Ethereal Ascendance: A Journey of Transformation

It was a relief to see another living person. I finally breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that a horde of zombies would rush out the moment we opened the door.

"I'm a priest sent by the capital."

Selene took off the cross necklace from her neck and handed it to the person. I saw a faint glow emanating from the cross, and the person immediately confirmed our identity, letting us in.

"It's really you. You've finally come! The Lord must be watching over us."

The nun closed the door with an excited expression, shaking hands with Selene. I could see tears welling up in her eyes.

"What's going on?"

Selene furrowed her brow, subtly pulling her hand back.

"I didn't see anyone on the streets outside, and the situation here seems abnormal."

Upon entering, we found a simple church hall with a few worn-out benches scattered around. The decorations were no different from the capital's church, just on a smaller scale.

"I'm Sister Hila, and the strange illness here is getting worse. Most of the town's people have fallen ill..."

As Sister Hila explained the situation while leading us to an inner room, I began to realize the severity of the situation.

"Even our parish priest, Lord Simon, fell ill yesterday. Now, no one knows how to cure this disease. We're helpless, so we have to rely on outside help."

Is the situation really that bad? I saw Selene's expression becoming more serious.

We soon arrived at what seemed to be a resting room. Hila opened the door, revealing a dark room illuminated only by a candle on the table. In the dim light, I could vaguely see a figure lying on the bed.

"Lord Priest, people from the capital have come. We're finally saved."

Hila rushed in excitedly, helping the District Priest sit up.

"Is this disease contagious?"

I couldn't help but ask, seeing her entering the room without any protective measures.

"I'm not sure." Hila shook her head.

"We initially implemented isolation measures, but it was useless. People outside continued to fall ill one after another, with no difference from before isolation."

So, it's not a contagious disease? But I can't say that for sure; what if the isolation wasn't effective.

While contemplating this, Selene confidently reached a conclusion.

"It won't spread."

Having examined the district priest's body after entering, she turned to me and said, "It's clearly a symptom of dark contamination."

"Really?"

I walked into the room and looked at the patient on the bed. Even without getting close, I could sense the presence of dark elements in his body.

Although the odor was still faint, it was distinguishable.

"Who are you?"

District Priest Simon, just waking up from a daze, looked at us with suspicion. He seemed quite old, at least over 60 in my eyes. Despite appearing weak, his complexion seemed healthier than before.

"They are people sent by the Preston Cathedral in the capital," Hila reiterated the introduction, and when asked for specific names, Selene spoke first.

"I am Priest Selene, sent specifically to investigate this matter. And she..."

She glanced back at me.

"Consider her my bodyguard."

What do you mean, 'consider'? I was annoyed. Miss, can't you change your sarcastic attitude?

"Why so fast?" Simon couldn't believe it, looking at us with eyes filled with doubt.

"We sent a message less than a week ago. How did you arrive so quickly?"

"What about Kane, the messenger? Why didn't he come back with you?"

His suspicion was not unfounded. Using conventional transportation, Kane would still be on the way.

"We used a special method to come here. Kane didn't come with us."

Selene thought for a moment and decided not to reveal my identity.

"That's right, they showed me the token from the capital's church. The identity is indeed genuine!"

Sister Hila chimed in, referring to Selene's cross necklace, which was now back around her neck.

"Then... thank you. Cough, cough..."

Simon, excited but suddenly coughing severely, even coughed up a dark clot of blood.

I found it somewhat horrifying and took a step back. It was my first time seeing such a serious patient, and he seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Don't worry, he won't die immediately!"

Seeing my hesitant look, Selene gave me a glance, reassuring me. She soothed the district priest, telling him not to speak, and began to explain.

"The symptoms of this dark contamination usually have a relatively long course. He can at least survive for another week. It's just that he's old and weak, unable to withstand it well."

After saying this, she stood up and went to the bedside, taking out her staff.

"I'll treat him now. Stand back."

I pursed my lips, not wanting to disturb her, and took two steps back to the edge of the room.

She closed her eyes and silently recited something. Soon, a white light emanated from her hand, forming a small white circle at the tip of her staff.

The circle's color brightened as the light intensified. When it reached a certain level, Selene gently tapped the staff on Simon's body. The white circle immediately attached to him, suddenly spreading and exploding. The entire room was momentarily filled with a flash of light.

After the dazzling light, I felt that the contamination on the district priest's body had indeed lessened significantly. Although there was still a faint trace, another treatment would likely make it indistinguishable from an ordinary person.

"Phew..."

Selene breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed to have consumed quite a bit of energy, and she slowly sat down.

Beside her, Sister Hila quickly reached out to support her. Having witnessed the spectacle, admiration shone in her eyes.

"Priestess, you're truly amazing. This is the first time I've seen such a beautiful spell."

"It's said that the high-ranking members of the capital's church are skilled in light magic, and it's indeed well-deserved..."

Simon, still weak but showing improvement, also praised. My impression was the same; this spell looked much better than any of Selene's previous uses. But her casting process...

Because I could clearly sense the signs of light elements moving within the person's body, I felt that the method of using them was somewhat familiar.

After resting for about ten minutes, Selene's breath gradually stabilized. Then, she stood up and prepared to perform the treatment again.

"After this time, he should be completely fine."

After saying that, she straightened her staff, repeated the previous steps, and recited the spell again...

After the white light, this time she collapsed heavily into the chair.

She looked like someone who had just finished running an 800-meter race.

"How do you know about purification magic?"

I finally figured it out. After observing carefully, I remembered why it felt so familiar. It was almost the same as the purification magic in my memory.

"You actually know about purification magic?"

Selene glanced at me, seeming surprised that I knew this magic.

"But this isn't purification magic. It's just a simplified version of the dispelling technique."

Dispel technique? A simplified version of purification magic?

No wonder it felt a bit different. I could clearly feel the similarities in her use of light elements, but purification magic seemed much more complex and refined.

I've been trying to use purification magic myself, but every time I gathered light elements in my palms, they dispersed before I could release them.

It was like being on the verge of success but lacking something.

"How many people in the town are currently affected by the illness?"

Selene asked as Simon gradually improved.

"I need to count the number now to report back to the capital."

While saying this, she also confirmed the person's condition.

"The situation here seems very serious. I can't heal all your people alone, so more people need to be sent over."

"Thank you. I'm fine now."

Simon could feel his own body's condition. Although he couldn't get out of bed temporarily, he could speak with more vigour.

But Hila couldn't help interjecting.

"Priestess, most of the people in the town have already fallen ill. Many of them have more severe symptoms than the district priest. I'm afraid that with this coming and going, they might not hold on, especially the ones who fell ill at the beginning..."

What she said was indeed a problem. If people die from this, they turn into zombies, making the situation even more troublesome.

"But my magical power can only help one more person now."

Selene showed a troubled expression, and she was worried about an even bigger issue.

"Moreover, we don't know where the source of the contamination is. We haven't figured out where these polluted dark elements come from. If we don't cut off the source, even if we cure them, they might be infected again."

"Is the appearance of these dark elements abnormal?"

I couldn't help but ask. Seeing them so familiar with it, I thought it was a common illness.

"Not really," Selene shook her head. "While dark elements are usually everywhere, their concentration is very low. It would take several hundred times the usual amount to make people sick in such a short time."

"This is definitely not a normal phenomenon. Even if Tethys is to the north of the capital, it's still far from the border, at least several hundred kilometers away. Only after crossing the border do we reach the adjacent 'Barren Lands.' Even in the 'Barren Lands,' the concentration of dark elements hasn't reached the level of causing illness in a matter of days."