Chapter 37: A Divine Transformation

How should one describe the experience of riding in a carriage? It possessed a unique charm, much like a long-distance bus ride.

Initially, Eve Wells found the otherworldly mode of transport quite novel. However, after half a day of travel, the scenery grew tiresome, and she began to feel utterly bored.

By noon, the merchant caravan’s carriages halted midway. Joyce disembarked, announcing a rest period and a chance for lunch.

Upon hearing the news of a break, the adventurers wasted no time, eagerly disembarking from their carriages.

Yet, unlike Eve, whose only complaint was boredom, their carriage ride had been a torment beyond mere tedium.

The official road outside Bigmeluo lacked the privilege of constant maintenance. Consequently, the journey was a relentless series of bumps and jolts.

Moreover, these were cargo carriages, equipped with hard, unforgiving seats. This proved to be a particular misery for the adventurers’ posteriors.

They were not like Eve, an undead being with virtually no sense of pain. Even if their bottoms were bruised black and blue, Eve would merely scoff, “Trash! Didn’t you eat? Is that all the strength you have?”

Furthermore, their own ranks were not as high as Odell’s. At best, they were only slightly above Eve’s level; some were even weaker.

To compound their discomfort, the accompanying equipment they carried had become an unbearable burden during the ride.

It was a truly ‘exhilarating’ ordeal!

Thus, the moment they heard the carriages halt for a rest, almost every one of them scrambled down. They massaged their aching backs and rubbed their sore buttocks, grumbling about why such a wretched road hadn’t been repaired.

Odell watched their pitiful state, utterly mortified.

He immediately called over the members of his adventurer group and began to reprimand them.

“Look at the sorry state of you lot! Now, look at Luosha! She’s a mere girl, yet she hasn’t uttered a single complaint. And here you grown men are, whining and groaning!”

“Let me be blunt: you are adventurers! You will face far more arduous conditions in the future. If you can’t even endure this much, then go home and farm!”

Despite being thoroughly chewed out, not a single person dared to protest.

They had all witnessed Eve gracefully disembarking from the carriage, appearing entirely unfazed. Meanwhile, they themselves were busy complaining about every little thing.

The comparison was indeed humiliating.

Eve, who had been held up as an ‘exemplar,’ was now leaning casually against the carriage, observing the scene.

Eve experienced a long-forgotten sensation, akin to watching freshman military training. She felt like a senior student, confidently munching on melon seeds and enjoying the spectacle from the sidelines.

‘It’s rather satisfying…’

Once Odell had finished his lecture, Eve finally approached him. She subtly probed for information, inquiring about the estimated duration of their journey.

“At our current pace, reaching the Xigelili Great Plains, including time for our interim stops and reorganization, should take about four days, I reckon? Of course, that’s assuming no other incidents occur on the road.”

Odell stroked his chin, speaking with a hint of uncertainty.

Upon hearing this, Eve fell into contemplation.

‘Four days? And spoken with such uncertainty?’

She had initially thought the distance between the two points on the map wasn’t far, expecting to arrive in at most a day or two.

Clearly, she had underestimated the sheer size of the kingdom’s territory.

Nodding, she said nothing more. Just as she was about to return to the carriage, Eve’s peripheral vision caught sight of several adventurers secretly rubbing their buttocks. Suddenly, an idea sparked within her.

Eve, after all, possessed knowledge of the Holy Light’s various applications. However, this knowledge was purely theoretical; she had yet to put it into practice.

‘Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to legitimately “recruit” some guinea pigs for practical application?’

At this thought, a faint smile curved Eve’s lips beneath her mask. She naturally paused her movement back to the carriage, turning instead to walk towards the adventurers.

“You’ve all worked tirelessly on this journey,” she began. “I know that your discomfort stems from making space for me, leading to an uncomfortable ride.”

“Therefore, as a token of my gratitude, I will now use Holy Light to provide a certain degree of healing to those who need it.”

“Of course, if you don’t require it, you may also decline. I won’t force anyone.”

Eve deliberately softened her voice, aiming to sound like a gentle, understanding senior priestess.

In reality, however, Eve could only produce a soft, sweet, and sugary tone. Coupled with her petite stature, she resembled an adorable girl-next-door. While not quite the vocal timbre she had intended, it was ultimately harmless.

As it turned out, her tactic was highly effective.

Even with her mask on, everyone instantly imagined a cute, soft-hearted girl beneath it, her face filled with concern as she asked if they needed healing.

‘If we refuse, she’ll surely shed pathetic little ‘pearls’ of tears…’

‘As gentlemen, how could we possibly make such an adorable loli cry!’

Thus, not a single adventurer present refused Eve’s proposal.

Seeing all her ‘guinea pigs’ take the bait, Eve chuckled sweetly once more. “Thank you for your trust, everyone. Now, I shall unleash the Holy Light and begin the healing!”

As if fearing they might change their minds, Eve swiftly conjured a ball of Holy Light in her palm.

According to the descriptions in the books she’d read, Holy Light was the divine radiance bestowed by the Goddess of Light. It contained trace amounts of the two great divine authorities: [Life] and [Order].

Mortals, naturally, could not wield the authority of gods directly, but they could guide it.

By locating the [Life] contained within the Holy Light and using magic to guide its diffusion, amplifying its unique power throughout the entire ball of light, even ordinary Holy Light could achieve a healing effect.

However, this was an extension of the [Holy Light] skill’s utility, not a specialized healing spell. Its actual effectiveness was significantly inferior.

Holy Light of this caliber could, at most, heal minor external injuries, and it consumed an immense amount of magic power. In contrast, even the lowest-tier healing spells could reattach severe injuries like severed limbs, restoring them to their original state.

After all, other Holy-attributed magic also contained these authoritative powers to varying degrees. The distinction lay only in the quantity.

Naturally, this was limited to Holy-attributed magic. Most other forms of magic were rooted in natural forces and lacked the blessing of divine authority. Otherwise, why do you think they’re called ‘Divine’ magic?

Eve meticulously followed the steps, allowing the Holy Light in her hand to reach a healing potency. When she deemed it sufficient, she directed the Holy Light towards the nearest ‘guinea pig’.

Immediately, Holy Light enveloped the adventurer, obscuring their figure from everyone’s view.

Only the adventurer’s muffled groans could be heard.

“Hmph hmph, ahhh—”

‘Eve’s heart skipped a beat.’

‘Oh no, it seems I applied the Holy Light a bit too forcefully…’

She hastily withdrew her hand, retracting all the residual Holy Light.

As the brilliant Holy Light receded, everyone peered towards its center, and collectively, they gasped.

Standing there was a young, robust, handsome man with a luxuriant mane of long hair. His face was flushed, bearing an expression of blissful contentment, as if his life had reached its ultimate climax.

One adventurer stared blankly at the long-haired handsome man, rubbing his eyes. He murmured, “Wait, something’s wrong. I remember my buddy, ‘Guinea Pig A,’ was a balding, scruffy old man…”

“How is there a handsome stud standing here instead?”

Another person chimed in, “You know… is there a possibility that *he* is ‘Guinea Pig A’?”

“Huh?”

“Holy crap?!”