NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41
Chapter 41: You’ve Worked Hard, Liliya
Vilyric didn’t want such a uniquely interesting Beastman to die so inexplicably in the ravine. After all, whether Kunier lived or died didn’t really affect Liliya and the others that much.
The reason the Shadow Guards were able to silently eliminate over ten times the number of elite Beastmen with less than a hundred members was actually quite simple—poison was added to their drinking water.
It was a kind of subtle toxin that one wouldn’t feel normally, but would cause complete fatigue during intense combat. I had no idea where she got such a sinister thing.
However, even so, there were still over 2000 Tiger-Humans and Lion-Humans guarding the outskirts of the camp, and they hadn’t been drugged because Miss Hua didn’t have enough supplies…
Liliya brought a total of 2000 troops herself, and in this situation, unless Vilyric was willing to act, letting a few stragglers escape was unavoidable.
Kunier was the commander, but he was basically in the dark about the troops led by Liliya, knowing nothing except that he had seen a flower.
So, letting him live wouldn’t be an issue.
Vilyric began to think about which skill would be most suitable.
Among the abilities she mastered from [Illusory World], there were at least a dozen resurrection skills with varying conditions and levels, but… some weren’t suitable for the current situation.
Hmm, that one seems the best.
To avoid unnecessary effects, the Priestess waved her hand to set up a completely transparent barrier around her before closing her eyes and beginning to channel her magic power.
“Prayer of Resurrection.”
A seventh-level spell, “Prayer of Resurrection,” could revive a being that had been dead for less than an hour and had a body damage rate of less than 50%, retaining half of its health.
This skill is considered relatively low-level among resurrection-type magic, with high mana consumption and a casting time of over ten seconds, and it not only cannot fully restore health but also has usage limitations.
But from the perspective of [Illusory World], monsters, players, or NPCs that die will only retain their corpses for one hour unless revived by special means elsewhere, so the first half of the condition was basically nonexistent.
Moreover, “Prayer of Resurrection” only required level 60 to learn, and its preconditions were relatively lenient, which were its advantages.
Thus, this skill is quite commonly used among low-level players.
And it’s suitable for the current situation.
Vilyric’s purpose was simply to keep this big tiger alive without leaving too many traces or even inadvertently enhancing its abilities.
The girl clasped her hands together, and six faint golden halos quietly emerged from Kunier’s lifeless body, forming a huge ring that spun around him like a mysterious and ancient ritual.
Immediately, it seemed something in the air responded to the call of the halo, condensed, and was reinjected into the Tiger-Human’s corpse.
Then, the halos gradually dissipated into nothingness as if they had exhausted their energy.
“Was that just now…?”
Ordinary people might not see it, but as the skill caster with a high perception value, that special fluctuation naturally couldn’t escape her awareness.
It was the soul; the Tiger-Human’s soul spilled into the air after death, which was pulled back into his body by “Prayer of Resurrection.”
So, souls really do exist, huh?
Well, this world has skeletons and undead, so it’s really not surprising.
Never mind that for now.
Vilyric raised her hand, condensing a small golden orb of light, and as soon as it appeared, it seemed to come alive, happily circling around the Priestess while radiating positive emotions of joy and admiration.
This was also a seventh-level spell, “Light Element Spirit.”
Don’t get it wrong; Vilyric resurrecting Kunier wasn’t simply out of kindness or a desire to conduct an experiment.
“Go, monitor his every move.”
Upon receiving the command, the light spirit spun back and forth on the spot a few times before suddenly darting into the thick fur of the Tiger-Human, disappearing from sight.
“Done, this should be fine. Everyone, work hard now; I’ve got my eye on you, heh heh.”
Standing up, the black-haired girl smiled joyfully, like a wicked villain in a game whose scheme had succeeded, her figure gradually fading into the darkness.
When Vilyric returned to the main battlefield, the fighting was almost over.
Though the Beastmen were strong, the elite troops led by Liliya were stronger than the ordinary Lion-Humans and Tiger-Humans.
Even without considering the existence of the Shadow Guards, these human soldiers, at an average level of at least 15, wielding well-crafted armor and cavalry charges, were almost overwhelmingly slaughtering the unsuspecting Beastmen.
When the Priestess saw Liliya, she was leading the charge on a particularly large and powerful 3rd-tier elite unicorn, rampaging through the disarrayed ranks of the Beastmen, her longsword slicing down amidst a rush of air, each strike claiming the life of a Lion-Human or Tiger-Human.
Wait… I remember this girl was clearly a mage, but isn’t she acting like a berserker?!
Even though “Ascension Box” granted Liliya significantly higher attributes compared to these ordinary Beastmen and humans, this kind of fighting style was still very dangerous.
It might be fine against enemies that were far weaker, but if she encountered Kunier or someone of Miss Hua’s caliber, what Liliya was doing could very well lead to her being injured or even killed.
Even Vilyric wouldn’t let players of the same level approach easily while playing the game.
Perhaps Liliya caught a glimpse of her previously bashing Beastmen with the staff of eternity; she would need to clarify that later…
But for at least this time, let Liliya slaughter to her heart’s content; she must have been under considerable stress lately.
The reason she insisted on personally leading the troops out of the city despite everyone’s objections was partly because there were some matters only she… or rather those strong individuals connected to her could resolve, and partly because it was a desperate opportunity for the Princess to prove herself and turn the tide.
Equipment, resources, the most elite subordinates—Liliya had truly invested everything to win this battle, burning her boats.
“Alright, that’s enough.”
When the blood-soaked Princess raised her longsword to strike down again but found herself in empty space, she realized that there were no enemies left, and beneath her feet lay a mass of Beastman corpses.
Vilyric had appeared behind the girl at some point, gently seizing the chipped blade from her hand and carelessly tossing it to the ground.
The Princess’s noble silver armor was almost entirely stained red with the blood of her enemies. She was breathing heavily, a hint of manic yet charming laughter on her face, the heat of her bloody breath brushing against Vilyric’s face, creating a strange beauty.
Like a breathtaking rose blooming under the nourishment of blood.
“Hah… hah… is the battle over…?”
Liliya was already depleted; her hands and body shook slightly from overexertion and fatigue. As she relaxed, she nearly fell off her horse, but Vilyric naturally caught her in her arms.
The artifact-grade holy robe wouldn’t stain with blood, but Vilyric’s hands, the small bare sections of her arms, and her cheeks were inevitably marked with the same color as the Princess’s body.
Dangerous, yet beautiful.
Vilyric didn’t mind; she gently closed the eyes of the girl in her embrace. The special power radiating from her fingertips quickly lulled Liliya into a peaceful sleep.
Holding the petite Princess, the Priestess nodded towards the red-haired ranger who had been silently guarding the girl from the shadows and turned to leave the battlefield.
“Yep, it’s over now; you worked hard, Liliya.”