Chapter 137: Parting the Clouds and Mist

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in the temple that resembled a sacrificial altar, with Hilda lying on the ground, her limbs severed, looking like she had lost consciousness.

“Master! Are you alright?!”

Little Dragon Daughter anxiously supported Vilyric’s shoulders, while the other girls, including Leila and Renée, gathered around.

After a moment of silence, the Priestess clenched her fist, sensing her internal state.

No change— the gray light that had suddenly collided with me before was gone. It seemed to be some kind of spiritual force, and the battle that took place in the illusion didn’t drain Vilyric’s MP at all. Only her SP seemed to have decreased slightly, but it was recovering on its own.

A pure soul domain confrontation, huh…

“I’ve been unconscious for a long time? What happened during that time?”

“Not long… about three seconds. I was on guard the whole time, and that woman suddenly closed her eyes and stopped moving…”

She was clearly worried; Giant Dragon still hesitated and confirmed again.

“Are you really okay, Master? Although it was a short time, I sensed a violent fluctuation in your spirit earlier.”

“I’m really fine… That level of attack can’t do anything to me.”

It seems this special interactive illusion doesn’t stop time completely. The intense spiritual fluctuation that Xiao Guang mentioned must have been when she slaughtered a million Abyss Beasts in [Destruction Mode]. Entering that state does have some effect on Vilyric’s spirit.

If a spiritual entity dies in an illusion, I suppose they wouldn’t wake up in reality either.

I’ll need to be careful in the future. This time it was fine, but if it were a real battle on the same plane, just a few seconds of delay could be deadly. If I encounter it again, it’s much better to escape immediately.

After calming the worried faces of Sigrid and Leila Renée with a glance, Vilyric didn’t elaborate further. She crouched down again to check on Hilda’s condition.

The gray vine-shaped mark on her forehead had already vanished, and if nothing unexpected occurred, it likely served as fuel for Hilda’s rebound against Vilyric. Such an attack, even in an illusion, wouldn’t be so easily replicated.

However, Hilda’s once-dark gray hair, which hung down from one side of her ponytail, and the oddly shaped broken wings didn’t return to their original white. The ear wings symbolizing her hybrid angel identity were still present.

It seems this is a permanent change, at least in a conventional sense.

As for her current state…

Vilyric activated [Information Detection] again.

Ah, she’s dead.

“…”

Little Dragon Daughter’s few precise strikes should only have incapacitated her without taking her life. Thus, Hilda’s cause of death must have been from that gray light that departed her body earlier.

Perhaps much like the parasite of [Disaster], there’s nothing wrong while under control, but once released, life rapidly declines, leading to death in a short time.

That gray light was probably a similar type of thing— and even more ferocious than the first, granting terrifying power at the pseudo-god level while also acting like the Sword of Damocles, ready to take the bearer’s life at any moment.

The essence of the authority of [Withering]… That guy also said something about breaking her toys.

When transforming Hilda into this doll-like state, they surely didn’t intend for her to live.

What a vulgar interest.

But the more so, Vilyric is determined to thwart that arrogant individual’s plans.

Feigning as if nothing had happened, the black-haired girl slightly turned her head to look at the others behind her.

From the passage of time, it seemed no one had yet approached to check, and Vilyric was the first to notice the fact of the former [Free Wings] high-ranking member’s death.

Xiao Guang probably noticed, but she never liked needless chatter and didn’t care about Hilda’s life or death, her expression almost unchanged.

“Ahem.”

Intentionally coughing lightly to catch the attention of those around, Sigrid, who had been monitoring the situation, tensed up immediately.

“Vilyric? How is Senior Hilda? You’re the Priestess, right? Please, you must save her!”

Vilyric didn’t stand up, maintaining her previous stance, and without turning back, she said, “Please calm down. Although she’s gravely injured, she’s not beyond saving. In the meantime, you all wait outside for a bit; I need some time to treat her.”

“?”

Though they exchanged glances, seeming a bit hesitant, Sigrid’s trust in the Priestess, along with the common knowledge that treatments require a quiet environment, led Leona and the others to keep silent and nod before stepping out with a few of the Priests.

Leila Renée and the other winged girls soon left as well, and soon the temple was left with only Vilyric and her pet assistant.

Without outsiders, Little Dragon Daughter spoke candidly.

“Master, are you planning to resurrect this woman?”

“Hmm, actually after that gray light struck me earlier…”

Vilyric succinctly explained what happened in the illusion to Xiao Guang. The latter paused for thought, seemingly making a certain guess, or rather a judgment.

“Master, the Xi Fu you encountered in the illusion must be the one from Omoland.”

“Is that so…”

Although I had my suspicions, Little Dragon Daughter’s words undoubtedly added considerable weight and confirmation. Vilyric knew her character; she wouldn’t casually speak without enough confidence.

Now things became clearer.

The entity collecting the fragments of the Earth Mother Goddess’s divine spark had somehow broken free from her seal, becoming this immensely powerful splinter. The fragments from the Book of No Words were likely taken by her.

Vilyric remembered that this entity mentioned having met the High Priestess of the Sky City during her conversation with Hilda earlier.

This statement could be interpreted in two ways: either they knew each other and were in a cooperative relationship, which seemed unlikely, or the Sky City harbors fragments of the Earth Mother Goddess’s divine spark, making the Xi Fu attempt to seize them, resulting in encounters with the High Priestess safeguarding it.

Considering the importance of the Sky City and the strength of its High Priestess, it’s highly probable that this fragment carries substantial weight, and the last attempt by that “Xi Fu” likely ended in failure.

Otherwise, given her vile character and disregard for life, the Wing City wouldn’t be so peaceful.

During the disaster on the Island of Spris, I recalled Xi Fu mentioning, as if talking to herself, something about “arriving at this realm again,” and how easily she transformed Hilda into a pseudo-god level angel…

It seems this Xi Fu has likely breached some threshold, reaching a status that could be called divine.

And if she were to do it again…

Vilyric frowned, thinking of certain unsettling possibilities.

Well, no matter what, let’s first resurrect Hilda.

Even though I haven’t had much interaction with this winged girl, Vilyric wants to trip up that arrogant individual.

   

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