Chapter 182: Oath
The wooden Door slowly opened, and a Circular Hall the size of a Plaza capable of holding ten thousand people appeared in my Vision. A magnificent carpet stretched straight from the Door, flanked by huge supporting Stone Pillars, each four people thick, standing tall like neatly arranged Soldiers, extending all the way into the depths of the Great Hall.
At the End of the carpet, a massive Throne piled high with Skulls stood grimly. The owner of the Throne—Andariel—with a Body over five meters tall, sat quietly upon it, her serpent-like Gaze fixed tightly on Sharna In Front of the Door.
Undoubtedly, if you disregarded the terrifying Tentacles behind her and the malicious, icy Aura emanating from her entire Body, Andariel would absolutely be a captivating woman. She possessed a figure even more fiery than Sharna's, and her revealing Clothes were enough to make any mature male's nose bleed. Her fiery red Hair soared high like Blazing Flames, and her chiseled forehead had a sensual and wild appearance that fit Western aesthetics. Her round, slender beautiful legs, proudly erect twin peaks, and cold, arrogant Gaze gave Andariel a fatal Charm.
Regarding the legends of Andariel, there are many versions in History. Some say she was originally an Orphan from the Monastery, once the most beautiful woman in the entire Rogue Encampment. Some say she was the Fallen form of the Goddess of Youth, having experienced a tragic and beautiful past that is difficult to recount. However, none of these can be verified. The only thing that can be confirmed is that she—Andariel—one of the Four Great Demon Lords of Hell, the Dark Queen who takes pleasure in dominating others' Pain and Torment, is the public enemy of the entire Sanctuary.
On the other side, Sharna, standing proudly In Front of the Door and staring intently at Andariel, also exuded a Presence no less inferior to her Opponent. She was also the most beautiful woman in the Rogue Encampment, the universally acknowledged Queen of the entire Rogue Encampment. Her Strength/Power could make even cruel and ruthless Demons Fear her. Her pride could make even noble and elegant Angels bow their Heads. Even if she couldn't yet reach the peak that Andariel represented, she absolutely wouldn't be outdone by a mere Projection of hers.
This was a contest between a Queen and a Queen. The Battlefield was this enclosed Circular Hall. The loser would only face Death.
The wooden Door had closed at some point without me noticing. I stood outside in a daze, my heart feeling as if a hole had been dug out. Empty, panicked, my Brain was blank. I didn't know what to think, what to do. I knew nothing, and dared not think of anything.
"Xiao Fan—"
My back was suddenly pressed against by two firm, soft masses, followed by a warm, delicate Body clinging to me. My heart trembled slightly. Like a drowning person grabbing a piece of driftwood, I turned around, wrapped my arms around this Little Ghost, and held her tightly against my chest.
"Didn't you have a lot of Confidence in her?"
The Little Ghost lifted her Head, pressing her smooth little forehead against my Chin.
"Confidence can't be eaten for dinner."
I buried my Head in her soft Hair. The gentle Aura, a blend of hair fragrance and body scent, slowly soothed the tension and unease in my heart.
"So this is what they call 'concern breeds chaos'?"
The Little Ghost blinked her watery large eyes, tilting her Head as if having a sudden Realization. Then, she gently stroked my Hair with her small hand to comfort me.
"Don't worry. If it's her, she'll definitely be fine."
"Little girl, you talk as if you understand Older Sister better than I do."
I lifted my Head in disagreement and lightly pinched the tip of her confidently upturned little nose.
"Ugh~~ How annoying, you always underestimate me! Back then, I was called an 'Expert with Vision/Insight like a Torch' by the Tailor Master of the Church!"
The Little Ghost became unhappy, squirming in my arms with both hands and feet.
"That's completely different things, isn't it?" I looked at the pouting Little Ghost, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Right. I still have the Death's Hand Gloves here. Damn, why didn't I think of it just now?"
I had a sudden thought. If Older Sister wore these Leather Gloves, it should be foolproof.
Just as I was about to rush in before she started fighting Andariel, Alice suddenly grabbed my Clothes.
I turned my Head, looking at this Little Ghost with dissatisfaction. Now was not the time to be willful.
Alice did not shrink back under my questioning Gaze. Instead, she spoke slowly in her melodious Tone.
"In my Time, there was a saying: 'Do not extend a helping hand to a Warrior filled with fighting spirit, for that is an insult to him.' Xiao Fan, do you think she would accept your Gloves?"
Alice, shimmering with a faint White Light, revealed a wise, mature, and gentle Expression on her face, radiating a calm, intellectual beauty from head to toe, just like the Appearance I saw when I first met her. This was probably her true side as a Saintess.
Completely Intimidated by her sudden maturity and Calmness, I could only nod Helplessly and put away the Death's Hand Gloves I had just taken out.
"Damn Humans—"
The entire Earth suddenly shook. Accompanied by that hoarse, low Roar like Demonic Whispers, a pale green Evil Aura permeated from the opposite side of the Door. My heart trembled, and my Fists clenched even tighter.
Older Sister had finally confronted Andariel.
Just like in the Game, after entering Andariel's palace, you don't immediately fight her. She will let the Minions inside Give it a Try against the Opponent's Strength/Power to see if they are worth her making a move. Of course, the Minions that Andariel deems worthy and allows to stay in her palace are not ordinary individuals. The weakest are estimated to have Elite Rank Strength/Power.
I didn't expect Older Sister to confront Andariel in just half an hour. I was both happy and worried. Happy that she could clear out those Minions so quickly; even I wouldn't be able to achieve this Efficiency without Light Snow and their Help. My heart couldn't help but gain a few more points of Confidence in her Strength/Power. Worried, of course, about her Battle with Andariel.
"Aren't you going in to take a look?"
Alice floated over lightly. That Saintess Image that made people look up to her just now was merely a fleeting moment. Now, she had completely reverted to her original form.
"No need. If I rush in now, it will only distract her. Besides, I have absolute Confidence in her in my heart."
I glanced at her coolly.
"Really? Is that so! Is it really so? Are you sure?..."
This annoying Little Ghost focused her Vision on my trembling, white-knuckled Fists, constantly repeating teasing remarks in a strange Accent that could make anyone furious.
She's truly a Little Ghost who needs training.
"Wah!!"
Unable to bear it any longer, I opened my Large Hand and skillfully pinched the soft flesh of her little face, gently pulling it to the sides...
With the lively Alice accompanying me, the originally agonizing wait seemed to lighten up a bit. Looking at her face, which was radiant with brightness and cuteness, and then recalling that mature and calm Expression from earlier, I sometimes even wondered if this Little Ghost in front of me had been pretending to be a Pig to eat a Tiger all along, or perhaps had multiple personalities. Women, they are truly difficult to understand.
It had been about an hour since Older Sister and Andariel began their engagement. Violent Roars and sounds of Battle continued to intermittently come from the other side of the wooden Door. It seemed both sides were still full of Spirit. This Battle, who knows how long it would last.
I had already let the Poison Creeper quietly sneak over. Although it couldn't transmit the Battle Scene, I could still detect it in Time if Older Sister was in Danger.
"Alice, in your eyes, what kind of person is Older Sister?"
We both stared blankly at the wooden Door, as if doing so could allow us to see the Battle Scene inside.
"...?"
The Little Ghost expressed her Question at my sudden question, then tilted her Head and thought very carefully.
"A very brutal wo... Wah!!"
Alice, who was tightly held in my arms, was abruptly choked mid-sentence.
"Wuwu~~ I wasn't finished talking!"
She let out a confused cry of Helplessness, her silver large eyes feigning fierceness, but still looking incredibly cute as she glared at me.
"The phrase 'brutal woman'. I won't take it back. Although we haven't spent much Time together, I can absolutely Affirm that she is the kind of Demon who 'can slaughter a Village for one person'."
Alice's Affirmative Tone and burning Gaze left me unable to Refute. However, her Tone suddenly shifted.
"But, she is also a good Older Sister that people envy, wuwu~~"
After speaking, she seemed very unwilling to accept this feeling of being 'outdone' and admitting defeat. She let out a painful groan, then buried her entire Body in my arms.
"This little girl."
I looked at the Little Ghost shrinking in my arms, whimpering unwillingly, feeling both annoyed and amused. Yet, I had to admit that what the Church Tailor Master said about her was very reasonable. This Little Ghost's Vision/Insight might truly be described as "Vision/Insight like a Torch".
Time continued to crawl slowly. In these few hours, I finally experienced what it felt like to live through a year in a day. If not for the continued sounds of fighting, I would even suspect that the Poison Creeper was just letting Cattle and Sheep graze.
Even Alice, who was initially calm and composed, began to show a layer of worry in her Gaze. Although she didn't have much affection for women of this personality, she was his only Older Sister.
Now, even the entire Corridor began to be filled with a pale green gas. If an Ordinary Person were to inhale this gas, they would likely collapse and die within a few breaths, because this was the Poisonous Aura released by Andariel.
Given how thick the Poison Gas was even outside, one could imagine the hardship and Danger Older Sister was facing while fighting inside.
Just as I couldn't help but lean forward, trying to peek through the crack in the Door...
"Oh—"
The entire world seemed to collapse, suddenly shaking. This was accompanied by a shocked, angry, and unwilling Roar, as if even the Air was being torn apart. A scorching Aura suddenly sprayed out from the crack in the Door, completely clearing away the green mist lingering in the Surroundings.
My heart was filled with immense joy. My Body stiffened, and for a moment, I didn't know what to do with my hands and feet. What should I say when Older Sister comes out?
Shout "Congratulations!"? Too cliché and formal. Rush up and give her a hug without saying anything? That seems a bit affected. For a moment, I was as nervous, scared, and excited as if I were meeting my Father-in-law and Mother-in-law for the first Time, not knowing what to say.
"Xiao Fan. This is a good opportunity."
The Little Ghost behind me floated over with a Smile. Sister Sharna's return also meant her own hiding/lurking. I never understood why she was unwilling to appear In Front of Older Sister, or rather, In Front of others.
"She is actually a woman who is strong on the outside but very sensitive on the inside. Whether she can find happiness, whether she will Fall into a Demon, perhaps it's just a single thought away for you. So you must..."
Alice's Voice gradually disappeared into the Necklace. Before I could carefully ponder the deeper meaning of that sentence, the Door gently opened amidst the shaking.
In my imagination, Older Sister should be the type to majestically kick open the Door, coldly utter a phrase like "Too unchallenged," and then float away gracefully—or perhaps she would be carrying Andariel's Head, sitting on the Skull Throne with her round, sensual beautiful legs crossed, looking down with icy Gaze at the Adventurers who came to worship her.
However, what appeared before me was a frail girl. Her tattered Clothes, covered in Dust, made her look somewhat disheveled. Her face was full of weary fatigue, and she seemed to sway with every step, as if she might fall at any moment. What was most astonishing was her pair of sea-blue eyes. Normally, no matter how tired or how much Pain she was in, the sharpness within them would not waver in the slightest. But now, for the first Time, they revealed a fragile Expression, no longer resembling the vast, boundless Ocean, but a wounded Small Lake.
That was not the fatigue of the Body, but the wandering of the heart.
She lifted her pair of delicate eyes, as if she had lost all the Strength/Power in her Body, and fell into my arms as I rushed forward.
"I didn't expect you to see me looking so weak again, hehe—"
She weakly extended her hands, gently stroking my cheek. She Reluctantly showed a bitter Smile.
"No, in my heart, Older Sister is always the strongest."
Seeing this frail face, my heart ached, as if it had been cut by a knife.
"I'm really getting old. It wasn't like this before..."
She weakly moaned, mumbling somewhat dejectedly,
"That's not true. Older Sister is always the youngest and most Powerful."
Rubbing my sore eyes, the so-called "before" referred to her childhood days hunting Monsters in the Forest.
I know, I know it all. Your past, the Pain you suffered, they are all etched in my heart.
"Younger Brother, tell me, will 'they' regret it?"
"Yes, they will regret it. Driving you out of the Tribe was the biggest mistake of their lives. Once the News gets out, they will definitely regret it so much they'll roll on the Ground, cry bitterly, collectively take poison, hang themselves, and drown themselves."
"Hehe—Well said—"
Sharna, who was chuckling at my exaggerated Tone, took a few deep breaths.
"Okay, let's do that. I originally wanted to say that I would only consider returning if those Elders paved the way with their own Bodies for me to step on, but since Younger Brother said so, let's do it this way..."
The Voice in my arms gradually weakened, replaced by tired yet peaceful breathing.
From now on, those who bullied you, who humiliated you, I, Wu Fan, swear, I will definitely Slah them all!