The Hawthorne family was the progenitor of Gross Town. Historically, the Hawthornes developed the mine here, hired a substantial workforce for operations, and gradually perfected various facilities, establishing a town whose primary revenue stream relied on mineral extraction.
Because many of the laborers recruited were unemployed individuals from surrounding settlements, coupled with the generous benefits package offered by the Hawthorne family, the townsfolk of Gross Town held no significant objection to such an employer.
By selling the specially refined mineral capable of creating mediums, Gross Town's economy experienced continuous growth.
Erik was merely a minor figure, a small discordant note within this otherwise pleasant facade.
Beauty can effectively mask some inconsequential, minor flaws, but once that façade is shattered, certain outcomes are no longer guaranteed.
The tunnels excavated the remnants of an ancient Wandering God, leading directly to the contagion of the Wandering God's curse.
Considering the implications of the Wandering God's ruins, the Hawthorne family made the decision to seal the tunnels and temporarily suspend all mining activities.
However, this resulted in the vast majority of the town's residents instantly losing their primary source of income. This might have been manageable for a short duration, but after a period, the town was inevitably headed for collapse.
Erik was an astute opportunist; if official mining was impossible, he would mine covertly. The secret passage within the small chapel was excavated by the initial group he organized.
Following that, news regarding the unearthed Wandering God ruins in the tunnels spread, ultimately drawing the attention of the Nightborne Church.
...
A large contingent of Cursed Beings began appearing throughout the town. Standard Cursed Beings were manageable, but Cursed Collectives manifested, and many of those spider-like monsters had shockingly developed functional eyes.
From the data gathered via the Eyes of Night, those eyes possessed genuine visual capabilities.
The precise nature of this power was unknown, but it appeared to be a force that could be accumulated through these eyes, and this accumulated power could then invoke the Wandering God's specific miracle.
When fixated upon by an eye-bearing spider monster, the target's capacity for inspiration would become unresponsive, effectively rendering the use of miracles impossible. For a devout Believer, this was nearly catastrophic.
To prevent being caught defenseless, Mithra and Redwyn needed to constantly replenish their Vitality as necessary, ensuring they weren't left completely helpless when ambushed.
Of course, for Mithra, the most crucial factor remained Calmness.
Without Calmness, Mithra could barely manage even basic movement at this point.
Redwyn's hands constantly moved, directing throwing knives to pierce the eyes of a lone-eyed spider monster in the distance. Mithra would then approach, ignite her stone hammer, and forcefully bring it down to eliminate the threat.
After dealing with several waves of these spider-type horrors, handling them became almost second nature.
In this immediate vicinity, the pair had just finished neutralizing a few monsters when they suddenly heard hurried footsteps, indicating several people running nearby.
"Townsfolk again?" Redwyn inquired, sounding skeptical.
"The footsteps are powerful and steady, maintaining a clear rhythm. Not like that," Mithra corrected.
The two rounded a row of structures and immediately spotted two figures fleeing under the moonlight, with a Nightborne Knight aggressively in pursuit!
Upon recognizing the attire of the two fleeing individuals, Mithra and Redwyn immediately identified them as people originating from Earth.
The two Earthlings also noticed Mithra and Redwyn emerging. Recognizing their implied capability, they frantically waved, shouting: "Hey! Quickly save us! Lend us some assistance!"
The Nightborne Knight behind them halted his pursuit upon seeing the newcomers. Vitality suddenly condensed rapidly in his legs, and then he erupted forward in a violent burst of speed!
With astonishing momentum, the dense straight sword in his hand swung towards the two figures.
Redwyn sensed something amiss as the knight's movement distorted, and he immediately utilized Object Manipulation to launch throwing knives.
Suppression was too difficult to employ against such a rapidly accelerating opponent, so he opted for the most direct confrontation possible.
The knight used his body to shield himself, his movement shifting rapidly. It appeared the crude armor was not easily pierced by the throwing knives; a slight shift in force seemed enough to nullify them easily.
After two sharp metallic clangs, the throwing knives were left behind by the knight, who immediately swung his sword once more.
But this time, what blocked him wasn't Redwyn's projectiles, but two straight swords familiar to him.
Clang!
He quickly parried the two blades, but in doing so, he had already sacrificed the opportunity to swiftly neutralize the two pursuing individuals. Thus, he chose to retreat to reposition and re-establish his balance.
The two swords scattered onto the ground but were immediately recalled back into Mithra's hands via Object Manipulation.
The two Earthlings stopped beside Mithra and Redwyn, offering their profuse thanks.
Redwyn voiced his gratitude, but Mithra completely ignored them, merely raising the sword now held in her left hand to shield the left side of her face: "Are you here to deliver me a third sword? Though your blades are somewhat lackluster, their artistry is passable."
"Eyes of Night?!" The Nightborne Knight was momentarily surprised upon noticing the change in Mithra's eyes.
He then seemed to grasp the situation: "Is this destiny? On the very night that the Wandering God is about to be summoned by us, the wielder of the Eyes of Night arrives here as well! Are you here to stop us? Or perhaps to become our sustenance?"
After this declaration, he launched into further rambling.
Mithra narrowed her eyes, letting the two swords hang loosely at her sides: "I am looking for something. I wish to ask if you have encountered a silver pendant?"
The Nightborne Knight shook his head, gripping his straight sword tightly and assuming a posture mirroring one Mithra had previously used—as if returning a formal salute: "My apologies, I have no knowledge of it. Regardless, I am tasked to hunt your eyes. That is the destiny we have firmly set."
"Alright then, I suppose I'll have to summon my Dense No. 3," Mithra replied, first replenishing her Calmness, then immediately adopting a two-handed sword-ready stance.
In an instant, both charged forward simultaneously!
The Nightborne Knight's Vitality was undoubtedly more refined, and his explosive offensive power was superior. He brought down a massive, heavy downward slash.
Mithra shifted her footing, lightly sidestepping to evade the attack. Even when the opponent followed up with a sweeping arc, Mithra continued to evade it with ease.
The two figures rapidly intersected. The three swords clashed continuously, occasionally even producing sparks, which made Redwyn's eyes water involuntarily.
He regretted not prioritizing maxing out the close-combat curriculum.
No, even if he had maximized the close-combat curriculum back in university, he probably couldn't attain this caliber! He picked up his throwing knives again, holding several in his hand, hesitating—he couldn't find a suitable opening to intervene.
While he was staring blankly, the other two Earthlings didn't hesitate much. After a brief exchange of glances, they slightly adjusted their formations.
Both wore armguards inlaid with basic cooperative medium stones crafted on Earth.
One first condensed a fire totem, meticulously controlling the flames coalescing in both hands to form a fiery circle that enveloped him.
At this moment, Redwyn also noticed the strange light emanating from the side: "What are you doing?"
They didn't answer; instead, the other person had also completed their totem sketch—it was a wood totem.
The fire circle was then moved in front of the Wood Believer, and the Wood Believer opened both hands and pushed forward forcefully!
"Falling Leaves!"
A roaring gale swept up the fire circle, instantly transforming it into a howling vortex of flames that moved to engulf the fighting figures of Mithra and the Nightborne Knight.
Mithra glanced sideways, her expression utterly calm.
The Nightborne Knight noticed and attempted to evade, but suddenly Mithra directly dropped the sword in her left hand, using that hand to forcefully grab his blade, then stuck her foot out to trip his lower body.
"You're insane!" the Nightborne Knight yelled, struggling to break free from Mithra's hold.
Mithra remained silent, allowing both of them to be consumed by the flames.
Rumble!
Redwyn immediately threw his throwing knives towards the two figures, but their reaction time was also incredibly fast. A two-on-one scenario, coupled with Redwyn's preference for close engagement, quickly suppressed him.
"Young man, remain calm. That knight killed quite a few of our people, even taking the life of one of my friends. His techniques are quite unorthodox. We cannot retreat now; this minor sacrifice is worthwhile so everyone can be secured," the Wood Believer stated while restraining Redwyn.
Redwyn tried desperately to break free, his eyes wide as he shouted: "Aren't my friends human?! Didn't you ask if we had any life locks remaining!?"
"You are so young, you must possess life locks. Let's conclude this swiftly. We prefer not to resort to killing again, but if you insist on being obstinate, we will have no choice but to act against you," the Fire Believer added from the side, his tone level, though perhaps more indifferent than contemptuous.
Clearly, these two Earthlings were banking on Redwyn and Mithra being young. Being young meant they surely lacked experience, and they most likely held life locks. Young Earthlings nowadays valued their lives highly. With this strategy, they figured the pair would eventually have to submit, even if unwillingly, and comply with their demands.
However, if they truly intended to kill, Redwyn, having previously eliminated beings from the Dream Nexus, was uncertain how he would fare against Earthlings...
Redwyn's grip loosened, and in that moment of hesitation, he—
"Hold them tight," a calm, slightly terrifying voice suddenly cut through the air.
Hearing the voice, Redwyn instantly broke free from all confusion. His previously restrained hands stopped struggling and instead grasped with full force!
Suppression!
Both Earthlings were startled, but the crimson light had already enveloped them.
A figure suddenly burst out from the black smoke. A dense straight sword pierced the Fire Believer's chest: "Do you only possess a single life?"
The Fire Believer's pupils twitched violently. Blood streamed from his mouth as he struggled to speak. Mithra shifted slightly, and the sword in her other hand swept across swiftly, sending his head flying into the air.
The brief Suppression ended at that moment. The Wood Believer could move again, but before he could retaliate, one of his legs—the one he was kneeling on—was severed by Mithra's backward swing.
He collapsed onto one knee with a miserable scream. Mithra followed up by kicking him fully down, then thrust her sword downwards toward his abdomen, pinning him flat against the ground.
At this moment, the scorched areas on Mithra's body began to slowly peel away, revealing fresh skin underneath.
"Ugh… Ah…" The Wood Believer looked up at Mithra, "Let… let me go…"
"How many lives do you have remaining?" Mithra inquired calmly, lowering her head.
Redwyn, who had just managed to scramble to his feet beside her, felt a sense of familiarity wash over this entire scene.
But what was different was that this specific individual offered no answer.
Suddenly, Redwyn heard a sound emanating from the area ahead, still engulfed by the fiery vortex.
That Nightborne Knight's armor was scorched black, his helmet shattered, and he was staggering around limping, yet he was still alive.
The combined ultimate move of the two Earthlings had seemed formidable, but a significant portion of the fire damage had been dissipated by the wind effect. It was undeniably scorching, but this level of injury was still insufficient to completely suppress Mithra's innate regeneration. The Nightborne Knight, having prepared for grievous wounds, managed to cling to life.
Seeing this, Mithra picked up the other dense straight sword, then bent down and reached toward the Wood Believer's face.
"Ah… Ah… What are you planning to do… Noooo!"
Crack—
Mithra gouged out his eye. It was not a clean extraction; what she took out was already a mangled pulp, but that wasn't an issue, as she could directly smear it onto the blade.
A pale blue light flashed briefly on the blade, and then she swung it directly.
Blade of the Unseen.
The Nightborne Knight, who had just managed to rise, clearly had no capacity to resist. The pale blue sword energy swept past his waist, sending him crashing down heavily.
"Well, that solves that problem," she stated casually.
The remaining Believer was shuddering from pain, moaning intermittently while attempting to shield his eyes.
A familiar red dot had already appeared on his body, and that dot was visibly fracturing.
After Mithra replenished her Calmness reserve, she materialized her hammer from within her being and brought it down directly upon the person's head.
The red dot shattered and then instantly reformed. The Believer's entire status appeared to be reset.
Clang.
The sword he was clutching was directly knocked away.
Immediately, this Believer scrambled up using all four limbs, desperately attempting to flee.
But Redwyn was already positioned nearby. A suppression technique was swiftly cast, successfully immobilizing the target. Then, applying Vitality with both hands, he struck repeatedly. Fists and palms landed on the opponent's body one after another, finally sweeping him to the ground with a decisive kick.
Watching the Believer fall while clutching his face, Redwyn finally let out a heavy sigh.
"Damn it, utterly idiotic," he cursed with straightforward bluntness.
Mithra, however, shook her head, walked over, placed her foot firmly on the opponent, and inquired: "How did you arrive here? When did you enter? And why did you provoke them?"
The Believer, scarcely daring to draw breath, quickly recounted his tale.
He explained that he was one of the Earthlings who recently established a new Teleportation Point near Gross Mountain for exploration purposes. Unfortunately, Gross Mountain lacked significant spiritual energy. The temperature had clearly plummeted recently. Most individuals were too lethargic to hunt for hidden blessed sites or luck, dismissing it as a waste of effort. Without immediate gratification, the Earthlings had mostly dispersed quickly.
However, Mithra and Redwyn, along with the few teammates they initially possessed, formed a more circumspect group.
Through further investigation, it was relatively easy to pinpoint the existence of a once-thriving Mining Town within Gross Mountain. After all, quite a few people currently operating in Gross Town had prior experience working there.
Then, when they delved deeper into the records concerning this Mining Town, they encountered a bewildered individual hoping to employ their team.
That person was named Hundr · Hawthorne.
Hundr claimed descent from the family that founded the Mining Town, but he had spent a long time studying abroad. For an extended period, he had received absolutely no correspondence from his family.
Initially, he merely assumed his messages were lost in transit. After all, the Dream Nexus was vast, and communication failures were common. Moreover, it was normal for family members to be too occupied to reply immediately.
As time dragged on, however, suspicion gnawed at him, compelling him to return and investigate personally.
But upon reaching the vicinity of Gross Mountain, he utilized certain family connections and discovered that something significant had transpired in Gross Town.
His relatives had ceased all business operations for quite some time, and Gross Town itself was completely sealed off—it was as if the location had been erased.
When he vaguely learned from an informant that the Nightborne Church had taken up residence there years ago, he became intensely restless.
Yet, even though he could navigate the Dream Nexus without much personal interference, challenging the Nightborne Church—a religious organization widely feared—even just a single local branch, was far beyond his current capabilities.
It was precisely at this opportune moment that the Earth Teleportation Point opened at the base of Gross Mountain. Many Earth people arrived, and he had heard whispers, even spotting some of the rumored Earthlings. Thus, he devised a plan to hire skilled individuals to assist him.
Of course, observing the current results, perhaps his expectations had been overly optimistic.
Around dusk this very day, Hundr returned to Gross Town with his team, only to find the location utterly transformed.
They made no attempt to conceal their movements, openly searching within the town, which immediately drew the scrutiny of the Nightborne Church.
Even though the Church was at a critical juncture and preferred to avoid trivial distractions, such undisguised activity was deemed excessive.
The Church promptly dispatched a tactical team of knights and Believers to secure the perimeter. Hundr and his contingent did indeed possess some combat capacity. They engaged in pursuit and evasion throughout the town. Though they sustained some losses, they were not completely annihilated.
As the night grew deeper, the Nightborne Church's control solidified, and the curse began to spread throughout the settlement. A multitude of Cursed Beings roamed the area, presenting considerable obstacles.
Hundr ultimately decided to proceed directly to his ancestral family mansion to uncover the truth.
And then, the incident occurred.
"That knight knew Hundr's identity and was clearly lying in wait for us outside that estate! Then… we were separated during the encirclement. Hundr stubbornly bolted into the mansion, leaving us behind to be pursued… We didn't even get the promised payment; it's infuriating!" The Believer's eyes were filled with bitter resentment.
Mithra nodded: "Understood. Thank you for the information."
After speaking, she retrieved the sword resting beside her.
Suddenly, Redwyn grabbed the hilt of the sword Mithra had just lifted.
Mithra looked at him and stated calmly: "You aren't planning on trying to stop me, are you?"
"I… I mean, I want to try that technique…" Redwyn took a deep breath, ignoring the sweat now pouring down his face, and spoke.
Mithra regarded him in silence.
In the reading room of the placement center, Mithra had encountered a volume analyzing the psychological transformations Earth inhabitants were likely to undergo when traversing the Dream Nexus.
Although the majority of the content was verbose and frankly dull, certain sections proved quite insightful.
Earthlings, dwelling in modern society and enjoying years of peaceful youth, were required to undergo a period of inner metamorphosis to achieve true strength within the Dream Nexus.
The first phase involved the extermination of the Dream Nexus's wild fauna. This aspect was quite common. Anyone who had personally taken the life of an animal, or even witnessed a truly tragic event, could probably achieve a similar effect simply by recalling that visceral feeling—it was primarily about acknowledging the finality of a living being's death.
The second phase involved the termination of Dream Nexus humans. This presented a significant threshold. Some individuals, due to their more conservative nature, simply could not bring themselves to take the life of a fellow human essentially identical to themselves. This resistance stemmed not from their origin, but from deeply ingrained societal norms established on Earth.
Conversely, a far greater number of individuals managed to shatter these ingrained Earth perceptions at this juncture, achieving at least a mental breakthrough within the Dream Nexus. This stage served mainly to realize that what they had been taught since childhood—that they could take lives—was far easier to execute than killing common livestock like pigs, dogs, goats, or cattle.
The third phase involved killing Earthlings within the Dream Nexus.
This stage transcended breaking ingrained concepts; it was about actively trampling upon the notion of one's own kind.
Were Earthlings inherently nobler than Dream Nexus people? Perhaps, considering the advantage of possessing extra lives was extraordinary, and the ability to instantly teleport everywhere surpassed reliance on mere carriages.
But even with additional lives, Earthlings would still perish when cornered. When interests conflicted, decisive action should be taken without hesitation, especially in a realm like the Dream Nexus where annoyances could be boldly addressed and eliminated.
Upon grasping this realization, the young and pure Earthlings might become hardened, but simultaneously, they would learn the necessary path to becoming stronger.
Because while they might not initiate harm against others, in the future, when confronting their own kind acting maliciously, they would certainly be able to face the situation with composure.
What? Why are we not discussing the matter of killing Earthlings on Earth?
Nonsense, that is strictly prohibited by law.
Mithra remained silent for a moment, then handed the sword to Redwyn: "I still maintain that you are a child."
"Would someone smash a child's head with a hammer?"
"Didn't I ask you earlier if you possessed extra lives?"
"Ah, thank you. If not for that forceful impact from your hammer, I wouldn't know how much longer I would have wandered around aimlessly," Redwyn stated with a smile.
Mithra showed no expression, only offering a slight nod.
Redwyn took the sword, observing the panicked Earthling before him. His own kind...
No, this person was merely one of the countless lowlifes he was destined to encounter sooner or later as he progressed.
Squish, squish—
...
Utilizing Object Manipulation to cleanse the bloodstains, he returned the sword to Mithra. Mithra now possessed three Dense straight swords and was contemplating the feasibility of combining them into one ultimate Dense sword.
Redwyn maintained his placid expression. While quietly murmuring about the concept of the ultimate Dense sword, he followed Mithra's strides.
Not far ahead lay the Hawthorne family mansion.
On the street directly preceding the Hawthorne mansion, Mithra and Redwyn encountered several corpses dressed in distinct Earth attire.
All of their eyes had been violently gouged out. Mithra approached and smashed the head of one of the piles of refuse with her hammer, preemptively neutralizing the curse embedded in their bodies that would have transformed them into Cursed Beings.
Earth dwellers possessed numerous unique traits, but ultimately, death was absolute. They were merely heaps of decaying organic matter anyway.
The mansion's exterior was clearly distinct from the other structures they observed in Gross Town. In terms of sheer size and architectural sophistication, it ranked among the elite; it even featured a courtyard, which served as a significant landmark within this town.
Perhaps only the main chapel in town could rival it.
"Wow, this feels like something out of a fantasy novel," Redwyn remarked, looking at this style of architecture, visibly excited.
What fantasy was there in this place?
Mithra didn't understand much of the excitement, but she genuinely appreciated this architectural style that bore a faint resemblance to the Earth structures she was familiar with, yet possessed clear deviations. Though she didn't display it, she wasn't as exuberant as Redwyn, maintaining a neutral expression. After observing briefly, she withdrew her gaze and headed toward the mansion's somewhat dilapidated main gate.
Before stepping inside, Mithra busily tapped various points with her left hand. Calmness and Vitality, regardless of the remaining duration, were instantly replenished, serving as a necessary safeguard against unforeseen accidents.
Redwyn imitated her actions, though his efficiency in managing both hands was noticeably quicker.
Seeing this, Mithra couldn't help but sigh internally that sustaining miracle transmission points was certainly not a straightforward task.
She was already quite proficient with the few miracles she knew, but the transmission foci for these miracles remained transient, still tethered exclusively to her left arm.
But Redwyn possessed at least two functional hands. In combat, this immediately afforded him significant tactical convenience. At the very least, he didn't have the immediate worry of an arm being severed.
Ah, he didn't seem overly concerned about that possibility now, did he?
Never mind, then.
In summary, the initial hurdle for a Believer, "Sensory Synchronization," was indeed complex. Although this was partly because Mithra was not currently dedicating much focus to it, it was fundamentally different from simply practicing basic miracles.
She would study it more thoroughly later.
Lost in her usual contemplative thoughts, the two moved past the clearly damaged and warped main gate and approached the mansion's courtyard.
The instant they entered, the palpable sensation of being observed was immediate.
Mithra and Redwyn reacted contrastingly: one lunged forward, the other retreated backward. Redwyn swiftly threw a throwing knife toward the source of the scrutiny.
The pair successfully evaded the gaze-based surveillance that blocked inspiration. Mithra followed Redwyn's trajectory into the small garden within the courtyard. Immediately, tragic screams, the sound of flesh being impacted, and the unmistakable sound of blood splattering emanated from within.
Very quickly, Mithra emerged from the garden bushes, covered in grime once more. She held Redwyn's throwing knife in her hand and casually tossed it back to him.
Mithra paused, weighing the stone hammer in her hand.
Compared to the sharp, cutting straight sword, Brother Hammer was truly her preferred companion. The tactile feedback from striking with it was genuinely addictive; this was the romance of pure, brute force.
Of course, a finely edged weapon designed for cleaving flesh also possessed its unique merits…
Mithra shook her head, snapping back to the present. Oops, she had underestimated her current state. After becoming a Weapon Forge, she was genuinely developing an increasing affinity for these implements. The description during the "Brave Battle with the Beast" mentioned a "professional weapon master"; this probably wasn't just casual dialogue.
The more she utilized them, the more she appreciated them; the more she appreciated them, the stronger her desire to possess them became; and after possessing them, she naturally stored them within her own being.
Fasellos, is the human wisdom and skill mentioned in your signature indicative of this kind of profound purity?
... It truly is astonishing.
Very good. It is no small feat for a naturally dull individual to discover genuine motivation. Having something to genuinely cherish is even rarer.
She hoped that in the future, she could truly become a "Weapon Forge" housing an array of strange and novel weaponry.
At this precise moment, a deep, resonant roar suddenly issued from within the mansion, as if a colossal monster, harboring immense resentment, was venting its fury inside.
Redwyn recoiled in terror and gripped his throwing knives tightly.
Mithra spared a detached glance in that direction, then refocused her attention on the immediate surroundings: "The curse permeating this mansion seems significantly heavier than in other parts of the town."
Following the resonant roar from inside the estate, many entities around them were disturbed.
Amidst faint rustling sounds, a large contingent of Cursed Beings crawled out from the deeper shadows.
"Why are there so many?" Redwyn sounded slightly surprised.
Fortunately, these Cursed Beings were mostly of an average type. There wasn't an overabundance of those bizarre, multi-eyed spider monsters.
While speaking, Mithra was already manipulating the hammer using Object Manipulation, and Redwyn's fingers were also active, sending the throwing knives into a deadly dance.
The two cooperated seamlessly. The hammer and the throwing knives quickly secured kills. To expedite the process, Mithra drew forth the dense straight sword, channeling a portion of her own Ki to guide it, and also handed one to Redwyn.
Mithra's proficiency in Object Manipulation was limited; she could only skillfully control one weapon at a time. Controlling two simultaneously resulted in a noticeable drop in precision; more critically, the applied force would diminish. Fortunately, the quality of the Cursed Beings here was manageable, allowing her to treat the situation as advanced practice.
Redwyn, whose specialty lay in Object Manipulation, initially found it somewhat awkward to control a sword significantly heavier than his usual throwing knives, but he adapted quickly.
With this synergy, their harvesting efficiency accelerated once more.
Soon, both their bodies were thoroughly coated in the dark ichor of Cursed Beings as they advanced toward the mansion's main structure.
If they were cornered in close combat, they wouldn't last long, but Senseforce had its limits; sooner or later, they would be depleted and killed.
The two simultaneously shattered a window of the mansion and rapidly rushed into the interior corridor.
Cursed Beings pursued them. The space immediately narrowed, and the agile figures of Mithra and Redwyn quickly outmaneuvered their pursuers.
Only when the sounds of pursuit faded behind them did the pair ease their pace.
Redwyn was about to speak after catching his breath when a pale blue light flashed down the dark corridor ahead of the mansion.
"That's it!"
The instant the blue light appeared, it was the final moment to react!
Clang!
The pale blue sword energy was blocked. Mithra's pupils contracted slightly. A searing wound, as if a fissure had opened on her skin, stretched from her left shoulder across to her right abdomen.
The only reason she wasn't completely pierced by the sword energy was that she immediately dispelled the stored state of one Dense Straight Sword within her body.
This was equivalent to "drawing a blade" from within her own body, which is why it managed to intercept that sword energy the moment it contacted her flesh.
This chance maneuver coincidentally saved Redwyn's life. Since Mithra wasn't fully penetrated by the energy, Redwyn, positioned right behind her, also avoided the fate of facing the Blade of the Unseen head-on.
The Dense Straight Sword that was dispelled from her body continued its trajectory, piercing straight through Mithra's abdomen. The hilt protruded from her back shoulder, pushing through the flesh, splattering blood and gore onto Redwyn's face.
"Get up," upon seeing this, Mithra's voice remained perfectly calm—terrifyingly so.
Such composure succeeded in snapping Redwyn back to full awareness. He immediately grabbed the hilt of the sword protruding from Mithra's shoulder and yanked hard.
"As expected, one success is bound to be followed by more. Fine then…" Redwyn muttered inwardly, then gripped the sword with both hands.
One hand channeled white light Vitality, the other channeled red light Object Manipulation.
Both powers enveloped the sword simultaneously, and he thrust forward with immense force.
The sword shot out, imbued with unparalleled piercing capability. After passing through Mithra's abdomen, it continued its path, subsequently impaling the knight who had stiffened while advancing!
Mithra, though impaled by a sword, merely staggered slightly before suddenly resuming her assault. In the instant the knight stiffened from being impaled, the Ignition flame on her hammer descended like a torrential downpour. The mansion corridor was instantly illuminated by firelight, the flames engulfing the knight.
Peering through the smoke, she saw a shattered helmet revealing a face beneath. It was indeed a Cursed Being knight.
After all, the true Nightborne Knights Mithra had encountered before were exceptionally courteous; they would offer a salute before initiating a hunt. This sort of sneak-attacking creature was clearly not a true knight.
Mithra subtly adjusted her shoulder. The wound was rather deep, and regeneration was not yet complete, but she acted as if nothing were wrong and turned around.
It was only the faint smile that appeared when the pain peaked that made Redwyn feel a flicker of apprehension.
"Very creative. Directly piercing through with that attack was indeed decisive and effective," Mithra commented with an approving nod.
Redwyn was momentarily stunned, then awkwardly scratched his head: "Actually… Actually, I didn't control the force well. I'm not used to applying both Vitality and Object Manipulation simultaneously."
"By the way, can you apply the Vitality Transformation Technique to an external object for a short duration?" Mithra ignored his embarrassment and asked directly.
Redwyn nodded: "Yes, I know the concept, I'm just not proficient. This technique is rather difficult to master. I learned it because I had plenty of excess capacity after the final Vitality lessons."
Safin judged that Redwyn's talent for learning miracles was certainly top-tier, but to say this kid was truly practical…
"Teach me." After a moment of silence, Mithra spoke the familiar words again.
She had been contemplating exactly how to extend Vitality infusion to her hammer. She hadn't expected the answer to be available right in front of her.