Chapter 33: Holy Light and Corruption (Request Follows)

Herbert’s sword was razor-sharp, its blade easily slicing through raw iron.

Not to mention his fragile flesh.

He clenched his palm hard, and the flesh inside was instantly cut open, blood flowing swiftly along the blade into the coffin.

Hss!

Herbert’s expression shifted slightly as he bit down hard on his molars.

These damned commoners, none of them are easy to handle.

One wants to bite me, another wants to drown me, and now they’re trying to suck my blood.

Not a single good one among them!

This is too much—you’ve forced me to this!

Since you show no mercy, don’t blame me for showing none either.

“Blood—I give it to you!”

Herbert’s face twisted slightly from the searing pain in his palm, but he didn’t cry out—instead, he gritted his teeth and forced a grin:

“You mustn’t, under any circumstances, be polite with me…”

Polite?

Elisa didn’t understand the boy’s thinking.

What are you even saying?

You give me blood—why would I be polite with you?

“…“

Honestly, she was now unsure of the situation—was Herbert broken out of the hypnosis?

Or was he only half-awake, aware of the problem but still compelled to obey the hypnotic command?

Her thoughts lasted only a few seconds before she lost all reason.

Blood.

Long-missed blood!

She had been starving for over a thousand years, and now, at last, she smelled its scent again.

Sss~ Hah!

She no longer cared to think—her mind held only one thought: Lick it!

“To hell with it—first, eat!”

Lick—

“Ugh!!!”

The instant her tongue touched the blood, Elisa screamed, wishing she could bite her own tongue off.

Sweet, rich, mellow… a thousand flavors exploded in her mouth at once.

She had never tasted blood like this—never!

She never imagined that after a thousand years of hunger, the first sip of blood would be of such unparalleled quality!

She trembled slightly, letting out a sigh like a moan: “Ahh~”

It was simply too wonderful.

This taste was too… hmm!!?

“Ugh!?“

Suddenly, Elisa felt a strange stinging on her tongue—as if it were burning…

No!

It really was burning!!?

Sss—

Elisa jerked open her mouth with a shriek.

“Ahh!”

“Damn it! What’s wrong with your blood!? My tongue!”

It wasn’t just her tongue—her entire mouth, throat, stomach… all burned fiercely at once.

She almost believed she’d swallowed not blood, but concentrated holy water!

Wait…

“This is holy water!?”

“Ahaha, you guessed right!”

Herbert finally burst into laughter upon hearing her scream, laughing as he wrapped his left hand with a torn sleeve.

Elisa writhed in pain, snarling: “But I didn’t smell holy water… you—you’re a paladin!?”

“Congratulations, you’ve learned to interrupt.”

Herbert’s hand bore a glowing holy mark, proving what he had just done—transforming holy water.

For holy practitioners, holy water is an essential tool in battle against dark creatures.

Holy water typically comes from two sources: unified production by the divine church, or individual holy practitioners crafting their own.

Church-made holy water is abundant, stable in effect, and cheap, sold even to ordinary adventurers.

Holy practitioners’ self-made holy water varies greatly depending on ingredient quality.

Herbert carried no holy water on him, nor any materials to make it—but he possessed an advantage others couldn’t match.

He was a paladin who had sworn the Oath of Purity—his blood was equivalent to the highest-grade “Pure Blood,” an exceedingly rare magical ingredient.

Holy water made from “Pure Blood” was always top-tier, maximum concentration.

That’s why Herbert had said it—don’t you dare be polite with me!

You wanted my blood?

Here it is!

Poisoned!

Herbert smirked, leaning close to the coffin, whispering with malice: “Miss Elisa, feel the baptism of holy light.”

Savor the pollution of holy light!

“You damned—Ahh!!!”

For a fully powered Elisa, this amount of holy water meant nothing—she could dispel it easily.

But sadly, Elisa was no longer the fallen blood-wielder who once slew another Prince of the Blood.

She was weak now.

Extremely, extremely weak!

Sssss—

Herbert’s blood, once swallowed, acted like a lethal poison, rapidly corrupting the remaining blood in her body.

Elisa realized she couldn’t let this continue—she had to act.

“Damn…”

In desperation, she chose to sever her tail to survive—slamming her chest, she spat a jet of blood onto the coffin wall.

Sss—

The blood glowed with holy light, yet dissolved instantly, emitting a scent she loathed.

“…“

Though she’d forcibly expelled the blood, Elisa’s vitality plummeted further, weaker than before.

This time, Elisa had failed utterly.

She gained nothing—and lost most of what little she had left.

A complete, total loss.

Sha—

Hearing the sound, Elisa recoiled sharply, bracing for his next attack.

But she had overthought it.

Having successfully tricked Elisa once, Herbert made no attempt to repeat it.

He pulled his sword back with his right hand, then pried at the crack—successfully widening it to two fingers’ width.

Hm?

Elisa stared at the widened gap, hesitated, then pressed her eye against it, peering outside.

In the darkness, a pale-haired boy, glowing faintly all over, held a bloodied longsword and winked at her with a bright smile: “Miss Elisa, we’ve finally met.”

“Hm?”

Elisa narrowed her eyes, studying Herbert closely, wary of his next move.

But Herbert made no attack.

He gazed at the crimson eyes visible through the crack, smiled elegantly, sheathed his sword behind his back, and bowed slightly to the coffin.

“We’ve chatted so merrily, yet we haven’t even introduced ourselves.”

His face was gentle, his eyes tender—as if nothing had happened—and he smiled softly at Elisa:

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Herbert, a humble paladin.”

“I hope we can get along… very… well!”

Dusk.

In a remote, seldom-visited corner, a gaunt figure in a black robe hunched over, his body trembling uncontrollably, arms jerking rapidly, breaths coming heavy and ragged.

“Ha, ha… ha!”

Accompanied by a slick, squelching sound, his movements grew faster, more brutal.

Just as his soul and body neared their peak, an untimely voice rang out.

“...Hm? Is someone there?”

Reads over the next two days are absolutely vital! Save the child! Please read!

I can’t update much during the new book phase, but if the performance is good after launch, I’ll burst-update even without you pushing—believe me—

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(End of Chapter)