Chapter 1022 Freeing The Tormented Souls
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BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Sunstone Treant was overwhelmed by our constant attacks, quickly beginning to fall apart. However, I felt like there was something missing.
It kept regrowing limbs and branches and attacking us with them. It swung its claws, fired beams of abyssal sunlight, and even more of the Abyssal Soul Flames.
"Does this thing have endless regeneration or something?!"
Aquarina swiped her claws as she destroyed the blazing Sunstone spears that attempted to impale us, I was swinging my sword rapidly, cutting through the monster's branches.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
However, as we desperately fought against the Treant, I realized that the solution was simpler than I had imagined.
"I got a plan! Nephilim, Aquarina, can you two distract the monster?" I asked the two.
Aquarina and Nephilim looked at one another, nodding without even doubting my words.
"Sure! Leave it to me."
"We shall do our best."
"Thank you!"
The two quickly confronted the Sunstone Treant, its claws, formed from the branches, kept regrowing and swinging against them.
Its crystals glowed sometimes, firing beams of Abyssal Sunlight, corrupted sunlight that became black light.
And as if things couldn't get worse, it could also summon spears made of Sunstone and release flames too.
"You're not bad, but I'm tougher than I look!"
Aquarina smiled like a battle junkie, punching the monster with her bare hands sometimes, slashing it apart with her claws, and other times manipulating her Daggers, turning them into deadly projectiles.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
My girlfriend was a walking disaster. I had to admit it, she was way too awesome! If it wasn't because this situation was a bit dire, I would simply sit down and watch her being cool.
"With Lady Sylphy's endless supply of Mana, I can keep fighting indefinitely!"
Meanwhile, Nephilim did her best to assist Aquarina, protecting her blind spots with Barriers of Holy Light, while conjuring Holy Thunderbolts from her hands.
At the same time, I flew around the Treant and found a blind spot. Gathering the power of Alice, Naturia, and Yggdra into my sword, which overflowed with bright, divine spiritual energy.
"I'm sorry for not realizing you only wanted to pass away peacefully."
I combined the Tier 5 Spell [Great Exorcism] that could exorcize most Undead Monsters that were weakened enough, with Scarlet's Skills.
"[Exorcizing Heavenly Spirit Blade]"
SLAAASH!
A single, powerful slash was released, with all my strength.
The attack seemed shallow, but it carried a deeper power within, quickly melding into the Treant's body and soul.
Yes, its soul.
Or well, the many souls that composed it.
FLAAASH!
The effect was almost instantaneous. Aquarina and Nephilim suddenly noticed the Treant stopped moving, collapsing on the ground and shattering into countless pieces of Sunstone.
Every crack it had was overflowing with light, which purified its interior. The souls of those that had been sacrificed in the past were overflowing from within.
The darkness taking over their souls, born from their hatred and frustration slowly dissipated, revealing their calm faces.
"T-This is… Their souls?" Aquarina gasped, never having seen such a scene before.
Well, if I didn't remember I was once reincarnated and was in front of the God of Reincarnation as a bare soul, I might had been surprised too.
"It seems so…" Nephilim nodded.
"Yeah, I knew that the Treant would continue attacking until we either destroyed the souls or… freed them, purifying them." I answered. "So I decided to just do that. I'm grateful my mother taught me all these Spells."
Aquarina walked to my side, holding my hand as she saw the heartfelt scene. The souls didn't say a word, but they seemed relaxed, in a bliss.
"You can rest now." I said. "I'll make sure to free the other souls left behind."
"…"
The souls glanced at me, as they slowly disappeared into particles of light. The miasma in the entire cave was cleansed as well, leaving the area pristine and pure.
"Thank you for doing this. I didn't know it was possible to begin with…" Aquarina smiled. "You're really a nice person!"
"Eh? Well, I just did what was needed…" I felt slightly embarrassed.
"It seems it has ended…" Nephilim smiled. "Pyuku? Are you okay?"
"I-I… I'm fine. Sorry for not being able to do anything…" Pyuku apologized.
"Were you always afraid of ghosts?" Asked Aquarina.
"It wasn't that… It's just that my senses are a bit different than yours." Pyuku tried to explain. "Those souls were in such a state of anguish and agony that the closer I got, the more such emotions tried to infect my mind…"
"So there's such a thing…" I said. "Oh well, we should work out on a solution to that, you have to either strengthen your senses or make them duller…"
"I guess so, it might be something I have to work on myself." Pyuku admitted. "Though, just what the hell happened?"
"I was about to say that!" Aquarina nodded. "Sylphy, do you have any idea?"
"I would say it was as simple as it seemed. The souls of these people still existed, contained and trapped in the Sunstone. The miasma infected them and turned them into malicious spirits." I said. "My mother once told me that's how Undead are born in nature."
"I guess that's what it was at the end…" Aquarina sighed. "I just hope… they can rest in peace now, wherever they are."
"I hope so as well…" I agreed, as Aquarina rested her head in my shoulder.
Ding!
[You and your Party have defeated [Accursed Sunstone Treant (Tier 8)] x1 and [Accursed Sunstone Specters (Tier 7)] x21]
[You earned 7.250.000 EXP]
[You have found the last clue!]
[Clues: 5/5]
[You have completed the [Special Quest]: [Find Clues About What Happened to the Sunstone Ruins]!]
[You've found five clues about what might have happened within the Sunstone Plateau Ruins. From the ancient sacrifices to the Sunstones origins, and even the fate of the agonizing souls that were tortured to create this precious material.]
[Now, it is on your hands to decide what to do next. You can either leave this place and never return or end the agony of those trapped within the ruins, once and for all.]
[Because you've freed the many souls of these victims benevolently, you've received bonus quest rewards.]
[Completion Rewards]: [10.000.000 EXP] [3.500.000 Shared EXP] [Yggdrasil's Heart Fragment 2/3 (A+ Grade)] x1 [Spiritual Sunstone Crown (A+ Grade)] x1 [Sunlight Soul Essence Elixir (S Grade)] x1]
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