Chapter Ninety-Seven: Tomb of the Lost Sword

With more and more experiences using soul avatars and managing SP, Miss Vilyric naturally could no longer be casually pulled into strange illusions or echoes of memories like before. Now, she faced situations that could only be breached with brute force, or else she would remain stuck inside.

Her consciousness divided into two paths; her main body could still observe the external environment and adjust accordingly, while another part, composed of SP, quietly delved into the Gray-clothed Swordsman’s mind.

At the deepest part of a being’s spirit lies a bizarre world formed by their thoughts—dreamlike and otherworldly.

According to long-term research and investigation results from the Holy Empire First Comprehensive Research and Education Academy regarding soul studies, the scene in the spiritual world generally reflects the essence of a sentient being’s life, engraved with their most profound memories, akin to a general on the battlefield, a woodcutter in the forest, or a scholar among books.

As for the soul’s spiritual world…

It is a graveyard of swords.

A resting place buried with countless treasured blades.

“Swish.”

Vilyric’s figure materialized in this spiritual realm.

However, she didn’t rush to act immediately. Instead, she looked down at her attire, revealing a somewhat helpless smile.

The signature black hair and white robe reminded the girl that she had reverted to her true form once again.

Every time was like this; whenever Vilyric separated her soul, regardless of whether her main body wore a disguise, it would have no effect on the former identity. Even the Mask of the God Fox, a semi-divine artifact capable of altering information perception, seemed to behave the same way.

If it weren’t for the soul avatar being unobservable through conventional means, it would indeed be quite troublesome.

Fortunately, the spiritual world resembled the subconscious of a being, much like a dream; even if Vilyric made a commotion here, it shouldn’t leave any memory for the person involved.

Alright, let’s see what’s going on.

The sky in the spiritual realm was dark and gloomy, without sun or moon, visibility only at half-degree. The Priestess strolled around the graveyard littered with broken swords but found nothing that could be deemed strange.

Naturally, her gaze drifted to the center of the sword tomb, where a giant gray sword stood, towering several dozen meters high, nearly half-embedded in the ground. For some reason, it was firmly bound by a dozen high stone pillars and iron chains rising to the clouds.

“It seems quite complicated… Why is it that this guy’s spiritual world is only filled with swords? He didn’t exactly come off as a sword-obsessed fanatic back in Demon Town…”

Muttering her doubts, Vilyric approached the sealed giant sword and prepared to touch it…

But.

“Stop right there!”

A familiar, melodic exclamation suddenly rang in her ears!

“Huh?”

The girl turned around, and her expression subtly shifted.

Nearby, there appeared a girl, seemingly around thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in the standard royal attire of the United Kingdom, with azure blue hair that oddly contrasted her youthful face.

She rushed over and grabbed the Priestess’s hand.

“You cannot touch that cursed sword! It’s been infected by evil power, and if you touch it recklessly, you too will be tainted by that force!”

“…?”

Faced with the blue-haired girl’s urgent yet earnest warning, Miss Vilyric merely twitched her lips and finally uttered a name.

“Mona?”

“Eh?”

Seeing the Priestess show no reaction, the blue-haired girl was about to say something more but was caught off guard by the words that suddenly came out of the black-haired girl’s mouth, her face quickly contorting to confusion.

“Uh, how do you know my name is Mona? Have we met before?”

Realizing she indeed acknowledged it, Vilyric’s gaze became even more bizarre, her mouth opening and closing for a while, ultimately just nodding ambiguously.

“Well, sort of…”

Oh boy, oh boy.

The embodiment appearing in this deep spiritual world, except for Vilyric’s consciousness from the external world, could only be a virtual entity constructed by the subconscious of that guy, the one called Soul.

Such virtual consciousness typically has two sources: one is the physical representation of the spirit world’s master, and the other is usually someone who left a profoundly impactful impression on them, often resembling a loved one, close friend, or parents.

This half-grown girl before her could not possibly be the Soul’s own consciousness, unless that guy had some strange cross-dressing habit. Plus, the resemblance to the princess was at least seven or eight points, not to mention her déjà vu tone…

Wow, this guy really has some messed-up intentions toward Little Mona! Damn loli-con! This is evidence caught red-handed! Court him, serious business! You’re done for, kid!

While Miss Vilyric was boiling over with her internal rant, it was clear that none of her thoughts could be heard by the girl who bore an unmistakable resemblance to the little Princess Mona in appearance, demeanor, actions, outfit, and name. Noticing Vilyric merely twitching her lips in silence, “Mona” tilted her head in confusion, quickly showing surprise.

“Are you alright? Why does your expression look strange? Wait! Did you touch the tainted sword?! What do we do now?!”

Alright, it seemed there was still a difference compared to the real one.

The real Mona would never act so childishly. Even though she appeared to be just a kid, the influence of the Revelation meant her mental maturity surpassed most adults, let alone her peers.

In essence, this “Mona” was merely a composite image constructed from the desires of the Soul.

Facing a virtual consciousness that existed only in the spiritual realm, it didn’t require a detailed explanation. Though based on Mona, this person remained an extension of that guy’s specific thoughts. If made too clear, and the entity realized that none of this was real, it could lead to potential collapse or distortion of this spiritual world.

Thus, Vilyric simply shook her head nonchalantly.

“It’s nothing, Mona… Actually, I came specifically to deal with the evil power sealed within this sword… um, as a priestess, one who wields Holy Light, so there’s no need to worry. Just step aside and leave it to me.”

However, such a simple remark couldn’t easily earn affirmation.

“Eh? No, no! I don’t know who you are, but that evil power is far too terrifying! Everyone put in tremendous effort and numerous sacrifices just to temporarily seal it within the main sword of the graveyard. If an outsider touches it carelessly…”

Watching this “Mona” wear an expression of skepticism made the Priestess amused, yet she chose not to forcefully exert her authority, instead turning to glance once more at the gigantic sword surrounded by stone pillars and tightly bound by iron chains.

“Well then, if I don’t touch it, can you guarantee that you will forever keep that evil power sealed in the sword?”

“Uh, well…”

Suddenly, “Mona” fell silent.

From the anxiety practically etched on her face, Vilyric could easily read the little girl’s thoughts.

There’s no way.

   

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