Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 901 Swamp Horror [5.2k words]

The Pilgrim's Path.

According to the information the blindfolded nun gave them, this was originally a path that the believers of the Cathedral of the Deep offered as tribute to the 'deity' worshipped by the Church of the Deep, a powerful being who was the second person in the previous era to ascend to the throne of Lord of Cinder—"The Devourer" Elizid.

After Elizid, the "Devourer" and the supreme ruler of the Cathedral of the Deep, fell into a deep sleep, the bishops of the Cathedral of the Deep ordered the road to be sealed off on the grounds of "forbidding others from disturbing Elizid's slumber," and even issued a ban on "anyone who trespasses will be executed."

It wasn't until the power of the last Lord of Cinder gradually weakened, the situation in the Ashes became increasingly chaotic, and the wandering spirits and undead in various places grew stronger, that this once-blocked road became 'unguarded' once again.

Moreover, according to Disheartened Brother, once they embark on the pilgrimage route and witness the scene at the end of the road, they will understand the darkness hidden behind the Lords of Cinder, and now... they roughly understand what he is referring to.

Boom—!

[The "Lonely Soul" has been defeated, Soul Points +300 (200 + 100)]

"They're truly beyond saving."

Pale gold text scrolled across the golden-red blessing interface. Under the trees, Xin Lailai, who had killed the last attacker, sheathed her longsword, glanced at the pits around her that had been dug out from the inside, shook her head, and left a comment that sounded like she was used to it before continuing to walk deeper into the woods.

The Pilgrim's Path.

When Brother Disheartened first took this path, the situation here wasn't this dire. It was just that the blockade had weakened, making it easier to be attacked by wandering spirits and zombies.

According to Xin Lailai's estimation, it was precisely because of this difference that the other party was so far in the Pilgrim's Way that they only discovered the truth hidden in the Deep Church at the very end. If the other party were to do it all over again, they would probably realize that something was wrong shortly after starting from the entrance.

—At least, for them personally, this road… might be more appropriately called the ‘Road of Living Sacrifices’ than the pilgrim’s road.

"Cannibalism, human sacrifice... In this world, to survive, there really are all sorts of people who are qualified to become Lords of Cinder."

Bang——! !

After shattering the statue of Elizid standing beside the road with a single sword strike, Xin Lailai scanned the suddenly open view in front of her, feeling the overwhelming stench of decay and death. She narrowed her eyes, a cold glint flashing in her pupils.

"Hmm, I don't know why, even though I've seen a lot of guys like this in other worlds, this time I just feel inexplicably annoyed..."

Inside the soul space, Ling Yuzi gazed at the scene before him and muttered:

"The thought that Sister Wuhuo respects such a guy makes me want to drag him out and give him a good beating as soon as possible."

The girl muttered to herself, but this time, Xin Lailai surprisingly did not deny it.

On their way here, they had seen many undead transformed from corpses. A significant portion of them were dressed in the attire of the Cult of the Deep, while the remaining small group consisted of undead dressed in nun's robes.

Human sacrifice.

This is the true purpose of the Cult of the Deep blocking the pilgrim's path: under the pretext of 'forbidding blasphemy,' they openly use this pilgrimage route to continuously provide fresh sacrifices to Elizid the Devourer, who is unwilling to lose his position as Lord of Cinder, to help him regain his power.

Moreover, according to the Blindfolded Sister, this prohibition of the Cult of the Deep was personally approved by the last Lord of Cinder. Combined with the fact that the Cult was trying to make Rudolfs and other previous Lords of Cinder serve as firewood again, the attitude of the last Lord of Cinder, as mentioned by the Blindfolded Sister, towards the matter of human sacrifices is self-evident.

"At least, this further proves that our decision was not wrong."

Xin Lailai said calmly, "Based on what we've seen along the way, even without the blindfolded nun's request and the hints they left before their deaths, they probably wouldn't have had any good ideas about the so-called Kingfire and the throne of the Lord of Cinder."

Even if that flame once truly saved the world, now it is nothing more than a curse, just like the power of the abyss, deeply binding this world.

"Let's go. If we cross this swamp, we should reach the castle the Onion Knight mentioned."

At the edge of the forest, Xin Lailai looked at the swamp before her, reeking of decay and filled with a faint miasma. After sealing her mouth and nose with a magic chip, she glanced at the swamp, which contained several grayish-white rocks as footholds, and leaped forward, avoiding all the rocks, landing steadily in a depression more than two meters above the ground. The next second—

Buzz, rumble—! !

A strong tremor resounded, and almost at the same time as Xin Lailai landed, the 'rocks' around her all began to shake violently. Finally, one after another, huge gray pincers burst out of the mud with a splash of mud, and together with the huge creatures that stood up, they all turned towards the direction where Xin Lailai was.

Sure enough, the absence of any living corpses in this place must mean there are other 'traps' in the way, right?

Thump, thump, thump, thump—!

In an instant, a strong tremor, so intense it seemed like an earthquake, came. Crabs, each two meters tall and four meters wide, with pincers larger than half a person when they were raised, moved sideways toward them with an unparalleled sense of oppression.

Humans are not the only ones who can turn into zombies; powerful creatures can too. In fact, because these creatures mostly relied on their strong bodies and hunting instincts to survive in life, they are often more difficult and dangerous to deal with after turning into zombies than humans.

However, for those who had fought countless ferocious abyssal beasts in the eroded abyss zone, these instinct-driven beasts, no matter how strong, were nothing to them...

—They're nothing more than wild beasts!

Bang! ! !
A cold sword light flashed through the air. In the swamp, Xin Lailai stepped on a magic chip and swiftly crossed the swamp. Amidst the whistling sound of the wind breaking through the air, she ducked to avoid a sweeping giant pincer, and then, with a precise thrust, stabbed into the crack of the shell of the giant crab closest to her. The crab's entire body stiffened instantly, and it crashed into the depression with a loud thud.

Instead of immediately executing her after stabbing her opponent into a weakened state, Xin Lailai pulled out her sword, grabbed the uneven area on the crab's shell, stepped on its claws, and kicked forward.

boom!
In the next instant, two enormous crab claws slammed down from behind, one on each side, and collided heavily with the head of the weakened giant crab that Xin Lailai had used as a stepping stone. The impact shattered the crab's head and shell together, effectively completing the execution that Xin Lailai had not had time to carry out.

[Hint: "Swamp Crab" has been defeated, Soul Points +1500 (1000 + 500)]

Om-! !

As Cancer died, numerous points of soul light flew out from its rapidly disintegrating body and entered the body of the only person present who possessed the blessing of the King's Fire and had caused harm to it—that is, Xin Lai Lai herself.

Seeing this, he turned around without hesitation, took a step, and using the still-fragmented crab shell, leaped with all his might, covering a distance of more than three meters. He landed on one of the two crabs that had helped him kill it, and using the momentum of a roll to grab the edge of the shell to prevent himself from falling off. Then...

"Hey, over here."

As the words, tinged with a hint of provocation, fell to the ground, Xin Lailai reached out and waved her palm in the giant crab's field of vision. The crab, which was about to strike, suddenly stopped, and the entire crab, as if bewitched, desperately charged in the direction Xin Lailai's palm had waved.

Boom, boom, boom—!!

One giant pincer after another slammed down, and the other giant crabs, which were not disturbed by Xin Lailai, desperately attacked, trying to hit Xin Lailai, who was located on the back of the giant crab. However, all of them missed because of the movement of the giant crab under Xin Lailai, and could only create splashes of water several meters high around her.

"Pfft, Lai Lai, these guys are so stupid! They're nothing compared to Xiao Bai!"

"A beast is a beast after all. Let it carry us straight out of the swamp."

On the crab's shell, Xin Lailai thought to herself, "Using the crab's limited vision and intelligence, I'll keep guiding it in the direction I want." At the same time, she glanced at the grayish-white 'rocks' that were scattered throughout the swamp and were beginning to break through the mud, a cold and rational look flashing in her eyes.

Although he said he didn't take these instinctive beasts seriously, how could he, who had experienced countless life-and-death battles, really be foolish enough to rush in recklessly?

Keep in mind that these giant crabs are ferocious enemies worth 1500 soul points each. If they were to simply fight their way through, even if their strength could withstand the attack, their weapons and armor might not be able to.

Their top immediate priority is to find the monster that Onion Knight mentioned using crystal magic and the 'Big Hat' who is suspected to be a native mage, and to find a way to solve the problem of mana manipulation.

As for these 'delicious delicacies' worth 1500 soul points each, they can deal with them after they've fully mastered their magical arts in this world. "Lai Lai, look! That should be the castle the chubby knight was talking about!"

"Yes, Frankish Fortress, the only way to the Cathedral of the Deep. According to the Onion Knight, the 'big hat' we're looking for should be inside."

Xin Lailai communicated with him mentally, gazing at the enormous black shadow gradually becoming clearer from the miasma in the distance, a look of anticipation flashing in her eyes. And just then…

Boom!
A dull 'brake' sound rang out, and as they continued to move sideways, the giant crab beneath them seemed to be suddenly startled, abruptly stopping. After circling around twice, it let out a shriek and desperately crawled back the way it came.

Not only that, but all the Cancers, including those that were chasing after her from afar, seemed to have been stimulated by something. They all abandoned their pursuit of Xin Lailai and fled into the distance.

"..."

"Lai Lai, I suddenly have a very bad feeling..."

"Stop talking, I feel like I can already guess what's going to happen next..."

On the crab shell, Xin Lailai stared at this sudden scene, glancing at the swamp area that had abruptly become unusually empty, stretching to the dark fortress. Her eyelids twitched slightly, and the next second—

"Roar--!!!"

A deafening roar erupted, and in an instant, a striking flash of fire burst forth from the sky.

boom!
A muddy wave, tens of meters high, surged up, and a huge, dark green fireball, more than five meters wide, crashed down, instantly engulfing Xin Lailai and the giant crab in its terrifying heat.

When the firelight dissipated, the original giant crab had disappeared, replaced by a cratered pit and the figure of Xin Lailai, who was holding a shield, gritting her teeth and staring intently ahead.

"Tsk, the Onion Knight never mentioned that there was such a monster hiding here..."

Boom!
A heavy, muffled stomping sound rang out, causing the entire swamp to tremble slightly, followed by the sound of wings spreading like a storm. The enormous creature descended from mid-air and slowly lowered its head, its empty pupils burning with eerie green flames as it quietly looked down at Xin Lailai.

[Due to the awakening of the "Poisonous Miasma Dragon," the current area has been temporarily changed to the "Poisonous Miasma Dragon's Territory."]

Buzz, rumble—! !

A buzzing sound, like a sudden surge of air from a cave, rang out. A giant dragon, its body rotting and over fifty meters long, with its head alone reaching over ten meters high, slowly opened its mouth, releasing wisps of eerie green flames.

The Dragon of Poisonous Barriers.

Although the nun had never mentioned this name, one thing Xin Lailai remembered very clearly was that the other party had explicitly stated that in the Ash World, any true dragon...

—They are all powerful beings comparable to heroes… even the Lord of Cinder in his prime.

As for what they would do if they encountered an opponent of this caliber, the answer is naturally quite simple: ...

Boom——! !

The dull thud of marching subsided, and as the poisonous dragon closed in once more, Xin Lailai, positioned in front of it, unhesitatingly retrieved the soul of the gray spirit horse, poured the essence bottle over it, and leaped forward from the rapidly forming spirit horse form, landing on the saddle. Gripping the reins tightly, she shouted:
"Charret! Run!!!"

"Hiss—!!"

A sharp neighing sounded, and the gray spirit horse, realizing the urgency of the situation, did not hesitate. It raised its head and, with the help of the magic chips that Xin Lailai had placed on its hooves, galloped wildly out of the swamp.

Boom!
As Xin Lailai moved, the green flame dragon that had been entrenched in front of the fortress seemed to have found some prey. It turned around amidst the trembling of the swamp, opened its mouth and aimed in the direction of Xin Lailai, and the temperature near its jaws rose rapidly.

"Lailai!" "Charret! Jump!!!"

boom--! !

The next second, a burst of dark green flames erupted. The giant dragon, wreathed in dark green flames, suddenly swung its jaws, hurling a massive fireball that had been accumulating in its mouth towards Xin Lailai's location. The fireball grazed past the leaping spirit horse and slammed heavily into the swamp not far away, creating a mud flower several meters high.

"Roar--!!"

As the deafening roar subsided, before Xin Lailai could even catch her breath, the dark green dragon tossed its head again from its side and rear, spitting out another fireball even faster than before, followed by a second, and a third...

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—!!

The violent explosion subsided, and the terrifying heat ignited the miasma, triggering a series of chain explosions, causing Xin Lailai to clench her grip on the reins even tighter.

"Charret! To the right!!"

boom!
The massive fireball swept past her side once more, and the impact of the miasma explosion collided with the magic chip on Xin Lailai's body, shattering it and causing Xin Lailai to let out a slight groan. Her health bar dropped by about 3% again, leaving her with only a precarious 7.5%.

Because of the huge difference in attributes, even though they raised their shields in time, the fireball still instantly took away more than 85% of their health. It can be said that now, let alone taking another head-on hit, even being grazed by the residual force of the opponent's attack a few more times would probably kill them on the spot.

As for the possibility of completely dodging the remaining force of the opponent's attack...

"Roar--!!"

With a roar tinged with anger, as if dissatisfied that its attacks had been dodged by the man and horse multiple times, the Poisonous Dragon behind suddenly spread its wings, let out a long roar, and rose from the ground amidst the tremors, swooping down towards Xin Lailai with an unparalleled momentum.

Damn, that was too fast!!!

Boom—!

The dragon, its body ablaze with green flames, swooped down, charging at the spirit horse that had managed to pull away by hundreds of meters at a visible speed. Xin Lailai's expression changed slightly; she instantly realized the spirit horse couldn't possibly dodge at this speed, and decisively released the reins, shouting:

"Charret! Jump!!!"

The next second, the enormous shadow crashed down, crushing the leaping gray figure like an ant being crushed by a claw, but...

"Hiss—!!"

A sharp, long howl rang out, and the gray spirit horse, which should have perished under the dragon's claws, re-emerged from mid-air, steadily catching Xin Lailai as she fell downwards, and continued galloping towards the fortress entrance. Even the corrupt miasma dragon was stunned for a moment, clearly unable to understand how the other had survived its attack.

"Well done, Charité!!!"

As the praise, which sounded somewhat excited due to her intense concentration, subsided, Xin Lailai, who had perfectly resolved the deadlock by disintegrating and resummoning her spirit horse, stared intently at the fortress entrance below. She pulled on the reins, causing the spirit horse, which should have landed on the main gate steps, to land on the city wall to the side of the steps. The moment the spirit horse landed, it rolled sharply to the side, and while retrieving the spirit horse's soul, it darted into the drainage outlet that was only wide enough for a person to crawl through.

boom! ! !
A dark green fireball fell, striking the fortress's main gate, which should have been the preferred escape route. When the firelight subsided, the rotting dragon in front of the fortress's main gate watched Xin Lailai disappear from sight and the escape route she had chosen. After a moment of silence, it slammed its claw on the fortress in a fit of rage, letting out an uncontrollable roar.

"Roar--!!!"

As a dragon, although its will had long since succumbed, it never expected that one day it would feel such humiliation and anger because of the ridiculous way these insects... no, it should be said that they fled in such a ridiculous way!
……

(End of this chapter)