NOVPUB
Chapter 103: A lift of the hand
What happened?
Lynch quickly left the room, following the direction of the sound, and made his way to the first-floor hall.
Near the Blood Pool on the first floor, by a Skeleton Altar, Avery was leaning against the altar, her face pale. Several meters in front of her, a boy around seven or eight years old was trapped by a golden diamond-shaped Barrier on the ground. Lynch recognized it as Avery’s spell, Light Restriction.
"Let me out! You evil Witch!"
"I’ll kill you!"
The boy furiously pounded on the Barrier, trying to break free, his small face full of anger.
Lynch walked over and glanced at Avery. Her face was even paler, likely due to the strain of using magic forcefully. Her injuries from the spiritual shatter earlier hadn’t completely healed.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Avery shook her head and straightened up with difficulty. "I’m fine."
Lynch looked behind her. "What’s this?"
Avery shook her head and said, "I don’t know. As soon as I got here, he suddenly rushed out from the corner, holding that thing in his hand."
Only then did Lynch notice, not far away, a makeshift sword bound together using iron scraps and wooden sticks?
Meanwhile, the boy continued to shout angrily:
"Don’t hurt my sister!"
"You bastards! Let me out now!"
Sister?
Lynch seemed to realize something. He turned toward the altar, and sure enough, among the group of female slaves tied there, one young woman was trembling, tears streaming down, her eyes fixed on the boy below.
These female slaves had their mouths sewn shut with black thread, unable to speak, but the girl kept making muffled sobbing sounds.
Lynch walked up to the altar.
"No..."
"No!!! No!!!"
The boy was pushed to desperation, pounding at the Barrier even harder. His fists were bloodied.
But the disaster he imagined did not unfold. To his surprise, once the Black Wizard mounted the altar, instead of harming his sister, he cut open the chains binding her and the other women, freeing them.
Then, the Wizard pulled out several strange potions and poured them over the women, healing their wounds, including their sewn mouths. He even provided clothes for them.
"Arthur!"
The young woman hurriedly ran down from the altar, and Avery seized the opportunity to lift the Barrier entrapping the boy. The siblings threw themselves into each other’s arms tightly.
The other girls also stepped off the altar one after another, trembling as they huddled together, their expressions filled with fear and unease.
Lynch took out a bag of gold coins and tossed it in front of them. "Go."
The girls exchanged hesitant glances, clearly finding the turn of events hard to believe.
Eventually, a slightly older girl gathered her courage, stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and pressed her forehead firmly against the floor, expressing her gratitude tearfully. "Thank you, thank you, sir!"
Lynch shrugged, "You’re welcome."
The rest of the girls, seeing this, also hurriedly ran forward, kneeling to the ground, their faces streaming with tears as they echoed heartfelt thanks. "Thank you, sir!"
"Alright, alright, now leave!" Lynch waved them away.
The older girl stood up, carefully picked up the bag of gold coins, and led the others back, pulling the siblings with her as they prepared to leave.
"Lily, hurry up!"
"Wait a moment."
Just then, Avery stepped forward.
The group shuddered.
The older girl, frightened, asked, "I-is there anything else you wish, sir?"
The boy firmly stood in front of his sister, shielding her.
Avery asked, "Where are you planning to go?"
Perhaps sensing no malice from Avery, the girl visibly breathed a sigh of relief but then quickly furrowed her brow.
Indeed...
Under such circumstances, where could they go?
Their hometown villages had been destroyed, and they had nowhere else to turn even before being captured as slaves. If they continued wandering in Black Rock Town, they would either be caught again, forced into servitude, or perish in some forgotten corner.
This crumbling world seemed to have no place of refuge for them...
As these thoughts weighed on her, the girl’s expression grew grim, and some began sobbing uncontrollably.
"We’ll go to Gwodis! We have to go to Gwodis!" The boy stepped forward and shouted loudly, turning to his sister as he spoke. "Sister, let’s go to Gwodis, alright? No one will be able to hurt you there."
"I’ll join the knight order and become a Knight to protect you!"
His voice carried unwavering resolve.
The girls were momentarily stunned, a faint glimmer of hope appearing in their eyes, though doubt lingered.
"Gwodis..."
"I’ve heard it’s still maintaining peace there..."
"But is getting there even possible?"
Gwodis, named after the Great Knight Grant Gwodis, was a city-state considered one of the few places left in the chaotic Ramos Duchy that still upheld order.
However, it was situated in the Ramos Duchy’s eastern region, far from here. Traveling there in times like these wouldn’t be easy.
Avery nodded slightly. "Gwodis, huh?"
She initially intended to suggest heading south towards the Seven Kingdoms. But if they already had a destination, so be it. Both routes were far, but at least Gwodis might be more welcoming than the Seven Kingdoms for outsiders.
She took a scroll from her Space Ring and handed it to the girls. "If you encounter danger, break the Sealing Mud on this. It will give you some aid."
The girls soon departed.
The entire time, Lynch stood watching. After they had left, Lynch remarked in mild surprise, "Unexpected. You’re quite kind-hearted."
Avery responded, "It’s merely a small effort."
She sighed softly, her expression growing complex as she added, "After all, protecting peace should always have been our duty."
The world’s order must ultimately have someone willing to uphold it, and that has always been the guiding principle of White Wizards.
However,
Few White Wizards still earnestly adhered to such ideals today. Those who genuinely treated the grand narrative of safeguarding the world’s order as a personal responsibility had dwindled to a mere handful.
Most White Wizards had grown accustomed to the world’s broken state, considering it the natural way of things. Why bother preserving what was never theirs to begin with? They were content simply pursuing personal fulfillment, unconcerned by external matters.
Self-interest had become the pinnacle of belief for the modern White Wizards, and Avery’s altruism was more often a target of ridicule.
After a pause, she turned to Lynch and gave him a small smile. "Funny. Turns out, you’re pretty kind-hearted too."
Lynch shrugged. "Just a small effort."
He paused before adding, "A truly small effort."
...
Soon, news of the Undead Castle’s destruction spread. Before departing, Lynch set the castle ablaze, and the flames burned for three days and nights. By the time the townsfolk realized it, only ruins remained.
Some people celebrated the end of the evil castle; others lamented the loss of a place that offered resources and power. Yet others took bold steps to search for treasures in the ruins...
Overall, the castle’s destruction didn’t significantly impact Black Rock Town. The killings continued, the brawls persisted, and chaos ruled as always.
Though, there was now one less place collecting body parts for trade or blasphemous rituals.
Just days after the castle’s demise, a group arrived at the lawless town, reigniting dread among its residents.
Because,
they were all, unmistakably, the legendary Transcendents!
