Stay silent for tonight. I¡¯ll go alone.¡±

    ¡°What? But it¡¯s dangerous when your arm is¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat.¡±

    The Peace priestess tried to protest, but Raphael only callously said three words before he turned back and disappeared in a flash of light, letting no one have a chance to argue against his will.

    __

    Eithne sat behind a large tree trunk, hugging her injured leg. The dark power was released to surround her hideout, blending with the real atmosphere so no one could realize the abnormality. After the bomb went out, the Imperial troops came to investigate the scene, but Eithne did not want to get caught meddling with the terrorism within the palace, so she crawled behind the tree to hide from troublesome Queen¡¯s people. Using the darkness to cover herself, nobody saw or heard anything from the War priestess. The knights just walked past her as if she was invisible.

    Who knew what they would do with her once they found out she got involved? It would just draw unnecessary attention.

    Besides, Eithne did not want to disclose the truth about the culprit to everyone too early, since she was not ready to be a full-fledged enemy of Raphael yet. Also, Eithne actually needed his help for her own survival...

    However, the problem might be that Raphael already considered the War priestess as an obstacle to exterminate.

    ¡°I was too rash¡­¡±

    She planned to acquire Raphael¡¯s weakness secretly, but she had been arrogant and threatened him too soon, leading to Raphael¡¯s fierce response. And now, with a large ruckus and injury on her body which was unable to be covered, how should she face Hesata and the High Priest?

    ¡®Potion, the cheating trick of God, is completely useless in the fight between priests¡­ Haizz¡­¡¯

    Her calf was still bleeding while scattered white electric currents were running on her flesh. The priestess poured all the potion that she carried but to no avail.

    ¡®Damn it. When Rigel was almost dead, I had no potion¡­ And now I have them, those expensive potions are useless¡­¡¯

    Eithne leaned on the tree trunk, looking up at the night sky while the palace¡¯s guards stomped pass without noticing her sitting there. Their torches¡¯ flames oddly never lit up that spot.

    Amidst the chaos, the ignored priestess was lost in her train of thoughts.

    Living quietly was somehow hard for her in Eithne Noceur¡¯s body. It used to be easy in her previous life. The mortal¡¯s world was once so distant, and she would have been submerged in the dream of eternity alone inside the cage that she built to avoid all contact. She would lie on the bed all day, reading fantasy comics and novels. Although she hated to return to that life, she started to miss that small and cramped bedroom.

    At least, it was safe back then. And she did not need to engage with anyone.

    Rumble¡­ Rumble¡­

    Flashes of lightning rummaged the heavy clouds, constantly shooting across the vast space of the night sky. As lightning moved closer to Eithne¡¯s place, the sky became brighter and brighter. The thunder¡¯s grumbles reached her ears.

    It looked as if her unnatural darkness was abhorrent to the Gods, so they sent down those petrifying lights to destroy the devilish shadow lurking around their beloved children.

    Between the boundary of the sky and the earth, the trees shook their crowns strongly below the thunderstorm of salvation coming near while holding their trunks still to cover the ground¡¯s withdrawing darkness. Eithne¡¯s heart shivered. It was human¡¯s nature to be afraid of nature''s thunderous strength.

    The priestess took out the magic messenger device.

    ¡°Hesata, open the window for me.¡±

    The sky cried and shed heavy tears of rain.

    In a luxurious guest room prepared for the royal advisor to stay overnight, Hesata, with a stiff face, opened the window. Behind him was a senior man whose hair had turned completely white in his sixtieth year, who drank warm tea while his fingers were knocking on the table. The High Priest glanced at his watch after he took a couple sips of tea, like he was patiently waiting for someone.

    Hesata¡¯s scalp had a tingling sensation. He remembered that about ten minutes ago, Demir Noceur caught him reading Eithne¡¯s message. The High Priest had appeared behind him like a ghost, and Hesata did not expect Eithne¡¯s message to be something ¡®supposed to be done in secret¡¯, so he was caught off-guard. Demir told him just did what Eithne had said, but the man would also be waiting.

    Hesata could not refuse.

    The red-haired priest wiped the cold sweat running down his nose, peeking out the window.

    The yellowish light from the room shone a square area on the ground outside, catching a glimpse of countless raindrops falling through. Hesata was on the second floor, so he could see the view of the palace, where the Imperial guards were in chaos because of the second explosion. Distraught nobles ran out of their rooms and discussed loudly about the audacity of the terrorist, which could be heard from outside the room of Demir Noceur.

    ¡°How dare they?¡±

    ¡°What a terrible night!¡±

    ¡°Tsk! The guards dug up all my personal luggage!¡±

    ¡°The Queen is being too slow. She hasn¡¯t caught the culprit yet!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of locking us up in the palace? What an imbecile woman.¡±

    ¡°She should step down and give up the throne!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Outsider who doesn¡¯t carry the royal blood shouldn¡¯t rule Lumovas.¡±

    Some factions opposing the Queen took this opportunity to criticize the impotence of her people for letting the culprit escape. However, it stopped at the level of talking. Under the Queen¡¯s command, the nobles must stay in the palace until they were proved to have no relation with the bombing culprit. Despite the dissatisfaction, they were not powerful enough to go against the Imperial troops of the Queen, so while they apparently obeyed, the nobles tried to snitch on her to the one of the Imperial Court¡¯s Head, Demir Noceur.

    Demir Noceur was politically influential enough to threaten the current ruler of Lumovas. Everyone wanted to have a chance to speak with him personally, but the man refused to open the door to greet them. Even so, the nobles still gathered outside his room, since they felt more at ease staying close to the strongest man in the empire while the dangerous terrorist was still in the palace.

    After a few minutes, a figure revealed herself from the building¡¯s shadow. Her hair had the same color with the warm light from the room, but it was wet and messy in the rain.

    She seemed confused because of the window¡¯s position at first, but after seeing the redhead Hesata, she kicked the wall to jump up to the second floor¡¯s window easily. Grabbing the window¡¯s sill, Eithne climbed in and saw the most unwanted person to be there.

    ¡°What the fu¡­. High Priest.¡±

    Coarse word almost escaped her mouth. Luckily, the priestess held herself down timely. Eithne bowed her head to the High Priest while she secretly threw a questioning look at Hesata. The guy then faked coughing and glared back.

    ¡®This fella¡­Tsk.¡¯

    Eithne suddenly regretted not jumping back out the window.

    Demir Noceur crossed his legs. The situation somehow resembled a parent having been waiting for their wild child to come home at a late hour. If he held a broom or a slipper in his hand, Eithne would seriously believe that she was going to get an ass-whooping.

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    ¡°I see you found a way back without getting noticed.¡± ¨C Demir unconcernedly said.

    Eithne slightly raised her head. The High Priest looked at her soaked outfit. There was a faint smell of blood mixed in the moisture scent from the heavy rain. The High Priest¡¯s voice seemingly grew colder.

    ¡°Whatever you did out there, did you erase all the traces?¡± ¨C He asked.

    Eithne did not expect Demir Noceur would be asking something like that.

    ¡°Yes I did.¡±

    Not a single spark of light reflected back from her dark eyes, she stared at him through the gaps on her wet fringe that almost flattened on her forehead. Maybe it was because of the injury on her leg and the rain that wore her down, Eithne was exhausted. She was not even in a mood to fret over Demir Noceur¡¯s opinion on her now.

    Whatever his intention¡­ ¡®Tsk. I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s put up no more shit today.¡¯

    Suddenly, the fear of losing her life to his hand subdued gradually. The original Eithne Noceur had not done anything wrong and so did her. There should be no reason for Demir to kill her, why should she be afraid of the forecasted future of the comic?

    After all, the future already changed with her presence as Eithne Noceur.

    ¡®I won¡¯t die that easily.¡¯

    Like a beast finally woke up, the darkness in her eyes circled and withdrew. The priestess returned to her normal state.

    ¡°High Priest. I believe I¡¯ve encountered the culprit of the bombing incident.¡±

    Before Demir Noceur had a chance to investigate her, Eithne decided to be proactive. She told everything to Demir and Hesata, except Raphael¡¯s identity which was replaced by a mysterious man wearing a blank white mask. She described the culprit¡¯s power as ¡®holy power¡¯ since the healing potion did not work, even showing her injury as evidence.

    ¡°Then, the priests of the Peace temple are suspected.¡±

    After hearing what Eithne said, Demir knocked his fingers on the table. The man¡¯s eyes were gleaming with amethyst light, scanning every single change of her expression. Eithne calmly stared back. She could feel the Chaos power examining her to see if she told the truth. It reminded Eithne of the day when the High Priest used his power on her for the first time and completely knocked her down. It was scary, however, the fear was just like a quivering worm in the vast emptiness of her heart, which Eithne was no longer paying much attention to.

    The High Priest slightly raised his eyebrows. His Chaos divine power was able to interfere in the target¡¯s mind regardless of their state. He found nothing unusual of Eithne, but it was not because she seemed normal. It was because Demir sensed nothing from her.

    Not a single trace of mind signal, as if his power had just entered a boundless and hollow abyss¡­

    ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¨C Demir slightly smirked.

    It seemed the kid had grown up enough to resist back.

    ¡°You may go to rest. We will depart to go back to the temple tomorrow.¡± ¨C He said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t we need to report to her Majesty, sir?¡± ¨C Hesata asked.

    The High Priest picked up his teacup again. The bright purple light of Chaos in his eyes had not withdrawn, instead, it was swirling faster.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This incident is just her Majesty¡¯s prank.¡± ¨C He said, unconcernedly. ¡°We don¡¯t need to stay here and suffer from her mischief.¡±

    ¡°Her Majesty¡¯s prank???¡±

    Both Eithne and Hesata shouted in surprise. Then they looked at each other¡¯s horrified faces.

    ¡°Then¡­ that person who fought with me before is also one of the Queen¡¯s people?¡± ¨C Eithne asked.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± ¨C Demir sipped the tea.

    What????

    Hey hey¡­ What a joke. Raphael Ascian might be the Queen¡¯s underling? Unbelievable.

    But¡­ but what kind of Queen played such an evil prank on her citizens? Although nobody died, the impact of the explosion was seriously dangerous.

    Eithne frowned. ¡®Wait¡­ could it be that in the future of the comic, the villain Raphael Ascian appears because the Queen wants to avenge the main characters who took her throne? Since Raphael is likely on the Queen¡¯s side.¡¯

    ¡°I haven¡¯t told you because I just found out about it a moment ago.¡± ¨C The High Priest continued. ¡°She nagged me about my people interrupting her plan.¡±

    Eithne wiped the sweat on her forehead. She was not sure how to react to this situation. Should she be happy since Raphael was not a real threat to Lumovas¡¯s royalty, or should she worry because she had disturbed the Queen?

    But even so, Raphael sure was fast. He already contacted the Queen to tell the High Priest even before Eithne arrived here. Could it be that she had not wounded him enough?

    ¡°But why did Her Majesty do this?¡±

    Hesata was still in shock. Bombing was not a joke!

    But the High Priest did not seem to be unsettled. His bright eyes looked out the window in the direction of the main castle in the palace, as if he was observing what the ruler of Lumovas was scheming in her room.

    ¡°Who knows? She might want a more festive atmosphere on her birthday.¡±

    __

    When Hesata finally dragged Eithne out of the room to get treatment for her calf, Demir Noceur let out a sigh.

    It had been ten years since the day he picked those orphans up and raised them in the temple of War. They somehow kept the title of ¡®Troublemakers of the War temple¡¯ for all these years. Even the Vice High Priestess, who used to be their nanny when they first arrived at the temple, had given up babysitting and always nagged at Demir to punish them. However, they were the only children who had the guts to continue to misbehave after receiving punishment. No matter if it was cleaning, hard training or spanking, as long as it would not cost their life, they would keep finding a way to stir things up.

    Especially Eithne, the one whose face rarely expressed strong emotion, yet she made everybody worry the most...

    Demir remembered after a few months since the day that little girl joined the temple, he was still working as the Imperial Military General who led the continental war. On the day when the Sun completely hid behind dark clouds, he was lying silently waiting for his death. The troops were ambushed by suicidal resistance fighters, and he had been badly injured since previous battles. The resistance force from other kingdoms also had priests carrying the holy power of their God. They were determined to kill the General, even if it would take their own life.

    If it had not been for his subordinates risking themselves to save him, Demir might have lost his life on the battlefield without a chance to see the children for the last time.

    The red-haired brat and blonde-haired girl cried their guts out next to his bed.

    The old man smirked. Back then, he used to think that they were so noisy that he would rather die sooner than hearing their weep. The Vice High Priestess had to bring them away so he could rest.

    However, when Demir opened his eyes again, awaiting him was not death but a blood-soaked figure of a small girl lying coldly next to his bed, while he had been healed enough to live on.

    Needless to say, Demir was scared the crap out of him.

    He begged the god of War to save her. When the Noceur beast''s divine power entered her body, Eithne woke up, but she had forgotten about that day.

    God told him to keep silent about this incident.

    ''Fate will rewind.'', the mighty god''s prophecy imprinted on every inch of his mind.

    As a result, only the High Priest, very close subordinates such as the Vice High Priestess and other faction chiefs knew about this.

    Demir Noceur leaned back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling.

    The image of the ten-year-old girl drenched in blood had been engraved in his heart deeply. She had been the one impulsively throwing away her life like that, to trade for someone else¡¯s life.

    "Oh Great Lord, that child is showing some dangerous signs again..."

    __

    ¡°Hey, look at this.¡±

    Hesata touched the white electric current with his finger. Instantly, several strands of his red hair stood up.

    Eithne smacked his hand.

    ¡°Stop messing around. Are you really here to help me?¡±

    She concentrated the dark power to isolate the electricity on her calf. Dark threads spread out to wrap up the white light like a cocoon, revealing her burnt flesh. Hesata clicked his tongue.

    ¡°No wonder I smell roasted meat.¡±

    He helped her clean the wound by damp cloth, then he wrapped her leg up with a lot of bandages. So many layers of bandages made her calf look like a huge salami now.

    "Why did you bandage my leg so much ??" - Eithne protested.

    "So that you can''t run away causing trouble. Heh, you can hug your leg like a pillow too."

    "What??"

    "Just lying still you smelly roasted duck."

    Eithne raised the middle finger at Hesata''s face, but he just smirked. He then tightened the bandage, making Eithne gritted her teeth because of pain.

    ¡°This punk¡­¡± - Eithne scoffed.

    She looked in her hand.

    An orb of black threads enclosing the white power was floating above her palm. It strangely emitted a gentle warmth, reminding her of the desk lamp that she put in her previous life''s bedroom. Even when the white power was covered by the black thread, its bright halo still escaped and lightened up Eithne¡¯s face.

    It was hard to believe that such a destructive power could be this wonderfully beautiful.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to let it go¡­ ¡®

    Eithne bitterly smiled. Ironically, she found serenity in her enemy¡¯s power.

    However, the light soon faded away in the dark orb.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hesata tilted his head.

    ¡°Is this the power of that person who injured you?¡±

    Eithne nodded.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ May I borrow it?¡± ¨C He asked.

    Eithne transferred the orb to Hesata¡¯s hand. The red-haired priest observed it for a while, right before the white light completely disappeared, a crimson fire appeared and gobbled up the dark threads outside. When the fire reached the dimming light, they mixed in and brightened up at a scary speed.

    A red lightning cut the air before it exploded.

    Flash! BANG!

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Grey smoke flew up. Now Hesata¡¯s hair at his front head all stood up. Eithne frowned. Her hair was also so charged up that it became frizzy.

    ¡°Why you little¡­¡±

    ¡°If you told me that Saint Raphael beat you up, I¡¯ll believe it.¡± - Hesata said with his mouth twitching.

    Eithne flinched inside.

    "How would you be so sure that''s him?"

    The guy wiped his hair down.

    ¡°Currently the priests of Peace are the most suspected to have fought with you. I heard about Saint Raphael¡¯s holy power before. It¡¯s said to be quite shining like that power.¡± ¨C He said.

    ¡°But can I ask the reason why you made it explode?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ heh heh, I just want to do a little experiment~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne raised her middle finger to Hesata¡¯s face again. He brushed it off and stood up.

    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll go to sleep now. You should go to sleep too. We will need to attend one last event before we can head home.¡±

    Hesata picked up the bowl of candies on the table nearby and placed it in Eithne¡¯s lab.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep. Eat this and you¡¯ll faint.¡±

    Eithne looked at the candy¡¯s flavor, it was peach.

    ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    Hesata left the room.

    Eithne sighed.

    It looked like she could not hide the fact that Raphael attacked her for long. Hesata and the High Priest might have guessed it was him already, so what should she do to establish a connection with Raphael?

    ¡®I¡¯m clueless about my future plan.¡¯

    She switched off the mana stone lamp on the table, lied down on the bed and closed her eyes.

    Eithne started to think about the possibility of Raphael being the Queen¡¯s underling. The comic actually had not finished, so she was not sure if there would be someone else scheming behind Raphael Ascian.

    Honestly, she knew Raphael was the endgame¡¯s villain because of spoiler comments under each chapter. They said the original novel of this adaptation comic had Raphael play the role of the boss antagonist that the main characters had to defeat.

    The problem was that she could not find the original novel anywhere on the internet, so the spoilers had not been proved to be true. However, the current timeline was ten years earlier than the comic¡¯s plot so things likely changed later on. Therefore, the spoilers were not necessarily wrong.

    In case the spoilers were misleading and potential plot twist said Raphael was actually a hero¡­ Eithne did not think so. From head to toe of that guy, he was shining in a ¡®villain¡¯ aura.

    ¡°Urgh. Whatever¡­ I¡¯ll sleep.¡±

    Slowly, her mind drifted away in a dream.

    She saw herself go back to her old bedroom again, reading the comic on her phone again to kill some time.

    The comic¡¯s title was ¡®I don¡¯t want to be a Saint¡¯. There were two new chapters.

    She clicked on the web¡¯s link to open the new chapter.

    The heroine Noori Gynren, a beautiful maiden who had beautiful pink hair and pale blue eyes, started her day with sweet cakes and cute magic creatures. There seemed to be nothing special, until a mysterious hand covered Noori¡¯s mouth and dragged her away.

    Noori lost consciousness. Everything sank in darkness.

    When she opened her eyes again, the heroine was dazzled by the abductor¡¯s handsome appearance. It was a man whose hair was as white as snow and whose eyes were as clear as green lakes. He had a similar face with Raphael.

    However, Eithne suddenly felt like that person was not him.

    ¡®Fake!¡¯ ¨C She shouted.

    But the comic went on as if it meant to repute her statement. The abductor introduced himself as Raphael Ascian and said something to the heroine who was tied up on the floor. He facepalmed and laughed maniacally¡­

    The scene was a total disappointment to Eithne.

    His appearance, his actions... nothing was the same as she remembered. He was not as stunning as her impression of him. His green eyes¡­ once touched her heart, they were shimmering during the afternoon when they first talked to each other. She clearly remembered they were still lively even in the dark.

    Yet, those eyes were dull and boring in the comic¡¯s page.

    His actions, she did not know him well, but the temperament of Raphael Ascian that she personally experienced would never show such prematurely demented act.

    ¡®It¡¯s driving me crazy!¡¯

    She was angered because of how they turned her favorite character into a mess. Although he almost killed her, she still wanted to keep the character original. Eithne did not want to admit that she weirdly became that person''s admirer, but her perfectionism did not accept this failed version of Raphael Ascian.

    She turned off the phone and threw it aside on the bed.

    Maybe she had expected too much... maybe that was the truth but she stubbornly refused...

    But she felt like the character Raphael just died in her heart.

    ''Horrendous!''

    She wanted to wake up, yet she was unable to escape this dream no matter how hard she tried to move her body again.

    Somehow, this dream felt so nightmarish.

    ¡®Urgh¡­¡¯

    ¡®Wake up!¡¯

 Chapter 11: Nightmare shattered

    ¡°Am I even dreaming right now?¡±

    She jumped up and down, hoping to escape the dream but to no avail.

    Eithne touched the desk, the bed, the phone. Their surface felt real. Her bare feet touched the cold wooden floor, they were sore and shivering with the chilliness.

    The moldy smell from the toilet opposite her bedroom reached her nose. The bedroom was small and cramped, with the heater constantly running on yet it could never erase the frigid air of the room. There was a lazy and tired atmosphere that accumulated for months under the ceiling. Once it draped over the girl¡¯s shoulder again, her mind dipped into drowsiness.

    ¡°It¡¯s really my old room¡­¡±

    The room that the sunlight could never touch was even colder than the outside of the house. The desk lamp was bright and silent. The heater was loud but it only shouted meaningless sounds.

    Occasionally, she heard cars running past the road in front of the house.

    ¡°It¡¯s my old body¡­¡±

    Eithne looked at her hands, which were much smaller than the original priestess¡¯s hands and had neither callus nor scar. There was a lack of strength in her muscles, and she could see her long black hair flowing down on both of her shoulders.

    She quickly went in front of the mirror to check.

    It was that same old face!

    The appearance of a young adult who seemed over-exhausted, with a pair of drooping eyes and visible dark circles around them. An expression of a person who almost forgot how to demonstrate an emotion using their face¡¯s muscles, which was naturally solemn and a bit unapproachable.

    Bang!

    Eithne slammed the mirror.

    Her original face was quite similar to the priestess Eithne Noceur, where both of them rarely exposed the feelings on their faces. However, ¡­

    ¡°Failure!¡±

    A hateful grunt escaped her throat.

    Like a crazed animal meeting its lifetime¡¯s enemy, her hands hit the mirror constantly regardless of the pain. The reflection of herself cracked and cracked. Eventually, it broke apart.

    CLANG!

    -

    The priestess opened her eyes wide in shock.

    ¡°?!¡±

    She had gone back to the guest room in the royal palace. The bed was surprisingly cozy, and the furniture was expensive and intricate. There was a cold cup of tea on the bedside drawer where the first light of dawn landed, indicating a night had passed during her sleep.

    Realizing herself having just escaped an anomalous dream, Eithne buried her face in the palms of her hands.

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±

    That same face and those eyes still contained the unmotivated and indifferent attitude toward everything. The cowardice, the sorrow, the inferiority complex¡­ All of its characteristics made her want to deny the existence of that appearance.

    Eithne unsteadily stood up and walked to the body mirror of the room.

    In the plane surface of the reflective glass, a tall woman with shoulder-length blonde hair was scrutinizing her own face.

    ¡°Ha!¡± ¨C She scoffed. ¡°I was still myself.¡±

    She thought she had already gotten rid of her previous identity and lived exactly like Eithne Noceur.

    But no,

    ¡°That monster was still here.¡±

    Her golden eyes were definitely different from the black eyes that she used to have, but they gave the same gaze. A gaze of a failure that could not control her own destiny.

    Suddenly, Eithne realized that she had been repeating the same mistake of her previous life- living cowardly.

    Demir Noceur had become a source of fear for her, for which he had murdered the original priestess of Chaos in the comic and inflicted an unforgettable pain on her soul with his divine power when he stopped Eithne in the battle with Hesata.

    Moreover, because of her timid personality, Eithne always compromised. She wanted to have a moderate connection with the villain, Raphael Ascian, so that he would not go against her as an enemy. She almost planned to beg Raphael for his help to hide from Demir¡¯s eyes and ears.

    ¡®I used to think that I had nothing to lose, so I didn¡¯t care if Raphael used me as long as he helped. How laughable.¡¯

    Raphael never did charity work, and he would rip her off if there was a chance.

    Eithne covered her face with one hand, but her golden eyes were still glaring at the mirror through the gaps of the fingers. It seemed that desperation had blinded her with foolishness. Her past pathetic way of thinking almost dug herself a grave, were it not for the nightmare that reminded Eithne how shitty her previous life¡¯s choice was.

    ¡°Huuu¡­¡±

    Eithne took a deep breath and exhaled. In the mirror, she saw that ¡®failure¡¯ self was still lurking behind the face of a priestess. Eithne instantly threw a punch to it.

    Clang! The mirror crashed and its frame fell to the ground. Bang!

    The priestess opened the large closet and placed the mirror inside. The royal palace was not similar to hotels, so they would not ask for compensation for damaged property when the guests checked out. Nonetheless, she had better hide the broken mirror or else the maids would look at her with an odd gaze.

    ¡°That¡¯s done. You¡¯re dead now.¡±

    As if talking to the previous identity of herself, Eithne Noceur dusted off her hands.

    The priestess walked to the balcony, recollecting what she had done and achieved since the day she possessed the body of Eithne Noceur. There must be a reason that she was brought into this world by the Gods. She possessed a strong power of darkness, so there must be an associating responsibility that she somehow changed the fate.

    Eithne had saved Rigel, purely for a reason that she felt a sense of guardian duty toward a child, without expecting the protagonist would return something big. If Noori, who might be a useless Holy Maiden of the Peace temple in the future, was in danger, Eithne would do the same.

    ¡®I might have quite a big heart.¡¯ ¨C She thought.

    From the balcony, the priestess gazed at the furthest point at the boundary of sky and earth.

    A thin tint of orange brushed across the purplish sky. Fluffy clouds were dyed in red and blue, floating around the emerging red sun. The fresh winds glided closely to the walls and blew up, sweeping away a part of heaviness on Eithne''s shoulder. Short and tall buildings in the palace were seemingly glowing in the youngest sandy light of the day, and together, they had formed the shape of a glorious crown on this land for centuries.

    Dawn was always Eithne¡¯s favorite time of the day, although she had never deliberately woken up early to appreciate its beauty. At the same time, sleeping in was her hobby.

    Eithne remembered the odd ability that she could see things through separate frames like seeing a comic¡¯s panels. She wondered if it could be triggered again. All the time that she had that strange vision, Raphael was always nearby.

    The method to trigger it was still ambiguous. Eithne just closed her eyes and shifted all her focus to the sensation of the eyes, imagining her irises were splitting like multiplying cells¡­

    After a short time, a total of nine rectangular screens unfolded in front of her. Eithne felt like she was sitting before a monitor of many security cameras at different angles. The ¡®cameras¡¯ were placed randomly, most of screens were displaying unfamiliar places that Eithne was not even sure where they were. Regardless, there were still three screens being useful.

    ¡®Speaking of the devil, here he comes.¡¯

    One of a kind, there was only one eccentric person who was way too confident with his hiding skill, that he wore a distinctive white robe when he spied on someone else. In the fifth screen, Raphael Ascian was found sitting leisurely on a branch of a shady tree, watching the newly appointed building for the Quenaz¡¯s diplomats.

    Eithne stepped on the balcony¡¯s handrail and jumped off.

    Her figure quickly vanished into the bushes¡¯ shadow.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t use the staircase again. That girl just hopped off from the balcony.¡±

    From the lower window, Hesata sighed, looking at the priestess¡¯s back. His hand held a magical communication device that was similar to a Rubik''s cube. The person that he was contacting was none other than Demir Noceur.

    ¡°Now please excuse me, I need to go to the restroom. I¡¯ve been watching her all night and she slept like a dead pig. I believe I deserve to sleep like that too.¡± ¨C Hesata spoke in the cube. ¡°I can¡¯t tail her, she would know right away.¡±

    The man on the other side of the communication tool was silent for a while. Then, he said shortly.

    ¡°You may be dismissed.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Hesata threw the communication tool aside and put his face down onto the pillow. He had been assigned the task of keeping an eye on the action of Eithne Noceur for a whole night, but it was not just simply watching, he had to tense up his mind to find any smallest fluctuation of mana and spend a lot of holy power to sense any intervention of other Gods¡¯ disciples to the priestess of War temple.

    ¡®Fuck!¡¯ ¨C Hesata cursed in his dream.

    The High Priest had suspected Eithne and so did him, since the day she began to use some kind of dark-related power yet its origin was unconfirmed. Thus, they began to secretly observe her.

    Just half an hour ago, Hesata found something odd.

    It was not the first odd thing that he found at the priestess, but it gave him a deep sense of unease this time.

    ¡°I¡¯m probably overthinking¡­ Maybe it was just my hallucination?¡± ¨C Hesata murmured, fiddling a corner of his pillow.

    He had been observing the status of mana around Eithne Noceur.

    A normal person was always connected to nature, and they would exert impacts on the surrounding mana. A powerful magic user would create strong ripples on the mana environment around them, while the people without magic ability would weakly push around the mana in the air. Even dirt and rocks had mana flowing between them, though it was hard to detect.

    There was almost no place in this world that had no mana. Mana moved constantly and was impossible to stop. It was the base of magic. Therefore, Hesata was studying Eithne¡¯s influence on mana to see if something was off.

    Most of the time, it was normal.

    However, five seconds before Eithne woke up, the field of mana was suddenly dead silent.

    It was so silent as if time froze.

    The mana was unable detected during that moment. Hesata had been so familiar with the constantly moving mana that he was shocked that a vacuum appeared out of nowhere.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Suddenly, a small crack was heard from an unknown source. After an eyeblink, the mana showed themselves again.

    The phenomenon only happened shortly in the priestess¡¯s room, the outside remained the same.

    Hesata recalled the time when he fought Eithne in her darkfield. His magic cast from mana felt slow so he decided to fully use the holy power to fight her. Hesata thought it was because of himself who lacked the practice, but it might be a different case.

    The mana, an irreplaceable force of nature, was either lost or slowed down around that priestess.

    ¡®This is crazy!¡¯ - Hesata grabbed his hair.

    He was reluctant to report this to Demir Noceur, because even he could not believe it was true.

    ¡®Mana is supposed to be the essence of life, the thing that flowed along time. Things were created from mana. Mages use mana to materialize their magic. Without it, humans could not exist in the nature of this world. How the fuck is she still there if the mana disappeared?¡¯

    Hesata was totally bamboozled. The knowledge that he had accumulated for years seemed to contradict what he saw.

    "I¡¯ll have to prepare a detailed report.¡± ¨C The man spoke weakly. ¡°What kind of sorcery is she harboring right now?¡±

    -

    Eithne stood below the crown of a large tree near the building of Quenaz¡¯s diplomat, looking up at the highest branch.

    The ¡®cameras¡¯ eyesight was still operating in her mind. Eithne thought walking around with multiple vision would be arduous at first, but then she realized that she just needed to focus on the screen that had forward view and ignore the rest. In that way, she would not have to suffer a headache absorbing too much information.

    In the fifth screen, Eithne could see Raphael was a bit drowsy, regardless, he kept on watching the Quenaz servants¡¯ movement.

    Flakes of light were sprinkled on his cheek and hair through the gaps of leaves. His eyes seemingly wanted to close so bad, but Raphael blinked hard several times to stay awake. One of his legs was swinging freely, while the other leg folded up closely to his body with his hand resting on top of its knee. That man was leaning on the tree trunk amid viridescent leaves. Were it not for a wind gently moving his hair, Raphael would completely look like a hologram.

    It was six o¡¯ clock in the morning. Only servants woke up this hour, the nobles were usually still sleeping.

    That guy finally noticed a priestess looking at him, he stretched and yawned.

    ¡°You really have a talent for discovering my hideout.¡± ¨C The Saint lightly lifted the corners of his mouth. ¡°Come on up, there''s an empty seat here.¡±

    He patted on the thick tree branch that he was sitting on.

    Eithne glanced at the line of bright red fire ants crawling up on the tree trunk.

    ¡®Is it really safe to sit there?¡¯ - She furrowed her eyebrows.

    Seeing the priestess was hesitant, Raphael tilted his head.

    ¡°Come on, I won¡¯t bite.¡±

    ¡®Not you, the ants!¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought, then said. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m coming.¡±

    The priestess jumped on a tree branch and lightly launched herself up. In one breath, she already sat next to Raphael. The thick branch slightly shook as her hands grabbed it.

    ¡°Welcome to my observation deck.¡± ¨C Raphael smiled.

    His eyes cheerfully curled up as if they knew how to smile as well.

    Eithne glanced at his left shoulder. The white robe had concealed most of the injury, still she could see the maroon mark of blood on the exposed bandage''s edge.

    ¡°You left me quite a big pain here.¡±

    Raphael touched his left shoulder. His tone did not sound serious at all, although his collar bone was broken.

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    Eithne raised one of her legs where her calf had lost a chunk of flesh.

    ¡°Last time I was in a hurry so I carelessly made a mess. If it¡¯s fine with you, may I request a rematch at another time?¡±

    Raphael leaned forward and raised his hand toward her for a handshake. The priestess stared at his hand for a while.

    ¡°That depends.¡±

    ¡°I thought the priests of War temple never run from a battle?¡±

    Eithne rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve a lot of things to do besides getting hurt for no reason.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±

    Raphael was about to put his hand down, but the priestess suddenly held his hand.

    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s an honor to get to know you better, Saint Raphael Ascian.¡±

    The Saint raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was unexpected. He had anticipated her to turn a bit hostile toward him since they had just fought quite brutally. However, that woman twisted a smile on her lips. Her golden eyes were looking at him, but somehow Raphael felt like she was not focusing on him.

    He was actually right. Eithne was looking at other ¡®cameras¡¯ screens at the same time. She could not help but smile at some familiar figures that she saw¡­

    After a handshake, they sat back and conversed normally.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you don¡¯t bear a grudge against me.¡± ¨C Raphael said. ¡°But I must mention that I¡¯d like you to stay away from our business.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to cause you any more harm. Rather, I want to give you a hand.¡±

    ¡°Hm? How?¡±

    The priestess turned her head to the left to face the building of Quenaz diplomats. She did not open her mouth, but her voice suddenly came from the tree trunk next to Raphael¡¯s ears.

    ¡°My superior is watching both of us, so don¡¯t be too surprised.¡±

    Raphael quickly stiffened his body. The expression on his face remained happy, but his eyes had turned cold.

    Eithne glanced at him. ¡®How professional.¡¯ ¨C She thought.

    When Eithne sneaked out from her room¡¯s balcony, she had seen Hesata looking at her in the eighth ¡®camera¡¯ screen. It was not really surprising that she then saw Demir Noceur start to look out from the window of his room as well. The High Priest¡¯s eyes were gleaming with bright purple light, indicating that he was using the divine Chaos power.

    Eithne knew what Demir¡¯s ability was. It was a secret kept by him and his loyal comrades, but Eithne had read the comic beforehand. In a chapter where the heroine Noori Gynren became famous as a new Holy Maiden of the Peace temple, Demir Noceur had used his power to spy on Noori. The divine Chaos power granted Demir an ability of far observation and attacking the target¡¯s mind regardless of their defense.

    Eithne had tasted the pain that Demir inflicted on her mind despite her dark power¡¯s protection during the battle of Hesata, so she must be extremely careful. Demir Noceur was spying on her, however, Eithne was also looking back at him through the second ¡®camera¡¯ screen.

    The voice in the tree trunk continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡±

    Small ripples strangely appeared on the tree trunk, and a small creature stepped out, standing on Raphael¡¯s left shoulder. The creature, which looked like a tooth fairy in horror movies, was a forest spirit that followed Eithne from the Isny village¡¯s woods.

    The hand resting on his knee clenched into a fist, but Raphael calmly looked aside as if he inadvertently discovered a small bug on his robe.

    Eithne actually did not want the creature to step on Raphael¡¯s injury, but Demir was looking from the right so there was no other choice.

    ¡®Oh well.¡¯ ¨C She thought.

    The High Priest¡¯s target was Eithne.

    Demir¡¯s ability sounded overpowering, still it had disadvantageous aspects. First, his range of vision was limited based on the target¡¯s position. Demir could not see further than the standing point of his previously chosen target. Second, his point of view. He could only spectate the situation in the relative direction to his position, which meant if he was looking from the right and the target covered an object on their left side, Demir could not see that object unless he was looking from a much higher building. Raphael was sitting perpendicularly to the direction of Demir¡¯s gaze, so he could not see the spirit hiding on Raphael¡¯s left shoulder.

    Lastly, he would not have known that Eithne knew his secret. Thus, a small act pretending the priestess and the Saint were having a friendly conversation was sufficient. Demir might suspect, but there would be no evidence.

    Thankfully, Demir could see far, but not hear. Nonetheless, that former war General had too much experience guessing words through his enemy¡¯s mouth movement, so Eithne had to ask someone else to transfer her words.

    The spirit then whispered into Raphael¡¯s ears.

    ¡°--- I can¡¯t go back until Lumovas¡¯s ships fall into sea monster¡¯s mouth. ---¡±

    It was the same voice of the Quenaz diplomat¡¯s leader.

    Raphael did not express any emotion on his face, but his eyes entirely focused on the spirit. After relaying the message, the spirit withdrew into the tree trunk again.

    ¡°Any guarantee?¡± ¨C Raphael asked.

    Eithne made a hand gesture similar to the finger gun pointing upward. Faint gray holy power wrapped her fingers.

    ¡°Promise the truth in the name of War God.¡± ¨C She murmured.

    It was a formal vow that could only be made by priests where they risked the name of God to guarantee the sincerity of the vow. In this case, Eithne only vowed that the voice recorded by the spirit truly belonged to the Quenaz¡¯s diplomat.

    ¡°I think the Queen¡¯s faction might need this. However, my information does not guarantee the final result.¡± ¨C She declared. ¡°Also, this is my personal support, not from the High Priest of War temple.¡±

    Raphael smiled brightly again, but it felt much more sincere this time.

    ¡°Your support is a great help for us. Meeting you today is the right choice. By chance, what¡¯s the cost for this information?¡±

    ¡°Since you hide so well, prepare me a safe hideout too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll welcome you at the Peace temple anytime.¡±

    The Saint did not ask for her reason, instead, he held the pendant of Peace temple¡¯s emblem in hand and muttered.

    ¡°As promised.¡±

    White light gleamed on his hand. Raphael also made a promise with the name of Peace God to Eithne.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± ¨C The priestess nodded to say goodbye to the Saint, but before she went, Eithne told Raphael. ¡°You should move too.¡±

    ¡°Why? I want to enjoy the scenery more.¡±

    Raphael saw Eithne looking behind him, so he also turned around to look.

    Fire ants were already crawling on his back.

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    -

    Next day, the Queen announced the proposal of Quenaz was postponed, or rather, indirectly rejected.

    Eithne heard that the Quenaz Empire offered Lumovas half authority control over the commercial sea route from the southern tip of the North continent ¨C where Lumovas dominated- to the northern tip of the West continent ¨C where Quenaz dominated. In particular, Quenaz arrogantly wanted to get rid of the influence of other smaller kingdoms and bring Lumovas as the sole business partner in the North continent.

    ¡®Sounds crazy to me.¡¯ ¨C She thought. ¡®It seems benefiting Lumovas and worsened the bad relationship between Lumovas and other kingdoms. But now I know they are aiming at Lumovas.¡¯

    The offer enraged some of the other small kingdoms of the North continent, since they also shared the same sea route to trade goods with Quenaz. If the two large empires collaborated to monopolize the travel route, they would have to suffer. However, those kingdoms were almost colonized by Lumovas in the continental war ten years ago, so they did not dare to spill their guts.

    Anyway, Eithne did not care much about this anymore. She had done her mission transferring the ill intention of Quenaz to Raphael, who was on the Queen¡¯s side, and earned herself an emergency shelter at the Peace temple. The priestess currently focused on packing her stuff to return to the temple. There was another banquet being held as the reparation to the guests for the commotions happened during the Queen¡¯s birthday, but Eithne would rather go home sooner to take a nap.

    ¡°Bye! See you again!¡± ¨C Rigel waved goodbye to the priest of War.

    ¡°Bye bye!¡±

    Hesata waved back energetically, while Eithne lightly nodded. She turned away to follow Demir Noceur to the transportation gate without looking back once. It would be unfortunate if she accidentally met the gaze of the Saint of Peace again, then she would have to explain and talk more.

    -

    The next two weeks were quite peaceful in the temple of War.

    Eithne just skipped all the early morning prayer time and woke up at noon every day. Then she would actively practice in the gymnasium when most people went to sleep.

    ¡°Your routine is so fucked up.¡±

    Hesata, a classical morning bird that attended every morning prayer time and general practice session, yawned and sighed deeply at the sight of energetic Eithne.

    ¡°Why are you going to bed so early? It¡¯s only ten o¡¯clock!¡± ¨C She said.

    ¡°Urgh! It¡¯s already ten, for God¡¯s sake.¡± ¨C Hesata frowned. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    He was about to close his bedroom''s door, but it was stopped by Eithne.

    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t sleep now!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s more?¡± - Hesata squinted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re lonely without me.¡±

    Eithne rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Well¡­ actually yes. Anyway, do you have the key to the library? They close the library after midnight. Yesterday, I was locked up inside when they closed it.¡±

    Since she stayed up so late, Eithne usually came to the library to look for relevant information about the unknown God that helped her save Rigel, as well as any record that might throw new light on the source of her dark power.

    However, the librarian also had the habit of sleeping early, so they had closed the library when Eithne did not notice and locked her up last night until the next morning. There were strong defense magic matrices installed on the walls of the library to protect the documents, but it was soundproof so nobody heard her shout. Eithne was uncertain whether she could break one of them to get out, but it would be better if she did not break any more property of the temple. Thus, she decided to camp in the library.

    Hesata gave Eithne a bronze key, then he went on talking.

    "Here''s the key. Don''t build a nest out of books like yesterday. It really shocked the librarian to the point that she almost fainted."

    "I won''t." - She nodded.

    "Bring the blanket with you if it''s cold. Don''t use fragile documents as your blanket. If the documents are ruined, then the High Priest will see you."

    "...I know. Yesterday was too cold so I can''t help..."

    "It''s good that you know."

    "Okay, goodnight."

    Eithne was about to leave, but the red-haired priest said one more thing.

    "Bring the food with you if you''re hungry. Just don''t... chew the book."

    "I told you it wasn''t me! It was Heinley!"

    The priestess grabbed her hair. This guy deliberately drove her nuts!

    Some of the books had teeth marks on their covers so everybody suspected her, who was locked up in the library last night. Indeed, she built an igloo out of books to avoid the cold, but it was the library''s cat Heinley chewing the books!

    She camped in the library last night so she had witnessed all the crimes of Heinley. Not just chewing the book, that cat also peed on the librarian''s seat.

    Hesata closed the door quickly before the mad Eithne kicked him, but he had not given up yet. The priest spoke through the door''s keyhole.

    "Go to the toilet before you enter the library. Urinating in public is illegal!"

    "..."

 Chapter 12: A trip on river

    Eithne glared at the tightly closed door of Hesata¡¯s room for a while, then she snorted quietly and left for the War temple¡¯s library.

    Heading to the West side of the temple, the priestess entered a large hall. Behind the wooden heavy doors, there were a hundred large bookshelves standing proudly with countless paper documents and books.

    Since this temple of War had only been built for twenty years, its resources were not as rich as other century-old temples. Even so, the mountains of documents gathered by Demir¡¯s people in twenty years were impressive. Most of them were history recordings and scriptures from various minor religions from ancient times when magic devices had not been invented. There were also some weird artifacts being displayed in the library, which were rumored to be Demir¡¯s trophies when he conquered small kingdoms ten years ago.

    Eithne saw the library staff sitting in a corner, surrounded by stacks of paper and many small objects like crystal stones and strange cubes.

    A large golden magic circle appeared under their seats. The priests clapped their hands and muttered the spell. At the same time, the objects on the floor flew up. Small magic matrices started to spread all over the surface of crystal stones, while the cube devices detached their vertices and spined steadily.

    Currently, they were trying to transfer the data on fragile old papers into magic mediums, which were the crystal seals and magic storage cubes, so that the information would not be lost easily. Later when other people wanted to view the recordings, the magic medium would automatically send the information into the reader¡¯s mind once they touched it.

    It meant that people would not need to read and scan long documents anymore.

    ¡®Incredible.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    She recalled the details in the comic ¡®I don¡¯t want to be a Saint.¡¯

    The comic did not mention the process of the main characters¡¯ achieving knowledge, it just illustrated the result that they had already known everything and defeated the bad guys.

    The heroine Noori Gynren could quickly study how to be a full-fledged Holy Maiden within a week, and perfectly passed the knowledge test of the Peace temple. The male lead Duke Rigel Solinue could somehow remember all the information about his target within one night.

    This fitted the description of a powerful male lead and a genius heroine. Eithne used to take it for granted, since such comic¡¯s genre usually contained these kinds of OP characters.

    Now that Eithne thought about this, the term ''main characters knew everything'' was only possible because of the existence of magic instruments. It was highly likely that they had used the magic storage mediums. As mentioned, a magic medium could amazingly send the information straight to the user¡¯s mind, so they need not to spend too much time reading and remembering. It was an irreplaceable puzzle piece to explain the illogical abilities of the OP main characters, yet it was barely mentioned in the comic, just being a small detail in the background.

    Those rocks and cubes could not achieve data themselves. People in the current time needed to work arduously to copy all of the documents into those devices, so the next generation - the main characters could use them in the future.

    Eithne rubbed her chin.

    ¡®Hm¡­ All the magic devices currently used in Lumovas are invented by the Royal Mages faction, funded by the Queen. Even ten years later when the comic plot started, I remember the main characters still use the same devices¡­¡¯

    Noise cancellation devices, magic detectors, shock absorption devices and communication cubes¡­ Except the teleportation gates, which the Mages faction improved, those devices were all invented by the Royal Mages faction.

    Having been living in Lumovas since she was born, the original priestess Eithne Noceur knew that the Queen was crowned five years ago when the previous Emperor passed away. The Queen immediately took the lead of the Royal Mages faction after the coronation, and turned the faction, which used to be an impractical organization, into the most prestigious center of magic research of the continent. Within five years, they had invented many brilliant products and successfully convinced the people to trust them, including the priests.

    ¡®The Queen is likely involved in the creation of magic devices¡¯ blueprint. Only after she controlled the faction, had those mages begun to create useful things¡­¡¯

    There were rumors saying the Queen was a talent mage as well, though the citizens had never seen her true strength.

    ¡®Raphael is on the Queen¡¯s side. If the Queen truly took part in designing the magic detectors, she would know where the security hole is.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    The Queen likely helped Raphael Ascian get away from detection, thus, the magic detector alarm did not go off when he used magic to fight Eithne. However, somehow Eithne¡¯s power also fell into that security hole¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The priestess shook her head. It was only an abstract theory without concrete evidence. She might be wrong.

    ¡®Let¡¯s not overthink and focus on finding the root of my power¡­¡¯

    Eithne hid herself between the bookshelves and started indulging in reading historical documents. It was a shame that the history that she was reading had not been copied into a magic medium, otherwise she would have saved a lot of time from reading.

    Manually reading was still a compulsory task for the people of this era.

    --

    ¡°As expected, there¡¯s no way I can simply find out all the sources of the problem just by looking in the library¡­¡±

    Eithne put a book back on the shelf. There had been many religions that rose and fell since ancient times, but the recordings stated none of them worshiped a God whose head was holed.

    Still, Eithne found some clues about her dark power.

    The power that was black-colored, being opposite with light and fire, and tended to corrupt life force¡­ matched the characteristics of the power possessed by the priests of Death temple.

    In this world, worshiping Death was not heretic, but it was not popular due to its scary affiliation with the demise of life. The only temple of Death of the North continent lay near the northern border of Lumovas.

    The northern land of Lumovas was mostly deserted. Forests covered about eighty percent of its area which strong monsters and dangerous beasts inhabited, so the citizens mainly moved down to the southern part of the Empire. Nevertheless, the temple of Death stood unshakably amid hordes of monsters at the northern tip of the continent.

    History recordings stated that the temple of Death had been there even before the Empire Lumovas was founded, and the priests of Death had sworn to guard the land of monsters to protect innocent people for thousands of years.

    ¡®I have to find a valid reason to run to the North¡­¡¯

    Having her goal identified, Eithne snuck out of the library without causing any noise that disturbed the library staff. The priestess silently tiptoed into the dark.

    Heinley the cat was munching on a dried fish. It flinched when a shadow flashed by, trembling the silver whiskers.

    --

    ¡°The High Priest assigned us a mission. We must go to the North.¡±

    Hesata waved a piece of paper with the list of to-do things.

    Eithne was having a headache choosing a good excuse to leave the temple and travel to the northern land. She did not expect such a fortune to fall on her head like this.

    ¡°Our main mission is going to the Northern border to investigate the activity of monsters. However, we¡¯ll have to drop by Kole fort halfway there. The fort being attacked by monsters and its teleportation gate is broken, so the High Priest commanded us to come to their aid. The Vice High Priestess¡¯s homeland is also near the Kole fort so she¡¯ll meet us there.¡±

    Hesata explained the situation. The Vice High Priestess had not returned from her vacation since last month, but it was a good thing that she could quickly come to support the Kole fort.

    Monster invasion was a common phenomenon occurring in northern territories. Each year, waves of monsters would rampage out of the forests to look for new lands to breed in about two months.

    Eithne nodded her head, but soon she noticed something was not right.

    ¡°How are the Royal troops?¡± ¨C She asked.

    An Empire could not exist if they relied solely on the strength of priests. The Royalty¡¯s troops were the country¡¯s center of military strength, being responsible for defending the country¡¯s border. They usually were the main force fighting back monster waves each year.

    ¡°The High Priest said the Queen had sent her people, but we don¡¯t know about their leader.¡± - Hesata furrowed his eyebrows.

    It seemed like the content of the mission also confused him.

    ¡°The Queen is demanding our support because it¡¯s reported that the strength of monsters has surpassed the defense of Kole. Normal soldiers could not hold much longer.¡±

    Eithne crossed her arms and leaned on the wall.

    ¡°I hope this is not another prank from the Queen.¡±

    ¡°The royals better fix the teleportation gate themselves. We¡¯ll only protect the people as Demir¡¯s wish, not to be responsible for their troubles.¡± ¨C Hesata said.

    Eithne nodded in agreement.

    Restoring the teleporting gate was costly and required a long time. The broken matrix of teleportation would need mages constantly transferring mana into it to draw the magic connection again. It usually took the royalty two to three months to fix one large matrix.

    If the situation at Kole fort aggravated too fast, the Queen may exploit the priests of War temple, who came in aid, to quickly restore the teleportation gate with minimum cost to the royalty. This had already happened once. The priests, who had been stuck with innocent people in the Kole fort, were forced to fix the teleportation magic matrix to evacuate victims. Then the royalty praised the temple a lot and threw them some honorable medals so that the priests eventually felt shameful asking for compensation.

    Since then, the High Priest was not happy whenever the Queen asked for the temple¡¯s help.

    Therefore, Demir Noceur was sending two of his highest-rank priests, Eithne Noceur and Hesata Ragnar, as well as the Vice High Priestess, to make sure they could successfully push back the rampage of monsters without the necessity of fleeing Kole fort by teleportation.

    ¡°Kole fort is in urgent need of support. We should leave tomorrow morning.¡±

    The red-haired priest resolutely said. He had an aura of a relentless warrior and naturally showed a disposition of leadership, making Eithne immediately felt a sense of loyalty. She subconsciously wanted to follow his command.

    ¡°The fastest way to Kole fort besides teleporting is catching the ferry to go upstream of Marah river.¡± ¨C Eithne said. ¡°I¡¯ll order two tickets for us right away.¡±

    Suddenly, the red-haired priest¡¯s expression turned odd. The guy was silent for a while, then fidgeting his fingers.

    ¡°Can we¡­ go by horse carriage?¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    Eithne did not understand, her eyebrows furrowed.

    Shouldn¡¯t they go as fast as possible to the warzone?

    --

    The next day, on a ferry next to Elden Wharf, which was about five miles to the East from the Capital, two priests found their seats.

    The northern land of Lumovas was cold and full of dangerous monsters, so they had to carry thick coats and weapons.

    Hesata put a long object wrapped in cloth down next to him, then sat quietly and closed his eyes to meditate. The long object was his new spear gifted by his teacher ¨C the chief of the Warrior faction.

    Eithne also had a briefcase containing a pair of machetes. The original priestess had no direct instructor, she self-taught and mostly used knives. The current Eithne was not really comfortable with short blades, but she did not know how to use other weapons so she eventually relied on the original priestess¡¯s experience of using machetes.

    In the past, the War temple¡¯s seniors did not allow two young priests to use weapons since their strength was destructive, and shock-absorption devices had not existed that time. Holding weapons in their hands, Eithne and Hesata had fought every day to decide who was stronger ¨C even when they stood outside of the training ground. Consequently, the floor of the War temple needed constant maintenance¡­

    Eithne gazed at the red-haired priest, who closed his eyes trying to sleep right after he sat down. Her finger pressed against his arm.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me.¡± ¨C The guy immediately said.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Hesata turned his head to look at Eithne with a grave expression. His face was pale.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne still wanted to talk. However,¡­

    ¡°Heuh!¡±

    He covered his mouth and was about to puke.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The priestess decided to keep silent. The ferry had yet to move, but that guy was already near dead because of seasickness. What was he going to do when the trip began?

    Indeed, the river¡¯s waves seemed especially strong today. The ferry heaved noticeably beneath their feet whenever a strong wind passed by lifting the waves higher and higher. The pale sky was cloudy today as well, indicating a not-so-good weather.

    The ferry howled loudly to announce the departure.

    Passengers quickly got to their seats. It would take about one day to reach Kole fort.

    The ferryman turned on the engine. Mana energy was poured in the magic matrices engraved on the giant propeller behind the ship¡¯s hull.

    Brumm! The propeller growled.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    The ship trembled and departed from the wharf.

    Eithne looked around. Since the teleportation gate was broken, the number of passengers on this ferry increased more than usual. The ferry was mainly used for sight-seeing purposes since it was slow, but now it welcomed a lot of people returning home in Kole fort.

    Currently, the Kole fort was in danger of being attacked by monsters. Still, the people had a lot of trust in the Lumovas royalty¡¯s troops so they did not find it alarming enough to stay away from that area. There were tourists as well, being brave enough to visit the Kole fort at this time. They looked quite relaxed as if nothing dangerous could happen, some purposely came during the monster breeding season to witness the rampage of monsters¡­

    ¡°I¡­ I will go to¡­ sleeping chamber¡­¡±

    Hesata shakily stood up and weakly dragged his luggage with him. The trip was long so there were always chambers prepared for passengers to rest.

    If he were to be here any longer, Hesata would seriously vomit his guts out.

    Eithne clicked her tongue and sighed. Such a strong and healthy lad became a deflating balloon as soon as he stepped on the boat.

    She also followed him to go to the chamber to leave her baggage, then returned to the ship¡¯s deck for sight-seeing.

    There were many people also coming to the deck to enjoy the riverbanks¡¯ view. Out of the sightseers, Eithne spotted two familiar figures.

    An aristocratic woman with light pink hair held the hand of a small girl whose hair was also pink and even fluffier. Their eyes both had the color of the pale sky.

    ¡®The heroine Noori Gynren and her mother.¡¯

    Eithne could guess their identity right away.

    The pair of mother and daughter were excitedly waving at waterbirds hovering around the ship¡¯s nose.

    The priestess slightly shook her head. She pretended not to know them and looked at the greenery on the riverbanks, but her mind was occupied thinking about her current ability.

    Eithne could use the dark power to create a field around her which increased her speed and vitality. Inside the field, invisible blades were her weapon. It could also work as a barrier stopping almost all intervention from the outside of the field, except the attacking from Demir and Raphael.

    ¡®If I could somehow make the darkness stronger, can I stop them?¡¯

    If it was impossible to stop them with the darkness, could she counter-attack or even kill them fast enough before they reached her place?

    ¡®I should prepare a trump card¡­¡¯

    The priestess glanced at the handle on the ship deck.

    A tiny ugly fairy like a zombie with dragonfly wings was hugging the metal bar. Strong winds blew its transparent wings like flying flags. If the creature let go of the metal bar, the winds might blow it away as well.

    The spirit of Isny was still following Eithne everywhere without her summons.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¨C She confusedly asked.

    The small creature raised its tiny fist and blabbed something in the spirit''s language.

    ¡°#######!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne did not understand what it was saying.

    She was not a spirit-controller who understood the spirit''s language, but she had a feeling that the spirit was cursing.

    The spirit could mimic human''s voices, but it was unable to use human''s language to express its idea.

    After transferring the secret message to Raphael, the spirit had been waiting in the tree for her next command. Eithne wanted it to continue to stay in the palace to observe the next movement of the royalty, so she left the spirit there. However, it was mistaken that she tried to abandon it thus chasing after her.

    Eithne sighed.

    The dark power forced the creature to morph into a different species. It also allowed her to control their actions at some point. Most of the Isny¡¯s spirits stayed at their original place, only this guy was determined to follow her.

    ¡°Why do you want to follow me? If you want to find a human friend so bad, you should meet a spirit-controller.¡±

    Spirit-controller was a special type of mages becoming friends with spirits to gain nature''s protection.

    The ugly fairy snorted at Eithne. Its face could not make a clear expression, yet a slight scorn was clearly displayed.

    It reminded Eithne of a quote: ¡®Mediocrities cannot understand the great mind of a high achiever.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne had just realized that most people could not see spirits, so she probably looked like a looney talking with the air. The priestess then decided to ignore the spirit.

    There was once Eithne intended to find a stronger spirit to make it her ally. However, it was not as easy as she thought.

    Few days ago, Eithne had tried to corrupt more spirits around the temple of War. The spirits around the temple were much older and stronger than the spirits in Isny.

    The darkness was deeply connected to her mood, when she saw the agonizing creatures, Eithne''s heart shuddered, thus losing control of her power. The spirits resisted fiercely and refused to submit, eventually dying from transformation failure. Eithne had stopped trying to tame more spirits since then.

    ¡®Unnecessary death is not my taste.¡¯

    She was not crazy enough to perform experiments on everything to build an army of corrupted creatures.

    While the priestess was thinking, she noticed someone was approaching her from behind. The surroundings were full of noise, still the sharp instinct kept her guard up. Eithne quickly turned back to look, which surprised the person sneaking up her back.

    It was a boy whose hair was as dark as charcoal, whose eyes were golden like hers.

    ¡°Rigel???¡±

    Rigel flinched as Eithne discovered him too fast, but soon, he smiled.

    ¡°Hello!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¨C Eithne asked.

    The boy sheepishly scratched his head.

    ¡°I was about to surprise you, but I failed. I came with Aunt Astraea to Kole fort for an excursion!¡±

    ¡°What sort of excursion in that dangerous place?¡±

    As a feeling of bad omen was churning up inside, the priestess¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tightly.

    "It''s a challenge for Solinue''s inheritor!" - He excitedly said.

    There was a small sword tied on one side of his hips, he was very proud showing the sword to everybody. The boy seemingly did not recognize the seriousness of the issue.

    Rigel was eight and a half years old, the age at which he could barely kill a monster. Although Rigel looked much healthier than he used to be due to swordsmanship practice, but monsters were not at the level which a child could handle.

    Eithne barely felt the fluctuation created from the mana in his body. In another word, Rigel was¡­ miserably weak.

    ¡®I thought the plot had changed. It seems I¡¯ve underestimated this shit.¡¯ ¨C Eithne clenched her fist.

    Unrealistic romance comic¡¯s genre usually put the young male lead into dangerous environments when they were still learning how to run, so that they would develop into an OP man for the female lead later.

    In the original plot, Rigel was so weak and had no one supporting him so he was forced to go on the battlefield at a young age to prove his talent as the Solinue¡¯s heir. As a result, the male lead was barely alive when he returned to the duchy, if not for his amazing luck, Rigel could¡¯ve died on the battlefield.

    Eithne thought that she had already prevented this development. Was Astraea belittling the support of a War temple¡¯s priestess to Rigel?

    If Eithne was just a normal priest of the Peace temple, her support would not mean much to Rigel. The temple of Peace would not stop providing healing potions to the wealthy Solinue Duchy as long as the duchy did not provoke Raphael. Except the Saint, other Peace priests were just cabbages to the duchy.

    Those greedy Solinues were only hungry for power, and afraid of power.

    As Demir Noceur ¨C one of the chairmen of the Royal Council ¨C was the leader of War temple, they had been deeply associated with the Empire¡¯s military strength.

    A highest-grade priest of the War temple had the similar strength level to a colonel whose support should not be ignored. This violent world was still relying on the strength of fist to solve most problems after all.

    Although Eithne Noceur¡¯s reputation in politics was not significant, it should be enough to keep Rigel from dangerous battlefields before his coming-of-age.

    ¡°Where is Astraea?¡±

    The priestess¡¯s voice turned cold.

    Realizing her anger, Rigel thought she was mad at him for running around without an adult.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll go back! Don¡¯t tell Astraea.¡±

    ¡°Hello priestess Noceur. It¡¯s been a long time we haven¡¯t seen each other.¡±

    A familiar woman was coming with a man that Eithne had never seen before. It was a good thing that Astraea did not make Eithne wait for too long. The priestess could guess the man accompanying Astraea was a Solinue relative based on his similar appearance¡¯s features to Astraea.

    ¡°Please explain why Rigel is going to Kole fort.¡±

    Eithne¡¯s words were still polite, but everyone could recognize the cold expression on her face.

    Astraea seemed to be a bit embarrassed at the priestess¡¯s question since she did not protect Rigel well enough as she promised. The Head of Solinue household sighed.

    ¡°The heir needs to prove his worth in order to lead the dukedom.¡±

    ¡°By sending him to the battlefield at the age of eight?¡± - A corner of Eithne''s mouth twitched up savagely. ¡°What do you expect? A child kills an army of monsters with one flick of a finger?¡±

    ¡°Please calm down, priestess. Rigel also needs to learn more about the real-life situation. I, Astraea Solinue, have sworn to protect our heir at all costs. Our guards will make sure he won¡¯t be in danger.¡±

    Astraea explained, but her words only fueled Eithne¡¯s anger more.

    ¡°And what does he have to do to prove his worth?¡±

    The priestess furiously asked.

    Although Astraea was startled inside, the Head of Solinue was full of experience dealing with people. She took a deep breath to calm herself and solidify her resolution. The noble woman began to explain, slowly dominating the atmosphere as a leader of a highly esteemed household.

    ¡°Rigel is determined to be Solinue¡¯s ruler so you don¡¯t need to worry. He just needs to prove his talent in situational leadership and swordsmanship. This is the tradition of Solinue house, so we must carry on as it¡¯s the only way that Rigel Solinue is acknowledged. No one can stop it, including you.¡±

    Her tone was meant to press Eithne¡¯s spirit down. Astraea Solinue was still a duchess whose position was higher than a priestess in the Empire. Even if Eithne¡¯s position was similar to a colonel in the Royal army, she did not have the actual authority of a colonel to threaten Astraea.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The priestess fell into silence.

    Eithne realized that she could not talk with these people anymore. It was like a joke, telling a child to handle a situation where people might lose their life to monsters. And what the fuck Rigel had to do with swordsmanship now? Unless she was retarded, Eithne knew right away that the child had to fight a monster- at least a small one.

    Eithne breathed deeply to ease her anger, knocking her finger on the ship deck¡¯s handle.

    ¡°Where is Rogers?¡±

    ¡°He is¡­¡±

    Astraea was about to say, but the man next to Astraea suddenly spoke.

    ¡°A commoner should stay where they are, don¡¯t they?¡±

    Eithne moved her gaze from Astraea to look at the person who had just intervened into the conversation. The priestess hid her irritation inside to see if he had anything more to say.

    Astraea quickly introduced the two people to each other.

    ¡°He is my cousin, Alos Solinue, who manages half of dukedom¡¯s business. This is priestess Eithne Noceur, a relative of Rigel.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¨C The man politely greeted Eithne, then with a mocking smile, said the man.

    ¡°A commoner has no right to meddle in our dukedom''s business, esteemed priestess. Filthy beings should not offend our precious heir''s eyes."

    He stopped a bit, as if thinking of the reason why the priestess argued with Astraea, Alos smiled wider.

    "I have come a long way here to witness Rigel''s greatest moment with my own eyes.¡±

    Full of derision.

    He did not care about the safety of Rigel.

    Alos Solinue was quietly witnessing the argument between Eithne and Astraea as if he was seeing a theatre play. Were it not for inconvenience, he might have brought a chair and a bowl of popcorn to look at two bickering people.

    The priestess did not greet Alos back. She averted her gaze from the noble man to look at the billowing waves of the river. The murky water seemed to be more attractive than the faces of shameless people.

    ¡®Rogers is out of this game, probably going back to Isny.¡¯

    Eithne had understood most of it without the need of Astraea¡¯s explanation. The other party in Solinue, most likely Alos¡¯s faction, had kicked Rogers out of the race.

    ¡®My influence is outweighed by a Solinue member¡¯s opinion. Or¡­

    It was Astraea being outweighed by their opinion!¡¯

    If the Duchess of Solinue - Rigel¡¯s aunt - had an unwavering resolution, she would prevent a weak child, who had just learnt the way of sword fighting for two months, from going to a battlefield at any cost. Both Eithne and Solinue members like Alos undeniably had heavy influence, but Astraea was still the one who decided. Eithne would not believe that the duchess was clueless about the level of Rigel¡¯s strength, yet she risked the boy¡¯s life to earn a temporary approval of Solinue members.

    ¡®Protect Rigel, her ass! I shouldn¡¯t have trusted Solinue people too easily.¡¯

    Eithne gritted her teeth. The monsters were reported to have surpassed the general troop level of Kole fort, which meant it was alarming enough for common people to flee away from the fort. However, the Queen had silenced most sources of news about monsters to keep the citizen¡¯s trust in royalty. Even so, the Solinue Duchy should have some informers to tell them about this, yet they dare to bring Rigel here?

    ¡®They won¡¯t bring the boy back as I say.¡¯

    Eithne had given up persuading Astraea. Talking was not effective anymore.

    Astraea and Alos were not strong fighters, but they were still confident going to Kole fort since they had rarely strong bodyguards. Eithne glanced at the mages and knights standing behind Solinue leaders.

    ¡®Tsk. They¡¯re still too weak compared to the priests of War, but I hope they can actually protect their masters.¡¯

    The priestess then glared at Alos Solinue.

    ¡®This person isn¡¯t on Rigel¡¯s side.¡¯

    From his speech, Eithne already knew that he opposed Astraea. A man held a half of Solinue¡¯s business, he was definitely coveting the seat of Duke Solinue.

    The actual culprit behind the assassination of Rigel in Isny was not found yet. Eithne had enough reasons to suspect Alos Solinue.

    Rigel saw the adults stopped arguing and glared at each other. After listening for a while, he had understood that they argued about his safety in this excursion.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about my safety. Uh¡­ uh right! Azriel also came with me!¡±

    The boy reluctantly said, thinking that if he said he was going with his friend, they would be less worried.

    However, the faces of the adults were frozen after hearing what he said.

    ¡°Which Azriel¡­? Azriel the Imperial Prince?¡± ¨C Astraea asked.

    Clearly, they did not know that the Prince was coming as well.

    At that moment, a boy stepped outside from the crowd with two bodyguards behind. He lifted his hood, revealing his little handsome face.

    ¡°Rigel, I told you to keep it a secret.¡±

    Azriel Daneva sighed.

    ¡°Greeting your Highness the Imperial Prince.¡±

    Everybody bent down to greet the young prince. Alos stepped up and asked.

    ¡°Your Highness, are you leading the Queen¡¯s reinforcement troop to Kole fort?

    The prince raised his eyebrows at Alos¡¯s question. What a mischievous man, asking straight to the point.

    A simple question from Alos could cause Azriel many troubles if he answered wrongly.

    ¡°No. The reinforcement troop is under someone else¡¯s command. The Queen even kept this as a secret to me so I¡¯m also wondering who it is.¡±

    The prince acted as if he knew nothing. ¡°I¡¯m here to observe and learn from that person as well.¡± ¨C said the prince.

    A slight disappointment flashed in Alos¡¯s eyes. He did not know that Azriel had noticed all of his expressions. He believed the prince was telling the truth, since Azriel was just a young boy like Rigel. Having been manipulating the na?ve Rigel gave Alos the conceit that he could see through the young prince as well.

    However, the fact was far different from Alos¡¯s thought. Azriel Daneva had gotten used to conspiracies as someone who grew up in a royal palace.

    ¡®Cunning old fox!¡¯

    Azriel lightly frowned, but quickly, he smiled like a child who had just seen his friend again.

    Truly, he was leading the Royal reinforcement troop. This was the first outing mission that the Queen gave him, so the prince was being extra-careful.

    The Solinue would never let an inexperienced prince lead a large unit of army, and given a chance, they would try to overtake his authority. The greedy ducal leaders had been coveting the power of commanding the royal troop, they - represented the aristocracy faction - would force the weak prince to follow their instruction, in other words, making the prince their puppet.

    Not many knights had trusted and vowed allegiance to Azriel Daneva. On the other hand, the reputation of Solinue was high enough to command troops on the royalty''s behalf. Therefore, the scheme of Solinue leaders would likely succeed.

    However, if the commanding authority had fallen into another person''s hand, then the Solinue had no reason to cling on to the Imperial Prince.

    ¡®If you want to manipulate the army so bad, then try to find that none-existent commander.¡¯ ¨C Azriel thought. ¡®Haizz, I shouldn¡¯t have met Rigel here.''

    Assassins were always waiting for him so Azriel was hiding earlier. But now that he was discovered, Azriel felt annoyed.

    The prince turned to Eithne.

    ¡°Priestess Noceur. I haven¡¯t seen you since the Queen¡¯s birthday.¡±

    Eithne lowered her head as an act of respect.

    ¡°I¡¯m honored to be remembered by your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go inside to have tea?¡± ¨C Astraea suggested.

    ¡°Good idea.¡±

    Alos agreed.

    ¡°Alright.¡± - Azriel nodded.

 Chapter 13: A trip on river (2)

    Everyone went inside the ferry¡¯s tearoom, while Eithne went to find Hesata.

    After a short explanation, Hesata already understood the situation. He breathed deeply, fatigue instantly disappeared from his face. Looking at him, nobody could relate to the person who was near dead because of seasickness before.

    ¡°Listen to me, don¡¯t let temporary emotions control your mind. I know you¡¯re mad but don¡¯t choose violence.¡± ¨C Hesata sighed. ¡°Think of the consequences.¡±

    When he looked at her dour face, he knew right away that Eithne had been thinking of some bad intentions, probably throwing the Solinue off the ferry.

    The priestess nodded, seemingly approved of his advice, but who knew what was inside her head. Hesata suddenly had a headache. Actually, he still felt seasick. He just knew how to hide it well.

    ¡®I need to act fast.¡¯ ¨C Hesata thought. ¡®Urgh, I still want to vomit. Cannot supervise her with my current state, but at least I can handle the other side.¡¯

    The ¡®other side¡¯ meant the Solinue and the Imperial Prince. Hesata frowned.

    ¡®High Priest, I need a raise after this.¡¯

    While he was thinking of a strategy, the red-haired priest did not forget to drag Eithne along, just in case she ran off to somewhere that was out of his range.

    Eithne did not want to directly face the Solinue anymore so she intended to sneak up somewhere to spy on Alos Solinue, but before she slipped away, Hesata already put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Where are you going? Come with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    __

    ¡°Your Highness, which good wind brought you here?¡±

    ¡°Priest Ragnar, my respectable hero. How have you been?¡±

    ¡°I have been very well thanks to God''s blessing, your Highness.¡±

    ¡°You must be the rumored youngest priest of the War temple¡¯s Warrior faction. Nice to meet you. My name is Alos Solinue. I¡¯ve heard great things about you.¡±

    ¡°Great! It¡¯s completely mutual. Very nice to meet you too!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Duchess of Solinue, Astraea Solinue.¡±

    The reputation of Hesata Ragnar was higher than Eithne Noceur, mostly because he often went outside for the War temple¡¯s missions. Except the Imperial Prince and Rigel Solinue, everybody thought the red-haired priest was Eithne¡¯s superior.

    A thought flashed in Azriel and Hesata¡¯s mind. Since the incident of the demonstration battle, news and information about Eithne Noceur was covered by the temple of War. Demir Noceur even asked the Imperial Prince to collaborate. To keep a good relationship with the temple of War, Azriel Daneva had silenced the bodyguards, who had accompanied him that day, with bribes, but the prince knew that the incident had already reached the Queen¡¯s ears. The Queen was silent and did not make any move, indicating the royalty¡¯s cooperative attitude.

    As a result, many people only knew that Eithne Noceur was a normal priestess, including Astraea and Rigel. That was why Eithne could freely come to Isny village without any trouble, even after she caused such a fearful incident.

    Moreover, the recent bombing incident in the Royal Palace had become a hot topic so people did not notice much about the War temple. Thus, the truth about Eithne Noceur was slowly forgotten.

    Hesata Ragnar was a professional talker. Eithne just needed to quietly stand behind and observe everything, secretly admiring his smooth tongue. The original priestess and Eithne were similar, they did not talk much and often handled problems with impatience. On the other hand, Hesata had fire as his spirit element, yet ¡®hot-headed¡¯ was barely a word for him.

    Eithne did not find it annoying to be misunderstood as a lower- rank priestess than Hesata, instead, she felt lucky because people focused on Hesata, as Eithne had no good word to spare for those Solinue people. Her fist was itching, so she might as well choose violence.

    Alos Solinue eagerly talked to the priest of the War temple.

    ¡°Esteemed priest, we will hold a party next Saturday in our mansion in Capital, and I¡¯d love it if you could join us.¡±

    Everyone instantly understood that Alos Solinue wanted to form a good relationship with the red-haired priest. However, Hesata shook his head. A vague smile formed on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I won¡¯t be staying in the Capital for a long time, so I cannot attend any party.¡±

    ¡°Then when will you be back? We¡¯ll wait for you until then.¡±

    Alos had not given up. Surely, a party would be thrown in the Solinue mansion on whichever day that Hesata returned.

    Astraea suddenly felt worried. Though she and Alos were both Solinue, Alos had been the greatest opponent that Astraea ever faced in the competition for Solinue dukedom¡¯s resources. With Rigel, she had Eithne¡¯s support, but Hesata Ragnar had considerably more influence in high society. This red-haired priest was the best student of the Warrior faction Chief of the War temple. He was one of the young, distinguishable figures of the Lumovas Empire, having carried out many missions under Demir Noceur¡¯s name.

    ¡®Eithne Noceur is Hesata Ragnar¡¯s peer, yet Demir Noceur only has Hesata to work under him. It¡¯s evident that Demir favors this young priest more.¡¯ ¨C Astraea thought. ¡®He has greater potential than Eithne. I cannot let Alos take all the attention.¡¯

    If Hesata could support Astraea, then her seat of Solinue Duchess would be more secured. It also greatly benefited Rigel later when he inherited the dukedom, borrowing the power of the War priest.

    If Alos could form a friendship with Hesata Ragnar, then she and Rigel would be in danger.

    After a short thought, Astraea curved her eyes. Her beautiful lips formed a smile.

    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve met Rigel before. I¡¯d like to invite you to be Rigel¡¯s teacher. What do you think?¡±

    Having heard what Astraea said, Alos frowned. This woman wanted to use the heir of Solinue to get Hesata Ragnar to her side, he clearly knew. Nonetheless, the man quickly hid his dissatisfaction, pretending to look forward to it. Even if Hesata really became Rigel¡¯s teacher, he had some tricks up his sleeves to make this priest one of his supporters.

    ¡°Oh, how could I haven¡¯t thought about this! We¡¯d be honored if our esteemed priest becomes Rigel¡¯s instructor.¡± ¨C Alos said.

    Rigel listened to the adults, dumbfounded. Was that man going to teach him swordsmanship? How about Eithne?

    Being an instructor of the future Duke was a tempting offer. It was the prestigious position that many aristocrats wished for every night before their sleep.

    However, Hesata shook his head again.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I have to refuse your offer. I must prioritize our temple¡¯s mission first.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t refuse us too quickly. Please think about it again later.¡±

    Astraea already predicted this result. The one working under Demir Noceur must not be a frivolous person who coveted normal fame, still she let him have more time to consider. Who knew he might change his mind later?

    ¡°We are always welcoming you, priest Hesata Ragnar.¡± ¨C said Alos. ¡°By the way, what kind of mission must you travel such a long way to here?¡± ¨C he asked, trying to gain some information.

    Hesata did not answer the question, instead, he turned to the Imperial Prince.

    ¡°Your Highness, are you coming to Kole fort as well?¡±

    Azriel was having fun watching two Solinue people fighting each other in the dark, he did not expect that Hesata would make him lead this conversation too quickly. The Imperial Prince nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming to Kole to learn.¡±

    He said, then pointing to his two bodyguards standing behind.

    ¡°These are two mages coming from The Royal Mages faction to help Kole fort.¡±

    A woman and a man stepped up. They both wore ivory-colored robes and held long staffs in their hands.

    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Evie, a mage from the Royal Mages faction.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m Liam. Nice to meet you all.¡±

    Their staffs were made of precious materials like white crystal that shone beautifully in the dark. Each detail of decoration on the staffs was top-notch intricate ¨C one had a lion head, one had an eagle head ¨C which had mana light constantly flowing inside. The staffs were objects indicating the mages¡¯ prestige, as well as showing off the royalty¡¯s wealthiness.

    The mages were absolutely highest ranked. Hesata could sense their mana''s fluctuation being five times stronger than all the guards of Solinue - meaning the two mages were five times stronger than Solinue''s elite guards!

    Rigel looked at the beautiful staffs in bewilderment. There were mages in the Solinue mansion as well, but their staffs were hardly as ravishing as these mages¡¯ staffs. Many poor mages could only use wooden sticks to cast spells, thus deduction in power¡¯s effectiveness.

    ¡°Wow, these staffs are so pretty! Are you going to be a mage as well, Azriel?¡±

    The young boy asked. There were stars of admiration blooming in his eyes.

    Azriel scratched his head.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. I think becoming a mage is more suitable to me than swordsmanship¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, can I see your staff?¡±

    A prince¡¯s staff should be even more dazzling than those mages¡¯ staff. Rigel eagerly looked at Azriel, but the Imperial Prince¡¯s expression was a bit off.

    ¡°Of course¡­ The Queen made it for me herself.¡± ¨C Azriel said.

    Other people became extremely curious. The Queen crafted a staff for the young prince herself! They wanted to see what it looked like too.

    However, the prince cut down their excitement.

    ¡°It¡¯s a precious gift so I¡¯ll show it to you later, Rigel. I¡¯m tired now, let¡¯s have dinner.¡±

    Azriel knew Rigel could not keep his secret for long, so he decided to stop this conversation¡¯s development. The Solinue people were a bit disappointed, but they could not boldly ask the prince to show his staff.

    Looking at the sky, it was already dark, a perfect time for dinner.

    Everybody headed to the dining room after the prince.

    _

    Eithne did not join the dinner. She silently walked to the ship deck.

    Hesata saw the priestess leaving but he did not stop her. He had to attend the dinner with the Imperial Prince as the representative of the War temple.

    Moreover, his stomach was still churning. The deck must be more unstable than inside the ship, if Hesata went out, he might puke.

    Looking at Eithne¡¯s back, the Ragnar priest murmured.

    ¡°Eithne, you¡¯re the only hound in the pack that Demir couldn¡¯t control¡­¡±

    Demir Noceur gave them - the orphans- a home for a sole reason: become his hands. Hesata had become the High Priest¡¯s dog to repay the favor, but Eithne seemed to stray away from the pack¡­

    ¡°But sometimes the collar needs to be loosened¡­¡±

    A slight smirk twisted on his lips, Hesata glanced at the lone priestess. Her tall figure entered the blue sunset in the wide sky, becoming a part of the invading darkness from the earth.

    He was not worried about Eithne. Demir told him to find out about Eithne¡¯s source of power, not observing her every second. Although Hesata was seasick that he could not supervise her, it was a part of the plan.

    He was fishing for something bigger.

    Eithne¡¯s guard should drop gradually when he was unable to follow her. She would move more freely.

    Later when he pulled back the fishing rod, or the leash, the lone hound should have enough time to bite a bigger prey, surprising him.

    In the deep crimson eyes of Hesata Ragnar, there was a burning ember which hid itself under a stack of cold firewood. It was unpredictable which branch of firewood was going to be touched by the fire first¡­

    Eithne stepped on the wooden floor of the ship deck. The winds were getting colder as the ship was closer to the northern land. Her hair was blown messily in the breaths of air.

    Darkness rose again. It was an infinite cycle of life. The sun went up and down so many times that it was taken for granted. The moon showed itself, but its light was so weak that the road ahead was barely visible in normal people¡¯s eyes.

    A dense humidity swirled in the atmosphere. Everything was dull and dark. Unattractive night scenery disappointed several tourists, so they gradually returned inside the ship for the exuberant buffet dinner. Soon, harmony melodies were played by musicians in the ferry¡¯s large cabin. Warm light escaping from the windows made the ship look like a floating golden lantern on the river.

    Nonetheless, Eithne was not affected by the joyous sounds inside. She was just staring at the murky river water.

    Hesata¡¯s little plan¡­ How could she not know? Eithne sighed.

    Hesata Ragnar understood Eithne Noceur most, likewise, no one could know Hesata Ragnar better than Eithne Noceur.

    ¡®¡­ But I¡¯m not Eithne Noceur.¡¯

    The priestess smiled feebly. This secret, she wanted to hide it until she lay under her grave. No one should know the truth.

    ¡°It seems like I couldn¡¯t stay in the War temple longer¡­¡±

    Since the day she discovered that Demir and Hesata were keeping her under their surveillance, she had been insecure. She would often open all of her nine eyes ¨C the ¡®cameras¡¯ that watched others¡¯ movement.

    The eighth eye had been observing Hesata for a long time.

    The second eye was watching Demir Noceur, but due to the far distance, its function was disabled. She could not see him through this eye anymore.

    Opening ¡®cameras¡¯ would wear down Eithne¡¯s mental power quickly, if not, she would have spied on them every day.

    ¡®Until now, I can only see through five eyes. From left to right, the first one is the front view, the seventh one is the back view. The second and the eighth eyes can be used to watch different people. The fifth eye only sees Raphael. The rest are disabled.¡¯

    There was a three-by-three screen appearing in front of Eithne. She had been practicing a lot to identify the function of each eye, though she was not sure why they distributed like that. The fifth eye had only worked twice when she met Raphael. There were four eyes that were deactivated, their role was unknown.

    Eithne leaned on the cold metal handle. A spirit flew up and landed on her shoulder.

    ¡°Is it him?¡± ¨C She asked.

    The spirit nodded strongly. It said something more in the spirit''s language, but she did not really care. Her suspicion was confirmed ¨C Alos Solinue had been in the Isny forest, witnessed by the forest spirit of Isny.

    The spirit opened its mouth. A man¡¯s voice eerily came out from its neck.

    ¡®Ha! That wench thought if she could find the heir back, then we can¡¯t take the duke position.¡¯

    ¡®You are too noisy.¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    The voice was croakier than Alos¡¯s voice that Eithne heard this afternoon, but the spirit did not point the wrong person. It could differentiate a person based on their smell and many other aspects. Alos Solinue was definitely the culprit behind the assassination of Rigel Solinue. And the spirit was replaying the voice recording just to give more proof to the allegation.

    Eithne was watching Alos Solinue eating with other people through her second ¡®camera¡¯. After the confirmation of the spirit, she closed all nine eyes.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    No need to watch anymore.

    Malice swirled up in her mind.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Alos Solinue¡­ a weakling, just one smack and he was done for. His bodyguards? Needless to say, they were also like thin papers. Solinue¡¯s guards could not stop her, neither did the royalty¡¯s mages.

    They were all weak.

    However, it was so close yet so far.

    Hesata would not let Eithne simply kill an aristocrat right before his eyes. And Demir Noceur, he would not stand still either. After killing Alos, Eithne was not sure that she could survive the next day if the High Priest was determined to make her pay for the murdering crime.

    The safest way was to reveal Alos¡¯s crime to the world so that the royalty would execute him.

    ¡°But it isn¡¯t my style.¡±

    Too humanitarian.

    If Eithne could not kill the culprit by her own hand, she could not sleep peacefully.

    Also, Alos was not the only one that Eithne wanted to kill.

    ¡°All involved people should die as well¡­¡±

    Her voice was cold like it came from the abyss. It felt like her throat was thirsty for blood as well.

    Darkness gradually seeped in her eyes. She was still staring at the murky water, as if there was a treasure box lying on the river¡¯s bed.

    The spirit could sense her mood. Its wings trembled in excitement. The power of dark was like a drug that it was addicted to, causing the creature to feel a bit bloodthirsty.

    After a while, Eithne finally looked up at the sky. A piece of pale moon and several twinkling stars were just a small part of the wide sky. She could not see any way on the ground since it was dark, but she could still see the open space on her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t find a place to live in this wide world.¡±

    Sooner or later, she would betray the temple of War. It was an inevitable outcome. The temple was like a chain that tied her down, but she did not like to be controlled by them. She was not Eithne Noceur, she had no bond with this place. Someday, she would leave for further lands and water.

    Cold winds continued to pass by her. What humans desired did not matter to them, they would continue to blow for many next centuries, even if the human turned into dust in the flow of time.

    It was uncertain how long Eithne had been standing on the ship deck.

    Until dark clouds covered the far horizon, and lightning flashed, she had not left.

    What was beyond the muddy water, no one knew, but Eithne was looking for a way in the least expected place. She was staring at the river again, until she saw a small boat lunging forward to keep up with the large ferry¡¯s speed.

    On the deck of the small boat, there stood a man holding a large cider mug. Meeting Eithne¡¯s gaze, the man smirked, raising his mug to her.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    A corner of Eithne¡¯s mouth twitched.

    Even if the man was burnt into ashes, she could still recognize him.

    Wearing a brown Breton cap to cover his white hair, he held down the big scarf wrapping around his neck. His loose jacket was blown backward like a cape in the strong gales.

    ¡°All important figures are gathered here.¡±

    The male lead, the female lead, the prince, the villains.

    Eithne smiled dryly.

    Raphael Ascian sipped the hot drink in his mug, comfily squinting his eyes. The man waved at the priestess, inviting her to come down.

    Eithne took a quick glance to check on Hesata. Then she stepped on the deck¡¯s handle and jumped to the small boat.

    Her figure landed lightly on the floor like a graceful leopard. The boat heaved weakly under her weight.

    ¡°Hello, Saint Raphael.¡±

    The Saint sat down on a wooden recliner, hugging the warm mug in his lab. The face behind the scarf was tranquil, as he knew the guest could easily come and go from the ferry to his humble boat.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you for a while, priestess Eithne. Please, take a seat.¡±

    The priestess did not sit right away. She glanced around the boat. It was similar to most small fishing boats, which were full of fishing tools like nets and rods. There were two sailors in the cabin, they must be Raphael¡¯s underlings.

    Eithne took a chair and sat opposite to Raphael.

    ¡°Say the main point.¡±

    Suddenly, the man¡¯s gentle lips bloomed into a smile. The smile was as sweet as sugarcane.

    He did not seem like a shining angel that she usually felt, more like a real mortal with sincere feelings. It was an affable beauty that made people unconsciously drunk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so grim.¡±

    Raphael chuckled.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just want to invite you here for dinner. You¡¯ve stood outside for quite a long time, so I guess you haven¡¯t eaten?¡±

    Eithne squinted her eyes. It was clear that this man had been watching her. Nonetheless, she accepted his invitation. She had just remembered that she really had forgotten the dinner buffet for being occupied with her thoughts. Raphael¡¯s intention was suspicious, but the priestess did not think deeper. ¡®That man would reveal his goal eventually, wouldn¡¯t he?¡¯

    Raphael stepped inside the boat¡¯s cabin. After a few minutes, he brought out a big fish with a mini cooker.

    The man took a kitchen knife, skillfully scaling and eviscerating the fish. One sailor helped him carry the vegetables. Raphael threw the ingredients in the air and wielded the knife in his hand at a speed of lightning. After a few seconds, all vegetables were finely chopped.

    Eithne observed the prestigious Saint handling the raw material in bewilderment.

    ¡®Is he cooking? Cooking right here??? But why?¡¯

    Her jaw dropped. The fact that a villain cooked dinner out of nowhere had sent her mind into the sea of incomprehension. Furthermore, his blade skill was impressive. It was artistic yet perfectly accurate. Every piece of ingredients was cut equally, even the original priestess Eithne Noceur could not reach this level.

    ¡°What in the world¡­?¡± ¨C Eithne gasped. ¡®Is he trying to threaten me somehow?¡¯

    Raphael maintained his smiling face. He beheaded the fish and placed the fish¡¯s head in a soup pot along with chopped vegetables. The remaining fish body was placed on a grill mesh.

    Eithne clicked her tongue. As the soup boiled, she could already smell the delicious food.

    ¡®I hope he won¡¯t poison me¡­¡¯

    __

    The priestess drank the soup.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± ¨C She said.

    The taste was good, more importantly, not poisonous.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be better if it¡¯s spicy.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    The white-haired man was also satisfied with his work. When his stomach was filled, Raphael finally had the mood to talk about important things.

    ¡°We¡¯ve found traces of monster¡¯s food in the ship of Quenaz diplomats. Your intelligence has alerted and helped us greatly. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Monster¡¯s food?¡± - Eithne asked.

    It was the first time she had heard of this term. The original priestess knew that monsters ate almost all living things. They usually liked fresh blood, but some termites-like monsters munched on woods and mana rocks.

    ¡°Monster¡¯s food is a special kind of drug invented by Quenaz¡¯s chemists. It contains high nutrition which is suitable for any kind of monster. Most importantly, it causes addiction.¡± ¨C Raphael explained. ¡°It¡¯s Quenaz¡¯s special method of taming monsters.¡±

    ¡°Are they going to sell the monster¡¯s food to Lumovas?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¨C Raphael shook his head. ¡°They carried a large amount of monster¡¯s food to Lumovas¡¯s harbor, but they hid it and never asked to import.¡±

    The guy stopped talking to chew the grilled fish, then he continued.

    ¡°So I guess that they might dump the monster¡¯s food along the sea route that they wanted to sell us. To attract monsters.¡±

    ¡°Will it cause a monster''s temporary rehabilitation? Since they could be addicted to the drug and wouldn¡¯t leave.¡± ¨C Eithne caught the key point.

    Raphael nodded.

    ¡°Yes, most likely. Quenaz has monster¡¯s food to calm the monsters down, but we don¡¯t. Black markets aren¡¯t selling those foods because the Quenaz royalty has cut every transporting line within the country. Therefore, the sea monsters will attack us instead.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s your purpose in coming to the North?¡± ¨C Eithne asked.

    Instead of learning more about Quenaz¡¯s plan, she would rather know what Raphael was up to. She was curious ¨C why the villain would fight for this country.

    ¡°It¡¯s reported that the northern sea monsters moved away from their homeland, most likely because Quenaz¡¯s spies had done something. I want to check it with my eyes.¡±

    Raphael said. His words seemed truthful.

    ¡®It¡¯s similar to my mission!¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll meet each other again soon.¡±

    The priestess drank another bowl of fish soup. Suddenly, she sensed an approaching mana wave. Eithne glanced at the river. There was something swimming fast to their boat like a torpedo.

    ¡°Do you know that the prince is coming as well?¡±

    Eithne smirked. She did not warn about the unidentified mana fluctuation.

    ¡°What? I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¨C Raphael was surprised, raising his eyebrows. ¡°The Queen covered the news really well.¡±

    He stopped eating and hastily swallowed the food filled in his cheeks. The Saint made an eye signal to Eithne to proceed with the story, completely turning into a gossipmonger.

    ¡°It starts with the leaders of Solinue¡­¡±

    Eithne was talking when a tall figure rose up from the dark water.

    Splash!

    The wavering lamp on the small boat shone upon the uninvited guests. It was a great serpent with a human riding on its head. Malice flashed in the rider¡¯s eyes.

    Clang!

    The serpent¡¯s rider drew out their sword. However, their reaction was not as fast as a white object flying toward their head.

    Bang!

    The object broke apart. It was a clay bowl. The rider staggered and fell back into the river.

    SPLASH!

    After throwing his bowl away, Raphael stood up and stretched his shoulders. As the serpent lost its commander, the creature growled angrily. It bared the scary white fangs which the poison dripped from its tips.

    ¡°Please do me a favor. Protect the soup pot.¡±

    Raphael smirked, then he disappeared in a flash of lightning, leaving Eithne no time to refuse.

    Right after he left, the serpent thrusted at the boat. Its black scales were perfectly camouflaged in the dark, making the serpent almost invisible.

    BAM!

    The serpent¡¯s head struck the nose of the small boat but the boat did not break easily. Magic matrices were activated on the boat¡¯s hull, creating a transparent barrier to prevent the impact from destroying the boat¡¯s structure. However, the boat was still pushed backward a long distance by the serpent.

    Splash! Splash!

    Two men in black jumped up from the water and landed on the boat. They quickly swung their knives to attack two boat crews. Raphael¡¯s underlings also took out their weapons to fight back. One sailor used a rod to strike on the assassin¡¯s back, while the other sailor threw the small darts to the enemies.

    Eithne stood amid the chaos. She felt as if her head had swollen up.

    ¡®I think I understand why Raphael keeps me here all the time¡­¡¯

    Cooking and talking, buying time to keep her here as long as possible¡­ That guy probably knew the assassins were coming, so he wanted to use her strength for this.

    The serpent opened its mouth wide and bit on the boat¡¯s barrier. The sharp fangs collided with the barrier¡¯s surface, spreading waves of energy.

    Sizzle! Sizzle!

    The serpent¡¯s poison trickled down on the barrier. The surface of the barrier was gradually eroded away like a piece of tissue meeting water.

    Eithne saw the ferry going further away. Her face was calm, but her mind was not. If she stayed still, the ferry would leave her behind.

    ¡°Start with you then.¡±

    The priestess said, looking at the fearsome serpent.

    Her left hand raised up to the monster¡¯s eye level. Eithne did not defend, instead, she chose attack.

    Darkness crawled on her fingers. Her golden eyes became somber as if all the light had disappeared from this world. The dark power then shot into the serpent¡¯s eyes like sharp needles.

    GROAR!

    The monster roared raucously in pain. Its tail struck the ship hull to push the boat away.

    The tiny human¡¯s shadow suddenly became colossal in its mind. The shadow had the shape of a monster that the serpent had never seen before, but the pressure coming from the monster¡¯s shadow was crushing the serpent¡¯s consciousness.

    ¡°Submit, - or die!¡±

    Eithne voice was as cold as the abyssal wind, when it reached the serpent¡¯s head, it transformed into a thunderous roar of the shadow monster.

    She was using the method of taming spirits on this serpent. The only way that the serpent could survive was to defeat the illusion in its mind or accept the darkness and transform like the spirit of Isny.

    Eithne could sense that the serpent was about to surrender. She had never tried taming any other creatures except spirit, so she felt a bit excited. However, Eithne¡¯s excitement could not maintain for long.

    As the serpent started to accept the darkness, its body gave up resisting. Suddenly, from deep within its consciousness, a crimson lightning shot out.

    The lightning erased all the darkness in one strike.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Eithne quickly withdrew her power from the serpent¡¯s mind, but the red lightning continued to chase after.

    Between the uppermost layers of clouds, a dense energy tore the space to enter the air. The sky was dyed in the light of blood, countless red lightnings ran across the clouds to gather at one place.

    Every creature that stood near Eithne ¨C including two sailors and two assassins ¨C subconsciously kneed down below the immense pressure from the sky.

    Only God could possess such power!

    A crimson lightning struck down. Even the space was seemingly collapsing around the lightning. It was too fast, Eithne could not avoid it!

    BANG!

    In a place which was not far away, Raphael frowned when he heard the sound.

    ¡®Something bad is happening.¡¯ ¨C He thought.

    Raphael looked at the red lightning. He had never seen such a sight, more importantly, it occurred near his ship. Raphael trusted Eithne to protect the ship, but the current situation had fallen out of his expectation.

    Standing opposite from Raphael was a man in black with two large serpents which were similar to the one attacking Eithne. He was the leader of this operation. His mission was to eliminate Quenaz¡¯s threat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly.¡±

    Raphael turned his head to face the assassin.

    The assassin smirked.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that? I haven¡¯t played enough.¡±

    They had been fighting for a while. Raphael¡¯s lightning was dangerous, but it was not strong enough to injure the assassin and the serpents. However, there was also a probability that Raphael was not attacking with full strength.

    The assassin watched Raphael in highest alertness. He had to be careful not to be caught, if he was held hostage, the assassin would commit suicide to protect Quenaz¡¯s secret.

    The white-haired man stepped up. When the assassin was preparing for another destructive blow of lightning, Raphael flexed his right hand¡¯s fingers as if he was grabbing something, then his left hand swept across the air.

    A jade green blade appeared out of nowhere. It was a long one-edged sword, but the blade seemed to be unstable like an illusion.

    The man lunged forward at the assassin and serpents, silently passing them.

    It was not violent and thunderous like he always did. After that, Raphael disappeared in a flash of lightning, running to his boat without looking back.

    ¡°What?¡±

    The assassin was dazed.

    ¡°Have I been fooled by that bastard¡¯s trick?¡±

    He was safe and so did the serpent. But when they tried to move, their bodies were separated into two parts, falling all over onto the ground¡­

    _

    In a ferry¡¯s cabin, Hesata woke up from his sleep.

    ¡°Thunder?¡± ¨C He frowned.

    The priest took out a small stone from his bag. The yellow stone was gleaming gently in the dark. It was a part of Eithne¡¯s stone seal in the War temple which had her soul¡¯s mark. The stone did not have any crack, indicating she was still alive.

    ¡°Meh, Imma go back to sleep.¡±

    _

    On the peak floor of the Lumovas Imperial Palace, a beautiful woman kicked the blanket and jumped out of her bed.

    Her hair was like a bird nest, but the Queen did not care. She squinted her eyes, looking in a particular direction from her bedroom¡¯s window.

    ¡°God¡­¡± ¨C The woman murmured.

    Not anyone could feel the presence of God, only those chosen by God could. However, if a person was as strong as the gods, they could feel it as well.

    Next to her bed was a glass tank where a golden snake peaked its head up to look in the same direction as the Queen.

    The Queen grabbed its neck.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Then the woman tore the space and walked inside the chaotic spatial crack, bringing the golden snake along. She did not even bother to draw a teleporting magic matrix, since it would take too much time.

    ¡­

    On the small boat, four people looked at the big hole on the ship¡¯s deck in fright.

    A woman used to stand here, but a crimson lightning suddenly struck her. The lightning also penetrated the boat, but the magic matrices on the boat had quickly covered the hole to stop water from flowing in.

    The huge serpent leaned its head on the ship¡¯s bow. It had been long dead, blood and poison were trickling down from its mouth and eye sockets.

    Two assassins reacted first. They thrust their knives to the sailors. The sailors flinched and continued to fight, but the enemy¡¯s surprise attack had caused injuries on their skin. Poison started to invade their bodies.

    The sailors quickly drank the healing potions. The poison was stopped, but the injuries did not heal.

    Clearly, the assassins were priests.

    Crack!

    ¡°Shit!¡± ¨C A sailor shouted.

    His steel rod was destroyed by the knife in the hand of the assassin. That knife continued to cut through his ribs, almost damaging his organs.

    The other sailor withdrew next to the injured man. She threw one more dart to draw the assassin¡¯s attention, then pulled her peer to run inside the ship¡¯s cabin.

    In the flowing water of Marah river, Eithne was trying to swim up to the surface. There was a violent energy running inside her blood veins, her skin was heated up to the point that the surrounding water was constantly evaporating.

    ¡°Fuc¡­ Uc Uc¡­ ck¡­!¡±

    Why did things turn out like this?

    Why did it never occur when she tried on spirits?

    The priestess used all of her strength to gather mana to lift her body from the river. She crawled on the boat again, scaring both the sailors and enemies.

    Eithne could not think much. Her skin was instantly dried as she left the water. Sparks of red electricity ran down her skin, destroying her blood veins inside.

    The red lightning was similar to Raphael¡¯s power, but Eithne felt it was even more dangerous as her consciousness could not maintain sober. Her darkness was fighting back the violent power as much as possible, but Eithne knew she would faint soon.

    ¡®But before I faint¡­¡¯

    The priestess fiercely kicked to the nearest assassin¡¯s ribs. Like a released beast, she grabbed his neck and smashed it onto the deck¡¯s handle.

    BAM!

    A part of red electricity transferred into the assassin. He tried to scream but his neck was already burnt.

    The other assassin quickly lunged forward with his knives. The knives were able to break the steel rod, yet when they collided with Eithne¡¯s arm, sparks of fire flew out as if he was cutting a rock surface.

    Eithne Noceur¡¯s defense was scarily high because she used the Earth element. It was also the reason why she could withstand the destructive lightning longer than normal people.

    The priestess did not dodge, her hand grabbed directly onto the assassin¡¯s knife. Red electricity ran from her hand and jumped on the next victim.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The red lightning instantly blew off his hand, even burning all of his spurting blood. The assassin decisively turned back to run away. He knew he could not defeat this woman, so he chose to abandon the mission.

    ¡°Shit I¡¯m at my limit¡­¡± ¨C Eithne murmured.

    The flesh on her body started to burst. Blood was dripping down her eyes so she could not see the assassin¡¯s back clearly, her vision was fading away. All she could see was the unceasing crimson color ¨C the color of the scary punishment from the God above.

    She regretted it so bad. She should not have been curious about testing the ability of the dark power. With the original priestess strength, Eithne could have handled all of this easily.

    Who knew that only a simple trip to drink some fish soup would be this dangerous?

    Before Eithne¡¯s eyelids were completely closed, she saw a white blob coming close.

    ¡°Damn you Raphael¡­¡±

 Chapter 14 (Part 1)

    The wide hall was filled with bright light, being as magnificent as ever, as if the purest spirituality had been gathered in this place since the primordial era. This is the prayer hall of War, and in here, ones were blessed with a clear and unperturbed mind through the praise for the heroic God.

    The great statue of the War God was painted in pure white. The solemn God raised his gigantic spear, and the four holy beasts accompanied Him from the sides: a unicorn lion, a fire breathing two-headed horse, a mysterious serpent and a fearful cloud of million eyes. Large columns penetrated up on both sides to support the ceiling, while rows of hundred intricate candle stands were lighted up in a white light ¨C which then separated into resplendent halos of seven colors.

    Eithne found herself sitting on a cushion, praying in the hall with many believers of the War God. She seemed to be in a dreaming state. Her mind was ambiguous.

    Eithne observed around in a slow manner.

    In front of her was a small table where a book of War¡¯s teachings and revelations was neatly placed.

    The prayer hall was very familiar to her, it looked like the prayer hall of the War temple near Lumovas¡¯s capital, but there were some certain differences. The atmosphere in this hall was clearly much more ethereal and divine. Under the holy light, the praying people¡¯s faces were blurry.

    On the stage before the statue of the War God, a High Priest is preaching. He was wearing a robe that had many War symbols embroidered. His hand held a spearhead to his chest. Like other believers, his face was also indiscernible.

    The High Priest¡¯s voice reverberated through the hall. His words entered the ear then the mind, the body and the heart of every believer.

    ¡°The Mighty Lord of War

    You are the victory over wrath and dread

    You are the leader of heroes amid the chaos

    The ruler above all battlefields, I pray for your bestowment of strength and courage

    I pray for your guidance on our journey to your kingdom.

    We, your devout children, believe in your eternal reign.

    Your will exists in everyone¡¯s heart, and we will never betray or forget your benevolence.

    We humbly prostrate beneath you.

    Please bestow your loyal guardian the power to protect the faith.

    Oh Great Lord of War!

    Conspiracies are your voices and weapons sprout from your gaze.

    Behind the violence nature of all living beings, your divine kingdom rises.

    Blood and gore submitted under your feet.

    Opposing spirits surrendered and became your angels.

    They speak the words of wisdom that came from your teaching¡­¡±

    Eithne recited the High Priest¡¯s words naturally. The ancient language that flew out from her mouth touched the deepest of the profound. It comprised the very first sounds of human¡¯s speech, which was so powerful and magical that the sounds could reach beyond the mortal world. This was the ritual to open the portal to the divine kingdom of the deities - who heard their names being called by believers through an ancient incantation.

    The ongoing ritual was similar to the Bestowment rite in the War temple.

    Every creature had an innate ability to gather mana to strengthen their body. However, fate was not fair. Each creature had a different capacity to store mana and different levels in talent for interacting with mana. For example, Dragons were a mythical race. They had high capacity and talent for extracting power from nature so they were the strongest race in the world. As for humans, their talent was mediocre. Humans had to rely on the strong existence like deities to change the weak characteristics of their bodies. Through worshipping and receiving Power Bestowment from the gods, humans¡¯ capacity for mana could evolve, thus quickly becoming stronger. Without religion as their support, a human needed thousands of years of mana accumulation to reach the level of an infant dragon¡¯s strength. Apart from changing the body¡¯s innate talents, believers could also receive a unique trait of power corresponding to the god they believed, which was divine power.

    However, mana was not easy to be stored within one¡¯s body. The energy of nature had an inclination toward chaos if it was densely packed in a confined space. If too much mana was driven into a human¡¯s body, they would either mutate, lose sanity or explode. In addition, old age could weaken the ability to keep the mana within the body, unless their capacity had evolved to a certain immortal stage.

    In the orthodox churches and temples, there were three levels of strength for humans: low-grade priest, middle-grade priest and high-grade priest. Each level corresponded to the number of times that a priest had received power bestowment from God. Once was low-grade ¨C equivalent to a human who was slightly stronger than normal. Twice was middle-grade ¨C the kind that could exhibit incredible strength like a superhuman and perform magic, a part of divine power. Three or more times was high-grade, who could lead any battlefield and use pure divine power. High-grade priests were sometimes considered as God¡¯s oracles. As for the High Priest, people would see Him as an angel whose mission was to spread the faith to mortals.

    Eithne Noceur was a high-grade priestess, so she had received three bestowments of power before. Her body underwent evolution thrice. But for some reason, her divine power had been declining. It could be seen that the War god was not happy with this priestess.

    Eithne subconsciously wanted to possess the power that the original priestess used to have, so she chanted the horrific name of the War God in a rather sincere manner.

    ¡°Oh Great Lord of the War¡­¡±

    After she prayed, Eithne was blessed with a lucid state of mind. Slowly, Eithne felt a strange contradiction growing in her thoughts.

    ¡°Who am I? What am I doing here?

    Why would I want to betray the War temple earlier?

    Why would I want to kill Solinue people?

    Why am I so bloodthirsty recently?

    Why do I hate my past self so much?

    Why is Eithne Noceur¡¯s memory missing? Where do I find those memories back?

    Why am I scared of the High Priest too much?

    Why do I want to hide from everything?

    Why do I have a strange favoritism toward a fictional character?

    Why is Raphael?

    Why¡­¡±

    Too many questions puzzled her mind. Eithne found that some of her actions recently did not really match the usual logic. She seemed to have become impulsive, hating and betraying the faction that had not done her any harm. She had also been cold and bloodthirsty. Her sanity was a bit unstable. Eithne had to raise some existential questions, as she was unsure who she was acting like. Her timid character was unknowingly enlarged causing her overreaction. Her past, it was boring but it was not worth that much hating to the point of wanting to kill her past self!

    ¡°Is this the side effect of the dark power?¡±

    Eithne thought of the strange dark power that she possessed and felt horrified. She was twisted in the mind gradually after a period of using that power. Or is it the hidden personality of the original priestess?

    As time passed, the mind contradiction grew stronger and stronger. Eithne started to ponder if she was quietly possessed or manipulated by a hidden enemy. The strangeness in her actions were too distinctive to ignore!

    Since Eithne stopped praying for a moment of contemplation, the blessing for a lucid mind wore out. She went back to a dreaming-like state. Her eyes lost their lustrous glow, and she was acting on instinct.

    The priestess turned the prayer book to the next page. She suddenly found a hand mirror snuck between the pages. The mirror was facing its back to her gaze. Its back was made of bronze and gave off a strange ancient feeling. On the left edge carved a young woman''s face, and on the right edge carved an old beldam face. A small altar was depicted on the mirror¡¯s back, it even had a protruding tile roof on the top edge of the mirror.

    Eithne caressed the intricate adornments of the mirror, then she flipped it up.

    In the clear mirror¡¯s reflection, Eithne saw a patched monster. On the right half of the body was Eithne Noceur with her blonde hair and golden eyes, while on the left half was a woman whose hair and eyes were black ¨C it was her original appearance! There were countless deep crimson crevices running across the left half of her body. Inside each sinister crevice, tiny nine eyeballs were moving frantically in different directions.

    ¡°!!!¡± ¨C Eithne gasped and dropped the mirror down in fright.

    Her head felt an abrupt pain like a knife was drilling in her brain. On the table, the mirror continued to reflect the hall''s upper space, capturing the image of a gigantic serpent coiling itself beneath the ceiling. The serpent''s scales shone in a warped seven lights which then reflected from the mirror and stabbed in Eithne¡¯s eyes.

    She groaned in pain.

    Muddled blood seeped down from her eyes. Her vision became blurry.

    BANG!

    At that moment, Eithne heard a loud sound. The heavy doors to the prayer hall burst open. Crimson threads and vicious thin tentacles madly extended inside the hall and quack down everything.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    The crimson tentacles cut deep cracks on the ground and the doors. Candle stands fell off from hanging and poured out the blinding flame. The fine red threads instantly sliced nearby believer figures into small pieces. The entire hall was shaken into chaos. Eithne wanted to stand up to run away, but an extremely terrifying aura was suddenly released from above her head. An uncontrollable fear took over her mind, Eithne¡¯s knees gave out and dropped helplessly on the ground. She bowed her head and was unable to move at all.

    ¡°What is this aura¡­¡± ¨C She cried desperately in extreme fear.

    The aura affected her mind and her body entirely. Her heart was beating too fast to the point of breaking apart and she could not breathe at all like tons of rocks were pressured against her lungs. She could feel that every part inside her body was unusually active. Her skin wriggled as blood veins popped up then broke through the skins. Her flesh came into life in a strange manner, they crawled out of her body like worms running from the scary aura above.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I¡¯m mutating!¡± ¨C Eithne bit her teeth, trying to gain back control over her body.

    Eithne felt some part on her left body resonating with the assailing crimson power. Quickly, the blood red threads found their target. They sharply stabbed in Eithne¡¯s left arm in an attempt to drag her out of the prayer hall.

    The robed High Priest and other priests stopped their preaching. Illusions of shining metal wings appeared behind their backs. A humming sound then echoed from a distant place like the roar of thousand soldiers, becoming an opposing force to counter the disastrous crimson invader.

    Suddenly, the statue of the War God moved. His hand slammed the spear on the ground, sending a wave of violent energy out.

    The sound of this battle had exceeded the mortal¡¯s hearing ability.

    Eithne had lost all of her senses. She fell into an eternal darkness, only the crazy pain of her body being pulled apart reminded her that she was still alive¡­

    _

    On the small boat floating on the Marah river.

    Raphael was inspecting the War priestess¡¯s body. He felt that she was still alive since her mana energy had yet to dissipate, but her heart had stopped beating.

    He controlled a gentle flow of mana to touch her face. He was very careful not to directly touch the body, as according to his subordinates¡¯ report, the enemies who touched her were all exploded.

    ¡°Hm¡­?¡±

    Abruptly, deep crimson crevices broke out all over the priestess''s body.

    Danger! Raphael alarmed himself.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± ¨C He ran backward and pulled his servants as far as possible from Eithne Noceur.

    The temperature suddenly dropped speedily. A dark void surged up around the lying priestess, swallowing her figure and the surrounding colors.

    The power of corruption erupted out like a flow of tide. Within five meters of radius, any nearby birds, fishes or insects were frantically struggling with horrible mutation on their bodies. Their eyes and limbs withered and fell off from their bodies, some died instantly, some crawled up to be skinned monsters. The monsters then continued to spread out the plague from the pus oozing from their exposed flesh to infect a wider area.

    And as if the time was warped in the void, the affected area was turned into stiff monotone images then collapsed into nothingness. Meanwhile, the transformed creatures were moving like rusted puppets and shrieking in foul sounds.

    After listening to the cursed shrieks, Raphael¡¯s two servants developed rotted spots on their skin and curled up on the ground in pain. Their nails grew long but their hair went dry and fell off their heads like dry tree branches.

    Raphael felt a sense of horror rising up in his heart.

    A power of hexes?! He had never encountered such a scary thing like this before. If the hexes continued to spread at the current speed, it might swallow him up as well.

    The Saint of Peace raised his arms up. A huge illusion of a church bell was materialized in midair then slammed down to enclose the spreading void within. He had used his strongest defense magic instantly using his divine power.

    GONG! GONG! GOONG!

    The holy deep ringing of the bell instantly soothed the maliciousness around, but it failed to reverse any corrupted transformation. Raphael could only isolate the strange dark power inside, but he knew the bell would not last forever.

    The Saint intended to make the bell explode to separate the ship into two parts. He would abandon half of the ship where the corruption was spreading. The magic matrix on the ship could make up for the lost half part. With the pushing explosion force, he could bring the servants on the boat to escape this place as fast as possible.

    Right when he counted down before triggering the bell, the space above his head twisted and broke apart like a glass¡¯s surface. A beautiful woman in her sleeping gown stepped out and levitated in midair. She had sweet cherry-colored eyes and messy platinum-blonde hair. Around her arm wrapped a yellow viper, its vertical irises were staring intently at the source of chaos.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±

    Raphael looked up in surprise.

    This was the first time the Queen of Lumovas had ever shown her actual power in front of other people. Although she was not dressed properly, the Queen did not seem to care. Her body emitted a terrifying aura that compelled people to knee down.

    Raphael knew the Queen was a rather strong mage, but he did not expect that she was that strong. She had hidden her power very well.

    An aura that restricted others, the power to tear through space¡­ Raphael gulped. This is the level of a demigod! - it was a whole new level above the strength of high-grade priests. While high-grade priests were still considered as mortals, demigods had transcended the humble characteristics of humans and achieved a part of godhood. They received the permission of nature to travel through space. Also, the rule of nature drove the instinct of mortals to submit before gods.

    Usually, only the pontiffs of the churches could reach this level. Raphael was still a Saint, he had yet to reach the level of High Priest or Pope.

    As the Queen arrived, Raphael tried to withdraw his power. He had some secrets that he did not wish others to know, the longer he stayed, the more tricks he had to pull out and expose his hidden cards.

    Suddenly, the Queen commanded:

    ¡°Do not withdraw now! Strengthen the seal!¡±

    ¡°I cannot hold it in anymore!¡± ¨C Raphael said.

    ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t let go of the seal now!¡±

    Hearing the Queen¡¯s serious tone, Raphael had no choice but to maintain the bell. The Queen might know the situation better than him. If the seal was opened right now, there was a chance that the existence inside became fiercer and not act as he planned.

    Raphael saw the levitating Queen take out a skull from the empty air next to her like a magic trick. That skull was humanlike. Her red nails cracked open the skull in two halves, revealing a squirming garnet liquid inside. Then, she used half of the skull as a bowl to drink that strange liquid.

    Seeing that eerie scene, Raphael pursed his lips. As a Saint of Peace temple, he knew many strange rituals of heretics. Royalties were forbidden to engage in unorthodox cults, as per agreement between the ancestor of Daneva family and the three churches of Peace, War and Death. The Queen had shown an unusual action, but Raphael quickly calmed himself down. Since she had deliberately shown him that, the Queen would not mind her action being exposed. She surely had prepared.

    The Queen snapped her fingers and formed a hand gesture before her heart. Her thumb folded in with her index finger and middle finger, while the rest extended. Then, her hands clasped together to form a ritual gesture.

    Behind her back, there were six more translucent illusions of arms making the same mudra.

    Inside the bell, a world of mirrors was formed. It enclosed the dark void to strengthen the seal.

    A spear of fire suddenly flew toward the small boat. A man was hanging on the flying spear''s handle, he swung down to land on the boat.

    Hesata Ragnar rushed in when he saw Eithne¡¯s soul rock break apart. As he witnessed the horrible corruption and the expanding dark void, his irises shrank in fear. The dark power had exceeded the magic level belonging to normal human.

    Normal humans could not change the way of nature! The characteristics of nearby creatures were all distorted into monsters!

    ¡°Strengthen the seal!¡± ¨C The Queen shouted.

    Her face frowned. It seemed like the dark void inside had put a lot of pressure on her magic. Her hair floated up and spread out like a flare.

    Hesata quickly examined the situation then joined in with Raphael. Bright red magic circles left his hands to surround the illusion bell. The seal was further stabilized with extra strengthening.

    Raphael¡¯s hands shook. His power was strangely sucked toward the void, in the next minute, his bell would collapse immediately. The Saint of Peace had no plan to put all of his power into sealing this dark corruption. He knew clearly that his strength was not enough, even if he put out more mana, it would be useless.

    Raphael glanced at the Queen to propose the idea of retreating, but he unexpectedly caught a strange expression on her face.

    It was¡­ a mixture of bewilderment, admiration and happiness.

    The Queen, who should be frowning, suddenly demonstrated a fervent expression. Raphael was very familiar with this expression, as he saw it on the faces of pious believers coming to the temple every day.

    However, the current scene before their eyes was no way near the term of ¡®Holiness¡¯ that everyone knew.

    It was foul, abhorrent, sinister and destructive!

    Goosebumps instantly appeared on the Saint¡¯s back.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡± ¨C He mumbled.

    The Queen¡¯s odd expression only lasted for two seconds before she became solemn again. The yellow viper on her arm turned its head to look at the opposite spot in the air.

    The space cracked open and turned into a small vortex. Purplish fog of Chaos quickly poured out from the vortex and enveloped the area. In the fog, there were shadows of black knights rising up along with their fire-breathing horses. The knights covered their entire body in heavy armors, as if they were marionettes made from connecting pieces of metal plates.

    From the vortex center, the reverend High Priest of the War temple stepped out. His hair was neatly combed backward, and he was wearing a double-breasted coat underneath a ceremonial robe which had many War symbols embroidered.

    The silver-haired old man stood in midair, using his cold eyes to observe everybody.

    Hesata saluted his superior, while Raphael slightly bowed to greet him.

    ¡°Another figure at demigod level¡­¡± ¨C Raphael thought. The aura of the High Priest who had just arrived was slightly stronger than the Queen, and the two auras combined to put a pressure on his body. Luckily, the Saint of the Peace temple could mostly resist the urge to submit before the demigods¡¯ feet.

    Demir nodded at the two people on the boat. He said:

    ¡°Open the seal.¡±

    Hesata and Raphael were instantly puzzled. Release the dark power inside?

    Hesata executed the order of the High Priest without asking. He quickly withdrew the magic circles.

    ¡°Are you crazy? That hexes will destroy everything!¡± ¨C The Queen sneered.

    Raphael was about to withdraw his bell, but he stopped after hearing the Queen.

    Demir Noceur did not explain. His eyes concentrated the bright purple Chaos light before he drilled through the seal barrier by his augmented gaze. Raphael''s bell barrier was instantly holed. He had no choice but to put out the bell defense.

    The Queen did not concur with the War High Priest. She strengthened her mirror world barrier. Through the shining reflection of the mirror world, the people could see the huge darkness slamming against the enclosure.

    Demir cracked a hole in the mirror by his augmented gaze, but it was not enough to penetrate through. He gave a signal to the shadow knights in the Chaos fog. The knights pulled the strings of their horses and lunged toward the mirror barrier, stabbing their spears to the mirrors.

    Clang! Clang! Clang!

    The sharp sound of mirrors breaking echoed in the area.

    ¡°Tsk! This mad man!¡± ¨C The Queen cursed.

    She gave up maintaining the mirror world. However, when the mirrors disappeared, the darkness did not surge out like how people had expected.

    The darkness had disappeared entirely! Nothing was behind the seal barrier.

    If there were no corrupted creatures loitering around and a huge hole on the boat, no one would know that there used to be a scary existence rampaging at this place.

    ¡°Ha.¡± ¨C The Queen¡¯s mouth corners twitched.

    Demir furrowed his eyebrows, while Hesata and Raphael were even more confused.

    What just happened? They had just been struggling a moment ago!

    Six arm illusions behind the Queen¡¯s back dispersed.

    ¡°It left. Lucky for you.¡± - The Queen laughed. ¡°I will send mages to monitor this area. Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t appear anymore.¡±

    Then she yawned. All the solemn look on her face was gone, and she returned to being a sleepy woman.

    ¡°As for now, excuse me.¡±

    The Queen tore the space open, traveled back to where she was again and brought her snake along.

    The Saint of Peace bowed to the High Priest of War. He pulled his two servants and disappeared in a flash of light, abandoning his ship.

    Watching important figures rapidly leave, Hesata wanted to report to Demir about Eithne, but the High Priest already spoke before him.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The High Priest opened his palm. Several broken crystal pieces were materialized in his hand. Hesata recognized Eithne¡¯s stone seal at one glance. It contained the soul mark of the priestess, which could point out her current location and condition.

    However, the stone seal had crumbled. Its aura was dull like a dying light on a candle¡¯s wick.

    Coldness rose up in Hesata¡¯s body. He knew what the sign meant.

    ¡°She possibly isn''t dead completely, but it''s likely that she isn''t Eithne anymore.¡± - Demir said.

    "Continue to head North and defend Kole. If you discover any clue of her, report to me immediately. Do not try acting on your own."

    "Yes, High Priest!"

    Hesata bowed.

    Demir''s figure then disappeared inside a vortex of Chaos. His location was unknown.

    The red-haired priest returned to the ferry in the same way as before, with his mind being occupied by many thoughts and doubts...

 Chapter 14 (Part 2)

    Darkness engulfed the consciousness of Eithne, or more precisely, the two halves of contradicting consciousness: priestess Eithne Noceur and her previous identity. The two half consciousnesses were stitched loosely to each other by thin crimson threads, and it seemed they would fall apart anytime soon.

    Eithne could feel that her previous identity was an independent consciousness, and it was trying to run away somewhere while dragging her along. She could feel that it was badly injured. Both of them were in a terrible condition, and there was fear circulating in the minds of both.

    The part of the priestess''s consciousness was sunk in desperation. She almost gave in to let the other half take over, when suddenly, a huge illusion of a mirror appeared. It was the same hand mirror that Eithne picked up before, with a maiden face and a beldam face on two opposite edges, but it was about four to five meters tall this time.

    A soft praying voice came out from the mirror¡¯s dark surface. It was speaking in a strange ancient language, seemingly even older than the language that the priests normally used in rituals. This old language was even more mystical and more profound, provoking the thought of Eithne that she was listening to the calling of cosmos from millennia ago.

    Somehow, her mind could decipher out the prayer¡¯s meaning.

    ¡°Lofty Mother of Void,

    You are beginning of all lives,

    The Primordial Serpent who sees nine fates

    I beg for your benevolence to descend on this world once more¡­¡±

    Upon hearing the prayer, Eithne¡¯s left half body - the past self quickly pulled the whole body toward the huge mirror. Eithne could sense the excitement coming from her other half body of mind.

    ¡°Mother of Void? Primordial Serpent?¡± ¨C Eithne was shocked. She had no memory about this, nor did the original priestess ever learn any history about this existence. And why did this Mother of Void- Primordial Serpent carry her previous appearance?

    All of her previous life¡­ Was it just a fabricated memory? All of the things she knew, she used, she experienced¡­ all of them were fake?

    ¡°Then¡­

    ¡­ who am I right now?¡±

    The half of Mother of Void- Primordial Serpent dragged half Eithne to enter the mirror¡¯s surface. They stepped through the mirror as if they were passing a veil of smoke. Eithne could feel the familiar coldness that appeared whenever she used the dark power. It seemed that the power in this mirror and her dark power had the same origin.

    A small source of light suddenly appeared before them, like a lone star hung beneath the night.

    Jumping toward the light spot, the loosely patched Mother Void and Eithne Noceur arrived at a magnificent grayish castle.

    The castle¡¯s adornment was very simple, but it had a deeply prehistoric aura that struck a huge impression in the mind of visitors. This place was illusive, yet so realistic in the memory of awe. It tiptoed between the boundary of light and shadow, being comprehensive and ambiguous at the same time. Sometimes it was solemn, sometimes it was messy, as if the normal rule of nature was broken in this place.

    They stood in a hall that was as wide as the War temple¡¯s prayer hall. The walls and columns were white like marble, but there were complex grayish lines of energy moving frantically over the surfaces like electric flashes. If one had to imagine what madness and chaos were, Eithne would think of the patterns on the castle¡¯s walls. There seemed to be endless encrypted knowledge in those patterns! It almost burned her half-mind when she tried to observe them.

    On the highest stage at the end of the hall placed a majestic golden throne. The throne¡¯s back was decorated with the symbols of nine eyes overlooking the castle and a serpent curling up around a resplendent sun. The mysterious throne emitted an indescribable attraction to Eithne and the left half consciousness. Both of them developed an idea to approach the golden throne.

    Ten rows of attendants abruptly rose up from the castle¡¯s floor. All of them had a humanoid body, wearing uniform formal suits, half top hats and holding dark wooden canes, but fifty of them had snake heads and the other fifty had fox heads. One hundred attendants then got down on one of their knees, welcoming the owner of the castle.

    The scene was very shocking to Eithne. She had yet to get over the surprise from seeing this scene, when she heard the Mother Void- Primordial Serpent spoke using her familiar old voice:

    ¡°Give up resisting. This is my kingdom. You have nowhere to escape now, let me devour you and take over.¡±

    Her tone was calm, but it was a declaration for Eithne¡¯s demise. Eithne intended to give up before, but now that she learned about the truth about her past memory, Eithne suddenly had a frustration and refused to give away her control so easily.

    The Primordial Serpent ¨C Mother Void could feel Eithne¡¯s resistance, its consciousness then decided to advance to the throne.

    The left half with black hair and black eyes grimaced. Deep crimson crevices broke out more on her left face and left arm, with nine eyeballs in each crevice moving their gazes chaotically.

    Each step forward of the loosely patched monster was extremely heavy. The distance to the throne was not very far, however, Eithne could hear the ferocious roar of wind next to her right ear whenever they stepped forward, as if they had traveled hundreds of miles in a second!

    And with every step that they advanced, the Primordial Serpent- Mother Void seemed to gain a part of Her original power back. She then forcefully pulled the consciousness of Eithne over to start devouring the halved priestess¡¯s soul.

    At that time, the corruption seemed to sweep over from the consciousness of Primordial Serpent- Mother Void to Eithne¡¯s half. It wanted to assimilate the power of two halves.

    Eithne could not stop the crimson crevices to break out on her parts. She helplessly let nine eyeballs grow up in each crevice, then the eyeballs started to look around frantically, sending the madness and overflowing knowledge that they saw to her mind.

    Eithne¡¯s mind quickly melted down from the pressure. Painful groaning escaped her right half throat.

    Her instinct then drove her to do the thing that she was good at ¨C spacing out.

    ¡°Fuck all¡­¡±

    She put herself in a dazed state of mind, ignoring all the scenes and information flowing in. Most of the heavy knowledge was disorientated and failed to establish a form in her mind, thus reducing the speed at which her consciousness was fading away.

    ¡°Give up! You won¡¯t get away with this.¡±

    The Primordial Serpent scoffed. It was one-step closer to the throne.

    The snake- headed attendants moved under Her influence. They used the wooden canes to stab into Eithne¡¯s half consciousness, drilling her in pain to awaken her awareness to the incoming knowledge more. However, the priestess still endured all the torment to hinder the step of her left half body at all costs. Whenever Eithne wanted to disturb the focus of the Primordial Serpent, she had to escape the daze to think. The madness within the knowledge flow instantly used those gaps to spread their roots in various layers of her mind.

    Eithne could not do much. Her influence was very limited, while the speed of the Primordial Serpent- Mother Void returning to their throne decreased very little.

    Eithne knew it would be her end if they sat on that throne. As her awareness was fading away more and more, to the point that only her instinct remained, Eithne lost the ability to reason.

    She decided to give up her resistance to the insane flow of knowledge.

    The madness tore apart her soul so fast until nothing was left behind. The monster with two loosely patched halves then lost its right half body.

    Eithne Noceur was truly dead at that point.

    ¡°GRRP!¡±

    The Primordial Serpent ¨C Mother of Void grunted in anger.

    Without the connection in Eithne Noceur¡¯s soul to the body, She could not return to the real world. The Primordial Serpent would be trapped here for a long time.

    She glanced at the golden throne above. Nonetheless, the most important thing to do right now was to gain back Her authority and power, then that problem could be solved using Her full power.

    Half of the black-haired and black-eyed woman then wobbled on her single leg to the majestic throne.

    However, the fox-headed attendants suddenly stepped up and raised their canes to stop her. Their uniform action created a united sound, showing their concrete determination.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    The halved Primordial Serpent was shocked. She could not control those fox- attendants to step out.

    The woman opened her half mouth which bore out the long serpent¡¯s fangs. She chanted in a low voice that carried the sinister power of hexes, causing the entire castle to shake lightly.

    Darkness flew out of her fangs like toxins. The cursed power collided with the canes of fox-headed attendants. The Primordial Serpent also controlled snake-headed attendants to attack, as she knew her power was currently limited.

    Twenty-five snake mouths chanted the same incantation with the Primordial Serpent, whereas the rest of twenty-five snake attendants physically attacked the foxes. Their actions were slightly out of sync, indicating the unstable control of the Primordial Serpent.

    Darkness was materialized in the midair like a gigantic veil that dropped down on their enemies. Beneath the dark veil, hexes became visible in this castle¡¯s special environment. Some parts looked like coiling dark threads devouring all the light, while others resembled a mist of plague, spreading out all the degeneration and corruption.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Fifty fox attendants were affected by the hexes. Their bodies quickly showed signs of rot, their skin was melted, their pointy fox noses and ears became hideously deformed like withered vegetables. Some fox attendants¡¯ eyes rolled out from their sockets so they had to bend down to pick the eyeballs up.

    However, there was no emotion on the hairy fox faces. They uniformly pointed up toward the sky. A human voice coldly resounded from their throat.

    ¡°Chaos!¡±

    The ancient language stirred up the air of the castle. The winds circled and roared thunderously, completely overwhelmed the sounds of chanting curses from the Primordial Serpent and her attendants.

    The halved woman widened her one eye in fear. She could feel a terrifying aura coming from above her head that made her half body tremble. The Primordial Serpent looked up at the castle¡¯s ceiling.

    The grayish ceiling was gradually replaced by a blinding source of light, as if the Sun was landing on top of this castle!

    The white light poured down from the blazing Sun instantly ravaged the dark power of the Primordial Serpent. She screamed in pain as her main eye was also burnt the moment that she looked up directly at the Sun. Charred flesh fell down piece by piece from her body.

    The entire castle faded away as the Sun came close. The Chaos on the walls of the castle became even more intensified. It escaped the walls and joined the destructing force of the sunlight.

    More and more sunlight shone inside the castle, burning everything except the throne. Even the attendants were not an exception, but they had a strong rejuvenation within their bodies to grow back the parts that were burned.

    At that moment, a dark void surged out from the Primordial Serpent¡¯s body, swallowing her halved figure. The Void absorbed all the light, protecting its Mother inside.

    The light and the dark were instantly balanced. The sunlight could not damage the Primordial Serpent anymore. Even a part of light was distorted and became a part of void energy.

    Suddenly, the snake attendants on the Primordial Serpent¡¯s side aimed at their own necks!

    Snap! Snap! Snap!

    They uniformly snapped their own neck and brought down their snake heads. There was no blood, only tiny bits of charcoal flew out.

    The headless attendants then uniformly took out fox heads from the empty air next to them like a horror magic trick. They installed the new heads on their body and transformed into fox attendants. Their necks cricked and cracked like a mechanical joint, then they uniformly turned their faces left and right to test the flexibility of the new heads.

    Seeing the scene, the Primordial Serpent gritted her teeth. She lost all of her influence over the attendants when she used her last bits of strength to create a void.

    The Primordial Serpent knew her territory was taken by an unknown enemy, so she decided to abandon this castle. She was already at her limit, staying longer might be dangerous for her life.

    A sense of longing rose up in her heart, but the Primordial Serpent was not hesitant to leave.

    The void darkened as she tried to teleport away. It was the same method that she used to run away from the War God earlier.

    However, the one hundred fox attendants coldly pointed at the halved woman simultaneously.

    ¡°Void!¡±

    They shouted.

    The dark Void around the Primordial Serpent suddenly trembled, seemingly being unsure to follow whose order.

    ¡°Impossible!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Mother of Void. How can my authority be wavering?¡±

    The halved monster screamed in disbelief.

    The power of Void had just been interfered with. As a result, Her teleportation failed.

    This was the first time Her power was interfered with. Nobody could control the Void except the Primordial Serpent. The Void had never betrayed her before!

    While the Void faltered, the magnificent castle was restored to its original state. The Sun was covered away by the castle¡¯s roof again. The fire on the attendants¡¯ bodies gradually died down, and they quickly regained their formal look.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The halved woman stood on her one leg. Her many eyes in the crimson crevices all over her halved body glared at the fox- headed attendants, trying to figure out the one behind them.

    The fox attendants were still protecting the golden throne. They stood in the same posture with the wooden canes in their hands. Instead of answering the Primordial Serpent, they raised their heads and chanted:

    ¡°Chains!¡±

    Behind the Primordial Serpent¡¯s back, a huge mirror was materialized above the entrance of the hall. It had the faces of a maiden and a beldam on two sides of the edges and an altar on its back. The mirror reflected the same golden throne on the high stage opposite to the entrance, but there were thick chains spreading across the seat.

    The metal chains escaped the mirror and aimed at the Primordial Serpent. The monster struggled to escape the range of the chains but to no avail. The chains caught her pathetic body quickly and dragged her in the mirror world.

    ¡°NO!¡±

    The Primordial Serpent screamed. She tried to use the Void to escape the enclosure again. There was no other method that she could use right now.

    Strangely, the dark Void could not nullify the chains. Those chains passed through the Void like in a normal environment.

    ¡°What?¡± ¨C The Primordial Serpent¡¯s irises shrank in fear.

    She desperately exploded her body, dividing into countless dark threads in an attempt to escape through small gaps of the chains and the castle.

    The fox- headed attendants raised all arms up as if they were welcoming somebody. Then all of them saluted formally toward the Primordial Serpent. The gesture of salute was similar in style with the War temple¡¯s protocol.

    All the dark threads shuddered and returned to their original position, turning back into a halved woman figure whose hair and eyes were black. The chains then captured her again without any resistance. The Mother of Void''s gaze was completely empty as if she was frozen.

    Nine large eyes suddenly opened in midair. The darkness spiraled with the shining gold color in those nine eyes, twisting into different patterns like an exhibition of nine abstract paintings ¨C one looked like fragmented glass, one looked like water puddle, blooming flowers, chaotic blocks, others resembled the twinkling starry night, an early fresh dawn, a heavy dusk, the rest were a monotone pupil-less eye and a colorful pupil-less eye.

    The nine eyes focused their gazes down at the halved woman figure. Using her as a mold, a new right halved body was generated. Flesh and bones protruded out to form the internal organs, a new halved head and two limbs. Then the newly formed halved body separated itself from the left mold Primordial Serpent.

    The thick chains then pulled the left half of the Primordial Serpent back into the mirror¡¯s world, tied Her halved body of consciousness down on the chained throne.

    The fleshy halved body levitated from the spot and sat right on the golden throne. A vigorous wave was then sent out from the throne to reach every corner of the castle.

    Bang!

    The whole castle shook and changed their layout. The columns were taller and more sophisticated in pilaster details. Intricate lamps were installed on every column to erase the gloominess of the hall. The walls had an additional golden energy flowing apart from the grayish and white. Three colored energy lines occasionally bloomed into fireworks patterns in random spots.

    On the throne, the flesh wriggled and grew out the missing left half of the body. Blonde hair grew out on the head, then the eye sockets, the nose, the mouth... The appearance of Eithne Noceur was recreated, but it was not stable. The flows of madness were bobbing up and down on her body of consciousness, ultimately, they all pushed out onto the surface of her skin ¨C forming a layer of dark scales over her body.

    Eithne opened her eyes. Her pupils were still golden, but the sclerae were dyed black.

    However, her awareness had yet to fully recover. Earlier when Eithne''s soul was torn down by the massive knowledge and corruption, a strange force in this castle had put her consciousness in every fox-headed attendant. The madness was also shared between many fox attendants, restoring Eithne¡¯s ability to think. In the massive knowledge that her many nine-eyes in crimson crevices saw earlier from the castle¡¯s walls, there was information about the existence of the Chaos, the Void, and the Order ¨C represented as Chains. Eithne had used them to fight back the Primordial Serpent.

    ¡°If not for the response of the Chaos and the Order, I can never win against the Mother of Void¡­¡±

    She looked up at the ceiling, where the existence called ¡®Chaos¡¯ manifesting as the Sun reigned above, and in the huge mirror, where the being of ¡®Order¡¯ created thick chains to seal the Mother of Void- Primordial Serpent.

    They were the true rulers of this strange space. Their secret was not to be pried and questioned. They were more ambiguous than deities in the real world, yet their existence was apparent in every aspect of nature.

    The fox-headed attendants bowed to the new throne¡¯s owner, then they sank into the castle¡¯s floor and disappeared.

    Eithne whispered. Her voice was ethereal like a sound that echoed from fading memory.

    ¡°What do you wish in return?¡±

    The magnificent castle shook slightly. Sounds from the distant cosmos reached Eithne¡¯s ears. They were in a distorted frequency that normal creatures could neither hear nor understand¡­

    __

    Three o¡¯clock in the morning. In the opulent temple of Peace,

    The prestigious Saint in his white ceremonial robe clasped his hands to pray before the large statue of the Peace Goddess. Behind him stood a few priests who did their prayer at a late hour.

    The Goddess was depicted as a benevolent deity whose garment was simple yet elegant. A veil was draped over Her head, on which the stars, the moon and the sun became Her adornments. Her hands held a splendid bouquet of flowers that was said to be picked from heaven, and they had a magical healing power for all of Her believers.

    Raphael waited until all of the priests left. He locked the doors to the prayer hall and came to the offering table in front of the Goddess¡¯s feet. Then Raphael took out a crystal sphere from the offering.

    Gods had an authority over Fate. They could foresee, probe in and control the flow of Fate. Through a medium, They would provide divinations for the oracles.

    Normally, the one who performed the divination must pray to the Gods to gain Their permission beforehand. Raphael did pray, but he received no response.

    At his level as a Saint, he knew a secret within the Peace Church was that the Goddess became inactive from the last century. She did not respond to prayers and only occasionally communicated to the Pontiff of Peace through ambiguous revelations in dreams. Therefore, the lack of response to Raphael¡¯s prayer was not strange at all.

    Despite lacking the Goddess¡¯s permission, Raphael was going to perform divination anyway. He had other means to do it without the need for Goddess¡¯s power.

    Placing the crystal sphere in front of him, Raphael took a deep breath to calm himself down. His hand grasped in the empty air and conjured a surreal jade sword. Putting the sword next to the crystal sphere, he raised his arms and summoned a translucent church bell to seal himself inside. Raphael did not feel it was enough, he conjured two more church bells to enclose one in another. Then he took out a pure white pearl in a silk pocket to put it in his mouth. Raphael placed a small bottle of blood next to the crystal sphere, and he chanted the magic words for protection¡­

    After busying himself for a while, the Saint of Peace was finally fully prepared. He also gained the courage to probe the secret of fate. Performing divination was a dangerous task. It was not as simple as the fortune tellers doing card tricks or deciphering hand palm¡¯s lines in circuses. Only the true Gods had the permission of nature to see and meddle with Fate, if a mortal dared to look into the bare ¡®Truth¡¯ manifested by Fate, it was likely that the fate of that mortal would be twisted toward a tragic death.

    Raphael had to seal himself inside the bells to interfere with possible corruption or surprise attack when he was vulnerable during divination. He placed his hands above the sphere, closed his eyes and channeled his spirituality toward the medium.

    The candles beside him waved their small flames, like tiny dazzling paddles to push the boat of spirits toward the unknown.

    Darkness surrounded Raphael''s vision. After about ten seconds, he saw a crimson spot of light. His consciousness quickly headed toward that spot.

    The crimson expanded and manifested into the scene on Marah river yesterday. Raphael saw himself and his two servants, the Queen and the High Priest of War, as well as the scary dark power that absorbed and corrupted everything. He concentrated his vision onto the mysterious dark power, trying to figure out any clue about it. His senses were greatly enhanced through divination, allowing him to see more hidden truth.

    The dark power was surreal and empty. The law of nature disappeared inside the body of the darkness, then a tampered version of the nature law was sent back out to cast on nearby creatures. Consequently, the nearby living creatures all turned into undead monsters.

    Raphael suddenly heard a maundering voice in an indiscernible language. Sinister threads shot out from the center of squirming darkness toward his consciousness.

    As soon as Raphael heard an abnormal noise, he canceled the divination instantly.

    ¡°That darkness! It discovered me!¡±

    A chill ran down his spine. Raphael quickly pulled his spirituality back to his body. Red blood dripped down from his nose onto his white robe. The Saint tried to take out a handkerchief from his pocket, but his body uncontrollably slumped down from the chair.

    The jade sword that Raphael conjured had dispersed some time before. He turned his face to look at his translucent church bells in a great effort. The holy images of the angels on the church bells had been distorted into wicked devils that came to life on its own. The devils were trying to push their bodies forward to escape the bell¡¯s surface. Raphael instantly stopped maintaining illusions of bells. He suddenly vomited out the pearl that he put in his mouth earlier ¨C which now resembled a rotting eyeball.

    ¡°This is the Church of Peace, the protected land of the Goddess¡­ How could it¡­¡±

    His lips quivered.

    The corruption could reach Raphael even if he stayed inside the territory of god! Right before the statue of the Goddess!

    If not for his cautiousness that he prepared many things to defend himself, the Saint of Peace might die on the spot in the prayer hall of the Peace Church. The white pearl had substituted him to endure the dark power¡¯s attack.

    Raphael massaged his head¡¯s temple. He felt a throbbing headache.

    From this point onward, he would never perform divination on mysterious existences!

    The Saint wobbled to stand up. His eyes suddenly saw a blinding white.

    After that, he heard a voice in his head¡­

    ¡°Who¡­ who are you?!¡±

    He asked.

    His shaking voice reverberated in the empty prayer hall.

    END CHAPTER 14

 Chapter 15 (Part 1)

    The blinding light was boundless. It set Raphael¡¯s mind into a resting state, like a net caught his drifting soul between the ever-changing reality and an eternal still dream. The white light was warm and somehow familiar. Seeing it made Raphael feel as if an anchor somewhere deep in his consciousness was being hooked toward it, then his heart suddenly longed for the light ¨C as if longing for his home of origin.

    Raphael dropped his guard involuntarily, forgetting the pain and tiredness from before.

    In the curtain of white light that he was seeing, a dark cube suddenly appeared. It made its way into his consciousness like a boulder slowly slid down the flowing river. Raphael could feel his thoughts like the river water cycling the object. His thoughts were still clear: he wanted to snap out of the current state. However, Raphael was unable to make actions accordingly.

    ¡°Something is being injected into my soul¡­¡±

    The words spoken by his mind lost its supposed-to-be uneasiness emotion. Raphael was being dazed no matter what he tried to do just like a fool...

    The dark cube that invaded his consciousness had a marble-like surface. Pitch black and crimson patterns were weaving with each other into a net that covered the smooth cube''s sides. Raphael noticed a flash of white inside the matrix. The white color was bouncing around to avoid the grasp of crimson and darkness. Wherever the splash of white color emerged, the matrix shrank into a vortex to isolate it, trying to bury the white color beneath the red and black crisscrossing. Yet the white flash always managed to escape every time. It seemingly had intelligence of its own that it always discovered gaps in that dense arrangement to change location at perfect times.

    Raphael yearned for that white color uncontrollably, as if there was an unknown force that drove his psychological desire. His mind clearly knew the abnormality - yet he was unable to resist or even feel scared.

    The white flash seemed to establish a connection through his thinking. Right before the red and black vortex could completely engulf it, the white flash suddenly shot out from the cube into Raphael¡¯s river of thoughts.

    A voice then reverberated in his head.

    Its language was old and profound. The sound traversed through every single cell on his body, resonating with the life force in Raphael - just like an echo of nature from a long-lost history!

    ¡°--- --¡±

    The blinding light and the cube before Raphael¡¯s eyes disappeared as he fainted.

    ¡­

    When the Saint opened his eyes again, he found himself lying between the mess that he created. His body had no serious injury except the nose bleeding.

    Raphael checked his pocket watch. Only ten minutes had passed.

    ¡°Phew!¡±

    He exhaled in relief. Thankfully, he awoke early that nobody had found out what he had done.

    Obviously, doing something like divination without the Goddess¡¯s approval would be considered a taboo in the Peace temple.

    Raphael returned the medium ¨C the glass sphere back to the offering table beneath the Goddess¡¯s feet.

    The huge statue was still looking down at Her believers in benevolence, with an everlasting bouquet in Her hands, She would bless the people from Her divine kingdom as stated in the Bible of Peace.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Saint tiredly cleaned up his mess and sat down on the wooden bench in the prayer hall.

    Candles were melting down. The tips of flame swayed gently in the flow of wind coming from the doors¡¯ gaps. They illuminated the opulent hall and his pale face. Darkness was still a major part of this space at that time.

    Raphael thought about the earlier phenomenon. He had attempted the most dangerous divination that he had ever done. Normally, a divination would give three types of results:

    One, the Truth ¨C what truly had happened or was happening in the flow of time and history, the true nature of all entities existed within Fate. Raphael had learned a part of the Truth about the darkness¡¯s nature, of how it could convert normal animals into beasts by changing the Law of Nature. The Bible defined Fate as the arrangement of all occurrences in the World. No Bible said that any God could totally hold control of Fate. The concept of Nature¡¯s Laws was still ambiguous until this point. Some believed Nature was the manifestation of Fate, some argued they were individual lines of concept. Anyhow, both of them existed.

    Two, high chance of attack from high-level creatures. Those creatures were sensitive with Fate¡¯s movement and could sense someone spying on them through divination. Only the level of Saints and above could know this confidential information. The high-level creatures on demi-god level could inflict a part of damage to the fate observer. However, the damage was usually small. Raphael had been unlucky enough to encounter a terribly strong existence that almost killed him by its corruption.

    Three, hints of the future. It was usually represented as an abstract image that needed deciphering. Raphael received no hint of the future as he didn¡¯t divine about the future.

    ¡°And that ominous cube¡­¡±

    The Saint shivered as he thought. A strange power had been irresistibly put inside his consciousness. He heard the voice but he did not understand it.

    ¡°What does it mean¡­?¡±

    It was not the Ikyal language that the priests normally used in rituals. Ikyal was said to be the oldest language of humans ever, yet it still seemed to be inadequate in terms of vocal complicacy.

    When Raphael was pondering, something was triggered deep in his soul. The blinding white light appeared again, but this time, a knowledge emerged in his river of thoughts.

    He muttered an unfamiliar sound, but Raphael oddly understood what it meant.

    ¡°Chaos¡­¡±

    Gasp!

    The Saint quickly used his hand to seal his mouth. Raphael¡¯s eyes shook. He clearly lost control of his body earlier than his mouth spoke on its own!

    The name was spoken like a starting signal of entropy. His mind suddenly fell into vagueness.

    The huge statue of the Peace Goddess was blurred away behind mismatched translucent shapes that appeared out of nowhere in his vision. All the chairs, candles, and the entire prayer hall around him dispersed like a realistic illusion being blown away. Everything retreated to obscurity, then a distant and gigantic curve that rose up and illuminated the entire space with its blinding white light.

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±

    Raphael curled up in pain as mystical knowledge was infiltrating his river of thoughts...

    _____

    After a while, the blinding light disappeared. His vision had returned back to normal. He was back to his original spot, on the bench in the opulent prayer hall of the Peace temple.

    ¡°The path to become a true God¡­¡±

    Raphael murmured. When he said that, Raphael knew the knowledge was absorbed in his mind entirely. He felt something essential was changing inside him ¨Cin his heart, his mind, his beliefs, and thoughts¡­

    The Saint looked at his hands which were slightly trembled.

    He sat in a daze, talking to himself in a hoarse voice.

    ¡°I wonder if my fate is twisted because of this¡­¡±

    Daring to stare at the bare Truth manifested from Fate, mortal one certainly had to pay a price. Without a deity¡¯s protection, the fate of the divination performer would likely be deviated. It was normally in a bad way that pushed forward their death.

    Raphael used the influence of the Peace Goddess in the temple to avoid corruption, but even the temple¡¯s aura of serenity could not stop the darkness from breaking his summoning of the jade sword.

    The Saint conjured the jade sword illusion in his hand again. However, the illusion was not as bright as before.

    ¡°This sword is my shield against Fate, but it was damaged so easily by that darkness¡­¡±

    The mysterious cube likely had discovered Raphael¡¯s location through Fate when the jade sword¡¯s protection was inhibited. It was also possible that the cube was a part of the darkness¡¯s corrupting attack. However, after experiencing the blinding light that was full of vigorous energy, completely opposite with the empty-feeling darkness, Raphael supported the theory that the cube came from a different source.

    ¡°Become a god¡­ Would it be a fraud or a fortuitous encounter?¡±

    His mouth¡¯s corner twitched. As a Saint of Peace temple, Raphael was familiar with many crimes involving demon¡¯s disciples deceiving people into believing they could become gods after committing atrocities. To him, a mere mortal turning into a god sounded sillier than a bedtime story.

    Magic users like mages and priests were popular with people. Insiders would know about Pontiffs or High Priests who were even more powerful. Their abilities were so incredible that normal people often related them to a supernatural being, similar to a god. Since the Pontiffs or High Priests had deep connection to the deities and divine kingdoms, the humans used the term ¡®half-gods¡¯ or ¡®demi-gods¡¯ to describe the supreme figures. Sometimes, the people would call them ¡®Angels¡¯ as well, for they were the attendants next to God''s throne.

    Saint Raphael was familiar with this kind of system.

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    However, everything was just an arrogant delusion of mortals. They thought of themselves being able to control a part of nature equivalent to closer being gods.

    Raphael knew the High Priest of War, the Supreme Pontiff of Peace and the Empress of Lumovas¡­ They were all ¡®half-gods¡¯.

    The Saint looked up at the gigantic statue of the Peace Goddess. The opulent temple had a very high ceiling with intricate frescoes. The paintings told the legends of the Goddess: She travelled with dragons and spirits, She danced with the Sun and the Moon, sang a smoothing song for the Stars; She plundered the land of devils under a dreamy meteor rain, She ruled the holy land of spirits that purify all filths of the world¡­

    All offering treasures of gold, silver and flowers, the exquisite candle stands with scented smoke¡­ Millions of believers came here each year, they preached the teaching of Peace. They swore using their deity¡¯s name, they rejoiced under the Goddess¡¯s gaze, they cried while praying to the Goddess¡­.

    The Peace Goddess was the symbol of faith for thousands of years. Her existence must not be questioned.

    Compared to a true deity, a huge religion, the figures of ¡®half-gods¡¯ were too insignificant. The humans¡¯ tricks of magic ¨C tiny bits of moving flames, water, plants, shaking earth¡­ were like a flickering candlelight beneath the blazing aura of Gods.

    Raphael never had an idea of himself being worshipped with huge statues and temples.

    Becoming a god was a faraway concept. It did not even sound realistic. Moreover, one had to rely on a god to achieve the power - it was a common knowledge, the history recorded no one could just be a god on their own.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­ No way¡­¡±

    The Saint sat in a daze even when all the candlelight died out. The prayer hall seeped into the silent darkness until the sunlight shone in through the colored glass windows¡­

    __

    Eithne sat on the golden throne, hunching her back.

    In the dream-like castle, the feeling of pain was apparent. The pain came from the uncertainty of her identity. Without a firm determination of who she was, while the corruption from the Void¡¯s Mother was still going on, Eithne¡¯s soul underwent a struggle in order to keep her sanity.

    Fragmented memory of the priestess Eithne Noceur was colliding with the memory of a reading hobbyist from modern society. Had she ever touched a real smartphone, or was it just an illusion while she day-dreamt in the War temple as a kid? Was the story ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a Saint¡± truly a work of imagination? Or was it a type of future forecasting in her fantasy?

    The nine eyes carved on the back of the golden throne were blinking constantly, making the abstract images in those eyes change after each blink like a running slideshow.

    In a second, Eithne was seeing the bright animation of modern culture blend with the reality at the same time. From royalty, aristocrats or priests, she saw drawings of unrealistic human figures from romance comics interacting with humans that the priestess knew.

    Eithne scoffed at the illusion.

    ¡°It really reminds me of the 1998 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ have I actually watched that film?¡±

    She fell into the dilemma of whether she had experienced that show of a faraway world.

    Then, she started to see lively commercials popping out from ancient-looking temples.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    Eithne opened her eyes helplessly to the chaotic illusions.

    LCD screens were advertising cosmetics, video games, colorful fashion and all kinds of things. However, they looked ridiculous with the background of solemn gods¡¯ statues. Eithne heard some familiar voices from the screens, they were telling slogans like:

    ¡®Everyone is unique in their own ways¡­ we love ourselves by wearing ¡ª products¡­¡¯

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    She scoffed again, but this time, her mouth curved up in reminiscence.

    ¡°I remembered those exuberant scenes¡­¡±

    Eithne then sighed.

    ¡°Both of the memories are real and incomplete.¡±

    The priestess of War had her real name, her real interaction with the people, despite lacking a few parts of memory in the past. Whereas the girl who liked to read comics through a smart phone got no name and no socialization, but her experience in the modern world was evident.

    Eithne noticed an abnormal hatred in her heart when looking at the figure of that black-haired girl, so it seemed the identity of the priestess was closer to Eithne. However, she could not be sure what had the Primordial Serpent altered in her consciousness. Eithne could be made to hate her real past on purpose, or it was the hatred from the original priestess to the Primordial Serpent. There was no evidence to support both.

    ¡°Advertised slogans actually make sense¡­ I¡¯m a new and unique thing now¡­¡±

    The pain from psychological disorder subsided as Eithne accepted the memory as a part of her new person. From now on, she was neither entirely the priestess nor a modern person. She was just Eithne, who knew about the priestess and experienced the advanced technology of a future world.

    ¡°My soul is getting stabilized. I feel much better.¡±

    Her soul felt connected to her thoughts and senses again. The chaotic illusion also disappeared gradually like a fading light of an ending show.

    She saw the mysterious hall again, devoid of any attendant figure. On the opposite was a huge mirror placed above the closed gates of the hall, inside the mirror was the halved Primordial Serpent being tied down below layers of crimson chains. The monster collapsed on a golden throne that looked exactly like Eithne¡¯s throne.

    Eithne rubbed her temple.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the main problems.¡±

    Earlier, she had heard the voices of the Order and the Chaos.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand them at all.¡±

    All she heard was a strange buzzling of sounds.

    The issue lied at her current level of strength. From what Eithne learned from the castle¡¯s chaotic walls, higher-level existences would exert greater complicated influences on nature, which lowly creatures were unable to perceive. As a result, the appearance and voices of high-level creatures became incomprehensible to the puny ones, unless the mentioned existence attempted to communicate using common human¡¯s languages.

    ¡°It seems like They don¡¯t want to speak human¡­¡±

    Eithne recalled the images of the magnificent white sun Chaos, the crimson chains Order and the silent dark Void. Her mouth corners twitched.

    ¡°This is why Gods are always ambiguous.¡±

    And because of Eithne¡¯s current humble strength, many of the high-level knowledge from the castle¡¯s walls failed to establish their stand in her mind. Eithne could not learn them because she was not ¡®qualified¡¯ enough. It was good and bad at the same time. The good thing was that the level of madness in her consciousness reduced as the knowledge dispersed. The only thing that Eithne had to deal with right now was the corruption from the Primordial Serpent.

    She could see her body of consciousness was deteriorating at a considerable speed. If she would not do anything, soon her soul would be eaten away by corruption.

    ¡°There¡¯s no choice. I must get stronger to fight back the corruption.¡±

    Eithne clenched and unclenched her fist, as if to test her newly formed body¡¯s flexibility.

    What she had successfully learned from the castle¡¯s walls, including a strange system of ancient language, the abstract existences and ¡­ a structured path to evolve.

    ¡°Seeing that I grasped the knowledge in an eyeblink, the technology of sealing information may have a more ancient origin than I thought. The information just flowed right in my head.¡±

    Eithne still remembered the priests of War had been transferring scribed texts from paper to other mediums. She used to think the trend was just invented in this era, however, the truth lying before her eyes in this strange castle might prove her wrong. The Primordial Serpent could be as old as Gods.

    ¡°Chaos and Void¡­ The path to transcend mortality¡­¡± ¨C Eithne muttered.

    Every creature had elements of Void and Chaos coexist in their body. Together, they formed elements of Order - manifest into the laws of Nature to create the characteristics of a creature. The Chaos symbolized power and energy, the capacity to use power or controlling mana. Whereas the Void symbolized emptiness, the vessel, the space to contain Chaos.

    All existing creatures had the level of Chaos slightly higher than Void to be ¡®living¡¯. Just like a slightly overflowing water in a vase. The water rose a bit higher than the vase¡¯s edge, but it managed to stay in.

    If the creature¡¯s Chaos was reduced to the same level with their Void, they would be considered as completely dead, unable to move voluntarily and exert no influence on the environment, like dirt and rocks. The same rule also applied to the Undead since they still relied on energy to move, only their law of Nature was distorted into Undead path. Their choice of energy consequently was inclined to wicked features¡­ Regardless of whether it was evil, sinister or holy, serene, all forms of energy belonged to the Chaos. A living creature existed meant the law of Nature - the Order existed, so the Void and the Chaos must also exist. However, the Void and Chaos could exist without the Order.

    To get stronger, one must absorb more elements of Chaos, like stacking a column of water from the vase of Void. The higher the column, the more unstable it would be. If the column collapsed, madness and mutation would be the only end.

    Increasing Chaos would increase the mana storage or power usage capacity in creatures. When the amount of Chaos reached a certain level, they would become a true god. However, the element had a nature of unpredictable destructiveness. Information regarding latent dangers on this path of Chaos accumulation was unclear, or at least with Eithne¡¯s current level, she was not ¡®qualified¡¯ to learn.

    ¡°Religions had hidden this information for thousands of years. May it be the fear of blasphemy to the Gods or something else?¡±

    The priests blindly believed that their Gods granted them power without knowing what the nature of that power was.

    Eithne clenched the handles of the golden throne. Now she had understood, the Power Bestowment Rites that the priestess knew from the temples were meant to be the ritual of Chaos injection into the chosen people. The War God would occasionally give His believers tiny bits of Chaos to strengthen them. Normal humans required a period of time to adapt to the progression; if too much Chaos was injected, they would mutate and lose their sanity.

    Only true god level could control the flow of Chaos. It explained why nobody could become god on their own.

    Eithne looked at the corruption of the Primordial Serpent in her body. Several crimson crevices opened on her skin, inside each crevice were nine eyes darting around in madness.

    This was the Chaos that the Primordial Serpent forcefully put in Eithne¡¯s body. The mutation had successfully killed her once. If not for the golden throne that had a mysterious restraining effect, she would have died twice.

    ¡°I cannot absorb them all at once. If only I can transfer them somewhere¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Eithne thought of the fox-headed attendants. She could divide her madness into their consciousness before, how about this excessive amount of Chaos?

    Eithne summoned a fox attendant through her connection with the golden throne to the mysterious castle. As her demand was sent out like a wave of signal, ripples spread out on the ground like water. Then, a fox-headed attendant rose up from the floor.

    It bowed to the person who sat on the throne.

    Eithne raised her hand. Terrifying aura emanated from her body, then a dark power escaped her fingers to enter the fox attendant. Only in this castle that Eithne had received the help of the godly existences, that she could move the element of Chaos without actually reaching the level of a true god.

    She transferred all the Chaos until there was only one-tenth of the original amount. Eithne could feel the impulses of her power gradually calmed down after losing her Chaos. Her aura¡¯s strength decreased instantly, but it became more stable.

    ¡°Frankly, it¡¯s still excessive to me, but it¡¯s much better than before.¡±

    Eithne saw the flows of madness on her skin were slowing down. They hardened into dark scales on her arms and legs like a layer of serpent¡¯s skin. She used her knuckle, which was also covered in dark scales to knock against the other scales on her arm. It gave out a rough sound of crashing rock surfaces.

    ¡°I can only get rid of madness entirely when I break all the scales. But this thing is quite sturdy, it would be a shame if I don¡¯t use it as good armor for my soul¡­ Hm?¡±

    Eithne gazed at the fox-headed attendant that she had transferred the Chaos to.

    The fox attendant¡¯s outfit changed when she did not notice. Its black servant suit had changed into an elegant light grey suit. The half top hat also changed into light-grey color, whereas the plain wooden cane became a gold inlaid cane with a serpent head at the handgrip. The fox attendant bowed at Eithne in a very gentlemanly manner; its etiquette was now upgraded to an aristocratic style, no longer of a humble servant.

    ¡°Ha...¡±

    Eithne smiled in amusement. When the fox did its exacerbated bend down, she noticed nine fluffy tails behind its butt. The orange tails had white hair at their tips. They were not very long, yet so fleecy that nine of them looked like a huge fluff pillow.

    The tails destroyed all the solemn look of the suit. The fox attendant also noticed that fact, so it quickly hid the nine tails under its coat.

    ¡°Pfft!¡±

    Hearing Eithne¡¯s laugh, the fox attendant became frustrated. Its arms hugged the fleecy tails behind, trying to make them stay in shape somehow.

    Eithne tried hard to hold down her grin.

    When her consciousness entered the mind of fox attendants earlier, Eithne felt that their mind was primitive like a blank paper. They might be created like that on purpose, so that their owner could control them like lifeless puppets.

    This fox attendant had developed a personality after she transferred the Chaos over.

    ¡°It seems that I will have a lively friend in this castle from now on.¡±

    After Eithne finished digesting the Chaos in her body, she would transfer the Chaos back from the fox attendant. She was not sure how far she could go with this much Chaos, but Eithne believed she would know eventually when she was stronger.

    Only when she was ¡®qualified¡¯ that Eithne could hear the voices of the godly existence, to find out the truth about everything that had happened to her. She needed to protect herself from becoming a sacrificial chess in the game of others.

    ¡°The unknown God with a severed head, the prayer hall similar to the temple of War, the Primordial Serpent¡­.¡± ¨C Eithne recalled what she had been through. ¡°I must find out the truth about them.¡±

 Chapter 15 (Part 2)

    Prior to that, another urgent problem would be: Return to the real world.

    Eithne needed to return to the real world to retrieve her body, otherwise she would be truly dead if someone destroyed her body. Only her soul entered this castle, while her body was left outside somewhere. It was a fact she learned from the Primordial Serpent.

    This castle was connected to the real world somewhere.

    ¡°If I remember correctly, the portal is this mirror.¡±

    Eithne looked opposite at the huge bronze mirror where the halved black-haired woman was sealed. They entered this castle through a mirror looking exactly the same.

    It was a shame that she could not interrogate the Primordial Serpent who was in slumber currently, and Eithne did not think she would go as far as waking up that monster right now. Without the Order¡¯s help, Eithne could not fight back the Mother of Void. Eithne would rather wait until herself had enough confidence in her strength to do that personally.

    ¡°¡­Hm¡­¡±

    Eithne¡¯s body levitated from the golden throne to approach the mirror.

    Her hand reached out to the mirror surface. Her fingers went through the mirror surface as if passing through a film of bubbles.

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    Eithne fully stepped in the mirror.

    Before her was a golden throne clutched between the crimson chains that extended to countless directions. The grotesque Primordial Serpent could be barely seen under the dense layers of chains.

    The scene was majestic and horror at the same time. Eithne could not help but imagine if one day she would replace the position of Primordial Serpent on that seat.

    Her fate now lay in the hands of godly existences. If things went wrong, she might end up the same with the chained monster.

    Eithne retracted her gaze and bypassed the chained throne. She then saw an endless dark zone before her.

    ¡°I can get lost in this place.¡± ¨C She thought.

    Eithne returned to the castle and sat on the golden throne. She needed an anchor to return to the castle in case she got lost in the dark. After all, it would not harm to be careful.

    Eithne glanced at the fox attendant as it seemed to be too free.

    ¡°Any idea?¡±

    The fox attendant was holding a hand mirror that it took from an unknown source, and a brush to get its fur in shape. Hearing Eithne¡¯s question, it nodded its head eagerly. It pointed at her, then pointed at its head¡¯s temple.

    Eithne understood its intention quite fast, as if they had a spiritual communion.

    ¡°Enter your mind?¡±

    The fox attendant nodded to confirm.

    Eithne closed her eyes. She sensed the connection from her soul to the golden throne, then from the golden throne to the entire castle and its components, including the attendants.

    The nine eyes on the golden throne blinked.

    Eithne¡¯s soul disappeared from the throne. Her soul traveled along the connection lines to the fox attendant¡¯s body. When she opened her eyes, she was seeing through the fox¡¯s eyes.

    Eithne inhabited the body of the fox attendant. She could feel a separate consciousness belonging to the original fox attendant. The two separate minds were like two people squeezing themselves on a single bed.

    The fox attendant turned its head to look at the closet column to the throne. Through its eyes, Eithne could see the chaotic energy on the column¡¯s surface was clustering into mystical patterns. The patterns were then reflected in her eyes and became knowledge in her mind.

    ¡°Turns out the fox attendant has already evolved using the Chaos, it can see the knowledge on the walls!¡±

    The fox attendant was now even stronger than Eithne. It was ¡®qualified¡¯ to know more mysticism.

    ¡°What a cheat.¡±

    She could bypass the test of power qualification in this way.

    Eithne took the opportunity to absorb the knowledge, then she left the fox attendant¡¯s body and sat back on the throne.

    A voice was echoing in her head.

    ¡°Tampering with Fate¡­ branch out one¡¯s Fate to plant avatars¡­¡±

    Despite being ambiguous at first, it was a big hint to Eithne.

    In normal circumstances, no one could change fate per will. If anyone were to change Fate, they must be Gods only. However, Eithne had some privileges as the throne¡¯s owner in this castle. She could use some of the powers which exclusively belonged to gods here. She just had yet to explore all of the potential tricks.

    ¡°To tamper with Fate, I must see Fate first. And to witness Fate, divination was the method.¡±

    The rule of divination consisted of two things: spirituality and protection. The performer channeled their spirituality to connect with Fate; however, they must also be protected from Fate during the process. Fate could dangerously lead the fate prober to death unknowingly, for which an interference from a true god was required.

    Priests usually needed to pray for their God¡¯s protection before performing divination. Mediums such as glass spheres and mirrors were often used as a tool to channel spirituality.

    Eithne did not need an extra medium. She was in her spiritual form already.

    The nine eyes on the back of the golden throne widened their lids. In midair, a huge projection of nine eyes emerged. They blinked once as the abstract patterns inside twisted into flowers, various shaped blocks and colors.

    Her ability of camera-like vision had advanced further into nine huge eyes after Eithne absorbed the Chaos element. When she became stronger, Eithne could understand quite a bit more about her ability.

    When a creature absorbed enough Chaos, the elements of Order - the law of nature inside the creature changed. Thus, the creature became a newly evolved being, and their souls would form unique features.

    Normally, the features were influenced by outer factors, such as religions and living environments. Different features would result in different kinds of magic abilities, though people tended to have similar magic abilities in the same community as they were usually influenced in the same manner.

    From the knowledge of priestess Noceur, the spiritual features occurred when the War priests went through four times Power Bestowment Rite, meaning their bodies underwent at least four times modification after being injected with Chaos. Such priests were the leaders of the factions in War temple, whose aura exerted to resemble the features of divine beasts.

    As for Eithne, the nine eyes had been her spirit¡¯s feature - which was heavily influenced by the Primordial Serpent. They also acted as the non-physical medium to channel Eithne¡¯s spirituality, having the ability of ¡®vision¡¯. However, the problem came from the source of those visions.

    Eithne rubbed her forehead.

    The extra eyes did more than just enhance her sight, though she wished it was the opposite case.

    ¡°I kept seeing shits and feeling tired after using those eyes. No wonder¡­ They are directly connected to my soul, burning my spirituality to do divination all the time!¡±

    The random scenes she used to see in ¡®cameras¡¯ were the imagery of Truth derived from Fate. Each eye performed divination on their own. The objective of divination in each eye was unclear, so they just instinctively wasted her spirituality to do random divination about places and people that were close to Eithne. Horribly, she unknowingly had divined many times without God''s protection!

    ¡°The rule of divination is that Fate always pulls seers toward death. I might have died early because of that¡­"

    The irresistible flow of Fate likely had sped up her demise as the awakening of the Primordial Serpent occurred. The original priestess should have at least five more years to live before Demir Noceur killed her, but Eithne had already died early under the Primordial Serpent''s hand and revived in the castle. When she thought of it, a chill ran down her spine.

    She had killed herself out of ignorance.

    The original priestess Eithne Noceur had lost memory on certain crucial things, such as the knowledge of divination that she unconsciously took lightly. It was suspicious whether the Primordial Serpent had intended that, which influenced Eithne¡¯s consciousness to overlook things - to achieve the goal of silently eliminating Eithne.

    Thankfully, Eithne could control the nine eyes to not act on their own now. She swore to be more careful about unknown things in the future.

    ¡°Theoretically, I have nine eyes, I can do nine divinations at the same time. But my current level only affords for one divination only¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s not worry about that right now.¡±

    Eithne closed her eyes to pray, using the language she learned from the castle¡¯s walls.

    ¡°Order¡­ I prayed for your enclosure of laws.

    The strictness of Order hampers both freedom and dangers.

    Thus, may I be safe from the whirl of Fate.¡±

    She prayed for the existence closest to her position - the Order in the mirror. Eithne did this on purpose, because she remembered the Chaos burned both the Primordial Serpent and the attendants before. The Chaos likely did not distinguish between friend and foe, while the Void was on the Primordial Serpent¡¯s side. Between them, the Order seemed to be the friendliest ally as They only attacked the Mother of Void.

    Eithne did not consider praying for other gods in this castle, because she did not feel the presence of any other deities except the abstract existences of Chaos, Order and Void. This place used to be a safe hideout of the Primordial Serpent, so it surely must be isolated from outer deities somehow.

    Darkness surged before Eithne¡¯s nine eyes. She began divination.

    ¡°My fate, guide me to the vessel of my existence.¡±

    After a few seconds, she saw a crimson thread.

    It extended from her heart to a very high place above ¨C which was shrouded in darkness that she was unable to see clearly. The thread then extended from Eithne to a very far place below. She saw it pass through a bronze mirror with two women¡¯s faces on the sides, then through a silent darkness to connect to a familiar-feeling object.

    ¡°That must be my body in the real world¡­¡±

    The crimson thread represented her existence in this world, including her soul and body. Eithne could just rely on the Fate thread to find her body, but she wanted to know more about the fox attendant¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°Now, how to branch out my fate line?¡±

    When Eithne was pondering, another crimson thread suddenly approached her fate line.

    She discovered it was the fox attendant pushing its fate toward her. Eithne reluctantly let its thread hook on her fate line. When the two crimson lines joined, she suddenly felt a strong connection between her and the fox attendant.

    ¡°!¡±

    Previously, Eithne had to rely on her connection to the golden throne to connect to the castle and its attendants. But right now, it seemed that she had been directly linked to one special fox attendant.

    ¡°Does it mean I can enter the fox attendant¡¯s mind whenever I want?¡±

    Eithne experimented instantly. Indeed, her soul could jump right in the fox attendant¡¯s body using their connection in Fate, without the need of the throne.

    If she ever got lost in the darkness, she could go back to this castle through the fox attendant.

    Brilliant!

    ¡°Thank you.¡± ¨C Eithne said to the fox attendant with all of her gratitude.

    The fox attendant nodded. It then waved its gloved hand to say goodbye.

    Eithne quickly left the castle through the mirror portal.

    Her soul travelled following the guide of the crimson line through the silent darkness.

    ¡°This darkness is strange. I should explore it when I get a chance.¡± ¨C She thought.

    ¡­

    Her concept of time was gradually lost in this space. Maybe the distance was too great, Eithne imagined herself standing still in the darkness¡­

    __

    After a while, Eithne finally saw the light at the end of the dark tunnel.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    She quickly approached the light.

    When Eithne was close enough, she could recognize the scenery outside. It was an open door from the dark space to the sky in the real world.

    ¡°This is quite high¡­¡±

    Eithne looked down. It recalled her when looking down from skyscrapers in the modern world.

    Below her was a wide valley with evergreen bush trees. Her fate line was extending toward the center of a bizarre dark mist in the valley¡¯s deepest point.

    The dark mist had an insidious look. It formed a cursed area with expanding toxins and hexes, twisting plants and animals into agonizing shapes. Occasionally, torturing screams and shrills would echo from the black mist.

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    However, what made Eithne baffle even more was an army of War priests around that area.

    There were so many War priests gathered in formation. From her high position in the sky, Eithne could spot large cannons imbued with magic, shock absorption devices and large-scale shields. The priests were approaching the dark mist with extreme caution ¨C where Eithne¡¯s body lay.

    ¡°I-Is that a net shooter?? Who are they hunting!? Me???¡±

    A cold wind blew over her spine.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne¡¯s soul quickly travelled back to the castle through the fox attendant¡¯s body.

    The fox attendant tilted its head, looking at her as if it was wondering why she came back so early.

    Eithne sat on the golden throne. Her finger knocked on the handle.

    ¡°Can I borrow your body for a while?¡±

    She asked the fox attendant.

    Eithne was not confident that she could retrieve her real body easily. In that meantime, she needed a substitute ¡®accommodation¡¯.

    The fox attendant nodded.

    Eithne summoned another black-suited servant with a fox head. If she left with the nine-tailed attendant, she needed another anchor to return to this castle.

    After connecting her fate to another servant¡¯s body, Eithne possessed the body of the nine-tailed fox attendant to travel back to the real world again.

    When she was about to pass the chained throne, the halved Primordial Serpent who was supposed to be in slumber, suddenly trembled violently.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Clang clang! Clang clang clang!

    The crimson chains shook in turbulence.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Eithne flinched. She sped up to distant herself from the throne.

    The crimson chains began to tighten itself. They moved slowly to wrap a few more rounds on the throne like pythons clutching a dying prey.

    Crack¡­ crack crack¡­ Sounds of broken bones came out.

    The Primordial Serpent gave out a low shrill, but quickly, it was forced into slumber again.

    A few seconds passed as the darkness in the mirror went back to its original silence.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne did not dare to probe any further. She quickly ran toward the real world without looking back¡­

    _

    ¡°Vice High Priestess, there¡¯s somebody descending from the sky!¡±

    A priest of the War temple reported in a loud voice. Behind him, a priestess in white robe stood up from the chair. She had a tall and sturdy figure, and her face¡¯s contour was that of a stern leader. When the priestess moved, pieces of shining armor underneath the robe were partly revealed, giving out the aura of a righteous knight.

    Vice High Priestess of the War temple, Aubree Moros looked up in the sky where a figure took shape from nothingness. Her amber eyes slightly squinted. In her gaze existed domination, surging between a feeling of suppressed tyranny and violence like a tiger in its territory.

    Aubree locked on the unidentified figure.

    It looked like a man in a light-grey suit. He had a cane and was holding a hat down on his head amid the blowing winds. The man was free-falling from the sky.

    ¡°His destination seems to be the center of the dark mist.¡± ¨C A War priest shouted.

    Aubree Moros commanded:

    ¡°Eliminate anything approaching the dark mist without prior notice to us.¡±

    The aide priest quickly transferred her words.

    ¡°FIRE!¡± ¨C He shouted.

    Large cannons were all fully loaded. They aimed at the man in the air and shot out magic-imbued fire spears.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    The shooting spears exploded in the air, the fire engulfed the figure of the falling man. The shockwaves were sent out in the sky, pushing all the sluggish clouds and birds backward about two miles.

    The afternoon pale sky seemed to reverse back to blazing midday after the blast.

    ¡­

    ¡°Is he dead?¡±

    The priests observed the situation. The terrifying firepower was always the pride of the War temple. Therefore, when they saw the figure thrusted out from the smoke seeming unharmed, the priests widened their eyes in surprise.

    That man could easily survive a blast from heavy cannons!

    Aubree Moros stopped the priests from firing another blast to the figure.

    ¡°Save the fuel. Retreat the cannons to the farthest. Bring forward the shields, shock absorbing devices!¡± - She commanded.

    The formation of the War priests then changed smoothly as they had practiced it for a thousand times. Meanwhile, the figure of the man had entered the cursed dark mist.

    After quickly assessing the man¡¯s strength using cannon blast, Aubree had understood that they could not deal with the man simply with firepower. It was most likely that the battle would develop into a close-ranged fight. With the presence of an unknown factor like that man, the dark mist¡¯s status would likely change. The worst case was that the dark mist might send out impacts on surroundings, which would require large shields and shock-reduce devices to minimize the loss. In that case, cannons should stay back to be the support attack.

    ¡°Moros Priestess, what shall we do next?¡± ¨C The aide priest asked.

    ¡°Follow the old plan.¡±

    Aubree Moros clenched her gauntlets. She took off the large robe to fully unleash her flexibility. The orange twilight was reflected on her armor, turning into a vague illusion of a slightly swaying mountain tiger above her body.

    Aubree then led the first brigade to begin infiltrating the dark mist. The illusion of the tiger jumped high from her back and launched its body into the mist. When the darkness and twilight tiger collided, the mist let out a humanoid scream and a burnt smell as if it was a real creature made of flesh.

    ¡°Shrieeeek!¡±

    Goosebumps appeared on the backs of other priests, but they quickly reacted as practiced. The War priests covered their ears with cotton balls soaked in holy water, then proceeded the next step in their plan. Some priests reacted slower and would start to see uncleaned illusions, but they were all woken up by their teammates¡¯ shouts.

    Each priest took out a silk white paper scroll. They opened the scroll to let the paper roll out from their hands too deep into the cursed mist.

    ¡°Purify!¡± ¨C They chanted.

    The paper scrolls instantly lit up in serene white light. Origami flowers suddenly sprouted from the plain paper to bloom in the black mist. When the sinister mist touched the flowers, hexes and toxins in the mist were neutralized instantly.

    It was an effective purifying weapon provided by the Peace temple.

    ¡­

    Eithne in the fox attendant body landed on the ground.

    She had managed to retract the fluffy tails back so that the fox attendant could look more human-like, but the fox head was currently unchangeable.

    ¡°Holy shit. That was crazy!¡± ¨C She thought.

    If she were in her original body, she would have been blasted by the cannons into burnt meat. Luckily, the body of the fox attendant had evolved much stronger than Eithne. It had such a powerful reflex that she could dodge the heaviest impact. The suit of the fox was made from a strange material that the fire could not destroy, so Eithne seemed to be almost unharmed by the blast.

    ¡°They really planned to eliminate anything involving me?¡±

    Eithne thought in fright. She must find her body quickly and get out of here!

    Looking around at the sinister environment, Eithne guessed it was the product left behind by the Mother of Void. The fox attendant¡¯s fur started to curl in and blacken under the influence of toxins and hexes, but the impact did not reach the body¡¯s internal organs. Not yet.

    ¡°Where is it¡­ Where is it?¡±

    Eithne ran around to look for the body before the limited time passed. She followed the connection between her soul to discover her body¡¯s location.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    ¡°This¡­!¡±

    She found her body.

    However, that ¡®thing¡¯ did not appear like the Noceur priestess.

    In front of her eyes was a bunch of squirming flesh. Crimson crevices moved between the squirming flesh like small boats floating amid the rivers; and in each crevice were nine eyes darting around in insanity. The monstrous flesh was sending out corruption and madness to the surrounding air, whilst the black mist twirled around it to form a hemispheric protection.

    Eithne¡¯s body had completely mutated!

    While the excessive Chaos in her soul was transferred away on time, it was too late for her body. The Chaos from the Primordial Serpent had completely destroyed it, though the body was still considered as ¡®living¡¯ to have a connection with Eithne¡¯s soul.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way to reverse it¡­ Right?¡±

    Eithne asked the fox attendant¡¯s consciousness.

    When she received a negative answer, Eithne sighed heavily.

    It was impossible to occupy the body as it was filled with madness and hexes.

    ¡°So, priestess ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯ just died like this¡­"

    She muttered to herself.

    Eithne herself did not believe it just ended like that. Like the Primordial Serpent, she did not trust the fox attendant entirely. Even her own consciousness could be invaded, the fox attendant¡¯s knowledge could be fabricated secretly. Eithne would like to believe there was a hidden manipulator in the dark to keep her guard up constantly, she just had yet to find out their identity and ultimate scheme.

    Thinking as such, but the reality left her no other choice.

    Eithne suddenly noticed the familiar blonde-haired head. It was between the messy flesh and eyes.

    ¡°Oh! The head is still in shape.¡±

    An invisible blade shot out from the fox attendant¡¯s finger to detach the head from the mutated body. Eithne could totally use her ability in the fox attendant vessel.

    She picked up her head.

    There were only two crevices on her head. One was across her nose, one cut from her jawline to her cheeks. Eighteen eyes in two crevices were all staring at her, as if they could recognize the head¡¯s original owner.

    ¡°Maybe if I could forcefully close those crevices like how I retract the fox tails, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Perhaps like closing the eyelids, the worse it would look only resembles unhealing cuts¡­ Hm, the corruption inside the head can be treated with the fox attendant level. I will carry the head with me to replace the fox head, since there¡¯s no way I can enter human provinces with a fox appearance¡­¡±

    Eithne had decided to carry the head with her. The fox attendant could change its head freely like how it changed from snake head to fox head.

    Eithne asked the fox attendant:

    ¡°Is there any way to store this head?¡±

    ¡°What? You have a pocket subspace? Isn¡¯t that too OP?¡±

    ¡°Only for one head? Fine¡­¡±

    The fox attendant¡¯s consciousness transferred its intention to Eithne. It didn¡¯t speak in human language, so she must understand the fox attendant on a spiritual level.

    ¡°Because the snake head is disposed, you have extra space for my head¡­ Alright, can I ask you to keep my head?¡±

    Eithne asked politely. The fox attendant agreed. Through the fox eyes, Eithne saw a purplish cube materialized in midair next to her. Before she could drop the priestess¡¯s head in, Eithne suddenly heard a voice.

    ¡°YOU¡­!¡±

    Eithne looked back to see an armored knight, whose face of a woman that she knew clearly. Behind the knight was a dreamy illusion of a huge tiger.

    It was the Vice High Priestess of the War temple!

    Eithne¡¯s fox pupils shrank.

    She quickly threw the head into the pocket subspace and ended the subspace summon.

    Aubree¡¯s face was beamed with anger as the tiger illusion behind her pounded at the fox-headed man who had taken the head of a War priestess.

    ¡°Keek!¡±

    The fox in suit let out a shout after it dodged the tiger¡¯s attack.

    ¡®She has seen ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯ die! It¡¯s my chance to escape the War temple!¡¯- Eithne thought.

    She chose to run toward the mist center to avoid the priests following behind Aubree.

    Eithne did not bother to explain. Whether or not she was misunderstood as murdering ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯, she would be pursued by the War temple anyway. For the reason that she was carrying ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯¡¯s head!

    ¡°Where are you running?¡±

    Aubree chased after the fox-headed man.

    The tiger illusion overlapped her figure. Its fur swayed gently in the air, being oddly slow in the fast-running situation. The layer of mana that formed the fur had slowed down so much that it almost produced no vibration in the air. It was a hiding technique that helped Aubree silently snuck behind the fox-headed man earlier. If not for her emotional shock that Aubree broke the silence, the tiger might have killed the fox under its claws swiftly.

    Eithne ran in a zigzag pattern to dodge the tiger¡¯s claws, but when she avoided the tiger, she would meet the Vice High Priestess.

    Aubree¡¯s fingers flexed to form a tiger-like paw. Her palm collided with an invisible blade.

    Clang!

    The power emanated from Aubree crashed the blade and even sent back the remnant in an energy wave to the fox in suit.

    ¡°So strong!¡± - Eithne broke out sweat on her head.

    She swung the cane to cut an opening between the wave to escape the impact. Her cane holding arm was almost yanked backward from the energy wave.

    The fox attendant seemed to have no other ability besides pocket subspace and a tough body, suit and cane. It had been silent to let Eithne totally control the body, so Eithne was using her old skills to deal with the Vice High Priestess.

    Snap!

    Eithne snapped her fingers.

    Darkness surged out from her body to form an isolated space between her and Aubree. Everything inside the space was purged into dead silence.

    The fox in suit pointed at the tiger illusion. Ten invisible blades then shot out from different directions toward the tiger.

    As Eithne¡¯s soul was enhanced by the Chaos, the strength in summoned blades was also improved.

    The tiger illusion roared angrily when the invisible blades tore through the resplendent light on its body. It unsteadily fell down and dispersed.

    Easily taking down the tiger stalled Eithne with surprise for a second.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    She reacted too late when a sharp pain expanded from her back. Aubree had snuck behind her.

    Five deep cuts appeared on the back of the fox¡¯s suit, yet oddly no blood seeped out.

    Aubree had put up a scam with the tiger illusion right after she saw the darkness. The priestess frowned deeply. She had received a detailed report about Eithne Noceur''s strange power. This fox-headed man had a similar ability to Eithne Noceur!

    Whatever the case, she must capture this creature alive!

    With determination, Aubree launched another claw on the fox¡¯s injured spot.

    ¡°Kek!¡±

    The fox-headed man hissed and deftly rolled over to dodge. It then pointed at Aubree. Instantly, bursts of invisible blades filled the space before her face.

    Aubree swiftly protected her head with gauntlets and retreated into the dark.

    Eithne was stressed. This was the first time she had ever fought the Vice High Priestess head-on. The High Vice Priestess was obviously more experienced than Hesata, Eithne could not find Aubree¡¯s trace even in her own territory!

    Rather than Eithne having advantage, Aubree was more like the predator playing with its prey in the dark.

    The darkness was not on Eithne¡¯s side this time.

    Suddenly, Eithne saw sharp lines of orangish light. The scene was like a calligraphy artwork where the artist boldly pressed down the brush into large strokes resembling tiger stripes.

    A chill ran down Eithne¡¯s spine. She could only summon as many invisible blades as possible to circle her place. Barely had Eithne recognized the danger, she saw an explosion coming from those stripes of light that crushed all her defense.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Eithne was blown away like a jet. Suddenly, the air froze.

    In that frozen moment, she saw the darkness was being erased by an orangish twilight.

    ¡°My darkness domain has been overwritten!¡±

    Creating a domain was something that was only possible when a creature almost reached demi-god level, such as Aubree Moros. However, Aubree had been seeing Eithne Noceur and the fox-headed man bypass that ¡®law¡¯.

    ¡°They¡¯re actually not that strong.¡± ¨C Aubree thought.

    There were five tiger illusions leaping at the suited fox in the dreamy twilight. Above them, Aubree reached out her claw to aim at the fox¡¯s neck.

    The fox stiffened under the effect of the twilight world. All it could do was widening its pair of eyes, staring at Aubree intensely.

    ¡°Surrender!¡± - Aubree coldly said.

    When she almost touched the fox-headed man, Aubree suddenly felt her joints was blocked.

    The strange effect was very weak, she just needed to channel a little bit mana to resolve, but she sensed an interference on her twilight domain.

    ¡°The darkness was clearly blocked by my twilight. What¡¯s happening?¡±

    A person with one soul only could only produce one domain! Like a unique spiritual feature!

    The time flow in the domain-over-domain seemed to be delayed twice.

    Both Aubree and the fox were stiffened, but the fox found the chance to take action.

    Eithne had used her last trump card.

    She not only had a domain of darkness, but also an early developed domain associated with the nine eyes. In her vision, everything appeared like a page in a fantasy comic, neatly dividing into separate frames. The colors of the twilight, the tiger illusions and the Vice High Priest become deep like an oil painting, sliding away from the sense of reality into the fiction theme. The objects in the ¡®comic¡¯ then slowed down to match the immobile background.

    Eithne had used this ability to capture Raphael before, now she was using this to stall Aubree for half a second. Like an emergency airbag, nine fleecy tails extended out and wrapped the fox¡¯s body into a huge fur ball.

    Aubree¡¯s claw arrived when the tails had completely covered Eithne. The impact was transferred through the fur in shockwaves, then suddenly bounced back to Aubree¡¯s hand.

    In a flash, the fur ball launched itself from the spot like an extremely elastic ball, flying toward a direction in the sky and disappeared in the blue.

    ¡°???¡±

    Aubree looked at the target slipped out of her range in surprise. The speed of the furball was shockingly fast. The power that she used to hit the fox was returned to her, but the impact force on the fox¡¯s side was seemingly multiplied - that became a great source of ¡®fuel¡¯ for the furball to bounce away.

    ¡°My domain was interfered and lost its slackening effect¡­ What could have done that?¡±

    Aubree muttered.

    Even her five tiger illusions expressed a dumbfounded expression since their prey was gone in a blink.

    Bang!

    A red firework exploded in the sky.

    It was the emergency signal of other War priests!

    Aubree quickly ran toward the firework¡¯s source. When she arrived, the scene was more terrible than she thought.

    Several War priests had their limbs withered in hexes. Many of them had decisively cut off their corrupted parts to continue to fight a huge serpent.

    The grotesque serpent was skinless and headless, a horrible combination of squirming bloody flesh and protruding bones. On the serpent¡¯s body were countless crimson crevices that had nine eyes in each - they were madly darting around to spread out the depravity to the priests¡¯ souls.

    The situation was not positive for the priests as they were losing their minds one by one, falling to the ground unconsciously. When they fell, the disgusting monster would try to engulf them. Before Aubree arrived, the priests only managed to save their friends from being eaten.

    ¡°How can it develop this much?!¡±

    Aubree¡¯s pupils shrank.

    ¡°That fox-headed bastard! What had he done?¡±

    She knew who the monster used to be, she already saw the mutated status of the body before. But the situation escalated too fast!

    The experienced War priests sacrificed their lucidness to approach the serpent and stab in the monster¡¯s eyes. They quickly created the chance for the High Vice Priest to act.

    ¡°Shrieeeellkkkk¡­.¡±

    A scream eerily came out from the black mist surrounding them when the serpent was injured. The monster then slammed its body on the ground. Its flesh suddenly separated to form a colossal mouth to catch the nearby priest.

    The War priests shot magic fire to the crimson toothless mouth. They also made the air before them to explode so that the impact force could send their immobile body - affected by the mind corruption to fly backward, away from the monster.

    The serpent did not seem to be bothered by the magic fire much. It continued to chase after the humans.

    ¡°Retreat immediately! Activate the cannons!¡±

    Aubree shouted.

    The twilight from her body expanded to enclose the cursed area, where tiger¡¯s roars could be heard echoing through the corruption. Five tiger illusions leaped at the serpent to bite it at different spot, nailing it down to the ground.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Heavy cannons aimed at the wicked monster to fire. The strong explosion tore apart the serpent¡¯s body, not leaving it a chance to counterattack.

    Aubree conjured a huge tiger illusion to shield the injured priests from the stormy bombarding, while trying to temporarily treat the corruption with her aura. The priests quickly retreated to their safe spot.

    The fire kept falling from the sky constantly as if a new sun was being born on the land. Its loud destruction deafened all the nearby creatures¡¯ hearing ability. The pathetic animals ran frantically in every direction away from the impact, they even trampled on each other to escape.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    ...

    The battle in the valley only ended when the dreadful shrill of the black mist was overwhelmed by the canons firing¡­

    This would be a nightmarish day for many young priests of War temple.

    Thankfully, despite heavy injuries, nobody lost their life.

 Chapter 16: What does the Fox say? (Part 1)

    A flash of light cut across the sky and landed down amid the evergreen forest.

    The ¡®comet¡¯ was a big ball of orange fur. It bounced up and down a few times on the ground, went left and right between the tree trunks before it could stop completely.

    The fur ball opened up into nine fox tails which then retreated to the back of the fox-headed man.

    ¡°Bleage!¡±

    The fox in a suit collapsed on the ground, vomiting out the air.

    ¡°Why am I puking out when this body has no stomach? Urgh¡­.¡±

    Eithne was having a deep nausea.

    ¡°Eeeek¡­.¡±

    Echoing in her mind was the whining of the fox attendant¡¯s dizzy soul.

    ¡°This is no science. I have no organ in this body, how come I¡¯m having - Bleage!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne swore to make this fleeing method her last resort.

    ¡°I should not use this method again in at least three weeks¡­¡±

    When Eithne finally stabilized herself, she observed the surroundings to locate herself.

    The forest that she was in right now was crowded with tall pines that almost covered the upper space ¨C if not for her landing that destroyed a wide area of branches, Eithne wouldn¡¯t see the sunset sky on top of her head. The sun was sinking to the ground, still its light was strong enough to penetrate through the dense range of trees. The air was quite chilling in the forest, feeling much colder than when Eithne was in the southern area ¨C so she likely had flown toward the northern part of Lumovas.

    Eithne drew a simple direction compass in her head, based on the known west direction of the settling sun. The sunlight must have come from the sparser part of the forest, so Eithne navigated herself to head west toward the sun before it completely went dark.

    ¡°I might find a village there¡­ I¡¯m seriously hungry now, but how do I eat without a stomach¡­¡±

    Eithne thought. She recalled the damaged suit of the fox attendant.

    ¡°Oh I will find you a new suit when we get to the human¡¯s place.¡±

    Eithne communicated with the fox attendant in her mind.

    ¡°Uh¡­ You said you will mend it using my mana?¡±

    ¡°Ah yes¡­ there¡¯s no penny on me now¡­ My luggage was on the ferry last time.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how much time has passed since I was caught up with the Primordial Serpent¡­¡±

    Eithne was clueless of the time passed, same as the fox attendant who had no concept of time in the mysterious castle.

    ¡­

    The closer they got toward the sun, the farther the pine trees grew next to each other.

    The fox in suit swung its cane side to side, jogging in the golden afternoon. With one hand it held a cane, while the other hand played with a dried pinecone. The shoes stepping on the dry branches made some crackling sounds, startling some squirrels and birds on the ground.

    The pine trees stationed beneath their coat of leaves, quietly grew in the place that barely had any wind. Their leaves had the shade of innocent green with patches of bright sunlight. On the ground where large trees¡¯ shadow was lacking, short ferns were swaying gently in the shower of golden afternoon¡¯s light, despite the windless weather. Spirit mages often had a theory that such ferns were having a dream of plants, an afternoon dream in which forest spirits were holding noisy picnics on their leaves.

    Buzzed and buzzed, the ladybugs snuggled themselves in the cracks on the tree trunks. They had a wary look at the big fox walking by, but the sneaky neighbor spider quickly diverted their attention.

    Pack! Two squirrels chased after a rolling pinecone, but the cone went stuck between two heavy rocks. The squirrels then proceeded to steal from each other¡¯s food vault, mocking each other in a squeaky squirrel¡¯s language before they were both startled by a sound of footsteps, thus temporary silence between the two.

    Nature was not silent. It was thriving in the chaos of little creatures, yet peaceful than ever.

    All worries and disturbance strangely dispersed in this woodland¡¯s peacefulness.

    Eithne felt happy.

    ¡°I have survived.¡±

    She guessed she could be considered as a homeless, but free person now.

    ¡°I have no other objective besides continuing a quiet life¡­ Should I find a house in the suburbs?¡±

    The fox attendant then spoke in her head.

    Hearing its reminder, Eithne sighed.

    ¡°Right, no money, no property¡­¡±

    ¡°But your body doesn¡¯t need food to live. Why are you rushing me to earn money?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The fox in suit yawned. The yawn came from the fox attendant¡¯s consciousness, not Eithne.

    It seemed to be tired, so it became quiet and let Eithne totally hold control of the body.

    __

    When the sun disappeared, Eithne finally saw some signs of humans.

    She followed the faint trails of carriages passing on the ground. Her foot unconsciously walked alongside messy cattle¡¯s footprints.

    The trails became harder to see in the deepening dark. Mosquitoes were getting active in thick bushes, which they would grab on any animal within their reach to suck out a sumptuous meal of blood.

    The fox attendant¡¯s body, though having no organ and blood, surprisingly attracted the mosquitoes so well. Eithne just wanted to escape this forest as soon as possible. She had always been annoyed with those little damned insects.

    The fox¡¯s nose twitched.

    ¡°There¡¯s human smell over there¡­¡±

    The smell was awful. It was the smell of sweaty men who might never shower for once in their lives.

    It would not be unbearable if she was still having her human nose. However, Eithne¡¯s sense of smell was ten times better in the fox attendant''s body. The repulsion was consequently ten times greater now that she was experiencing a deeper level of putrid odor.

    More than that, she could even sense the difference in sweat! The putrid odor was similar to that of alcoholic drunkards, and she could get a whiff of faint plonk between the humans.

    The fox then pinched its nose.

    ¡°Disgusting¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a line of thought jumped in her mind. It was a thought translated from the grumpy fox attendant¡¯s soul. It seemed that the fox attendant had awakened.

    ¡°Good evening.¡± ¨C Eithne laughed.

    A series of incomprehensible fox¡¯s whines came after that as a reply.

    Eithne ignored it.

    She approached the place where the humans were. She planned to tail them until the humans went back to their village or town.

    ¡°My corrupted head cannot be used yet. It¡¯s best that I don¡¯t interact with them.¡± ¨C Eithne thought.

    She was about to hide behind a senior pine tree. Then suddenly, a man shouted out from behind the bushes.

    ¡°The Fox! I knew you would come!¡±

    ¡°??!!¡± ¨C Eithne flinched.

    Fox? Was he referring to her, the fox-headed one?

    She was discovered!

    ¡®Who are they? How do they know me?¡¯ ¨C Eithne asked herself in silence, tensing her nerves because she thought that her secret was likely exposed.

    She stood motionlessly to make no sound, hoping that her hiding spot was not discovered yet.

    ¡®What if they are talking to another ¡®Fox¡¯ around here?¡¯ ¨C She thought. ¡®Shit¡­ I never expected to encounter somebody who knew me too early. I didn¡¯t hide my footstep¡¯s sound earlier, so that¡¯s how they discovered me?¡¯

    There must be one strong guy in that team, he could hear her footsteps from so far away!

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Both sides were silent to wait for the response from the other party, but after a few minutes, there was no ¡®Fox¡¯ showing up.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re here. Step out, scaredy Fox!¡± ¨C The man shouted again.

    Eithne took a sneak peek at the people through a gap of leaves. They were men in tattered clothes, looking strong and barbaric. All of them had weapons hanging on the sides of their hips or behind their backs, while a few tipsy-looking men carried leather bottles that had a reek of alcohol inside. From their look, Eithne guessed that they were close to being a bunch of bandits. On the other hand, the man who was calling out for ¡®the Fox¡¯ had a quite clean appearance. He put on a dark blue hood and neat adventurer¡¯s clothes. The man was at the center of the bandits, blatantly sitting on the smoothest stone to express the fact that ¡®he was the boss¡¯.

    Eithne squinted her eyes. There were around twenty people.

    Although she did not sense any obviously strong mana fluctuation from the people, Eithne would not carelessly act.

    Who knew the situation might escalate so fast that she possibly lost her life again, like how she was on Raphael¡¯s boat?

    Eithne decided to face them, but she would run away instantly when something went off.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let me come to you.¡± ¨C The man shouted again, but he was losing some patience this time.

    He stood up and walked toward his left direction where he heard footsteps coming.

    Holding up an oil lamp in his hand, when suddenly, the man saw a tall figure looming out from the pine branches¡¯ dark shadow.

    All of the bandits then heard steady footsteps, accompanied by the rustling sound of woody debris when a cane stabbed onto them. The experienced bandits could speculate that the cane was made of good, heavy materials. Their minds instinctively invoked the idea of seizing the cane ¨C an object which they robbed many times before and it always had wonderful silver or gold ornaments, but the intention was shut off right that moment when they saw the appearance of the ¡®newcomer¡¯.

    It was a fox-headed man in an expensive-looking suit, holding a gold-inlaid cane in its hand. The fox lightly lifted the hat from its head to greet them.

    The bandits were all silent, simultaneously, they clenched their weapons.

    Every cold and dark forest always had some legends about the monsters living inside the forest. The situation now suddenly became eerie with a creature that did not resemble a human, which emerged from the darkness of the forest like a tale.

    The bandits could see the cold light reflected in the animalistic eyes of ¡®the Fox¡¯. Its ears, its fur, its facial movement were all too realistic to be a fake mask.

    A man who dressed in a formal suit and appeared at night in the wild was already too suspicious, not to mention that he had an animal head!

    Eithne observed the tense reaction of the men.

    They seemed to be more surprised than she thought. Both sides were staring at each other without saying a word.

    Eventually, the man in dark blue hood broke the silence first.

    ¡°Are you the Fox?¡± ¨C He asked.

    He maintained his calmness toward Eithne, but she could see that his face was much more serious than before. He carefully stood two meters away from the strange ¡®Fox¡¯.

    Eithne reluctantly nodded to answer him. She did not talk to reveal less detail of her identity.

    The man then continued to talk.

    ¡°I¡¯m Bator. You have come here, it means that you have agreed to my proposal.¡±

    Eithne widened her eyes.

    Which proposal?

    ¡®They are actually looking for another Fox?¡¯ ¨C Eithne was baffled.

    Not waiting for her reaction, Bator announced his plan to the bandits.

    ¡°As per agreement, all of you attack the carriage and take all the cargo. If there are people inside, kill them all.¡±

    He took out a pocket watch to check.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to execute the plan. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The bandits raised the swords to approve, but their spirit was somewhat off. They whispered to each other, not wanting to stand close to the fox-headed man. All of them set off quickly after Bator, some of them warily glared at ¡®the Fox¡¯, but none of them ever said anything to the fox-headed man.

    ¡®That¡¯s odd.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought. ¡®They are quiet and more organized than I thought. Maybe this is a trained unit in disguise of bandits?¡¯

    She eventually followed them.

    ¡®Maybe I can find a human¡¯s village or town by following them.¡¯ ¨C She thought. ¡®I will stop their killing plan if possible¡­¡¯

    Eithne quickly chased after the bandits.

    __

    Shortly after the bandits all left, a hunter arrived at the old meeting spot. On his head was a round fur hat, and on his shoulders was a loosely draped fur scarf to keep warm for his upper body. The man had a full beard on his face. His hair was bright ginger like the fur of a red fox.

    The hunter held up his bow cautiously, looking for any possible ambush. When he confirmed there was no other beside him there at the moment, he finally relaxed his arms. Quickly, two red foxes thrusted out from the nearby bushes to accompany his feet.

    ¡°Rotten aristocrat!¡± ¨C He cursed, while petting his pet foxes.

    This man, with his title as the famous Fox thief of the area, received a letter from a man named Bator. The letter said that Bator would offer him five thousand gold coins if the Fox could assassinate three kids. The famous Fox thief knew instantly that it was a scheme of a wicked noble ¨C perhaps a battle of inheritance when the family members tried to finish off each other for the profuse wealth.

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    Although five thousand gold coins was more than enough for the Fox to spend lavishly until the end of his life, the man had his morality. He had set his goal to rob the rich and give the money to the poor, so he would never agree to this vicious plan.

    However, The Fox was afraid that the plan was actually carried out, so he came in person to check.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t here, but I can see some shoe marks on the ground. Have they left already?¡±

    The man quickly tracked the marks to chase after the bandits.

    ¡°I hope I can make it in time to save the kids¡­¡±

    The Fox and his two red foxes ran into the dark wood¡­

    _

    __

    There was a strict principle for those who entered the forest at night: Beware of monsters.

    What were monsters? The priests liked to address them as children of evil, servants of Demons and the Depraved. The aristocrats called them vile beasts, while the commoners called them foul man-eaters. Psychopaths called them friends and children might mistake them as forest¡¯s fairies. Monsters had various shapes and sizes, as many as different people in this world.

    It was not the first time that Bator had ever seen a monster. Northern Lumovas was a place filled with monsters. He had witnessed many brutal and gruesome monsters before, but clever ones often excelled at disguise.

    Bator glanced at ¡®the famous Fox thief of Northern Lumovas¡¯.

    The fox-headed man dressed in a light grey suit was walking leisurely behind them. Meeting his glance, it lifted its hat as a response.

    Clearly it was not the petty thief that Bator expected.

    The bandits who spent most of their lives in Northern Lumovas were even more experienced.

    Northern people had a rule when they encountered monsters:

    If a monster asked to join the human group, unless the group was confident to fight, the humans must not decline the monster. They must act normally to deceive the monster that its disguise was a success, in order to stall the time and come to the nearest town where priests, mages or knights were available. A monster, after being declined or knowing that its disguise had failed, might unleash its bloody rampage instantly.

    When Bator ¨C the most capable man of the group acted as if nothing was wrong with ¡®the Fox¡¯, the bandits already perceived that as a clear warning.

    Even with twenty men, they did not have the confidence. They whispered a new plan to each other:

    ¡°Lead the monster to attack the robbing target on our half¡­¡±

    The bandits who lived dangerously had no plan to seek refuge first. The operation tonight was set for the big money.

    ¡­

    Eithne and the bandit group arrived at a wide dirt road. She could see faint horse footprints and wheel trails extending from a far village.

    It was dinner time so nobody was outside of the village. The houses were all lighted up warmly, while the smell of food travelled from the windows to cover at least three low hills.

    Eithne heard some men swallowing their saliva.

    ¡®I wonder how much money Bator offered these barbarians to ambush a carriage. Who is such an important target that he needs twenty people to kill them?¡¯ - She pondered.

    Thanked to Bator¡¯s lead, Eithne could finally find a village.

    ¡®Now, how should I deal with them?¡¯

    The fox-headed man stared at the bandits who quickly hid into their designated spots.

    It was quite strange that they were very quiet, though the target had yet to appear.

    Eithne had heard no coarse cursing or even seen an uncivilized manner on the whole journey. It gave her a hard time to determine if they were actually bandits, and they seemed tense as if it was their first operation ever.

    Eithne glanced at Bator¡¯s hiding place, she also found a secluded tree shadow to stand in.

    Bator was the only guy that could use mana in the bandit group. Though his mana influence was not so strong, Eithne was having a hunch that Bator was not easy to deal with. The fox attendant was also barking in her head as a warning.

    Not long after they went into hiding, Eithne heard the sound of a galloping horse and wooden wheels that stumped on gravel and dried branches. She picked up a small stone on the ground.

    The fox¡¯s ears twitched.

    ¡®A sound of a bow string being pulled ¡­ That direction!¡¯

    Eithne threw the stone toward a high tree branch.

    Pack!

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    One bandit was hit by the stone. The arrow flew out from his bow and missed the target.

    Swoosh! The arrow flew past the horse¡¯s nose and stabbed on the ground.

    Neigh!

    The horse cried loudly as it was startled. Strangely, there was no horseman at the front to pull the halter, so the horse started to run frantically to escape.

    ¡°Attack!¡±

    The bandits shouted. They jumped out from both sides of the road to pursue the carriage.

    The carriage launched itself on the road, with an uncontrollable horse, it quickly went off the track and fell over to a side.

    Slam! The wooden carriage hit the ground and stopped by the large tree trunk. The horse was also pulled along with the heavy carriage, but the reins suddenly snapped so it broke free and ran deep into the forest.

    The bandits yelled.

    ¡°Take them all!¡±

    They lashed out on the carriage, stabbing the carriage¡¯s door in order to break the lock.

    Eithne stepped out and was about to attack the bandits. Right after she moved, most bandits suddenly stopped their action and looked at her intensively.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Eithne was surprised by their action so she also stood back.

    Bang!

    At that moment, the carriage¡¯s door burst open. Three small kids rolled out of the carriage.

    When they stood up, Eithne got to see their faces.

    ¡®Rigel, small heroine, crown prince?! What are they doing here???¡¯

    The kids looked frail and dirty like they had been struggling for a long time.

    What had happened to them?!

    Not wasting a single second, the young crown prince lifted a strange staff in his hand up. Azriel stood shielding before Rigel and Noori. Brilliant blue light emanated from the head of his staff, where powerful mana gathered like a cyclone. Everyone¡¯s vision faded in a few seconds before the bright light.

    When the light disappeared, the three children were also gone.

    ¡°What happened?!¡±

    ¡°Look! Look at the carriage! It¡¯s empty!¡±

    The bandits were stunned by the scene, however, the sight of the empty carriage when the door was opened caught their attention more.

    ¡°There¡¯s no good inside!¡±

    ¡°Bator, you asshole! Come over here!¡±

    The men were infuriated. They started to point their swords as their blame toward Bator, their contractor. Out of their expectation, Bator seemed calm. He just clicked his tongue in pity.

    ¡°They got away¡­¡± ¨C He murmured.

    One bandit directly put his dagger next to Bator¡¯s neck, threatened him.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s not a single piece of shit in this carriage, you m*fucker will have to pay for it.¡± ¨C said the angry bandit.

    ¡°Hey just kill him!¡±

    ¡°That guy can use mana, don¡¯t let him have a chance to fight!¡±

    Other bandits shouted, then they swung their weapons aiming at Bator.

    ¡°Ha!¡± - The man in blue hood smirked.

    A short wand slipped down from his sleeve into his hand. Bator pointed the wand toward ¡®the Fox¡¯.

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    A small flame flew from his wand toward the fox-headed man.

    ¡°Fuck! He tries to trigger the monster!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡±

    The bandits cried. Most of them immediately turned their heads to run, but a few bold men still stayed to finish off Bator.

    ¡°Fucking asshole.¡± ¨C They cursed. ¡°Die!¡±

    When their swords almost touched Bator, he smiled.

    ¡°Oh really?¡±

    He raised the wand.

    ¡°Thunder!¡±

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Instantly, lightning struck down heavily on the bandits, including the fleeing men. They all collapsed on the ground, exhaled burning smoke.

    After a quick glance around to check the number of bandits, Bator looked at the fox-headed man and politely bowed.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re all yours. I hope you have a wonderful meal.¡±

    He said with a smile.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    However, the fox-headed monster seemed unfazed with Bator¡¯s work. It had dodged his simple fire spell earlier as Bator expected. The fox in suit was staring at him, behind its back was a burning pine tree that was hit by the spell.

    It was quite strange for monsters to not reveal their bloodthirst after seeing a feast of humans like that.

    Bator stood up and gazed doubtfully at the fox-headed man.

    ¡°Oh, perhaps you are not satisfied?¡±

    Eithne was also observing Bator. She had just realized what kind of character Bator was in a plot of romance:

    A side villain who never succeeded in harming the main characters!

    Although Bator seemed capable, his series of failures as an assassinator had begun since the lead characters were still babies. Eithne knew that the young prince had escaped with Rigel and the heroine by teleportation magic, though she had no idea where they had gone.

    ¡®His planning skill just sucks¡­¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought. ¡®It¡¯s full of holes for plot armor to act in.¡¯

    He was quite talented in her evaluation, having mastered two offensive elements fire and lightning as a mage. Eithne was curious why both her instinct and the fox attendant felt odd about this man, he must have been hiding his true strength.

    Under Eithne¡¯s scrutiny, Bator was uncomfortable.

    He was planning to let the monster rampage on the bandits to erase his trace of magic. The fact that the monster was unperturbed was not in his plan.

    Bator squinted his eyes. He pointed the wand toward the fox-headed man.

    His mana twisted into bolts of lightning that aimed at the monster.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The fox in suit agilely stepped aside to dodge all of that.

    Bator looked at the fox calmly standing with its cane. The ground spot that it used to stand on had been fried with his spell into dark charcoal.

    However, the fox-headed man was too silent. It was just staring at him, which gave Bator a bad omen.

    He slowly approached ¡®the Fox thief¡¯.

    ¡°You are not a monster.¡± - Bator¡¯s voice turned heavy. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Suddenly, the fox¡¯s whiskers shook.

    The fox let out a sharp scream.

    ¡°KEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!¡±

    The scream echoed through the dense wood. The animalistic shout startled Bator. He had never expected a normal human to make that sound.

    He flipped the wand in his hand. The dark wand quickly expanded into white blobs that clasped onto his arm then transformed into a huge mantis raptorial leg. Bator thrusted toward the fox and swung the blade on his modified arm.

    ¡°Kakk!¡±

    The fox shouted. It jumped high to dodge the swinging blade.

    Bator slid under the fox-headed man and backflipped. When he stood up again, the white blob had engulfed his body and turned him into a two-story high white mantis.

    ¡®Shapeshifter mage!¡¯ ¨C Eithne widened her eyes. ¡®He was truly hiding his strength before!¡¯

    The fox in suit bore its fangs.

    Right now, she could feel the strong waves of mana coming from Bator. It was as strong as the original priestess in her prime strength!

    Shapeshifters had great camouflage ability, they could reduce their outer mana influence to trick their enemy¡¯s senses.

    Eithne cautiously analyzed Bator¡¯s movement.

    ¡®I wonder which church is he under? Which organization could produce such a strong mage?¡¯

    ¡°You must be a shapeshifter as well, no?¡±

    The human voice came out from the mantis mouth, where two curved fangs like two scythes were clapping constantly. Two pink eye orbs on sides on the mantis¡¯s head were focusing on the small fox who warily rose its fur.

    Unknowingly, the sense of humanity had faded on this battlefield.

    The mantis thrusted forward and opened its deadly scythe legs. The sharp blades intended to stab the fox from behind and drag the prey toward the mantis¡¯s mouth for the fatal bite.

    However, the fox was one step faster. Eithne had arrived before the mantis¡¯s fully armored belly before sliding beneath it.

    BANG!

    The fox¡¯s cane smacked onto the mantis leg, making an explosive sound like two heavy metal blocks collided.

    The shell on the mantis leg was dented, but it was not enough to make Bator stagger.

    The fox clung on the mantis leg and leapt on the mantis¡¯s back. Compared to the fox, the mantis was too slow. Eithne ran on its spine and hopped to its head, clutching the mantis¡¯s antenna. When Bator hadn¡¯t reacted, she forcibly jabbed through the mantis¡¯s head with the cane.

    Pack!

    The cane penetrated the head like it entered a block of dense clay, then it got stuck. Eithne could not withdraw the cane from the mantis¡¯s head right away.

    ¡°!!¡±

    The fox¡¯s fur abruptly stood up. Eithne nimbly lifted her lower body and single hand-stood on the cane. Faster than an eyeblink, two mantis blades sharply cut the air right next to her arm.

    Two more mantis raptorial legs had grown on the mantis¡¯s back. If she had not reacted fast enough, Eithne would have been stabbed. It seemed Bator had predicted that the fox would climb on his back to aim for his head, so he prepared a trap.

    Swoosh! Two blades retreated backward and struck out again.

    Eithne clutched the cane and swung herself down. The fox kicked in the mantis¡¯s left eye as it fell down on the huge head. The mantis left eye was broken, so Eithne intended to grab the last eye to destroy it.

    The huge mantis then rose its upper body and shook violently. Eithne was being pulled with the cane side to side when she saw the mantis¡¯s large scythe leg below were trying to scrape off the annoying fox on its face. Eithne let go of the cane before the saw-like blade swung past her. As the mantis shook its head, she was flung far away.

    Eithne maneuvered in the air then landed down on the ground with her knees bent low. She stood up to catch the cane which also flew out from the mantis¡¯s head.

    The huge mantis suddenly broke down into multiple white blobs and shrank back into a small wand that fell into Bator¡¯s hand. He had returned to his human form.

    The fox in suit picked up the hat which had flown off earlier on a low pine branch. It pressed the hat down on its head, glaring at Bator who was standing at the opposite.

    Crack¡­ The fox clenched the cane, whose knuckles crackled. Bator¡¯s hand pressed on his wand, his fingers blanched.

    Both of them suffered no injury.

    ¡°How formidable.¡±

    Bator complimented, then his tone turned cold.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    The fox in suit remained silent, as if it could not speak human language.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Bator clicked his tongue. If they continued to fight, there was no way that he could get out of this mess safely. His opponent did not state their purpose clearly, nor did they attack first. It confused Bator and gave him the impression that the fox-headed man might be stalling for time. The man was cautious, he did not want to be caught in something worse, so he decisively turned back ¨C and ran!

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Eithne was surprised by Bator¡¯s action. She chased after Bator. When Eithne saw the teleportation magic circle under Bator¡¯s feet, she knew that his spell was almost completed.

    Darkness instantly flowed out from the fox¡¯s hand to cover a large area surrounding Bator. The grass on the ground, the unconscious bandits, the pines and the pale moon on the sky was erased in the pitch black. The temperature in the atmosphere dropped like a rolling stone. Bator could not hear any sound from nature, as if he was purged into an empty prison underground.

    ¡°Domain user?¡± ¨C He gasped. ¡°My mana is moving slower!¡±

    His teleportation was delayed!

    Goosebumps rose on Bator¡¯s arms. He then saw the hazy figure of the fox-headed man. In the dark, Bator could only see the enemy from its shoulders down to its arms. The fox with its face hidden was walking toward him, hauntingly, on its white gloved hand was a bloody woman¡¯s head.

    The head opened her eyes to look at Bator, concurrently, the cuts on her face also opened to reveal many more eyes inside that stared at him. Those irises were filled with sinister symbols, when he met that gaze, the madness encrypted within the eyes pierced into Bator¡¯s rationality.

    The woman¡¯s head opened her mouth. Grey Chaos flowed out from the detached throat to her lips, pushing out more bizarre eyes that appeared out of nowhere.

    The voice was buzzing like a chaotic bee swamp. When it reached his ears, Bator felt a corruptive power creeping to his head. His confidence was cut off like a snapping spider web.

    The man gritted his teeth. He quickly took out a handful of white paper flowers from his belt bag and threw them toward the fox and the woman¡¯s head.

    ¡°Purify!¡±

    Bator chanted in ancient language.

    ¡°Begone filths!¡±

    Bam! The paper flowers exploded into serene white light. The warmth and holiness that came from the white light pushed the darkness back in a few seconds, giving Bator a chance to complete his teleportation.

    Swoosh! An invisible blade suddenly flew past his arm. Bator only had enough time to tilt his body so that his arm was not cut off entirely. His figure then disappeared after that, together with the fading white light¡­

    Eithne looked at the blank spot where Bator successfully fled. Her head sighed.

    She did not mean to scare him away like that. If possible, Eithne did not want to bring out her head which had not been fixed. However, the fox attendant could not speak normal human language. It did not have lips to pronounce properly!

    ¡°I haven¡¯t known who he works under yet. I can¡¯t capture him with my current ability.¡±

    Eithne withdrew her domain of darkness. She let the fox attendant store her head in its subspace pocket, then they went to pick up the fragments of paper flowers.

    ¡°This is a purifying charm from the Peace temple. Bator himself or his superior must be a great donor of the Peace temple to receive so many charms. A Peace priest doesn¡¯t need to use a purifying charm, so Bator was not an official member of the Peace temple.¡±

    ¡°His planning skill truly sucks. He left me with fainted bandits ¨C the living witnesses of his crime, the flower paper ¨C clue to his identity, the blood from his arm is dropped here, what if I use it to cast some curse or trace him¡­ No wonder this side villain never assassinates the protagonists successfully.¡±

    Eithne was not sure if she should feel sorry for Bator. There was always one kind of villain that was powerful but dumb enough for the protagonists to beat.

    ¡°Speaking of the Peace temple, I¡¯m curious how Raphael has been.

    I wonder what happened to everyone when I was away.

    How is Hesata doing, what kind of trouble do the kids get into¡­¡±

    When Eithne finished collecting all the paper flower fragments, her fox¡¯s nose twitched.

    ¡°The smell of another human!¡±

    The real famous thief ¨C the Fox of Northern Lumovas was crouching behind a thick bush. He was shivering. He had witnessed everything, from Bator defeating all of the bandits with just a spell, a combat between the huge mantis and a fox-headed man, and a scary darkness covering everything ¨C that the Fox thought he actually went blind. He also heard a haunting woman¡¯s voice, which he clearly remembered there was no woman in this place originally.

    The Fox believed both Bator and the fox-headed man were all monsters in disguise.

    When no more sound came from the other side, the Fox thought they had all left, so he was about to run as well. However, the bush was suddenly pushed out.

    The ginger-haired hunter looked up. He saw a furry fox head looking down at him. It had a pair of golden eyes and a playful expression on its face. The fox wore a half top hat and a fine suit, and it was really tall compared to ¡®the thief Fox¡¯.

    The man had yet to stutter the word ¡®monster¡¯, when the fox-headed man suddenly held up a bloody woman¡¯s head. The head then smiled terrifyingly.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡±

    Caw ¡­ caw¡­ caw¡­ Some crows were startled and flew away from the pine forest. They did not forget to cry loudly on the way¡­

 Chapter 16: The dark wood (Part 2)

    In a faraway pine forest, a bright blue teleporting matrix appeared in midair.

    Three children fell out from the magic circle to the ground. Fortunately, the magic circle was not really high so they did not bruise their bodies.

    ¡°Are you guys okay? Where¡­ where are we?¡±

    The pink haired Noori asked in uncertainty. She had never been to this wilderness before.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±

    Azriel¡¯s voice became smaller and smaller as he did not know where he had teleported them as well. He quickly analyzed the surroundings.

    ¡°There are still a lot of pine trees around. It means that we are still in Northern Lumovas.¡± ¨C said the prince.

    Noori helped Rigel to sit up. The boy was dizzy from the teleportation.

    The three children sat exhaustively in the dark forest, remembering what had happened.

    Tears of sorrow rolled down on Rigel¡¯s cheeks. He tried to wipe them with his sleeves but he could not stop sobbing. Influenced by his cry, Noori also started to snuffle.

    Kole fort was in chaos. Rigel saw with his own eyes that Alos Solinue had stabbed his aunt - Astraea Solinue with a knife in her stomach. After that, the knights betrayed Rigel and the fallen Duchess. They tried to catch Rigel but Azriel saved him. When two boys were under the blades of the assassins, Noori saw them so she screamed out loud to distract the enemies¡¯ attention. Azriel and Rigel escaped death for that, but the little girl was also caught in the chaos when the assassins tried to silence her. Eventually, the three children escaped Kole fort by Azriel¡¯s teleportation magic.

    Rigel did not know if Astraea could survive, but despair led him toward the negative thought. For some reason, Rigel could not contact Eithne, and the War priest who came with her said that she must go elsewhere urgently. The War priest later entered the battlefield in Kole fort and went missing in monster tides, so there was no one left to protect Rigel against Alos Solinue. He must seek help from his friends - the crown prince Azriel Daneva and Noori Gynren.

    Azriel scratched his head in frustration.

    His bodyguards had betrayed him!

    When Azriel was dealing with the assassins, his bodyguards were nowhere to be seen. His first teleportation¡¯s destination was in a remote village, so he sent them his location through a confidential messenger. Nobody else should have read the information except his bodyguards, so when the carriage was ambushed, Azriel knew that his information had been leaked.

    ¡®When I can get out of here, I¡¯ll deal with them.¡¯ ¨C Azriel thought.

    His eyes were filled with anger. If his mana was not exhausted, he might have teleported back to the Imperial Palace. The fact that he could perform teleportation was also a secret, so they had a chance to escape when the assassins did not take him seriously.

    The young prince took the magic staff in his hand. The brownish staff was hideous. It had no embedded jewelry or a defined shape, just like a long block of clay that somebody casually threw in a corner. With his status as the crown prince, he could have hundreds of better-looking equips. However, this ugly staff was the best magic medium that Azriel ever received.

    ¡®I can perform teleportation with this staff in only two month of learning magic. Most people need more than ten years of practice.¡¯ ¨C Azriel clenched the staff. ¡®Thank you¡­ Alipes.¡¯

    He pressed on the staff¡¯s hidden button.

    A ray of red light shot from the head of the staff toward a direction.

    ¡°That direction should be the temple of Death. Let¡¯s move now.¡±

    Azriel told the crying Rigel and Noori.

    ¡°Can I send the location to my parents?¡± ¨C Noori asked.

    She had her own messenger device on her necklace.

    ¡°Are you sure that there is no spy among your family¡¯s knights?¡± ¨C Azriel asked.

    ¡°No¡­ but I¡­¡± ¨C The girl was reluctant.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do it until we reach the Death temple, it¡¯s for the safety of the three of us¡­¡±

    The prince said. He exhaled heavily.

    ¡°Okay.¡± ¨C Noori felt dejected.

    Rigel pulled her to stand up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all because of me that we are stuck here.¡± ¨C He said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad about that. I will be in greater danger without you guys.¡±

    Azriel consoled Rigel. Thinking about his betrayed bodyguards, Azriel shivered. They could have silently killed him before he intervened in the mess of Solinue Duchy, he would not have a chance to be here with Rigel and Noori.

    ¡°My mom told me to help people in need. So if I ever get back in time, I will help you again anyway.¡±

    Noori held Rigel¡¯s hand, trying to speak positively with her tired voice.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± ¨C Azriel said.

    The three kids embarked on their journey into the dark wood, following the faint red light ray shining from the prince¡¯s staff as their last beacon of hope¡­

    Darkness brought despair for the young lambs who were afraid of it. The worst monsters in the fairytales always came from the dark, so they could not help but shiver before the lurking horror during the night. The bark of old pines seemed to distort into menacing ghostly faces. Howls of animals echoed like a calling of devils. Any rustle of dry leaves could startle them, as if it was the sound of witches sharpening their chopping knives for a feast on children meat¡­

    ¡­

    As Noori¡¯s body was tormented with stress and tiredness, she started to feel depressed. The sounds of wild animals triggered her imagination of horrendous figures, thus a fear in her na?ve head. She clenched Rigel¡¯s hand tightly and sometimes shut her eyes so that she did not have to see the forest¡¯s scary darkness, but closing her eyes brought the same darkness so the girl was struggling in between. The girl earnestly prayed to the Peace Goddess to save her out of this place.

    Similarly, Rigel and Azriel could feel a depression creeping to their hearts. The road ahead was still so long, nothing seemed to have changed even though they had been walking for an hour. The pines were still growing densely and there was not a single sign of human, but they were already so weary to the point that lifting their feet was painful.

    It was the first time that the kids had ever been in such a wilderness without an adult. They had no torch, no food, no water, no blanket to shield them from the coldness of the northern atmosphere.

    The silence between them was increasing over time because they had no energy to talk. They were hungry, sleepy and terrified.

    ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯m going to faint¡­¡±

    Noori limply fell down on her knees. Her body was not in her control anymore. The girl¡¯s eyelids eventually closed.

    ¡°Noori! Noori!¡±

    Rigel shook the girl. Because of the strong shaking, Noori could not fall into slumber right away.

    ¡°Stop¡­ stop shaking. I¡¯m awake!¡± ¨C She waved her hand to tell Rigel that she was still alive.

    Azriel sat down beside them. He was also tired to the point that he could not see the red light properly. Thankfully, Azriel could still gather mana to endure the fatigue. Mana could temporarily substitute food energy, but Rigel and Noori could not use mana yet.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for a bit.¡± - Azriel said.

    The other two kids completely agreed.

    ¡°How long do we have to go?¡± ¨C Rigel asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±

    After walking for so long, Azriel started to doubt if heading to the Death temple was a right decision. To go the Death temple in the north from the capital in the south, they must travel pass Kole fort. What if he accidentally teleported them to a place that was further to the south direction from Kole fort?

    ¡®I wish I could have a map that mark my current location¡­¡¯

    Azriel squeezed his forehead.

    ¡°I have restored a bit mana on our way. Let¡¯s make a campfire.¡±

    He flicked his fingers. A small flame appeared on his finger¡¯s tip. The prince then dropped the fire onto a bunch of dried leaves which burned slowly.

    The small kids looked at Azriel with expectations. It was clear that they wanted to see something greater.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I have no more mana.¡± ¨C Azriel scoffed. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not a fairy that can turn air into food.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The obvious disappointment was shown on Noori and Rigel¡¯s faces.

    The children were trying to warm up their body next to the fire. Suddenly, they heard loud noises from the bush nearby.

    Rustle! Scratch! Scratch!

    ¡°!!!¡±

    The children were startled so they stand up right away.

    Scratch! Scratch!

    The tree bush shook. From the bush, a pale woman suddenly stood up.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    She greeted.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± ¨C Rigel warily asked.

    Noori hid behind two boys.

    The woman¡¯s facial features were common. She had brown eyes and brown hair, just like any random villager in Northern Lumovas. Her hair was tied up into a low bun behind her head by a white cloth, while her outfit resembled a commoner¡¯s midwife with dark dress and white apron.

    Suspiciously, the woman¡¯s face was lifeless. Even the light from the campfire could not light up her eyes that were so dull. She stood in the bush, with her feet were covered by leaves.

    ¡°Are you alright? You look tired.¡± ¨C said the woman.

    Her words sounded like she wanted to help.

    The children glanced at each other.

    ¡°Do you know the way to the Death temple?¡± ¨C Rigel asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    The woman replied. Her voice was emotionless, while her dead-looking eyes were not focusing on the people that she supposed to look at while talking.

    ¡°It was dangerous in the wood. Do you want food?¡± - She asked.

    Azriel stopped Rigel from saying anything. The prince shook his head.

    ¡°No. We don¡¯t want food.¡±

    ¡°Do you want water?¡±

    ¡°No. We don¡¯t want water.¡±

    ¡°Do you want money?¡±

    ¡°No. We don¡¯t need money.¡±

    ¡°Do you want warm clothes?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°Do you want a house?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    The conservation between the woman and Azriel went back and forth, until the woman listed out the last thing that she wanted to offer.

    ¡°Do you want whores?¡±

    The woman asked. Her face was still devoid of emotion, as if she was just repeating a script prepared beforehand. Everything that she offered were common desires of normal people, including sexual desires. However, it was not logical anymore when she wanted to give the children prostitutes. As if she had recognized the error, the woman quickly changed the topic.

    ¡°You¡¯re injured. Let me treat you.¡±

    She spoke tonelessly, then she bended down to get out of the bush.

    Azriel quickly pulled Rigel and Noori away from the woman.

    ¡°RUN!¡± ¨C He yelled.

    The three kids gathered the last bits of their strength to sprint. When they turned their heads back to look, they saw the woman had gotten out of the bush. Her lower body were bloodied.

    CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

    The ground shook violently.

    Azriel, Rigel and Noori stopped running. Before them, the darkness behind the pine trees was strangely trembling. The children could see a hazy cave was slowly opening up at about twenty steps away from them. A strong wind suddenly blew out from the cave that almost blew the three children away. That wind had a repugnant smell of rot.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¨C Noori cried.

    Azriel bit his lower lip.

    ¡°Monster.¡±

    His voice was hoarse, as he was trying hard to press down his weep of fear.

    Rigel withdrew his sword. It was the heirloom of Solilnue Duchy ¨C a short hiltless blade with a white gemstone in the middle. Azriel pointed his staff toward the mysterious cave. The young prince suddenly realized that there was a black wall around them.

    The wall was very hard to see in the dark. It started from the cave and extended toward the strange woman standing far away.

    Azriel used his mana to create light. Using the light, the children finally saw the true nature of the wall around them. It was a pair of grotesquely huge arms that enclosed the entire area within its hug. The corpse-like woman was at the end of an arm, while her lower body was controlled by a gaunt hand like a ghastly puppet show. Whereas the mysterious cave resembled a huge opening mouth, where rotten flesh and saliva were seeping down from the cave¡¯s celling.

    Turned out¡­ they had always been in the monster¡¯s trap!

    ¡°Slek¡­ slek¡­ slek¡­¡±

    Loud whispers echoed from the monster¡¯s cavernous mouth. It sounded as if there was a bustling town hidden inside the cave, luring lost victims to enter the monster¡¯s stomach themselves.

    ¡°Hic! Hic¡­!¡±

    Noori could not contain her fear anymore. She broke down in tears.

    ¡°To the left!¡± ¨C Azriel shouted.

    The boys picked up Noori and ran as fast as they could to the left elbow of the monster. The woman corpse was controlled by the left hand so the monster could not use the puppet to attack them.

    ¡°Huff¡­ huff!¡±

    The children panted. They ran without looking back.

    Behind them, a long black tongue creeped out from the cave. It carefully touched the ground like a newborn worm, then abruptly stretched out toward the children!

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Rigel widened his eyes. He let go of Noori¡¯s hand and swung his sword to their back.

    Slash! The silver blade easily sliced the tip of the tongue.

    The cut-off tongue segment fell to ground and bounced up like a living fish. A white fire suddenly flared up on the black tongue that quickly spread toward the rotten mouth of the monster.

    ¡°Shreekkkkk!!!¡±

    A horrendous scream came out from the cavernous mouth.

    ¡°Good job, Rigel!¡± ¨C said Azriel.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Rigel nodded. The heirloom of Solinue had a special characteristic that he had yet to completely master it. The dukedom¡¯s legends stated that the hiltless blade contained a powerful energy that could erase all the filths of the world. It was the strongest weapon against darkness and corruption.

    ¡°Ah ¨C !¡±

    Azriel was gathering his mana when he saw the monster¡¯s arm moved.

    ¡°The monster is retracting its arms!¡±

    ¡°Shreekkkkk!!!¡±

    The cavernous mouth fiercely shrieked. Two colossal arms then started to narrow the enclosure around its three measly preys. The monster did not plan to reveal all of its camouflage originally, but the strange white flame had completely provoked its violent temper.

    Crack! Crack! Bam! Crack! Slam!

    All the pine trees that stood in the huge arms¡¯ way were knocked down and collapsed on each other. Together with the monster¡¯s arms, they became a deadly meat crusher to the tiny children that could not escape the enclosure.

    ¡®My mana isn¡¯t enough to teleport!¡¯

    Azriel clenched his magic staff and closed his eyes. The prince gritted his teeth to create the last shield barrier with his last bits of mana. He barely had any power to take them fly out of this place.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom¡­ dad¡­¡± ¨C Noori murmured.

    She looked at the tall pines covering the sky above her head. The thick trunks were falling down onto them from every direction, there was no way to escape. The crushing of trees ahead, the cavernous mouth of the monster behind was cornering them step by step.

    Crash!

    The mana shield of Azriel was broken.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    The prince coughed off blood. He had overexerted his power limit.

    Rigel used his sword to slash one more black tongue that almost ambushed them. Even so, the rotten smell kept coming closer no matter how much tongues that he had sliced off.

    A huge shadow loomed over their heads. Drops of saliva mixed with gore drooled down next the children. The monster¡¯s mouth now appeared above them, slowly descending to swallow them all.

    The children closed their eyes.

    When the pitch dark was the only thing in their vision, the rotten smell filled their noses, the desperate children hugged and cried to say goodbye to each other.

    ¡­

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Four loud noises suddenly exploded next to the children¡¯s ears.

    They opened their eyes and saw a faint crimson light in the dark. The mysterious red light came from four columns that rose up from the ground around them, steadily pushing the monster¡¯s mouth up.

    Crack, crack¡­ The monster¡¯s jaw was forced to open.

    ¡°Got ya!¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The children had yet to recognize the situation when they fell into a warm hug. Quickly, the three kids were lifted up and brought out of the monster¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Noori shouted out in surprise. She looked back to see their savior was a woman whose hair and eyes were jet black. The woman had a confident smile on her face, and her eyes seemed to contain the stars of hope for the kids.

    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Pristine! Hehe, you¡¯re saved. Surprise?¡±

    Pristine carried Noori and Rigel on one arm and Azriel on the other arm, still she was full of energy. The woman agilely kicked on the collapsed tree trunks to spring up like a skillful squirrel, just within three seconds, she had taken them out of the monster¡¯s closing arms.

    ¡°Huh¡­ Ah!¡±

    Rigel shouted when Pristine jumped down from a very high tree branch to the ground. His heart almost fell out of his chest because of the landing shock. It was at least six meter high!

    Pristine only let the kids down when she ran quite far away from the monster that its arms could not reach them.

    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ thank you¡­ thank you so much¡­¡±

    Azriel hugged his chest and sincerely thanked her. He had thought his life had ended in the monster¡¯s stomach. The boy sat on the ground exhaustedly, same as Rigel and Noori.

    ¡°Thank¡­ thanks for saving us¡­ Hicc¡­¡± ¨C Rigel and Noori cried.

    Pristine wiped her forehead.

    ¡°Phew! I¡¯m almost late. Haha!¡± ¨C She laughed, waving her hand. ¡°Anyway, wait for me here. I still need to deal with that monster.¡±

    The woman withdrew two machetes from her back belt. She ran all the way back to the monster.

    ¡°Wait¡­ wait¡­¡±

    The kids could not stop her fast enough when Pristine already snuck in between the monster¡¯s arms again.

    ¡°Why is she so fast¡­?¡±

    They could only helplessly look at her disappeared figure.

    Pristine jumped on a tilting pine tree. She could see four crimson columns had temporarily stunned the monster.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    She squinted her eyes. Pristine raised her machete in front of her eyes to estimate the distance.

    Black holy power gathered in her hands, augmenting the blades that she held.

    ¡°Your brain must be here!¡±

    The woman bent her knees then launched herself from the tree like an arrow toward a point above the monster¡¯s mouth. She fiercely stabbed the machete inside. In the crimson light, Pristine could see the true appearance of the monster.

    ¡°Tsk! Just a pile of dirt with a large mouth!¡±

    The monster resembled a hill with a cave as its mouth with two huge arms grew out from its sides. Currently, it was stuck with four thick columns stabbing in its mouth¡¯s roof.

    Dark holy power exploded from the tip of Pristine¡¯s machete. It formed a larger blade overlapping the machete which allowed her to stab deeper into the monster.

    ¡°Ha!¡± ¨C She shouted, lifting her blade to slice open the monster¡¯s skull.

    However, it felt like she had only cut through rough soil with nothing between.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Pristine¡¯s pupils shrank. She quickly leapt backward when the huge hand of the monster slammed at her previous spot.

    Bang!

    The hand chased after Pristine to catch her, but her quick feet did not let her down.

    Bang! The hand slammed on the ground again but they missed the target.

    Pristine circled around the collapsed tree trunks so that the monster could not reach her through small gaps.

    ¡°Tsk! It can mobilise its brain!¡±

    Suddenly, Pristine saw a pale woman thrust toward her. The lower body of the pale woman was replaced a grisly huge hand drenched in blood. It was clearly that the monster had just obtained the corpse puppet recently as the smell of blood was still fresh.

    The corpse puppet swung its dark claws toward Pristine. She nimbly bent backward and flash-kicked in the puppet¡¯s face, then launched another side kick to the puppet¡¯s stomach.

    The machete in her hand spun and quickly cut through the puppet¡¯s arm.

    Slash!

    One arm of the puppet fell out. Instead of blood, there were squirming black tongues falling out.

    ¡°Urgh, my Lord this is disgusting!¡± ¨C Pristine frowned.

    She quickly got out from the small space under the collapsed tree.

    ¡°It is useless to fight the puppet. I need to kill the main head.¡± ¨C She thought.

    Pristine sprang toward the monster¡¯s mouth again.

    ¡°Shreeek¡­¡±

    The monster grumbled. It used two huge arms to lift its mouth off the four pointy columns. Its body was now able to freely move.

    In an eyeblink, a human figure appeared in its vision.

    She climbed on one of its arms and jumped toward the monster¡¯s gaping mouth. Pristine rose the long blade manifested from holy power above her head. She intended to slice the monster into two halves!

    Suddenly, Pristine saw a magenta fluid coming out from the monster¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡±

    The monster was about to vomit poison in her face!

    Pristine quickly changed her posture into defense. A monster arm swept through and smacked her like a fly.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Bam!

    Pristine was sent flying and slammed onto a pine tree.

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±

    She slid down from the tree and unsteadily stood up.

    Not waiting for her counterattack, the monster directed its mouth at Pristine again. Foul magenta fluid with a putrid smoke quickly flew out of its mouth out in the air.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Pristine was about to run when the ground beneath the monster suddenly shook. An eruption from the earth broke out at the monster¡¯s feet.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Crimson spikes rose up from the ground and punched through the monster¡¯s jaw, completely sealed the mouth with the poison inside.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    More large spikes emerged constantly to skewer the monster¡¯s body and arms, not letting the monster have a chance to struggle. Even the menacing shrill of the monster was overwhelmed by the eruption of thick spikes that gruesomely drilled a hole through its stomach.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    More and more dark red sharp spike rose up. They crushed through the last layer of defense before the monster¡¯s brain.

    ¡°Shriee¡­ Shril¡­ Shriek¡­¡±

    The arms of the monster slowly dropped down on the ground lifelessly. Its shrill became quieter and quieter until nothing was left. Poisonous blood trickled down from the large spikes and melted the ground. Nonetheless, the crimson spikes stood still like a sturdy fortress of cold blades.

    Pristine looked at the scene. She sighed.

    ¡°Oh well. It¡¯s the end.¡±

    She stretched her body. The monstrous slap before felt like a hard massage for her bones. It did not hurt much.

    Pristine then heard some light and messy footsteps. She turned back to see the three children she had rescued before were rushing to her place.

    ¡°Are¡­ are you ok?¡±

    The oldest boy with blonde hair and azure eyes asked her.

    ¡°How considerate of you to come all the way here. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Pristine smiled. Her eyes curved up like two crescent moons.

    ¡°You¡­ You are so cool!!! Fighting and killing monsters!¡±

    The dark-haired boy with golden eyes excitedly said.

    ¡°Yes! You are so powerful! You can - you can summon things from the ground! And-and kill the monster!¡±

    The six-year-old pink haired girl with her humble knowledge for describing words also excitedly talked.

    Hearing their words, Pristine sheepishly scratched her head.

    ¡°Oh I didn''t kill the monster.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The three kids titled their heads, looking at Pristine. They were bamboozled by her words, as they saw with their own eyes that the monster had died.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Is he not here yet?¡±

    Pristine turned her head around to look for somebody. When she realized something in her head, Pristine beamed a smile on her face.

    ¡°Ah ~ His legs are short so he would arrive late. We should wait here for him.¡±

    She reached into her pants pocket for a handful of candies. Pristine offered the candies for the hungry kids.

    ¡°You must be hungry. Have some of them!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    The kids cheered up. Although they did not really understand what Pristine said, they were quick to receive the food. They put those sugary blocks into their mouths at the speed of lightning.

    ¡°Hicc¡­ I¡¯m so hungry.¡± - Noori sniffed.

    Azriel observed Pristine. Their savior wore neat garments, light armor with a short robe for easy action. He recognized a symbol on her robe. It was a round bell with a sword horizontally crossing the bell¡¯s handle.

    ¡°You are a priestess from the Death temple?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± - Pristine happily nodded.

    ¡°My name is Azriel. They are Rigel and Noori.¡±

    The prince introduced his group to Pristine. The priestess rubbed her chin.

    ¡°You must be the responsible oldest brother.¡± - said Pristine.

    ¡°No¡­ we are just friends. We were chased by kidnappers to this forest.¡±

    Azriel told a partly true story of what happened to them. He did not want to reveal everything to a stranger, even though she was their savior.

    Pristine expressed that she had understood.

    ¡°The guy who is coming is Fen. Let¡¯s just sit down, you all seem too tired. I will lead you to the Death temple when Fen finds us.¡±

    The kids agreed and sat on the ground. Pristine took out some healing potions to treat their wounds while waiting.

    ¡­

    After twenty minutes when the children almost dozed off, the monster corpse almost went cold, they finally saw a boy running over. He was panting heavily on the way, looking like he had pushed all of his power down to his legs to run.

    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh he¡¯s finally here.¡±

    Pristine smiled.

    The boy stopped running and stood with his hand holding on the pine trunk to support himself. He was still gasping for breath in the next few seconds.

    ¡®Fen¡¯ - as Pristine had told his name - had black hair and a pair of bright sanguine eyes. His eye color closely resembled the color of blood, which slightly startled the children who had yet to overcome the trauma of gory monsters.

    Ignoring his eye color, this boy¡¯s appearance was exceptionally handsome. He wore the same kind of robe like Pristine, and he seemed to be around Azriel¡¯s age.

    ¡°He-hello Fen¡­¡±

    Azriel greeted first.

    ¡®Fen¡¯ who nearly crouched down suddenly stiffened his body, he looked at Azriel with widened eyes. The boy trembly took out a notebook and a pen to scribble on the notebook¡¯s paper.

    At that time, Azriel, Noori and Rigel realized that he was muted.

    The boy showed the notebook which had two lines written:

    ¡®How do you know that name?

    I¡¯m Frandaline.¡¯

    ¡°And I¡¯m his babysitter.¡± - Pristine grinned.

    Frandaline quickly flipped the notebook to a page with a big ¡®NO¡¯ in the middle. He showed the page to the three children with a burning gaze. It seemed that it was not the first time Pristine had said that.

    ¡°Okay. Since Fen is here, let¡¯s head to the Death temple. We will go on the same way which Fen has come from.¡±

    Pristine pointed at the direction that Frandaline ran over from. The temple was in that direction.

    ¡°?????¡± - Frandaline stared at the priestess in utmost bewilderment. His hand furiously wrote on the paper then shoved the notebook in Pristine¡¯s face.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t you go that way sooner??? Then I didn¡¯t have to run all the way here????¡¯

    Pristine rubbed her nose and diverted her gaze away. Her mouth¡¯s corners curved up.

    ¡°I forgot to bring the messenger. I¡¯m worried that you couldn¡¯t find us. Children tend to get lost in the forest.¡±

    The three rescued people could see a vein popped up on Frandaline¡¯s forehead. Azriel fake coughed and pretended to understand nothing. The boy named Frandaline likely had a prankster as his caregiver¡­

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll carry you all in my arms, is that ok?¡±

    Pristine asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be carried. I can walk.¡±

    Azriel immediately refused. Although he was tired, he was at the age that his honor was more important than his life.

    ¡®I¡¯m already an adult!¡¯ - The prince thought. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be carried like a baby.¡¯

    Frandaline raised his notebook to Azriel.

    ¡®If I were you, I would agree.¡¯

    Azriel did not get what Frandaline meant. He had yet to ask when the red-eyed boy showed the notebook page with a big word ¡®WAIT¡¯ to everyone. After that, Frandaline ran toward the monster¡¯s corpse.

    The priestess realized something. She explained to the other children.

    ¡°This monster has a core! It¡¯s super rare to find one. Their core is quite useful.¡±

    Frandaline approached the corpse which was as big as a hill. Multiple thick spikes had deformed the foul beast. The monster¡¯s flesh and spikes had clutched together to form a fortress of horror that was shining in dreamy red light. The boy¡¯s small figure was completely engulfed in the shadow of the great monster, but he showed no fear.

    Frandaline pointed his index finger toward the centre of the corpse. Astonishingly, the huge spikes quickly spread out as his command, brutally tearing open the monster¡¯s corpse into pieces.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Noori covered her eyes before the bloody scene.

    The children finally realized it was Frandaline who violently murdered the monster by those huge spikes.

    Azriel gulped.

    ¡®He took a long time to arrive here, so he must have used magic over a very long distance. How powerful!¡¯ ¨C He thought.

    Frandaline entered the center of the bloody mess. He picked up a strange heart-shaped rock and put it into his belt pocket.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯ - The boy held up the notebook page.

    Pristine picked up Noori in her arms and carried Rigel on her back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the temple.¡±

    -

    Soon, Azriel understood why Frandaline had told him to accept Pristine¡¯s offer.

    He and Frandaline stood on the road that was devoid of any other human¡¯s sight.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Pristine with her quick feet had abandoned them behind.

    Azriel heard a long sigh from Frandaline.

    Thankfully, he knew the way, otherwise they would just stand there helplessly.

    Childcare was not in Pristine¡¯s capability, it seemed. If Rigel did not remind Pristine, she would not remember that there were two other boys left behind.

    She slowed down to wait for Frandaline and Azriel to catch up. Like usual, Frandaline just stared at her with disappointment in his eyes. He could not nag and writing was arduous sometimes.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± - said Pristine.

    ¡°So¡ª tell me about you guys. Where do you come from?¡±

    The priestess asked the children in her arms and on her back.

    ¡°We came from the Lumovas capital in the South. I went on a vacation to Kole fort but they had to do missions.¡± - Noori answered.

    ¡°What kind of missions may I ask?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I need to prove myself to be a worthy heir.¡± - Rigel answered woefully.

    Pristine slightly squinted her eyes. Indeed, they were children from large noble families. They all wore expensive clothes, despite being scruffy for all the troubles they had gone through, the children did not have a timid attitude that commoner kids usually had. Especially the oldest boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, who Pristine guessed that he might come from a very high noble house. She did not think that he could be the Imperial Prince because the prince had yet to officially debut in the society.

    ¡°You sounded sad, Rigel, what¡¯s wrong?¡± - Pristine asked.

    However, none of them answered her. Their spirit was downcast evidently.

    Pristine sighed. She decided not to press them more, instead, she changed the topic.

    ¡°Speaking of the capital, I really missed that bustling place. Everyone was so fashionable, the houses were tall and colorful, even the food was so good too!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been to the capital before?¡± - asked Noori.

    ¡°Hehe, I have lived in the capital for nine years before I went back to my hometown, this Northern Lumovas. I used to study there.

    I graduated as a cadet from the temple of War before I joined the Death¡¯s priesthood. See my weapons? They¡¯re all custom made by the War temple¡¯s priests!¡±

    Pristine proudly showed her shining machetes.

    ¡°Ooh!¡±

    Noori and Rigel were captured by the special weapon.

    ¡°If you came from the War temple, perhaps you would know about Priestess Eithne Noceur?¡± - Rigel asked.

    His eyes brightened when Pristine nodded.

    ¡°Eithne Noceur¡­ Hm, I know her. She was my senior. I haven¡¯t heard about her for years.¡±

    ¡°She is my relative!¡± - Rigel said.

    Pristine laughed in nostalgia.

    ¡°Ah, I remember when I was in training, she and a guy named Hesata were always being dragged to the High Priest¡¯s office after causing trouble. Haha! They used to be the notorious wreckers of the War temple.

    I wanted to join their play too, but the Vice High Priestess was so scary so I didn¡¯t dare to do that¡­¡±

    Pristine recalled that one time many years ago when the two troublemakers had blown up a whole quarter of the War temple. Eithne and Hesata had run away after that, which angered the Vice High Priestess so much that she hunted them down to the last house of the capital city. Up to this day, Pristine was still unable to understand how those two people¡¯s destructiveness could be that scary. They were all kids at that time, nobody could have thought that two kids somehow had destroyed the toughest wall of the War temple.

    Pristine still remembered the scene when the troublemakers were caught by the Vice High Priestess. Eithne had desperately looked at her, probably asking for help.

    The Death priestess silently clasped her hands in remorse.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save you at that time.¡¯

    Even if Eithne asked for her help to escape from the Vice High Priestess now, Pristine would still be helpless.

    Rigel did not expect to hear about Eithne¡¯s crazy childhood.

    ¡°For some reason, I cannot contact Eithne recently, nor with Hesata.¡±

    The boy said worriedly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Eithne, but priest Ragnar came to Kole fort last week, didn¡¯t he?¡± - Pristine asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­ but he went missing in the monster tides in Kole fort.¡± - Azriel answered for Rigel.

    ¡°Also¡­ can you please protect us from the assassins?¡±

    Azriel was hesitant, but he eventually decided to gamble his safety. After witnessing the power of the Death priests, he had decided to reveal his and Rigel¡¯s true identities, as well as the truth of what happened in Kole fort.

    Frandaline and Pristine glanced at each other.

    ¡°This is a serious matter. We will contact the War temple¡¯s headquarters right away.¡±

    Pristine said. Her face turned solemn.

    ¡­

    The sun had not risen, yet dawn already appeared at Kole fort. The warm light all came from the burning battlefield around the fort, where fire and corpses fused to become dark ashes.

    About fifty meters away from the Kole fort¡¯s main gate, there was a prodigious mountain of monster corpses, and the monsters were stepping on each other to enter the center of that mountain. Whenever a monster lost their life, it would become the next meal for another monster.

    Half of the cannons on the Kole fort¡¯s wall had stopped shooting, while the rest were decreasing the frequency of firing.

    It seemed that they were exhausted, or was it not?

    The dying soldiers in the fort were not killed by monsters, but by their fellow humans. There was a battle between power figures in Kole fort, resulting in high mortality of innocent Kole fort¡¯s knights. The winner of that battle had demanded the cannons to be stopped.

    Nonetheless, the monsters were more attracted to the strange mountain of corpses. It was fortunate that the Kole fort could take a break while the monsters were fighting against each other for something in mountain¡¯s center.

    A fire broke out on the corpse mountain. The monsters did not pay attention to it and continued to slash, bite, smack, crush other monsters. The snaked-head monster swallowed the rat-like monster, the mutated tiger tore the limbs of a winged spider, the lanky human-faced one bit on the red-faced monkeys... They were professional beasts who excelled at aiming weak spots on their fellow beasts. The intense madness linked from one to another, forming a circle of hellish carnage.

    Soon, the fire erupted into a huge explosion.

    BANG!

    The screams of monsters were all erased in the explosion, so did their bodies. Their gruesome fighting was now only a piece in the history¡¯s memory, if someone were to record it down, otherwise it was just meaningless like ashes that blew away in the wind.

    The cardinal fire broke out and swirled up into a large cyclone. It eradicated all the traces of ether monsters or humans on its way, almost resetting the land back to its primordial birth.

    A figure of a man slowly walked out from the fire cyclone.

    His right hand held a spear that was as red as the fire, while his left hand clenched a strange heart-shaped stone.

    His body was drenched in so much blood that his red hair did not look genuine anymore. However, his gaze was still as fierce as ever.

    This ¨C was his true strength unleashed.

    It was destructive and unstoppable like a natural catastrophe. Even if he died, the fire would still burn.

    The missing War priest ¨C Hesata Ragnar singlehandedly tore down the mountain of monsters. He returned to Kole fort ¨C which was now protected by a few guards that luckily survived from the massacre of Solinue¡¯s knights.

    The man stepped in the large mansion of Solinue, where human bodies scattered on the grand stoops and main hall.

    Astraea was half-lying on the cold ground. She was pouring the most precious healing potions onto the large cut on her abdomen. However, the injury only closed for a few seconds before it burst open again. The woman turned pale after losing so much blood.

    The knife that Alos used to stab her was blessed with holy power. Astraea had no idea where he got that knife from, but his intention clearly was to stop her from using healing potions.

    The Duchess saw the blood-soaked War priest coming close. She tried hard to make a smile to him.

    ¡°Glad that you return¡­ Huff¡­ Can you hear my last word? My will is¡­¡±

    ¡°Keep that for yourself.¡±

    Hesata coldly cut off her words. He held the heart-shaped stone above Astraea¡¯s injury and crushed it.

    Crack¡­ crack¡­ crack¡­

    The stone crumbled into chunks of dust that dropped onto her opening stomach. Miraculously, her flesh started to crazily regenerate, that her injury closed itself after just a few seconds.

    Astraea was dazed in surprise. She had yet to feel happy when the War priest¡¯s next words reached her ears.

    ¡°It¡¯s a block of cancer. Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t turn into the next monster.¡±

    After saying, Hesata turned his back to leave.

    Monster¡¯s core was the only thing that could bypass the ¡®punishment of God¡¯. The price that the user must pay to live was that they could turn into a monster at any moment, given a strong stimulus.

    Astraea touched a newly formed bump of skin on her stomach.

    Her mind replayed the apocalyptic scene when the monsters started to invade. So many monsters came like flowing tides that she could not even see the ground anymore. The smallest of them was as big as an adult buffalo, which were just puny to the horrendous monsters behind. It was usually very rare to see them appear in the wild, and they always stayed in their individual territories. Astraea never knew that they would actually stand together to attack Kole fort.

    This phenomenon never happened before. Astraea remembered that the worst which the Kole fort used to face in the past was just annoying armies of goblins.

    The leader of this monster invasion was a crawling volcano of gore. It kept pouring out rotten substances to nourish the surrounding monsters. After seeing this monster, some people had fallen on their knees, because this monster had been mentioned in the ancient text of Kole fort.

    Such an ancient monster was at least three hundred years old. It was unknown why the quiet monster had decided to awake and attack humans.

    Astraea had decided to report this back to the Imperial Palace. When she was focusing on contacting the Queen, Alos stabbed her and cut off all the calling lines. It was too much of a coincidence when the War priest was also caught in the monster tides at that time. Astraea believed it was a scheme made by Alos to isolate her - the current Duchess of Solinue.

    Astraea gulped.

    ¡°There is only one monster that has the highest chance to create a core.¡±

    Only a few people remained in the Kole fort. If this place had not fallen, so the monster tide was likely stopped. However, the invasion only stopped if the monster leader was eliminated¡­

    The Duchess staggered out of the mansion.

    She looked at the sky that could not go dark because of the raging fire on the battlefield. The cannons were firing nonstop, causing loud noises that rang in her ears. She saw a red-haired priest standing straight on the fort¡¯s wall. As he rose his hand, a magic circle was formed above his head. Thousands of fire spears then shot out toward the monsters below like a fervent waterfall.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    The explosions blasted on the very last monsters¡­

    One War priest himself was equivalent to a cannon brigade.

    Astraea tiredly sat down on the ground. She laughed bitterly then murmured to herself.

    ¡°No wonder¡­ His title was the Saint of War¡­¡±

    _

    The red-haired priest coldly looked down at the burning hell beneath his feet. At that moment, the messenger device in his chest pocket buzzed.

    Hesata took out the small cubic device and hit the open button. A transparent screen appeared in front of his face with an announcement from the War temple:

    ¡°Priestess Eithne Noceur has sacrificed in the battle against foreign enemies.

    Time of death: 5:32 PM on 11 December, Year Daneva 24.¡±

    END CHAPTER 16.

 Chapter extra: Ending of Arc 1 (short special)

    ¡°Saint Ascian, I request a fund for decorating the temple in the New Year celebration.¡±

    The bishop of the Lumovas capital¡¯s Peace temple diocese had retired from his temple management to Raphael Ascian ¨C the priest earning the Saint title from Her Majesty the Queen of Lumovas Empire. The bishop had no desire to mingle in the complicated society to earn the profuse wealth, for he aimed to be a true ascetic one that did not care about anything but peace and love for humankind.

    However, the bishop of Peace temple lived with the idea that he could be frugal, not the Peace temple. Profuse ornaments for the Peace temple were a ¡®must¡¯!

    Thankfully, Saint Raphael also agreed with this idea. He had offered all of his personal wealth ¨C in the form of a black bank card to the bishop last year and told the bishop to freely use it.

    The bishop in his tattered - but clean robe and on his humble bare feet then proceeded to order twelve diamond-dust gilded angel statues, gold gilded stairs, one hundred meters high-quality red carpets ¨C the kind that was soft enough to make aristocratic clothes, fifty silver candle stands, one crystal chandelier for the main prayer hall, three huge fountains installed with magic water-monitoring system, and two wide flower gardens which were high-maintenance.

    If not for the bank¡¯s limiting money withdrawal, the bishop of the Peace temple would have ordered two more buildings to be built in the same day, then he could organize a charity school for poor people. Well, this goal seemed to come later in the bishop¡¯s mind than the temple¡¯s ornaments. The bank reported that that the money balance had already reached a negative number at that point.

    When Saint Raphael had come back from his long trip and saw the result of the bishop¡¯s hard work, he had cried. The Saint said he was touched by the stunning beautiful scene of the temple.

    ¡°I¡­ sob ¡­ I used to believe that you are a frugal person. I thought ¡­we usually only decorate the temple with fresh flowers?¡±

    Raphael had said that, receiving his bank card back ¨C now an emptied card.

    Obviously, the Saint did not have a good pair of eyes for artistic values! The bishop thought.

    ¡°Of course we have to offer the best thing for the Goddess!¡± ¨C The bishop said.

    The Saint was so amazed by the red carpet that he eventually tripped and fell on the soft fabric, but he refused to stand up. Raphael said he was too tired from the trip, so he asked the bishop to let him rest alone for a moment.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    The bishop thought Saint Raphael was a strange person. The lad clearly had a bed to sleep on, but he chose to rest on the carpet, on the cold ground.

    ¡°Being young is good. Young health allows you to sleep anywhere without feeling cold. But for me, *sigh -- ¡± ¨C The bishop thought.

    He eventually left to let the Saint rest.

    Little that the bishop knew, Raphael¡¯s knees had refused to stand up from the shock.

    ¡°I just want to be nouveau riche for once¡­¡±

    Raphael muttered. His eyes were dripping with tears.

    He truly regretted what he had done. He mistrusted the bishop to be a frugal person that saved the very last breadcrumbs for the next meal.

    Raphael intended to build his reputation through offering his personal wealth, and his knowledge about the things that the rich people played with was too minuscule. He had never imagined such extravagant objects existed even in his wildest dream. This carpet... this carpet was too soft that he could make clothes out of it.

    Raphael¡¯s money was the prize for his achievement of the Saint title. It was the amount of money that did not come back like a stable income.

    ¡°I thought he only bought a lot of flowers at most.¡±

    The Saint wiped his wet nose.

    He remembered how cool he had been when he had thrown the black card to the bishop.

    Raphael was now broke.

    Truly broke.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    When Raphael calmed down, he looked at the twelve diamond-dust gilded angel statues on the Peace temple¡¯s roof.

    He was a little bit vengeful.

    ¡­

    Some days later, it was said that the bishop of Peace reported a missing angel statue.

    It was said that the statue was last seen in a noble''s house as the wedding gift for that noble''s daughter...

    (Author note: I attended a wedding party of my friend''s OCs, using my OCs as attendees. I gave my friend''s OC children the statue :D)

    By the way, I changed the cover for this novel.

    Before:

    After:

    (All artworks are done by me.)

 Chapter 17 (Part I): A talking head, money and foxes

    Clink!

    A golden coin was tossed in the air and caught by a white gloved hand.

    Although the sky was dark, the coin¡¯s round shape was clear in the fox¡¯s yellow eyes.

    Henry Fox was crouching closely to the ground, next to him were two whimpering small foxes. Three of them fearfully glanced at a tall man dressed in a light grey suit, who was playing with the money that he took from Henry. The mysterious man ¨C the fourth ¡°fox¡± ¨C was a man who had a fox head.

    The creature, who was far from the definition of humanity, raised the bag of gold on one hand, while holding a woman''s head on the other hand as if to compare the two objects¡¯ weights. Its golden eyes coldly glared at three fearful hostages. Then, the fox man nodded in approval.

    In the wood of old pines that were engrossed in mystery, the darkness that covered all the moon and stars, the interaction between them was chillingly ominous.

    Henry heavily exhaled. He had just made a deal with a devil! A fox-devil!

    The thief only wanted to scurry away from this place as soon as possible. If the devil only wanted money, he was happy to give it every penny that he had, as long as it did not kill him or his pets. He was the famous thief of Northern Lumovas, the Fox!... Maybe he should change his nickname after this. Anyway, just a few coins, Henry could easily give up on them. The man pulled his long ginger beard in stress.

    At that moment, the woman''s head smiled eerily. Her two main eyes were focusing on Henry, but the little eyes in the cracks on her face had diverted their gazes on the unconscious bandits lying around.

    (¡°Ah¡­ I should trade equally¡­Take them with you to get the bounty reward, will you?¡±)

    As her buzzing voice reached Henry and the foxes¡¯ ears, they trembled in utmost fear. Henry¡¯s jaws uncontrollably shook.

    ¡°Of- o- of course¡­ Absolutely!¡± ¨C He quickly answered.

    He had never encountered such a nightmarish monster before. Not its appearance was scariest, it was the interaction between them that actually scared him more. Henry lived in Northern Lumovas which was full of monsters, for which he was familiar with horrible looks and power of those foul creatures, but none of them was intelligent enough to catch him.

    ("Thank you.")

    The head said politely in her daunting tone, then disappeared from the fox man¡¯s hand.

    As the head disappeared, Henry sensed that the surroundings were no longer imprisoning. He looked around. Indeed, the dense darkness wall around them had dispersed. Henry could now see the trails in the woods again. The monster must have withdrawn its power.

    The fox-headed man waved its hand to say goodbye. It then stepped back into the pine forest¡¯s shadow and swiftly vanished.

    ¡°Gasp! I can go now!¡±

    Henry frantically stood up and ran away with his two foxes¡­

    However, after a few minutes, he returned to drag the unconscious bandits away. Bounty reward was a big money that completely beat Henry¡¯s fear, even though he did not really trust the monster¡¯s words. Of course, he had cautiously checked the surroundings to see if the monster was still there before deciding to get the bandits.

    Little did he know, the fox-headed man was still there, hiding on a thick pine¡¯s branch. The fox¡¯s ears twitched when it heard Henry¡¯s grumbles.

    ¡°I will report this monster to the Death temple¡­ No, I shouldn¡¯t reveal myself. I¡¯ll tell this to the town¡¯s guards, then they will report to the temple¡­ Urgh, I wonder if I¡¯ll be cursed for giving the devil money. Maybe it can find me again through the smell on my bag! It¡¯s possible¡­ ¡±

    After loading a bunch of bandits on his cart, Henry quickly left in a hurry.

    _

    Eithne rolled her eyes in silence.

    She was too desperate for money, so she ¡®pre-claimed¡¯ the bounty reward of the bandits from Henry Fox, a man that she coincidentally found near her place. However, her head had scared him so much that she gave up on having a proper greeting. Out of guilt, she just wanted to leave early so that the poor man could relax, but she should have threatened him not to disclose this matter.

    Actually, it did not really matter. The War temple would soon spread her information to other temples to hunt her down.

    ¡°I should go before the Death priests find me¡­¡±

    Eithne swiftly jumped on tree branches to move further from the previous fighting spot. Having a strong body was so convenient that Eithne had completely forgotten the feeling of being a normal human in the modern world who could not even climb a tree. When she found a secluded hole between the tree trunks, Eithne hid herself in there.

    ¡°I have to divine about Rigel¡¯s situation. Big fox, please control the body until I awake.¡± - Eithne told the fox attendant¡¯s soul.

    ¡°Sure.¡± ¨C The fox attendant replied.

    Eithne quickly prepared for a divination. She was worried about the weak children who ran away from the killers. Even if the protagonists were less likely to die due to their plot armor, Eithne still wanted to make sure.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pray for the Order¡¯s protection this time. Hopefully I won¡¯t be cursed by Fate again.¡± ¨C Eithne thought.

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    She was still traumatized by her previous sudden death.

    Her soul let go of the body¡¯s control.

    Eithne then prayed:

    ¡°Hmm--

    Order¡­ I beg for thy grace¡­

    The Order who reigns above all rules

    From your eternal throne,

    Please guide me through the sea of Fate¡­

    I seek the fate of the lost children,

    Whose names are Rigel Solinue, Noori Gynren, Azriel Daneva¡­

    Where are they¡­¡±

    Darkness unraveled. Eithne then heard a faint sound of metal chains far away.

    Clang clang¡­ clang¡­ clang¡­

    She channeled her spiritual power to open all of her nine eyes.

    From the dark, the light manifested brightly in front of her eyes. Eithne¡¯s soul entered the twisting light, then the light expanded into a wide space like she had travelled to a separate world.

    She found herself floating in midair. Like a god looking beneath her feet, she saw a wide area of pine forest was destroyed by a hideous monster with long arms. Then, she saw the little children were swallowed by the monster.

    In the tragedy, a miracle happened. Two strangers appeared to save the children, and they brutally killed the monster. Eithne faintly heard their voices. What she heard was just enough to know who the saviors were, as if Fate had specifically filtered the sound to suit her question.

    ¡°Are you¡­ the Death priests?¡±

    Eithne was relieved. Rigel and his friends had been rescued by the Death priests, then she did not need to worry anymore.

    ¡°I have known enough.¡±

    She was about to end the divination, when she noticed the faint sounds of metal chains.

    Clang¡­ clang clang¡­ clang¡­

    Clang¡­ clang clang¡­ clang¡­

    ¡°I wonder where it came from?¡± ¨C Eithne tried to listen to the sound. ¡°I think it¡¯s above my head.¡±

    She looked up but only saw a vast blue sky. There was nothing unusual about it.

    ¡°Hm..¡±

    Eithne decided to venture around a little bit. With the Order¡¯s protection, her courage was boosted. Her soul floated up to the sky, until the illusion of the world beneath her feet gradually dispersed. The higher she went, the clearer the sound of chains was.

    The series of crisp clanging continued in a lazy rhythm.

    Clang¡­ clang clang¡­ clang¡­

    Clang¡­ clang clang¡­ clang¡­

    The blue sky gradually disappeared in Eithne¡¯s vision as she flew higher and higher. She imagined the darkening blue stratosphere like how she saw in television in the modern world, but on the contrary, it was becoming brighter and warmer. The sky¡¯s hue was seeping toward the warmer shade of yellow, then orange, then red¡­

    Eithne stopped when she entered the sangria red sky¡¯s level.

    In front of her eyes were countless of humongous crimson chains stretching across the space above, like an endless borderline to stop the venturers from entering the other side of the space.

    ¡°Could this be¡­ the Order¡¯s chains?¡±

    Eithne felt the power from the gigantic chains was connected to her somehow.

    She guessed it was the power of the Order whom she prayed to.

    Occasionally, the chains slightly swung and clashed against each other, producing the sounds that Eithne was pursuing.

    Clang¡­ clang¡­ clang¡­

    Eithne¡¯s soul approached the chains. Each chain ring was as huge as an elephant, scaring her who was very small compared to their size. However, the chains did not completely cover the sight behind them. She could still take a peek through a chain¡¯s gap.

    She saw a sky full of crimson threads falling down. Eithne noticed a similar thread also extended from her heart toward the boundless space above. She could not see where those threads started from, but she could see millions of them withered into ashes in each second, replaced by other millions of new threads sprouted down.

    When Eithne focused her gaze at the threads, her nine eyes started to receive different images. One was about a dog happily chewing a bone, one was a newsboy running in heavy rain, one was a rich widow flaunting about her wealth, a laughing criminal on his last trial, a weeping child in mud, an ant carrying a tiny breadcrumb, a cat licking its tail, a swimming frog, and many other faces¡­

    ¡°Is this¡­ the Sea of Fate?¡±

    Eithne speculated. She closed seven of her eyes to prevent herself from breaking down for receiving too much information.

    The crimson threads were the fate lines of all the creatures in this world. They would intertwine occasionally, representing the fateful encounters of lives.

    Eithne looked at the magnificent net of destiny in awe.

    ¡°It was like a dream¡­¡±

    The sea of Fate was not dormant. As if the space was windy, the threads of lives would frequently sway like the wide grass fields trailing on the hilltops. Whenever a ¡®wind¡¯ went by and the threads swayed in waves, several threads would be uprooted toward the ¡®wind¡¯s direction¡¯ and withered into ashes.

    That meant some lives had been lost in the sea of Fate.

    Eithne silently witnessed the ashes lightly vanished in the space.

    Those threads all seemed too fragile.

    A sense of insecurity circled in her mind. Eithne observed her own destiny thread, which was similarly thin.

    Eithne could see a complicated net of many other threads intertwining with her fate. Unlike many other threads, her destiny line was branched into three bodies, including the nine-tailed fox attendant, the fox attendant in the mysterious castle, and her original body with only her head remaining.

    When Eithne observed the closet threads that intertwined with her thread, many faces appeared in her head.

    ¡°¡­ Some insects that I accidentally stepped on, two foxes, the ginger-haired man, ¡­ Hesata, Demir, Aubrey, Rigel, Azriel, Noori¡­ Huh!?¡±

    She saw a tall statue-like figure wearing a simple draped garment, whose head was holed in the middle¡­ Its hand reached toward her. From behind the figure, two monstrous human faces flew to her direction and opened their pitch-black mouths.

    ¡°The unknown God!¡±

    Eithne¡¯s irises shrank. She quickly retreated from the chains to stop seeing the illusion, but the monstrous heads had become real.

    CLANG!!!

    The teeth of two heads bit onto the gigantic chains.

    Eithne held her breath.

    ¡°They are on the other side!¡±

    Thankfully, the unknown God¡¯s monsters appeared in the sea of Fate. She was separated from them by the Order¡¯s chains.

    Eithne saw the illusory world of divination started to crumble. Her soul felt back to the ground, going farther and farther from the crimson red sky. Colors flew backward from her eyes ¨C orange, yellow then the blue sky, and the entire scenery of the pine forest where three children were talking with two priests broke down. Everything went back to the original darkness.

    ---

 Chapter 17 (Part 2): Punishment and overtime shopping

    Eithne¡¯s soul heavily fell back into the fox¡¯s attendant body.

    ¡°How dangerous¡­ Thank god I¡¯m alive. Praise the Order¡­¡±

    She laughed to herself. The situation was so scary that she could only be happy that she survived.

    ¡°The unknown god¡­ What is He up to? Does He want my soul as a prize for helping me save Rigel? The Order has stopped Him...¡±

    ¡°But what shall I do now?¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­ I don¡¯t want to die again before Raphael is defeated by Rigel and Noori¡¯s love power.¡±

    Eithne half-jokingly said to herself. Honestly, she wanted to live to find out the truth behind the Primordial Serpent and the unknown God ¨C who had been actively targeting her life ever since she saved Rigel with His help.

    At least, she wanted to live long enough to witness the protagonists¡¯ wedding.

    She had been a half-guardian to Rigel after all. It was a parental wish to see their children start a new family, and a reader¡¯s wish to witness the end of this goddamn romantic story.

    For all the reasons, she was not ready to die.

    ¡°Is there any way to repay my debt to the unknown God without using my soul?¡±

    She pondered and tried to stand up with the fox attendant¡¯s body.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Suddenly, indescribable emotions surged to her head. Eithne unsteadily fell down. The scenery in her vision was twisting and turning into different places like she was watching a dizzying flashing video.

    ¡°Argh!!!¡±

    Eithne groaned. Her action became chaotic. She began to talk nonsensically with her hands and feet moved in a disorganized manner.

    ¡°I will change my nickname to Red Fox¡­ How¡¯s that? I don¡¯t want to be called the Fox like a fox-headed man again. Hm? Where is my beard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a small ant! I don¡¯t want to be crushed under a giant''s foot!¡±

    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡±

    ¡°News for today! Two silver each! Ack! The rain is ruining my newspaper!¡±

    ¡°You bitches can go fuck yourselves! I will see you in hell!¡±

    ¡°Look at my dress. It¡¯s trendy these days. You should order one too. Tsk tsk tsk! Look at your hair! Don¡¯t you think you resemble a monkey?¡±

    ¡°Hu¡­ whoa¡­ Mommy!!!¡±

    ¡°Eithne Noceur died unusually. Where did that fox-headed man come from?¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡ªWe parted our ways too early. I sometimes think that you are still a naughty little girl in the past. Eithne¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find your head back and kill that fox-headed bastard.¡±

    ¡°Eithne¡­ I can¡¯t believe you died like that. I¡¯m not ready for this¡­ I thought we could have more adventures together when the High Priest finally allowed you to go out¡­¡±

    ¡°Meow¡­¡±

    ¡°Crock! Crock! Crock!¡±

    Eithne crouched on the ground making frog sounds. She had forgotten who she was, until she heard a fox¡¯s screeching.

    ¡°KEEEEK!

    KEEEK!

    KEEEK!¡±

    The screech was like an axe hitting on her fragile glass-like delusion.

    CLANG! A sharp sound of glass shattering hit on her consciousness.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Eithne hugged her head and collapsed on the ground. Her head painfully throbbed. She gasped for air as images and voices ran through her head like a flood.

    The appearance of priestess ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯ shattered in her mind, which then was replaced by the faces of Henry Fox, an unfamiliar young boy, a middle-aged woman with bright red lips, a muddy baby, a dog, a cat, a frog, Demir Noceur, Aubrey Moros and Hesata Ragnar.

    ¡°Hurgh¡­ Hurgh¡­ urgh¡­¡±

    Eithne breathed heavily. The pain became sharper every time her ¡®identity¡¯ switched.

    ¡°KEEEEK!

    KEEEK!

    KEEEK!¡±

    After hearing another series of screeching, all the faces shattered at once.

    When they all sank down to the darkness, Eithne found back the stillness of her mind. She gradually put together the pieces of her shattered original appearance ¨C a young woman with blonde hair and golden eyes.

    After the pain died down, she finally remembered her true identity.

    ¡°I¡­ I was thinking of myself being¡­ being who I saw from the sea of Fate!¡±

    She shouted out in fear.

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    All the people and creatures that she took a peek from the sea of Fate were Henry Fox, the ants, a dog, a cat, a newsboy, a criminal, a rich widow, a crying child in mud, and a frog! Also, the High Priest of War ¨C Demir Noceur, the Vice High Priestess ¨C Aubrey Moros, and Hesata Ragnar!

    ¡°Anyone who I did not ask to see in the beginning¡­ except Rigel, Azriel, Noori¡­ I became ¡®them¡¯ for a moment!¡±

    Eithne hugged her face. Not just her identity was temporarily changed, what she saw was also different for each identity, as if she was ¡®them¡¯ in each of their current places! For Henry, she saw a wooden house. For the criminal, she saw a death court. For a widow, she saw a lavish party. For the newsboy, she saw a gloomy rain. For the animals, she saw dirt roads and a house¡¯s roof. For Demir, she saw the sky as if he was hovering midair. For Aubrey and Hesata, she saw the War temple¡¯s hall.

    Everything had been chaotic in her mind. The ¡®personalities¡¯ had taken turns in a circle to take over her consciousness, each ¡®personality¡¯ had lasted about three seconds before they moved on to the next one.

    ¡°Is it the punishment for looking at Fate without permission?¡±

    Eithne thought. If not for the fox attendant¡¯s call, she would not recognize that she was stuck in that cursed circle. Eithne might have seriously thought she was a frog and hopped to find a lake, then became a dog which took a poo in the middle of the road. Although the hallucination was easy to break, what could have happened was dangerous and potentially shameful.

    ¡°Thank you so much, big fox. It could¡¯ve been so devastating without you.¡±

    ¡°Eak!¡±

    The fox attendant answered.

    ¡°No problem. But be careful with Fate.¡± ¨C The fox said. ¡°Don¡¯t look around carelessly again.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Eithne agreed in regret. Curiosity should be hampered when she did not have adequate preparation. This life was sadly not a game that she could resurrect many times, so one mistake could be deadly.

    ¡°But wait, you could guess what I have done to become like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You returned from divination in a crazy state, so it is clear that you were corrupted by Fate. With the Order¡¯s protection, Fate can only attack you when you have gone beyond the initial request.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    Indeed, she had gone beyond just seeing the children to take a peek at the sea of Fate.

    ¡°Some knowledge is ingrained in my mind once I evolved in the castle.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    Eithne rubbed her chin. That was unexpected.

    ¡®Truly, it was the fox attendant who guided me to possess its body to get out of the castle. Its intelligence is quite high at the beginning. I wonder what kind of wisdom that the fox attendant acquires upon awakening? The source of wisdom must be the castle.¡¯

    ¨C Eithne thought.

    Anyhow, too many things happened so fast so Eithne wanted to write them down in a note to remind herself in the future. She must also test the remaining memory of the original priestess Noceur.

    ¡°I used to not be bothered by the fragmented memory because I was confident that I could act like priestess ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯ without suspicion. However, lacking memory means lacking knowledge. I become passive in many situations that I¡¯m not aware of potential dangers, like how I blindly did divination multiple times using nine eyes before I died. Investigating Eithne Noceur¡¯s past from her memory might give me some clues about the Primordial Serpent and the unknown God.¡±

    Eithne took out the three hundred golden coins that she ¡®claimed¡¯ from Henry Fox. She stored two hundred and eighty coins in the fox¡¯s subspace pocket along with her head. It was quite a sumptuous amount of money. Needless to say, bounty hunters who risked their life catching criminals were usually rich. It was the job that Eithne was considering switching to, since she would not receive a War priestess¡¯s allowance anymore.

    ¡°I have the money now. Let¡¯s go shopping in the nearest town. I need to buy necessities like pens and paper.¡±

    ¡°Are you entering the town with my head or your head?¡±

    The fox attendant asked.

    It was a critical question.

    ¡°Both heads are not suitable for a morning stroll in the human town¡­¡±

    Eithne recognized the circumstance. Towns in Northern Lumovas had stricter guards as they must stop the disguised monster from entering the town. The guards would not let anyone cover their face and walk around suspiciously. If they saw her original head or the fox¡¯s face ¨C despite its cuteness, Eithne could imagine the messy consequence.

    ¡°Then we should go shopping before the sun goes up.¡±

    Eithne quickly decided.

    Sneaking inside a town should be easy with her current strength. As the people were mostly sleeping, it was less likely to encounter the town¡¯s residents.

    Eithne and the fox attendant ran toward the Stero town which was two-hour walking from her spot. Exploiting the fox attendant¡¯s legs and darkness domain, their speed was greatly increased that they reached the town within fifteen minutes¡­

    Eithne saw the small town surrounded by a three-meter-high rock wall. At the town¡¯s main entrance, she saw a big board with the word ¡®Stero¡¯ attached on the gate. She recalled the map of Lumovas in her memory.

    ¡°This is Stero town, so I¡¯m currently close to the Death temple.¡±

    The Stero town was around three hundred miles to the North of Kole fort. The Death central temple was another one hundred miles to the North of Stero town.

    At the moment, the sky was still dark. Eithne estimated she had around one hour before the sun went up.

    The domain of darkness closely surrounded her body. It was a trick that Eithne invented to move stealthier. She was technically invisible in the dark, and all of her sounds were absorbed by her own domain so nobody could hear her movement. Just like that, Eithne sneaked to a corner of the town¡¯s wall and climbed over the rocky wall to enter the town.

    As she was jumping on the house¡¯s roof, she noticed several patrolling guards.

    ¡®They look tense¡­ Are monsters very active these days?¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    It took Eithne half an hour to run a few laps around the town to find a stationer. She stealthily broke the window¡¯s lock and jumped in.

    Eithne quickly grabbed a pen with a notebook, some newspapers, then she placed a golden coin on the front counter. All of those things should only cost her 20 silvers, but since she broke their window, Eithne would not take the change<sup>[1]</sup></a>.

    ([1] : 1 gold = 100 silver = 1000 bronze)

    ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯

    She returned to her old route.

    When Eithne ran past a clothes shop, suddenly, the fox attendant seized a control of their legs to stop running.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Eithne was nervous to get out of the town because it was her first time to go shopping in a non-traditional hour. She did want to get caught by the guards.

    The fox attendant was staring at the big glass window of the clothes shop, where a vintage man¡¯s suit was displayed. It studied the suit so hard that Eithne thought that their body had frozen still.

    ¡°Did you fall in love with the clothes?¡± ¨C Eithne jokingly asked.

    ¡°Heeeaar---¡±

    The fox replied with a slow whine.

    Quickly, the fox attendant took down its white half top hat and flicked once. The hat instantly turned to beige color with black band. The fox then shook its clothes. Their light-grey jacket shortened to hip-length, then converted to white colored together with the trouser. Also, the fox¡¯s white waistcoat became brown herringbone patterned. The fox adjusted the tie on its collar, which had been modified from plain light grey to dark green windowpane. Their suit now looked identical to the displaying model in the shop.

    After dressing up, the fox attendant happily barked.

    ¡°Keek!¡±

    Eithne observed its transformation in awe. How convenient! The fox attendant¡¯s clothes were made entirely of mana, also a part of its body, so that it could change the clothes any time it wanted.

    The fox attendant was satisfied with the new look so it controlled the body to continue to run out of the town, without the need for Eithne¡¯s telling¡­

 Chapter 17 (Part 3): Personal journal

    As the morning descended on houses of the Stero town, their rooftop¡¯s bells chimed pleasantly. The bells had a strange round shape and were made of black bronze. They swung by themselves when the sun shone on them, without wind or pulling ropes. In the tradition of Death religion that mostly covered Northern Lumovas, the people would hang a bell on top of their houses, which they believed was to chase away the death-bringer spirits who came at midnight. A house¡¯s bell would always ring in the morning to announce that the dangerous night had passed, otherwise, it would be a bad omen to the house¡¯s owner. The house¡¯s owner then had to seek the Death¡¯s priest if they woke up alive in the next morning.

    Most town dwellers woke up to prepare for a new day of work. Nothing special seemed to happen around the simple town, and their loads of work looked boring as usual. The sleepy people yawned while they ran the business in the chilling weather.

    Only one bookstore at the end of the road found a trace of burglary. One of their window¡¯s lockers had fallen off! As the owner was anxiously checking their loss, they discovered that only one notebook and one pen were gone, along with a few newspapers from yesterday. A gold coin was placed on the clerk¡¯s counter, perhaps they were left there by an ¡®overtime¡¯ buyer in a rush.

    No town¡¯s security guard had spotted anyone suspicious yesterday, though.

    In the pine wood next to the town, there was a fox-headed man dressed in a fine suit sitting on a fallen tree trunk. It was tapping its feet on the ground, while its nine fleecy tails were hugging its body. The wood was cold and humid, so the fox-headed man was doing whatever it could to generate heat.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange. The fox attendant¡¯s body was like a dense block of clay. It has no blood, no inner organs and its skin includes fur and clothes. I felt numb when we had just left the castle, but now I¡¯m feeling cold, hungry and weary. Shouldn¡¯t this body not have such a reaction?¡± ¨C Eithne thought.

    The longer the fox attendant stayed outside the castle, the more it became like a real living creature. Despite having no blood and organs, this body attracted mosquitoes, giving Eithne¡¯s natural bodily responses like dizziness and tiredness.

    ¡°I thought that I could avoid eating or resting in this body, that would save me much hassle.¡±

    Eithne speculated that it was the work of the Order. The Order ruled above all laws, including the Laws of Nature. Clearly, the natural law of fox attendant¡¯s body was changing rapidly.

    ¡°Anyway, where was I ¡­ Ah yes, the mana users.¡±

    Eithne returned to her notebook, which was placed on her lap for easier writing. She was trying to write out everything she knew about this world, starting from the category system of mana users.

    - ¡®There are two classes of mana users: weapon wielder and mages. Weapon wielders mainly practice assaulting techniques, while mages are versatile. There are many types of mages ¨C depending on which area that they focus on: attacker mages, healer/medical mages, spirit mages, shape-shifting mages¡­ The potential of magic is unlimited. It¡¯s controversial to debate which class is better, because the pros and cons on each side have equally cancelled each other. Mages need more time and mana to cast spells, while weapon users are faster, but they cannot teleport or shape-shift, and so on¡­ Both of the classes are capable of using the most basic elemental magic such as casting fire, water, wind. The performances of different classes might be different.

    Nonetheless, most mana users will join religious organizations, because only Gods can bestow them more strength, by controlling and injecting Chaos elements.¡¯

    The fox titled its head in a few seconds, then it added a note.

    - ¡®<u>Note:</u> I would like to describe ¡®the power bestowment¡¯ as ¡®mutation provoking¡¯, due to the body and soul¡¯s evolution after Chaos absorption.

    In my own experience, my body had undergone a failed mutation. It had turned into an abominable monster and only my head was saved. Thankfully, my soul successfully evolved, so my senses and magic capability improved a lot.

    I¡¯m unsure how to describe the process of mutation. My soul was forcefully separated from my body when Chaos invaded, so I had no control over my body during mutation. It was likely the reason why my body failed to evolve¡­

    I became stronger in soul, but without a proper vessel, I¡¯m just an undead ghost.¡¯

    ¡°This note is going to be my silly personal journal.¡± ¨C Eithne smiled at the thought. ¡°If I¡¯m going to die, I will bury it in a very dangerous place so that people will think it was a cursed book of black magic.¡±

    She continued to scribble on the paper. She was trying her best to keep her handwriting neat, but the poor sitting place¡¯s condition was not helping.

    - ¡®Many mana users refuse to join a religion, mostly mages. They cannot advance their innate talent ¨C unable to perform stronger spells above their levels. Thus, they form alliances, create tools to enhance their overall power, such as the Lumovas Royal Mage faction. Like magic engineers, they create wonderful magic mediums like staffs, wands, rings and convenient tools like magic messenger, shock absorber, magic shields, magic cannons¡­

    To determine the core strength of a creature (without outer tools¡¯ assistance), we rely on the mana influences of that creature. Mana influence indicates the density of mana waves that were emanated from the creature¡¯s body. Most mana users could sense their opponent¡¯s mana waves, unless the opponent has a hiding skill like Aubrey Moros.¡¯

    ¡°Hm¡­ What else...¡±

    Eithne tapped her foot on the ground while thinking.

    - ¡®The difference between the mana users¡¯ classes gradually disappears when they advance to a certain level. Learning from the mysterious castle¡¯s wall and observation, I discover that my current level can establish a domain ¨C a ground that creates beneficial conditions for myself ¨C though it can betray me if the opponent also gains advantage in such conditions.¡¯

    A normal person can only create one domain. However, I¡¯m capable of having two domains. I suspect it¡¯s a result of the Primordial Serpent occupying half of my soul. I have a domain related to the Primordial Serpent¡¯s power and my own domain.

    Lacking concrete knowledge, I can only use the scale of the War temple to conclude that a high-grade priest can start producing a domain of their own. Having the domain, the techniques that we use to fight have exceeded normal elemental magic. I rarely use earth elemental magic after my domain awakens.¡¯

    Eithne recalled the battle with the Vice High Priestess of the War temple. Aubrey Moros¡¯s domain was like a dreamy painting of the radiant dawn. While Eithne¡¯s first domain resembled a dark, cold and silent underground enclosure, her other domain appeared to be a bizarre comic page.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    - ¡®We are approaching the magic of concepts. The concept of emptiness, desperation and silence, and the concept of locking living creatures inside the impressive imagery of comics.

    Weapon users like me can also use a wide-ranged attack like mages if I¡¯m in my domain. I believe Aubrey could teleport in her domain as well. On this level, having a sword or a wand is just a formalism, a mental anchor to boost our confidence and style our fight, because our magic has gone beyond the logical and physical norms. What we actually need is a medium to enhance our magic efficiency, in any form.

    The most evident gap in power is the boundary between mortals and demi-gods.

    From my humble knowledge, demi-gods can live longer than normal people at least one hundred years. I¡¯m uncertain about the exact amount of Chaos we need to absorb.¡¯

    ¡°If I can reach demi-god level, then I can tear through space and no longer need teleportation magic.¡±

    Eithne smiled dryly.

    ¡°But currently, I still need to buy tickets to use the teleportation gate.¡±

    Priestess Eithne Noceur was originally a weapon user. There were many battle mages in the temple as well, like the leader of the Wrath faction who frequently went on vacation to treat his high blood pressure.

    Eithne just wrote any pieces of information she knew in the notebook.

    ¡°The next problem is restoring my body. I intend to restore my body from my head. However, if I dunk my head in a pool of healing potion or monster¡¯s core dust, will a newly perfect body grow from it, or just a random chunk of flesh is going to appear?¡±

    There had been no successful cases in which healing potion or monster¡¯s core dust revised the dead. All they could do was to boost the growth of tissues from the damaged organ. In Eithne¡¯s case, she was more convinced that only the flesh from her cut-off neck was restored. Who knew it could even grow long enough to turn her into a human-headed serpent?

    ¡°There¡¯s no other clue¡­¡±

    Eithne was temporarily discouraged, but she forced herself to focus again.

    ¡°On top of everything, I need to eliminate the Primordial Serpent¡¯s corruption from my head first. Big fox, any idea?¡±

    Eithne asked the fox attendant.

    ¡°But seriously, you need a name. I can¡¯t call you ¡®fox¡¯ forever. Do you have a name in mind?¡±

    ¡°Eak? Eak eak eak. (Name? I have no name.)¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Oliver? Arthur? Emma? Kristine? Daniel? Eleanor? Anna? Elsa? Olaf?¡±

    ¡°Eak¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Eithne picked up a newspaper she bought yesterday. Opening a random page, Eithne saw an article:

    ¡®BARTY LIKES TO PARTY.

    Count Bartholomew expressed that his mansion was specially designed for overnight parties. ¡®My name is Bartholomew de August, but ladies, you can call my intimate name - Barty.¡¯ ¨C said the count.¡¯

    Below the article attached an image of the count swiping his hair backward.

    Eithne¡¯s mouth curved up.

    ¡°How about Barty?¡±

    ¡°Eek¡­¡±

    The fox attendant expressed its suspicion, but it eventually agreed to let Eithne call it Barty until it could find a better name.

    ¡°Ok Barty, please give me some advice to erase the Primordial Serpent¡¯s corruption.¡±

    Eithne said. She silently suppressed her smile when she recalled the article¡¯s title.

    ¡°The most effective way is to use a strong purifying power to eradicate The Serpent¡¯s hexes¡­¡± - said Barty.

    Eithne sighed.

    ¡°Then I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do now¡­ I have to find Raphael anyway. I will make him fulfill his promise of giving me a safe hideout.¡±

    Of course, only a safe hideout was promised. Raphael could still sell out her information, so Eithne had to prepare for that. She could imagine that Demir Noceur would wait for her outside of that ¡®safe hideout¡¯, once she stepped outside the promised area¡­

    Eithne clicked her tongue.

    She picked up a newspaper in boredom.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s happening with the world currently. Hm, the oversea empire of Quenaz is pushing for a monopoly on sea routes, but the neighboring kingdoms of Lumovas are opposing that. I remember Raphael has his part in this mess¡­ Heh, I wonder if the guy has succeeded in punching a hole on the Quenaz¡¯s ship yet.¡±

    ¡°If my memory is correct, a Quenaz prince will propose courtship with Noori in the future plot.¡±

    Eithne passed to the next article.

    ¡°The Royal Mage Faction is testing a system that records every citizen¡¯s identification. Only identified citizens can enter the Lumovas capital in the future¡­ Ah, it is going to be harder for me to go around. I¡¯ve lost my identification card.¡±

    ¡°The Imperial Prince went missing with the Young Duke of Solinue and Young Lady of Gynren Count¡­ I know this, Rigel is still hiding in the Death temple with his friends.¡±

    The rest of the news were just miscellaneous everyday stories, so Eithne switched to the next newspaper ¨C The Angel¡¯s Letter ¨C the newspaper was dedicated for religion¡¯s information only.

    ¡°The next Saint of War has been chosen by the God¡­ Oh my! This punk has already become a Saint while I was away?¡±

    Eithne opened her eyes wide in surprise. She stared at the name ¡®Hesata Ragnar¡¯ on the paper.

    ¡°How fast¡­ It¡¯s good for him. After all these years of hard work, he is finally acknowledged.¡±

    Eithne lightly nodded a few times in reminiscence of the past. The original priestess had never cared about the election of the War Saint. Thus, Eithne, who absorbed her personality, also did not ask much about Hesata¡¯s personal work.

    ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t remember Hesata Ragnar being mentioned in the story plot. I hope he will be okay in the future, not ending up like the original ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯.¡±

    She then moved on to the next article.

    ¡°The Saint and other priests of Peace are coming to the Northern Lumovas to assist the Death temple in the battle against monsters. Oh! They will be visiting the Stero town in this week!?¡±

    ¡°Jackpot!¡±

    Eithne swung her fist. She did not need to go far to look for Raphael.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± ¨C She rubbed her palms evilly. The nine fox tails wiggled in excitement.

    Surely, she must prepare a surprise. Raphael Ascian partly contributed to her death, did he not?

    ¡°Just wait¡­¡±

    Eithne imagined a few scenes in her head. She would think hard about how to make Raphael pay.

    She turned to the last page of the newspaper.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡±

    ¡®~ We offer our sincere condolences to the passing of Priestess Eithne Noceur. ~

    Her funeral will be held on 20 December, Year Daneva 24, at the War temple¡¯s main hall. All of her friends and family are invited to this memorial service.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne pulled her fox¡¯s whiskers. She was unsure how to react to this.

    ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯m already dead to the world. I should get used to this. How nice of them to hold me a funeral. But if they are not serving tiramisu, I¡¯m not coming, hehe.¡±

    Eithne laughed. She threw the newspapers behind her head.

    ¡°Oh well. Let¡¯s just wait until Raphael comes. In the meantime, I will go shopping with Barty.¡±

    She saw many interesting things in the advertisement section of the news. There were boozes, hot food and handmade soaps which Eithne seriously thought she must keep some of them with her for sanitizing purposes, and peculiar handcrafted decorations of Death religion that triggered her curiosity. Eithne decided to go check them out in Stero town.

    ¡°Barty, we should find a way to buy food. I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±

    ¡°Me too¡­ Fix your head quickly.¡±

 Chapter 17 (Part 4): Battle of minds

    Eithne took out her mutated head from Barty¡¯s subspace pocket. She scrutinized the large cracks across her nose and on her check. Those cracks contained small eyeballs which were constantly darting around. The chaotic motion of those eyes made Eithne have an intrusive thought to poke them.

    ¡°My soul is still connected to this head¡­ It¡¯s going to hurt. I¡¯d better not do that.¡± - Eithne rubbed her fox''s nose. ¡°When I talk using this head, corruption is materialized in my mouth.¡±

    She raised the corrupted head and pulled the head¡¯s chin down to open the mouth. Strangely, even though the neck was already cut off, she could see black and white mysterious fluid flowing up from the throat, as if Eithne had opened a van of a hidden storage below the neck. Eithne had no idea how it could defy the law of nature like this, but the fluid was surely the Primordial Serpent¡¯s corrupting power¡¯s product.

    ¡°Hm? More eyes are being created in the fluid.¡±

    Eithne saw one, then two eyeballs were materialized in the fluid inside the head¡¯s mouth. The number of eyeballs kept increasing until it overflowed the mouth¡¯s space and rolled outside. When the eyeballs dropped on the ground, they suddenly flew to various directions.

    ¡°Hey! Come back!¡±

    Eithne gasped. She did not expect the eyeballs to escape.

    She chased after an eyeball, but it quickly disappeared in the bushes.

    ¡°You ought to find them back, otherwise they would spread corruption everywhere.¡± - Barty said.

    How troublesome! Eithne frowned. Truly, the Primordial Serpent¡¯s talent was hexes.

    ¡°But how am I going to find them? I can¡¯t see them anymore.¡±

    Eithne frantically looked in the bushes.

    ¡°The eyes came from the corruption of your head. The corrupting power came from the Serpent so the eyes are still under the Serpent¡¯s authority. But you can seize control of the corruption part in your head to cut off the Serpent¡¯s authority on the eyes!¡± ¨C Barty yelped. ¡°Hurry! Enter your head to subdue the Serpent¡¯s influence!¡±

    ¡°O-Ok!¡±

    Eithne¡¯s soul jumped from the fox attendant¡¯s body to her original head. Instantly, she felt a repulsive force stopping her from completely occupying the head. The force was the reason why Eithne could not close the cracks on her face after several days of trying.

    Eithne focused her spiritual power onto the repulsive force. An unpleasant feeling started to invade her mind. It was her instinct that alerted the sign of the Primordial Serpent¡¯s corruption.

    Black and white threads took shape in her conscious vision. They knotted and unknotted themselves, twirling into a cyclone that pulled her soul in. When Eithne resisted the unknown effect, resplendent colors suddenly broke out from the threads like a fever dream.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Eithne felt sharp glares of light that dazzled her mind. All logical thoughts in her consciousness were broken, only instincts remained.

    A huge shadow of a serpent suddenly loomed over the dazzling fireworks of colors. Eithne¡¯s soul frantically tried to find a way to avoid the shadow but to no avail, the shadow was too large for her to avoid. It was darkening in her vision, deepening the desperation of the mere presence that attempted to oppose its authority.

    Eithne started to feel strangled under the pressure. The shadow of the huge serpent rose up to be larger, it drowned her soul down to the pool of darkness in its center. At that moment, Eithne gathered all her last spiritual power to shout:

    ¡°ORDER!¡±

    Instantly, the echo of metal chains reverberated in the battle of minds.

    Clang! Clang Clang Clang!

    Eithne had expected this. The battle of the Order and the Mother of Void would not just end in the mysterious castle. If the Order modified the fox attendant body, it meant the Order had been watching her. There was no way They let her lose against the Primordial Serpent.

    Eithne saw a chain shooting toward her place. She quickly caught the chain which pulled her soul out of the shadowed area.

    ¡°Order! Guide me to the Sea of Fate!¡±

    Eithne spoke the ancient language from castle¡¯s wall, praying for divination immediately.

    The chain that she held onto quickly changed its direction upward. As she was lifted up high, Eithne witnessed the sky of swaying crimson threads.

    ¡°Barty, lend me your strength for a while.¡±

    Eithne looked for the connection between her destiny thread and the fox attendant. She opened all nine eyes of her soul to stare into Barty¡¯s destiny thread. As expected, she saw the image of Barty standing in the pine wood while holding her corrupted head. Even though the battle in consciousness was wild, the real world was unaffected.

    ¡°Cancel divination!¡± ¨C Eithne shouted.

    The Order¡¯s chain then quickly pulled her down away from the crimson sky. The illusion of the red sky slowly dispersed in the darkness. Since the divination was cancelled, Eithne received the ¡®punishment¡¯ of Fate because she did not request to look into Barty¡¯s fate.

    Her soul¡¯s appearance of a young woman shattered, replaced by a fox-headed man in a fine suit. Eithne became the fox attendant in a short amount of time. Luckily, ¡®Barty¡¯ knew what it must do in this situation.

    The fox in suit held tightly onto the chain that pulled it toward the shadow of the Primordial Serpent again. It gathered the strength to its throat and screeched out loud:

    ¡°KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!¡±

    Waves of sound from the fox¡¯s screeching attacked the Primordial Serpent¡¯s shadow.

    The shadow trembled and slightly faded.

    Apparently, Barty had the ability to break the influence on mind with its screech, so Eithne lent its identity to have the strength to fight back the Primordial Serpent¡¯s mind corruption.

    Three seconds passed and the ¡®Fate¡¯s punishment¡¯ affect wore off, Eithne¡¯s consciousness partly returned to her soul. She delivered a few more fox screech to the Primordial Serpent¡¯s shadow before she lost Barty¡¯s power.

    ¡°KEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!¡±

    ¡°KEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!¡±

    ¡°KEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!¡±

    The ear-piecing screech of the fox greatly reduced the shadow¡¯s power more. When the Serpent shadow shrank to a certain point, more chains from the Order shot to the battle to enclose the shadow within.

    Eithne saw the shadow twisted and exploded into a large cyclone, where grotesque monsters rose up and screamed in pain. The monsters were born, and then torn to pieces in the cyclone.

    ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    Eithne furrowed her brows. She had returned to her identity.

    Eithne had managed to gasp some knowledge from Barty¡¯s mind. To overwrite the authority of the Primordial Serpent, she must ¡®hack¡¯ into the identity of the shadow that represented corruption. She had to make the shadow hers, which meant Eithne had to be the Primordial Serpent first.

    ¡°Should I do it similarly like with Barty in the Sea of Fate? No, this is too risky. The Primordial Serpent is the terrible enemy. Instead of me taking Their identity, They could replace me completely. I don¡¯t know much about Their ability yet.¡±

    Eithne held onto the Order¡¯s chains while she observed the cyclone. The more time she spent in here, the more troublesome outside situation became, so she needed to act fast.

    The cyclone was growing in size rapidly, even the chains of Order were shaking in the pulling force of the cyclone. The monsters were constantly born, then died in the cyclone. When the monsters saw the chains, they attempted to climb up the chains but exploded instantly when they completely left the cyclone.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a circle of life is forcefully implemented in this cyclone. No monster can escape the death!¡± ¨C Eithne thought. ¡°Would the Primordial Serpent shadow at the cyclone eye?¡±

    ¡°What if the Order¡¯s chains enter the cyclone to stop the monsters from flowing? Would this disturb the circle of life?¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    As she thought, a chain from the Order wrapped around her wrist.

    ¡°?¡±

    Eithne was surprised with the chain when she saw several ancient letters appeared in front of her eyes.

    (¡®FOX¡¯)

    ¡°?!¡±

    It was the ancient language on the castle wall so she understood the word.

    Suddenly, the chain pulled Eithne down to the cyclone.

    ¡°AAA!¡±

    Her soul entered the turbulent flow of the cyclone. Eithne saw the birth of the monsters and the death of them in front of her eyes. She also felt the cyclone¡¯s influence on her soul, that her strength was decreasing like she was becoming older and weaker. However, the chain of Order kept her in one spot in the cyclone so that she would not die like other monsters.

    Splash! Splash! Crack!

    The sound of monster¡¯s bones and flesh exploded into dust echoed next to Eithne¡¯s ears. She urgently opened all her nine eyes.

    When the nine eyes were activated, Eithne recognized that the cyclone was just an illusion. What actually occurred under the illusion was a wide, incomplete ring that expanded proportionately to the cyclone¡¯s diameter.

    Eithne was standing in the gap of the ring. The ring was closing up, slowly sandwiching her. She knew that once the ring was closed, she would be done for.

    Not thinking longer, she called out the title of her enemy using the ancient language of the mysterious castle.

    ¡°Primordial Serpent! The Mother of Void!¡±

    The image of the ring trembled then turned into a long serpent that was moving in a circle. Eithne could see that the Serpent¡¯s head was trying to bite its tail to complete the ring.

    ¡°Finally show up yourself!¡±

    Eithne channeled her remaining spiritual power. The thread of destiny rose up from her heart and branched out toward the serpent¡¯s head.

    ¡°Your shadow is mine!¡±

    Once the thread connected to the serpent, Eithne felt a wave of energy swept through her. Unlike when she connected Barty¡¯s body, it was tormenting when she connected to the shadow of the Primordial Serpent. Eithne felt that the insanity had returned from her consciousness like when she had just received the corruptive Chaos from the Primordial Serpent. She was seeing illusion which millions of monsters were tearing her soul apart.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Eithne tried to ignore the pain to execute the plan¡¯s last step. She opened her nine eyes to pray for divination again, though she could not fully say the sentence.

    ¡°Order, ¡­to ¡­ Sea of Fate!¡±

    The Order¡¯s chain then quickly pulled her up to the sky again. In Eithne¡¯s vision, she was being lifted from the hordes of bloodthirsty monsters which towered themselves on each other¡¯s bodies to pursue her.

    Eventually, Eithne had to do exactly the same way of how she stole¡¯s Barty¡¯s identity. She could not think of other options. As she entered the sangria Sea of Fate again, she found the newly formed destiny bond between her and the Primordial Serpent¡¯s shadow. Eithne directed all her nine eyes to look into the shadow¡¯s destiny.

    ¡°??!!!¡±

    However, what Eithne saw was not the black-haired woman who she knew was the Primordial Serpent, but a blond-haired woman who had a chain wrapping around her wrist. It was herself, Eithne.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡±

    Eithne could not help but curse in this unnerving situation. Why was she seeing herself in the Primordial Serpent¡¯s shadow?

    Horribly, she was seeing her soul¡¯s appearance transforming into a scaly serpent!

    Eithne knew something was off so she tried to cut off the divination, but the vision did not stop. The image of herself disappeared, instead, a golden throne appeared floating above her. It was the same throne in the mysterious castle, and there was a black-haired woman majestically sat on it.

    Eithne instantly recognized the appearance of the Primordial Serpent. She guessed it was how the Primordial Serpent looked when She was in optimal state.

    The black-haired woman was much taller than normal human¡¯s height. Like a true god, Her appearance was beautifully exalted. The Primordial Serpent was fully protected from neck to toes in dark and scaly armor. As if there were thunders in Her gaze, when the Primordial Serpent¡¯s golden eyes glared down to the puny human below - Eithne heard a thunderous roar and convulsed in an unbearable heat that roasted her soul.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Eithne groaned in pain when she saw the dark serpent scales growing onto her body. She tried to resist the corruption by plucking out the scales from her skin. The scales being plucked out then turned into mysterious ancient letters before they vanished.

    The Primordial Serpent lightly moved Her lips as if she was saying something but there was no voice coming out. She pointed at Eithne. Instantly, the scales grew faster on Eithne¡¯s body.

    ¡°Is she trying to speed up my stealing Primordial Serpent¡¯ identity process?¡± - Thoughts ran through Eithne¡¯s head. ¡°No. At this rate, I will become her clone!¡±

    It was her goal at the beginning to temporarily take the Primordial Serpent identity, however, Eithne did not intend to truly become Them, not as a clone controlled by the Serpent shadow. When Eithne saw her body¡¯s lower part started to melt down to form a serpent¡¯s tail, her last nerve was touched.

    ¡°Order! Order! Order!¡±

    She called the Order three times.

    There was no chain to be seen, but clearly, the Primordial Serpent¡¯s expression hardened.

    Eithne suddenly laughed.

    ¡°You are just a shadow of the past, but the glorious past has long been gone.¡±

    ¡°Your current self is cut in half, chained on the throne. How pitiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    After provoking the Primordial Serpent shadow, Eithne looked up at the woman on the golden throne. If Eithne was not wrong, there must be a faction sharing the power with the Serpent in the castle, proven by the division in attendant force: fifty snake-heads and fifty fox-heads.

    A cheeky grin bloomed on her face. Eithne said:

    ¡°I can¡¯t become your clone. I¡¯m no Serpent, but a Fox.¡±

    As if Eithne had triggered a bomb, the Primordial Serpent¡¯s expression distorted into anger and bewilderment. The illusion of the majestic Primordial Serpent broke, revealing the real appearance of the shadow. The dark serpent shadow could barely produce the detail of the scaly patterns on its body, but it still overpowered Eithne in strength.

    The shadow launched toward Eithne and gored her by one of its horns.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Eithne¡¯s soul was badly damaged and fell into the pool of darkness again. She had failed to steal the Primordial Serpent¡¯s identity, but more importantly, her life was dwindling because of the serious injury.

    ¡°Goddamn¡­ I¡¯ve been donut-ed.¡±

    Eithne gritted her teeth. A big hole was evident on her soul¡¯s body, caused by the impact with the serpent shadow¡¯s horn. However, Eithne was not really worried about it.

    ¡°I have broken free from the divination¡¯s illusion.¡±

    Eithne was happy that she survived the divination and back to the battle of minds, because from this point, she could see the Order¡¯s chains again. Eithne had been panicking that the Order¡¯s chains could not intervene in the serpent shadow¡¯s illusion earlier. Seeing the chains again meant that she was going to be rescued.

    ¡°Provoking the snake is really dangerous, but it worths.¡±

    Eithne tiredly looked up in the air. The word ¡®FOX¡¯ was shining in front of her eyes.

    ¡°Embody me¡­¡±

    An ethereal voice echoed from the word to Eithne.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne was silent in a few seconds.

    ¡°Truthfully, when I think about it again. This shit doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    She stared at the shinning ¡®FOX¡¯ when her soul was crumbling part by part.

    ¡°Ha. You¡­ the Fox¡­ where did you come from? What are you? Primordial Fox?¡±

    ¡°Barty, Fox, the Order¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you collaborate to trap me?¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­ Either Serpent or Fox, I have to pick a side to become their clone. I can¡¯t stand by the battle.¡±

    Just a day ago, the fox attendant Barty suggested the way to disrupt the corruption was using purification power. It said nothing about fighting with the Primordial Serpent¡¯s shadow, so Eithne had believed nothing could be done with her head at that moment and dropped her guard.

    However, very incidentally, unexpectedly, and fast, the eyes of corruption escaped from her head. Barty suddenly suggested a way to seize the control of corrupting power from the Primordial Serpent, leaving Eithne no time to think because she was afraid that the corruptive eyes might wreck everything. Just for a single slip up on logical thinking in urgent circumstance, she hastily made a mistake by jumping into the fight with the Serpent¡¯s shadow without considering her own current strength, leading to the current situation that she was dying and had no choice to accept the help from an outer existence.

    ¡°This situation is so familiar. I¡¯m desperate, and a God came to help¡­ Ha ha ha.¡±

    A helpless laugh came out from Eithne. She murmured to herself:

    ¡°Barty¡­ I¡¯m so disappointed in you. The Order too, just invited me to the Fox¡¯s side, you don¡¯t need to do this. I¡¯ll support it more if you could be more polite.¡±

    ¡°Haiz¡­ I know I shouldn¡¯t believe things in the castle, but I still got trapped in the end.¡±

    If the Fox was showing itself when the Order was present, it meant the Order approved of the Fox presence. Eithne laughed loudly:

    ¡°If I¡¯m going to the Serpent¡¯s side, what are you going to do?¡±

    Just when she mentioned the Serpent, dark scales started to rise on all over her soul in a steady speed.

    ¡°You have been corrupted.¡±

    The ethereal voice echoed from the word ¡®FOX¡¯. Its light became brighter as if trying to dispel the Serpent¡¯s influence.

    ¡°No.¡± ¨C Eithne chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve just realized --¡±

    Her hand reached toward the word ¡®FOX¡¯ in the air and grasped it tightly. The ancient letters broke into countless dot of light.

    ¡°My ambition for power is quite big. I¡¯ll take both of you!¡±

    RUMBLE!

    The space of consciousness shook fiercely. Eithne saw the dots of light gathered into her like a raging stream of water. The dark scales on her body also broke into light dots and sank into her body.

    Then, all the light emanated from Eithne¡¯s soul like a bomb swept through all the darkness.

    ¡°Grooarrr!!!¡±

    Eithne heard the angry growling of the Serpent shadow, but she could not see it anymore.

    She had thought of a chance that she would be exploded for being too greedy, but Eithne did not regret. It could be seen as her attempt to escape the manipulation of both side in a suicidal manner. If she died, none of them could get her.

    The blinding white light filled her eyes. Eithne exhaled in relief. At least she got to die in the light, not the darkness that she often stayed with.

    ¡­

 Chapter 17 (Part 5): Visions of the sacred

    (¡°Armongratus¡­awake ¡­ Noceur¡­ close your eyes¡­¡±)

    A vague call reverberated from a distant space.

    Eithne felt like she was floating in a vast sea just below the water surface, and the voice went pass her soul like a wave gently sweeping her face.

    The strong light slowly revealed a vision of an unfamiliar world to Eithne. It seemed so realistic to the point Eithne thought she was truly a part of that world.

    Eithne saw a sky full of various godly figures. Most of them did not have human appearance. They were colossal and had bizarre skin colors like red, blue, white, green, black. Some figures had many faces, arms and legs. Some figures had animal parts on their body. Some figures had burning skin and hair made of smoke, while some others had perfectly angelic appearance. They carried frightening weapons and had menacing expression. Next to them were divine beasts of various kinds. They howled thunderously, breathed out fire, water, thunder and rode on stormy clouds to accompany their heavenly masters.

    All figures of divinity were channeling their power toward the earth.

    It felt like the vast sky had lowered to subdue the rebellious rising earth.

    Eithne¡¯s gaze lowered to follow the flow of power. At the end of the deties¡¯ tremendous cascading attack, she saw an enormous spear straightly pointed toward the sky. The one holding the spear was a bloodied person. Her hair was long and black, and she had a bright pair of golden eyes.

    ¡°The Primordial Serpent?¡± ¨C Eithne flinched.

    Even though what she was seeing was an illusion, Eithne could feel the immense pressure of the clashing between the Gods and the one who looked like the Primordial Serpent.

    The black-haired woman in Her distinguished black armor was standing tall between countless dragon corpses. Her fierce eyes gazed at the daunting sky of Gods, then She roared in a thunderous voice:

    ¡°NEVER SURRENDER!!!¡±

    Then, Her spear collided with the Gods¡¯ power.

    CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

    Waves of strong energy bloomed out like an apocalypse. Following behind Her spear were a few remaining survived dragons, they all used their own body to directly slam against the Gods¡¯ attack.

    BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!

    An explosion broke out. It became too bright for Eithne to see anything, but the impression of the battle was enough to quiver her heart.

    Eithne¡¯s soul trembled. The impact of the battle was true even though everything was just a vision. She felt like her soul¡¯s condition had worsened further that she was seeing parts of her body dissolving to nothing. Still, Eithne tried hard to observe the current situation.

    All the Gods had to step back from the explosion. They had to withdraw further back to the sky. When the light dwindled away, Eithne saw the leading giant spear fragmented. The dragons fell down from the sky, dyeing the ground in red blood.

    The dignified woman in black armor was still standing with her back straight, raising the spear handle toward the sky. However, Her body also started to crumble.

    A sore weep of unknown spirits reached Eithne¡¯s ears. It was scattering across the battlefield. Their lament clenched Eithne¡¯s heart, but she could shed no tear in the current state. She was like a frozen audience of this tragedy, covered her sadness in silence, like the dragon corpses that lost their lives could not cry out loud anymore.

    At that moment, Eithne saw a line of ancient words in front of her eyes.

    (¡®I leave Her final legacy with you.¡¯)

    Eithne looked down at her hands. She was now covered in dark scales exactly like the armor of the Primordial Serpent.

    After that, the world in front of her eyes disintegrated.

    Another world quickly unfolded in front of her eyes, where the sky had broken apart. Having been plundered into Chaos, this world had fallen into pieces that the creatures in it were struggling to exist.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± ¨C She mumbled.

    At the center of the broken world, there was a blazing white Sun. The white Sun was drawing all the matter toward it and engulfed everything.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Insane vortexes of energy spread out from the Sun to all directions and destroyed the remaining fragments of the sky. Compared to the previous world of Armageddon, this world had almost reached its demise.

    Eithne did not dare to directly stare at the white Sun. She had learnt her lesson, the power of these illusions was real. Despite avoiding the sight, the influence from the celestial existence still made her soul boiling. An irritation ran across her like a calling for mutation, Eithne instantly recognized the feeling ¨C Chaos was entering her soul!

    Amid the raging mayhem, a long howl of beast was heard echoing through the space.

    ¡°HAAAAUUUUUUULLLLLLLL!¡±

    Eithne then saw a gargantuan nine-tailed canine beast jumping toward the sun. The beast was as huge as the sky, and its shadow was massive enough to cover entire earth.

    ¡°Fox?¡±

    The tail of the beast appeared as colossal chains that pierced the gap space between the sky fragments. The Fox opened it mouth and swallowed the white Sun.

    RUMBLE!

    All the greatest Chaos poured out from the center of the battle.

    Eithne saw the light condensed into brilliant colors and flowed down like a mis-matched mixture of oil paints. She gritted her teeth to prepare a wave of insanity invading to her mind. However, everything abruptly froze.

    Eithne saw a line of ancient words again.

    (¡®I¡¯m waiting for you.¡¯)

    The words exploded into dots of light that entered her head.

    Eventually, all illusions disintegrated into nothingness.

    Eithne¡¯s soul fell down like a heavy rock.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    She sank in a space where all nature was silenced. In this emptiness, nothing was born, nothing was destroyed. Nothing stained, nothing pure. No emotions existed, so there was no agony or joy. Since this Void contained nothing, there was also no hindrance from ignorance.

    Eithne saw the Chaos from the Primordial Serpent, the White Sun and the Fox all came together as the purest form of living energy that nurture her soul.

    ¡°All the forms of energy will end up as one single form¡­¡±

    Her mind opened themselves like an empty box. Enlightenment came to her as gently as a water drop, then poured down like a blessing heavy rain.

    There was no limitation of the physical body. As a result, her soul evolved naturally without any pain and suffering.

    ¡°So this is the Void¡­¡±

    Her thoughts became as light as airborne feathers on the wind.

    Eithne felt no hatred, no anger toward anyone in the past. Not Demir Noceur, not Aubrey Moros, not the unknown God, not Barty or the Fox, nor the Order and the Primordial Serpent. She remembered everything, but nothing stayed in her current mind.

    Her vision became blurry when all the Chaos was absorbed into her soul...

    .

    .

    .

    Eithne opened her eyes again in her own head. This time, she did not feel a repulsive force from the Serpent shadow in her head anymore. In fact, the corruption from the Primordial Serpent had become closely to her like it was her original body¡¯s part.

    She had successfully taken the authority of the Primordial Serpent over the corruption in her head.

    Eithne felt the soft grass that her head was resting on. A butterfly flapped their blue wings to take off across her nose. Next to her leisurely sat the nine-tailed fox attendant. After witnessing the greatest decimation and a world¡¯s devastating apocalypse, the peaceful blue sky and slothful pine trees seemed like a thin sheet of paper that could be tear down at any moment. Thus, no attachment to this world prevailed in Eithne, but a hunger for power rose up in desire to protect herself from the destruction of everything.

    ¡°Barty.¡± ¨C Eithne solemnly called.

    Her voice had returned to normal when the corruption was subdued.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Barty answered.

    ¡°Should I call you Fox from now on?¡±

    ¡°You found out quickly.¡±

    ¡°Because you replied too confidently.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t particularly like the name Barty, but Fox does sound too normie. I do like parties actually.¡±

    The fox attendant wiggled its tails. It was playing with a fern branch in its hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you returned. It seems you have picked the right path.¡±

    ¡°What are you with the Order?¡± ¨C Eithne asked.

    ¡°You can see me as the bridge of communication to the Order. I¡¯m Their missionary.¡±

    Eithne observed the Barty the Fox who knot the fern branch into a circle.

    ¡°I¡¯m uncertain of how to trust you.¡± ¨C She said. ¡°You pushed me to death and saved me at last minute. Is this a game for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that boring. Making death a game has no meaning to me. It¡¯s a waste of energy.¡±

    The nine-tailed creature was still busy making a simple garland. Snap! It broke a fern branch. Eithne stared at the Fox¡¯s unskillful hands. Who would tie the ferns like that? Tsk.

    ¡°Hm, people often think that mischievous foxes like pull pranks, but I prefer to take thing seriously when I have to use my brain. It¡¯s all calculations for my goal.¡±

    Eithne furrowed her brows. He must have calculated that her wrath would dissolve in the Void as well, but annoyance could be born instantly when Eithne remembered their scheme.

    ¡°May I reveal my intention? I will be honest, I promise in the name of the Order.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°I need you to ascend to the throne.¡±

    The smiling fox put the fern garland on Eithne¡¯s head like a crown.

    ¡°All of these hassles are to give you more power. In exchange for power, I need your assistance to eliminate the corruption. What I mean as corruption is the Primordial Serpent.¡±

    Eithne¡¯s mouth corners curved up.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s start about our partnership¡¯s conditions. Why am I chosen for your mess?¡±

    ¡°Are you ready to pay the price to hear the Truth?¡±

    ¡°What Truth?¡±

    ¡°You ¨C are--¡±

    Crack! Crack! Crack!

    Barely after the Fox uttered its first few words, the bright sky turned gloom. Eithne looked up to see frenzied sparks of lightning had gathered in the clouds above the place that they were sitting. It was certainly ready to strike down at them in any moment.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Eithne helplessly smiled. She may not survive within one lightning strike.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Any information regarding the Truth about you is restricted in this world. You have to bypass the firewall by yourselves to know. When you are strong enough to withstand a few thunderstrikes, you can hear it. Ha ha.¡±

    The Fox playfully chuckled, then it lay down on the soft grass.

    ¡°How about you? Can you disclose about you to me?¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve shown you a part of my memory. That¡¯s all you need to know. Otherwise, ¡­¡±

    Crack! Crack!

    Eithne glanced at sky. Frighteningly, the lightning gathered even faster. Even her hair and the Fox¡¯s hair all rose upward.

    ¡°The visions you saw is my message using the loophole of this world. Please keep it in your memory.¡±

    Barty the Fox calmly said.

    ¡°You can think about it, but don¡¯t ask until you are strong enough.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Eithne decided to compromise.

    When they stopped talking about sensitive matter, the sky returned to its peacefulness.

    ¡°Are you always the Fox from the start, or Barty awakened as the Fox?¡±

    Eithne asked.

    ¡°Both. I awaked my memory when we walked pass the mirror.¡±

    The Fox happily smelled the fresh grass while answering to her questions. Eithne saw small grass seeds had stuck on its fur. Barty was enjoying its life at its fullest.

    ¡°Is this world going to end?¡±

    Eithne asked. She remembered the last scene she saw in a particular world. If this world was going to end, would it be similar to that?

    ¡°That actually depends on your progress.¡±

    The Fox replied.

    ¡°Is your mission to stop the corruption and world¡¯s end?¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    Eithne exhaled heavily.

    ¡°What if I decide to not collaborate?¡±

    Barty was silent in a few seconds.

    ¡°If it was in the past, I¡¯d say it doesn¡¯t matter. We can find another candidate for this mission. But the Order changed Their mind.¡±

    The Fox sat up to pick up Eithne¡¯s head. It looked directly into her eyes.

    ¡°You have no other choice now.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Eithne frowned.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m weak now. The Order thinks I¡¯m unsuitable for the throne. Trust me, you have greaaat personality for the throne.¡±

    ¡°Urgh.¡±

    Eithne frowned harder. She wanted to escape from the Fox¡¯s grip on her head.

    ¡°But wait, I almost forgot about the missing eyes.¡±

    ¡°You should be able to summon them back.¡±

    Barty put Eithne¡¯s head down.

    Just as she had a thought of wanting those eyes to return, the eyeballs quickly emerged from the ground next to her. They transformed back into corruption energy and returned to her mouth. The process was a piece of cake.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s still one missing eye.¡±

    Eithne counted the number of eyeballs and questioned her memory. Barty titled its head.

    ¡°Eh¡­ That eye likely carried a big part of the Primordial Serpent¡¯s will.¡±

    ¡°What would happen with an eye having strong will?¡±

    ¡°They can turn a creature into an incomplete clone of the Primordial Serpent.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shit! Eithne and Barty looked at each other.

    The Fox and a talking head then frantically ran around the pine wood to search for the missing eye¡­

 Chap 18 (Part 1): Head on the throne

    ¡°Do you see anything?¡±

    Barty the Fox asked Eithne.

    Eithne ¨C a decapitated head blankly replied:

    ¡°Do you think that I can look further than you? You are holding me so all I can see is the direction you face me to.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Barty held Eithne¡¯s head as tall as it could, on the tips of its toes.

    ¡°Yeah, the view is better up here. But I don¡¯t see anything.¡±

    Eithne said.

    They were looking for one missing corrupted eye in the pine wood, and that small object had been completely out of their sight. Eithne decided to use divination. Seeing the sea of Fate too often sickened her, but what else could be done in such a situation?

    Eithne repeated in her head all the misfortunes she encountered in the sea of Fate, to avoid making stupid mistakes again in divination.

    ¡®A safe divination, I beg the Order. Where¡¯s the eye?¡¯

    At this point, Eithne was too tired to pray in long lines to the Order. She spoke the mysterious castle¡¯s ancient language. Perhaps the Order had a mutual feeling with her about long prayers, They let her quickly receive the divination result. In her mind, Eithne saw the scene where Barty was holding her head up high, and ¡®Eithne-from-one-minute-ago¡¯ said: ¡°Yeah, the view is better up here. But I don¡¯t see anything.¡±

    Even her sarcastic tone was repeated exactly the same.

    ¡®Now that¡¯s strange.¡¯

    Eithne frowned. She tried to reset the divination, but still getting the same result, just like watching a replaying video of them at that specific time. Having watched herself saying the exact same thing five times, Eithne ended divination and told Barty the Fox about it.

    ¡°Someone is interfering with your divination.¡±

    Barty gave a conclusion based on her description.

    ¡°Someone has distorted your divination¡¯s target.¡±

    The situation became more serious than they thought.

    It was imaginable that the sea of Fate was similar to a recording system, and somebody was hacking their way in her searching input. That person was impossible to be the Primordial Serpent, since She was already captured by the Order.

    Eithne squinted her eyes.

    The name ¡°Primordial Serpent¡± or ¡°Mother of Void¡± did not appear in the general history that Eithne Noceur had learnt. If there existed a particular party that was helping the Primordial Serpent, she suspected it would be a mysterious, likely very ancient, individual or group. It could be a cult worshipping the oldest God ever. If anything, they probably had noticed Eithne¡¯s existence and been targeting her.

    ¡°How strong must they be to interfere with my divination?¡± ¨C asked Eithne.

    ¡°They must be either a group of high-grade priests or a demi-god.¡±

    Barty replied. The Fox balanced Eithne¡¯s head on their hat so that their hands could be free to do the contemplating pose. If Eithne still had her body, she would do the same.

    ¡°I honestly have no idea who they are. I didn¡¯t witness how the Primordial Serpent grew in this world, so I don¡¯t know Her acquaintances.¡±  - Barty sighed.

    Eithne noticed the Fox¡¯s strange choice of words.

    ¡°Witness Her growth? Did you witness Her birth?¡± ¨C She looked down at the Fox¡¯s pointy nose from the top of its hat.

    ¡°Technically, yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you know her age?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s what I¡¯m also wondering.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    ¡°When She was born, I fell into a long slumber. I only woke up because the Order told me to help you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne observed the Fox¡¯s flickering ears, wondering what might be the thing that Barty¡¯s body action indicated. The hairy face of a fox was hard to read.

    ¡°Do you know any way to stop the disturbance in my divination?¡± ¨C Eithne asked .

    ¡°With my current power, I cannot do anything. My power will always equal your power. The stronger you are, the more capable I am. You are weak so I¡¯m quite useless right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Eithne looked at the bright clear sky above her head, trying to ignore Barty¡¯s remark.

    Ha! Sorry for being weak.

    ¡°Anyway, you can use instruments or artifacts to protect your divination from interference. But as you know, I¡¯ve just woken up from the castle recently. I know a lot about divination techniques because the Order taught me, but I¡¯m clueless about the outside world¡¯s magic technology. Therefore, I will count on you to tell me about it.¡±

    Eithne kept her eyes on the far sky, silently hiding the comment that she wished to say: I don¡¯t know either.

    The War temple was not an expert on divination and related magic tools. Mostly, what the War priests knew were combat-related tools and psychology to predict the opponent¡¯s next move very accurately so that it could almost resemble a divination. Eithne seriously needed to do deeper research on Peace temple and Death temple to see if they were good on this, but as soon as she realized her current state ¨C a decapitated head having a face of a ¡®dead priestess¡¯, accessing higher level of information was extremely hard. If she was still priestess ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯, she could just send a letter to other temples to inquire about this.

    ¡®Why do I regret having left the War temple?¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    Come to think of it, the life before she abandoned her ¡°home¡± was much sweeter than the life she had now. The War temple had clean bedrooms, toilets, cooked food, stable allowance, and a scary High Priest. But hey, scary High Priest couldn¡¯t do anything to her if Eithne had done nothing wrong. Now she could not even remember why she had insisted on leaving the temple by all means.

    ¡®That parasitic Primordial Serpent must have messed up my brain back then.¡¯

    Given that the Primordial Serpent used to take up half of Eithne¡¯s soul, it wasn¡¯t fallacious to suspect her behavior was manipulated by the ¡°other half¡¯s personality¡±.

    When Eithne found out the existence of the Primordial Serpent, she had discovered abnormality in her way of thinking. Talking about the past, her opposing attitude to the War temple was abnormally strong, but logically, Eithne shouldn¡¯t have too much resentment toward the War temple if Demir Noceur had not wronged her yet. She used to be very afraid of the High Priest, that just a glance from him could startle her for a whole day. Moreover, Eithne possessed an odd tendency toward uncontrollable violence and hatred- which she initially thought was the dark power¡¯s side effect. Her aversion toward the War temple became clear when Hesata ¨C a War priest stood in her way of killing. At that time, all her fear and indignation had strangely magnified, fueling her to run away from the War temple.

    Eithne knew that the Primordial Serpent was not on good terms with God. She recalled the vision of the sacred War temple, where Eithne picked up a strange mirror and recognized her half-eaten soul by the vicious Primordial Serpent. The hostility and struggle from the Primordial Serpent¡¯s soul toward the War temple which Eithne sensed on that day strengthened her speculation that the War God who she used to doubt was a real deal, and the Serpent was much weaker than a real God.

    ¡®My personal dislike of the War God must have added up with Primordial Serpent¡¯s feeling. I was dramatic in everything¡­¡¯

    After the Primordial Serpent¡¯s corruption had been tamed in her mind, Eithne realized how differently she could have acted if she was truly herself in the past.

    ¡®Oh well.¡¯

    Though Eithne was reminiscing about the convenient life, she couldn¡¯t change the reality so she quickly gave up. She couldn¡¯t just blame the Primordial Serpent on everything. Her stupidity should be counted in.

    After all, Fate had designed an inescapable path that she was too scared to turn back¡­

    Barty shrugged.

    ¡°Well, if that eye succeeds in finding a host, karma will bring it back to you eventually. Right now, we can only pray for our luck to meet it again before things go too far.¡±

    Eithne shut her eyes. Oh, the stress from everything was causing her hair loss. She wanted no more of this hassle.

    Barty proudly stated:

    ¡°At least you have me and the Order on your back. The people wanting to kill you can¡¯t find you through divination because the Order protects you. You could¡¯ve have died long ago with your negligence.¡±

    Exhaustion corroded Eithne¡¯s emotions. What Barty said was true and she accepted how weak she was, but it didn¡¯t mean she was happy with this outcome.

    She took a deep breath as if doing so could free her from the troubles. However, the harsh reality existed like a heavy boulder on her head, squeezing out from her mind just the craziest thing to say in this situation.

    ¡°Karma¡­ how do I increase the karma¡¯s power?¡± - She murmured.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°How do I increase the karma power so that the eye is pulled back to me immediately?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to die??¡±

    Barty knocked on Eithne¡¯s head.

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient to solve everything. Do you even understand what karma is?¡±

    ¡°Surely not as much as you do¡­¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t be stupid and listen to me!¡±

    Eithne obediently kept silent and lay still on Barty¡¯s hat.

    ¡°Karma is the consequential force generated by a creature¡¯s actions and accumulated through a soul¡¯s current life and perpetual transmigration. Good deeds will give you good karma which will attract luck in the future, bad deeds will bring bad karma which push your fate toward misfortune and conflict. Fortune or misfortune, which one can happen first- is random. You can rely on a God to delay deadly disasters, but you can¡¯t escape from them forever. That¡¯s why you need power to overcome bad karma.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s theory. In reality, there are many more variables which can change the karma flow. An action needn¡¯t be specifically bad to lead to big conflict, a big conflict isn¡¯t necessarily bad karma. Every action will have its consequence in Fate. Karma represents causes and consequences. It¡¯s also a connection between you and something ¨C for example, the missing corrupted eye, which you shall destroy or tame in the future.¡±

    ¡°Karma between you and the Primordial Serpent will come to you someday, and you will have to be the one who ends it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Barty the Fox was lecturing without pausing. Eithne could stay focused in the first few minutes, but then her attention was gradually chipped away by tiredness after a long battle with the Primordial Serpent.

    Slowly, Eithne closed her eyes to give in to sleepiness.

    It took Barty ten minutes later to realize that the head on its hat had been unconscious. The Fox grumbled:

    ¡°Gyah! How can you sleep during my lecture? It won¡¯t be good for you if you ignore my words!¡±

    ¡°Is my voice as sweet as a lullaby? I thought only Amongratus talks people to sleep. Urgh, turns out I¡¯m boring too.¡±

    ¡°Waaaaake uppppp-----¡±

    Eithne flinched when Barty shook its head. However, she was defeated by sleepiness again. Before her mind shut down, Eithne pondered.

    ¡®Karma was something accumulated from past lives. If my previous life is fabricated by the Primordial Serpent, then where did my karma come from?¡¯

    If her past life wasn¡¯t real, what did she do to deserve the hardship she had now?

    For what reason did she have to suffer?

    Too bad, Eithne had already fallen into deep sleep before she could get mad about this.

    Barty called her a few times but did not hear her reply, so it couldn¡¯t do anything else besides adjusting her head¡¯s position on its hat. The Fox then continued their mission alone.

    Tap¡­

    Tap¡­

    Tap¡­

    Tapping their cane on the ground, the fox-headed man jogged between the pines throughout the night. Their back was straight so that the woman¡¯s head on their hat wouldn¡¯t fall. Their steps matched the snoring rhythm of cozy squirrels in the wood, and the rusty dead leaves smashed under their feet didn¡¯t disturb any midnight¡¯s dreaming bird. The walk came to an end when morning arrived, and the Fox sat down on a fallen thick pine log at the unnamed wood¡¯s border.

    ¡°Do you still want to see Raphael or not? Wake up.¡±

    Barty knocked three times on Eithne¡¯s head.

    As Eithne slowly opened her eyes, the small Stero town was already right before them. Rowdy human sounds reminded her that it was not a dream. Gray smoke could be seen floating from tall chimneys and a vigorous peal of bronze bells could be heard echoing from the town into the wood. Barty¡¯s nose quivered when it smelled humans. In the morning, the people¡¯s smell was a mixture of bad morning breath, bodily secretion and lingering breakfast remains. Unlike the capital city where the nobles strictly followed etiquette, the locals in Stero town were mostly farmers and hunters who cared less about their appearance due to harsh weather. Not taking a shower in one or two days was normal, so Eithne and Barty could only blame their overly sensitive noses. They were near the pine forest, so the human¡¯s pungency had been partly tempered by the frigid morning mist.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡± - Eithne replied to Barty.

    Twenty steps away from where they were sitting, a group of merchants from the south was traveling on the road to the town¡¯s main gate. They had three horse carriages to carry their heavy loads.

    The wooden carriages¡¯ wheels pressed on the rocky dirt path, crunching the soil under them.

    Click¡­ clack¡­ click¡­ clack¡­ crack¡­

    Even though the day was bright, nobody saw a fox-headed figure who perched a woman''s head atop of their hat. Under the Fox¡¯s feet, a murky puddle of darkness writhed, wherein many blinking eyes swam around like tadpoles. The dark domain was shrunk around Barty and Eithne to swallow all the noises they made, whereas the bizarre eyes were deflecting the light cast on them like little mirrors. Currently, they were almost invisible to normal gazes.

    ¡°Nice work.¡± - Eithne complimented.

    Barty was controlling the dark domain.

    Eithne had never thought the intractable dark domain could be so obedient as it was now. The dark domain originated from the Primordial Serpent¡¯s power of Void, which always evoked her inner cruelty so she found it hard to control.

    The darkness condensed like fine ink under the Fox¡¯s feet, however, the best Eithne could do was spread them out like a fog around her body, not to mention the rebellious eyes of corruption that she newly obtained- which one of them had escaped.

    The Fox just needed to press their shoe on the ground to make those nasty eyes acquiescent.

    Barty the Fox was obviously content with her compliment. It snorted loudly.

    ¡°Hmph! Watch and learn. You¡¯ve defeated the Primordial Serpent¡¯s shadow in you, so you should be able to use their power.¡±

    ¡°You are the best!¡± ¨C Eithne smiled.

    Undoubtedly, the Fox was knowledgeable as an ancient existence.

    ¡°Eeeee¡­. - Whatever, I¡¯m tired now. Can you take control of the body?¡±

    ¡°Alright. Switch my head in.¡±

    Barty detached their fox head and placed Eithne¡¯s head on their neck. When they were connected, Eithne immediately understood how to control the dark domain like the Fox, as if they shared the same memory.

    What a cheat!

    Eithne tried to balance Barty¡¯s head on her head but she could not.

    ¡°Keh don¡¯t drop my head!¡± - Barty squeaked. ¡°Just put my head in the subspace pocket.¡±

    What a shame, Eithne couldn¡¯t learn the head-balancing trick. She had been amazed by how long Barty had kept her head on its hat. Barty strongly disapproved of her second try to put its head on hers, so Eithne put the fox head into the subspace.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep now. Don¡¯t wake me up in one hour.¡± - said Barty.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Eithne smiled.

    Quickly, she could hear Barty¡¯s soft snoring. She carefully closed the subspace pocket, only then she quietly mumbled.

    ¡°How the hell it can use my power?¡±

    Eithne¡¯s smile crumbled.

    She had never seen Barty use the dark domain before. Did the Fox not bother to hide their strength anymore? But this dark domain here clearly connected with her soul, so it was truly her own dark domain, not Barty¡¯s original power.

    Barty could use her power without her knowing. It had been using the dark domain during her sleep. Eithne must use a divination trick to borrow Barty¡¯s ability, so she suspected that the Fox had undergone the same process to temporarily get her power. However, this speculation didn¡¯t seem right since Barty didn¡¯t suffer identity loss like Eithne did.

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    She let her face sink in her hands, sighing in stress.

    Not just being able to use Eithne¡¯s power, Barty could select a certain memory to put in her head like sharing a skill - and she didn¡¯t have a chance to decide whether to accept it or not.

    ¡®They have more control over me than what I can ever imagine. This¡¯s insidious! They can take my power if they want. Showing off their ability is clearly a warning for not betraying them!¡¯

    This made Eithne confused why Barty even needed her if they were already overpowered like that. However, Barty said that the Order still chose Eithne to take the throne in the mysterious castle.

    ¡®What do they actually want me to do? Why is the throne important?¡¯

    Eithne was so frustrated as she did not get the meaning of the throne. The mysterious castle with the golden throne was said to be the Primordial Serpent¡¯s old territory, but now it had been taken by the two unfathomable godlike existences - Order and Chaos. Yet bafflingly, the Order wanted Eithne to sit on the castle¡¯s throne.

    The meaning of ¡®sitting on the throne¡¯ that the Fox said shouldn¡¯t be interpreted as ¡®making Eithne the ruler¡¯. Barty had never promised Eithne any position, but it promised power. What if they only needed a strong puppet on the throne? What if the throne was a plate, and she would be a sacrificial chunk of meat on it?

    Besides the godly existences, Barty the Fox also caused Eithne¡¯s headache. Did they seriously only need her to follow the wish of the Order?

    Barty¡¯s words echoed in her mind:

    ¡°My power always equals yours.¡±

    ¡®Equal my power? Then am I Barty¡¯s power storehouse or something?¡¯

    She remembered having had awakened Barty the Fox by transferring Chaos elements to their body in the castle. It seemed that Eithne would strengthen Barty by the same method again, but they could actively take the Chaos elements themselves, no need for her action of transferring. Still, it was hard to understand why the Order did not make Barty the Fox - the God¡¯s direct agent - strong from the start.

    ¡®Everything in that castle are painfully complicated. Sitting on that throne wasn¡¯t different from sitting on hot coals. At least I have gotten out of it. ¡­ Always equal my power? Sounds as if they are mirroring me.¡¯

    Eithne repeated in her head Barty¡¯s words several times, trying to understand the underlying meaning.

    ¡®¡­Always equals my power¡­ Change alongside with me¡­¡¯

    While murmuring, she slowly looked down on the Fox''s body.

    Realization struck her mind, as she had just discovered that the body was strangely similar to priestess Noceur¡¯s original body frame. It did not have any organ to define sex, but the body¡¯s height, the length of arm, the size of shoulders, even the shape of hands, of knees, the bony wrist joint and the curves of the thumbs¡­ were strangely familiar.

    The oddly specific details on her old body that even Eithne sometimes overlooked them throughout her life, were all replicated on this new body.

    She squeezed the arms to feel the realistic flesh, enduring a natural bodily discomfort that almost brought her soul back to the past, before she became a monster-like existence. Eithne¡¯s head didn¡¯t feel alienated from this body like before. It had only been seven days since Eithne borrowed this body, but the bodily difference between her and Barty was rapidly disappearing, to which her head developed a sense of belonging to Barty¡¯s body like she found a home, settled down and didn¡¯t want to leave.

    ¡®This is wrong. I shouldn¡¯t belong to this body! This body isn¡¯t mine.¡¯

    It could be better for Eithne if she could save time and effort from generating a new body if she could just take Barty¡¯s body. The temptation to do so, however, was a dangerous trap.

    A horrendous thought burst out from her head in anxious mumbling:

    ¡°Throne!¡± - Eithne¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ the throne!!!¡±

    The mysterious castle¡¯s appearance had changed to adapt with her personality and power when Eithne sat on the throne and connected to them. It could be seen that the castle reflected her.

    Barty the Fox represented the power of the mysterious castle. Their power also reflected Eithne¡¯s power. They were perpetually connected to the nine-eyed throne, and Eithne had seen their Fate line rooted from the throne rather than the sea of Fate like normal creatures. To borrow Barty¡¯s body, Eithne connected her fate thread with theirs to make the fox attendant her ¡®avatar¡¯.

    However, before being her ¡®avatar¡¯, they were always the nine-eyed throne¡¯s ¡®avatar¡¯.

    ¡®This body¡­ is always the throne itself!!!¡¯

    She had always been ¡®on the throne¡¯, and the real throne never left the mysterious castle.

    Eithne gritted her teeth. In a short second, she could feel the invisible, tiny threads that tied her head down to Barty¡¯s body like blood veins. Those ¡®blood veins¡¯ were the Order¡¯s finest chains!

    Though in different manners, Eithne was already tied down to ¡®the throne¡¯ like the Primordial Serpent.

    ¡°Fuck sake!!!¡±

    She growled.

    ¡°Why have I only realized it now?¡±

    Eithne did not want to end up like the Primordial Serpent, chained forever on that fucking throne!

    Gasping for breath, she recalled the scene at the mysterious castle¡¯s grand mirror portal, where cold crimson chains ensnared the Primordial Serpent on the nine-eyed golden throne. That magnificent mirror had left an indelible impression on Eithne that she couldn¡¯t help but constantly think about it. A similarity between Eithne and the Primordial Serpent was they both sat on the same throne on the opposite sides of a mirror, but Eithne was still safe while the Primordial Serpent was completely crushed by the Order¡¯s cruel chains on that throne. However, there was no guarantee that everything would stay the same, as long as Eithne was still stuck on that throne.

    Eithne touched her neck. Her skin perfectly mended with this body¡¯s skin. She wanted to dig her head out using fingernails, but the hands she was using belonged to the Fox so it didn¡¯t follow her self-harming order.

    ¡°Goddamnit!!!¡±

    Eithne had just realized she could only remove her head freely when Barty the Fox allowed her to do so. She had been locked to this body.

    Back in the castle, Barty was the one who suggested Eithne connect their Fate threads together. She had been confident that ¡®Barty¡¯ was an innocent servant in the castle before they awaked as the Fox, that she had stepped into their trap voluntarily.

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t imagine an object like the throne can have its avatars back then!¡¯

    No wonder Barty¡¯s body was changing to copy Eithne Noceur¡¯s appearance. As a part of the castle that reflected her, Barty¡¯s body changed to match her head.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne hugged her head, sighing heavily.

 Chapter 18 (Part 2): Head rolling to the town

    Eithne silently sat on the thick fallen pine to see the lambent dawn. The red sun wearily dragged their body behind the gloomy clouds, just like a tiring worker before their morning coffee.

    Serious thinking almost petrified Eithne. She sat still like a stone to organize her thoughts. Her anger subsided after some time, as her head was cooled down by the fresh wind in the morning.

    She wasn¡¯t planning to enter the town early. There wasn¡¯t much food fragrance coming from the town, so the town¡¯s restaurants must still be closing. Eithne would come into town when the restaurants were opened, as for now, she would just sit there to enjoy the view. It had been a long time since she could have some tranquility for herself before rolling into another pile of troubles.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Perhaps Eithne blended in nature too smoothly, a bold blue jay bird landed on the pine log next to her. The bird tilted its head to stare her down with one eye, like a street gangster checking a tramp in its territory.

    Eithne raised her eyebrows. The dark domain with corrupt eyes was still running around her feet, so she should remain invisible to naked eyes.

    ¡®Can birds sense my existence? Is it possible because they come close? No, wild birds in the woods shouldn¡¯t be familiar with humans enough to act boldly like this. It probably hasn¡¯t fully seen me yet.¡¯

    When the bird came closer to check on her, Eithne noticed a small spark of light under a fern branch nearby. A squeaky voice came out from the spark.

    ¡°S-Sky, come back here! Don¡¯t go any further.¡±

    A spirit!

    Eithne¡¯s pupils shrank.

    ¡®How am I hearing a spirit¡¯s talking?! Wait what- ¡®

    The forest spirit hiding under the fern branch cried out loud.

    ¡°Sky! Insolent bird, come back here!¡±

    ¡°Feathered brat!¡±

    Obviously, they didn¡¯t worry that any human could hear them. Humans with mana could see spirits, so spirits normally hid when they saw any human. If this spirit still stayed out, it likely hadn¡¯t realized Eithne as a human, but it must have detected her presence. Eithne¡¯s hands trembled, but she sat still and kept her dark domain¡¯s camouflage.

    The spirit did not know how important its voice was to Eithne.

    It cried for the blue jay bird one more time:

    ¡°Oh Mother of Gods! Curiosity will kill the bird! Come back here! There¡¯s a beast in hiding. It will slander you by its wretched toe!¡±

    Eithne mouth¡¯s corner slightly lifted. She must be ¡®the beast¡¯ that the spirit called. Sky - the blue jay bird glanced at her warily, then it quickly took off to follow the spirit back into the woods. They had finally left, leaving behind a blueish white bird feather next to Eithne.

    Their fateful encounter was fleeting.

    Eithne covered her mouth to not shout out loud.

    ¡®I¡¯m not mistaken! Though there¡¯s an accent, it is speaking almost like my praying language to the Order!¡¯

    She yelled out in her mind, still worrying that she might startle the spirit if she made noises.

    What was happening? The spirit language sounded almost the same as the mysterious castle¡¯s language!

    ¡®Do the spirits originate from the same place with the mysterious castle and the Primordial Serpent? Are they possibly connected? Shit, I have to ask Barty about this.¡¯

    It was truly a discovery!

    History recorded spirits existed along with Gods. Their exact lifetime was unmeasurable. Among humans, only spirit mages could communicate with spirits through a contract between their souls. The contractors would understand each other¡¯s feelings and intentions, but never on language level. Eithne knew this clearly because the heroine of the comic - Noori Gynren would be the best spirit communicator besides being a Saint of Peace, but even the heroine couldn¡¯t talk in spirit language. It wasn¡¯t a big deal if Noori couldn¡¯t understand the spirit language since she was able to feel the spirits¡¯ emotions.

    However, Eithne could verbally understand spirits!

    Reminiscently, she thought about the long forgotten corrupted Isny village¡¯ spirit, wondering how the guy had been. When she recalled the gibberish that the Isny¡¯s spirit had told her, the sound¡¯s syllables did make sense now that she knew the strange castle¡¯s language, though Eithne couldn¡¯t remember exactly what it had said.

    Eithne tapped her fingers on the pine log, dispersing the dark domain¡¯s camouflage.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t know why, but the appearance of the spirit and the bird earlier still bothered her mind. When the initial surprise of discovery faded, Eithne felt something was off.

    After a short pause, she urgently activated divination.

    ¡°Honor the prestigious Order, let me see my destiny in the vast sea of Fate.¡±

    Eithne spoke in the mysterious castle¡¯s ancient language. With each spoken word, the difference between the castle¡¯s language and the spirit language became more indiscernible to her.

    Her consciousness hurdled into the darkness as the Order navigated her to the sea of Fate. Submerged in the arcane expanse, Eithne conjured her nine eyes and cast her gaze upward. Above the sky was a boundless field of red threads swaying, crocheting Fate¡¯s ominous swirling thunderstorms.

    Cling¡­ Clang¡­

    Eithne¡¯s consciousness appeared standing on a giant crimson chain. It was the Order¡¯s chain.

    Swish!

    A fierce wind blew across her, almost sending Eithne off the chain. Coldness brought by the wind gnawed at her like termites digging in the wood, numbing her pain receptors.

    Cling¡­ clang¡­

    The chain slowly clanked, seeming too heavy for the wind to shake it. Eithne crouched down to steady herself on it, taking the chance to locate her destiny thread in the sea of Fate.

    ¡®Here¡¯s it!¡¯

    Amidst the chaotic entanglement of threads, Eithne found her own destiny thread.

    There were two other red threads sweeping past her fate line without clinging on to it. Her nine eyes captured the flashing vision of the blue jay bird and the spirit from those two threads. After a brief contact, they gently flew away from her fate and sank into the radiant red sea, never to be seen again. Eithne glanced at them as quickly as she could, then she bent down to touch her forehead on the crimson chain, prostrating to the Order.

    The divination ended.

    Eithne returned to reality with a sharp pain in her head. She resisted the crazy urge to chirp like a bird and fly like a spirit. Thankfully, the identity-loss effect was endurable because she had only peeked at those red threads. After ten seconds, she recovered.

    ¡°Phew!¡± - Eithne exhaled heavily.

    Nothing suspicious caught her attention. Perhaps she was too sensitive, Eithne had a hunch that the encounter with the spirit before was deliberately arranged. The spirit¡¯s arrival seemed too perfectly timed, and Eithne¡¯s smooth discovery of the spirit language made her question if this event was planned by someone.

    In fact, the spirit and the bird might not see her again, since their fate threads didn¡¯t intertwine.

    ¡®Am I overthinking?¡¯

    It seemed that her mind had been triggered for nothing.

    Since Barty warned Eithne about a possible ally of the Primordial Serpent, she had remained vigilant. Her battle had extended beyond the physical world and reached into mystical realm, so Eithne did not want to disregard any sign. However, overthinking was just as bad as unawareness.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Welp. It¡¯s time to enter the town.¡±

    Eithne stood up from the pine log. She brushed her hair backward and put on Barty¡¯s hat. Her mouth opened to release a corrupted eyeball. The floating eye stared back at her, transferring its vision of herself to Eithne¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Looking fine.¡¯

    The scars on her face were healing because she was able to stop the corruption from bursting her skin. Eithne smiled. In her shameless complacency, Priestess Eithne Noceur was always handsome even beyond her ¡®death¡¯, so putting on a suit further graced her composure as a splendid ¡®gentleman¡¯.

    The least she wanted was being noticed by the War priests as an outstanding tall woman who looked really like a certainly dead War priestess. The Fox¡¯s body looked like a male version of hers, so Eithne would disguise as a man from now on. Wearing eyeglasses and a fake mustache later wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea, she thought.

    The corrupted eye worked well as a 360-degree self-camera. Eithne swallowed the eye back in her mouth. She could feel its energy run to the deepest core of her brain.

    Assuring her outfit had no problem, Eithne strode toward Stero town.

    ¡®What¡¯s for breakfast?¡¯ ¨C Is the only goal in her head.

    ___

    Eithne purchased a freshly baked wild berry pie. While munching on the crusty pie, she toured Stero town looking for a place to stay. The pie¡¯s warmth and sweetness surely made her happy, but unfortunately for Eithne, she couldn''t find a suitable shelter due to their procedure of asking for identification. Eithne had spent some time observing receptionists at all hotels in town, but all of them needed customers to prove their identity.

    Eithne used to think that she could pay a really poor person to stay in their home or find a shady tavern which possibly housed criminals as long as they had money.

    ¡®Devastatingly, this town¡¯s security is too good for a dubious place to exist.¡¯ ¨C She thought.

    The Stero town¡¯s locals were kind and happy. They weren¡¯t rich, but neither desperately poor nor greedy to be tricked easily. The streets were clean and tidy. No brothel, no casino, and wine taverns were closed during daytime, sparring the town from unruly drunkards. Moreover, the town guards were patrolling at least ten times a day to prevent monsters, and also to stop random street fights from happening.

    ¡®This place can be safer than the capital.¡¯

    Eithne thought, finishing the pie in her hand. Creampuffs were going to be her second breakfast. Stero town must be proud of their delicious pastries, which were just as good as the capital¡¯s products. One extra goodness about this place!

    ¡®Ten over ten would recommend this town for tourists!¡¯

    Bing¡­ bong¡­

    Bing¡­ bong¡­

    Bing ¡­ bong¡­

    Bells chimed melodically in the air. It was a pleasant rhythm that drew Eithne''s gaze toward the town square. There, an elegant shrine stood proudly, its bells tolling to signal the commencement of morning prayers. The warm, yellowish hues of the shrine exuded a sense of comfort akin to a home. Its wooden doors were wide open to invite all the people to come inside. Amidst this scene, a priest garbed in red gently waved a smoldering bouquet of herbs, allowing their fragrant smoke to gracefully waft from the entrance toward the center altar.

    ¡°Death temple¡¯s diocese¡­¡± ¨C Eithne murmured.

    The smell of herbs entered her nose, its sweetness warmly pleased her senses.

    Atop the gate of the shrine, a line of black bronze bells hung in straight formation, gently swaying in a synchronized wave-like motion. Among them, the central bell was the largest, adorned with a stone sword crossing its handle. Believers would clasp their hands and bow to the bells in reverence before they passed the gate.

    ¡®The regulation of Stero town must be done by the Death temple.¡¯ - Eithne thought.

    This explained the reason behind the locals'' remarkable discipline. The stringent doctrines of the Death religion were pivotal in shaping the community''s orderly mindset. Eithne heard that the rules in Death temple was equally strict as the War temple. Given the smaller scale of Stero compared to larger cities, the Death temple managed to form a unified community of devout Death believers.

    Eithne hesitantly followed the crowd to the Death shrine. She imitated the bowing action of others then headed inside the building. Finding herself an obscure spot behind many people with large coats, she silently listened to the preaching of the Death priests.

    ¡°¡­ The omnibenevolent Creator poured the stream of lifeforce down to the earth to create all creatures. By finite might, He shaped the first Gods of this world.

    ¡­Through eons of tumultuous strife against the malevolent forces, the Creator sealed the wellsprings of darkness and descended upon the everlasting icy peaks of Azure. The first Gods transformed into the Sun, the Moon, the Stars to protect their children from the ravage of the Devils, guiding humanity from the primordial ignorance.

    Yet, darkness rekindled, threatening the very existence of mortals. To save the wretched humans, the Father of all Divinity reincarnated as the Sovereign of holy Gare, raised his divine sword to repel the infernal Devils back to hell. Assisted by the celestial triumvirate - Sun, Moon, Stars and the Queen of Spirits, the King of Gare had confined the darkness to the abyssal hell. As He traversed the bridge of Death, the King of Gare ascended to the throne of Netherworld, shepherding departed souls to their destined next life. Thus, He became known as the God of Death.¡±

    Among the listeners, Eithne was even more attentive than some others. Perhaps because it was her first-time hearing all of this, her curiosity was intrigued by the Death priest¡¯s perfect pace of storytelling.

    The War temple also recorded a part of history in their sacred texts, but their view mostly focused on the War God. From what priestess Eithne Noceur knew, the Death religion was oldest, then later, Peace and War religion appeared at the same time to oppose each other¡¯s presence. The War temple recorded the birth of the War God occurred amidst the most devastating war between the immortal deities, which was much later than the period when the Death God was still active. As for the Peace Goddess, Eithne wasn¡¯t sure.

    The Death priest continued.

    ¡°Death was the end, but also the beginning. It was time to let go of all of your sorrow and head to the next life. If your soul is consumed by hatred even after death, your eyes will be covered by sins and you can¡¯t see the guide light toward the passage of next life as a human. Your soul will fall into the pool of cold blood, becoming one of the starving devils or turning into unfortunate animals in your next life. Those who have committed grave sins won¡¯t be forgiven in hell, and they would reincarnate perpetual lives as damned and sorrowful monsters on earth.

    Monsters are forever starving, cold, hurtful, and hunted. They can¡¯t feel love, warmth and are stuck in ignorance.

    Ignorance will tempt us to commit sins. Therefore, we need to take the chance as humans to practice kindness and eliminate foolishness within us, so that we won¡¯t be surrounded by sadness and anger at the end of our lives.

    The teaching of Death God will enlighten us. You shall follow:

    We - as His children - must accumulate good karma for our lives. Good karma is granted when we help another creature, be it human or animal¡­.¡±

    Eithne stared at the Death priest. They taught about karma, the same karma knowledge that the Fox told her! Could this be evidence of the mysterious castle, the Order and the Fox¡¯s existence in this world¡¯s history?

    The Death priest was delivering his sermon with fervor. His words effortlessly etched wisdom into the minds of the listeners. While Eithne stayed in the Death temple¡¯s area, a latent anger deep in her soul slowly dissipating. The weight of her stress gradually lifted, and her frustration began to melt away.

    ¡®Just like returning to the Void. How amazing¡­ I feel like I can rest in peace now, die without regret.¡¯

    Eithne was experiencing emotion purification similar to the Void¡¯s profound cleansing that had occured after she received the visions from Barty. It was uncertain whether the priest was using some sort of mind-calming magic in his voice, Eithne unconsciously followed the Death priest¡¯s guide to pray along with others:

    ¡°May all the sentient beings be strong and happy. May all of His children be free from suffering and wickedness. We pray for His empathy to guide us toward the light of reincarnation!¡±

    ¡°Hasu kimide Gare!¡±

    When they shouted out the last statement, Eithne flinched since she could not repeat after them.

    ¡°What Hasu¡­¡± ¨C She confusedly mumbled.

    A believer next to her kindly repeated:

    ¡°It Hasu ki-mi-de Ga-re.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Eithne nodded at them, then repeated the term multiple times to remember.

    ¡®Shit, what if the Order will be mad at me for worshipping another God?¡¯

    She suddenly remembered that she was always under the Order¡¯s supervision, so she immediately confessed in her mind to the mighty existence.

    ¡®Please forgive my tottering devotion .¡¯

    Eithne sensed no reaction from the Order. Fantastic! She would be very afraid if a God actually reacted to her wrongdoing. Eithne still had vivid impression of the day she tried to test for any sign from the War God when she was still in the temple. The thought of raising her middle finger to His statue had just crossed Eithne¡¯s mind, but the sudden feeling of iciness on her back crumbled all her bravery. Who would know if a wrathful God might send a thunderbolt to erase her in that very moment?

    Even though Eithne was scared, she still had audacity to test God¡¯s boundary sometimes. After all stressful shits, she only wanted to be an atheist.

    Well, if the Order had no objection, she would continue to venture into this Death shrine.

    After the morning prayer, people started to leave for their work.

    ¡®Interesting place.¡¯

    Eithne¡¯s hands touched all the walls, the pillars, and religious objects that she was allowed to touch. Like a kid for the first time in a playground, she curiously toured around the shrine, admiring the warm-colored murals that retold the myths about the God of Death. When she was observing the gorgeous image of the Spirit Queen, Eithne noticed other people were burning incense in front of the main altar.

    Many people were offering incense and candles on a large table, which had sweet and relaxing fragrant.

    Eithne approached them. She finally had a chance to see the altar and the statue depicting the underworld¡¯s ruler.

    At the heart of the space stood a five-foot-tall ebony statue. Though the craftsmanship was rough, Eithne could discern the figure of the Death God which was a crowned man seated atop a regal lion. Wisps of white smoke encircled His statue like lingering dead souls, whereas the illuminating butter lamps bathed the deity in its golden warm glow and comforting aroma. His countenance bore a benevolent expression, mirrored by his lion companion who was reclining in serenity. Crossing His leg like a meditative hermit, the God of Death kept a long sword by His side and held a bronze bell in His palm. Far different from the intimidating, majestic War God and the stunningly beautiful Peace Goddess, the Death God bore an exalted composure of a very ancient being. Simultaneously, He radiated compassion and generosity of a fatherly figure, dispelling fear and effortlessly earning respect with every glance.

    Eithne studied the statue for a few minutes, then she stepped forward to offer incense and candles like everyone else. Unexpectedly, her pretense to be a Death believer had been exposed by a Death priest at the moment she ignited the incense.

 Chapter 18 (Part 3): Carmine and Undyed

    ¡°Hello.¡± ¨C The Death priest kindly greeted. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you before. Are you a new visitor to this town?¡±

    His husky voice startled Eithne. She awkwardly faced him, worrying that she might have done the wrong procedure.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m from the capital. This is my first time visiting a Death shrine.¡±

    ¡°Glad to hear that our shrine attracts tourists! Ahaha.¡±

    The priest had an amazing aura of friendliness around him. Seeing the Death priest comfortably laughing, Eithne let her guard down.

    ¡°Would it be impolite if I ask you to talk more about Death? I¡¯m honestly interested in knowing more about God and His great wisdom.¡± ¨C She asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure! Come along, let me show you around.¡±

    The Death priest¡¯s eyes brightened. As a man nurtured by the philosophy of kindness, he showed his best hospitality to Eithne, guiding her around to explain more about God. Eithne, on the other hand, responded to him with her sincere willingness to learn. Thus, their discussion was prolonged by almost an hour.

    The Death priest¡¯s name was Towlser. He was also the same priest who did the preaching. His passion for debating soared when he found out Eithne was quite knowledgeable about religion, especially the War religion that she casually mentioned to compare with the Death teaching. If Towlser had no other work coming up, he would like to invite Eithne to the shrine¡¯s library to further discuss the Death. Before he left, priest Towlser generously gifted her a white cloak embroidered with the red Death symbol on the back.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cloak for Death¡¯s believers.¡± ¨C said Towlser.

    ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m grateful for the gift.¡±

    Eithne slightly bowed.

    Towlser felt that his gift was not enough, so he added a gold-colored mask on top of the cloak.

    ¡°Bad karma is also generated through rude words. This mask is for you to practice silence. When you wear this mask, your mouth is covered so you won¡¯t say hurtful things to others.¡±

    Eithne reluctantly accepted the second gift. The stiff aluminum mask was only for ceremonial purposes. She knew it was only Towlser¡¯s good will, but it sparked a question in Eithne¡¯s mind that had she been rude to Towlser that he had to give her something to cover her sinful mouth? Nonetheless, she bowed to express gratitude.

    ¡°Thank you, priest Towlser.¡±

    After giving out the items, the Death priest left.

    Eithne tried to put on the cloak and the mask. The soft and thick cloak was comfy, but the mask wasn¡¯t. It would need a softer cloth underlay the metal part, but at least it was pretty outside. The mask had beautiful smoky patterns and lovely tassels on two sides.

    ¡®This could be a good camouflage for me.¡¯ ¨C Eithne thought.

    ¡°Hyaaaa---- ¡°

    Suddenly, Barty¡¯s yawn reverberated in her ears. Eithne quickly left the Death shrine and even cautiously ran out of Stero town. Now that she had the outfit of a Death¡¯s believer, less people paid more attention to her as a new tourist in town.

    When she hid in an obscure spot in the pine wood, a purple transparent cube appeared midair, opening one of its sides to reveal a fox head inside.

    ¡°Kya! Unbelievable! I¡¯ve only slept for a few hours but you¡¯ve already joined another cult!¡± ¨C Barty barked. ¡°The Order will be so disappointed in you!¡±

    ¡°How do you know that I joined another religion?¡±

    Eithne furrowed her eyebrows. To be fair, she hadn¡¯t joined yet, she had been gaining their trust to get more information, for research purposes!

    ¡°My my¡­ This cloak, and this mask have a special energy on them.¡±

    Barty¡¯s head left the pocket-subspace cube. It floated around Eithne to sniff on her clothes.

    ¡°The energy is calm, gracious, merciful¡­ Snifffff- I can smell herbs. Oh Lord, this cloak is like a father¡¯s embrace!¡±

    Eithne flinched. Barty was terrifying detective. Just by sniffing her cloak, they could guess the characteristics of the Death God, they even knew the God was a ¡°He¡±!

    ¡°Why is it like father¡¯s embrace? What if it¡¯s mother¡¯ embrace?¡±

    Eithne tried to retort. The Fox¡¯s head then floated up to directly face her. Their mouth slightly curved up.

    ¡°I am correct, ain¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¨C She couldn¡¯t deny. ¡°Hey, have you been watching me all the time? Did you pretend to sleep? How come you know everything?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not that sick¡­ I¡¯m just really experienced with a sensitive nose. It¡¯s just my instinctive feeling.¡±

    Barty sighed. It floated to her back to look at Death¡¯s symbol.

    ¡°What happened while I was sleeping?¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Eithne told the Fox everything, including the spirit language. Barty¡¯s head flew back to face Eithne. A sheer look of disbelief was etched on its face ¨C its golden eyes widened and silver whiskers were dropping down in bewilderment.

    ¡°You said that the spirits are speaking the castle¡¯s language?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ horrible to hear.¡±

    Eithne could imagine that if the Fox¡¯s head was on its body, Barty would grab its own ears. This was the first time Barty had ever reacted so strongly over a matter. Even when they knew someone could interfere with Eithne¡¯s divination, Barty remained cool. However, this time was different. The Fox was clearly distressed, causing Eithne to trigger an alarm in her mind.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?" - Eithne tried to list out some clue she noticed. "Actually, the spirit didn¡¯t talk exactly the same way as us. I can¡¯t understand some of their words, so I think they have a special accent.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s less horrible to know, but still shitty. Eeeee¡­.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The Fox frowned.

    ¡°You know that the castle¡¯s language is dangerously powerful, right? You can call forth our Lords by saying Their Names. This language could transverse through space, time, minds. You pray in your head but our Lords can all hear your prayer.¡±

    Eithne nodded. The Lords that Barty mentioned were the godly triumvirate ¨C Chaos, Order, and Void. Eithne always prayed silently in her head, but the Order always heard. She had taken this ability of the Gods for granted, never expected the language to have significantly crucial role. However, it was a big mistake.

    Eithne slapped her forehead.

    Indeed, a wizard with mana could not cast a spell without magic words.

    The oldest language that most people knew in this world was Ikyal language, which was widely studied and used by many mages and priests as the bridge of communication to Gods and nature. Eithne ¨C as a pre-priestess had overlooked this fact, which she used to take lightly of the sounds created by humans, thinking they were simply human¡¯s thing and would not affect the nature surrounding them. In truth, mages and priests had been using Ikyal language to perform magic for thousands of years. Mana was just raw fuel, while chanting words were key to mysticism. Many cults even attempted to hide the magic language for themselves. As the old language was difficult to use, modern language was created for people¡¯s easy access, but it lost the old mystical capabilities. Without the lead of sophisticated words, mana ¨C as raw fuel could only be used in low-level magics such as creating fire or water. The importance of language was just that significant.

    Eithne sighed as she noted down her mistake.

    The case for the castle¡¯s language was even more serious.

    ¡°Remember, the castle¡¯s language is actually a form of empowerment.¡± ¨C The Fox solemnly said. ¡°You can only hear and speak in the language because the castle has recognized you as the throne¡¯s candidate. Seriously, each word of this language counts as power. If there¡¯s another creature could use this language, though just a few words, meaning they also have the right to take the throne!¡±

    Eithne took a deep breath as Barty continued to explain.

    ¡°I can speak the castle¡¯s language because I came from the castle, not as a candidate. I don¡¯t know who has empowered the spirit, but the Order stated only you was Their chosen one. Maybe the one who interfere with your divination is a spirit, who is also aiming for the throne?¡±

    Everything was becoming terribly complicated as they were trying to guess the possibilities.

    ¡°Okay. Somebody can interfere my divination from afar, they can possibly a spirit, or a demi-god, and likely takes side with the Primordial Serpent¡­¡±

    Eithne tried to gather all the ideas so that her brain could process this horrible stress, but the more she did, the more she wanted to freak out because the possible enemy was too tough for her to handle. At that moment, Barty the Fox just brushed off their frowning expression and hung up the playful smile again.

    ¡°Your imagination can scare you badly. Don¡¯t let them affect your mood. Maybe the truth isn¡¯t what we think. As long as the spirits speak the castle¡¯s language less accurately than you, they will forever be behind you in line of the throne¡¯s ascension. And don¡¯t forget me, I¡¯m here to help you~.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Eithne petted Barty¡¯s furry head with mixed feelings.

    Barty had timely cut off her stress. Eithne was sure that the Fox would not let her back down from fighting for the throne, not even in thought. The emotion manipulation was quite obvious, that being said, they were still supporting her, leaving Eithne trapped between self-efficacy and quitting intention.

    ¡°By the way, I smell buttered food on my clothes. Was that pastry? A fruity pastry? My favorite pastry is pie. I like sweet pies with cream.¡±

    Eithne froze a bit at Barty¡¯s nonstop comments. The Fox¡¯s eyes lit up with the imaginary pie in their head.

    ¡°Be honest, have you been spying on me all the time?¡±

    ¡°Eeeee no! I just¡­ really like pie and I¡¯m hungry. Why am I wrong to sniff my own clothes? I told you I have a sensitive nose. This nose has sniffing experience for thousands of years! ¡­ Don¡¯t look at me like that. Keek! By the way, has Raphael come?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change to subject.¡±

    Eithne glanced at the wristwatch. It was about time that the Peace priests came.

    -

    Gallop¡­ gallop¡­ gallop¡­

    In the crisp afternoon, the priests of Peace arrived at the Stero town. The galloping of horses announced their vivid presence, the priests dressed in white were coming like the angels from the brightest heaven, casting joy over the humble piece of rustic land. Their leader was the reverend Saint of Peace, securing his ivory snow cloak from the wind and pulling the horse¡¯s rein, as he rode on the strong silver mare to approach the gate of Stero.

    Horses neighed and stopped in front of the gate. The Peace priests stepped down from their horses to greet the town people.

    The Saint let the hood slide down from his head. His disheveled white hair was like a soft cloud that hugged his immaculate face. Everyone was stunned by his appearance, they were lost in the angelic aura that he exulted. His green eyes were tender and so gorgeous, they held a vibrant youthfulness that seemed to be eternal with a joyous sparkle. The man could dim the daylight with a smile, and he had spent every second doing so to blur people¡¯s vision ever since he had come to this place.

    Eithne stood on the roof of the highest guard tower, witnessing what happened on the ground from above. Since everyone had their attention on the Peace priests and the Saint, nobody bothered to check for unusual things to appear on the roof.

    ¡°After all this time, I¡¯m still surprised by his face.¡±

    Eithne smiled, crouching down to avoid being seen.

    ¡°I wonder if the Death temple would be in trouble if the believers all run over to the Peace temple for the Saint.¡±

    She quietly watched the Peace priests enter the inn.

    The Saint waved a short goodbye to people before he came inside.

    Eithne¡¯s dark power gathered at her feet. Her tall figure jumped off the tower¡¯s roof and disappeared from the town guards¡¯ scanning gazes ¡­

    _

 Chapter 18 (Part 4): What?

    Evening.

    The Saint of Peace had a short meeting with the Death diocese¡¯s leader in Stero ¨C priest Towlser.

    After that, a merry party was thrown by the town people, largely contributed by the rich merchants from the South to welcome the priests of Peace. The southerner merchants were all Peace religious, some of them specifically made a business trip to Stero to see the prestigious Saint. The party provided free food and alcohol, so Eithne made sure she had the chance to try out everything at the event.

    Eithne sneakily stood behind many people and put on her Death believer¡¯s cloak. Twenty steps away from where she was standing, Raphael Ascian raised his glass in a toast to all participants.

    ¡°May peace be with you!¡±

    He said, then drank the red wine.

    The crowd cheered and chucked down the alcohol.

    Raphael was then busy talking with the southerner merchants. In Eithne¡¯s eyes, they were blatantly having a fan club meeting. She wasn¡¯t anxious to meet Raphael right away because she planned to confront him at midnight. Meanwhile, Barty was murmuring in her ears like a hungry ghost:

    ¡°Bacon¡­ Soup¡­ Steak¡­ Rum¡­ Pie¡­.¡±

    ¡°Just point it.¡±

    ¡°The furthest left dish please.¡±

    Eithne¡¯s head was attached to Barty¡¯s body so swallowed food travelled from her throat to the Fox¡¯s stomach, which then Barty could get a taste of food. They were hardly picky eaters, so Eithne and Barty had circled the food table several times to fill their stomach with meat and booze. The Fox¡¯s appetite was not much different than an average person, soon, both of them were full.

    ¡°Phew!¡± / ¡°Keee!¡±

    When Eithne and Barty were satisfied, they went back to look for Raphael but he wasn¡¯t in the party anymore. Asking a few people around, they knew the Saint had excused himself to rest after a long journey, and he had silently exited the party without disturbing the eating mass.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Eithne observed the inn where the Saint was supposed to stay. There were two priests standing guard at the front door, and she could sense more priests inside the house. How was she going to secretly confront Raphael now?

    It was a shame that both her and Barty were too focused in eating and forgot their mission. They were homeless, cold and hungry, so food and booze just temporarily wiped off their plan of what should have done earlier.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Raphael isn¡¯t in the inn.¡±

    Barty said.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    Eithne asked, picking up her wine cup to drink.

    ¡°There were ten priests in total, including the Saint, right? Each person has a different breathing rhythm. I only differentiate nine rhythms.¡± ¨C Barty explained.

    Eithne raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Wow. You are superb. Way better than hunting dogs!¡±

    ¡°Thanks!... But hey--- How are you comparing the great me to lowly dogs? I¡¯m the greatest canine ever.¡±

    Barty complained, but Eithne¡¯s one gulp of sweet rum had shut its mouth.

    ¡°Keeek¡­ Rum is good.¡±

    Eithne stopped watching the inn since Barty already told Raphael was not in there. The Fox¡¯s ability was truly terrifying. Despite her senses¡¯ major improvement after absorbing chaos, it was impossible for her to differentiate the unique breathing rhythms in this crowded area. Regretfully, Eithne couldn¡¯t resist putting sarcasm in talking, so she had to quickly compensate Barty with something before they got mad ¨C which was the sweet, tasty rum.

    ¡°Oi! Enough alcohol! You will be drunk!¡±

    Barty barked.

    ¡°It¡¯s your stomach, why am I drunk?¡±

    ¡°Your head is connected to my body, remember? Keek, are you already drunk to not recognize where you are now?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Eithne signed. As an ex-priestess, she didn¡¯t have many chances to waste on alcohol in the past.

    ¡®Anyway, let¡¯s be focused.¡¯ - She reminded herself.

    Eithne quickly did a divination on Raphael¡¯s location, but she only saw darkness ¨C that meant no result.

    ¡°He likely has a good artifact for thwarting divination.¡± ¨C Barty speculated.

    Eithne nodded. As a Saint of the rich Peace temple, it wasn¡¯t weird to have such a precious artifact like that with him. It explained why the comic¡¯s villain was always hard to find.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go around the town to see if there¡¯s any unusual spot. I suspect Raphael is onto something here.¡±

    She told Barty, then they left Stero town to go into the nearby pine forest. Not beyond their expectation, they discovered nothing. After two hours of wandering around, Barty the Fox suddenly asked:

    ¡°Are we going to sleep in the forest tonight?¡±

    Eithne was a little embarrassed as she had failed to find accommodation for both of them. However, having been treated with kindness by local people, she couldn¡¯t smack her conscience down to sneak illegally into somebody¡¯s house. There wasn¡¯t any terrible person for her to lash out at them. On a side note, staying in the forest felt more secure since she didn¡¯t have to worry somebody might discover and attack her in her sleep.

    ¡°I think I can ask the Death priests for a place to stay tonight, or I¡¯ll try to get a room in the hotel after the workers are all drunk.¡± - She said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if we sleep outside. I can make us a fox den!¡±

    Barty¡¯s head flew and landed stably on top of Eithne¡¯s head. Now she could do the head-balance trick that she had been wanting to do without any effort, but Eithne couldn¡¯t see the excitement in the Fox¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since the last time I slept in my den. It will be reallyyy comfortable.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Trust me.¡±

    Eithne doubted it would work, but they had been walking in the forest for quite some time and she felt it wouldn¡¯t hurt to see what Barty could do. She looked around and spotted a potential area.

    ¡°How about that place? Looks obscure enough for me.¡±

    It was a raised area like a mini hill and well covered by pine branches. Barty agreed and they came to check the place. Little did they know, luck shone upon Eithne like an abrupt popping champagne, and they were shocked to see a person had taken this spot before them.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    That person froze at his spot the moment their gazes met, he was surprised to which his jaw slightly dropped. He was not in his best state, holding the distinct Stero branded wine bottle that Eithne had memorized clearly for its explosive taste. There were five emptied glass bottles rolling freely at his feet, one of them was accidentally kicked by him in astonishment upon the unexpected encounter.

    Clang...

    The bottles hit each other gently.

    Awkward silence diffused between them.

    The guy was still dressed in white Peace priest¡¯s attire. His face blushed like a ripened tomato, perhaps both for being drunk and embarrassed. The unique white hair exposed his identity even if people couldn¡¯t recognize his face.

    The virtuous Saint of Peace had been caught red-handed for excessively drinking alone.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne smirked.

    ¡°Barty, would you mind holding my head for a while?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    She lifted up her head from the Fox¡¯s body and replaced Barty¡¯s head in.

    Crack! Crack! Their neck crackled to fit the head in.

    Barty the fox-headed man brought Eithne¡¯s head closer to face Raphael - who was still sitting on the ground in daze.

    ¡°Remember me, dear Saint?¡±

    She spoke shakily, bringing back the corrupted shaky voice she used to have.

    Eithne knew for sure that the sight of a talking head was terrifying, especially in the middle of night, so she took it further by a full demonstration of heads switching operation. Not stopping there, she let the corrupt energy slit the cracks on her face to reveal the appalling eyes under her skin. Those eyes were then focused on Raphael, doing their best to stare him directly in his eyes.

    It was a full package of horror.

    ¡°You left me on the boat to die¡­ Because of you, I became like this¡­¡±

    Pressing each word with resentment like a tortured ghost, Eithne had gathered all of her theatrical talent to say this sentence. When she noticed Raphael¡¯s shaking pupils, she knew her prank had succeeded in scaring him.

    ¡°You¡­ you are supposed to be dead¡­¡± ¨C He murmured.

    Tears welled in his eyes as he gripped the neck of the wine bottle. It was as though the shimmering stars had descended into his gaze, those eyes were sparkling with a sad yet ethereal beauty.

    His fearful reaction lit up Eithne¡¯s smugness like a flaming sparkler. She got on full determination to act as a crazy ghost, yelling out loud in rage:

    ¡°I¡¯m always in constant pain¡­ I hate you and want you to DIE WITH ME!!¡±

    When she was growling, the evil eyes in the cracks on her face moved in chaos to synchronize with her ¡®immeasurable rage¡¯. The crows in the forest were startled by her shout, just like paid actors, they cried awfully in the dark.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Craw! Craw! Waaaa! Craw! Craw! Craw! Waaaaa!

    The situation couldn''t have been more ominous with the eerie cries of the crows which resembled crying human infants.

    Eithne saw Raphael shakily put down his bottle.

    He looked weak and defenseless, just like a fish accepting his fate beneath the heavy knife of a chef, waiting for his head to be chopped off!

    Eithne laughed evilly.

    ¡®It¡¯s my chance! Time to put out unreasonable demands while he¡¯s drunk!¡¯

    This prank was clearly stupid and dirty, but as long as it worked, she wouldn¡¯t mind the dishonor.

    ¡°Ha ha¡­ If you wish for redemption. There are a few things that could help me to escape this pain¡­¡±

    She paused for a moment to think. A few ideas quickly ran through her mind. Eithne was so occupied with her exciting thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice Raphael clenched his right hand.

    All of a sudden, a green light flashed.

    Eithne/ Barty: ?

    Crack!

    The impact was large enough to be heard.

    A burning, sharp pain came from the crown of her skull. Eithne felt her head separating into two halves.

    Raphael had stood up with a cold look on his red face. An illusion of a long sword materialized from his right hand, mysteriously glowing like a train of green will o¡¯ the wisps.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡±

    Eithne screamed.

    ¡°Keeeeeeeeeekkkkk!!!¡±

    Barty also screamed.

    Her head was the only thing Eithne had left. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose her head!

    ¡°Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god¡­ AAAA!!¡±

    ¡°Keeeek!!! Keeeek! Calm down calm down! Oh Lord!!¡±

    Barty clumsily handled Eithne¡¯s head. They tried to keep two halves from detaching, but the dark corruption was already pouring out from her skull¡¯s big crack. The corrupt energy condensed like mushy black threads, pulling several evil eyeballs to roll out from Eithne¡¯s head along with the corruption. Unspeakably abominable things fell onto the ground and created a disgusting mess like a sloppy rotten cake, horribly squirming like a newborn creature.

    Raphael¡¯s pupils shook upon seeing the muddy mess. The sword illusion in his hand dispersed. He leaned weakly on the pine tree and hurled.

    ¡°Blargh!!¡±

    The sour stench of vomit magnified the situation¡¯s dismay.

    ¡°AAAA!!¡± ¨C cried Eithne. ¡°I can feel my brain falling out!¡±

    Barty immediately barked.

    ¡°Stop shaking! Calm down! Let me seal your head before it¡¯s too late!¡±

    The Fox decided to take things in its hand. The dark domain listened to their call and enclosed Eithne¡¯s head within the inky matter. She quickly accepted them to enter the bone structure of her skull to pull her head together. It wasn¡¯t as painful as she thought, perhaps because Eithne had endured worse pains before. When her head felt stable again, she even thought that her head ¨C excluding the amount of corruption lost on the ground ¨C was much lighter than before.

    ¡°Thank¡­ thank you¡­¡±

    Eithne thanked Barty from her deepest gratitude. She was teary for the fear of death.

    ¡°Keek! Don¡¯t move! You¡¯re not actually healing, I¡¯m just temporarily mending your skull.¡±

    Barty the Fox grunted, holding her head in place until its shape was restored. The operation took a few minutes, before Eithne felt her head could function as normal again. She glared angrily at Raphael, enduring the slight pain in her crown.

    ¡°M***! You almost killed me!¡± ¨C She cursed.

    ¡°Ek! Your head separates again, stop shaking!¡±

    Eithne was about to spew more curses, but she stopped. Unexpectedly, the attacker seemed to be more devastated than the victim. Raphael knelt on the ground, his face was as pale as milk. He couldn¡¯t stop vomiting next to the pine tree, to the point that he was crying when his stomach pushed out its last drop of acidic bile.

    ¡°Blergh!!!¡±

    Raphael limply leaned on the tree, then sliding down to land on his butt to the ground.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Eithne clicked her tongue.

    She had started this bullshit first, so she had to reap what she sowed.

    Raphael¡¯s reaction had been completely normal, even for a drunk person. Eithne would do the same if she met an ugly monster like her, but still, she held a bit of grudge since her head was chopped in halves like a watermelon being cut open.

    ¡°You should take the eyeballs back.¡± ¨C Barty reminded her.

    ¡°What? Those eyes on the ground?¡±

    Eithne didn¡¯t want to. Those cranky things looked gross and dirty on the ground, but she eventually had to summon them back, because those eyes were big parts of her power. But the filthy corruption? Hell no!

    ¡°It¡¯s trash.¡± ¨C Thankfully, Barty also agreed to dump the mushy corruption.

    ¡°Will it disappear on its own?¡± ¨C Eithne asked.

    ¡°Yes, after some time if it¡¯s isolated from humans. I advise you to cover it up with dirt.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The black corruption had a pungent metallic smell, like rust and blood mixing together.

    Barty switched Eithne¡¯s head on their body, while their head went into hiding in the pocket subspace. They made it clear that they withdrew from cleaning the litter from Eithne¡¯s head. Eithne sighed. She resisted the gross feeling and had to pick up the eyeballs herself from the muddy corruption. Woefully, receiving heavily injury in her head caused a disturbance in her control over some eyes, so she couldn¡¯t remotely summon them back.

    Eithne frowned hard as she listened to Barty¡¯s whisper in her mind about the method of taking the eyes back in.

    ¡°Urgh¡­ That¡¯s the easiest way, you said so easily¡­¡± ¨C She muttered.

    Eithne caught the eyeball between her two fingers and shook the dirt off them.

    Raphael stopped vomiting and had barely caught his breath. He turned back from his corner, just right at the time which he could fully witness Eithne threw an eyeball back into her mouth.

    ¡°!!?¡±

    ¡°Bleargh!!!¡±

    His stomach instantly churned. He couldn¡¯t hold in, puking next to the pine tree.

    Eithne paused awkwardly. She approached Raphael from behind and asked:

    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡±

    After retching a few times, Raphael finally stopped. He sat on the ground, blankly looking up at Eithne. The man was so bedraggled ¨C untidy clothes, disheveled hair, sweaty pale face, teary puffy eyes and running nose ¨C as if he had gone through a traumatizing battle of life and death. Or perhaps he truly did - fighting with his stomach?

    Raphael silently looked at her in a few seconds, before he weakly spoke:

    ¡°Can you please¡­ bring me home?¡±

    His voice was as weak as the last dried leaf on a dead tree¡¯s branch.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne¡¯s eyelid twitched.

    She didn¡¯t reply in words, instead, she picked up his arm to pull him to stand up. However, Raphael was like a rag doll without bones to stand on his own.

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    She asked him, wearing a stiff smile on her face. The man gave her a blank look as answer.

    ¡®No brain detected at the moment, it seems.¡¯ - Eithne thought.

    ¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare dirty my new cloak.¡±

    Eithne grinded her teeth, talking to Raphael who was lying weakly on her back. She ran through the forest at Barty legs¡¯ fastest speed, praying the drunkard wouldn¡¯t puke on her clothes.

    ¡®Why did you help him? Just call somebody to pick him up.¡¯

    Barty spoke in her mind.

    ¡®I have a plan.¡¯ ¨C Eithne replied.

    ¡®What if he attacks you again? Aren¡¯t you too careless?¡¯

    Eithne glanced at her back. She heard the heavy air flow from Raphael¡¯s breath. The dark domain wrapped around them like a thin veil. It was her sole protection against unwanted outcomes.

    ¡®I¡¯m keeping him in check. If he gathers mana, I¡¯ll know.¡¯

    Barty yawned.

    ¡®Kek¡­ Before other people see you, use this trick to hide your face.¡¯

    A new knowledge was transferred to Eithne¡¯s mind. It was a technique to control the dark domain to distort light over her face, so that her appearance was indiscernible under weak light condition. The trick would be extremely useful for her at this nighttime when people might use lanterns or candles to check her face.

    Barty had understood what Eithne was trying to do.

    ¡®Thank you.¡¯

    ¡®Keek¡­ Good luck. I need to sleep now. See you later.¡¯

    ¡®Good night.¡¯

    The Fox¡¯s voice sank into the stillness of Eithne¡¯s mind. Barty had gone to sleep though it had just woken up a few hours ago. It seemed that whenever they used the dark domain, they spent an incredible amount of energy and were exhausted.

    Eithne stealthily ran into Stero town. The party had almost ended. People were startled when she appeared, but they dropped their guard upon seeing her Death believer¡¯s cloak. She pulled her hood down to cover her face as much as she could, and let Raphael down.

    Several worried Peace priests came over to support the Saint. They were confused as to why the Saint left his room and returned in a drunk state.

    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±

    A priest lightly bowed to Eithne.

    ¡°No big deal. I just coincidentally found him outside.¡±

    She smiled.

    ¡°Can I please know your name so that we can repay you back?¡±

    The priest suddenly looked up directly at Eithne at the angle that her hood couldn¡¯t hide her face. She smiled more brightly.

    ¡°My name is Otis.¡±

    What a coincidence. They had met before. He was caught by Eithne in the royal palace prior to the bombing incident, and then rescued by Raphael. The guy must have suspected her.

    The Peace priest flinched. This voice sounded somewhat familiar, but he couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face clearly. While the man was doubting his eyesight, Raphael went past him to approach ¡®Otis¡¯.

    Eithne lightly clenched her fist to gather dark power in her hand. Raphael came too close. His expression was calm, yet ominous. His attack pattern was unpredictable, much like the critical slit he inflicted upon her head. Confronting Eithne, the man locked eyes with her. His gaze pierced through the illusion veiling her face as if undeterred by its fa?ade.

    Eithne lightly furrowed her eyebrows. Her coat pocket suddenly felt heavier as Raphael secretly dropped an item in.

    ¡°Come to this address tonight.¡± ¨C He whispered.

    After that, the Saint turned back and went inside the inn, leaving behind several subordinates cautiously observing Eithne.

    She casually said goodbye to them and left.

    .

    ..

    ¡­

    -

    Raphael collapsed on his bed. The bed was so comfortable that he had to question himself why he didn¡¯t go all out with alcohol in his own room, but to go outside and seek more trouble.

    Life was full of questionable choices.

    There were a lot of incidents happening these days. The War temple accused the Saint of Peace for causing a War priestess¡¯s death. The Empress was furious, so her subordinate ¨C Raphael must endure a lot of hardships. Eventually, the Death temple stepped in and requested the help for subjugating the monsters, so the Peace temple decided to send their Saint by means of ¡°Raphael¡¯s volunteer¡± to the front battle to make amends for his mistake.

    Raphael sighed deeply.

    ¡°Just endure it a few more months¡­¡±

    He muttered to himself. The Peace temple¡¯s authorities totally cowed themselves before Demir Noceur, so they insisted it was his fault to cause Eithne Noceur¡¯s death. How irritating.

    Raphael had been drinking alone to ease his stress, but to his dismay, he encountered a monster that could mimic Eithne Noceur¡¯s face. People said treating such mimicking beasts as human until an escape could be secured. If Raphael wasn¡¯t too drunk, he would kill it right at the spot. However, to think that he managed to fool the monster into carrying him home safely, that monster¡¯s intelligence wasn¡¯t too high.

    ¡°What a shame¡­ Dumb but useful, I could have used it more¡­¡±

    He quietly laughed in a drunken sense.

    Raphael gave the monster a piece of paper that wrote the secret meeting location of foreign spies. He had just acquired this information a few days ago and planned to observe the spies¡¯ activity, but he changed his mind.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it exciting¡­ an unfortunate incident of monster attack on shady business¡­¡±

    The man sighed contentedly, reaching his hand into his pants pocket. As per habit, he tried to empty the personal items he carried on his clothes before going to sleep.

    Surprisingly, Raphael couldn¡¯t find his wallet anywhere, instead, he pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Isn¡¯t this the address paper¡­? If it¡¯s here, then what did I give to that monster¡­?¡±

    Where was his wallet?

    Forget it, he was too tired to think now. He would think tomorrow.

    Raphael happily lay on his bed, snuggling into the warm blanket.

    -

    In the middle of the pine wood, Eithne confusedly examined the object that Raphael gave her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    There were nine gold coins in the wallet.

    Was nine a lucky number?

    _

    END CHAPTER 18

 Chapter 19 (part 1): To be swallowed

    Cling! Clang! Cling! Clang!

    Gold after silver, silver after bronze¡­

    Shiny coins rolled down from the purse, hit the hard earth and bounced back up. The round metals spun at Eithne¡¯s feet, they were clearly not what she expected from Raphael.

    Eithne: ¡°?¡±

    What did nine coins have to do with the secret meeting¡¯s location? What was that guy¡¯s intention?

    ¡°Keek¡­¡±

    Barty the Fox exclaimed. It was hard to believe that a fox sound could carry that much emotion in its tone, but ¡°keek¡± wasn¡¯t really helpful in this situation. Eithne slightly furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Keek-¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m stupid?¡±

    ¡°Keek!¡±

    ¡°Keek isn¡¯t the proper answer.¡±

    ¡°Ke keek¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eithne rolled her eyes. Her head was occupying Barty¡¯s neck, so Barty¡¯s head was floating midair around her. The Fox made a sheepish expression, clearly expressing its inability to solve this coin riddle. Eithne frowned. Her pride was stopping her from going back to Raphael to ask what he meant by giving her a purse with nine coins, but her brain wasn¡¯t smart enough to sustain her pitiful pride.

    Eithne and Barty the Fox racked their brains to think. They made several theories, but in the end, nothing made sense.

    ¡°¡­ Forget it¡­ I will come back to ask him tomorrow.¡±

    Eithne¡¯s current situation didn¡¯t give her a lot of energy to try to act smart. She just wanted a direct and quick solution right now. Being homeless was already bad enough, who would give a shit about how people think?

    A midnight wind blew some dried leaves on their heads. Both Eithne and Barty suddenly shivered. They looked around and realized how cold they were in a pine forest with no roof above their heads.

    ¡°I thought that your body couldn¡¯t feel cold! Why is it so sensitive now?¡±

    Eithne hugged Barty¡¯s head to keep warm. The nine fox tails appeared behind her back to wrap both of them into a big fur ball, generating some heat inside.

    ¡°Keek¡­ Holy Order¡­¡± - The Fox¡¯s weakly yelped while shivering. ¡°Because I¡¯m getting more involved in this world¡­ This world¡¯s fate is accepting me as one part of its massive body¡­ I¡¯m becoming a creature of this world, so I¡¯m experiencing the same feelings from what other creatures experiencing¡­¡±

    ¡°Shhh!¡±

    Another icy wind blew past them. Such terrible weather had worn down both the human and the fox. Despite Barty¡¯s thick fur, the cold clung to its body, or Eithne¡¯s head¡¯s current abode, like a second skin. Every strand of fur stood on end from Barty¡¯s tails to its detached head, all bristling against the chill. Eithne shivered violently, goosebumps rippling across her cheeks as if waves crashing on frozen shores. Her teeth chattered faster than her eyes could blink, as each gust was tightening winter¡¯s cruel grip around them.

    ¡°If you are becoming a real living creature, why isn¡¯t your body generating heat?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a heart or blood¡­ I don¡¯t generate body heat from food like normal living creatures¡­¡±  - Barty said weakly.

    Barty didn¡¯t have any body heat, so both of them relied on the little heat from Eithne¡¯s half-dead head.

    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t do.¡±

    Eithne picked up Raphael¡¯s coins and decided to run back to Stero town.

    ¡®Staying closer to humans should be warmer than the forest.¡¯ ¨C She thought.

    When she took a few steps, another cold wind attacked them. The icy air bit her nose and dried out her nostrils. Eithne sniffed as her nose became runny.

    ¡®Shit, it¡¯s getting colder! My nostrils feel sore.¡¯

    Clutching Barty¡¯s head, she hurried in the direction of Stero Town. Suddenly, her foot struck something really hard, sending her falling to the front.

    Thug!

    ¡°!?!¡±

    Eithne and Barty slammed their whole body against an invisible wall.

    Eithne rubbed her sore forehead. She used all her strength to launch forward so the impact force that she brought between the invisible wall and her head was large. While Barty was seeing stars after the collision, Eithne touched the invisible wall that appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°What the heck?¡± ¨C She frowned.

    Did a mage trap them? If this wall was made out of magic, why didn¡¯t she detect any mana movement?

    Eithne studied the wall with her hands touching around, until a white mist descended in her vision.

    ¡°?¡±

    Eithne looked up and saw three mouths hovering in the air, exhaling the frigid mist that settled over them.

    ¡°What is this? Nature¡¯s fridge?¡± ¨C She grumbled in annoyance. ¡°An ice monster is targeting us. No wonder why it is so cold here!¡±

    As the temperature dropped further, a thin layer of ice started to form on the ground around them.

    An ice monster had secretly caught them in its cold trap! The monster¡¯s real appearance looks like an upside-down tall glass that trapped the prey inside and froze them until death. They were extremely sneaky that even people with sharp senses couldn¡¯t detect easily. These masters of camouflage had transparent and exceptionally sturdy bodies, so most of their victims had died because they couldn¡¯t break through the invisible walls.

    ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s been a few years since I last saw a monster.¡±

    Eithne watched three mouths blowing frosty mist above her head in amazement.

    ¡®Eithne Noceur¡¯ the War priestess had only been to the North once during her training with the War temple when she was thirteen. After that trip, she had always stayed in the South. For unknown reason, monsters could not survive the Southern air, so Eithne rarely saw any monster.

    ¡°Excuse me, but I¡¯m cold.¡±  - Barty complained.

    ¡°Ah, sorry.¡±

    Eithne had spent too much time watching the monster without realizing that ice had already formed on her shoulder. Darkness gathered at her hand, she flicked her fingers to shoot a dark blade toward the ice monster¡¯s mouth above. She had invented a trick with the dark domain after Barty transferred its knowledge to her. Now, less time was spent in summoning the dark domain, and damage range of the blades was enhanced!

    Just before the impact of the dark blades, the monster¡¯s mouths quickly vanished. Her blade clashed fiercely against the invisible barrier then exploded.

    Bam!

    The highly defensive monster was unscathed. It shivered and hummed, then began to lower itself to the ground. Its wall-like body dug into the earth, planning to crush the stubborn prey between its sturdy ceiling and the ground.

    Eithne quickly gathered dark power. She unleased it at the wall¡¯s foot to create a series of small explosions that blow up some dirt beneath one side of the monster. She wanted to destabilize the stiff monster¡¯s footing by forcing it to tilt to the blown side.

    Bam! Bam! Bam!

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡®This type of monster is tough, but also clumsy because of its toughness.¡¯

    Eithne continued to detonate the ground under the monster until it tipped over enough to create an opening between its body and the ground. Without hesitation, she rolled out of the monster¡¯s trap with Barty¡¯s head following.

    Barty¡¯s head flew into the pocket subspace to hide. Eithne shot more dark blades toward the head of the monster to push it further to the tilted side. The ice monster hummed in anger when it almost fell over. Three mouths reappeared and let out long blue tongues to lash at Eithne, however, the tongues quickly met with her flying blades.

    Slash! Eithne¡¯s blade sliced across the long tongues, causing blue blood to smear on the ground.

    ¡°Heeeeeeek!!!¡±

    The monster screamed like an animal with a sore throat. Three sliced tongues hurriedly withdrew back into its mouths. The monster fell into the hole that Eithne had detonated before, lying motionless.

    ¡°Easy peasy¡­¡±

    Eithne wiped her cold nose with her arm. Barely had she felt smug, Barty¡¯s stern voice transferred to her mind.

    ¡°Look up.¡±

    Eithne gazed up.

    With just one glance, her irises shrank. She held down Barty¡¯s coat and ran with all her might. The dark domain circled her like a shroud, turning Eithne into a soundless arrow cutting through the forest.

    Swush!

    The pines rustled and brought down their branches as if to stop the hasty traveler from leaving too soon.

    Rustle¡­

    Rustle¡­

    Everything seemed so normal, Eithne wouldn¡¯t run away if Barty didn¡¯t warn her. Howling winds lifted some debris up in the air and scattered it on the head of the fleeing one. The cold air was heavy with the scent of damp and decay from the earth, a common thing in the old forest that housed countless beings.

    Well, not all beings were known in front of the naked eyes. In the vast area with nowhere to hide, her attempt to escape seemed forlorn. Her instinct to run somehow had outpaced the fear to form in her mind. Eithne didn¡¯t have time to feel scared, all she knew was that she must run, as fast as she could.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    She cursed, while Barty¡¯s noisy grumbles echoed in her ears. The view in front of her distorted, as the flows of mana crashed each other like the water suddenly trapped in a basin, Eithne knew that a hallucination magic had been applied on her. However, she could not get rid of it.

    ¡°Keek keek keek keek¡­.

    ¡­

    Keeeek keek keek¡­

    ¡­

    Keek keek¡­

    ¡­

    Keek keek¡­

    Keek¡­¡±

    Whenever the road twisted before her eyes, Barty would make a sound to temporarily break the illusion. But gradually, the fox¡¯s calling faded, so did Eithne¡¯s consciousness, both were lost in the unknown illusory space slowly suffocating them.

    ¡°Help¡­¡±

    Eithne called for help, though not knowing who she was supposed to call for. Her vision became blurry as her knees dropped to the ground¡­

    ¡­

    Above her, a colossal skeleton slowly moved its ghostly glowing gaze down to the little prey that it had caught. Its jaw moved heavily, as if mumbling something incoherent. Soundwaves rippled from the skeleton¡¯s mouth, twisting and bending reality with every passing second. The colossal skeleton had always been there, teetering between the realms of spirit and reality, roaming in its own unstable timeline that no mortal could keep up with. Two giant bony hands reached toward the motionless preys below¡ªa fragile human and a little monster¡ªbefore tossing them into its shriveled throat, a maw wide enough to swallow a whale whole¡­

    ¡°Crunch¡­¡±

    ¡°Crunch¡­¡±

    ¡°Crunch¡­¡±

    -

    -

    -

    As the moonlight dimmed across the marble floor of the War Temple, the High Priest¡¯s gaze drifted upward, watching turbulent clouds swallow the helpless moon. His calloused hand held the shattered remnants of a magic stone seal- once tied to the soul of Eithne Noceur and had crumbled itself into pieces after her death. The stone was supposed to lose its light after the marked soul died, yet the broken fragments were still glowing faintly. It was a pitiful light, fragile and barely visible even in the softest daylight, even losing to the brightness of the temple''s marble floor.

    The stern old man kept his expression unreadable as a lifelong habit. Demir Noceur¡¯s gaze fixed straight ahead. With a mere glance, the maelstrom of purple chaos power in his irises had torn the reality, creating a space rift at his height. Storing Eithne Noceur¡¯s broken soul stone in his coat¡¯s pocket, he stepped in the space rift and disappeared.

    The War temple returned to its silence after Demir left.

    Last year, the nights weren''t so peaceful in the temple when the two young priests Noceur and Ragnar were still here, squabbling and fighting behind the High Priest''s back...

    __

    At the fallen Kole fortress.

    Hesata Ragnar had been commanded by the High Priest to remain at the fortress, protecting the injured from monster attacks until reinforcements from the Royal Palace arrived. However, five days had already passed since Hasata received the message about the coming force. The royal mages were plodding on their journey, delayed without any explanation.

    Northern Lumovas hadn¡¯t built any public teleportation portal yet because of how often the monsters attacked and almost destroyed Kole fortress recently - it would take some time for the mages to teleport themselves using magic.

    Even so, the mages could have traveled by boat and arrived in three days. So what in the world had they been doing?

    Hesata rubbed his hair in annoyance. The dried blood on his head had merged in the crimson shade of his hair, his red eyes were still fuming with fire power from relentless fighting against the monsters. He had run out of his personal healing potions, but he could not take more from Kole fortress. So many injured soldiers and commoners needed them more than him.

    ¡°Hiss¡­¡±

    Hesata used a tiny fire on fingertip to burn the open wound on his calf. Neither the smoke coming from his own burnt meat nor the pain could change his dead tired expression.

    After the gruesome betrayal, Alos Solinue decided to silence all witnesses by killing them and locking other people in the Kole fortress until the monsters destroyed everything. The surviving soldiers required a large amount of healing potions to be able to stand up and defend Kole again. On top of that, there were tourists who had sought refuge from the onslaught, many of them grievously wounded on their journey to the fortress, equally desperate for the healing supplies now in such short supply.

    Hesata could have broken through the waves of monsters alone, but he had stayed to protect the people. The sheer strength and overwhelming numbers of the beasts made it impossible to safely escort everyone out. Despite Hesata¡¯s effort, the red-haired priest was reaching his limit after many days of excessively using holy power. Worse still, stronger monsters kept rushing over the Kole fortress as if they were running toward the place of salvation for their damned existence!

    Kole¡¯s gunpower was exhausted yesterday. Hesata silently calculated - he could go on fighting monsters for two more days, after two days, he would collapse and the fortress would be annihilated if no support arrived.

    Astraea Solinue was trying to contact the aids on her side, but unpredictable monster occurrences were stopping the outer assistance from reaching Kole fortress. She and several scholars who were trapped in the fortress were trying to investigate the reason behind the monster¡¯s obsession over this place. The betrayer Alos Solinue was highly likely the culprit behind this. Time was running out, and they needed answers before the fortress fell.

    ¡°God of War¡­ please send the rescuers to this hell¡­¡±

    Hesata, as a priest, prayed every day. The situation was stressful for a young man to handle everything, but he wasn¡¯t depressed. He fully trusted in the War God, and in the War temple that would not leave him behind.

    His trust was placed in the right place.

    The afternoon of the last day before Hesata¡¯s complete exhaustion, he saw familiar faces of fellow War priests appeared behind the fire wall that he set up around the Kole fortress to wage off the monsters. Marching through the rain of flying ashes, the brave War priests in their sturdy armors quickly subjugated the coming monster waves, bringing in medicines and food supply. The mage-priests swiftly transported people out of the fortress with their teleportation magic, while others fought against more coming monsters. The seamless teamwork gave Hesata a chance to catch his breath.

    He stood on the high fortress¡¯s wall, observing the positive situation below.

    ¡°Hesata.¡±

    An old voice called out to him. Hesata¡¯s expression brightened up once he saw the man coming toward him.

    ¡°Master!¡±

    The chief of the War Temple¡¯s Warrior faction, Ignatious Ragnar, was a tall, gaunt figure. The large robe behind him fluttered silently as he approached Hesata, nobody knew since when he had climbed the high fortress¡¯s wall. Ignatious¡¯s age was apparent in every line etched into his weathered face. He was even older than the High Priest and used to be the High Priest¡¯s squad leader when they were much younger. Even though his back was already bent before time, his eyes remained sharp and clear. As the old priest¡¯s gaze covered the chaotic Kole fortress, his immense wisdom had discerned the core of evils ¨C lurking deep beneath the central hall.

    ¡°You have done a good job. Now rest.¡±

    Placing one of his wrinkled hands on Hesata¡¯s shoulder, Ignatious sent a calming flow of holy power to his tired student¡¯s body. Hesata meekly smiled. He directly sat down on the ground, drinking the new healing potion as water.

    After that, the young priest closed his eyes. His head leaned over as he submitted to exhaustion, leaving everything in the care of his teacher and fellow priests. Every part of his body was strained and pained, now finally relaxed in the knowledge that he himself was safe.  The dirt and unpleasant bloody smell couldn¡¯t bother him at all. Ignatious told the other priests to bring Hesata to a room, while the old man calmly strolled toward an underground basement where Astraea had just discovered at midnight.

    At the very end of the basement, there lay an unholy bloody sigil¡­

    Even so, Hesata no longer cared about the fate of Kole fortress.

    In his long slumber, he dreamt about a close friend from childhood and her bloody death that he couldn¡¯t stop in time. Remorse built up inside him like a growing snowball, heavy and inevitable, slowly pressing down on his heart.

    The priest in the dream mourned for the past, and the loss of all future laughter and bickering together.

    ¡®Goodbye forever, Eithne¡­¡¯

    He whispered the final farewell. The dream slowly dissolved, leaving him in a quiet void of rest.

    ¡®Goodbye forever, Eithne Noceur.¡¯

    ¡®Goodbye¡­¡¯

 Chapter 19 (part 2): To be swallowed the second time

    _

    _

    _

    ¡®Goodbye forever, Eithne¡­¡¯

    ¡®Goodbye¡­¡¯

    ¡®Who¡­

    Who is bidding farewell to me?

    I¡¯m not dead yet¡­¡¯

    ¡®Goodbye¡­¡¯

    ¡®No¡­ Don¡¯t say such things. I¡¯m still here. Am I?¡¯

    ¡­

    ¡°Keek¡­ keek ¡­ keek¡­¡±

    ¡°Space rift¡­ I¡­ stuck¡­ cannot interfere¡­ Keek¡­¡±

    ¡°Eithne¡­ stand¡­ stand up¡­¡±

    ¡°Stand up¡­ Eithne¡­ stand up¡­¡±

    ¡°Eithne¡­ stand¡­¡±

    Head-throbbing cries went louder and louder.

    CLING CLANG!

    A flash vision of crimson chains flickered before Eithne¡¯s eyes, destroyed her drowsiness. She woke up in the dark, struggling to remain conscious.

    ¡®I fainted¡­¡¯

    The darkness condensed into droplets of ink flowing down Eithne¡¯s pale cheek. A stinging sensation reminded her that she had been unconscious in a dangerous place. By instinct, she wanted to use her right hand to wipe the liquid off her face, but her right arm was unresponsive.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    The voice that came out from her throat was awfully hoarse, no better than two sandpapers rubbing each other. Her head¡¯s movement felt unusually free, Eithne felt that Barty¡¯s throat was partly detached from her head.

    ¡°Barty?¡±

    No fox¡¯s yelp was heard. Eithne felt that their spiritual connection was abnormally loose, even Barty¡¯s body had almost released its grip on Eithne¡¯s head. She was always wary of the mysterious castle¡¯s fox, but when their hold on to her was gone, she felt even more apprehensive rather than at ease, since having a chain dragging her was better than rotting still in this place.

    Swish! Swish!

    Noisy sounds transferred to her ears. Struggling in unease, Eithne looked down and realized what had happened to her.

    She has fallen into a pit of insidious energy. Its energy level has gone up to her chest, crossing her right shoulder.

    ¡®Space rift!¡¯

    Eithne widened her eyes. She had seen Demi Noceur with his space rift before, so she recognized a space rift right away. However, a person who hadn¡¯t reached demi-god level dared to step in a space rift, their body would be torn apart by space forces!

    She pushed all her strength into her left arm to grab a nearby rock point, pulling what was left of her and Barty¡¯s body out of the pit. Using a little bit of strength, Eithne escaped the pit with an unusual light feeling.

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    The body part that had been inside the space rift was gone. Eithne was dragging herself with an arm and a neck that could not hold her head properly. When she saw the remnants of Barty in horror, the Fox¡¯s unstable voice transferred to her mind.

    ¡°¡­summon¡­ body back¡­¡±

    ¡®Barty?¡¯

    A small signal from the Fox was as brief as a disturbance of air. However, Eithne held onto it with her dear life. She quickly closed her eyes to sense the familiar energy around her, just like how she had summoned the eyes of corruption before, she tried to summon Barty¡¯s back using the same method.

    Swish!

    Eyeballs flew back up from the space rifts. Hearing her call, they gathered around Eithne then returned as pieces of Barty¡¯s body. Gradually, the body shape was restored. However, Eithne could feel that the number of returning eyes was not enough.

    ¡®The rest is gone¡­¡¯

    Eithne¡¯s face turned pale. Her summon echoed in the boundless space rifts, lost in the chaotic flows of energy with no returning call.

    She unsteadily stood up. Barty¡¯s body felt like an empty shell, lacking most of its mass inside.

    ¡®My overall strength is also reduced¡­¡¯

    The Chaos elements that she built up inside Barty¡¯s body were lost. Just a pinch on the arm could rip off the flesh ¨C which quickly turned into an eyeball rolling back to its original spot. Without Chaos elements, Barty¡¯s body only had a defense of a thin paper.

    Eithne shakily stood.

    ¡°What should I do¡­ Order, mighty Order¡­¡±

    She called towards the unknown, only to receive the silence.

    ¡­

    --

    -

    Tick¡­ tok ¡­ tick¡­ tok¡­ The clock¡¯s hands ticked relentlessly.

    Raphael had been really drunk today, thinking that he wouldn¡¯t open his eyes until the sun reached its peak, yet the man ended up waking up abruptly from his sleep.

    Even worse, he saw his boss standing with a wide smile next to his bed. Raphael knew right away who had forcefully woken him up from his drunken slumber.

    ¡°Wakie wakie~!¡±

    The Queen of Lumovas with dark cycles around her eyes smiled creepily at Raphael, her hand still had pinkish traces of magic that brought Raphael from his sleep without making a noise. In the dark, her cherry-colored eyes seemed to gloom with blood color. Alipes Daneva, the midnight¡¯s crazy woman had put on neat clothes and gears, ready to embark on an exciting journey that Raphael would use all the excuses he could think of to decline.

    Before Raphael could open his mouth to say something, Alipes said:

    ¡°Do you want your salary to be cut? I can¡¯t imagine you would waste time drinking and sleeping, while other temples have already made their moves!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± ¨C Raphael was silent in two seconds, then he said: ¡°How about I make you the new Saintess of Peace, your Majesty? You could represent our temple to chase up after other temples.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, are you still drunk? Come on, we have works to do.¡±

    Alipes totally ignored Raphael¡¯s retort. With a wide smile, she held an ancient bronze mirror in her hand, pointing at the window in Raphael¡¯s room like a start-signaling flag.

    Raphael blankly looked in the direction of her mirror for three seconds.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He plopped back to bed, pulling the blanket up to cover his head.

    ¡°I still have sick leave allowance. Leave me alone.¡± ¨C Raphael¡¯s muffed voice came through the thick cotton blanket.

    Alipes gasped.

    ¡°Awake, for I have not crowned you with my trust to slumber when duty calls. Rise now, for even the stars tire, but we must shine on!¡±

    Despite Alipes nagging, Raphael remained stubborn in his cozy bed. The Queen clicked her tongue in disapproval, she then drew a teleportation magic circle in the air.

    ¡°You have ten minutes to prepare before this magic circle sends you to the destination.¡±

    Leaving behind cruel words, Alipes tore the space and stepped into the space¡¯s rift, disappearing after an eyeblink.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Raphael lay silently. Beneath a demi-god¡¯s authority, he was nothing. Dragging himself up, he quickly grabbed all the necessary things before he was forcefully transported by Alipes¡¯s magic.

    ¡°Where is my wallet?¡±

    Raphael flipped the whole bed, but he couldn¡¯t find his dearest possession.

    ¡°Where is it???¡±

    ...

    The Queen of Lumovas stepped out from the space rift. She stayed afloat midair, facing the bizarre giant skeleton which hardly noticed her presence from fifty meters away. Under the moonless night, the shaky image of a giant skeleton was frightening. The monster appeared doddery, but every movement could easily bring upon the disaster that nobody wished for. Even worse, that monster possessed a strange ability that could interfere with space, indicating that its power was around demi-god level.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Alipes rested her chin on her palm, going through all the information about this monster. The winds blew her hair all over her face, but it couldn¡¯t defy her classic beauty, even in her serious expression, this woman could only be more attractive.

    The giant skeleton monster was discovered yesterday, five days after the traces of foreign spies were found around this area. Since this part of Lumovas was closer to the Death temple, monsters were very active so it was hard to trace down the spies. Alipes has sent Raphael to investigate the shady activities happening around here, but that guy spent time drinking and sleeping instead of doing actual work!

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡± - Alipes knocked on her own head in frustration.

    The Royal mages were tracing down the spies and caught up in irregular monster waves, leaving many urgent matters like aiding Kole fortress unavoidably postponed. The Queen¡¯s faction was not invincible, her authority was still young, lacking support from traditional aristocrats who were loyal to the late king - her deceased husband.  Alipes had no other choice but to cooperate with the War temple - the conservative beast that had their influence in all corners of Lumovas. Demir Noceur was mostly indifferent to the Queen¡¯s faction, as long as she didn¡¯t touch the War temple¡¯s base, he would be a reliable ally when matters of national security arose. However, the Saint of Peace ¨C a big figure in the Queen¡¯s faction - recently had gotten on the bad side of the High Priest of War, due to his involvement in a recent incident causing a War priestess¡¯s death.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Although the incident¡¯s investigation pointed out that the Saint of Peace was innocent, the War temple still held their grudge.

    ¡°This guy¡­ Raphael¡­ is causing me so much headache.¡±

    Raphael Ascian unfortunately was the strongest subordinate that Alipes could afford.

    Swish¡­

    A burst of purple light flared up beside Alipes, tearing open a space rift as turbulent energy swirled around it. From the churning void emerged a towering figure. The High Priest of War made his entrance in his formal attire, his presence pressured the air around him with an aura of dignity and pre-eminence, forcing the true royalty Alipes to slightly reduce her aura. Demir Noceur lightly nodded to the Queen:

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°High Priest Noceur. Thanks for coming here tonight.¡±

    Alipes secretly cursed that arrogant old man for only giving her- the Queen of Lumovas a bare minimum standardized greeting, but for the greater good, she swallowed her frustration and acted generous, forgiving all of Demir¡¯s rudeness.

    ¡°The target monster is very dangerous and mysterious. I only ask for your sole support due to the fact that it might put others and us in greater danger if we bring more people tonight. Therefore, please understand my decision to summon only the strongest leaders.¡±

    Alipes courteously explained the reason for her urgent summon tonight to the High Priest of War. Demir Noceur, as a victorious lieutenant general from the previous dynasty and the teacher of all the current strongest royal generals and mages, deserved the Queen¡¯s respect. Alipes persuaded herself like that.

    Demir was unbothered by Alipes¡¯s complexity. He coldly glanced at the giant monster afar and asked just one question:

    ¡°Where¡¯s Raphael?¡±

    Not again¡­ Alipes winced.

    "I believe the Saint is on his way."

    Alipes smiled politely, but her smile quickly froze with Demir¡¯s next sentences.

    "The Saint of Peace is truly the man of leisure. Even if the country is on fire, he still comes later than your Majesty, the Empress of Lumovas. As far as I know, the Stero village has just thrown a big party for the priests of Peace. In such times, a dozen patients have lost their lives in Kole fortress, while waiting for the royalty''s holy rescuers.

    Regardless, I trust that the Saint will have his reason for this rude lateness. I¡¯m curious of what excuse he can say."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Demir normally was a cold man. He didn¡¯t speak much. When he spoke, his words were only to strike his enemy. The mockery was more real than the big monster in front of them, and so dense that Alipes could even taste the saltiness in his tone.

    As truthful as she thought that herself had gone crazy, Alipes sometimes felt jealous because Demir would put Raphael as a more important, worth-to-care-about object than her ¨C the actual Queen.

    ''Come on Raphael... I can''t hold Demir''s feet any longer...''

    Silently clenching her fist, Alipes checked the status of her teleportation magic left at Raphael''s place.

    Good gracious! Seven generous minutes left before it teleported Raphael! If only she had set the waiting time for three minutes then Raphael would be here already.

    Alipes faced Demir alone, unable to think of a good comeback. The incompetence of the Royal mages had been compensated by the aid of the War priests at Kole fortress. It was frustrating that the Queen didn¡¯t have full control over the situation, but this was the best outcome for everyone at the time. Because of this, Demir Noceur could openly mock the Temple of Peace¡ªthe Queen¡¯s faction without fear of any consequences.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "Your Majesty the Empress!"

    Amid the awkward silence, all of a sudden, sweet voices of children called out for Alipes. No, they must be angels, because they saved her from continuing this terrible conversation with Demir!

    Alipes quickly turned to find the sources of the voices.

    A carriage approached the vicinity, and from the carriage exited the three children who loudly greeted the Queen.

    They were the long-awaited Imperial prince Azriel Daneva, young lord Rigel Solinue and young lady Noori Gynren, who had been missing after the bloody incident at Kole fortress.

    Alipes descended from the sky with Demir behind. The prince instantly recognized the High Priest of War, so he respectfully bowed.

    ¡°Your Eminence, the High Priest of War.¡±

    Demir Noceur greeted the prince indifferently like how he did with Alipes. Alipes ignored the grumpy old man, she focused on the children and two other people coming down from the carriage -  a young Death priestess and an even younger Death priest ¨C perhaps at the same age with the Imperial Prince.

    ¡°And who this might be?¡±

    Alipes raised her eyebrows. She had never seen these two people before.

    The Death priests placed their left hand over their right chest and bowed down respectfully.

    ¡®Totally much more likeable than the High Priest of War!¡¯ - from Alipes¡¯s perspective. She finally got the right treatment befitting a country¡¯s ruler.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the great Empress of Lumovas. My name is Pristine Benoiser, I¡¯m a humble servant of Death and this country. With my companion, the Saint of Death, Frandaline Benoiser, we came for your summoning tonight, accompanying the prince and his friend to ensure their safety.¡±

    The young priestess with black, short hair said.

    ¡°The Saint of Death?¡±

    Alipes was surprised at the introduction of the new Saint, even Demir stared at the very young boy in speculation. The young Saint had black hair and a pair of crimson eyes that resembled two pools of blood. Despite his youth, his innate elegance was already extraordinary. Showing no fear towards Alipes and Demir, he went toward them with an opening notebook in his hands.

    In the notebook was a long greeting written neatly.

    ¡°Glory to the Lumovas Empire, greetings to the majestic Mother of Lumovas. My name is Frandaline Benoiser, a newly appointed believer of Death. It¡¯s been a great honor to witness the heavenly appearance of Lumovas¡¯s ruler today, your talent was truly beyond which the simple mindset of this servant could ever think of¡­

    To be invited to the joyful event held by Your Majesty tonight is my great pleasure. The Imperial Castle is adorned by wealth and auspiciousness, all thanks to your wise judgement over this country. I¡¯m totally immersed in the stunning collection of artworks in the West garden, and the flowers in the East garden are as colorful as a rainbow. The servants are friendly and¡­¡±

    Reading the first paragraph, Alipes¡¯s lips curved up in satisfaction, but the more she read, the stranger the idea in the paragraph became. When Frandaline saw Alipes¡¯s beautiful smile turned into an unsymmetrical smirk, he turned the notebook back to look at his own writing in confusion.

    ¡°It seems that the Saint has a lot of pleasant things to say to me¡­Not here, but in the Imperial palace.¡±

    Alipes bitterly said. She sighed deeply inside. Seriously, no temple really respected her. Even the greeting text was not thoroughly prepared.

    ¡®Demir Noceur, Raphael Ascian, and even the new Death Saint¡­ One day, I will make them pay for all of this!¡¯

    Pristine shakily came up to apologize on Fradaline¡¯s behalf.

    ¡°Please forgive the Saint. He couldn¡¯t talk so he spent a lot of time writing a long greeting to your Majesty, he had always thought that he would have an audience with you in the imperial palace. We rushed on the way here so he couldn¡¯t find the time to correct his writing¡­¡±

    Frandaline hastily nodded after Pristine¡¯s explanation and looked at Alipes with clear, innocent eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alipes silently stared at them, and at the prince who also looked at her pleadingly for his friend.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ alright. I appreciate the Saint¡¯s good intentions. I also need to thank Saint Benoiser for escorting the prince safely.¡±

    Alipes spoke each word with difficulty. She, as an Empress of Lumovas, received a careless greeting that was pre-written for another occasion. Alipes was angry, but soon, she felt much better when Frandaline presented the High Priest of War with the same greeting ¨C just changing the name and location from the ¡®glamourous Imperial palace¡¯ to ¡®the serene temple of War¡¯.

    Demir Noceur burrowed his eyebrows when the Saint of Death quickly covered the part writing about the War temple with his hand and didn¡¯t let the old man finished reading what Frandaline was trying to compliment about his temple.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±

    Frandaline meekly wrote in his notebook. Since he was muted and so young, Alipes and Demir decided to forgive the little kid.

    ¡°If the Twin Heads of Death have entrusted you with the operation tonight, I shall respect their decision.¡±

    Alipes smiled to Frandaline.

    ¡°Thank you for your generosity, your Majesty!¡±

    Pristine deeply bowed her head and pushed Frandaline¡¯s head down together with her.

    ¡°Idiot.¡± - Pristine whispered to Frandaline.

    Frandaline: ¡­ (I didn¡¯t mean it¡­ I¡¯m merely forgetful.)

    ¡°Just wait until I tell the Head priestesses about this.¡± - Pristine said.

    Frandaline: ¡­

    He rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Alipes clasped her hands. A teleportation magic circle appeared above Azriel, Rigel and Noori. Before the kids had any chance to start chitchatting, the magic had sent them straight back to the Imperial Palace.

    ¡°Now that the children are safe, we shall commence the operation tonight - which is annihilating that monster.¡±

    Alipes gestured towards the monster. She smiled at the young Saint of Death.

    ¡°Try to keep up, little Saint Benoiser.¡±

    As soon as she finished the sentence, Alipes and Demir ¨C the two demigods disappeared from their spots in an eyeblink and reappeared in the sky, right above the giant skeleton¡¯s head. The giant skeleton noticed their presence, its gaze slowly drifted upward curiously, while its mumbling jaws were sending out soundwaves constantly to the demigods. The sight of the monster was distorted as it released an insidious aura, bending the reality of surroundings into unpleasant illusions.

    Frandaline widened his blood-colored eyes.

    Rumble! A crimson spike rose up from the ground beneath his feet and turned into a huge earth serpent, quickly carrying him and Pristine toward the monster.

    ¡°The monster is not entirely in our space, it is standing between many space rifts. Let¡¯s lock it in our space before it has a chance to escape to another realm.¡±

    Alipes said. She attacked first, opening her palm in the monster¡¯s direction.

    Crackle! Crackle!

    The air surrounding the giant skeleton hardened and turned into reflective planes like countless sharp pieces of mirrors. The mirrors hampered the movement of the giant skeleton, successfully provoking the undead colossus. Its form was no longer unstable in the human¡¯s vision, now exposed and reachable. When the monster realized that these creatures had trapped it down in one realm, it shrieked like an explosion, the soundwaves then became sound tsunamis, bombarding its enemies¡¯ ears.

    ¡°SHRIEEEEEKKK!¡±

    Rumble! Rumble!

    The incoherent sounds shook the air, tearing out countless tiny space rifts. As the turbulent energy from the space rifts rushed towards everyone, Frandaline frowned. He pointed at the skeleton. Large red spikes followed his command, rising from the ground and mercilessly impaling the monster¡¯s ribcage.

    BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

    The earth spikes pierced through the monster¡¯s tough body, creating exploding yet satisfying sounds. Frandaline exhaled in relief when the noises created by the monster had ended.

    ¡°Not bad.¡±

    Alipes complimented him.

    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, the giant skeleton wobbly stood up. The earth spikes went through its body as if the creature was just a light illusion. Alipes smirked.

    ¡®This bastard¡­¡¯ ¨C She cursed inside.

    The monster had found another temporary space rift to escape from them. What totally belonged in the real world ¨C such as Frandaline¡¯s magic could not affect it anymore. The possibility of space rifts creation was endless, Alipes¡¯s mirrors couldn¡¯t block them all! If the monster escaped and went on rampaging, it would cause immense damage!

    Alipes saw the monster¡¯s figure fading away, knowing that it was fleeing, she clenched her fist ¨C making all of the sharp mirrors chasing after the monster. Before Alipes could make any big move, she sensed a chaotic power next to her.

    Swish!

    A long javelin materialized in Demir¡¯s hand. Violet ominous power swayed at its tail, the javelin launched from the man¡¯s powerful throw like a shooting star, flying in a beautiful parabolic line before landed on the skull of the monster. Even if the skeleton was standing in a space rift, the javelin of Chaos cut through all hinderance and aimed right at its head. Its sharp tip drilled against the monster¡¯s hard skull, shooting out colorful fire sparks that lit up the uncertain space cracks where the monster was hiding.

    BANG!

    ¡°SHRIEKEKKKKKKK!!¡±

    The monster¡¯s jaws were agape. The javelin went through its skull, sending out destructive energy on its way. However, the undead monster was still resisting. It madly swung the bony hand toward the people in the sky, wanting to catch them all.

    Alipes and Demir quickly flew back to dodge.

    At that moment, a bright teleportation magic circle appeared in the air, right before the monster¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Shit! I coordinated the teleportation close my exact position!¡±

    Alipes quickly attempted to cancel her magic, but it was too late. A man in white was thrown out from the magic circle, falling right in the monster¡¯s palm.

    Raphael: ?

    Demir raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had never thought the Saint of Peace would show up in this way ¨C bold and impressive - throwing himself at the monster. His prepared schemes to secretly kick Raphael to the dangerous spot had gone to waste, since the Saint had fallen into the devil¡¯s trap all by himself.

    Raphael: ??

    ¡°Ah! No!¡±

    Alipes shouted in regret as the giant monster threw Raphael in its wide mouth, swallowing him easily like a grain of salt.

    Raphael: ????????

    Before the giant bony jaws closed up, the last words that Alipes heard from Raphael were:

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Curse youuuuu!¡±

    ¡­.

    END CHAPTER 19