Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Letters to Windmage (18)
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......Thud.
Blood is flowing. Blood. My precious lifeblood.
....Thud.
Having used up every ounce of strength I had, blood streams from my crumpled body, smashed under a boulder the size of my torso like a broken doll.
Thuuud....
“.....Suya....”
“....Here!”
“Air.... passage....”
“He’s.... alive....”
Voices. Wind laced with mana. Rescue team. Rescue team. I wonder what’s going on outside. They said Edenorna escaped. I definitely got a solid hit in, though. Is Bazur dead? He dropped a ton of stock.
“Gaaah.... he.... re.... peo.... ple.... ugh....”
Blood. Someone give me some blood. I took down plenty of mutants. Please, just some blood.
Thud.
“Warmth.... right nearby....”
“Anyone with mana left.... somehow....”
“....Hold! If it collapses, we’re really.... the capital, then it’s irreversible....”
Aaaah, I’m dying. I’m really gonna die. Collapse, schmollapse— I’m already pinned tight, so just get me out. No, you don’t even need to pull me out. Just give me some blood, please. I’ll crawl out myself.
“.....Blood....”
Thuuud!
“She’s close! I can feel breath!”
“Even a healing wind for now, through this gap....”
“....B.... lo.... od....”
No, forget that crap, blood.... just a few drops....
Fwoooosh—
“C, corpse!”
“She’s here! Stretcher....”
Blood, 血, bloooood......
.
.
.
.
****
Gasp!
“Bloooood! Give me blood before I croak, you fucking bastards!”
“Gyaah! Save me!”
Crash!
The moment I snapped to, the first thing I saw was a small shadow hightailing it out of there.
Next came the overturned waterskin and a magic staff rolling on the ground with two holes punched in it.
Plus several small campfires and pale-faced mages lying around.
It looked just like wounded soldiers pulled back from the battlefield. Gathered together for nursing care before being moved to the hospital ward.
A few empty beds meant they were in the middle of transporting. With no healthy mages left, they’d have to fly back and forth multiple times. Probably prioritizing the critically injured. Me still being here meant I looked less likely to die than those moved first.
‘Guess I survived somehow.’
For now, I checked my wounds by the campfire.
Legs. Toes still attached. No issues.
Torso. Damn thorn bush-shaped scars exactly as expected. They look a bit faint, but a little more time should fade them.
Arms. Left arm fine. Right arm.... oh. Still no hand.
Reason for no hand? Not cut off— it exploded from the shoulder blade down when I landed my final strike.
Thinking of that last moment made my blood boil.
『I’ve placed your sister in a safe spot.』
‘Ugh, that parasite Palkatus.’
If I’d only nabbed Edenorna here, we could’ve strolled to the elf forest like it was a picnic.
Probably waited underground, then snatched her under just as my final blow landed. No empty swings— I definitely felt my fingertips crush something solid besides the rock. The whole lower valley got pulverized. Hmm.... probably inflicted a serious injury requiring long recovery.
‘Should’ve been smashed beyond recognition, not just serious.’
The bastard knew we were waiting. So he moved with elite few instead of detectable masses, didn’t approach until the nest was wrecked, then spat out two named bosses at cleanup time.
Like ambushing after training while barracks cleanup, asking ‘Sergeant Kim, what’s for dinner tonight?’— that lax moment. Knew we were alert, struck when vigilance slacked most.
And the one who showed? Damn obsessive queen Edenorna. No time to stay calm. Even I went full throttle thinking ‘We’re all dead!’
Battle was chaos; couldn’t survey surroundings. Same for Bazur’s side, Astraad’s actions. Someone to report on our group....
‘Ah, there they are.’
Sorting mental to-do list, Professor spotted the group huddled by the fire.
They looked.... incredibly tense. Closed eyes—no mutant aura nearby.
No enemies, yet ground damp from Otman gathering water, Borca sniffing skyward everywhere, Notum blocking something with her massive back.
At center, strange yet familiar aura....
“What.... are you all doing?”
“Ah, Professor! Awake at last? Come here! Quick!”
Yep. Suspicious as hell, whatever it is.
Otman welcoming with arms wide like he’d been waiting. Strange energy stronger up close, Notum dazed like entranced.
Worst: Aldrich twitching head side to side every second, eyes bloodshot.
‘Looks like he found gold.’
Seeing rare welcoming from him, I hurried to Aldrich’s side, growing uneasy. He crouched under robe hugging something tight; spotted me and recoiled opposite.
“Wh-who! Stay back! You’re cursed!”
“It’s me, Aldrich. Me.”
“Ah.... you.... are you.”
“Yes. Telling a guy who cheated death he’s cursed. Why hurt my feelings?”
“Hmm.... not particularly sorry. Came after seeing your limbs grow back faster than summer weeds with Borca. Anyway, good timing. Was uneasy guarding alone, but even if not the core, a saint is a saint— more proper than me handling it.”
First time Aldrich welcomed me like this. Saint? Proper?
“Jeez, what the hell you holding making you ramble? Huh? Edenorna’s head? If so, forgive not being here when I woke....”
Fwooooosh!!!
My gripe melted like eyes in the brilliant holy light leaking from Aldrich’s arms. Just peeking the collar gap lit surroundings like daylight, warm glow.
“Th-that. So pretty. Beautiful. Prettiest I’ve ever seen. Th-that....”
“Wh-what the hell is that?”
Aldrich quickly covered the collar from entranced Notum’s arms, glanced around warily, whispered in Professor’s ear.
“....Her.”
“....Pardon?”
“Saintess. The S-Saintess’s s-soul!”
“....This?”
Nod nod!
“Saintess.... the one said only one per church.... her?”
Nod nod nod!
“Not the Saintess, just her soul.... inside that now?”
Nod nod nod nod!!!
.
.
.
.
“??????????????????????????????”
Dooong—
Wow. Amazing. No system, yet church bells ringing in my head.
Soul? Saintess’s soul.... the Mercy Saintess, kidnapped for months— effectively dead?
Aldrich, cradling warm light soul like brooding bird, faced Professor with pride and worry-filled eyes.
“I.... I did it.”
“Aldrich....”
“You said run, but I witnessed it. I’m a soul sorcerer, after all....”
“Aldrich....!”
“Had to. That merciful light enduring pain and oppression, those frail arms embracing other souls even then— with these hands—”
“Aldriiiiich!!!!!!”
Whoosh!
Overjoyed, I lunged at Aldrich; tightly gripped robe fluttered, leaking light dyeing night valley autumn hues.
“I did it. I.... rescued the sealed Saintess....”
“Damn it, I love you Aldrich! Soul sorcery forever! Never mock low-rank nights again!”
“I did it. I.... brought Mercy’s Daughter back to the world....”
Amid stunned group, now equally stunned Professor couldn’t shut his mouth.
Saintess’s soul. Rescuing faith’s foundation— direct link to god— worth unimaginable, Professor couldn’t guess.
Undeniably, among legit rewards since game start— not stolen— most valuable ever.
****
Whoooosh—
‘Aaaah, healing. Just being near feels like back on my old shelter couch....’
Warm, cozy.
Confirming Saintess’s soul, I joined ‘suspiciously vigilant guest group.’ No wonder Aldrich and crew guarded so fiercely.
Saintess’s soul magnet for undead, evil spirits, demons, black mages, evil-tainted monsters— anything with ‘evil.’
Luckily, Mercy God and Loham made faces; holy relic used as knuckle duster in human form safely accepted her soul.
‘If status window lived, probably [Holy Power: 999999999/250] or so.’
“D-did it work?”
“Y-yeah.... probably?”
Caw!
“Probably?! Time for vague words?! Aren’t you a saint?! Saint doesn’t know?!”
“Yell at Archbishop! Saintess soul leaving temple rare in history, wandering sans relic only once 70 years ago— how should I know relic compatibility!”
Aldrich collapsed legs giving out after handing soul.
No surprise. Saintess soul shakes religion’s core.
‘Saintess dies, soul enters newborn baby, they say.’
GG lore: dead become stars, wind, earth— but Saintess exception.
God’s direct conduit to world, eternally reincarnating for sacred duty.
Thus, church with Saintess: nothing more important than her, save their god. Even truck of god-signed edicts incomparable.
‘Kidnapped Saintess— no wonder Mercy paladins turned merciless hammers.’
70 years ago, 2nd World main scenario: our Radiant Church Saintess kidnapped. Sold relics to flower trees, even demolished temple for marble war funds, declared endless holy war till retrieval.
Too late; corrupted. Before ruined main altar, captain tearfully purified fallen soul— Radiant Saintess gone forever. Why no Saintess in Loham Church now.
Anyway, that time carrying corrupted Saintess soul from lord’s carcass in holy ark: sole record of soul leaving church.
Whoooosh— whoooosh—
Now, history’s second: Mercy Saintess soul around my neck, free from church.
“....Closest Mercy Church?”
“Four days.... capital or Dytance....”
“Contact?”
Borca pulled ragged robe scraps from pouch. Dirty cloth with blood-scrawled hasty letter.
“[Saintess soul in our hands. Want Mercy Saintess back? Send paladins with holy ark to Storm Hill now....] Kidnappers? Wanna die that bad?”
“Wasn’t sane! Rewrote several times! Those failures!”
“At least ink on paper!”
“Was urgent!”
“Ask Otman to scribe!”
“He saw Saintess, chugged three sedatives, turned idiot!”
“Aargh, sick.... Where sent?”
“Border bishop. No known Mercy names....”
“Phew! Good call. They’ll filter, relay via holy magic.”
Around 3-4 AM now; hours later, threat letter hits bishop. Radiant holy comms light-speed to Mercy Church. Soon, two-three days: merciless knights swarming as Mercy clerics.
Handing soul, catching breath with life potion-like brown vial, calmed Aldrich explained Edenorna fight events.
“After my message spell ‘It’s a trap!’?”
“Yes. Barely heard over breath, but said I’m target.”
Right. Focused only on Edenorna then.
“....So, max defenses up, planned support whichever way.... then spotted him.”
Aldrich: first time seeing soul so horrific despite hairy. Souls mashed like chewed grains, stitched into pieced bodies.
“Not sure, but via dominated flesh.... necromantic patchwork of raised dead. As soul sorcerer, couldn’t stand by.”
Full prep for Palkatus. Furious soul grip ravaged Bazur’s innards, reached presumed core....
Found it. Purest crystal holding form amid shredded flesh, soul-eating pain.
“So. Yanked it out?”
“Yanked. Arm.... sorta. Her protecting souls came too. Five earth mages, one water, three fire. Theirs returned; I puked blood from backlash but secured Saintess soul, retreated. Sorry. Should’ve helped you, but soul tangle inside beyond imagination....”
“No. Helped beyond plenty.”
Explains. Late-game Bazur solos cities; even mouth-sealed counter-spell, no resistance odd.
Early used corrupted holy on Bazur, but no 1% chant 99% intent holy at crisis? Not didn’t— couldn’t. Couldn’t digest massive Saintess soul, ate flesh only, topped with suppressed soul for corrupted holy, slowly whittling— then soul sorcerer rips out. Violently, like gutting spilling contents.
‘Astraad subdued, no resistance. Could’ve killed him?’
Good news: holy light showed ~40 gray corpses valley corner. Not abusing dead mages— Bazur’s dropped ‘stock,’ chewed-rebuilt mage flesh.
Devourer mage dropping that much stock: fatal wound not minor. Plus forced soul rip— near-kill, just no corpse confirm. Alive? No full-power castle-solo like other worlds.
“Ooh. Oooooh....”
Ding ding ding~
[Basic Goal. Elf Forest Hot Air Balloon One-Way Ticket - Achieved]
[Small Nests 2, Medium Nest 1 - Eliminated]
[Current Relative Combat Power: Excluding blood spray, tanked Edenorna hits. Last hit solid. Expect serious injury. Indirectly eased Lordric front.]
+[★★★★★ Recovered Stolen Mercy Saintess Soul! Saintess Soul!! History’s second appearance! First pre-corruption recovery! Reward: Called Mercy knights— debt enough to use as human furniture, doormats, still leftover insane IOU!!!!!]
+[★★★ Bazur, crippled. Dropped nearly all intact stock— likely just base black mages left. Fell from omni-carpet-bomb mage to unlucky black mage blob]
Ding ding ding! Ding ding ding ding ding ding!!
See it. Rewards from Storm Hill jackpot slot machine pouring!
Sniff!
“You.... crying?”
“....Yeah. Suddenly welled up....”
“Hmm. Thought fake saint, but real faith huh.”
No, not that.
Sniff!
“Game. It’s a game. Gedroits’s not torture sim— enjoying game....”
First time GG life rewarded effort after near-deaths, dog-rolling, bloody pulp. Unjust, joyful. First proper unexpected reward in desperate gamer life. Every sip in thirst was poisoned chalice. This damn game.
Slurp!
Drool pouring.
Thought all suffering for naught; sorting reveals yam-stem huge rewards popping.
‘Snap out. Park Professor! Dream come true. Effort paying off! Rare normalcy— might never return!’
Gaming life never this good. Focus, Park Professor. Root out fully— endure future trash events.
While I tanked Edenorna, Astraad mega-killed Bazur, Aldrich secured Saintess soul.
‘Rest? Besides them, what?’
Aldrich done. Otman defense spells. Borca, Notum stuck close— nothing special.... but.
“Borca, Notum. See pale corpse near hole I fell? No, you said rescued— not corpse. Severed limbs? Gruesome wounds. Worm hole echoing pained screams?”
“Saw plenty Captain’s wounds, limbs. No white monster.”
“Notum?”
“Grooo.... Eyes wide beautiful.... one-of-kind.... Notum cries. Too beautiful. Woo woo....”
Dud. Borca no; Notum soul-drunk, no talk.
‘Party checked. Left....’
“Anyone seen Astraad?”
‘Main dish!’
Admin max. Bright future 16yo.
Rare wind mage outside Storm Hill.
Rarer, less crazy wind mage.
Used 3rd, 7th circle grand magics.
‘Promising sapling from cotyledon— jack beanstalk magic bean level!’
Look at results from nurtured soul sorcerer. In companion game, competent ally = royal road to comfy play.
“Heh heh heh.... where hole up.... our prospect....”
“....Grok.”
Notum unconsciously crossed self at muscle man eyes gleaming hunting boy-mage. Like Aldrich said— cursed by Saintess soul vibe.
****