Chapter 388: 5. Renee Has Arrived
“How am I supposed to get back from the Northern Region? Right, did I forget to leave my contact information for that Fisher? How will he contact me later? So troublesome; why can’t I just die?”
In the white expanse of snow, the Death Lord, who had walked quite a distance away, raised his flask and took a swig of liquor. It was only when the cold wind blew across his head that the drunkenness he had from earlier in the church began to fade slightly, suddenly reminding him of the troubling dilemma he faced.
He slapped his head, belatedly preparing to turn back to the Healing Rot Church to find Fisher and leave his contact information. He might as well borrow some Northern Region silver coins; it was quite expensive to take a ship back from here. He had spent all the money on cigarettes and alcohol, forgetting to leave some for his return fare.
One must say that a person who can be indifferent to life and death probably doesn’t care much about other matters. The Death Lord is a prime example.
Just as he raised his hand to take another sip of liquor and turned around, a strangely shaped lark shimmering with purple light quickly flew past above his forehead. It was the first time the Death Lord had seen such a wondrous bird.
“Such beauty.”
But he didn’t pay much attention to it, merely shaking his head as he prepared to set off again, when he suddenly saw a person and a book rushing this way. The slender figure in front, with a cold demeanor, was none other than Fisher Benavides, whom he had just seen in the Healing Rot Church.
Is my luck that good? Just as I was going to find him, he shows up?
“Fisher—”
“Sorry, I have urgent business.”
The Death Lord coughed and waved at Fisher, but as soon as he uttered the first syllable, he quickly passed by, following that lark. The rapidly flying Emhart also brushed past his ear, leaving the already drunken Death Lord feeling dizzy as he sat down in the snow, somewhat baffled, turning to look at the frail but still fast-running figure of Fisher, as he took another swig and mumbled,
“What’s the point of chasing after something when you’re already dying? Is it that important?”
He patted the snow off his black leather coat and stood up slowly, then made his way in the direction Fisher had run.
Beneath his raised leather coat, bluish-green twisted light flickered slightly. Upon closer inspection, it was seen to be translucent threads bound inside his body, on which flowed the very fate of the world.
And just about a kilometer away, within a snow-covered forest, a lady seemingly unfazed by the cold wore a rather lightweight black dress of Cardu style. Her long black hair was tied up with an elegant Cardu-style accessory, and she also sported an unknown white flower atop her head.
A faint fragrance wafted through the snow-covered winter woods, entrancing like the most profound wine in this world, much like the deep purple eyes of the running lady.
Who else could it be but Renee, the bad woman Fisher dreamed of day and night?
“Could you not chase me anymore? I’m already out of breath.”
“Mother, you have the aura of the Mother. Tell me how you did it?!”
Her pace was light, moving through the forest more like floating than running. In this rapid movement, she seemed to sense something, showing a hint of frustration as she pouted her red lips and turned back to look behind her. Not far away, two ragged middle-aged men were charging toward her madly.
On those two middle-aged men’s tattered clothing, a deep purple emblem of the Sorceress Research Society could vaguely be seen. The Sorceress Research Society evolved from the ancient Cardu Holy Church, so their hierarchy strictly follows the rules of the Holy Church, symbolized by the stars on their markings. Although these two middle-aged men were tattered, their markings contained six stars, indicating a relatively high identity, likely among the elders.
Previously, Fisher encountered the corpse of a Sorceress Research Society member at Sema Snow Mountain. Ever since the last President of the Sorceress Research Society was killed by a troll tasked with guarding the phoenix, several of his most loyal adherents had been searching for his whereabouts in the mountain. They never expected that a coup had occurred at the Sorceress Research Society headquarters far away in Cardu, leading to a change in dynasty.
Regardless of the state of the Sorceress Research Society within Cardu, the two middle-aged men trailing behind Renee were elders from the Sorceress Research Society who had been looking for the former president in the snowy mountain.
While patrolling the mountain, they discovered a member of the Sorceress Research Society who had come to deliver a message but died halfway up the mountain. Though the letter he was carrying was casually tossed off the cliff by Fisher, they could guess something was amiss back at the headquarters. Thus, they abandoned their search for the former president and decided to return to Cardu, only to encounter unforeseen troubles within the borders of the Sardinia Kingdom.
Not only did they bump into agents sent by the current president of the Sorceress Research Society to deal with them, but they also encountered a strange sorceress with the aura of the Mother, which sparked the current chase in the forest.
Upon hearing the nearly mad words of the two elders behind her, Renee rolled her eyes and turned to glance back at them. There were another dozen members sent by the current Sorceress Research Society to handle these two elders chasing them. As she turned back around, she kept staring at the southern direction, her expression seemingly unchanged, but her voice sounded pitiful.
“Woohoo, please don’t chase me anymore. I can’t match you; help! Someone is bullying me! Fisher, woohoo, I’m so scared, come save me!”
“What Fisher, halt right there, or we’ll use magic!”
“Elders Falute and Quaiko, President Kazawood just wants you to return to Cardu. Stop running!”
The pursuers grew closer, and the two elders forced into a corner had red eyes. Kazawood had never gotten along with them, and now these two former court officials would likely return with no body left intact.
But facing this strange sorceress, who seemed to possess clues to the Mother, the two decided to bet everything. They gritted their teeth and raised their hands at the back of the black-haired woman running ahead, while two rays of ancient magical light began to gather.
“Whoosh!”
At that critical moment, a flowing mercury-colored blade suddenly shot out from the nearby woods, instantly piercing through one of the elder’s hands. Blood sprayed everywhere, and their expressions changed, looking surprised at the side, only to be met with a large book glowing with golden light, larger than a human head, crashing into the face of the other uninjured elder.
“Is there someone else?”
“It’s you, Grandpa Emhart!”
Renee, running ahead, seemed to sense something and quickly turned to the side. She hadn’t seen him in a long time; there stood a gentleman from Nali, one hand resting on a large tree, gasping for breath. Though he appeared weaker than before, he quietly held out his Fluid Sword, his eyes fixed on the charming black-haired woman.
He coughed twice, trying to see through the beauty before him, and despite being extremely exhausted, he smiled a bit as he retracted the extending Fluid Sword.
“Renee, you’ve returned. Cough cough.”
“Fisher!”
Before Renee’s joyful expression could fully form, it quickly faded somewhat. Her deep purple eyes slightly narrowed as she examined Fisher and the emptiness behind him, as if she saw something behind his back.
Then, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she opened her mouth, intending to say something. Behind the two elders, who were either clutching their wounded hands moaning or holding their heads in pain, dozens of members in Sorceress Research Society uniforms, armed with magic, firearms, and swords, quickly surrounded them with hostile expressions.
“No escaping. Oh, what’s this?”
The leader kicked one of the prostrate ex-elders on the ground and looked up at the front, his breath suddenly quickening in disbelief upon seeing Renee. It was as if she radiated an undeniable brilliance of the Mother, one that no sorceress had ever possessed.
He released the elder beneath his foot, took two steps toward Renee, and his eyes began to redden.
“Where did you gain the Mother’s favor? Tell us quickly!”
Renee, belatedly shifting her gaze from Fisher, seemed startled, as if frightened by the wrathful members of the Sorceress Research Society. She took a step back, stammering,
“I… I don’t know. I’m just an ordinary sorceress. Who are you? Fisher, I’m scared.”
“Ordinary sorceress? Heh, well, that makes things easier.”
Just as the head member of the Sorceress Research Society maliciously prepared to approach, Fisher had already arrived in front of Renee. As a familiar fragrance wafted into his nostrils, he inexplicably sighed in relief, glancing back at the pitiful Renee hiding behind him, then turning to look at the returning Emhart.
“Emhart, cough cough, get ready to leave.”
Emhart nodded while curiously observing the beautiful woman hiding behind Fisher whom he was seeing for the first time. She seemed to be just an utterly ordinary sorceress; perhaps she was one of Fisher’s ex-girlfriends?
“Leave? You’re in such bad shape, where do you think you’re going? Do you want us to get you a wheelchair or something?”
Following this remark, the Sorceress Research Society member gave a cold laugh, raising his firearm toward Fisher. Fisher coughed again, his Fluid Sword twitching a bit, clearly preparing to take action.
“Mr. Fisher, wait! Ah, you, too, why are you fighting so hard when you’re dying? What will I do if you die? I’m here to help you!”
Just as the two sides were on the verge of clashing, the drunken Death Lord appeared on the mountain slope from which Fisher had come, shouting down at Fisher while stretching out his hand to borrow his windbreaker, making Fisher raise an eyebrow, unsure if he was still inebriated or preparing to do something strange in front of everyone.
Unexpectedly, as the Death Lord’s leather windbreaker was unbuttoned, the blue-green translucent threads binding to his body instantly revealed themselves. Both the Sorceress Research Society and Fisher were bewildered by what it was, while Emhart floating on Fisher’s shoulder slightly changed expression, shouting at Fisher,
“That guy must be an idiot! That’s the Elf Race’s Universe Axis Line; is he trying to blow McDowell to bits? Stop him! That madman!”
Fisher took him seriously, but the member of the Sorceress Research Society sneered, not understanding whether the few before him were engaged in some circus act.
“Get lost; you’re just bragging about elves. Hurry up and die!”
His finger quickly pressed on the trigger, and Fisher’s eyes slightly narrowed as a dangerous aura of fate stirred on the distant mountain. The firearm before him erupted with a dazzling flame, and as his Fluid Sword stopped mid-air, his body shifted a step sideways, completely shielding Renee behind him from being shot.
Death Lord!!
At that critical moment, hidden behind Fisher, Renee’s purple eyes deepened immensely, as if containing the vastness of the entire galaxy. She carelessly glanced at the Death Lord, whose threads were glowing faintly in the distance. The next moment, the threads on the Death Lord suddenly dimmed, and he staggered and fell to the ground, losing consciousness immediately.
“Bang!”
“Renee—”
In the explosive sound of the firearm, just as Fisher’s Fluid Sword was about to extend to block the bullet, Renee gently tugged at Fisher, and in his astonished gaze, both of them were suddenly enveloped in layers of purple light, becoming ethereal. The bullet passed through their bodies as they swiftly dashed away towards the distance.
“Fisher!!”
At first, Emhart believed Fisher was about to get shot, shaking with fear. But turning to focus again, he saw the sorceress named “Renee” dragging Fisher far away, leaving him behind.
Emhart stood stunned, then glanced back at the equally stunned members of the Sorceress Research Society. Angered, he cursed and quickly followed the direction where Renee had left.
“Ah, that sorceress is really not a good person! Fisher! I’m still not with you!”
The sky gradually darkened, with the dim sunlight being swallowed up little by little until only a bit of crimson tail remained in the outer layer of the distant sky. The once bright day swiftly gave way to profound, boundless night.
The members of the Sorceress Research Society, holding firearms, looked incredulously at the distant retreating figure of the sorceress Renee, somewhat impatiently spitting on the ground beside them as they glanced at the two ex-elders lying on the ground.
“Forget those two for now; just knock them out and bind them here. Don’t bother with that lunatic on the mountain top. The most important thing now is that sorceress. The thick aura of the Mother’s blessing around her can’t be fake; we must bring her back to Cardu. Move, everyone, follow them!”
“Yes, Elder Ham!”
In the deepening moonlight, this group of fully armed Cardu religious fanatics swiftly rushed in the direction where Renee had departed.
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(The End of This Chapter)
