NOVEL NEXT Chapter 145: Personal Saintess
Ethan's blade thrummed with flame and aura, the air around him warping from the heat.
"Ethan! Put your stat points into Strength!" Lirael's voice rang sharp in his mind. "You can end this instantly!"
Ethan grinned, sweat streaking down his scorched face. "No… where's the fun in that? I want to finish him like this. Just watch."
The orc warlord staggered, his cleaver dragging a scar through the dirt. The ruined socket where Lirael's arrow had bored through was already bubbling with fresh tissue, but his arm—severed at the shoulder—remained nothing but a charred stump. Desperation flared in his one good eye. He roared and reached for the blackened flesh, trying to rip it away so his regeneration could take over.
Ethan's voice cut across the battlefield, low and sharp. "I'm not letting you have that chance."
He hurled a condensed orb of fire. It exploded against the warlord's face, wrapping him in searing heat. The smell of burnt flesh and singed hair flooded the air. The monster gagged and coughed, drawing in a breath at the worst moment—fire seared his throat raw and his guttural growl broke into a choking wheeze.
The mighty warlord, once towering and unbreakable, now reeled—one eye blinded, one arm gone, injured at various places, and on top of that his throat scorched.
He snarled and swung his cleaver wildly, desperate arcs of brute strength that carved trenches into the earth. Each blow came slower, sloppier and easier to read. Ethan's aura sharpened his senses until every movement felt like it dragged through syrup.
"Too predictable."
He ducked under one swing, sparks cascading as the cleaver scraped stone, then drove his flaming blade through the warlord's thigh. The aura flared bright crimson. Bone snapped, sinew tore until finally it separated and the massive leg collapsed under him.
The orc warlord toppled with a thunderous crash, his cleaver falling uselessly from his hand. He raised his head, one burning eye locking on Ethan, but the warrior was already above him.
"For the wolves you ordered to slaughter," Ethan said quietly.
The blade descended in a blazing arc, severing flesh and bone as though they were paper. The warlord's head hit the dirt with a heavy thud, black blood pooling beneath it.
> Orc Warlord Killed – 126,589 XP
SP: 160,000
Ethan exhaled hard, lowering his sword. "Fhew… it's over."
But then, something washed through him—a surge of emotion. The bitterness, rage, and grief of the two wolves melted away, dispersing into nothingness. In its place came a strange, heavy calm and loyalty.
The system prompt flickered before his eyes:
> Undead Revival [(2)0 / 20] → [2 / 20]
Ethan felt the bond snap into place. The wolves weren't merely tethered to him now—they belonged wholly to him. Their vengeance had been carried out.
He tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade, the firelight dancing across his battered figure. "Guess now you're mine."
Ethan wiped the sweat and grime from his brow, flames flickering out around his sword as the system prompt faded. The air still stank of scorched flesh and blackened blood.
"Ethan! You did it!" Lirael's voice rang as she dropped down from the tree she had been sniping from. Her boots hit the earth with a soft crunch of leaves, and she rushed to his side, her face glowing with relief.
Then her gaze fell on the warlord's corpse—or rather, the scattered remains of it. Her smile froze. "…Eh? Wait… we're not going to get the money, are we?"
Ethan chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Haha… I guess I got a little too excited and… cut him here and there."
"Yeah yeah..'here and there'." Lirael's blue eyes pierced him. She pointed accusingly at the four separate chunks of orc flesh lying in the dirt. "You cut him into four pieces, you idiot!"
Ethan just shrugged with a helpless grin, but the moment was broken by the sound of padded footsteps. The female wolf approached, moving carefully, Sylvie slumped across her broad back. The young cleric's face was pale, strands of her hair clinging to the sheen of sweat on her brow.
Ethan stepped forward and gently lifted Sylvie down, ruffling her hair he said. "You did a great job," he said warmly.
Lirael nodded in agreement, brushing dust off her skirt. "Yeah… she was a huge help. Without her, you could've collapsed in the middle of the fight."
Ethan's grin widened, a flicker of mischief in his eyes. "And now… she'll be even more of a help."
> –200,000 SP
Skill Obtained: [Unseal]
Ethan pressed his hand gently over Sylvie's head, and a soft, pure white light spilled out. The warmth of it swept over her like a tide, and he could feel the shift the moment it took hold—something unlocked.
A faint bell-like chime echoed in his mind as the system window opened.
---
Designation: Servant
Name: Sylvie Hartwell
Age: 20
Race: Human (Awakened)
Class: Saintess (Holy Lock) → Lock Removed (Class Shared)
Level: 10 (72,334 / 117,353)
Unallocated Stat Points: 40 (Accessible)
Base Stats
Strength: 1.5
Vitality: 3.5
Constitution: 5.0
Agility: 1.5
Stamina: 3.0
Intelligence: 8.0
Mana: 12.5
Skills:
[Luminous Mend] – A single-target heal, instantly closes severe wounds.
Class Skills Unlocked:
[Purity's Embrace] – Removes curses, poisons, charms, and negative status effects.
[Grace of the Saintess] – Gradually restores stamina/mana to allies while boosting recovery speed.
[Saintess's Judgement] – Holy light smites undead, evil, or corrupted beings, dealing damage and purifying corruption.
Potential locked → Potential Unlocked
---
Sylvie stirred faintly, her eyelashes fluttering, as the holy aura around her deepened. Even when unconscious, she radiated a purity that made the battlefield's charred stench feel washed away.
Lirael stepped forward, her mouth slightly open. "Her presence… it feels different. More radiant." Her eyes narrowed in realization. "Ethan, did you?"
Ethan smirked, folding his arms. "I removed the lock that was binding her. From now on—" He gestured proudly at Sylvie. "—we've got our very own saintess."
Lirael's face lit up, excitement sparkling in her blue eyes. "A saintess? Hehe, now we won't ever have to worry about our melee fighter going down."
Ethan blinked, tilting his head. "Yeah! Wait… that's me…" He laughed, shaking his head. "Haha, guess I'll have to fight harder to keep up."
For the first time since the battle began, the three of them—and even the wolves at their side—felt the tension ease.
---
Name: Ethan Cross (27)
Race: High Human (Awakened)
Legacy: [Forgotten Empire] (partial unlock)
Title: [Goblin Slayer]
Talent: [Will of the Crown], [Tactical Reverie], [Indomitable Tide](Shared)
Elemental Affinities: [All Elements] (Affinities(Max) – Tier 10)
Class – Decurion Steelweaver, Aqualith Sniper(Shared)
Level Up!
Level 13 (226,150 / 396,543)
Base Stats: {Level Up Attribute+Lirael's stats %}
Strength: 5.0 → 6.0 [+2.0 -> 2.5]
Vitality: 6.0 → 8.0 [+2.5 -> 3.0]
Constitution: 5.5 → 6.5 [+2.5]
Agility: 5.0 → 6.0 [+2.5 -> 3.0]
Stamina: 6.0 → 8.0 [+3.0]
Intelligence: 5.5 → 1.5 [+2.5 -> 3.0]
Mana: 6.0 → 7.0 [+2.0 -> 2.5]
Unallocated Stat Points: 84 → 102
(50% - 75% stats are added from 'subordinate's stat')
(All stats are boosted by 25%)
(Additionally, Strenght and Mana is boosted by 50%)
[Not included in the stats shown]
Skills:
[Magic Arrow] – 92% Mastery (Basic)
[Longblade/Longsword Mixed Technique (Unnamed)] – 23% Mastery (Advanced)
[Avatar Elements Control](Race Exclusive Skill) - 40% Mastery (Basic)
Class Skills:
[Soldier Summons – 10]
[Undead Revive – 2/20]
[Netherworld Pocket Dimension (Soul-Bound)]
Class Skills (Shared):
[Current Sense]
[Moonflow Volley]
[Ocean's Eye]
[Purity's Embrace]
[Grace of the Saint]
[Saint's Judgement]
SP: 171,060
Balance: 469 Gold, 14 Silver, 29 Bronze, 43 Copper
--
Subject: Lirael Vaerune
Designation — Servant
Age — 122
Race — High Elf (Awakened) (Abyssal Oceania Sovereign High-Elf)
Title — None
Talent — "Indomitable Tide" (Shared)
Level Up!
Level: 11 — (150,542 / 177,353)
Class — Aqualith Sniper
Attributes: {+Level Up Attribute}
Strength: 4.0 → 4.5
Vitality: 4.5 → 5.5
Constitution: 4.5 → 5.0
Agility: 4.5 → 5.5
Stamina: 5.5 → 6.0
Intelligence: 5.0 → 5.5
Mana: 4.0 → 5.0
Unassigned Stat Points: 78 (0) → 88 (0)
Skills:
[Soulweaving](Race Exclusive Skill)
Class Skills:
[Current Sense]
[Moonflow Volley]
[Ocean's Eye]
--
Equipment: (All)
Name: Rings of Oathbound
Type: Artifact — Rank A (Unique)
-> Shared Vitality
-> +75% Mana Regeneration(3 stacked effect)