Chapter 168: The Ghost Maiden's Song of a Thousand Years
"Uh... ten... terribly sorry..."
Like a startled grasshopper, I suddenly jumped away, facing the Maiden before me with a look of shame. Her clear, flawless Gaze was so dazzling it almost made me want to hide. I admit, I was indeed stunned for 8 seconds of Time... no, even 9 seconds, perhaps even a little more before I reacted. But don't you think this is a perfectly normal reaction Time for a normal Man facing this situation? All the Men in Sanctuary should understand me, right? Right?
The most obvious evidence was that the Maiden before me didn't show any sign of annoyance. She tilted her Brain slightly, her moon-colored long Hair rippling with soft hues, smoothly draped over her shoulders and down to her slender waist. Her silver eyes, sparkling like a galaxy, held a slightly troubled expression, like a gentle Kitten suddenly being petted on the Brain by a stranger. Her simple white robe, pure white, made her fair and smooth face appear even more Holy and beautiful, looking as noble and Mysterious as a Saintess. Especially the pure White Light emanating from her entire Body, giving her a hazy, translucent feeling, truly like a pure Angel Descent upon the world.
I don't know how long passed, but she continued to stare at me with that dazzling Gaze I couldn't meet directly, as if I were some Rare Animal. My Gaze drifted, Dodging the lock of her eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the other Battlefield. Poison Creeper and Light Snow , these two Elite Level Pets, had teamed up and were skirmishing with the resurrected Bone Ash. With Poison Creeper's immunity to Poison Damage Stats and Light Snow 's agility, Bone Ash seemed helpless. On the other side, the four Ghost Wolves delaying the Foul Crow also seemed to be handling it with ease.
Although their Vitality would eventually decrease if this continued, there didn't seem to be any need to rush off right now. So I decided to stall with the Maiden before me for a bit; perhaps I could gain some new Opportunity.
"Ah!..."
After a long while, she seemed to finally come back to her senses, letting out a light exclamation of unclear Meaning. Although it was just a short, hurried tone, it made one feel as if it contained a beautiful melody, like the gentle and comfortable feeling of a Cool Breeze brushing against one's cheek on a hot day.
"??"
Facing the reaction of this beautiful moon-haired, silver-eyed Maiden, I finally raised my Head. I showed her a puzzled expression.
"Mm... Ah... Woo...!!"
As if a shy Maiden couldn't bear to confess to her lover, her pretty face Slightly Red Potion, revealing a troubled look. But in the end, she only made some crisp sounds like wind chimes. Even I started to feel anxious for her. Could she have a language barrier? She sang so beautifully just now.
After a long while, she gently pressed the spot I had just held with her slender little hand. She took a deep breath. That soft, smooth Feeling seemed to transmit from my palm again, causing my heart to flutter slightly.
"..."
She lowered her Head, her slightly pale cherry lips trembling slightly, whispering something I couldn't hear. After a while, she raised her Head again and showed me a brilliant Smile.
"...Hello..."
It really wasn't my imagination. Every word she spoke, even every syllable, seemed to carry a melody like a Song. Right, I suddenly remembered—it was the tune of that unknown Holy Song she had just sung. Could it be that she had reached the Realm of Proficiency, able to Integrate the melody into her everyday language, achieving the state of 'no technique is better than technique'?
Regarding this nearly Supernatural phenomenon, I could only express my heartfelt sigh. There are three hundred and sixty trades, and every trade has its master. The ancients truly did not deceive me.
"Hello...!!"
Seeming to care that I hadn't responded to her greeting, she floated closer, speaking in a tone even more fluid and beautiful than before. Her faint, sweet breath brushed against my face. Even at such close Distance, her fair face, which seemed to rush into my vision, was completely flawless.
"Ah... you..."
I gently turned my Head away, trying hard to shift my Gaze from those tempting cherry lips so close to me. Just as I was about to respond to the Maiden's greeting, I suddenly noticed a detail...
Yes. The Method she used to approach was floating. Please don't misunderstand; although the Maiden's physique was indeed light, I definitely didn't mean to specifically embellish it. She truly "floated" up to my face, and her Body was still suspended in Mid-air.
"Gh-Ghost..."
The Earth Bloodline remaining in my Body immediately erupted. Maintaining my sitting posture, I instantly shifted several meters backward at an almost impossible Speed. Dumbfounded, I pointed a trembling finger at the Maiden who was drifting erratically in Mid-air like a wisp of cotton.
Although since coming to the Diablo World, I've seen many moving Corpses, and Magic-using Skulls have become second nature, even those troublesome Ghost-state Ghosts, I can Hack them down without changing my expression. But the problem is, in my subconscious, they only become like this because they are controlled by Dark Power. Therefore, as long as they are imprinted with the Dark Monster Marker, no matter how Supernatural the opponent is, I can quickly adapt.
But this Maiden before me, I dare to bet, absolutely doesn't have a single bit of dark Aura. From the Holy Light that almost overflows from her Body, I can tell that she has absolutely no relation to Monsters or similar settings.
"Huh?..."
Regarding my strong reaction, the Maiden tilted her Brain cutely. Following my finger, she looked down at her feet. What met her eyes was a pair of small, bare Jade feet, currently floating very Leisurely and freely in Mid-air.
"Ah, please don't be surprised, it's like this... Actually, I already died..."
She put on a look of Realization, then showed me a brilliant, innocent Smile, comforting me with the reason that made me most uneasy.
"Gulp..."
I carefully swallowed a mouthful of saliva, quickly shifting backward with very small but extremely frequent Movements, moving further and further away from the Maiden...
"What are you doing?"
All struggle was useless. The Maiden simply floated gently, her Body emitting Holy Light tracing a graceful arc in the air. That face full of brilliant, innocent Smiles appeared again less than half a meter from my eyes, rendering my nearly 10 seconds of struggle futile.
"Nothing, just something suddenly came up at home, and I need to go back immediately."
I stiffly pulled at the Corner of my mouth, answering incoherently. Did you really not understand what I meant? You must have understood! Please spare me, I don't want to get involved with Supernatural phenomena anymore. Let me live a normal Trial life. Let someone else be the Protagonist.
"Wait..."
She grabbed my hand. A smooth, cold touch came from her palm, making me... no, perhaps all Men, unconsciously generate the thought of using their embrace to give her Warmth and protect her.
"Please... save my parents!!"
The Atmosphere, completely different from just now, made me turn back in surprise. The Maiden before me. The moving Smile that had just been on her face was replaced by a deep Sorrow. She looked at me with timid Gaze, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, shimmering with silver, transparent tears. Time suddenly intertwined, and I felt as if I could understand the Feeling Alexander had recorded in his Biography when he first met Lady Yeris.
It seemed her Smile just now, everything just now, was just a disguise, a disguise towards me, a stranger. Thinking about it, which Maiden would still be completely unconcerned after having her important part touched by someone for dozens of seconds (I just said 8 or 9 seconds, hmph hmph...)?
But what prompted her to suddenly trust me, a stranger? Was it the mentality of treating a dead horse as if it were still alive? I grabbed my messy Hair, my Head aching. I watched the Maiden's sorrowful, pleading Gaze with Helplessness.
"You have to explain it to me, right? Also, I must Declare beforehand, I won't do high-difficulty tasks. I haven't made the Epiphany to become a martyr yet."
"Mm, thank you, thank you..."
A Smile bloomed on her tearful face, looking a little comically cute. Yet, it made it even harder to ignore her. Sigh...
After a brief description, I finally understood the general Meaning of her words with a surprised expression.
This Maiden before me. She was actually the only Daughter of Alexander and Lady Yeris, Alice El Quinton, as described in Alexander's Biography. Not long after Alexander killed Lady Yeris, the Hell Army broke through the Plane's Wasteland, surging forth and killing their way across the entire Sanctuary. At that time, Alexander fought alone to Protect his Daughter, and was eventually surrounded and killed due to being outnumbered. Alice also could not escape the disaster. Afterwards, the Hell Army utilized Alexander's Powerful Body, using an Evil Magic Array to Bind him in the deepest part of the Cathedral, using him as a medium to suppress the Light Power within the Cathedral.
As for the Maiden Alice before me, because she witnessed her father fighting a Health-bathing battle to Protect her before her Death, and was finally Hacked to Death by countless Weapons surging like a tide, Wrath, Sorrow, and Fear temporarily solidified her into a Ghost state after her Death. She silently followed behind the Hell Army, helplessly watching the cruel actions of these Demons.
"Father was covered in Blood, blocking me In Front like a great mountain, killing back the surging Monsters. The place where I stood was already piled high with a small mountain of Corpses, but looking out, there were still endless Monsters. Finally, Father's legs were Hacked off, his hands were also Hacked off, and he finally fell down. But they didn't even spare Father's Corpse, nailing Father to the Stone Slab with black Nails, and tightly Binding Father with a Health-colored Magic Array..."
Alice looked at the distant Bone Ash with hateful Gaze, pure tears of regret and indignation continuously streaming down her cheeks.
As for Alice's Ghost that followed them, the Hell Army didn't seem to Plan to pay attention to it. Perhaps they thought that in this Great Hall filled with Dark Power, this newly formed Ghost would sooner or later become one of them.
"But they were wrong. Although they killed Father's Body, they could not trample on Father's Soul. Throughout these years, Father has been using his will to Protect me from the erosion of Dark Power..."
"So, you've also been using your Song to comfort your father's Soul, allowing him to enjoy a moment of peace?"
I watched the Maiden before me with a deep Gaze, unable to imagine how a young Maiden could continue singing for thousands of years in an empty Great Hall. Why do I keep encountering such tear-jerking Matters recently?
"All I could do was this. When I discovered that this Song could alleviate Father's Painful Soul, I kept singing, kept singing. Whenever I saw Father feel a little better, I sang even harder..."
"You never stopped?..." I sighed, trying hard to squint my eyes.
Alice nodded gently, the poignant, helpless Smile on her face deeply touching my Soul. So, the beautiful melody that was Imprinted in her every sentence, every word, even every syllable, actually hid such a heartbreaking reason. She had been singing for thousands of years. No wonder when I first met her, she was like Lady Yeris, not knowing how to say a single word. And no wonder even the words she spoke sounded like singing.
"So, you want me to use the Sword in my hand to let your parents rest in peace?"
I looked closely at the Ghost Maiden before me again, confirming this. My Tone held more determination than before.
Her beautiful silver pupils suddenly widened when she heard my words and saw the Sword in my hand. But Alice ultimately nodded resolutely.
"Yes, Lord, please use the Sword in your hand to let them find eternal rest."
After saying this, she seemed to have exhausted all her Strength. Her face was pale, and she weakly lowered her Head.
'What about you?'