LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 89
Chapter: 89
The moment Joy saw the concentrated magic in the hands of the stranger, the first thought that crossed her mind was “I’m going to die.”
She couldn’t think of any words like “I will block it,” “I will dispel it,” or “I will counter it.” She thought it was impossible.
How could she oppose such overwhelming magic?
There was no complex spell or advanced technique, yet the stranger’s magic was sheer overwhelming violence.
Joy could only feel despair standing before him.
But Lucy was different.
She stood before Joy with a smile, even after witnessing the stranger’s magic.
Her condition was dire.
Her body was drenched in blood.
Her limbs trembled as if it was hard for her to even stand.
She couldn’t even muster the magic to create the shield she normally made with ease.
Not a single thing was okay.
Yet, she smiled.
As if it were nothing, she rose and looked at the concentrated magic in the stranger’s hands.
And she said,
“Foolish Young Lady. It’s okay.”
What do you mean it’s okay?
There’s no way we can block that magic.
We’re both going to die!
We’re just going to die in a foolish way without accomplishing anything!
But there’s no way it can be okay!
Joy had countless words she wanted to say to Lucy, but—
“Trust me.”
All her complaints evaporated with those words that Lucy uttered next.
Normally, one would think of those words as mere bravado.
It would be seen as empty words aimed at reassuring her.
But for some reason,
When Lucy Allen said those words, they felt extremely reliable.
Joy nodded and looked back at Lucy.
And soon, the stranger unleashed his magic.
A sheer overwhelming violence like he intended to erase this entire alley headed towards Lucy.
In that moment, Lucy reached into her arms and pulled something out to extend it forward.
Then, a bizarrely shaped magic circle unfolded from Lucy, creating a blue barrier.
The barrier looked way too flimsy.
How could something containing such a small amount of magic be sturdy?
Yet amazingly, the magic unleashed by the stranger couldn’t break through the barrier.
The black magic simply avoided the blue barrier like darkness fleeing from light.
What is this?
It was a scene that could be called a miracle, and as Joy’s eyes widened, Lucy turned her head slightly and wore her usual annoying smile.
“I told you it would be okay, right? Huh?”
“…Yes.”
*
Scroll of Magic Distortion.
The effect of this item is incredibly simple.
It causes all magic flying into its range from the point where the scroll is opened to miss.
It sounds like an overpowered item, but it is indeed an overpowered item.
Isn’t something odd about this?
What can you do? It’s an overpowered item!
Sure, there are downsides like a short activation time, or nobody can use any magic while this activates, or you can only carry one of them, or it can nullify even mediocre magic attached to items…
But considering all that, it’s still an overpowered item.
The mere fact that it can nullify an enemy’s threatening magic just once is a tremendous advantage.
Once the early stage is over, it’s said to be a must-have item for boss battles.
It saved them from a crisis that could have led to total annihilation due to failing to decipher the pattern.
And that overpowered item successfully played its role even now.
As the immense magic intent on crushing the world slowly dispersed, Nakrad’s face appeared beyond the blue barrier.
He was gritting his teeth, but he had no more options left.
Sure, he was strong by the standards of this world, but that doesn’t mean he could smash all the veteran gamers at Soul Academy.
Just look at how quickly his god-given magic barrier shattered in three minutes!
Things might be different later when Tariki regains his power, but right now, he’s just a reckless fool.
Yo, if you had the chance, you should have taken my head yourself.
Why did you cast magic half-heartedly?
Were you trying to give me absolute despair with your actions?
Haha, if that’s the case, then you just got totally wrecked by a Mesugaki, you fool.
When I smiled, Nakrad frowned, but instead of doing anything, he rose into the sky and flew away.
Thinking about the story, I guess he’d make a decent escape.
As I watched him, the blue barrier faded away with the magic’s aftermath.
The smell of blood, burnt things, and dust filled the air.
Gradually, my vision blurred, and an incessant ringing echoed; amid it all, I could hear Grandpa’s and Joy’s voices.
And behind that, the sound of countless footsteps intertwined.
Is this incident over now?
Just as I felt relief, everything I had been forcing back flooded towards me.
With no more reason to hold on, I surrendered to the wave and lost consciousness.
The last thing I saw was a few message windows appearing in front of me.
*
“Lady Allen?!”
Seeing Lucy about to fall forward, Joy hurriedly grabbed her.
No, no!
I haven’t even repaid the grace you’ve done for me yet, this can’t happen!
I know you have an annoying personality, but don’t act selfishly!
Don’t think of leaving me with just a debt!
Just as Joy was about to confirm Lucy’s condition with her trembling hands, another hand touched beside her.
She startled and stepped back, yet pulled Lucy close tightly.
As if she couldn’t let go of her for anything.
However, it wasn’t an enemy.
It was a priest dressed in white.
“I am a priest from the Church of Jushin.”
He showed the necklace around his neck and looked into Joy’s eyes.
“I need to check on your friend’s condition. Could you lay her down on the floor?”
“…Yes. Yes.”
As Joy carefully laid Lucy down, the priest began to use his magic.
While Joy was praying for Lucy’s safety, someone else approached her.
“Ducal Young Lady Partlan.”
Turning her head, Joy finally noticed the people behind the priest.
Professors from the Academy. Guards. Priests from the church. Wizards working in this place.
It was like everyone who could be an immediate force from the Academy had gathered here.
The representative among them was one of the Academy’s professors.
“What’s going on…”
“Am I in a position to be interrogated?”
Even when she talked gently, many found it hard to keep up with Joy’s tone.
What if she spoke with sincerity?
Even a seasoned professor would be left speechless, flustered, as Joy turned her head back to Lucy again.
She watched as the priest observed Lucy in the silence she created, and just as the priest finished his magic, she spoke up.
“How is she?”
“Ducal Young Lady Partlan. I hesitate to say this, but…”
Seeing the priest trailing off, Joy took a deep breath.
It must be bad, then.
This was only natural.
She was balancing on the tightrope of death.
If she was in good condition, it would be a more nonsensical situation.
“She’s fine. Just a few fragmented wounds, that’s all.”
“What? But Lady Allen has collapsed!”
“She is just sleeping.”
While saying this, the priest told her to listen for Lucy’s breath.
Joy thought that was ridiculous, yet she followed the priest’s instructions and listened closely.
Surprisingly, the sound was peaceful, like a small child’s murmuring while they took a nap.
“Hah.”
In the contradiction between feeling utterly ridiculous and being relieved, Joy lost strength in her legs and collapsed to the floor.
“Really, don’t scare me like that.”
*
When I woke up, I found myself looking at an unfamiliar ceiling.
Wait, I’ve been here before.
I saw it the last time Joy collapsed.
Anyway, as I stared at the infirmary ceiling, I regained consciousness and tried to recall why I was here.
I was clearly watching the start of the main quest in the plaza today.
Ah, I met Nakrad and got treated like a dog.
Well, of course, I should be here then.
But I feel fine considering the injuries I had?
Even though I fought while recovering thanks to Armadi’s Mercy, it can’t have been perfect.
Curious about this ridiculous fact, I lightly pinched my cheek.
It hurt.
Thank goodness it wasn’t a dream.
Relieved, I tried to find someone who could explain the current situation when the door burst open and someone entered.
It was Karl.
Our sloppy puppy froze the moment he saw my face, then walked over silently, knelt down, and hit his forehead against the ground.
“Lady! Please, behead this unfaithful knight!”
What’s wrong with him? Things are already chaotic.
“No matter what others say, I should have protected you, but I…”
Ah, that’s why he’s acting like this?
But I left that behind, so can I even say it’s your fault?
“Karl. It’s fine.”
“Sloppy. It’s okay.”
Oh? Oh?! Ooooh?!
Why did Lucy call Karl ‘sloppy’ instead of ‘sloppy dog’?!
Did something change with the Mesugaki skill?!
“Can you drop the ‘dog’ thing? I am utterly disappointed in you, Lady.”
It was indeed something to be happy about, but there was no time to confirm that.
Seeing him whacking his head against the infirmary floor was more mentally exhausting than facing Nakrad.
So you actually liked hearing that nonsense?!
“I apologize, Lady…”
Finally calming Karl down, I was able to hear an explanation about the current situation.
Nevertheless, Karl’s report, as one with experience as a knight, was short and precise.
He identified that the Apostle of Evil God had appeared.
As the personnel guarding the area went to chase that presence, the barrier activated.
After dismantling it and entering, they found me and Joy.
He mentioned that after protecting the both of us, some were chasing after the Apostle of Evil God.
“And the weapon you were using is currently being held by the church.”
Ah, that’s why Grandpa hasn’t said anything. He wasn’t here with me.
“Why did the church take my weapon?”
“The mace that fell on the floor could not be picked up by anyone other than the Saintess.”
Ah, it had to do with it being a divine weapon, huh.
Guess I’ll have to go get it from Phoebe later.
There were no other peculiarities.
After everything was explained, I thanked Karl and sent him on his way.
He didn’t want to leave my side, but it couldn’t be helped.
If he stuck around, I wouldn’t be able to check my rewards peacefully.
I sent off Karl, whose watery eyes looked like a puppy saying goodbye to its owner, and turned my gaze to the countless message windows floating before me.
Among them, the most prominent phrase was this.
[Joy Partlan’s favorability has surpassed 70!]