[Vol. 7] Chapter 40: Time for a Powerful Attack!
This is interesting... but why does the spell Rashid is chanting sound so familiar? Is this the [Holy Arts] developed by the Holy Empire in the new history?
As she thought about this, Violet kept an eye on the surroundings.
Rashid’s holy magic was certainly effective, but it couldn’t immediately remove the influence of the expanding energy. As of now, aside from herself, there were two people who seemed unaffected.
One was the Sea Priestess, Silisa, who had come along with them, and the other was Miss Le Qiaoqiao, who still seemed completely confused about what was happening.
"Eh, eh, eh? What’s going on?!"
It seemed like she hadn’t noticed the polluted energy spreading from the island until now. Only at this moment did the thief girl finally realize something was wrong. She frantically spun around near Hongyan, who was frowning and holding her forehead, and finally looked to the calm-faced black-haired girl for help.
“Boss, stop watching and help us!”
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s not serious. Didn’t someone else step in to fix it already~?”
To be honest, the eruption of this energy had been mostly expected by Violet. When they landed, she had already sensed that a great force was building up in the center of the island, as if those highly concentrated pollutants were trying to manifest in a more physical form.
It was like a Spirit of the Law or something similar was looking for a proper medium. The energy they just felt was the first wave of its attempt.
Of course, that thing seemed to be more complex than just a Spirit. This attempt was clearly not something that could happen immediately. As long as they could reach the source before it fully materialized and gained the ability to interfere with the real world, there was still a chance to stop it.
But speaking of which...
The priestess’ eyes narrowed with a bit of amusement, and they landed on Le Qiaoqiao.
“I expected everyone else’s reactions, but you... I didn’t expect you to be completely unaffected. Could it be that you’re so empty-headed that even the whispers and manipulations can’t affect you~?”
The thief girl blinked in surprise, then realized what was happening, stomping her feet in frustration.
“Hey! Of all times, boss, you’re still in the mood to joke! And I’m not an idiot!”
"Hey, what you’re saying, even an idiot has its perks. There's an old saying, 'ignorance is bliss,' and it looks like it’s true after all."
As Le Qiaoqiao was skillfully distracted by someone’s words, Hongyan straightened up again, taking a slight breath as the pure light continued to envelop her, pushing back the dark hues swirling in her eyes.
"Ah, Hongyan, are you okay?"
"I'm... I'm fine... I've faced this kind of thing before, I can handle it."
Shaking her head, the swordswoman exchanged a glance with the priestess.
“It’s the same kind of thing... Violet, they’re almost identical.”
"Mm, it seems we’re getting closer to uncovering the truth of this sea area’s mystery~"
Smiling and nodding, Violet glanced over at the team, which was regrouping under the command of Queen and Rashid, and at the ghosts, who were almost finished with their strange worship ritual and were now slowly surrounding them again. She suddenly changed the subject to something unrelated to the current situation.
"Hongyan, how much of that power have you mastered?"
The girl paused for a moment, then realized.
"You're talking about the [Absolute Sword] driven by the [Void Energy], right? After practicing while crossing the seabed last time, I’ve gained some insight into the sword’s intent and energy control. Now, what I lack is foundation. If I use all my strength, maybe..."
"Mm, so you can’t use it just yet. I see... I’ve been asking too much of you. It’s fine."
After a moment’s thought, Violet quietly placed a pale golden, tear-shaped capsule, carved like pure crystal, into Hongyan’s hand.
"In a bit, I may need to leave the group to do something. If you all face a life-and-death crisis while I’m gone, crush this and swallow it. It’ll give you... how should I put it... the power to unleash one incredibly powerful attack, capable of taking down any enemy within a reasonable range. But there’s only one opportunity to use it."
She vaguely described the effect, and without further explanation, Violet grew serious again.
"But remember, you should only use it when it's absolutely necessary or if there's no other choice."
"To be honest, I haven't tested this thing enough. You and... the power it carries aren’t exactly well-matched. If something goes wrong, that power could tear your body apart. Do you understand what that means?"
Noticing their little exchange, Le Qiaoqiao quickly leaned in, looking like a curious hamster eyeing a new toy.
"Is that for real, boss? You’re actually willing to let Hongyan use something so dangerous?"
Violet gave her a sharp look.
"Exactly because it’s dangerous, I’m only giving it to Hongyan. She knows when to use it and when not to, unlike some headless person, understand?"
"That’s so mean! I told you, I’m not an idiot!"
"Within a reasonable range... destroy any enemy? Miss Violet, can I ask what exactly you mean by 'reasonable range'?"
The swordswoman instinctively looked at the tiny golden teardrop-shaped crystal in her hand, which was only about the size of a fingernail. It was so small that even if it fell, you might not notice. She hesitated a bit, since the description was so vague.
"Oh, don't ask too many questions. Basically, anything you can imagine is within the reasonable range, something like that should work!"
"Alright..."
The object looked like crystal but wasn’t particularly hard. It felt a bit like gummy candy when she squeezed it. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that it was hollow inside, with a tiny amount of pale red liquid gently swaying.
Hongyan instinctively sensed that the mysterious liquid was likely the source of the "power" Violet had mentioned.
But honestly, she couldn’t help but wonder if such a small amount, no more than a single drop, could really produce the terrifying effects Violet promised. Even if it was some divine elixir, there had to be basic rules, right?
Although she didn’t fully understand, since it was something Violet specifically gave her, and after witnessing enough of Violet's incredible methods, Hongyan didn’t dare to take it lightly. She quickly tucked it into her most secure inner pocket and nodded seriously.
"Got it, I’ll make sure to choose wisely. But Miss Violet, are you leaving the team now because you...?"
Violet shook her head and glanced at the approaching [Deep Sea Ghosts], signaling to the girl to drop the topic.
"This is not something you should be involved in or need to know. Don’t ask, just get ready for battle. And remember... be careful of what’s behind you."
The girl’s sharp, sword-like eyes slightly narrowed as she discreetly scanned all the other companions, subtly nodding.
"I'll stay alert."