Volume 9, Chapter 63 – The Girl of Redemption (Part 2)

WUUUUUUUUUU——

Discovered.

Lin clicked her tongue. Even though she hadn’t expected to sneak into the camp and assassinate that powerhouse beyond the hero’s domain from the start, the fact that she was spotted by the Griffin Knights still made her frown.

No need to waste time on them.

While the Griffin Knights were approaching, Lin rapidly descended, simultaneously taking out the prepared red crystal—a product from the dead city. Using it, Lin could cast spells that normally consumed vast amounts of magic power with minimal cost.

“□□□□——[Summon Undead Legion].”

Gray mist quickly enveloped the sky above the Imperial camp. In less than a few breaths, meteor-like objects appeared within the mist, hurtling diagonally towards the camp below. Unlike last time, Lin held nothing back, using all the deathly aura within the gem at once. Therefore, each falling meteor signified the birth of a Nightmare Knight. At a glance, over thirty Nightmare Knights of level 40 or higher slammed into the Imperial camp like cannonballs, blasting deep craters. The raised dust veiled the camp in an earthy yellow curtain, punctuated by the panicked shouts of soldiers rising from below.

However, unlike the previous undead attack, the Empire’s reaction this time was noticeably faster. Before the gray mist could produce more Nightmare Knights, a golden light screen rapidly expanded outwards from the main tent. Like barrier pillars, dense golden shafts over ten meters thick shot into the sky. In the blink of an eye, a pale golden barrier enveloped the entire Imperial camp.

Under the protection of these golden barriers, both the deathly aura Lin summoned and the already formed Nightmare Knights rapidly dissolved like ice touching a red-hot iron. In less than half a minute, all the Nightmare Knights had turned to ash.

Subsequently, four figures broke through the golden barrier’s protection in succession, appearing around Lin in an encirclement.

Besides the familiar Gore and the light-attribute magic caster beyond the hero’s domain, the other two were also individuals of the heroic domain.

A pre-prepared trap?

Enveloping her body with the surrounding deathly aura, Lin readied herself for battle.

A thin magic caster with prominent cheekbones and dark eye sockets snorted disdainfully.

“Finally caught you, vile demi-human. Last time you used spatial magic to stall and escape. This time, I won’t give you another chance.”

“Bayldes, she’s the Witch of Calamity. Capture her alive.”

“I know, Gore. Such a fine specimen should naturally be used against the Duchy of Chloe itself! Letting her calamity-transformed self personally destroy the Duchy… the sheer despair… Just thinking about it excites me!”

Despite his arrogant words, the thin magic caster named Bayldes merely stared intently at Lin with snake-like eyes, as if wanting to swallow her whole.

An evil chill ran down Lin’s spine. Her expression gradually turned cold.

“One beyond the hero’s domain and three in the hero’s domain… the Empire is really making a grand gesture. Unfortunately, you all must die here today.”

“Bayldes, don’t waste time talking to her! If she takes her own life, we won’t be able to answer to His Majesty!”

“I know—Here I come!”

As his voice fell, Bayldes rapidly retreated backward. As a magic caster, even if his attributes and experience completely suppressed Lin, he couldn’t engage her in close combat—a difficult weakness for magic casters to overcome.

Accompanying Bayldes’s retreat, the three hero-domain individuals led by Gore moved closer to him, forming an arc to surround Lin, preventing her from approaching Bayldes.

The light element in the air is gathering.

The stinging pain on her skin warned Lin that Bayldes’s upcoming spell was not to be underestimated—it might even be a Tier 6 spell capable of reversing the battle in one move.

Must stop Bayldes.

No one knew what spell he was casting. If it was a spell to restrict her movement, she might not even be able to take her own life. Admittedly, she had the option of ending her life now, but at the speed of these hero-domain and beyond-hero-domain individuals, they could likely escape the calamity’s range. In that case, she would have achieved nothing besides killing the ordinary soldiers below. For the future of the Duchy of Chloe, she had to eliminate as many of the enemy’s top powerhouses as possible.

Narrowing her eyes, signaling danger, Lin no longer hesitated, charging straight towards the leftmost of the three hero-domain individuals. With feedback from her dragon bloodline, her senses far surpassed ordinary people; she could even clearly perceive their breathing. The person on the left was the weakest of the three. Using him as a breakthrough point, she could easily reach Bayldes.

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Reality unfolded just as Lin imagined. The man targeted by Lin, upon seeing her charge towards him, couldn’t control the nervousness that appeared on his face. He subconsciously raised his sword, preparing to block Lin’s horizontal slash. However, when Lin was less than two meters away, she abruptly stopped without warning. Before the man could react, she changed her horizontal slash to an upward strike. The scythe blade slid along the longsword, finally reaching the man’s wrist.

“[Reaper Scythe].”

“[Fortitude].”

CLANG—CRACK!

First, a loud bang like striking a bronze bell, followed by the gruesome sound of bone shattering. Lin’s first strike was blocked by the orange light covering the man’s body. But the illusory giant scythe composed of magic that followed easily broke through his defense, instantly severing his left hand.

Blood spurted everywhere.

Although Lin hadn’t fully mastered her strength beyond the hero’s domain yet, even simply applying her power made her far stronger than ordinary hero-domain individuals. It was true when facing Gore, and it was true now facing this man.

The scene froze for a moment before the excruciating pain of losing his left hand finally reached the man’s brain. He first widened his eyes, sucking in a sharp breath. Then, his expression was replaced by terror and fear. Staring at his empty arm, he screamed.

“Ah… AHHHH!!!”

Now!

Abandoning the screaming man, Lin consecutively activated [Flash] and [Swiftness], preparing to flank around and fly straight towards Bayldes. However, Gore and the other man on the opposite side blocked her path.

Two longswords slashed towards her dragon wings and legs respectively.

“Hmph.”

[Semi-Dragon Transformation].

A layer of cyan scales appeared on the skin hidden beneath her clothes. Lin completely ignored the attacks from Gore and the other man, flying straight towards Bayldes. Having reached the realm beyond heroes, she could withstand non-single-target Tier 5 magic bombardments head-on with her semi-dragon form. Compared to the spell Bayldes was chanting, Gore and the other man’s attacks were nothing to fear. She might get injured, but the price of injury would be Bayldes’s death. When they knew she was the Calamity and didn’t dare strike her vitals directly, they had already put themselves at a disadvantage.

“Damn lunatic.”

Sensing Lin’s intention, Gore cursed under his breath. But for him now, besides putting even more force, pouring all his magic power and anger into his sword, there was no other choice. Lin’s speed was too fast. If Gore changed his attack posture now, his strike would only miss, failing even to weaken Lin’s power.

One second.

In a flash, the distance between Lin and Bayldes was less than ten meters. Lin even had the spare capacity to feel the increasingly dense light element around her, as well as the hurricane-force wind from the slashes coming from behind.

Also sensing Lin’s approach, Bayldes, chanting the spell, spoke even more fervently, the rapid incantation almost indecipherable. Lin could even feel Bayldes’s tension from his quickened breathing.

Two seconds.

Almost got him.

Like a sponge dropped in water, Lin frantically poured magic power into the scythe in her hand. Because it was only Mithril-grade quality, the scythe even hummed, on the verge of destruction from the excessive magic Lin infused. The entire weapon trembled uncontrollably, the unstable flashing blue light looking like it might explode in the next moment, pulsing rapidly, beautiful yet dangerous.

“[Penetrate], [Soul Rend], [Sinner’s Scythe].”

Spells for breaking magic defense, tearing the soul, and devouring the soul, respectively. As long as this strike, consuming more than half her magic power, hit Bayldes, even the Ymir Church’s highest-tier resurrection spell couldn’t awaken him. A physically damaged person could recover through healing spells and potions, but once something as mystical as the soul was damaged, it could never be repaired. The Empire would lose someone beyond the hero’s domain.

Their carelessness led to their defeat.

A victorious, savage grin appeared on her bewitching face. Lin raised her scythe high and swung it down towards Bayldes’s head. And at that exact moment, the attacks from Gore and the other man reached her body.

Crack, crack.

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Two crisp sounds in quick succession.

The attack aimed at Lin’s legs merely scattered most of the scales, warm blood flowing down her calves. But Gore’s strike aimed at her dragon wings brutally tore both wings clean off from their roots.

“Guu.”

The intense pain made Lin’s body sway slightly, but she wasn’t thrown off balance. Instead, she swung the scythe down even more fiercely.

Three seconds.

Easily hitting Bayldes’s head.

It’s over.

The thought echoed in her mind.

However, like missing a step going downstairs, Lin’s heart suddenly lurched. Her eyes uncontrollably narrowed, and her expression twisted.

“How is this possible!”

Her scythe had indeed hit Bayldes, but it didn’t draw any blood, as if Bayldes standing there was merely made of water. After the scythe sliced him in two, Bayldes quickly reformed.

Boom!

The dissipated magic power blasted the ground, kicking up a large shockwave. But Lin’s strike achieved nothing. Furthermore, having lost her dragon wings, her body, affected by gravity, uncontrollably plummeted downwards.

—[Substitute of Light].

If Lin had known about high-tier light-attribute magic, she would surely have recognized this Tier 6 existence. [Substitute of Light] wasn’t illusion magic creating a double, but substitution magic creating a temporary immunity to death once. Knowing Lin possessed dragon blood and keen senses, the Imperial army understood that ordinary illusions couldn’t deceive her. Therefore, Bayldes had to take the field personally, using [Substitute of Light] to trick Lin. As long as Lin’s magic power was depleted, they could capture her alive.

A contemptuous curl formed on his lips. Bayldes, watching Lin fall towards the ground, completed his incantation—an enormous golden magic circle, over fifty meters in diameter, appeared in mid-air. As if about to unleash divine punishment, the circle began to rotate slowly. The light element in the air rapidly grew viscous. Just being beneath the magic circle created a suffocating feeling, making it hard to breathe.

“[Holy Spear Barrage].”

“Bayldes! Don’t kill her!”

Gore shouted loudly.

Bayldes raised an eyebrow.

“I know, no need to remind me. I’m just—playing around a little.”

…

Watching the rapidly ascending scenery, Lin, having lost most of her magic power, felt like she had fallen into an abyss.

Failed.

Although she thought this, Lin felt no anger at this moment. Like someone sentenced to death by a doctor, having gone through anger, cursing, and madness, finally accepting reality and using the last remaining time to savor life’s myriad flavors—she felt unexpectedly calm.

Lin, in rapid descent, took out a dagger. She wasn’t dead yet. If captured alive by the Imperial army, she wouldn’t even be able to transform into the Calamity. In that case, today’s efforts would be wasted. Now was the time to fulfill the Gospel’s guidance. Maintaining her supine position, Lin gripped the dagger with both hands and, without hesitation, plunged it fiercely into her chest.

Pfft.

Surprisingly, there wasn’t much pain. Instead, she felt a profound sense of peace.

She had done everything she could. She had strived where she needed to and where she didn’t. If she still failed despite all that, then it couldn’t be called her fault. Therefore, she felt neither regret nor guilt. On the contrary, she felt a sense of release. She could finally tell those Divine Religion predecessors who died for her that she hadn’t failed their expectations.

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Finally, the burden on my shoulders is lifted.

I didn’t defy the Gospel, even at the end.

Realizing this, Lin felt as if wings had sprouted from her body, an unprecedented lightness. With the death of the one who killed the Eldest Princess, the Empire would no longer trouble the Duchy of Chloe. And she, at the smallest cost, had fulfilled the responsibility a savior should bear. In this mission, she hadn’t even killed those innocents. The war would end because of her. Those who had died—whether from her transformation into the Calamity or because the King of Chloe disrupted the ritual—she could face them with a clear conscience, tell them she had atoned for her sins. This blood-soaked, small, selfish, cowardly, and incompetent creature had received the punishment she deserved.

No, perhaps such punishment is too lenient for me. Someone like her deserved to die ten thousand times over.

Strength drained from her body, followed by a surge of weakness. Her vision blurred. Lin felt something warm trickle from the corner of her mouth. She opened her mouth, trying to make a sound, but found she couldn’t even breathe anymore. Only the sweet, metallic taste remained. Then, as if remembering something, she strained to lift her head, looking at her body—just like the last time she transformed, wisps of black mist were seeping out.

Was the one who wrote the Gospel mistaken after all?

According to the author’s description, after she controlled the gray magic within her, she shouldn’t transform again. The reappearance of the signs of transformation now meant her thinking was wrong. Of course, it no longer mattered.

Just like those innocents killed by her under the Gospel’s command, those people died for the greater good. The same applied to her now. Not following the Gospel would only lead to more sacrifices. Everything was for a better future.

Even though I was prepared… Why is there this feeling of a huge chunk being gouged out of my heart…?

Feeling the warm liquid trickling down her cheek, Lin subconsciously clenched her fists.

Since Bishop Fulun died, she hadn’t shed a single tear. Yet after meeting Yisi, her tears became cheap. Red used to tease her, saying she wasn’t strong like a young girl should be. But now she felt Red was more like a man than she was. She had actually fantasized about dying in the arms of someone she loved. But as the savior, that wasn’t a right she deserved to enjoy. Or rather, it was too extravagant. She was the incarnation of Calamity; dying would cause those around her to perish alongside her.

Gradually losing the warmth in her body, eventually even her consciousness blurred, unable to think anymore, Lin slowly closed her eyes.

It’s time to end.

However, just as her body was about to hit the ground, Lin suddenly felt something splash onto her. Immediately after, her descent stopped.

“[Levitation], [Radiant Prayer].”

A familiar voice sounded in her ear. Then, her dissipating consciousness and strength rapidly returned, as if time were reversing. In less than a second, she felt as if she had never suffered a fatal injury, even her magic power restored to its peak.

The feeling of waking from a dream made Lin snap her eyes open.

Then, a young woman with silver cat ears and long hair, bearing red dragon wings and a magnificent fox tail, appeared before her. The sacred light she emitted, in that instant, even made Lin feel she was seeing an angel.

Seeing Lin in her arms open her eyes, the silver-haired girl’s tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed. As if sighing in relief, a smile appeared on her angelic face.

“Hah, finally made it. I didn’t expect that barrier to have a time acceleration effect, and [Advanced Teleportation] couldn’t be used because of the elemental vortex. Sorry, Lin, I’m late.”

“Y-Yisi? Why are you here? This isn’t a place you should be!”

Her unsightly state was discovered by Yisi, plus being held in Yisi’s arms… Lin, who had given up everything moments before, immediately squirmed, struggling out of Yisi’s embrace to stand on the ground.

“Oh?” Yisi released her hands, widening her eyes slightly. “What do you mean, a place I shouldn’t be?”

“This is my destiny! I was born because of the Gospel, and I will die because of the Gospel! From the moment I was born, this is the fate I must bear! Just like those people I killed according to the Gospel in the past, now it’s simply my turn! Only this way can I live up to my identity as the savior!”

“Hmm… Right.”

Yisi looked up at the magic circle, pursed her lips, then said in an unhurried tone, as if completely unaware they were on a battlefield.

“But what does that have to do with me? You have your convictions, Lin, and I have mine. Setting aside the fact that the Gospel is problematic, even if it were correct, I wouldn’t stand by and watch you die. I never believe in things like prophecy and fate. If anything, I’m the rebellious type. Even if I survived thanks to the Gospel, I wouldn’t die for its guidance.”

Too arrogant.

Yet so captivating.

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Her heart trembling uncontrollably for an instant, Lin couldn’t help but look up at the spear barrage, already formed like raindrops, ready to fall at any moment. Bayldes’s expression was twisted because of Yisi’s appearance, as if seeing her as someone disrupting his game of cat and mouse.

This is Tier 6 magic.

Swallowing hard, Lin immediately stepped forward and grabbed Yisi’s shoulder. She could die in this war, but Yisi absolutely could not.

“Confronting the Gospel won’t end well! Yisi isn’t a follower; you shouldn’t get involved in all this, let alone oppose the Empire for my sake! One person’s strength is too small! If the Imperials find out you saved me, even if you are a Cardinal of the Ymir Church, no one can help you! The Ymir Church will just hand you over! One person’s strength cannot contend with the Empire! I am not worth you doing all this, Yisi! I cannot offer you any reward! My life doesn’t belong to me! Leave here quickly!”

“No, Lin. You underestimate me too much.”

Grabbing Lin’s wrist in return, Yisi raised an eyebrow and snapped her fingers lightly. A crystal wall immediately appeared above their heads. The spears formed of light elements were like raindrops against it, merely making ‘ding ding dong’ sounds, unable even to leave a dent.

“Didn’t I say I have strength greater than the Demon Lord? A mere Empire… if I wanted, I could make it disappear from the continent at any time. Whether blown to bits or simply sunk to the bottom of the sea, the Norta Empire is nothing to fear. Ultimately, why do you think I could become a Cardinal of the Ymir Church? The previous Pope was pulled down from the throne by my hand. As for the Gospel—”

Yisi threw the tattered, torn Gospel onto the ground. Immediately, a wisp of purple demon, so weak it seemed about to dissipate, crawled out. Yisi unceremoniously stepped on its head.

“The one who gave you the guidance to transform into the Calamity wasn’t the Gospel, but this weak and ugly demon. Although letting you know the truth might be too cruel, at this point, there’s no need to delay.”

“Sp-Spare me… I’m still useful to you… I can swear allegiance to you!”

The demon crushed under Yisi’s foot pleaded. Yisi shifted her gaze, bent down, and picked up the Gospel from the ground. As if seeing hope, the demon’s tone filled with flattery and eagerness.

“I can call you Master! We demons only serve the strong!”

As if displaying it, Yisi held the Gospel between her thumb and forefinger, waving it in front of Lin, then shrugged, as if saying, “See? Just this thing.”

Sensing something was wrong, the demon began to scream desperately.

“You can’t kill me! You can’t kill me! I am Lord Ouranos’s loyal servant! Attacking me is offending Lord Ouranos!”

“Didn’t I say I hate being threatened? Well then, goodbye.”

After casually bidding the demon farewell, Yisi ripped the Gospel completely in half. The demon’s voice stopped abruptly. Lin, finally reacting, tried to intervene, but the Gospel had already become countless scraps of paper scattered on the ground. Lin could only stare blankly at Yisi.

“Yisi! What are you doing! The Gospel is the future of our Divine Religion! You’re too willful!”

“No, this isn’t willful; this is very, very willful. If the situation allowed, I would have wanted to torture that demon with a few cuts before killing it. Now, I have something to tell you, Lin.” Her blue eyes filled with determination, Yisi emphasized word by word. “The Eldest Princess of the Empire is still alive today. So there’s still a chance for everything.”

“What?!”

“Well, we’ll talk about the details later. I tentatively recorded what that demon said with a recording crystal. Now, let’s get rid of those noisy things first. They’re too loud.”

Waving her hand dismissively as if shooing flies, Yisi looked at the soldiers approaching her with spears raised and the magic caster in the sky preparing to flee. She took out the [Twilight of Eternal Frost] she had borrowed from Camilla from her storage, then snapped her fingers lightly.

“[Mass Mana Drain].”

Instantly, centering on Yisi, all Imperial soldiers felt a dizzying sensation of something being drained from their bodies. Then, like reaping wheat, they collapsed one after another. Yisi looked back at Lin and said with a smile, “See? This way, you should believe my strength is comparable to the Demon Lord’s, right? I didn’t deceive you.”

“You…”

Although everything happened too suddenly, and she hadn’t had time to process all the things Yisi presented—her brain hadn’t even grasped what exactly occurred—subconsciously, Lin felt a sense of relief, as if just Yisi appearing here meant all problems could be easily solved. Just like every time she faced setbacks in the past, Yisi would appear before her to offer comfort. This time, Yisi stood by her side again.

Her nose tingled. Lin couldn’t help but clench her fists. Then, her beautiful purplish-blue eyes slowly widened, her lashes and lips trembling slightly. Like a puppet drained of strength, she gradually, yet irreversibly, collapsed onto the ground. At this moment, the burdens and hardships Lin carried finally found an outlet. All the grievances and pain surged forth uncontrollably.

Childlike wails echoed across the plains.