Chapter 31: The Mountain's Aegis and a Priest's Logic

Celeste woke to a gentle, deep warmth.

After the chaos of the previous day, the deep, uninterrupted slumber felt like a luxury.

She instinctively glanced at her bracelet, and the time displayed on the screen made her pause.

It was already the morning of the second day since they had entered the Domain.

They had slept for nearly ten hours straight.

A quick scan of the surroundings revealed the warning rune stones she’d placed were just as she’d left them, silent and undisturbed.

There had been no signs of a disturbance.

Beside her, Selene began to stir.

She rubbed her eyes, her voice still thick and groggy from sleep.

“Sister…

what time is it?” Her gaze drifted to her own bracelet, and a second later, her eyes widened in a small gasp.

“Ah!

It’s already daylight?!” Just then, the steady, heavy footsteps of Elder Shi Xu approached from the cavern beyond.

It carried a shield and a longsword, the new equipment tailor-made for Selene.

“How did you rest?” Elder Shi Xu’s voice was like the slow grinding of ancient stone, deep and clear.

“Your equipment is finished.” The last vestiges of sleepiness vanished from the sisters’ minds in an instant.

Selene practically shot to her feet with a soft whoosh, her eyes shining as she stared at the two pieces of gear.

They didn’t gleam ostentatiously, but instead exuded a deep, restrained luster.

The shield was larger than her previous standard-issue kite shield, forged from a metal the color of a starless midnight sky, its surface left unpolished and raw.

In its center, a polished cabochon of white flint was set like a single, watchful eye, glowing with a soft, milky luminescence.

The lines of the shield were powerful and smooth; a single glance was enough to convey a sense of unshakeable permanence.

The longsword was a study in brutal simplicity.

Its straight blade shimmered with the same dull metallic luster as the shield.

Only along the spine did a faint, milky-white halo flow like a whisper of moonlight on steel, perfectly echoing the white flint embedded in the shield’s heart.

“Try them,” Elder Shi Xu offered, holding out the sword and shield.

Selene took them, her hands trembling slightly with excitement.

The moment her fingers closed around the shield’s grip, an unimaginable sense of stability traveled up her arm and settled deep in her core.

The weight was perfect, feeling less like a tool and more like a natural extension of her own body.

She focused, channeling a stream of Holy Light into it.

Vmmm!

A low hum vibrated through the metal.

A corona of solid, heavy platinum light erupted from the shield’s surface, so dense it felt tangible.

The Holy Light surged through the mithril patterns inlaid within, a feeling of unmatched fluidity washing over her.

She could feel her defensive capabilities surging, a sensation of absolute, unbreachable security flooding her senses.

[Immovable Mountain] [Type: Knight Shield] [Description: Forged by an Earth Spirit craftsman with a black obsidian core, its heart is inlaid with white flint nurtured by the ley lines of the earth.

The shield is heavy, its patterns like overlapping mountain ranges; to hold it is to bear the weight of a mountain.] [Characteristics: Ultimate Defense, Holy Light Affinity, Tough and Durable.] [Note: Mountains may crumble to dust, but the faith guarded by this shield’s wielder will not.

Of course, when necessary, it can also be used for “physical persuasion.”] Next, she gave the longsword a practice swing.

The blade sliced cleanly through the air, the milky halo flowing with the movement.

Imbuing it with Holy Light was now incredibly easy, and the energy consumption was significantly reduced.

[Light of Dawn] [Type: Knight Sword] [Description: A straight blade cast from a black obsidian core and white flint, with a natural halo flowing along its spine.

When swung, it is like the first light of dawn tearing through the darkness.] [Characteristics: Banishes Evil, Slays Wickedness, Holy Light Conduction, Faith Protection.] [Note: May your faith be as pure as the light of this sword.

Also, it is very sharp—don’t ask me how I know.] “This is amazing!” Selene couldn’t stop admiring the set, her face overflowing with pure, unadulterated joy.

“Thank you, Elder Shi Xu!

This is even better than I ever could have imagined!” She could clearly feel that this sword and shield weren’t just made of superior materials; they possessed an innate affinity for the power of Holy Light.

This set would elevate her strength to a whole new level.

Celeste watched, a genuine smile on her face.

She was happy for her sister.

With this new equipment, Selene’s defensive and support capabilities would be much stronger, which in turn meant their team’s overall survivability would skyrocket.

“It is good, so long as it fits,” Elder Shi Xu nodded its stony head.

“Are you leaving now?” “Yes, Elder Shi Xu.

We still need to continue the Domain trial,” Celeste replied, then asked, “If I may ask, how do we leave the Hall of Cornerstones?” The Earth Spirit pointed a thick, rocky finger back toward the massive cavern they had first passed through.

“Follow the path you came from, back to the stone hall once occupied by the greenskins.

On the eastern rock wall, there is an inconspicuous stone door engraved with the ‘Spiral Return Pattern.’ That is the Gate of Boundary Scars, which leads to the forest outside.

Those greenskins used this door to enter and exit, cutting off our connection with the world above.” The sisters exchanged a look of understanding.

So the exit was right in the middle of the goblin nest.

No wonder the Earth Spirits had been trapped down here for so long.

After saying their goodbyes and offering their heartfelt thanks to Elder Shi Xu and the other Earth Spirits and troglodytes for their help and hospitality, the two sisters headed back.

They retraced their steps along the tidy passage and re-entered the huge, natural cavern that had once served as the goblins’ main barracks.

Following Elder Shi Xu’s directions, they carefully searched the eastern wall.

Sure enough, they found it: a stone door so perfectly flush with the rock face it seemed more like a natural feature than a man-made one.

Etched upon its surface were faint, spiraling patterns that glowed with a soft, cerulean light.

If you weren’t specifically looking for it, you would miss it completely.

Together, they pushed open the Gate of Boundary Scars.

A familiar wave of vertigo washed over them, the world twisting and folding in on itself like a crumpled map.

The scene before their eyes flickered and reformed.

The scent of damp earth and forest trees rushed to meet them.

They were standing at the entrance of that crooked, ramshackle goblin fortress.

Looking back, they saw only rough-hewn log walls and broken wooden boards nailed together haphazardly.

The stone door was nowhere to be seen.

“So the goblins built their entire ‘castle’ around the portal exit…” Selene realized aloud.

“No wonder they could come and go as they pleased while keeping the Earth Spirits trapped.” Celeste nodded.

It all made perfect sense.

The goblins controlled both ends of the portal, effectively sealing the Earth Spirits’ only way out.

“It feels like I just had a long, strange dream…” Selene tightened her grip on the brand-new shield, the heavy, reassuring weight in her hand grounding her.

She let out a soft sigh.

Celeste took a deep breath of the not-so-fresh air of the dense forest and nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go.

The trial isn’t over yet.” “Right.

And we’re in perfect condition.” Armed with new equipment, fully rested, and with a decent haul in their inventories, the sisters’ confidence was soaring.

They stepped back into the depths of the dark forest.

They traveled upstream, following a babbling brook.

The morning mist had yet to completely burn off, and sunlight filtered through the interlacing canopy, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on the pebble-strewn bank.

The air was a mix of fresh soil, cool river water, and green, living plants.

Celeste took another deep breath, an expression of deep relief spreading across her face.

That lingering, ghostly scent of chemical-laced strawberry and jasmine was finally, completely gone.

“Thank God…” she muttered under her breath.

‘If I had to keep smelling that, my nose was going to develop actual PTSD.’ She secretly resolved to grind her way to level 22 as soon as possible.

Priests learned [Cleansing Spell] at level 22.

Although the skill description clearly stated it “dispels negative status effects from the body,” Celeste stubbornly believed that since it was called a Cleansing Spell, it must be able to, well, clean the body.

Sweat stains, dust, weird spray-on perfume residue—all of it, gone in a flash of holy light!

The logic was simply impeccable.

“Sister, isn’t [Cleansing Spell] for removing debuffs like poison and paralysis?” Selene, walking beside her, had overheard her muttering and couldn’t help but ask.

“Are you planning to use it to take a bath?” Celeste turned to her with a look that was completely matter-of-fact.

“The skill is named ‘Cleansing.’So isn’t taking care of personal hygiene its most natural application?

Otherwise, why wouldn’t they just call it’Dispelling Spell’or’Purification Spell’?

This proves that the original skill designer considered the practical cleanliness issues of adventurers from the very beginning!

It has to be.” Selene stared, her mouth slightly agape.

“…You know, when you put it like that,” she finally managed, “I…

I can’t even argue.” [Elysian’s Note: Having a good time with the story?

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