[Vol. 9] Chapter 41: Solving Riddles Means Using Your Fists!
What looked like a simple kick caused the words made of fire to instantly shatter, exploding into countless sparks that scattered in all directions. But then, like living fireflies, they came together again, forming a line of blood-red words!
[Those who dare insult divine authority, you shall become firewood!!!]
The bonfire suddenly roared wildly. Its weak flame instantly expanded several times stronger, casting deep shadows that looked like a hungry beast ready to devour the girl at any moment!
This was a warning. It was not only the rules of this place that could not be disobeyed, but also the strange being that created those rules. And Violet’s actions were not just testing, not just studying. She had directly trampled on its head, showing open contempt and scorn. If it had will, of course it would be angry.
“Heh, not very capable but got quite a temper, huh? What kind of dumb rule is this? I broke it, so what?”
Although she said this out loud on purpose, Violet had already guessed what was behind this place. That thing might have some intelligence, but not much. Otherwise, why would it get so angry at such a small provocation, when it had already been crushed flat before by someone far stronger than it?
Since that was the case, she didn’t need to show any mercy.
The crimson letters were about to change again, when Violet suddenly swept her gaze across.
“BOOM!!!!!!!!”
In an instant, overwhelming pressure crashed down. The bonfire, which was the “starting point” and symbol of absolute safety and rules, suddenly froze as if an invisible hand was choking it. It shook violently, giving off eerie light, while the fire-formed rule words appeared and disappeared, like they were trying to resist her brutal force.
But Violet didn’t plan to waste time with it. She simply raised her hand and clenched the air.
“Whoosh!”
Her vast spiritual power and law-forged strength smashed down like a giant hammer. All the words and threats were destroyed, and even the eternal flame was instantly snuffed out. The already dim forest was thrown into total darkness.
Almost at the same time, the whole forest went berserk!
The trees, which had looked normal under the firelight, melted into shadows as the darkness swallowed them. A chilling wind swept over, and Violet felt as if she had stepped into a ghostly underworld. Countless indescribable, twisted beings gathered from all directions, stretching out claws made of shadow, ready to rip her apart!
The punishment for breaking the rules was severe. Normally, the forest would create a targeted punishment based on the intruder’s specific actions. But Miss Priestess had been far too arrogant, she chose to directly fight against it head-on. Naturally, the rules would do whatever it took to erase and remove such a troublemaker.
Even though she was surrounded by total darkness and all these strange attacks, Violet stayed calm. She simply nodded to herself, already making her judgment.
It might look like just a forest, but the power that remained here, or rather that had formed this place was extremely complex. The deep-sea evil god Octavier might have appeared here, but They were not everything in this place. If anything, he was more like a manager or caretaker.
If it had been Them standing here now, They would never have chosen to break ties and fight her so rashly.
“Whoosh!!!!”
Shadows as deep as ink struck like lightning, twisting into a noose that flew straight at the black-haired girl’s neck. It tried to drag her toward a dark execution rack, planning to punish the one who offended divine power with the cruelest death. Countless black figures howled at once, like a mob waving flags and shouting, their sharp, buzzing cries piercing the ears and filling the air with a twisted, maddening pressure.
But the priestess didn’t even turn her head. White feathers of light spread out from around her body, and the noose instantly dissolved like melting snow. She raised her hand, and a golden streak of sword-like light shot out from her staff, shattering that sinister, cursed rack into pieces in an instant!
The wind fell silent. Calmly, the girl twirled the staff in her hand. Bathed in radiant light, it looked less like a staff and more like a shining lightsaber, the [Eternal Scepter of the World's Heart]. Her lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.
“That’s it? All that flashy nonsense, and I thought maybe you’d come up with something new. But in the end, it’s just bullying with a bit of power, preying on mortals below the divine level. Now you’ve run into someone on your own level, and suddenly you’re weak, huh?”
Violet spoke to herself, though clearly something in the shadows could hear and understand her words. Because in the very next moment, the darkness that had just been pushed back went completely mad!
“Hhhhhhhaaaaaa!!!!”
Like a frenzy of demons, countless twisted weapons, torture devices, and unidentifiable shadowy horrors rushed in from every direction. The strange presence, fully enraged, abandoned all rules and disguises, revealing its true form, throwing everything it had at Violet to tear her apart!
“Hmph… I was about to say, let’s see who—hm?”
Violet had expected this and was ready to unleash her true power to smash these strange things to pieces. But then, something happened that made her pause in surprise.
“Bzzzz~!”
The little wooden puppet, which had always been sitting quietly on her shoulder, suddenly leapt forward on its own. It burst into an explosion of dazzling golden light, far brighter than ever before!
That brilliance was so intense it was like a small sun, hiding its figure completely inside the glow. At that moment, it seemed to return to the instant it first descended into this world. Its entire being wrapped in infinite radiance, becoming the very meaning of Light itself.
A vast, overwhelming power erupted from that tiny body, expanding endlessly outward at impossible speed. All the shadow-born horrors had no chance to resist. One after another, they screamed in despair and dissolved into nothing under the holy light.
“...?”
Violet raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed that her “job” had been stolen. But instead of scolding or stopping it, she lowered the power she had been about to release, holding her staff in one hand and simply watching the little creature’s display with curiosity.
This was… truly interesting.
In truth, this was the same strange puppet that had once descended from beyond the world, stopping Leonis from reconstructing the [Ring of Heaven and Earth]. But after its strange encounter with Violet, something inexplicable happened: the puppet lost its ability to act on its own and became like a dead object, left in her care.
What was even stranger, after Violet had stored it away in her bag, never taking it out or letting anyone else touch it, the next time she checked, the puppet’s body had somehow shrunk to a tenth of its original size.