Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 910 The Journey, Part Two

Compared to the Poisonous Dragon and the Mother of Birth, the Crystal Elder's strength posed no threat to them whatsoever. In fact, he felt like a wild monster guarding their gate.

Including the crystal resurrection spell that the young man in the big hat and the Onion Knight described as extremely difficult to break, even though they had just used demonic arrows to speed through it, judging from the feel of it, even without demonic power and the Mage's Hand, they could most likely have cut that supposedly unbreakable crystal in half with just the Water Strike they used when slaying the Poisonous Dragon.

Of course, if the time were moved forward a little, and they had arrived before the Mother of Birth had 'withdrawn' her money, the outcome would probably have been very different.

All I can say is that no one in this world would believe that there would actually be such an oddball trying to defeat a boss with the difficulty level completely reversed.

Normally, following the established procedure, the strategy for defeating the boss in this area should involve first obtaining information about the Crystal Elder from the young man in the big hat, Victor, then teaming up with him to traverse the Crystal Forest, which is as complex as a large maze. After defeating the Crystal Elder through teamwork, they would encounter something like the Poisonous Dragon, which was awakened by the battle, and be forced to flee to the next area. Once they are strong enough, they would return to seek revenge on the Poisonous Dragon... and so on.

As for the Mother of Birth, judging from the number of souls she dropped and the blindfolded nun's description, this thing should be a hidden boss that they will not actually encounter until they arrive at or even conquer the Cathedral of the Deep, learn about the 'Devourer' Elizid and the melodramatic stories that happened between them, and obtain some key items for opening the gate or defeating the boss.

In a sense, this is a case of life being unpredictable. Even the designers of Farak Fortress probably didn't foresee that someone would actually disrupt the entire boss strategy by crawling through sewers and swimming in septic tanks.

"Is this the Crystallized Holy Bell that guy was talking about...?"

Ashes scattered everywhere. With the death of the Crystal Elder, Xin Lailai, who was standing before the altar entrance, sheathed her longbow, stepped forward, and picked up the things that had fallen to the ground:

……

[The Soul of the Crystallized Elder]

Category: Rare Items

Durability: (None)

Synopsis: The soul of "Crystal Elder" Riser Hugh, the bishop of the Cathedral of the Deep, was once infatuated with Rosamira, who was the embodiment of the Deep. To win her favor, he even threw himself into the abyss, thereby mastering the forbidden power to crystallize souls and flesh. However, he was also unable to leave the Crystal Forest and could only serve as its guardian, watching over the fortress where Rosamira was located day and night.

……

【The Crystallized Elder's Sacred Bell】

Spell Attack Power: 77.4
Soul Attack Power: 89.1
Equipment Requirements: Intelligence 25, Soul 37
Attribute Corrections: Intelligence B+, Soul A-
Description: Before the Crystal Elder entered the Deep, he used his own soul as material to request Rudolf, the "Soul Forger," to forge the Holy Bell. Due to the devout faith within his soul, it is more suitable as a medium for prayer than for magic, and its effects are enhanced when using Crystal and Deep-related spells and prayers.

……

Good heavens, I never thought that even the Mother of Birth would look like that, yet someone could still be infatuated with her?
"They're all really heavyweights..."

After carefully reading through the description in "The Soul of the Crystallized Elder," Xin Lailai's expression twitched slightly, looking like she didn't know how to make a comment.

His obsession with Rosamura goes beyond being considered extreme; it should be described as bizarre.

"Well, at least I got the equipment..."

After muttering a few words about the old man's unique taste, Xin Lailai looked at the gray-white bell in her hand, a strange light flashing in her dark pupils.

B+ grade spell modifier and A- grade soul modifier.

According to the young man in the big hat, there are two types of magic systems in this world: one is a magic system based on knowledge and magic power, and the other is a prayer system based on faith and the soul.

There's not much to say about the spell system; they've already studied it extensively on their way here. The focus should be on prayer.

According to the young man in the big hat, the prayers in this world are different from those in the astral plane. The release process is no longer guided by the power of faith to pray for the descent of divine power. Instead, it requires making a ritual oath with concepts such as the 'Deep', 'Kingfire', and 'Ancient Dragon', using one's own soul as fuel to awaken the power of these oaths.

Moreover, the prayer system of the Ash World... or rather, the oath system, has a limitation: the strength of the prayers that can be released is not only determined by the medium and soul attributes of the prayer, but is also affected by a concept called 'oath level'.

Simply put, for the same oath, the more times you use prayers of the corresponding weight, the higher the oath level. And the higher the oath level, the higher the maximum prayer strength you can use.

"It's a pity that this guy didn't drop anything like the Book of the Deep, otherwise we could have seen what prayers look like in this world."

Xin Lailai looked at the gray-white bell in her hand, shook it gently, and listened to its clear sound. A look of regret flashed in her eyes.

After killing Rosamira, in addition to her soul, they also obtained a sleeping ring that would grant them the highest level of the Deep Vow. Theoretically, combined with the A-grade modified Crystal Bell in their possession, they should be able to experience the intensity of the highest level of prayer in this world.

However, the study of prayer is different from that of magic. The latter is the study and exploration of existing phenomena. Even without native knowledge from this world, as long as one's own knowledge and vision are sufficient, one can still make a lot of noise. The former, on the other hand, must rely on a certain fixed prayer and ritual process. Otherwise, no matter how much effort one puts in, one will not achieve any results.

Unfortunately, they hadn't seen a single prayer book that recorded the Deep series of prayers along the way. It was as if they had a high level of oath and spellcasting medium, but couldn't find a single skill that they could use. They could only stand there and watch.

"Hmm, it should come in handy when we get to the Cathedral of the Deep, right?"

"Well, I hope so."

Ling Yuzi muttered to himself, while Xin Lailai nodded slightly without saying anything more.

For him, more than the increase in intensity, he was curious about what it would feel like to use this kind of prayer that uses soul energy as fuel.

Moreover, although there is no prayer available for the time being, the A-level soul correction provided by the Crystallized Holy Bell alone is already an extremely significant improvement for them.

Don't forget, aside from the grandmasters of magic... they also possess a mid-level foundation in soul studies!

"Let's go. Now that we've dealt with the boss blocking our way, it's time to continue on our journey."

After sorting through the spoils, Xin Lailai looked towards the road leading to the altar's exit, whistled, and then, to the sound of her spirit horse's neigh, sat back in its saddle. Just as she was about to retrieve the blindfolded nun's soul to awaken her—

"Black...Black Sword Pavilion, no, Mr. Black Sword! Please wait a moment!"

"Ok?"

A loud shout rang out, causing Xin Lailai to turn around. She saw the young man in the big hat leading a donkey... or rather, being led by a donkey, stumbling and bumping along as if riding a sled, coming from a distance.

"Pfft! Lai Lai, look! Someone's being ridden by a donkey!"

"..."

A soft chuckle rang out from the soul space, and Xin Lailai's expression twitched slightly as she watched the young man in the big hat being led by a donkey that was running wildly. She clearly hadn't expected such a bizarre way of traveling as 'donkey pulling a sled'.

"Whoa—!!"

"Stop...stop stop stop! Ahhh! Mr. Black Sword, get out of here...!"

A wild, euphoric braying of a donkey rang out. The young man in the large hat, dragged along from afar, frantically pulled on the reins, yelling at Xin Lailai and her gray spirit horse, who were positioned in the donkey's path. This deepened the silence on Xin Lailai's face as she silently raised her hand, preparing to intercept the donkey with her magic chip:

"Er...?!"

The wild braying of the donkey abruptly stopped. As if sensing something, the donkey, which had been charging out of control, suddenly braked as it reached the steps of the altar. The donkey came to a sudden stop, just like a dog performing a sliding tackle.

"Ah ah ah ah ah--!!"

On the contrary, the young man in the big hat who was being dragged behind was thrown into the air by inertia and crashed into the magic chip in front of Xin Lailai with a thud. He slid to the ground with a slightly grating sound of fabric rubbing together.

"..."

Forget it, I'll just leave.

Having already guessed the other party's purpose, Xin Lailai looked at the young man in the large hat lying on the ground in front of her. As if worried about being infected by the man's naiveté, she silently turned around, pulled on the reins, and was about to leave when—

"Cough cough...cough cough! Mr. Black Sword, please wait a moment!!"

As the rapid, panting shouts subsided, the disheveled young man in the large hat adjusted his askew wizard's hat, leaned on his cane, and stood up from the ground. He took a deep breath and shouted resolutely at Xin Lailai:
"Mr. Black Sword! Please..."

"I reject."

"Uh, well, I haven't..." "Not interested."

"Um, why don't you listen first..."

“Let’s go, Charité.”

"Hey, wait! Mr. Black Sword! Tsk... you idiot, hurry up! Chase after them! This is a chance to become an apprentice of a legendary mage!"

"Hiss (snorting sound)."

"Huh? What do you mean?! I went to such lengths to get you from that onion-like guy, and you can't even handle something this simple? Uh, wait a minute! I haven't even...!"

"Whoa—!!"

……

……

So, three days later.

Upgrade successful! Current level: LV.57

As the flickering flames subsided, Xin Lailai, having just leveled up, slowly opened her eyes before the campfire, letting out a long sigh. She then looked at the slightly weary blindfolded nun before her and said:

"Thank you for your hard work, Sister."

"This is what I should do, and besides, this is all I can do for Lord Black Sword."

The blindfolded nun gently shook her head, then glanced at a spot not far behind the black-haired youth, before looking back at him. She hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Speaking of which, Lord Black Sword, um..."

"Don't worry about him. If he likes to follow behind, let him be."

Xin Lailai answered expressionlessly, while glancing out of the corner of her eye at the bizarre young mage behind her whose disguise was so poor that even his enormous wizard hat was mostly showing. Her eyes twitched slightly, and she silently looked away, appearing completely unwilling to pay any attention to him.

The blindfolded nun stared at the scene for a moment, then, as if she had thought of something, suddenly chuckled softly.

"what happened?"

"It's nothing, it just feels a bit strange. I never expected Lord Black Sword to have such an expression."

"..."

"Furthermore, Lord Black Sword, although you said you disliked him, you still made a point of eliminating all the threatening wandering spirits along the way, right? Even when you were riding the fire, you waited until he caught up before touching the flame."

"I just want to accumulate more soul points before reaching the Cathedral of the Deep."

The blindfolded nun gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. Upon hearing this, Xin Lailai gently rubbed her temples, clearly not wanting to answer the question in detail.

"Hehe! Sister Wuhuo, don't listen to Xiaohei's nonsense! He's just being tsundere! He says he can't stand it, but actually he admires those who are persistent!"

"...Bai Yu, shut up! Didn't I say you weren't allowed to come out until that guy left?!"

“Rui~ I’ll say it, I’ll say it~! Besides, with the soundproof layer of the magic chip, that guy can’t hear what I’m saying.”

"And this is your retribution, Xiao Hei! You used to be a stalker maniac every day, and now look what happened! You've been stalked back by someone else!"

"..."

The playful, mischievous voice trailed off, causing Xin Lailai's expression to shift slightly; she was at a loss for words.

He realized that as long as the blindfolded nun was present, the other party's speech in 'Haki Zero' form would become extremely lawless, and there was nothing they wouldn't dare to say.

Faced with the two's little farce, the blindfolded nun simply smiled gently, revealing a tender and nostalgic expression like that of a parent watching their child play, as if she were immersed in this beautiful atmosphere.

"very nice……"

As the soft murmur faded, Xin Lailai and Ling Yuzi, who were occupying half of each other's bodies and engaging in a true battle of left and right brains, both turned their attention to the scene and immediately fell silent.

"Shh, be quiet."

"Okay, okay, Lai Lai, don't stop people from admiring Sister Wu Huo's face!"

"I was trying to stop you from committing a crime, and if it's just for admiring, there's no need to lay a hand on me, is there?"

"Tsk, Lai Lai, you're bad!"

Whispers of conspiracy echoed from within the soul space, while in reality, Xin Lailai skillfully draped a blanket over the blindfolded nun, manipulated a magic chip to guide her to lie down on her side, and, watching the nun's gradually easing fatigue, nodded slightly and let out a long sigh.

I finally fell asleep...

After spending a few months with her, they realized that instead of letting her rest directly, having him and Lingyu deliberately put on a little farce was actually the easiest way to lull the blindfolded nun to sleep.

Or rather, it seems that only at such times can the other party truly relax, allowing the accumulated fatigue in their mind to take hold.

"I have a feeling that Sister Wuhuo has something on her mind. Lai Lai, what is Sister Wuhuo hiding from us?"

"Hmm... Someone like her is probably hiding something that's bad for her but good for us, so we won't worry about her."

Xin Lailai looked down at the blindfolded nun who was resting on her lap, her expression so gentle it was heartbreaking, and murmured.

The blindfolded nun was hiding something from them.

They had naturally realized this long ago.

However, since the other party was not going to talk, they naturally wouldn't press them for answers.

Moreover, given the other party's seemingly gentle but actually firm personality, if they were to really press them for answers, they would probably just calmly ask them to take their lives.

"Tsk, but I'm just curious!"

"If you really want to know, why not just ask her in person after we've resolved the anomalies in this world?"

Xin Lailai answered calmly, looking up at the pitch-black sky, her eyes slightly lowered, a deep and distant gaze passing through her pupils.

"Alright then... But, as expected, Lai Lai always becomes unusual at times like this."

"What kind of strange metaphor is this..."

"Hmm, so it really is Lai Lai's idea after all?"

"...Why do I feel like I said nothing at all?"

"Anyway, that's how it is~! By the way, Lai Lai, are you really not planning to take that big hat as your disciple?"

"Too silly, not interested."

……

(End of this chapter)