---

Chapter 65: Soul Snatcher, Prison Room Transformation

Along the sides of this underground corridor, many narrow cells were built, housing at least several hundred people, including adults, children, and those dressed as adventurers.

When Miss Vilyric saw them, most were already on the brink of death from torment, too weak to even stand; they barely reacted even upon seeing the two girls pass by.

Now that they were here, Vilyric threw in a few low-level healing spells, intending to dangle a thread of life for those who looked the most lifeless, feeling like they could perish at any moment.

However, when the spells took effect and their conditions didn’t change much, the priestess felt something was off.

These people had something strange about them.

Their physical condition might indeed be poor, but the true reason for their feebleness was not physical—it was something deeper within.

“Not the body, but the mind… or should I say the soul?”

Realizing this, the girl’s delicate face first showed a serious expression, but then transformed into one of exhilaration.

“Hey, now this is getting interesting!”

To be honest, Miss Vilyric had almost no understanding of soul-related matters; the game world rarely covered such topics, and at most, it leaned toward similar mental magic.

But this should be different.

The last time she had encountered souls was when reviving Kunier and the ratman Plakaka, and that was just an automated part of the resurrection skill; she still knew nothing about its essence.

In the real world, one couldn’t explain everything with game theories.

So, let’s try to heal them!

The first step in healing was to figure out why they ended up like this.

What exactly was wrong with their souls?

After much thought, Vilyric finally found that maid she had seen once in the little princess Mona’s palace, who was locked up in one of these cells, looking quite unwell.

They were all women, so it would be easier to treat and interact, plus she had just been captured, at least not yet stinking up the place.

Keys… of course, she had none; perhaps those guys who were knocked out could have some, but the priestess had a simpler way to open the door.

“Xiao Guang, go!”

“Understood!”

Giving her pet a look, the Little Dragon Daughter quickly grasped the bars of the cell with both hands.

Sizzle sizzle crackle crackle sizzle…

With a strength attribute several times greater than Vilyric’s, the Little Dragon Daughter easily distorted the metal bars, which were about half a centimeter in diameter, as if they were playdough, creating a doorway large enough for an adult to pass through.

Wow, having high strength is refreshing…

Vilyric had about 15,000 power points, which in the game, was roughly the attributes of a level 60-70 warrior; even though she could kick down several-ton heavy iron doors, it was still a stretch to twist steel with just her bare hands like Xiao Guang could.

Let’s not forget, the Little Dragon Daughter had half a crystal dragon bloodline, a terrifying breed that could tear through space and time with bare strength.

Following the path opened by the Little Dragon Daughter, Vilyric approached the maid, who was already pale and trembling from the horrific scene, not caring whether she agreed or not, she placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Information Detection.”

The priestess furrowed her brow slightly.

She didn’t need to be told, but this maid had a peculiar one-sided connection?

According to the information returned by the skill, this strange mental link was like a real parasite, continuously absorbing the girl’s soul power and transferring it somewhere else.

It felt similar to the “Desecrated Cocoon” transformed from Ulysses in the Forgotten Land, absorbing souls to nourish something.

Could it be that the Throne of Immortality also planned to use these people to nurture something?

Nurture… nurture…?

Suddenly, a light flashed in her mind.

“Wait, could it be…?”

Wasn’t there something written in that notebook she found by chance about using human souls to nurture vengeful spirits?

Although she hadn’t seen any vengeful spirits along the way, the strong, suffocating malice in the experimentation area had left a deep impression on Vilyric.

While the notebook mentioned that pure souls of children had the best nurturing effect, it didn’t mean adults were completely useless, right?

Plus, Vilyric remembered that regarding the one successful instance of merging with a vengeful spirit, although the most crucial information was lost, there had been mentions of its creation method.

[Considering the instability of merging with vengeful spirits, a hypothesis is proposed. If a small amount of vengeful spirits is transformed into a purely unconscious collection of resentful thoughts, and pure souls are harvested to nourish them, aiding their growth, and finally, if a single controllable soul merges with it, is it possible to obtain a stable spiritual entity that is both powerful and obedient?

—New Calendar Year 1369, Leopold’s Note]

Got it.

So, this entire Iris Flower Orphanage was actually a huge soul supply factory.

The main goal of the Throne of Immortality seizing this place was probably to conduct vengeful spirit manufacturing experiments.

No wonder it felt like most of those captured here were children.

However, according to the content of the notebook and the scenes previously witnessed in the experimentation area, the experiment should still be in the early nurturing stages, yet to involve souls with independent thinking.

Perhaps that Leopold planned to take this opportunity to sacrifice someone, complete the manufacturing, and attempt to merge vengeful spirit powers while trying to break out.

But he got killed in seconds and didn’t have a chance to do anything.

So, it should be…

“Ugh!”

Before Vilyric could confirm her guess, the maid, who was trembling from fear yet was otherwise in decent condition, suddenly collapsed.

Her pure and lovely face twisted in pain, and the aura emanating from her plummeted like a cliff.

“Huh?!”

Vilyric’s information detection hadn’t retracted yet, so she immediately understood what was happening to the maid.

Something was rapidly and actively absorbing the maid’s soul power!

Why was this happening?! Clearly, the vengeful spirits shouldn’t have had a chance to be created!

“Ahhh!!!”

“Ugh!”

“It hurts, my head hurts so much!!”

At the same time, those within the other cells, who were dazed from soul loss, began to scream in horror one after another, with only a few unaffected, likely used for other experiments.

“…”

The priestess slowly stood up.

Several symbols of anger seemed to appear on her forehead.

“Although I don’t know what’s going on, you jerk, do you think too little of me?!”

With a flash of golden light, the crimson “Purifying Flame” in the priestess’s hand transformed into her true exclusive weapon.

She was getting a little angry.

Vilyric raised her “Eternal Staff: Heart of the World,” and the tip of the holy staff began to emit an unprecedented dazzling light.

Even in the game, not many players could claim they could kill the target Vilyric had chosen during her healing process!

Who do you think you are!?

“Obey my call, descend, Celestial Voice!!”