Chapter 28: Resonating Fragments

“Are you all alright?”

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under the intense gaze of a few people, Miss Vilyric could only bite the bullet and change the subject.

Fortunately, Epunya and the others were all legendary strong beings with resolute minds. Although they had been overwhelmed by the indescribable atmosphere and sight at first, the moment Vilyric spoke, that feeling seemed to quickly dissipate.

A sense of familiarity from shared memories began to swell within them, and the reverence akin to gazing at a deity was tucked away in their hearts. Even Edwina, the most devout, soon adjusted her attitude.

“Ahem… Well, we’re fine. When the Phantom Cloud appeared, the four of us were together and didn’t get separated. I’ve experienced this kind of trick before, so I was prepared.”

The half-beast gentleman, who was the least affected, calmly recounted their previous situation.

Vilyric’s speed in repelling the Phantom Cloud was astonishingly fast, taking less than a minute, and since they had Edwina, the legendary Holy Knight, among them, none of the four were corrupted by the disaster.

“Speaking of which, it’s no surprise, Miss Vilyric! That powerful Southern Disaster didn’t stand a chance before you! Incredible! Has it been completely eradicated?”

With excitement still bubbling, Edwina almost slipped up but quickly covered her mouth and corrected herself to avoid raising suspicion among the others.

“Eradicate… Hmph, I wish it were that simple; this thing is quite cunning.”

Returning her gaze to the blossoming Light Bloom of Eternal Protection, Vilyric waved her hand, causing the fantastical, radiant flower to quietly fade away.

This flower was a byproduct of the barrier creation process; if one were to draw a comparison, it was like a cannon tube made before firing a shell—indispensable during the spellcasting process, but now that the Light Bloom of Eternal Protection was fully formed, it was merely ornamental and barely necessary.

Of course, it could serve as a decoy for internal enemies to attack the barrier’s core, but in reality, destroying it wouldn’t hold any significant meaning.

The core of the Light Bloom of Eternal Protection was none other than Vilyric herself.

Once the thousand-petal light lotus dissipated, the stark, barren ground reemerged before everyone, yet Vilyric could feel a large portion of the massive energy from the ley line had noticeably weakened.

Indeed, this was the source of the Phantom Cloud’s power, but at this level, it was merely like a lizard’s lost tail.

So, what should be done now?

Earlier, instructing Xiao Guang to attack was merely a means to flush out the Southern Disaster; the priestess did not seriously intend to destroy this area. Moreover, the entire Disaster Forest had already been purified and reverted back to a regular forest.

Employing the same method again likely wouldn’t yield results.

Should she dig a tunnel down to see what was going on inside?

That wasn’t out of the question, but it felt rather foolish…

As Vilyric was mulling over these thoughts, a faint wave suddenly emanated from her item bar, capturing her attention.

“Hm?”

It’s important to note that a player’s personal inventory in this world is akin to an independent, even time-stop space. To cross that barrier and catch Vilyric’s attention, an ordinary item simply wouldn’t suffice.

At the very least, it had to be an orange-grade or higher piece of equipment or item—like the Blood of Dawn from that vampire estate incident.

When something of this level actively reacts, it signifies important information.

Vilyric reached into the void, following the source of the sensation, and after some searching, what she retrieved under the curious gazes of the others was a small stone statue, about a dozen centimeters tall, made from some black stone.

Seeing this, the others generally didn’t react much, except for the winged sisters Leila and Renée, who gasped immediately.

“Eh? Isn’t this a statue of Lady Minerva?”

“Could it be that Lady Vilyric also worships…”

Leila, halfway through her sentence, glanced at the dreamlike scene where the night was illuminated as though it were daytime and hesitated, changing her wording.

“Carrying a statue of the God of Freedom with you, could it be… you’ve had an interaction with Her Highness?”

“Hey, hey, don’t jump to strange conclusions…”

The priestess looked exasperated, especially with Epunya present; considering Liliya’s standing, she didn’t express her thoughts too clearly.

“A friend gave it to me; just wait a moment.”

Saying this, the black-haired girl gently placed her finger on the statue, which emanated a soft blue glow. A voice from within echoed in her mind shortly after.

“It’s been a long time, Little Girl.”

Vilyric blinked for a moment.

“A long time? But it’s only been a few days since we last spoke, hasn’t it?”

The voice in the statue paused for a moment as well.

“Is it? Perhaps being sealed for so long has muddled my sense of time; but that’s not important. Little Girl, where are you right now?”

Vilyric didn’t immediately answer her.

“Don’t keep calling me Little Girl; it sounds odd. You said your name is Xi Fu, right? I’m Vilyric.”

“Alright, Vilyric.”

Xi Fu was as laid-back as ever, naturally calling the priestess by her name.

Without waiting for the other party to ask again, Vilyric brought the location of the Disaster Forest to the forefront of her mind. Mental communication made this relatively convenient.

“The Disaster… Forest? I don’t recall ever hearing that name, and the surrounding kingdoms haven’t mentioned it either. It should exist for a relatively short duration. Vilyric, could you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

The priestess wasn’t surprised; it was rare for Xi Fu to take the initiative to contact her, indicating she had sensed something very significant to her.

“There is an aura and resonance nearby that I am very familiar with. It may very well be another fragment of my sealed divine soul. If possible, I would like to ask you to take me to find it. Consider it a favor I owe you.”

“You can sense the external situation? But you clearly can’t hear my voice, Xi Fu; you’re not trying to trick me, are you?”

Within the statue, Xi Fu’s voice fell silent again for some time, seemingly deep in thought.

“Vilyric, I’m not lying. Currently, my perception of the outside world is indeed very weak. Normally, even if two objects containing fragments of my divine soul come into contact, I wouldn’t sense them unless they were close. However, given the current circumstances…”

“I can only conclude that the other party has already broken free of part of their seal, and the straight-line distance isn’t far. Furthermore, earlier, something must have happened that significantly increased its aura.”

“Vilyric, be careful. Although we are both part of Xi Fu, we are not entirely the same. A millennium of sealing and splitting has likely caused serious divergence in experiences and thoughts among the fragments. The other party… may not be friendly.”

   

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