Chapter 130 Monster

The church in Pauillac covers a large area, but its architectural style is very simple.

The central worship square houses the statue of the God of Light. Although the statue has no carved face, it still exudes compassion and love that cannot be expressed in words.

Under the statue were bouquets of flowers woven from fine linen, of various styles, both new and old.

Heller walked at the front of the crowd, pointed at the faceless statue in the square, and then pointed at the only palace behind him that looked decent.

"We just passed by the front hall of the Pauillac Cathedral. The residents of the city often gathered in the front hall to worship and pray...

"Thanks to the gift of the God of Light, we have two statues of the God of Light in such a barren land like Boyak. The complete statue in the temple allows us to have a glimpse of the miracle!"

As he spoke, Heller's expression became proud, "In the entire Periya Empire, there is only one complete statue of the God of Light, and it is here with us."

"Really nice..." Machi looked in the direction he pointed, "It's almost the same as what I saw back then!"

Lu Yi also looked at the statue with a blank face.

The only difference between him and the other candidates was that when he saw the statue, he did not think of the face of the great God of Light.

Instead, Ares' face was automatically filled in.

It's really weird.

Lu Yi shook his head, and immediately received several concerned glances.

"It's okay, I'm not feeling unwell, really..."

After a brief pause beside the statue, Heller led them to buildings deeper inside the church.

If the front hall is cramped and simple but managed to stay that way, then the back hall is naked poverty exposed to the sun.

"arrive!"

As Heller finished speaking, almost everyone was cheered up.

However, when they actually stepped into the residence, most people fell silent.

"...Are we going to live here for the next ten days or so?" a candidate asked with an indescribable expression.

It's not that he was picky, but the scene before him was really beyond his imagination.

A three- or two-story stone hut stood on the sand, the paint on the walls was mottled, gray and dilapidated, and so shabby that you couldn't even see a window. There were a few shorter huts nearby, but they had obvious cracks, and seemed to have been abandoned for a long time and were no longer used.

There was a bonfire burning in the middle of the open space outside the house.

The bonfire danced under the darkening sky, like a flower blooming in the sand. The leaping flames flickered, dazzling and brilliant, making the hut look even more shabby.

"No, didn't the Vatican allocate money? You live in a house like this?" another candidate asked in disbelief.

Before arriving at the border, he had tried his best to prepare himself for a harsh environment, but this hut still exceeded the limits of his imagination.

He dared to bet that the enchanted paint on the wall was a "relic" from at least five years ago, and the attached magic power had long since dissipated without a trace left!

The wrinkles on Heller's cheeks deepened, and he smiled and replied: "My Lord, as you can see, Pauillac is a poor city-state. There are many places here that need money more than building a living room..."

"But what does the Vatican have to do with Boyak's poverty? Boyak is not a territory of the Vatican. Even if the Vatican is responsible, the Polya Empire should pay for it!"

"The Perlia Empire is already struggling to protect itself, how can it provide for Boyak..."

As the oppression of the Death Valley becomes increasingly severe, the dissolution of the Perlia Empire is almost a matter of sooner or later.

It is holding on, with the joint assistance of the Holy See and the Magic Association.

But everyone knows it won't last long.

The candidate who asked the question opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing.

Lu Yi stood beside him and spoke in a low voice to break the awkwardness between the two.

"Let's go in, it's getting late."

The group walked quietly into the small building.

Soon, the bonfire went out.

…

The next day.

Lu Yi sat on a small stone bench and looked through the things in his space ring.

To be more precise, it was the space ring that Lu Yi Klein sent to Rand.

He was unconscious when he left the Vatican. Apart from the necessities provided by the Vatican and helped by other candidates, Lu Yi took nothing with him.

Since the people in the background board’s family are unreliable, Lu Yi can only take advantage of the situation and send out his big account.

After hearing about the Vatican's arrangements, Luy Klein thoughtfully prepared a lot of gifts for his close friend Rant, who was also a candidate.

It just happened to be a good opportunity. With the help of a caravan of merchants passing by, this small package arrived in Boyak just one night later than them.

After morning prayer, Lu Yi received the package from the staff of the Boyak Church.

He looked through the supplies he had carefully prepared and inexplicably felt the joy of a poor man who had suddenly become rich.

You know, this pile of gold coins may mean nothing to Lu Yi Klein, but to the poor Rand, it is simply a huge fortune.

Most importantly, there is a piece of Ketissa Stone inside.

The breakthrough was already close, and Lu Yi had a feeling that it would happen in the next few days at the latest.

By the way, this Philosopher's Stone of Katesus was a gift from Paso to Luy Klein.

[“You said Paso was unreliable, but he gave a piece of Kessus Stone to Luy Klein. You said he was reliable, but he didn’t give it to Rand. It’s me, Rand, who is not worthy…”]

[No!] 857 said hurriedly, [Didn’t we see Paso looking for Kaka before and asking him to take care of you? Paso also gave Kaka a space ring at that time, and asked him to bring it to you.]

[“What about Callisto here?” Lu Yi raised his eyebrows.

[“Tsk, what evil intentions does this guy have? I don’t believe he can’t see that I’m about to break through.”]

[…Maybe I forgot?]

[“Come on, the probability that he did it on purpose is higher than the probability that he forgot.”] Lu Yi said disapprovingly, [“Maybe he just wanted to test the strength of the God-favored One!”]

Lu Yi packed up the supplies in the space ring, stood up and stretched.

[“…This stone bench is not good. It’s too low. My waist will ache if I sit on it for a long time.”]

Lu Yi sighed subconsciously, and then he sighed again, "You see, compared to the rapid development of steam, electricity and magic in the Central Empire, the city of Boyak seems to be still in the Stone Age."

Not to mention the great nobles, even the ordinary civilians who had just won might have a higher standard of living than the lord of Boyak.

The same human continent, but different joys and sorrows.

Lu Yi's emotion did not last long, because the knights who were traveling with him knocked on the doors of each candidate, and everyone went on the rest of the journey together today.

…

"Wow, that building over there looks better than the surrounding houses... Is it the lord's castle?"

Heller followed his gaze and nodded, "Yes, the Lord of Pauillac lives in that castle."

"What kind of person is the Lord of Boyak? Do we need to visit him?" a candidate asked curiously.

To be fair, that lord's castle is dozens of times better than their Vatican's garrison.

Heller hesitated for a moment, then said, "No, maybe a visit is not always necessary. The Lord is a tolerant man, but he doesn't like socializing...

"But it is reasonable for you to want to visit him. People from the Grand Church and the Magic Association have visited him before. The lord will warmly welcome you."

"It sounds good. If we have time later, we must go visit this lord!" said the candidate who asked the question excitedly.

Heller hesitated to speak, and finally just smiled and nodded.

The crowd continued to move forward.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, another candidate asked, "Where are we going? Is the Death Stream open?"

Machi stood at the front of the team and answered without looking back, "No, we are just going to get familiar with the city-state and the common monsters first, so that you won't be unable to recognize the monsters when a fight breaks out, or you can just bring the monsters into the city."

Heller also nodded. "Yes, our main purpose today is to familiarize ourselves with Boyak, because we need to defend against the occasional breaches in the city. Boyak is very large and open, so we should familiarize ourselves with the roads."

The candidate simply ignored Heller's words and said to March nonchalantly, "How is that possible? We are not idiots!"

March turned his head and gave the candidate a long look. "I hope so!"

"I'm too lazy to say anything." Gary sneered in a low voice beside Lu Yi, "He doesn't really think we're just here for tourism or hard training, does he? This can be considered the front line! Don't let us die without knowing how we died!"

Lu Yi lowered his eyes, glanced at him and said, "Say something good, it's unlucky."

Lu Yi didn't take Gary's words to heart, but who knew that his words would come true.

Gaps in the Death Valley are unpredictable, especially short-lived, small gaps.

They followed the people of the Boyak Church to patrol the city-state, which should have been an operation with very low risk.

However, the loophole appears when everyone is off guard.

At first, the black vortex was only the size of a black bean, floating strangely in the air.

In just a blink of an eye, the unlucky candidate did not react to the identity of the gap, but subconsciously stretched out his finger to touch the dark vortex.

The vortex burst instantly after it touched the human's temperature. Within just a few seconds, the radius increased several times and directly swept the candidate into the sky.

Heller's expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "It's a monster! It's a thorny wood monster! Quick! Hold the temperature of your body! Activate the magic of light!"

The elderly priest had a serious expression, and without waiting for the panicked crowd to react, he used his magic power to leap into the air, and stretched out his shriveled hand towards the candidate whose half body had been swallowed into the vortex.

Heller tightly grasped the candidate's hand that was exposed outside the vortex, and continuously transported light magic power into and out of his body.

"My lord! Quickly circulate the light power in your body! Quick! The thorny wood demon is afraid of the power of light!!" Heller screamed at the top of his lungs.

Heller's hand was dry and skinny, but it held the candidate's hand tightly. Veins bulged from the back of his hand to his forearm.

The candidate's head and body were mostly hidden in the black vortex. He seemed to have fallen into great fear and panic, and the light magic power in his body was chaotic and disordered.

Lu Yi, who was standing below, had a solemn expression on his face. He pushed through the panicked crowd and rushed to Machi's side.

Machi had come to Boyak to carry out a mission before, so he must be the one among them who is most familiar with the monsters here!

"Captain, what can we do? Father Heller said that the Thornwood Demon is afraid of light..."

They are all mages with outstanding light talents, and they are remarkable in both strength and purity.

Machi shook his head, looked up at the two people in a stalemate and said, "There's nothing we can do."

“The Thornwood Demon is one of the most common monsters in Boyak. Due to the seal, it cannot actively touch humans. But once a human touches it, it is equivalent to removing the thin seal on it.

"The Thornwood Demon is very cunning. Once it senses a threat that is too great, it will immediately stop and flee..."

Machi suddenly paused and said softly: "Just like now..."

Lu Yi turned his head, his pupils shrank slightly, and the amber color refracted red light.

The bright red blood splashed in the sky, like raindrops spraying down.

Drops of blood fell on Lu Yi's fair cheeks, even blurring his eyelashes.

The fishy smell filled my nose.

Lu Yi's heart skipped a beat.

“It’s smarter than it was 10 years ago,” March said.

“W-what…”

He raised his head slowly, just in time to see the half body falling from the air.

——A muffled sound.

The fracture was smooth, but the exposed blood, flesh and bones blurred the surface into a disgusting cross section.

The black vortex had long disappeared, and only Heller was left standing alone in the air.

He still held a smooth palm in his hand.

Heller seemed to have noticed Lu Yi's gaze and slowly lowered his head to look at Lu Yi.

He wiped his bloody face and opened his mouth silently.

—I'm fine, sir.

…

That night.

The bonfire was still crackling.

However, unlike the first night when no one cared, the visitors from the Archbishop's See all sat silently next to the members of the Boyak Church.

The crowd sat around the campfire, chatting in low voices.

The night in Pauillac was extremely cold, but the bonfire was extremely hot.

Lu Yi sat in front of the campfire, with Gary on his left and Machi on his right.

"What? Haven't you digested it yet?" Gary tilted his head and looked at him.

Lu Yi shook his head, "No, I was just thinking about what we can do if we encounter the Thornwood Demon again next time."

The Thornwood Demon is not as greedy as other demons.

In other words, although the thorny wood demon is greedy, it is more cunning and cowardly.

Rather than having one full meal, it would rather eat numerous half-full meals.

And what can these humans who are eaten do?

Lu Yi couldn't think of the answer for a while.

The underlying logic of healing surgery is healing rather than regeneration. Once the body is lost, especially an extremely critical and important part like the brain, death is almost certain.

Unless there is a miracle.

But the Thornwood Demon is the most common monster in the city of Boyak. Obviously, it is impossible for a miracle to appear every time.

Lu Yi can bring about a miracle once, a thousand times, but he cannot do it every time.

"What to do? We shouldn't do anything!" Gary said without hesitation.

"What?" Lu Yi looked at him sideways.

"Machi should have explained it to you very clearly. The Thornwood Demon cannot actively touch humans. It must be touched by humans first before the seal is lifted. There is no way to stop a person from dying. Just let him die if he deserves to die. You are just too soft-hearted..."

"But what if the seal weakens again in the future?" Lu Yi asked seriously.

"The gap in the Death River is a sign of the seal weakening. The appearance of the Thornwood Demon is also a sign of the seal weakening. What if the seal continues to weaken? What should we do when the Thornwood Demon can actively touch humans, or even does not need to touch them?"

Gary was stunned for a moment, then rolled his eyes and said, "Why do you care about the seal! Even if there is a problem with the seal, there are tall people to handle it. Why are you a little brat trying to get involved? You are not the Son of God, so don't worry about the Holy See!"

"I'm not a brat." Lu Yi said speechlessly, "I'm discussing this issue with you very seriously... You are the naive brat, right?!"

"Tsk!" Gary sat up straight and patted his head. "I'm too lazy to argue with you. You're a kid who hasn't even graduated from St. Dover. What are you talking about in front of me? I'm at least seven or eight years older than you."

It was his outspoken and unbridled attitude that made Gary stand out in the crowd.

But if you really want to be picky, Louisa and other first-year students from St. Dover are the youngest in the entire candidate team.

"You're still trying to hold on in front of me. Do you know how scary you looked this morning? I should have left the entire Image Stone for you to take a good look at."

“…Is there?”

Lu Yi frowned slightly.

Although he was indeed startled for a moment, Lu Yi insisted that he was frightened because he was caught off guard.

"What do you think?" Gary glanced at him. "Your face has turned two shades paler. Those ladies in the royal city who are too powdered should envy you."

“…That sounds like an insult to me.”

"Great! Congratulations on getting the answer right!"

Gary pretended to clap.

Lu Yi rolled his eyes at him and moved to the right.

"Would you like a skewer of barbecue?" Machi handed him a skewer of delicious barbecue.

Lu Yi took the skewer and took a bite.

The barbecued meat just off the fire was fragrant, but also extremely hot, making Lu Yi groan in pleasure.

"Thank you, thank you Captain..." Lu Yi said vaguely.

"Don't listen to what that bastard Gary says. For a first-year student at St. Dover, your performance has been outstanding."

Lu Yi held a piece of barbecued meat in his mouth and moved his eyes from the skewers to Machi.

"Really, Rant, you are already very good." Machi repeated, as if worried that Lu Yi would not believe it.

"At least it's much better than I was back then!"

The red flames flickered in his amber pupils, bringing out an inexplicable warmth that made people want to cry.

Lu Yi didn't say anything, but Ma Qi felt as if he heard the young man say, "Really?"

"It's true." March repeated again.

"When I faced death, I vomited all night and couldn't eat anything for three days. I could only drink water."

"…But the first time I faced death, I fainted."

Lu Yi still remembered that it was a long time ago, and he thought that Shimona really died because of his fault.

Then there was red blood all over the sky. With the help of Ares' power, he killed all those annoying assassins.

His first encounter with death ended with more death.

The second time was during Braceside's grade trial competition, which was also indirectly caused by him.

Sometimes Lu Yi couldn't help but wonder, if he had been faster at that time.

A little faster.

Will the result be different?

Lu Yi thought that what he cared about might not be the death of the candidate.

But it is my own powerlessness.

He wanted to have power.

Absolute power.

It is the strength that allows you to remain calm whether to save or not.

The author has something to say:

Today is long!! Stick to my wives qwq