Chapter 626 - 534: Mason’s Travelogue: Records of Strange Lands

Chapter 626: Chapter 534: Mason’s Travelogue: Records of Strange Lands

Hearing this low whisper, almost a mumble to herself, Roland’s eyes suddenly brightened.

He took a step forward and instinctively lowered his voice, asking with a hint of barely concealed urgency.

"My soul... is there something wrong with it?"

Ever since the day he forced himself to use Fate Deviation and strike a deal with Phaethon, a tiny yet stubborn "crack" deep within his soul had been a constant shadow.

It didn’t directly affect Roland’s daily activities or his clarity of thought. The potential weakness it created—a reduced resistance to Spiritual Attacks due to his damaged soul—had long been compensated for and concealed by Sanctuary of Indomitable and Master of Shadows.

However, the invisible shackles it placed upon his Casting Ability, as well as the many Skills and Traits closely tied to his Spiritual Power, remained a constant burden.

More unsettling still, as time went on, the value for his Spiritual Attribute on his Professional Panel had begun a slow but undeniable decline.

Like fine sand trickling through an hourglass. ⅇℯ𝚕.

It wasn’t as if Roland hadn’t tried.

He had wracked his brain, using every method he knew to treat, or at least mitigate, the damage.

However, all his efforts ultimately proved fruitless.

The "crack" remained, stubborn and immune to any known method of repair.

After meeting Ellis, during their journey to Gray Rock City, he had broached the subject with the young, academy-trained Mage. Feigning academic curiosity, he had cryptically asked about the possibility of repairing a damaged soul.

The answer he received was not encouraging.

According to Ellis, the domain of the soul was one of the deepest and most inscrutable forbidden areas of magical research, touching upon the very nature of essence and existence.

Damage to the soul, unlike physical wounds or disruptions in Magic Power, was exceedingly difficult to diagnose, let alone repair.

Typically, only the most profound Divine Arts, certain long-lost ancient rituals, or forbidden, legendary knowledge concerning the very essence of life could even begin to address it. And without exception, all such methods were incredibly costly and fraught with unknowable risks.

Given Ellis’s level of scholarship, he could offer only theoretical speculation and warnings.

And now...

’This young, still-unrefined Vanessa—so different from the mysterious, inscrutable Witch from the "future"—had detected the abnormality in his soul just from a brief meeting of their eyes? Without even casting any kind of diagnostic Magic?’

’That level of insight was far beyond the scope of any ordinary Caster.’

Seeing Roland step forward so suddenly at her words, Vanessa flinched like a startled sparrow, shrinking back until she was almost completely hidden behind the door.

Only when she was sure Roland had stopped and had no intention of coming closer did she cautiously peek out again. The focused, analytical glint in her violet eyes temporarily overcame her timidity.

"Y-Yes..."

she said, her voice soft but clear. Her eyes darted over Roland, as if she were reading some kind of invisible text.

"I can ’see’ it... Your soul’s essence... it’s like it was forcibly ’pried’ open by some immense power, leaving behind an... an unstable ’crease’ and a constant ’dissipation’."

"Even though it’s currently masked by other, more prominent traits of power, it’s definitely there. And it’s slowly... hmm... ’abrading’ the very foundation of your soul’s integrity."

She paused, her brow furrowed slightly as she seemed to search for the right words.

"Without proper intervention and repair, the damage won’t be immediately fatal, but over time it will become increasingly difficult to reverse. It could eventually lead to a kind of... ’fading’ or ’ossification’ of your soul’s core, which would affect all potential related to your deeper Spiritual Power."

Roland’s heart sank. Her words matched his own Perception and the information on his panel, but were even more specific.

He immediately pressed on.

"Then, Lady Vanessa, do you have a way... to treat it? Or at least mitigate it?"

A clear hesitation appeared on Vanessa’s face.

She bit her lower lip, her fingers unconsciously twisting the oversized cuff of her sleeve. Her gaze flickered away for a moment before she seemed to make a decision and gave a small nod.

"My... my teacher, Lady Melina... she... she taught me some theories about how to Stabilize and repair a soul. And... and a few very old ritual frameworks, ones that are said to come from the ’Soul Weaver’ tradition, but..."

Her voice grew quieter, thick with self-doubt.

"I’ve... I’ve never actually performed one... not even once. My teacher said they’re incredibly dangerous and require extremely precise control and a profound understanding of the soul’s essence..."

"That doesn’t matter."

Roland’s reply was swift and firm.

"Any chance is better than being helpless. I’m willing to try."

He looked at Vanessa, his gaze steady.

"Can we go inside to discuss this in more detail? It doesn’t seem appropriate to talk out here."

Vanessa glanced timidly at Holland and Ellis behind him, a flicker of conflict in her eyes.

But in the end, she gave a small nod.

"O-Okay... You... you can come in. But please be quiet. There are some... sensitive reagents inside."

"Thank you."

Roland gave a slight nod of thanks and was the first to step across the heavy threshold.

A look of clear doubt crossed Ellis’s face. He glanced at Holland and lowered his voice.

"We’re just going in like this? That girl..."

Holland shrugged. His rugged face showed no concern. Instead, he clapped Ellis on the shoulder.

"Rudolph has his reasons. Besides, we’ve followed him this far, haven’t we?"