CA - Chapter 152
Chapter 152
After crossing half the Statu Continent, Erin and Vera finally entered the territory of the Shas Principality.
The Shas Principality was geographically sandwiched between the Vampires and the Black Witches. The Central Church had long delayed dispatching a bishop to take up a post in the Shas church. Without the Church’s suppression, the Shas Principality had already fallen into the hands of dark forces. Corpses littered the fields, and the people were plunged into misery. In just a few months, more than half of the commoners here had died or been injured. The royal family and nobles, protected by their knightly armies, were not greatly affected, but they too were in a state of panic.
The king and the nobles sent several letters to the Church requesting aid, asking them to dispatch a bishop as soon as possible to expel the dark forces. However, they waited for a long time without receiving a response.
Sinert City was located in the northern part of the Shas Principality, closer to the Blood Domain. Seventh and eighth-generation vampires could be seen everywhere in the city, gathered in groups to feed. The thick stench of blood spread through the empty streets.
Erin and Vera put away their skeletons and walked side-by-side down the street, their small figures hidden by black cloaks. During her time in the Witch City, Erin had seen all sorts of bloody scenes and… even created some herself. But too much time had passed since then. Now, watching these low-level vampires feed, she felt a sense of unease.
Vampires below the sixth generation were little more than blood-sucking monsters controlled by their appetites. When the desire for blood surged, they lost all reason and self-control. Even the clans were unwilling to acknowledge their existence.
Vera led Erin through the city, searching for a safe place to stay. As they passed a small alley, the five or six low-level vampires feeding inside heard their footsteps and turned their heads in unison. Their expressions were savage with hunger.
Vera paused, subtly shielding Erin behind her. She stared coldly at the vampires in the alley. Black energy suddenly condensed around them, and one after another, ghastly white hand bones emerged from the mist. Skeletons filled the alley, their sharp finger bones piercing the vampires' chests and crushing their hearts to pieces.
“…Wait for me here.” Vera took out her bone staff and summoned a few more skeletons. She jumped onto one and sat down, then said to Erin with a deadpan expression.
Rather than find a safe place, it was better to make the city itself safe. If she did that, she could be more at ease leaving Erin here alone.
Erin watched Vera’s back, blinking. She pressed her lips together, but couldn't hide her smile. This person was still protecting her as earnestly as when they were children.
After clearing out the low-level vampires in the city, Vera found an abandoned tavern for Erin to rest in.
Two skeletons were cleaning inside the tavern while Vera and Erin waited outside. The midday sun was a bit harsh. Vera took off her hood and said to Erin in a low voice, “I can be back by tomorrow. Be careful on your own.”
Erin reached into her sleeve and stroked Little Fur Ball’s neck. In response to Vera’s warning, she smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect myself.”
Vera nodded. Just then, the tavern was cleaned, and Erin went inside to inspect it. At the doorway, Vera gave Erin’s back a deep look. She lowered her gaze slightly, her voice so soft it seemed it would dissipate into the air. “I’ll leave two lion-men to protect you.”
Erin didn’t notice anything unusual about Vera. She turned around, patted her chest, and said with a confident smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll be very safe.”
Vera looked at Erin, who trusted her with all her heart. Her slightly lowered eyes concealed a trace of complex emotion. She sighed softly, left two lion-men to guard the tavern entrance, then summoned a skeleton, turned, and left.
After Vera was gone, Erin walked around the tavern before finally sitting down at a table in the corner. She pulled Little Fur Ball out of her sleeve and placed him on the table, then took out a handful of leaves and fed him while she waited for Vera to return.
From Sinert City to the Witch City, a day and a night was more than enough for Vera to make a round trip at her speed. Worried that Vera wouldn’t be able to find her if she wandered off, Erin stayed obediently in the tavern. With Little Fur Ball for company, she didn’t feel bored.
Time passed quickly. As Erin was dozing off with her head on the table, a sound suddenly came from the entrance. The lion-men Vera had left were outside, so Erin wasn’t too worried about running into any danger. She raised a hand to rub her eyes, assuming Vera had returned, and got up to greet her.
“Vera?” Erin excitedly opened the door. Seeing the people standing outside, the smile on her face instantly stiffened.
Outside stood two Black Witches in red robes. Hearing the door open, they turned around in unison. The witch on the left had long brown hair and gray eyes identical to Erin’s. She smiled at Erin and said gently, “It’s been a long time, my dear daughter.”
Erin’s face turned pale. She slammed the door shut, turned, and went back to the table to hide Little Fur Ball in her sleeve. The panic of seeing Glanna and the fury of Vera's betrayal made her hands tremble uncontrollably. She bit the tip of her tongue, trying to calm herself with the pain.
Vera… the friend she had trusted so much… Tears welled in Erin’s eyes. She took a teleportation scroll from her Space Gem, but no matter how she tried to unfurl it, it had no effect.
The surrounding space had already been sealed.
The door creaked open, and Glanna and Noah walked in, one after the other. Seeing them enter, Erin couldn’t help but back away until she hit the wall. The cold surface against her back slowly calmed her down. She glared hatefully at Glanna, her hand clutching Little Fur Ball unconsciously tightening, squeezing him awake.
Glanna looked at Erin’s hateful gaze and curled her lips into a slight smile. She spread her hands and said with a helpless air, “Vera selling you out has nothing to do with me.”
“You should reflect on yourself. Why did your only friend betray you?”
Glanna took an imperceptible step toward Erin, her gentle voice speaking incredibly cruel words. “Perhaps this is just your fate. Who likes to be friends with a nuisance?”
“This time, do you think that friend of yours from the Church will come to save you?”
Erin bit her lip, telling herself over and over not to mind Glanna’s words, not to follow her train of thought, but… she couldn’t control it.
It seemed she was a nuisance to everyone.
Although Erin hated Glanna and had never treated her as a mother, she had to admit that any words coming from her mouth had an immense effect on her.
Noticing Erin’s emotional state was off, Noah worried she might hurt herself. She reached out, pulled Glanna back, and gestured for her to stop talking. “We won’t hurt you, Erin. I need a little of your help.”
Erin looked at her coldly and refused without hesitation. “I will not help you.”
As she spoke, she looked down at Little Fur Ball in her hand. Although he was awake, he was lying there in a daze, completely unaware of his master’s agitated mood.
Erin was anxious but didn’t dare to rashly throw Little Fur Ball out.
Noah wasn’t surprised by Erin’s refusal. She sighed, took out her bone staff, and waved it at Erin. A cloud of black mist emerged at Erin’s feet, teleporting her away before she could react.
After sending Erin back to the Witch City, Noah put away her bone staff, turned to Glanna, and said with a frown, “You’re too harsh on Erin.”
Although Erin was something of an anomaly among the Black Witches, Noah didn’t really mind. She had watched Erin grow up and was rather fond of her.
Glanna leaned against a table and said casually, “What are you talking about? Didn’t you ask me to bring her to you?”
“I was referring to your attitude toward her.”
Glanna shrugged. “She’s hostile to me too, didn’t you see?” she complained as she walked toward the door with Noah. “Look at her. Does she look like a Black Witch?”
“She’s simply the biggest failure of my life.”
Noah disagreed, retorting, “She can use dark magic and witchcraft. How is she not a Black Witch?”
Erin was just a Black Witch who didn’t meet Glanna’s expectations.
Far away in the Elven domain, Tang Qiu was still unaware of Erin’s plight. She was busy nursing Delphine back to health. Although Elves had long lifespans, endlessly consuming one’s own life force to sustain the Tree of Life would only accelerate Delphine’s aging and death.
Life force could not be abused.
The Holy Water of Light and healing spells only restored Delphine’s spirit to normal; they couldn’t eliminate the fatigue caused by her lost life force. A full recovery would still require time and rest.
Although the Elves didn’t know what Delphine was doing, they could see her exhaustion. They grew worried, but unable to do anything, they could only secretly bring gifts to Tang Qiu to ask for her help.
During her stay in the Elven domain, Tang Qiu would find a pile of Elven specialties at her door every morning when she opened her treehouse.
The situation of the Elves and Delphine’s predicament made even an outsider like Tang Qiu sigh. She went alone to where the Tree of Life was located and looked up at it. The tree’s condition was the same as the first time she had seen it, with no change.
The flowing stream had been mixed with Holy Water of Light to provide the Tree of Life with light elements. Tang Qiu observed the tree for a while, then bent down slightly and placed her hand in the stream.
There was only the Power of Light inside, with no hidden dark elements.
“The problem isn’t there,” Delphine’s voice suddenly came from behind. Tang Qiu turned to watch her walk to her side and asked with a raised eyebrow, “Then where is the problem?”
Delphine gazed at the Tree of Life and said faintly, “The problem is with this continent.”
“The light can no longer illuminate it.”
The Tree of Life originated from a seed condensed from the power of nature by the Forest Goddess. It was planted before the gods left the continent and grew strong when it was nourished by the light that the first Pope spread across the Statu Continent.
An immature Tree of Life was most sensitive to the state of the Statu Continent. When darkness descended, it would be affected.
Delphine should have realized it sooner. After the civil war that occurred in the Church over a thousand years ago, the light was no longer pure.
Tang Qiu took her hand out of the stream and wiped it with a handkerchief, frowning. “The Church’s Tree of Life is in good condition. If you need them, I can find a way to bring you some Elf Fruits.”
Delphine shook her head. “It’s useless.”
“Why?”
Delphine raised a hand to rub her brow, her voice weary. “The Elf Fruits can now only produce Dark Elves.”
This continent had been too severely eroded by darkness.
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