Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 893 Sacrificial Ground

The soul of an ancient hero and fragments of a royal weapon.

"Another thing whose purpose is still unclear..."

"Well, but more than the uses of these two things, I'm more interested in the 'Abyssal Erosion' mentioned in the Tomb Keeper's soul."

Xin Lailai gazed at the strange, flame-shaped soul before her, its upper half jet black and its lower half dark gold, and said in a deep voice.

The erosion of the abyss...

If the abyss mentioned in the item information of the [Ancient Hero Soul] is the same thing as the abyss they know, then the situation in this world is probably much more complicated than they imagined.

Boom——! Boom——! Boom——!
Suddenly, a distant bell rang out, causing Xin Lailai's expression to shift. She glanced in the direction from which the bell rang... which was the direction of the pitch-black metal door that was only slightly ajar. After a moment's thought, she picked up the two items dropped by the gravedigger and got up to walk towards the pitch-black door.

They currently lack sufficient information. Therefore, instead of blindly guessing here, it would be more efficient to reach the sacrificial site mentioned by the nameless nun as soon as possible, revive her, and directly extract information from her.

Moreover, putting aside the intelligence issues, they urgently need to know how to replenish their health and mana in this world. Otherwise, with their current low health, they will not only be unable to make any progress, but they will also be completely unable to explore this world.

"Hmm... Speaking of which, are there going to be a whole bunch of enemies waiting for us later?"

"If the nameless nun wrote it correctly, once we get past the gravedigger, we shouldn't encounter any more enemies before reaching the sacrificial site."

"However, just in case, it's best to proceed slowly and cautiously."

As Xin Lailai spoke, she placed her hands on the metal door, took a deep breath, and pushed it forward with all her might.

Buzz, rumble—! !

The next second, a dull thud sounded as the door moved. The metal door, more than ten meters high, slowly opened outwards with the help of some rusty rollers, revealing the scene behind it to them with a hum.

Looking out, the first thing that catches the eye is the huge cliff that looks as if it were cut off by man, and the suspension bridge that is tied to the cliff with old ropes and wooden stakes and sways violently in the wind.

Looking along the suspension bridge, you can see a tall building resembling an ancient Roman amphitheater at its end, giving a sense of silent solemnity and grandeur, as if it is quietly guarding and waiting for something.

Is that the sacrificial site they mentioned?

"Hmm... Lai Lai, do you think this bridge won't suddenly break when we walk on it?"

"...If you hadn't told me, I might not have been so worried about this."

After casually grumbling about Lingyuzi, Xin Lailai looked at the suspension bridge support at the edge of the cliff. After carefully confirming that there was no risk of it being in disrepair, she took a deep breath, grabbed the rope at the edge of the suspension bridge, and carefully stepped onto the bridge.

Crunch——!!

Almost the instant Xin Lailai stepped down, an unusually loud creaking sound rang out from beneath her feet, causing her eyelids to twitch violently. She stood frozen in place for a while, and only after confirming that it was just a normal sound when stepping on something did she continue walking forward with extreme caution.

……

Ten minutes later, on the other side of the cliff.

"Phew... I finally made it."

"Hmm... the scenario I imagined didn't happen. I thought that halfway through, a huge thing would suddenly jump out and break the bridge, causing us to fall into the sea, and then be rescued by a new pretty girl?"

"Putting aside where that giant thing might jump out from, with our current health, if we really fell in, even if it was seawater below, we'd be 100% dead..."

"Hmm... how about we change it to a young lady riding a flying dragon rescuing you from mid-air?"

"Why does it feel like there are even more things to complain about now..."

Not knowing how to comment on Zero's 'whimsical ideas', Xin Lailai gently rubbed her forehead, let out a long sigh, and looked up at the sacrificial site whose entrance was sealed by the fog gate not far away, her eyes flickering slightly.

"Hmm... this fog gate, could there really be some big boss waiting for us after we go in?"

"I don't know, but all we can do now is move forward."

As Xin Lailai spoke, she strode to the fog gate, tentatively placing her hand on it, and then—

[Note: Due to the overflowing power of the "Fire Seed," the area ahead is temporarily inaccessible.]

Golden-red text appeared, blocking Xin Lailai's path along with the fog gate, and Xin Lailai was taken aback upon seeing this.

Can't go in?

The power of the fire is overflowing, so it doesn't look like a boss battle is taking place inside. Could it be...?

Xin Lailai looked at the information that popped up on the blessing interface, her eyes flickered slightly, as if she had thought of something. She immediately took out something from her storage space, held it, and walked forward together.

Om-! !

This time, the gray fog gate that was supposed to block her action seemed to sense something and allowed her to pass through it like water. Xin Lailai looked at the [Soul of the Nameless Nun] in her hand, a look of understanding in her eyes.

So, the existence of the nameless nun was indeed the key to entering the sacrificial site?
Speaking of which, was that the fire the nun mentioned...?

At the entrance, Xin Lailai stood on the steps, surveying the scene inside the sacrificial ground. Her gaze fell on the bonfire-like object at the bottom, and just as she was about to go down for a closer look, a hoarse voice, tinged with surprise, suddenly rang out:
"Huh? There really are new guys coming? So that Fire-Giver Woman wasn't crazy after all..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xin Lailai turned her head and noticed an inconspicuous figure sitting in the shadow of the throne.

"Being able to get here from the Ash Graveyard means you've defeated that monster, right? That's quite impressive. But, it has nothing to do with me, hehe..."

"you are?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm just a useless loser. But if you continue down this path, you'll probably only face an even more miserable end than me, right? Heh..."

"Out of consideration for our shared plight, let me give you a piece of advice: the darkness ahead of you will be tens of thousands of times more terrifying than what you saw on that monster. Therefore, if you don't want to become like that monster, I advise you to give up listening to that Fire-Giving Woman as soon as possible."

"That's all I can say. As for the rest, you'll understand someday—the deep despair hidden beneath the flames... Heh, in the end, aside from our mission as firewood, what is the meaning of our existence?"

The dejected voice fell, and the thin man hiding in the shadows closed his eyes after speaking, ignoring Xin Lailai.

'This guy talks a lot... and he just started rambling on and on with a bunch of depressing things.'

'Perhaps it's because he's witnessed something beyond his limits; at least judging from his reaction, he seems to know quite a bit about this world.' 'Hmm, I've decided, we'll call him Little Disheartened Bro!'

'...It feels like this is Zero's real purpose.'

Xin Lailai's expression twitched slightly when she realized that the girl was simply having a 'naming addiction', but she didn't refute anything.

After all, although it was somewhat impolite, given that the other party clearly had no intention of continuing the conversation, they seemed to have no choice but to refer to them as "Brother Disheartened" in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

"Ahem... It seems like a very interesting newcomer has arrived. Did she send someone?"

Suddenly, another voice rang out from the side. Upon hearing it, Xin Lailai's gaze changed slightly, not for any other reason, but because... this time the voice came from one of the five thrones surrounding the sacrificial site.

"Heh, no need for such hostility. I'm just a little surprised. I didn't expect that a Heroic Spirit would actually answer that guy Gerdshur's call and come to take the lives of us cowards..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xin Lailai's pupils contracted slightly. Her gaze shifted, and she noticed that on the shortest throne, a hunched, thin figure was slowly raising his head and looking at them with slowly burning pupils.

"You are……"

"Hmm? She didn't even tell you... This is an incomplete blessing. I see. It seems she already did everything she could just to find you."

"Heh, despite suffering the punishment of having their eyes gouged out and being exiled to such a remote place, they're actually more dutiful than us? It's truly shameful."

The little old man, wearing a tattered crown and hunched over on the throne as if suffering from a serious illness, first muttered a few words to himself with some surprise, then smiled wryly. He then seemed to remember something, looked at Xin Lailai before him, and said:

"Ah, I almost forgot about you. Since she didn't tell you, let me introduce myself. As you can see, I am the master of this throne, a survivor who has not burned out and cannot rest in peace, and one of the targets that you ashes need to attack."

"However, don't worry, I have no intention of being hostile to you. On the contrary, I should thank you for your appearance. After all, if I want to get rid of this throne that I both love and hate, perhaps I can only rely on you, Ashes."

"As for the rest, let them tell you. For now, let me, the survivor, forget the pain in my dreams."

As the hoarse, weak murmur faded, the short old man on the throne closed his eyes and fell silent once more. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, one might have mistaken him for someone who had simply passed away.

'Another weirdo has appeared...'

'Let's revive the people first. She should be quite familiar with these people. We can ask her who they are later.'

As the sacrificial site fell silent once more, Xin Lailai analyzed the situation in her mind, then calmly walked up the steps to the bottom circular platform covered in ashes. She tentatively placed the [Soul of the Nameless Nun] above the bonfire in the center of the platform.

Om-! !

With this action, the next second, a large number of sparks surged from the bonfire-like fire, converging like fireflies towards the flame-shaped soul emanating a faint warmth in his hand, rapidly forming the figure of a woman, and finally...

"Lord Ash, thank you for your hard work. As expected... if it were you, we would not have stopped there."

As the gentle female voice faded, and the firelight dissipated, the blindfolded woman in a nun's habit raised her head, revealing a gentle smile, seemingly genuinely happy for Xin Lailai.

"Then, as agreed, I will be responsible for answering your questions, Lord Ash. However, before that, there is one more thing to do—"

The blindfolded nun spoke, gently taking Xin Lailai's hands in her own, kneeling down, looking at the campfire beside her, and whispering:
"Lord Ash, please grasp the fragment of the Royal Relic and insert it into the flame. In this way, you will truly gain the Royal Fire's approval, be able to use the power of the flame to heal your wounds, and truly restore the blessing upon you to its wholeness."

Are you suggesting they touch the fire right away...?

Upon hearing this, Xin Lailai's eyes flashed with doubt. She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized the blindfolded nun for a while before nodding slightly. Following her instructions, she took out the fragment of the golden vessel dropped by the gravedigger, took a deep breath, and plunged it into the campfire in front of her.

Om-! !

In an instant, numerous flames swirled up from the campfire, spreading along her arm and throughout her entire body. Then, a strong sense of disorientation washed over Xin Lailai, causing her to momentarily freeze, as if something had suddenly appeared within her. And then…

[Having gained the approval of "Royal Fire," the current blessed power has been fully restored.]

……

[Black Sword (left)]

Level: LV.1
Oath: (None)
Soul Points: 3890
Health: 50/50 (100%)

Mana: 50/50 (100%)

Endurance rating: 50/50 (100%)

Soul Energy: 50/50 (100%)

Weapon attack power: 12.0 (10.0 + 2.0)

Shield block strength: 14.4 (12.0 + 2.4)

Strength: 5; Agility: 5
Physical Fitness: 5; Intelligence: 5
Temperament: 5; Soul: 5
……

Black Sword (Middle)

Right-hand weapon: "A worn-out iron sword (18.5%)"

Left-hand weapon: "Rotten Small Round Shield (8.6%)"

Upper body armor: "Worn chainmail (38.7%)"

Lower body armor: (None)
Amulet: (None)
Ring slot 1: (None)

Ring slot 2: (None)

……

[Black Sword (Right)]

"Swordsmanship Feat (↑)": When using swords, weapon attack power is increased by 20%.
"Spell Feats (↑)": When learning or using spells, spell power is increased by 20%.

"Parry Feat (↑)": When using shield-type weapons, parry strength is increased by 20%.
"Mana Feats (↑)": Increases mana growth from mana-related effects and Intelligence by 20%.
"Soul Specialization (↑)": Inspiration-related effects and Soul Energy growth from Souls +20%.
……

(End of this chapter)