Chapter 512

Chapter 135: Teleportation

As time gradually approached evening, the sunlight inclined toward the western mountains.

In the barracks for wounded soldiers in the northern part of the city, a young knight named Barry stood in the dim light, his left arm still wrapped in bandages. Without being hindered by his injury, he gripped his longsword tightly with his right hand and slashed the air repeatedly.

“Ha! Ha—”

In the short and powerful rhythm, beads of sweat rolled down from his forehead.

Soon, Lilith, dressed in a simple yet elegant long dress, walked over and stood at the entrance of the camp, quietly watching him.

The woman had washed away the mud and dirt, changing into a flowing white skirt. Her smooth hair was tied up with an exquisite silver hairpin, revealing her delicate face. Her slender hands rested gently on her lower abdomen, her posture graceful and elegant. Compared to her previous dirty appearance, she now looked like a completely different person.

At this moment, Lilith finally appeared like a noblewoman.

She seemed to have something to discuss with Barry, but seeing him practicing swordplay, she hesitated to disturb him and remained there. The woman seemed to have cried not long ago; traces of redness still lingered around her eyes. Her pitiful and tender demeanor attracted the attention of many passersby.

“This is… Lilith?”

“It’s Lilith…”

Earlier, the woman had spent some time in the barracks with Barry, and during that period, many people might have seen her and talked to her. Naturally, someone recognized her now.

Back then, the woman had messy hair and a dirty appearance, as if she had rolled in the mud. Many did not know her identity and thought she was just a woman Barry had casually saved. Later, when they saw her being taken away by several women in luxurious attire, they realized she might have status.

Now, seeing her return, transformed as if into another person, those who recognized her were hesitant to confirm it. They cautiously approached her, “Are you… Lilith? Is it really you? The one who came here with Barry…”

Upon the woman nodding in confirmation, the person smiled and gestured towards Barry practicing far away, “You’re looking for him, right?” He then walked towards Barry, waving as he called out, “Hey Barry! Someone’s looking for you!”

Barry stopped his movements and looked over, seeing the knight with thick eyebrows approach him. The knight patted his shoulder and winked, “She seems to be crying, go comfort her quickly.”

After the knight with thick eyebrows left, Barry approached Lilith.

“You… cough, what’s wrong with you?”

This was the first time he had seen such a Lilith.

It was undeniable that in the barracks, despite her disheveled hair and weary face, she was still beautiful. Now, with her refined appearance, her beauty was like moonlight, serene and radiant, making the young knight nervous. His hands fidgeted by his side, unable to find a place to rest. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he suddenly found it hard to look directly into her eyes.

“Barry…”

Lilith sniffled and called his name softly.

“You haven’t recovered from your injuries; you shouldn’t be doing such strenuous activities. You need more rest… I brought better burn ointment from the castle for you. Take off the bandages, and I’ll apply it for you…”

“No, actually… My injuries are fine, they don’t hurt anymore. Did you cry? Why are you crying…”

“I’m fine, really… I’m fine…”

The young knight, at a loss, asked anxiously, while the woman kept shaking her head and muttering “I’m fine,” but when Barry asked again, her small nose rapidly reddened, her lips pouted, and her voice choked up. Tears started falling, “I’m fine… I… I’m fine…”

“Barry…”

“My father and brother are dead…”

“They’re both gone…”

“Aaaaah—”

The woman hugged Barry tightly, burying her head in his chest, and sobbed loudly.

Not far away, atop a half-collapsed green rock bell tower, a girl in a black dress sat cross-legged on a tilted, broken stone slab at the highest point. She propped her chin with her right hand and tilted her head to watch the two embracing below. Hearing the muffled sobs, she blinked and sighed lightly.

“Huh…”

It seems…

I don’t need to go over there anymore.

A moment later, I got up, patted my skirt, took one last glance at Barry’s direction, and then stepped into the moonwalk, soaring into the air amidst the howling wind. I leaped over the ruins and walls, heading toward the distant high city towers.

…………

That night.

The water rippled, the breeze was as cold as ice.

Outside Aletheon City, the scent of battle still lingered in the air. On the scorched wilderness, amidst the land stained by blood and fire, the occasional sound of unknown insects chirping could be heard.

It was very late. The workers by the canal and on the slopes had already returned to the city to sleep. On a nearby hill, heaps of charred and broken bones lay scattered across the landscape. The pale skulls, illuminated by moonlight, had dark eye sockets that glowed faintly gray. In the night sky, the cries of crows occasionally echoed.

At the foot of the northern mountain, a girl with black hair watched the faint scene from afar, saying nothing for a long time. Behind her, Pope Angel and several members of the Faith Circle stood in the quiet night, gathered around a fist-sized sphere emitting a faint golden glow. They muttered something under their breaths.

Soon, as the golden light became more dazzling, Angel turned around and waved to the girl lost in thought nearby, “Hey little Black Charcoal, it’s done! Come over, come over.”

The tone and gesture were like calling a pet.

“Oh…”

The girl obediently went over.

The Pope extended his hand towards the light emitted by the sphere and said, “Go stand in the golden light.”

“…”

Is this what they called the “world”? Just a tiny golden ball?

This is completely different from what I imagined. It shouldn’t be some flashy skill like a magic circle in a fantasy novel? Something really complex and intricate…

… There’s no problem with this, right?

I felt a bit nervous, tilting my head and flexing my ankles and shoulders. I adjusted the captain’s body wrapped in white cloth that I was carrying on my back, furrowing my brows as I slowly walked into the golden light.

“Little Black Charcoal, remember your mission, find the clown, kill him, assist the Church in obtaining the Goddess’s Tear, and remember our agreement. As for what happens over here, you don’t need to worry about it anymore. I’m here. Once you’re ready, start. You won’t be able to come back the same way after this. After all, I won’t give you the ‘world’…”

“Um…”

Hearing Angel’s words, I tilted my head in thought. “Help me watch over Barry. And don’t let him know about what happened in Woodward Forest. Don’t tell him I’ve returned.”

“Rest assured.”

Angel nodded and whispered something to the young bishop next to him before clasping his hands together and beginning to pray.

“Miss Silvija, please close your eyes,” the young bishop standing beside me said.

Suddenly, panic surged within me. “Wait, this, will it hurt…”

Buzzzzzz!

With a tremor of divine power, intense dizziness suddenly overwhelmed me. In an instant, I felt as if my feet were lifted off the ground, my head spinning wildly, the intense golden light blinding me so much I couldn’t open my eyes. The next moment, a massive, chaotic force began to ravage me!

“Ahh!”

I felt like I was being thrown into a washing machine, my body being torn and abused by powerful forces. My dress flared loudly, the entire world spinning around me. Faintly, I heard a hoarse cry approaching rapidly.

“Ga—”

…It’s goat cheese! Oh no, I almost forgot—

Buzzzzzz!!!

The divine sound echoed like thunder at my side, the force that had been twisting and tearing me accelerated abruptly. I felt as if I were splitting apart, fear making me want to scream, but no sound came out despite my open mouth. My chest tightened, my heart pounding, my limbs thrashing, my eyes shut tight. This state seemed to last forever until a force I couldn’t resist pushed me from behind, causing my head to explode with a loud crack.

“Ayaaaaahhhhh—”

In a fit of hysteria, I was flung out, my small hands flailing wildly before I crashed hard onto the cold stone floor.

%@￥%#￥%@…??!

“Ugh—”

Intense dizziness made me retch uncontrollably. The swirling forces had stopped, but I still dared not open my eyes. I could only faintly sense that I had been thrown out of the golden light and had fallen to the ground, scrambling to get up in a hurry. What’s going on? Did it fail? No, no, the ground is made of stone, and I’m not on the grass slope anymore…

“Angel… cough, cough! Ugh!”

I got up from the ground, slowly opening one eye, squinting.

“Pfft, pfft…”

Where am I…

“Oh my, what an unexpected entrance. Are you trying to scare us? Hmm… Miss Silvija?”

“Who is it?”

A strange voice…

My foot stumbled, almost falling again. I gritted my teeth, fighting the dizziness and nausea, then opened my eyes.

Before me, red flames flickered.

“Wow, by the gods, what a pretty girl… I’m getting excited!”

“Don’t you think she’s a bit small?”

“That’s what makes her cute, you don’t understand.”

“I’ve decided, she’s my three hundred twenty-fourth target. I have a feeling I’ll succeed this time and go home to get married! Come on, myself…”

“Hey, don’t say such things in front of her, discuss them privately.”

Another unfamiliar voice, more than one person…

What nonsense are they talking about?

“Ugh! Cough, cough…”

The bright light gradually faded, revealing mottled stone walls, old wooden chairs, burning torches on the walls, and a faint musty smell in the air… Soon, the dim, enclosed room became clearer in my vision.

The room wasn’t large, and there weren’t many furnishings. A few chairs lined the wall on the left side, roughly six or seven in total. Three of these chairs were occupied by people: two men and a woman, all appearing to be in their twenties, dressed in the Church’s gold and white robes, all looking at me with interest.

“…Pfft.”

The torches on the wall illuminated the small space of the stone room. Between the flickering flames, I spat out the dust in my mouth, scanning the three people with a slight blush. I understood that my entrance might not have been very graceful, cursing Angel under my breath. Then, I noticed a lifeless raven twitching on the ground nearby…

Uh.

This stupid bird followed me…

“Cough.”

I coughed lightly, feeling the dizziness fade slightly and my mind clear. Furrowing my brows, I pretended nothing had happened, brushed off my skirt, and walked toward the raven while asking the three, “Who are you?”