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Join the ServerYulim Wilivia had already estimated the distance between herself and the Godslayer Sword.
It was not far, less than a hundred meters.
However, this stretch of land was almost entirely covered in molten lava. The only way to reach the Godslayer Sword in this cursed land was to steel herself and traverse the scorching magma.
This, she realized, was likely the final impediment to claiming the sword.
Yulim Wilivia felt the abundant magic coursing through her veins.
With only a hundred meters to cover, reaching her destination seemed entirely feasible.
The theory was sound; now, it was time for action.
“Flowing Water Acceleration!”
To ensure absolute success, Yulim Wilivia cast another spell, enveloping herself in a layer of speed enhancement.
It was a pity her profession wasn’t that of a priest; she had few beneficial magic spells at her disposal, and most of what she knew leaned towards practical offense.
As the magic took effect and her body felt lighter, Yulim Wilivia’s confidence surged.
After mentally preparing herself, she took two steps back, then used that momentum to sprint forward, intending to leap directly into the molten lava.
However, due to the suppression of the anti-flight zone, her graceful maneuver transformed into the comical sight of a human torpedo plunging headfirst into the magma.
Yet, for a beautiful maiden, even an embarrassing moment possesses a certain charm.
*Plop—*
Yulim Wilivia’s body submerged into the magma, and the magical shield protecting her instantly began to rapidly drain her internal magic.
Daring not to delay, Yulim Wilivia endured the searing heat, striving to swim forward.
It was only then that she realized her physical constitution seemed to have improved significantly; swimming through the magma was no longer as arduous as before.
This timely enhancement was an absolute godsend, proving immensely helpful!
Fortunately, no unforeseen incidents occurred during this final stretch. Yulim Wilivia managed to touch a solid boulder just before her internal magic was completely depleted.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she seized the massive rock, using its leverage to pull herself out of the magma.
The scorching heat began to recede.
To ascertain her surroundings, Yulim Wilivia briefly lowered her eye mask.
Before her, merely five steps away, a greatsword—its blade and hilt entirely crimson—stood silently impaled within a fissure of charred stone.
Bathed in the glow of the red moonlight, the sword’s surface shimmered with a magnificent, otherworldly radiance.
This was it…
The Godslayer Sword, Surtur’s Sword!
In her excitement, Yulim Wilivia momentarily forgot to replace her eye mask.
*Pfft—*
Her chest was instantly pierced once more.
Only when the familiar pain flared did Yulim Wilivia dutifully pull her eye mask back into place.
Though her heart had been pierced countless times in illusions by the Godslayer Sword over the past few days, seeing the real artifact still stirred an irrepressible surge of excitement within her.
These final few steps were the easiest Yulim Wilivia had taken in days.
There were no echoes forcing her to halt, no curses relentlessly inflicting pain, and no unbearable heat to contend with.
As her hand closed around the Godslayer Sword’s hilt, Yulim Wilivia even perceived a faint coolness emanating from the metal.
Yulim Wilivia took a deep breath, then exerted force with her hands.
*Clang—*
With a soft, resonant sound, the Godslayer Sword was drawn from its resting place.
It required surprisingly little effort, and there was no earth-shattering commotion.
The sword had simply been pulled free, without fanfare.
A wave of profound relief washed over Yulim Wilivia’s entire body.
She had done it!
She had drawn the divine artifact!
Yulim Wilivia longed to shout, to weep, to unleash all the torment she had endured over the past several days.
The sword in her hand seemed to respond to her unspoken desires, as scorching gray flames ignited along its blade.
As the young maiden raised the sword, she swung it wildly towards the sky, like a child lost in play.
The gray flames danced in the night, and terrifying arcs of sword qi, brimming with potent energy, were unleashed, soaring into the heavens.
Clouds caught in their path were cleaved apart, instantly erupting into raging infernos.
Yulim Wilivia couldn’t see the spectacle above, but she felt as though all the countless grievances she had suffered these past few days were finally being released.
Her physical strength utterly depleted, Yulim Wilivia stumbled and collapsed onto the ground. With the hand not holding the sword, she retrieved a leaf from her pocket, placed it in her mouth, and, after a laborious chew, swallowed it.
Only five such leaves now remained on her person.
Although her stomach still felt hollow, the replenishment of some moisture was enough for now.
‘Just… rest a bit,’ she thought.
Overwhelming fatigue brought with it an endless wave of drowsiness, and Yulim Wilivia prepared to take a short nap, hoping to restore her weary spirit.
However, the moment she closed her eyes, a familiar, piercing pain shot through her chest once more.
Yulim Wilivia bolted upright from the ground, trembling as she clutched her heaving chest, gasping for air.
‘The curse… it hasn’t weakened…’
‘The headache hasn’t lessened either…’
‘No, I must leave this place first…’
Using the sword as a support, Yulim Wilivia pushed herself to her feet. She briefly pulled down her eye mask to discern the path, then quickly replaced it, heading back in the direction she had come from.
The moment she took her first step, an echo, long absent, resonated in her ear.
[I vow to strip this body of its divine authority, to fade into a frail mortal spirit.]
*Snap—*
Like the sound of shattering glass, the ethereal voice became even more illusory.
After a long pause, another solemn voice finally resounded, laced with an unmistakable note of bewilderment.
[Is such a sacrifice truly worth it?]
The ethereal voice suddenly chuckled softly, tinged with tenderness.
[Order, since the moment of my birth, when I first beheld this beautiful forest, I swore an oath: I would protect the forest’s people until the very end of my life, no matter the cost…]
[I apologize, Order. In the end, I still failed to become as competent a deity as you.]
[The authority of life…]
[I can only entrust it to you.]
The ethereal voice grew progressively fainter, like a wisp of smoke gently dissipating and vanishing, until no trace of its existence remained in the world.
The world suddenly fell into an profound silence.
After a considerable time, the solemn voice slowly emerged once more.
[Farewell, Forest. I have accepted your authority.]
[But Order…]
[Cannot be broken.]
The solemn voice paused, then, in the next instant, it became exceptionally sacred and majestic, utterly brooking no defiance.
[I, with the divine authority over life and death, hereby curse the Elf tribe.]
[I shall extend this race’s lifespan by five hundred years, that they may endure the suffering inherent in such prolonged existence.]
[Furthermore, any mortal spirit who dares to tread upon the place of Their demise shall bear the impediment of life-taking.]
At this, the solemn voice paused briefly.
A sigh seemed to echo from the void itself.
Its voice grew increasingly ancient and weary.
[…]
[In this way, the order of the world can continue to be maintained.]
[And, Forest, you too can achieve your final wish.]
[This is the right you secured for them, a right granted within the bounds of the rules.]
The final echoes dissipated into nothingness.
Yulim Wilivia snapped out of her daze, clutching her forehead as a deluge of past memories caused her mind to throb.
Simultaneously, a profound shock settled deeper within her heart.
‘The curse… it wasn’t left by the Goddess of the Forest after all?’
‘Instead, it was carried out by the God of Order?’
And that curse targeting the Elf tribe—no matter how she looked at it, it seemed more like a divine blessing than a malicious hex, didn’t it?
Yulim Wilivia sensed that if such news were to reach the outside world, it would undoubtedly cause an immense uproar!
At the same time, a certain adage came to her mind.
‘God loves the world, because God truly loves the world.’
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