Chapter 55: Maiden’s Soul Stone
One day has passed since the incident in the Ruined Village.
However, Lonis was still lost in a state of being close yet far, unable to snap out of it.
She realized that besides herself, there were many other heroes in this world, but their fates were not as smooth as hers… Many heroes had sacrificed themselves on the path of struggle.
(Will Luna and I also face such a day?)
(The hero’s life is very dangerous. If we continue on this path, will we die?)
Thinking this, Lonis looked at Elus with a worried gaze. However, the black-haired girl merely returned her gaze with apparent “disdain.”
“Hmph, you masochistic maid, do you want to be bullied by me again?”
“Eh?!”
“If you’re worried about me, there’s no need. I am Elus, the master destined to lead you to eliminate those monsters. You weak submissive girl only need to warm my bed and act cute.”
After saying that, Elus extended a finger and playfully flicked Lonis’s chest without restraint~
The jiggle caused Lonis to instinctively tremble, and her cheeks turned red.
“Wuwu.”
“Hmph, obedient… Next, we need to purify the village’s filth. Come here.”
“Understood…”
When night fell, Lonis and Elus returned to the vicinity of the village.
Old Hu was standing at the village entrance, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
“Old Hu, are you alright?”
Seeing the disheveled middle-aged man, Lonis felt a mix of emotions, unsure of what to say.
Old Hu had tried for 7 years for Luna, but in reality, Luna liked the hero lying in the ruins… Even if Luna’s journey had been safe, Old Hu would not be able to be with the person he loved.
Was this considered being a backup?
Lonis was worried about Old Hu’s mental state, but the man shook his head and said frankly, “I’m fine, of course I’m fine… Being alive, this outcome was within my expectations.”
“Eh…?”
“Fate is decided by life and death. Don’t worry about me, let’s think about the villagers… The villagers are all innocent. I hope they can all live safely from now on.”
“That’s for sure, that’s why I came… Where are the villagers?”
“I’ll begin the summoning now.”
Old Hu closed his eyes slightly and played his flute. The villagers, who resembled zombies, came out of their houses with stumbling steps.
Each of them had a deathly pale face, which was somewhat chilling to behold.
However, Elus seemed unfazed and directly said to Lonis, “Lonis, summon the Crimson Lotus Hammer. Then, cut your palm and smear your blood on it.”
“Yes!”
Lonis summoned the Crimson Lotus Hammer cleanly and performed the ritual according to Elus’s command—the moment her blood dripped onto the warhammer, the flames on the Crimson Lotus Hammer seemed to burn even more fiercely.
…
Seeing the bright flames, Old Hu was completely stunned:
“This is the power of the Fiery Abyss…”
“Mr. Old Hu, you know about the Fiery Abyss too?”
“Yes, the Fiery Abyss is one of the Seven Rainbow Abysses, of course I’ve heard of its power. I just didn’t expect that in this world today, there are still people who can use the power of the Fiery Abyss!”
“Eh?”
“There are fewer and fewer adventurers who can receive blessings in this world. I always feel like we’re getting worse with each generation.”
Old Hu sighed, and Elus did not join the conversation, only saying to Lonis:
“Lonis, don’t get distracted. Your wound has healed. You need to continue to drip blood onto the hammer.”
“Yes, I know!”
…
Fire is the cornerstone of civilization’s birth.
It was because of fire that people could avoid the attacks of insects and beasts in the dark, silent nights.
Therefore, the power contained within the Crimson Lotus Hammer also had the effect of purification and driving away.
In the radiance of the flames, the villagers who resembled zombies trembled, their faces contorted as if they were screaming on the Munch Bridge.
And soon, black worms crawled out of their mouths and noses.
“Lonis, Old Hu, don’t let these worms escape!”
“Elus, what should I do?”
“Smash them all. These dirty things must be eradicated completely.”
…
…
With the combined efforts of the three, the village’s darkness was thus purified.
The villagers’ bodies recovered their health, but besides Old Hu, none of the villagers knew what had happened…
They just felt as if they had a long dream, where darkness engulfed the whole world. But upon waking, the sun still rose from the east.
“Eh… My body suddenly feels so light. What’s going on?”
“Has that little girl who came to take refuge already left…”
The old woman looked into the distance, her eyes filled with contemplation.
“Yes, everyone, don’t worry. They found a merchant caravan and have reunited safely.”
Old Hu, as requested by the two, did not reveal what happened in the ruins.
Since this was a story that happened in the night,
Let everything be hidden in the night.
…
And Lonis and Elus returned to the ship.
“Hehe, Elus, that’s great~”
Seeing the villagers safe and sound, Lonis sincerely smiled.
“Ha, what’s so great about it.”
“This incident has been resolved satisfactorily. Both the puppet worms and the monsters in the ruins have been purified by us, right?”
“Yeah, yeah~ But haven’t you, you idiot maid, noticed that we haven’t received a single penny.”
“Eh?!”
“Even though we helped these villagers so much, they didn’t even say thank you.”
“This… This can’t be blamed on the villagers, right? After all, no one knows what we did.”
Lonis smiled wryly, suddenly realizing that the hero’s work itself had no reward… The only consolation was the villagers’ smiles.
However, if there were no smiles, like in the snow mountain village, it would be too tragic.
…
“Hmph, it seems you’ve realized it. If we want to continue advancing, funds are essential. If we have more outgoings than income in the future, I’ll have no choice but to let you, this slave maid, earn money.”
“Eh?!”
“But for now, hmph hmph… With this, we should have more options~”
Elus smiled and took out the crystal head from the drawer.
Lonis did not forget that this was the remains of the hero from the ruins, and the crystal head now seemed to be inhabited by Luna’s soul.
“Master Elus, this head…”
“Yes, you guessed correctly. This is also a Magic Gemstone, but it’s a very rare type among Magic Gemstones, a Human Gemstone, also known as a Soul Stone.”
“Soul Stone?!”
“Yes, do you remember how Magic Gemstones are born? They are formed by the compression of matter. This Magic Gemstone is also formed by the condensation of a fallen hero’s soul and head.”
“Then, then is the purpose of a Soul Stone also for energy supply?”
“No, it’s mainly used as a core for machinery or puppets.”
“Eh?”
“In other words, as long as there is a suitable body, Luna might be able to be resurrected… And the fallen hero has given us this choice.”
Elus took a deep breath and said so.
(Next volume contains sexy content, no fear of review!)
Volume Two: From Pure Hope
