CHAPTER 661

[T.L: punisher87]

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From then on, the two of them started wandering around the subspace like ordinary siblings looking for something together.

Luntia's steps were slow due to fatigue, but after she regained her reason, she was able to feel the 'different energy' remaining in the subspace little by little.

[When I was lost in madness, I couldn't sense it at all, but now that I'm back to my senses, I can feel the chaos and other energy in the subspace more clearly. Perhaps there is a reason why the subspace was broken.]

The other energy that Luntia was talking about was mana.

Even when Jin tried to sharpen his senses, he couldn't sense that mana like Luntia could. It was because the chaos was too thick. If Jin had to find Valeria alone without the help of Luntia, it would have been like finding a needle in a haystack.

"Is Hister seriously injured?"

[Yeah, there's nothing else I can say but sorry.]

"You didn't do that in your right mind, elder sister. As long as she is alive, she will be able to recover somehow."

[The problem is if she accepted the chaos like I said when I was out of my mind. If not, she wouldn't have survived. My sword pierced through her chest...]

"As I said before, the magic I saw for the first time did not have the energy of chaos. Even if the record magic was deployed before she was injured, the magic would have to have been altered or lost if Hister was tainted by chaos. It's not your fault, so don't worry too much."

[You said that even if it were you, you wouldn't be able to turn away from the nanny, but if it were you...… you would have made a better choice than me.]

"No. More than that, if the Prophet was here to retrieve Sir Padler from the tomb, then you didn't come here to track Hister in the first place, elder sister. I was shocked to get her hair from the knights guarding the outside."

[Hister has encountered knights several times in the process of searching for a tomb. Maybe that's when he got her hair. I've been replacing Sir Padler since Ronil Zipfel lost her.]

On the day Ronil lost Valeria, Luntia wasn't yet consumed by chaos, nor had she become the owner of the subspace in place of the Padler.

From the beginning, Luntia wasn't pursuing Hister, but just happened to cross paths with Valeria while searching for Temar's tomb.

Instead, Valeria gained an advantage from Luntia's years-long search.

Valeria obtained a decisive clue that the tomb was in the Kaldran snowfield by watching Luntia's exploration.

"It seems... there were separate groups searching for Temar's tomb and tracking Hister. You were in the former, elder sister."

[Yes. Before coming to subspace, I never received orders to kill or capture Hister. I suspected that such orders were given Black Knights and the first division of the Black Sword Association.]

Luntia attacking Valeria in the tomb was purely because she was unable to control her madness of bloodlust. It wasn't because of any orders given to her.

Jin was only now understanding the situation.

The reason Valeria hastily entered the tomb without leaving any contact with Tikan.

'Rosa and the Prophet must have thought that Elder Sister Luntia would be reluctant to pursue Valeria. Besides, they were planning to make my sister the owner of the subspace anyway, so they let her find the tomb to avoid unnecessary resentment.'

In other words, Rosa and the Prophet are aware of the bond between Luntia and Jin.

In particular, Rosa judged that Luntia could become an ally of Jin at any time, as she observed the changes in Luntia after Jin's patriarch declaration.

Therefore, as Rosa, the best choice was to use Luntia as much as possible and then tie her up in the tomb. There were only a few people who possessed a pure and strong soul that could replace Padler.

If Luna had been in the Garden of the Swords and had a weakness like Lisham, Rosa would not have hesitated to use Luna to get Padler out.

The time of subspace and the human world flows differently. That is why Jin became more restless as time passed, but did not show it outwardly, because he knew that Luntia was doing her best with her broken body.

And Luntia would have to be alone for a while when Jin left tomb, trapped in this lonely and terrible space, engulfed in the madness of chaos.

It was uncertain when Jin would come back to her.

It was also impossible to know how long it would take for the Chaos Purification Device to resolve the complete encroachment, and there was a high possibility that Rosa would strengthen the borders of the Kaldran Snowfields after today.

As they walked, Jin told his sister about what had happened to him all this time. When Luntia heard about the things that had happened in Laprarosa, she laughed joyfully as if she were envious, but when she heard about the events that Jin had experienced, she became very serious.

[I can't even imagine how painful it must have been for you to fight against Sir Padler and those who were swallowed up by chaos. It must have been terrible, including Sir Ron and Sir Padler, and now me.]

"Of course, it's painful. But just like we're having a friendly conversation like siblings, I'll also restore Sir Padler to his original state. Just like when I had overcome chaos with the late Lord Ron."

[I think I know why elder sister Luna admired you so much. I wish I had become closer to you a little sooner.]

"I too have never approached you first, have I not? Of course, we both liked each other in our hearts after the Patriarch Declaration."

[This feels awkward after so long. But... Come to think of it, didn't you say that the weapon used to enter here was the sword of a knight named Hedo?]

"Yes."

[Ilina also said that one item was needed to exchange Sir Padler with me. However, unlike the sword you used as a key, it seemed to be a one-time consumable item. She didn't say that there was only one, but she explained it as if it were a consumable item.]

"Perhaps Hedo's sword and the items the Prophet used on you and Sir Padler all have something to do with the old Runcandel. In my case, I interacted with Hedo's sword with shadow force, and you must have interact with Prophet's object and chaos."

[I don't know why Zipfel's monster butler has such a thing.]

"He also seemed unaware of the sword's true nature. If Zipfel also knew the identity of the sword, they would have managed it more specially."

[Then, did Hister also have items related to the old Runcandel? She didn't use anything other than her mana.]

How did Valeria manage to enter this tomb? That was the question that had been bothering Jin all along.

'Considering my case and the prophet's, even if it's related to the old Runcandel, it's unlikely that you can enter the tomb without being able to use shadow force or chaos. Or maybe the Solderet recording device that I gave her became the key.'

Jin didn't know until he heard from Valeria herself.

Luntia's steps were getting faster than before. She didn't regain her strength in the slightest, but she was trying her best to find Hister a second faster, just as Jin was taking care of her.

[I think we're getting closer... the strange feeling coming through the subspace is getting stronger.]

Luntia pointed her finger to a far-off empty space.

[There it is. I tried my best...… but I can't walk anymore.]

She is unable to recover her body after being disconnected from subspace.

Luntia's legs were now completely stiff like a statue and could not move at all.

[Go, youngest. I'll wait here. Don't reconnect me and subspace...… I will attack you immediately.]

"I understand, elder sister."

As Jin approached the point where Luntia pointed, his heart pounded with anxiety.

Now, he could feel Valeria's mana like Luntia.

Her mana was like a fading flame, infinitely faint and unstable.

"Valeria."

Jin called her name as he stopped walking.

There was no answer or reaction.

Jin called her several more times, then closed his eyes and focused his senses and shadow force.

Thanks to recovering some shadow force while walking, Jin was able to unleash the Shadow Sword 1st technique only once.

He felt like he had to cut through the subspace himself to confirm.

'I have to make sure Valeria doesn't get hurt when I cut through space.'

Jin gauged the depth by reading the faint mana that flowed out. It wasn't long before he was able to catch distance, and he swung his shadow sword as it was.

Swish!

The space opened.

[No!]

It wasn't Luntia's voice.

That voice belonged to Neru, felinoids tribe.

"Neru...…!?"

Jin never thought Neru would come out from beyond the space.

Neru spread his short arms wide open and bit his lips.

It was a gesture that people unconsciously make to protect something.

[Jin...? Is it really Jin Runcandel?]

Jin was speechless, staring at the person Neru was protecting behind him, Valeria Hister, who was trapped in an ice-like shell. As Luntia had said, a large black scar was visible in the middle of Valeria's chest.

"Valeria!"

As Jin entered the space, Neru stroked her chest.

[Jin, Valeria sealed herself. The wound was too deep, so there was no other way.]

Alive.

Although he had expected it because there was still her mana left, something hot hit his throat when he saw Valeria with his own eyes.

"Then, Neru, have you been with Valeria all this time?"

[Yes, since the first time I came here. Luntia Runcandel doesn't know this. What about Luntia Runcandel? Maybe the person behind you..?]

"It's too complicated to explain. Anyway, let's get out of here, Neru. Judging by the amount of mana, the seal won't last long."

[Yeah, I've already made a way out. Valeria can't move, so we couldn't leave.]

Neru pulled the cat god's claw from his arm.

It was an item that the felinoids Tribe cherished thanks to Valeria in the past in Wantaramo Forest.

As Neru immediately tried to use claws to open the door leading out of subspace, Jin turned back to look at Luntia.

She was shaking her hand as if to say "Go quickly." 

The two of them were reading each other's thoughts without speaking, just like they did in their first meeting after the patriarch declaration.

'I'll be back soon, elder sister.'

'Come back safely, youngest.'

The door leading out of the subspace opened, and Luntia stared at the empty space for a while where they had disappeared.

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