Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 3 (1/2)
Filma Tolmeya.
Shoulder-length hair with a color between red and violet, the same color as the eyes of this High Lord.
However, that color could not be seen now as her eyes were closed.
Maybe because of her race's longevity, or the special effect of the crystal might have possessed, she did not look at all different than how s.h.i.+n remembered her, despite the fact that 500 years had pa.s.sed.
Her chest, on par with Schnee's, and the magical armor adorned in black and violet around her waist were s.h.i.+ning as they did in the past.
”This is a crystal ofDrops of Erathem?”
s.h.i.+n gazed at the crystal entrapping Filma, an expression of utter surprise.
In the game, he thought it was a simple magic crystal, but after using a.n.a.lyze he had realized it was actually an ancient-cla.s.s material named Drops of Erathem.
”Does this mean that she was. .h.i.t by a burst of magical power of insane proportions?”
Depending on the size, this material would be polished and used as a weapon. If one ended up trapped in it, not even Filma could have broken out by herself.
Considering the fact that her appearance hadn't changed and thatExvaine no longer recognized Filma, the original owner, s.h.i.+n speculated that the Drop of Erathem's magical power had cast a strong seal on Filma.
”Do you know her?”
”Yes, she's the comrade we weren't able to contact.”
s.h.i.+n answered with a nod to Konig's question.
In this state, it was obviously impossible to communicate.
”Hey, s.h.i.+n. The demons started being active recently, right?”
”So it seems. We don't know if it was because they couldn't act, or they simply didn't.”
s.h.i.+n answered Milt's question based on the information he had gotten from Schnee.
”Do you think that this could be related somehow?”
Milt spoke while pointing at the crystal which imprisoned Filma. It appeared that Milt too felt something coming from it.
”.it's possible. Same for the miasma too, but a crystal as large as this found on top of the Ley lineit wouldn't be weird for a connection to be there, right?”
”That's right, I don't think there were any quests where you could find Drops of Erathem near Ley lines either.”
Drops of Erathem would form in locations where magical power acc.u.mulated. Places like Ley lines, where energy would always flow, were not suitable.
”Regarding miasma and Ley lines, though, something similar happened in another place.”
s.h.i.+n remembered what happened at the shrine where he met Yuzuha. What s.h.i.+n now knew is that the demons had a certain reason to meddle with the Ley lines.
”(Kuu, I feel something powerful from under that rock. But that rock is yucky too.)”
Thanks to her deep connection with the Ley lines, Yuzuha could apparently clearly feel the power sealed under the crystal. She did not seem to know what a crystal was. Even such a precious item was a rock in Yuzuha's eyes.
The usually curious Yuzuha wouldn't move from s.h.i.+n's shoulder this time.
”Hey s.h.i.+n, just what is this?”
Tiera drew closer to s.h.i.+n, who was lost in thought.
”It's a peculiar item called Drop of Erathem. I've never seen one this large, though”
s.h.i.+n gave a simple explanation to Tiera, who looked at the crystal as if she saw an incredible thing. Even after hearing s.h.i.+n's words however, her expression remained clouded.
”What's wrong?”
”The magic power trapped hereit's tainted. Uughwhyis this”
s.h.i.+n was concerned as Tiera's behavior was rather unusual.
As if answering his doubts, Tiera put her right hand over her mouth and sat down. She held her own body with her left arm and, while it was shaking violently, tears started falling from her eyes.
”Wh-hey Tiera! What happened to you?”
Thinking that Tiera's sudden change had been caused by a Mind-type skill, s.h.i.+n quickly checked her status. There was no change, however, nothing to explain why Tiera had suddenly burst into tears.
”Tiera, please be strong. You must not lend them your ears.”
Schnee had noticed Tiera's abnormal state, ran close to her and spoke to her in a calm, clear tone. She took Tiera's head and turned it towards her, looking at her straight in the eyes.
”Masterthis is, this is”
”What have you felt?”
”I heardscreams. ”Stop it, please save me”. And another voice who heard them, and laughed”
Tiera stringed words together, her body stiff, immobile.
Noticing the unusual situation, s.h.i.+baid and Konig too stopped searching the surroundings and listened to Tiera's words.
”SchYuki, what's going on?”
”I suppose she heard the voices of the people that were killed here.”
Schnee spoke as she was calming Tiera, focusing on listening to their surroundings.
Elves had sharp senses, which apparently included their sixth sense as well.
”I cannot speak in detail, but Tiera's sixth sense is more sensitive than other elves. I am not particularly sensitive to such influences, but still I can hear whispers. I suppose that a great number of people have been killed here.”
Schnee, her brow furrowed, caressed Tiera's back.
”The presence that permeated the other room seems to be focused in this crystal. The magic circle that we changed before contained this mechanism too.”
”I seeeven I feel there's something wrong with this crystal. It could be the central point that's casting an influence on the Ley lines.”
Listening to Yuzuha and Schnee, s.h.i.+n started viewing the crystal's brilliance as something ominous.
”I suppose it is best not to touch it without the necessary preparations?”
”That's right. You can feel why if you go closer, the miasma stench is overwhelming.”
s.h.i.+n entrusted Tiera to Schnee and walked closer to the crystal, then nodded at s.h.i.+baid's words.
The crystal wouldn't originally be affected by the miasma, but if the latter's density was high, things would be different.
”If the Ley lines are tainted the miasma must be connected to it, I suppose it's better to purify it?”
s.h.i.+n recalled the black mist that enveloped Milt's body during their battle. He now understood that the mist too was a kind of miasma.
”Kuu!”
”Please.! This is too cruel”
Yuzuha howled, her fur straight, and Tiera pleaded, her eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears.
”Konig, I give you my apologies. We came here to save Lady Hermie, so giving priority to a comrade of mine could be truly disrespectfulbut please, allow me to solve this situation first.”
”no, you do not need to apologize. Please do as you wish. If I overlooked something like this for her own sake, my Lady would not forgive herself, even if we could save her.”
s.h.i.+n mentioned his proposal to Konig, thinking that the latter would probably be opposed.
Contrary to s.h.i.+n's expectations, Konig agreed to s.h.i.+n's proposal after just a brief silence.
”Are you sure? The demons could notice our presence.”
”If it happens, it happens. I am Lady Hermie's personal guard, but I also am a knight. I have a duty to protect the people. I do not possess any special sense, but I too feel something abnormal emanating from this crystal. They can't be possibly plotting anything good with something like this. To save many, sacrificing the few is sometimesnecessary.”
He could not ignore such a source of misfortune for the sake of Hermie herself.
Konig spoke frankly, but s.h.i.+n felt that he was forcing himself.
”Understood. I shall begin, then.”
s.h.i.+n gave a small nod towards Konig and cast the Divine-type skill High Cure towards the crystal. It was the superior version of the Cure skill he had used on Milt, and it could heal multiple status ailments at once.
As it had happened to Milt, the miasma was overwhelmed by the light that s.h.i.+n released and grew thinner.
”I guess it's thicker herethen how about this!”
s.h.i.+n decided that using only one hand would have taken too much time, so as he kept casting High Cure with his right hand, he raised his left hand towards the crystal and cast the Divine-type skill Purification.
The lights emitted by the two divine skills shone bright, as if filling the whole underground s.p.a.ce.
In response, the miasma was pulsating in an eerie manner as if to resist the light.
s.h.i.+n felt the rising of resistance, also increase the magical power in his both hands; the light emitted grew stronger.
Roughly 5 minutes later, the miasma had apparently finally reached its limits, and melted away in midair.
The crystal, free of the miasma's clutches, regained its original brilliance, and the whole party sighed in relief.
”The miasma vanished, right?”
”Yes, it's okay. No one is suffering anymore.”
”Kuu”
Tiera and Yuzuha replied to the words muttered by s.h.i.+n.
The miasma that had tainted the crystal seemed to be completely gone.
”Hm?”
s.h.i.+n, while looking at the crystal, raised his voice.
The crystal's surface was being gradually enveloped in red light.
”did I do something wrong?”
”It's alright. The light covering the crystal is the light coming from the magical power of the person trapped inside.”
s.h.i.+n was concerned, but Tiera, who had come next to him, spoke with conviction.
Tiera continued by explaining how highly dense magical power appeared as if s.h.i.+ning.
”I believe that as Filma was inside the crystal for a long time, the affinity between her magical power and the crystal grew. As the miasma disappeared, it became easier to see.”
Schnee completed Tiera's explanation. Elves have high magic perception abilities, so they quickly realized what was happening.
After calming down, s.h.i.+n could also faintly feel the presence of Filma's magic power.
”s.h.i.+n, you sure have moments of panic sometimes. You didn't understand right away because deep down you are really angry that your support character was used like this, right?”
”Well, yeah.”
”In this world, NPCs are people too after all. To be angry because the support characters, or should I say people, that you care so much about have been used is perfectly normal, I think.”
Being a former player herself, Milt understood what he felt. She nodded and whispered ”That's the s.h.i.+n I know” with a smile.
”You never change, do you”
His head now cooled off, s.h.i.+n sighed. He knew full well that he was mentally under pressure.
”No one would feel nothing after seeing others lay hands on one's companions.”
Schnee spoke as if to defend him, but s.h.i.+n silently shook his head.
”No, that was completely unexpected, but I should have at least inspected a little more. I'm sorry.”
s.h.i.+n regretted the false step he took. No matter what happened, he had to keep his cool.
”(Kuu? It's coming!!)”
”Whoa! What? What's happening?”
Just when he regained some calm, Yuzuha suddenly shouted from s.h.i.+n's shoulder.
Paying no mind to s.h.i.+n's surprise, Yuzuha headed straight to the crystal.
”Kuu~~, Kuuh!”
Yuzuha flew to the point where the crystal made contact with the ground and growled. Just then, a light glowing in golden and silver hues sprang forth, to be absorbed by Yuzuha's body.
The light wrapped around Yuzuha, and after several seconds it disappeared, completely absorbed by her.
”Yuzuha? What just happened..?”
”(Kuu! Yuzuha, Power UP!)”
Yuzuha sat straight and howled. s.h.i.+n looked at her closer and noticed that she had grown larger, her tails increasing from 3 to 6.
Apparently, she had regained part of her strength.
”(Did your power come back because what was tainting the Ley lines disappeared?)”
”(Yep, I guess!)”
her intelligence hadn't changed much, it seems.
”Well then, this isn't like Yuzuha's power up, but let's free Filma.”
Standing next to the cheerful Yuzuha, s.h.i.+n activated Crafting, a skill common to all production-related jobs.
All production-related jobs require learning this skill, which is exclusively used to craft Drops of Erathem.
”Please wait a moment.”
After saying this, s.h.i.+n touched the crystal. As he activated the skill, a rainbow-colored light spread from s.h.i.+n's hands, gradually covering the crystal.
After the crystal had been sufficiently covered, s.h.i.+n grabbed it. His fingers penetrated the hard crystal quickly, as if it was made of clay.
s.h.i.+n focused more strength on his fingers and pulled. With a sharp, clear sound, the crystal cracked.
”Looking at s.h.i.+n work, you'd think the Drop of Erathem was soft.”
”But it's actually a material that not even Ancient-cla.s.s weapons can chipwait, what's happening now?”
s.h.i.+n voiced his surprise while he was trying to turn the crystal into an item card.
The crystal in his hands suddenly floated in midair, as if responding to it, the giant crystal imprisoning Filma also floated upwards.
”Kuu?”
Yuzuha was looking at the scene, puzzled but without feeling any particular sense of danger or trying to run away.
The crystal shone more brightly, then broke up as if it was liquid, turning into 5 globes of light.
Filma, maybe due to the effects of such a phenomenon, floated in midair, enveloped in silver and red light.
s.h.i.+n was increasingly wary of this phenomenon he had never seen before.
”What's this!?”
One of the five globes of light was absorbed in Filma's body. Among the remaining four, three moved respectively towards, Schnee, s.h.i.+baid, and Tiera.
The globes showed no sign of stopping, so the 3 readied their weapons. Additionally, Kagerou stood before Tiera as to protect her.
”What the!?”
”Hnngh!”
”Gruu!”
”Aah!”
The globes would not stop, so the three swung their weapons. Yet the globes simply pa.s.sed through them, to be absorbed within their bodies. Tiera's globe even pa.s.sed through Kagerou.
As the globes penetrated them, Schnee's, s.h.i.+baid's, and Tiera's bodies started glowing.
Schnee emitted a silver and blue glow, s.h.i.+baid a silver and black one, Tiera a mixture of silver, green, and yellow. After several seconds, all the lights disappeared together.
”Are you alright.w-whoa!”
s.h.i.+n was rus.h.i.+ng to the three's side as the globes of light were vanis.h.i.+ng, but as the light holding Filma in midair vanished too, he rapidly changed directions to catch her as she was falling. He caught her in his arms, then looked back at Schnee and the others.
”this is”
”Hmm.”
”Ehm”
Their expressions showed surprise, but not pain or discomfort.
”What happened? Are you alright?”
”Yes, I cannot feel anything wrong with my body. How should I say itmy stats increased.”
”The same goes for me. My stats have increased as a whole.”
”Ehm, yes, I think the same happened to me too.”
”What?”