Chapter 250: The Dry Soul Curse
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Today, Dawn Cathedral was unusually bustling with activities. When Lin Li went over, he could see at least 10 coaches parked outside the door. Lin Li could not help but feel a little curious. Although he was mostly staying in the Guild of Magic, he would pass by the cathedral when he had errands to run, but Lin Li had never seen Dawn Cathedral so crowded before.
Felan was the Kingdom of Magic. In this land, all children knew being a mage would make one the most successful in his life. They believed in the power of elements and were curious about the mysterious knowledge of magic. Adults were telling them repeatedly ever since they were born to put in hard work to study magic and become a true mage when they grew up.
The Brilliance Shrine had been planning to spread Dawn’s teachings over this kingdom. Yet, what awaited them was not the blessing of Dawn, but a vigorous rejection they’d never faced before. From royalty to random peasants, none subscribed to Dawn. Their hearts were wholly filled with the pursuit of Magic, and could not make any space for Dawn.
An inn owner once said, if a mage and a priest visited his inn at the same time, the mage would get the best service, while the priest could only crouch in a corner to chew on burnt bread. This was the awkward position Dawn Cathedral faced in the Felan Kingdom.
Dawn’s efforts over few hundred years did not see any rewards. Finally, even the pope burst out in rage, exclaiming, “Damn those heathens! Go to hell with your damn magic!”
In the recent one hundred years, no priest was willing to visit the Felan Kingdom. They were all clear that there was no meaning in preaching for Dawn there. Even the most religious believer could not help but admit how everyone had magic in their blood—even the miracles that happened to him could not reform them.
Dawn Cathedral was one of the few cathedrals in the Felan Kingdom. The unlucky Archbishop who was in charge of preaching for the cathedral was a middle-aged fatso named Raleigh.
This middle-aged fatso had really bad luck. He was a level-15 Priest, but just because he offended an authority figure in the Brilliance Shrine, he got sent to a place like Alanna.
Not to mention a level-15 Priest, no one would tolerate a level-20 Priest in the land of Alanna. Nobody cared about the Holy Light and their teachings. In Alanna, Raleigh was seen as a good doctor—a free one, though. The only group of people who would step into the Dawn Cathedral regularly would only be those low-level adventurers. What to do if they were to injure their hand due to battling a magical beast and did not want to pay a cent for their treatment? Raleigh was their answer, of course. His theurgy was rather good…
As for the lower-level adventurers, only ghosts knew how many of them were willing to listen to him spread his teachings…
No leader of any organization in Alanna actually acknowledged him. To them, Raleigh was a pitiful fella. Despite being the Archbishop of the Brilliance Shrine, he had zero authority and followers. Although Dawn Cathedral looked extremely grand and holy, it was only the appearance—inside, it was extremely desolate.
Raleigh’s days were indeed pathetic. The number of followers he’d gathered was not more than two across the 20 years he worked in Alanna. His days here felt worse than death. Raleigh had been thinking of all the ways to leave the darn place for the past two decades. He definitely was the Archbishop that put in the most effort in the whole of the Brilliance Shrine. In a year, he would not be in Alanna for at least six months, venturing everywhere to establish social ties. All these efforts were just in hopes of being transferred from Alanna during his yearly deployment.
Hence, he had left Alanna again last month…
Who’d expect that Dawn Cathedral became so lively after Raleigh’s departure. The few young priests were busy greeting the big shots who made their visit. No one came out to invite Lin Li even after he stood at the entrance for 10 minutes. If it were in the past, not only young mages, but also Raleigh himself would run out to invite them inside…
Lin Li got restless, standing at the door for such a long period of time. When a young priest walked past him, he stopped him immediately. “May I ask if Archbishop Englos is in?”
“You are…?” The young priest looked at Lin Li suspiciously. There were too many people who came to look for Archbishop Englos in the past month. Of course, none of them were religious followers. There were also none willing to believe in the Holy Light. These people who were visiting the cathedral had no other motive but to get potions from Archbishop Englos.
Being a pharmacist, Archbishop Englos had no choice too…
After so many days, the young priests had already learned how to read their visitors…
For example, from the appearance of the unfamiliar mage standing before them, his young age hinted that he had no status. By wearing a normal long robe, it suggested he did not have much money with him. In addition, the anxious expression on his face implied that it was his family or friends who got injured.
Without status and money, why did he still go to Dawn Cathedral? They had seen enough for the past one month.
“I am Felic, from the Guild of Magic.”
“Oh…” The young priest nodded, and ordered his guest to leave. “Apologies Mr. Mage, Archbishop Englos is currently resting. If you are here for medications, I must dissuade you. You are not the only one who came here for medications recently.”
“…” Lin Li nearly choked on his saliva. He wanted to defend himself, but he knew he had been labeled as an uninvited guest by the young priest.
If it was before, Lin Li would just leave. Since there was no point to get into a conflict with the young priests, there was no harm to stay away from them. But, it was different this time. Orrin was still lying on the sickbed. If he did not find Englos, even if Hoffman was proficient in curses, the frail Orrin might still not be saved.
“Get out of my way!” Lin Li had no more patience. He pushed the two priests aside, and dashed into the cathedral immediately.
The Dawn Cathedral today was not like the usual Dawn Cathedral. There were so many people visiting the cathedral these 10 days. Even if the young priests had been ignored by people previously, they had accumulated enough ire to face the mage that did not know his manners. One of them was fast enough to grab onto Lin Li’s long robe, while another went in front of Lin Li to stop him.
“Stop!”
“GO AWAY!!” Lin Li screamed. He was very concerned for his bed-ridden teammate, whom he had known for two months. Being pulled back by the robe triggered him, causing him to unleash all the anger that he had been accumulating in a Power of Repulse.
How could the young priest who had not reached level-5 be able to endure the strength of an archmage? “BAM!”. Before the young priest was able to hold onto the robe properly, an impregnable force blew him off. He was like a rock that smashed onto the street opposite of the cathedral.
“Little fella, let me remind you that this is Dawn Cathedral, where the Brilliance Shrine is. If you dare to play any games with us, your Guild of Magic might not even have the ability to save you!” two young priests beside him warned Lin Li sternly.
“Let me repeat it again. LEAVE ME ALONE!” Lin Li roared and forcefully let out a powerful magical wave. If Mason or Kevin was here, they would know that Lin Li was really enraged. If anyone were to obstruct him, it might cost lives.
Unfortunately, these young priests did not understand Lin Li well. Although they were a little afraid of the person standing in front of them, the thought of Archbishop Englos being with them here allowed them to muster their courage. A few young priests stood at the door and glared at Lin Li fearlessly.
The entrance of Dawn Cathedral became a mess at once. People sitting in the cars outside the cathedral looked out of their windows. They were curious who that daring man was to create such a fuss at such a timing. Did he not know that the man inside the cathedral was not that trashy Raleigh, but one of the four popes of the Brilliance Shrine, Englos?!
They thought that the young mage was doomed.
While the crowd was still commenting on the situation, they felt a strong sense of chill air coming from far. Everybody looked in its direction, only to see a corpse-like old man donning a long black robe alighting the coach.
“Sh*t, why is that man here…?” A few knowing people gasped. It was not the first time they saw him since they had been here almost every day. That guy was a monster that slaughtered lives blindly!
Hence, while the old man walked down the coach, some of them tried to hide in their cars. They could not help but worry for the young mage. He was doomed. What a waste of talent! Dashing into the cathedral aside, meeting the semi-undead monster showed how bad his luck was. The relationship between the monster and Englos was not shallow. They did not know if the pitiful young mage was going to be turned into a skeleton or a zombie…
No one expected that the young mage would laugh.
The more absurd thing was that the corpse-like old man was laughing too…
“What a coincidence, Master Felic!” Sendros had no reason not to laugh. Ever since the gathering at the Pharmacists Guild, he had been wanting to chat with that pharmaceutical genius. However, the two times he visited the Guild of Magic, he was told that Felic was not in. Then, he heard that that fatso Hoffman seemed to have struck a deal with this pharmaceutical genius a few days ago.
Sendros felt that he could not wait any further. If it were to continue, the pharmaceutical genius of Felan would be snatched by other forces. That was absolutely not something the Darkness Shrine hoped to see.
He was here at Dawn Cathedral to find Englos to discuss Orrin’s situation. He hoped that the Darkness Shrine and the Brilliance Shrine would have an opportunity to collaborate.
He had not expected such a coincidence—to think he’d meet the pharmaceutical expert even before he found Englos. This luck was like a meat pie that dropped from the sky. Not to mention that Sendros was still a semi-undead monster, even if he became fully undead, he would still laugh completely hysterically.
“Hehe. Good afternoon, Master Sendros,” Lin Li greeted the man smilingly. He knew the relationship between Sendros and Englos. Since Sendros was meeting Englos here, Lin Li’s plan to see Englos shouldn’t be an issue. “Oh, yes. Is Master Sendros here to look for Archbishop Englos?”
“Yeah. As I don’t have much to do these few days, I’m coming here to find him for a chat.”
“That’s great. I have a matter that needs Archbishop Englos’ attention. Since you also want to go in, can you help me to send a message?”
Sendros frowned, and asked doubtfully, “Why don’t you go in yourself? If Englos knew you are here, he would be very happy.”
“I…” Lin Li paused in his speech and laughed helplessly.
How would Sendros not understand his body language?
“Are you stopping him?” Sendros glared at the young priests. His palish face had no expression, but there was a hint of bloodlust in his eyes.
“Master Sendros, w-we… we really did not know this mage is acquainted with you…” the young priests muttered while they trembled. They could not believe that the seemingly status-less mage would know Sendros.
It was as if they had seen a ghost…
Who was Sendros? He was the man who controlled the whole Undead Army which had millions of members. To him, lives were mere consumables for his army. In the documentation of the Brilliance Shrine, Sendros had long been recorded as a bloodthirsty devil. He launched more than 10 massacres, which led to at least thousands of casualties each time.
Who wouldn’t be scared of such a person? Although the young priests were sincere followers, none of them were fanatics. They were also fearful of Sendros. They feared that the semi-undead monster would kill them and turn them into undead using evil spells.
Furthermore, he was a friend of Archbishop Englos.
That was right, they were friends.
People who were not aware of insider information would never understand how a priest who believed in the Holy Light and a mage who controlled the undead became acquainted. It was obvious that they were best friends, and everyone knew that the evil undead mage, Sendros, could to a large extent influence the decisions of Englos.
He didn’t even have to kill these young priests directly. With just a line from him, they would be doomed.
The young priests’ faces paled. Their gazes towards Lin Li betrayed their plea to be spared.
They knew that the only one they could depend on was the mage. If he would help to speak a few good words, they would be able to live on. They did not dare to stop Lin Li anymore. As long as their lives were intact, what else mattered even if they let another person in?
“It’s only a small misunderstanding. All will be good after some explanation.” Lin Li laughed it off. He was definitely not as petty as the young priests. “Oh, yes! Are you going to meet Archbishop Englos? Can I go with you?”
“Sure.”
How would Sendros not understand Lin Li intended to forgive the young priests? Hence, Sendros nodded and walked into Dawn Cathedral.
“Englos, look who is with me!”
“Sendros, why are you here?”
“Haha, I’m not here just to see you. I’ve brought you a noble guest too!” After seeing his old friend, it was as though a sense of humanity could be seen from the semi-undead monster. His palish face twitched and squeezed out a smile.
Englos lifted his head suspiciously before grinning in surprise. “Master Felic, I didn’t expect that you would visit Dawn Cathedral. I still went to the Guild of Magic to look for you twice; unfortunately, you had not came back…”
“Hehe, Archbishop Englos, you are too courteous. I’m not fit to own the title “Master” in front of both of you. You should just call me Felic.”
“No, no, no…” Englos said as he invited the two men into the guest room to have a seat. He explained seriously, “What you solved was a difficult task that no pharmacist in Felan could solve. Just this is enough for you to bear that title. Oh, yes. Master Felic, why are you free to visit me today?”
“Erm…” Lin Li scratched his head, and said honestly, “One of my friends was cursed. I’m here to find Archbishop Englos to help. I wonder if you have the time to do so?”
“I don’t mind helping. But, to be honest, I’m not really skilled in curses. Why don’t you find Hoffman for help? He is a true Master of Curse.”
“I have already sent people to invite Mr. Hoffman. However, my friend is in an extremely complicated state this time. He was not only put under a curse, but also badly injured. I fear he might not be able to endure the deep pain while we rid him of the curse. Hence, I hope that your theurgy could heal his body.”
“I can do that…” Englos agreed. As one of the four Archbishops of the Brilliance Shrine, his mastery in theurgy was naturally not something Raleigh could match. Even if he were to injure his arm badly, it could still be easily treated.
“That’s great!”
“Oh, yes. Master Felic, may I ask what curse your friend was put under?”
“I’m not too sure about that. I could only judge from his reactions. That curse, however, is very strange. It was like sizzling black smoke emitting from his wounds. I could also feel that my friend is gradually weakened by the curse. I’m afraid he does not have much time left…”
“I see…” Englos commented while he sank into deep thoughts.
Just when Englos was still at a loss of what to do, Sendros interrupted, “If I am not wrong, your friend is still in a coma, is he?
“How do you know?”
“Then that’s right…” Sendros did not answer Lin Li’s question, but continued, “I have seen this type of curse before. It is called the Curse of the Dry Soul, a secret spell that has existed since the Dark Age. I remember reading about it from the magic book for the undead. The book states: ‘A real devil can give you great powers if you know how to control it. However, if you don’t, the devil would swallow you immediately.’”
“Do you mean that this Dry Soul Curse is like a bite of mana—if it failed to injure the opponent, it would harm the caster?” Lin Li asked, frowning. Could it be that Orrin was not attacked by Gryffindor, but learned a forbidden spell instead?
“Yeah, that’s a possibility…” Sendros said as he shook his head. “Master Felic. Frankly speaking, this curse is the most troublesome of all. Because it has existed for so many years, it has been in the blood—even if I know the concept, I do not know how to cure it.”
“Sendros, please don’t say that. Hoffman might have a way out.” Englos shot a glare at his old friend. He knew how Sendros would always think of the worst case scenario. Although he might be right at times, it would not sound comforting to the others.
“I hope so…” Sendros nodded unwillingly.
“Archbishop Englos, do you have time now? If it is possible, can you go and take a look personally? I’m afraid my friend might not be able to wait any longer…” Lin Li asked impatiently.
“No problem,” agreed Englos without further ado.
“Can I go with you?” Sendros asked and stood up like Englos.
“Alright, both of you please follow me.”
The three men walked out of Dawn Cathedral and rushed to the Guild of Magic in a coach. They left the young priests and the bored passers-by guessing at the noble identity of the young mage who could get the help from the leaders of the Brilliance Shrine and Darkness Shrine. It was no joke. Englos was one of the Archbishops of Brilliance Shrine, while Sendros had the authority over the whole of the Darkness Shrine. Their status was so high that even His Majesty would not be able to enjoy the same treatment.
Those several young priests were especially scared, and broke out in sweat when they saw the leaving coach. If they had known the background of the young mage, they would not have dared to stop him.
The coach stopped outside the guild hall. The two old men saw a familiar figure the moment they came out of the coach.
“Hahaha! Hoffman, you’re here too?” Hoffman’s round figure was too obvious. Sendros recognized him among the crowd right away after alighting from the coach. “Why don’t you rush back to Breezy Plains to look after your daughter? Don’t regret if she were to elope with a random dude…”
“F*ck! Sendros, what a shameless set of old bones you are! I’m going to spike your food sooner or later…” Hoffman was halfway through scolding that Sendros when he realized that Sendros did not need to eat at all. Hence, he added another scornful line. “Nope… You do not even need to eat any food. Just scram back to your cemetery and gnaw on corpses! I feel so awkward standing with you…”
“…” Lin Li was speechless hearing how the two oldies bantered with each other. He decided to step in to mediate their dispute. “You two, you two, mind your image!”
“Yeah, Master Felic is right. I’m a successful man. I should not argue with a semi-undead monster…” Hoffman scoffed as he entered the guild hall.
“This fella…” Sendros and Englos mumbled as they shook their heads reluctantly and followed them in.
Lin Li led the way and brought the three men to the guild’s treatment room. He took some time to tell Hoffman about Orrin’s situation along the way.
“Damn. So it’s the Curse of the Dry Soul. This is bad…” Hoffman commented after hearing Lin Li describe the situation. He could not help but frown at the thought of it.
“What do you think, Master Hoffman? You, too, can’t deal with the Dry Soul Curse?” Lin Li asked after seeing Hoffman’s expression. Lin Li could not help but grow nervous. If this expert in curses could not deal with it, he knew Orrin would really be in grave danger.
“But, it does not mean we have no solution for him. It would just be more troublesome…” Hoffman said as he shook his head. He did not say that Orrin would surely die, but he could not relax his deep frown.
“You mean…?”
“I mean…” Hoffman paused in his words. “Forget it, let’s go look at your friend first. Maybe his situation is not that serious.”
“Yes.”