Chapter 310: Piercing Through

Yu Sheng collapsed beside a pillar, feeling his blood and vitality gradually draining from his body, while the "Artificial Saintess" lay heavily atop him, motionless like a lifeless iron block.

A low, chaotic noise emanated from the other's metallic shell, sounding like a critical component idling after a severe malfunction; meanwhile, some viscous, plasma-like liquid slowly oozed from the gaps in her shell, carrying heat and corrosion, bearing a metallic texture, yet mixed with a suspicious dark red.

Yu Sheng pushed hard, barely managing to pull the two blades piercing him from his body, but he lacked the strength to push the other's completely lifeless shell off himself.

"Hey, is she really dead?" He panted, looking at the motionless iron puppet, speaking with some disbelief.

This terrible and difficult enemy, after so many encounters, he had almost thought she was unkillable, yet he never expected her to truly lie fallen before him now, appearing as if she would never move again.

Yu Sheng shook his head, feeling his mind foggy; he could not help but recall some fragmented scenes he had previously read from the iron puppet's "thoughts" through the blood connection, feeling his confusion only increase.

After resting in place for a moment, Yu Sheng sighed softly.

Since she is dead, it cannot be helped; I will probably die soon too, and after this death, everything here should be over.

Thinking this, he struggled to prop himself up with his arms, wanting to push the "corpse" of the Artificial Saintess off himself.

Flesh and blood propped up the metal, blood mixed with "mud."

Suddenly, a vague voice, as if drifting from the depths of distant memory, floated into his mind—

"... You are going to become a great person; when that time comes, remember to come home and visit..."

Yu Sheng suddenly froze in place.

While he was still pondering what that voice in his mind was about, he only then noticed that his fingers had inadvertently touched the dark red "plasma" oozing beside the Artificial Saintess's pale face.

... Conversation with the dead?! Does this work on this "Artificial Saintess" too?!

The next second, before he could think it through, he felt his vision suddenly blur; immediately, a black-and-white-gray world descended upon his field of view.

However, unlike the previous conversations with the dead, what he saw was not the scene of this "Saint Coffin Chamber" at this moment—that black-and-white-gray world expanded violently, a completely unfamiliar scene covering the surrounding reality and bursting into his field of view, just like... falling into a nearly real dream.

He saw an endless wheat field.

Vast plains, distant rolling mountains, a river quietly crossing the wilderness, and those peaceful, tranquil villages dotting the wilderness.

The sound of swinging sticks came from behind, sounding very close.

Yu Sheng turned around in some astonishment, seeing the surrounding scene ripple like water mist, changing constantly; he saw a large tree appear behind him at some point, with a wooden post standing before it, and a little girl who looked only eight or nine years old standing before the post, diligently swinging the stick in her hand, using the post as a target to hone her "swordsmanship."

There were also many figures of varying heights and builds, appearing to be older boys and girls, gathered around the large tree, watching the little girl swing her stick; some were counting as if heckling, some were cheering and encouraging, and others were loudly shouting things like it was time to go home for dinner.

Yu Sheng frowned, instinctively taking a step forward, but saw the large tree suddenly vanish; a thin layer of mist floated, and on the small path in the wilderness, a knight in a tunic rode past the village road on horseback.

"Border warfare is fierce! Demon attacks are intensifying! The Saint calls for more brave and upright warriors to accept baptism and receive glory!"

The knight shouted loudly from horseback; his magnificent tunic and the imposing armor beneath it were enviable.

"Envoys" ran between villages, conveying the Saint's teachings and bringing the Saint's grace.

The land was barren, but the Saint could make even barren land grow enough wheat to fill everyone's bellies; knowledge was precious, but the village church would teach every child to read and write for free.

Yu Sheng walked through scenes of illusions.

The eight or nine-year-old little girl grew to eleven or twelve; the rough wooden stick she practiced with habitually became a proper wooden sword—though still made of wood, it at least had a neat hilt and guard; her father used an old knife to carve it into shape bit by bit under an oil lamp, giving it to the girl as a birthday gift.

Her two older brothers were very envious of this, but since they did not possess the talent for "election," they could only be envious.

An older brother from the neighbor's house was chosen, becoming a glorious knight; he followed the "Envoy" to the capital. It was said he would be sent to a place very, very far away, not returning home for a long time. When he left, he wore armor as magnificent as gold, its intricacy and majesty dazzling the eyes.

"Being a knight means sending two hundred Francs home every year, equivalent to five strong laborers," her mother calculated under the oil lamp; she had studied in the church in her early years, but since she lacked further talent, she could only be a farming woman who could read and write now, "You not only have the talent of a knight, but also the talent of a Saintess; if you can be selected for the holy office, you can send eight hundred Francs home every year..."

Her father was very dissatisfied with her mother's calculations; they argued somewhat, yet did not know what they were arguing about.

The twelve-year-old girl simply practiced her "swordsmanship" diligently every day, sparring with the older brothers and sisters from the neighbor's house, or studying the knowledge in the church together.

The wheat ripened for several harvests; the Envoy came several times.

Yu Sheng crossed a thin mist, seeing a magnificent carriage stopped in an open space; the villagers bowed their heads in awe, while in the sky not far away, imposing steel creations floated.

Another batch of talented people was taken away; most had the talent to become knights, and there were also two girls who, it was said, could become Saintesses.

The Envoy came and left.

The bard came and left.

The bard was actually more interesting than the Envoy—they would bring many stories from distant places, and they were all stories the young people liked to hear.

About the demons beyond the border, about the great Holy Crusade, about those battles upholding justice and defending the kingdom—the Saint led the great army to resist those mad, dark chaotic creatures outside the civilized world; the high walls they built surrounded one "Kingdom World" after another, and it was precisely under this protection that the wheat fields could ripen time and again, and tranquility could exist between the wilderness.

The wooden sword became an iron practice sword, and then a real steel sword.

At sixteen, the girl began to patrol the wild with the older brothers and sisters from the village, eliminating beasts that might threaten the village, and weak monsters that would inexplicably appear in certain "nests."

Finally, the Envoy came again.

"This one, this one, and this batch over here, all are ripe; come with us—you have been blessed."

Thus, the girl and the older brothers and sisters boarded the carriage together.

She carried the precious sword her father had commissioned someone to forge at great cost, and two sets of new clothes her mother had sewn by hand.

"... You are going to become a great person; when that time comes, remember to come home and visit..."

Her mother leaned against the carriage, holding her hand and saying.

"You don't have to send all the money you earn back; take care of yourself first. Mom and Dad have a harvest in our hometown, and your two older brothers are the pillars of the family."

She said again.

The carriage set off.

After leaving the wilderness, the carriage was exchanged for a large wagon driven by magic.

That carriage was truly comfortable; the cushions were soft, and there was a kind old Envoy who told many particularly interesting little stories about distant places to the youths who had just left home.

Yu Sheng stood in that swaying carriage, watching the youths sit around the lamplight, watching them eagerly discuss matters of the future, glory, and hometown, watching the mist rise and the mist disperse.

"This is the sword my father commissioned someone to forge; I am skilled in swordsmanship!" The young woman, now a master of swordsmanship, said proudly to the "Envoy" receiving them at the door of a magnificent building like a palace, "I also know herbs and arithmetic!"

"Very good," the Envoy said to her, "put your sword in the box over here first, along with these two sets of... clothes. You cannot bring too many personal items during the promotion ceremony; rest assured, when you return, they will be handed back to you—your swordsmanship will come in handy."

Then, the youths walked in, into that magnificent palace, down a long corridor; the Envoys guided them gently, having them lie on the ritual platform; in a hazy state, they heard the Envoys' instructions—

"This batch, send to the Transformation Chamber.

"These few, send to the Regeneration Chamber."

"Take these few away."

"This one has great talent—send them to the Extraction Chamber; the success rate is very high."

That seems to have been many years ago.

The girl became a Saintess, and her fellow villagers' older brothers and sisters became Knights; they formed an enviable team—just as the bards tell in their stories: by day, they marched onto the battlefield, fighting heretics and evil creatures bravely, defending justice and the people; by night, they returned to the Sanctuary, where endless glory and grace awaited them.

The days that followed were nothing but glory.

The days that followed were nothing but glory.

Nothing but glory.

Glory...

Glory&%￥￥#!

Thin mist rose like smoke, then everything suddenly plunged into darkness; in the black-and-white-gray world, a howl rang out, along with a sharp alarm sound, as if rooted in some underlying system—

"Mental Barrier Critical! Cognitive Veil Breached! Warning, Mental Barrier Critical! Immediately shut down that..."

Yu Sheng only felt this alarm sound was irritating; he waved his hand in the darkness, and the noise ceased abruptly.

Then he looked around, seeing only deep darkness, no exit, only chaotic mist floating in his field of vision.

But gradually, a beam of light appeared in the mist.

In the light stood a figure.

A valiant lady, clad in bright armor, with golden hair cascading over her shoulders, holding a sharp sword—that was the last gift her father had given her—stood not far away.

She stared blankly at Yu Sheng, then lowered her head, looking at her own body.

Pitch-black metal rapidly covered the bright armor; the sharp sword shattered silently, and her fingers turned into sharp blades.

The Cognitive Veil breached; memory conflicts and logic conflicts on the verge of madness surged up like a tide; she raised her head, seeming to want to reach out a hand toward this side—begging for help? Or merely subconsciously trying to grab something before her body collapsed?

Yu Sheng did not know.

The darkness shattered; the dead person's final memories vanished into eternal peace.

(End of this chapter)