Chapter 1946: A Great Dark Presence
Chapter 1946: A Great Dark Presence
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A Great Dark Presence. I didn’t even know what the Guild Master meant by that. I looked at Augustus. His face looked utterly exhausted, with deep black lines under his red eyes. He seemed drained from days without sleep. I had no idea it was this bad.
“How long has this been going on?” I asked nervously.
“For a couple of months now. It started small. Remember when you did that job and exterminated the weird Goos?” Augustus asked. “Well, it’s more of the same. We’ve seen stronger and stronger monsters appearing inside weak dungeons, influenced by strange dark magic.”
“We did hunt a couple of those, yeah,” Celeste nodded.
“Huh, I had no idea there was something going on here. I guess it’s not all peaceful as I imagined,” Aquarina commented.
“I can feel that the Spirits are afraid of the presence created by this strange disease…” Lara said. “Although it’s more like a curse than a disease. It seems very dangerous.”
“That’s right, it is,” Augustus nodded. “I am pleased to meet more of your friends, Princess. Did they just arrive?”
“Ah yeah,” I nodded. “This is Aquarina, Lara, and Mist…” I said, introducing them.
“I see. They all look pretty strong!” Augustus said. “We do need help right now… The strong monsters have begun appearing more frequently in weaker dungeons, stopping adventurers from exploring them freely. Those who still dare to go come back sick and vomiting black miasma. It seems direct contact with these infected monsters causes infection too.”
“Well, that’s horrible,” Aquarina said, rubbing her chin. “And Sylphy just tried healing Ruby’s dad, but it didn’t work…”
“Wait, is her father sick as well?!” Augustus asked, shocked. “Oh no, that man always goes once or twice a year to mine for ores in the dungeons… It would be better if you bring him here so we can quarantine him among the other patients. We wouldn’t want the curse to spread.”
“My mother was examining him,” I said.
“Your mother…?” Augustus looked confused. “Well, I had no idea she was a medic but— Wait, if your father is Allan, your mother must be… Ah! Is the Saintess of Holy Light here?!”
“Yes! My mother arrived a couple of days ago!” I nodded. “Please wait, I’ll call for her.”
“T-The Saintess…!” Augustus was amazed. “Perhaps with her divine help, we can do something…”
“I’m also a Saintess, by the way!” Lara said, waving her hand. “Can I help in any way?”
“I also trained healing magic!” Mist added. “If I can be of some help, I would gladly do anything.”
“Ah, you two are adorable,” Augustus chuckled. “Well, maybe I can ask for your assistance, but I don’t want to expose you to the cursed patients…”
“That’s fine. We have strong enough Auras to protect ourselves,” Aquarina said. “You already know Sylphy’s a Princess and a Hero, right? Well, me too. I’m the young Hero of Oceans and stuff. I’m the daughter of Hero Shade and Nepheline.”
“Ooh! I see, so that’s why you seemed so important!” Augustus said. “It’s fascinating how all the heroes and saints are gathering here—Wait a second, that girl, Lara, you said you were a saint?!”
“Yes I am! I am the new Saint of Spirits. Nice to meet you, sir!” Lara nodded. Countless spirits became visible with her aura, appearing around her and illuminating everything.
“W-Wow…!” Augustus was flabbergasted. He had never seen such colorful beauty before. Lara left him completely stunned beyond measure. “Incredible. So there’s already a young Saintess… With two saints, maybe there is something we can do… I had grown rather desperate. I had thought for a moment there wasn’t much we could do except watch them slowly die… But I am glad to be reminded that there are Heroes we can count on to bring back hope to the people.”
“Don’t even mention it,” Aquarina said. “Whatever that Dark Presence is or whatever, we’ll go and exterminate it. I have already slain an Evil God… well, sort of, but yeah.”
“R-Really?!” Augustus was shocked. Though he didn’t fully believe her, he acted as if he did to avoid enraging her or something. “I see, I see… Um, is Princess Sylph done?”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding quickly. “I just called my mother. She’s coming with Ruby and her father.”
“Right now? Wait, but…!” Augustus muttered. “Moving a cursed patient is not easy. She should call for us and we’ll—”
FLASH!
A magic circle manifested beside me, and three silhouettes appeared out of nowhere. My mother, at her level of magic power and her Magic Circle Tier, was a Master of Magical Spells and had mastered a vast array of Space Spells, including the incredibly useful Teleportation Spell. I think she’s the only magician in the entire Kingdom who can use Teleportation as efficiently and quickly as she does.
Everyone else usually needs a proper incantation and ritual to create a teleportation circle between two places. But she can use her Expanded Mind and her Memories of the location to pinpoint her destination without needing to mark it physically or with magic.
In theory, as long as Mom has the Mana and has visited the place before, she can teleport there within seconds! However, the magic circle for teleportation is not that big and only a few people can fit with her. She cannot bring large buildings, entire cities, or anything ridiculous.
The spell also destroys or dispels if she tries to use it offensively—like teleporting a monster’s head away, for example. She can’t do that.
Nonetheless, it’s amazingly convenient to have a teleporting mom!
However, she usually still prefers to travel the normal way. She enjoys sightseeing the world from an airship and will one hundred percent choose that over teleporting.
In dire situations, though, she gets serious and uses her powers unrestrained, showing why she’s the strongest Saintess alive.
“We’re here. Thank you for calling me earlier, Sylphy,” my mother said, smiling. Her radiant beauty quickly stunned Augustus and everyone else in the guild. Gazing upon her was like looking at a beautiful angel to most. “Good evening, gentlemen. I am Faylen Naturia Yggdra, Sylph’s mother and the daughter of the King and Queen of the Elven Kingdom of Naturia. Some may know me as the Saintess of Holy Light.”
“I-It’s the Saintess!”
“She’s actually here?!”
“Oh my gosh!”
“What?!”
“S-She’s beautiful…!”
“I’m going to faint. I’ve never seen a woman this beautiful before…”
“Aaaagh! I’m dying! She’s too bright…”
The dwarves and demons exaggerated wildly when she stepped forward and greeted them, but my mother chuckled at their reaction. By her side floated Ruby’s father on a platform of light, several chains wrapped around his body.
“Oh no, the pleasure is mine, Saintess,” Augustus said. “I am Augustus, the Guild Master of the Adventurer Guild of Evercraft. We’ve met before briefly. I don’t know if you remember me…”
“I do. You’ve grown older, Augustus. I like your beard; it suits you,” my mother said.
“T-Thank you so much…” Augustus must have felt on cloud nine after being praised by her. “Ah, right, back to the main topic. As I was talking with your daughter, the patients here…”
“Yes, I’ve analyzed Ruby’s father, and I’ve detected what this is. This is no ordinary curse, disease, or infection,” my mother said, turning her gaze toward me and my friends. “It’s the Authority of a Divine Power. A Corrupted Divinity.”
We stood speechless as her words sank in.
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