“I see.”
Philan hopped down from the windowsill.
Her bare feet stepped onto the floor without making a single sound.
She looked at Bell, her gaze holding a trace of scrutiny and a hint of helplessness.
“Since it is a request from that woman, Eleanor.”
“I will make an exception just this once.”
She walked to the table and lightly tapped the crystal bottle with her fingertip.
“Bestowing a blessing upon a soul.”
“I have never even heard of such a thing.”
“In the history of the Wood Elves, there is no precedent for this.”
Philan turned her head to look at Bell.
“Are you certain you want to do this?”
“If it fails, the soul might dissipate instantly.”
Bell did not hesitate.
He carefully placed the crystal bottle in the center of the table.
His movements were as gentle as if he were setting down a living heart.
“Aunt Philan.”
Bell’s voice was low, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.
“Everything I am doing right now...”
“...is unprecedented.”
Whether it was stuffing a soul into Mithril or bestowing a blessing upon a soul.
All of it was a challenge to the rules of this world.
Philan let out a sigh.
She looked into Bell’s bloodshot eyes.
Burning within them was a fire called obsession.
She had only ever seen that look once before, on Eleanor years ago.
Back then, to save Elisk, Eleanor had single handedly taken on an entire orc tribe.
“Like mother, like son.”
Philan shook her head.
“Fine.”
“I’ll accompany you in your madness this once.”
She reached out her hand.
A faint green light shimmered in her palm.
It was the life mana unique to Wood Elves.
It embraced all things.
The green light slowly approached the crystal bottle.
There was no rejection.
The sphere of light inside the bottle even took the initiative to draw closer.
It was as if it were nuzzling Philan’s palm.
“Quite well behaved.”
Philan breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as there was no rejection, there was hope.
“I am going to begin.”
Philan’s expression became serious.
She formed hand seals with both hands.
Her mouth chanted ancient Elven incantations.
The mana in the air began to grow restless.
Countless specks of light gathered from all around.
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple.
The lights of seven colors intertwined in Philan’s palm.
“Seven Colored Holy Light.”
A high level blessing magic of the Wood Elves.
It could bestow extraordinary vitality and luck upon the recipient.
The light descended.
It enveloped the crystal bottle.
The sphere of light inside the bottle began to spin.
Like a gluttonous child, it hungrily devoured those lights.
Everything was going smoothly.
Until.
Philan tried to withdraw her mana.
“Hmm?”
Philan’s brow furrowed.
She couldn’t stop.
Her mana was surging toward that bottle like a flood breaking through a dam.
It wasn’t that she was outputting it.
The bottle was sucking it out.
It was Tia’s soul.
She was plundering.
Philan’s face turned pale instantly.
Cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
That sensation.
It was as if an invisible hand had reached into the depths of her soul.
It wanted to drain her mana along with her very life force.
“Aunt Philan!”
Bell noticed something was wrong.
He took a step forward, wanting to interrupt the spell.
“Don’t move!”
Philan shouted to stop him.
Her voice trembled slightly, but it remained stern.
“Don’t come over here!”
“If we interrupt it now...”
She grit her teeth, staring intently at the sphere of light.
“This child’s soul... will be gone.”
Bell’s foot stopped in mid air.
He did not dare to move.
He could only watch as Philan’s face grew whiter and whiter.
He watched as that sphere of light grew brighter and brighter.
So bright it was blinding.
Time passed second by second.
Every second felt like a century.
Philan felt as if she were about to be hollowed out.
That feeling of weakness permeated from her very marrow.
Finally.
The sphere of light seemed to have had its fill.
It let out a metaphorical burp.
Its rotation speed slowed down.
The seven colored light was no longer being devoured, but instead wrapped around it gently like a thin veil.
The connection broke.
That terrifying suction finally disappeared.
“Whew...”
Philan’s body went limp.
She collapsed directly onto the floor.
She gasped for breath.
She was drenched in cold sweat as if she had just been pulled out of water.
Bell rushed over.
He pulled several bottles of the highest grade mana recovery potion from his coat.
Disregarding etiquette, he pulled the stoppers and held them to Philan’s lips.
“Drink.”
Philan didn’t stand on ceremony either.
She grabbed the bottles and downed them.
After drinking three bottles, the dizziness from being drained finally eased slightly.
She looked up.
She stared at the sphere of light on the table.
It had changed.
It was no longer the faint light that seemed like it could go out at any moment.
It was now as bright as a miniature sun.
It was surrounded by a seven colored halo.
That mana fluctuation.
It was strong enough to make one’s heart skip a beat.
“It’s a good thing my total mana pool was large enough...”
Philan wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
She still felt a lingering fear.
“If it had been any ordinary human mage.”
“Just now.”
“They would have probably been sucked into a dried husk.”
It was too terrifying.
That didn’t feel like the soul of a human girl at all.
It felt more like a hungry ancient magic beast.
“Aunt Philan, how are you?”
Bell crouched beside her, his eyes full of worry.
This worry was genuine.
If something happened to Philan, he wouldn’t be able to face his mother.
“I won’t die.”
Philan waved her hand.
She braced herself against the floor, trying to stand up.
Her legs were still a bit weak.
Bell reached out to support her.
Once Philan was steady, she pointed at the sphere of light.
Her gaze became somewhat complex.
“The strengthening effect of the Seven Colored Holy Light usually only lasts for a few minutes.”
“But this child...”
She paused.
“The amount of mana she just devoured is simply an astronomical figure.”
“This massive amount of energy is locked within her soul.”
“It is enough to maintain this strengthened state for several days.”
Perhaps even longer.
Philan turned her head.
She stared fixedly at Bell.
“If.”
Her voice was very soft, but it carried an inquisitive tone.
“If a soul in such an extreme state of enhancement.”
“Were to be integrated into a Mithril vessel at this very moment.”
“What would happen?”
Bell smiled.
The smile was faint.
Yet it sent a chill down Philan’s spine.
“It will solidify.”
Bell said softly.
“Like quenching red hot iron in cold water.”
“The state of that single moment will be permanently preserved.”
“She will forever remain in this blessed, enhanced peak state.”
This was a year ago.
In that corner of the library.
He had scoured every annotation in 《Soul Construction》.
He had experimented on countless white mice.
This was the conclusion he had reached.
At the time, it was only to satisfy his curiosity.
He hadn’t expected.
That he would use it today.
Philan’s pupils constricted sharply.
“You...”
She looked at Bell.
“Did you plan this from the very beginning?”
“You knew she would devour my mana?”
“You knew I would give my all to save her?”
Bell did not deny it.
He looked at the sphere of light.
His gaze was as gentle as water.
“I didn't know she would devour it.”
“I just wanted you to try and see if you could strengthen her soul.”
“Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance.”
“I had to try.”
He turned his head and looked at Philan.
His gaze was clear and open.
Yet it was also mad.
“I just want to give her the best.”
“The best body.”
“The best soul.”
“Even if I have to throw myself into the furnace.”
“I will not hesitate.”
Philan fell silent.
She looked at the young man before her.
He was clearly only in his early twenties.
Yet for that girl.
He had actually gone to such lengths.
“Fine.”
Philan took a deep breath.
The shock in her eyes slowly faded.
In its place.
Was a spark of ignited fanaticism.
It was the instinct of a scholar.
“I'll give it to you, you're ruthless.”
Philan gave Bell a nudge.
“Go get your mother.”
“An integration of this level cannot be done by me alone.”
“Eleanor’s mana control is more precise than mine.”
“We need to work together.”
She pointed toward the door.
“Go wait outside.”
“Don’t get in the way here.”
Bell nodded.
“Thank you, Aunt Philan.”
He turned.
As he reached the door, Philan’s voice came from behind him.
It carried a trace of trembling excitement.
“I also want to see.”
“A body forged from runes.”
“A soul strengthened by a Wood Elf.”
“Once they integrate.”
“Just what kind of monster will be created.”
Bell’s hand rested on the doorknob.
He did not look back.
“Not a monster.”
“A miracle.”
The door closed.
It shut out all the light.
Philan stood in the darkness.
Within those emerald green eyes.
A fire was lit.
It was a desire for the unknown.
And a challenge to the taboo.
Rate on N.U.
