Belthane And The Spring Of Life Part 3

Another large tripple chapter, see you guys next week.

I'll try to return with the three chapters per week, I just need to break these and we're golden.

Anyhow, peace.

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—

"NOOOOOO!"

"..."

Speak of the Devil…

'The moment he was about to knock out his opponent, a young woman came running from the ruins near them, her dress now dirty and torn, she ran with great zeal as she tried to stop Silver, tears flowing down her eyes with every step of the way.'

'It was an overly dramatic scene because regardless of how fast she ran, she was no better than an ordinary person, her speed as slow as it could be.'

"She's a bit late… But welcome… Princess." Silver muttered as he turned around 

But uh... Even Lili runs faster…

Actually, Lili is a pretty good runner.

'Regardless, Silver had no intention of standing in her way and stopping her from "saving" her friends, there was no point in even doing so anyway.'

'Besides, this wasn't that kind of show where he, a Level 4 adventurer, would be surprised by a common person running in his direction. No matter how tired and unaware he was, it would be really, really hard for him to be jumped by an ordinary person.'

'With that speed, Silver might as well read a book as he waited for her to approach him…'

'Anyhow, he let the strange girl run past him and stand in his way, her eyes and arms open wide as she "blocked" him from "advancing" any further.'

"..."

She's quite pretty… And weird.

What in tarnation is she?

'Looking at her caused Silver to shiver internally, because he was well aware how she came into being. For he did not doubt the words of the Goddess.'

'She was a genetic anomaly, a being created from the bloodlines of dozens of different species that weren't supposed to be able to breed with one another.'

'A being of such unimaginable complexity that it would likely cause the researchers of the future a headache trying to figure out just how a being like her even came into existence.'

'It was like taking a donkey and somehow creating a new species that could reproduce. That being after repeating the process a dozen more times to create the perfect "horse"...'

'For her appearance, the girl had dark brown hair alongside eyes of different colors. A rarity to be sure, and something that seemed to enhance her uniqueness… If everything else wasn't enough.'

'Her left eye was blue while the right was an unusual golden color, akin to Ais eyes.'

'It was a color most commonly seen in beastmen, not Humans… Or whatever she was.' 

'The source of Silver's confusion was the strange pair of horns on her head, an indication of her ancestry with sheep people, a rather common race in these parts, although most of them seem to live within large cities such as Orario, and this is because they don't originate from this region of the continent, in fact, they aren't even from it at all.'

'Sheep people originated in the Far East, having spread over millennia ever since things calmed down once the Dungeon was sealed.' 

'To top it all off, she had another pair of antlers growing on the side of her head near the base of her other pair.'

'Antlers… Antlers of all things…' Silver thought as he had the urge to scratch his head

'Being honest, Silver had never seen someone with antlers, he knew they existed, but they were so rarely seen in Orario he wasn't even aware of what they were called, it was never an issue, but now, he regretted at least not taking a glimpse at that book of races he 'inherited' from Apolo and threw at a corner of his office...'

'Above all, that's only a few of the few dozen species she has running in her bloodstream, one of the few that actually manifested... It was utterly ridiculous to even think of what wasn't being shown.'

'At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if there was even the blood of a Xenos mixed in there as well. If it was even possible for such a thing…'

'Besides, aren't antlers for male deers or something?...'

'Aside from her strange physical features, she wore a cream-colored dress with orange trim on the top and sleeves. It was somewhat oriental, reminiscent of the Far East, having a festive vibe even, but it was formal at the same time.'

'She also had two laces tied to her horns, it was cute.'

'Overall, she had the face of a beautiful princess, but her demeanor was that of a spoiled girl, not being mature at all.'

(Image)

'Yet, as she cried, Silver saw her emotions glister within her eyes, as expected, for a child whose destiny was to be sacrificed, nothing else mattered more to her than the lives of those she cared for.'

'Though Silver never planned to go that far… It wasn't like his actions proved otherwise.'

'Here he was beating two of the strongest members of Belthane down to a pulp… Things couldn't be getting worse than they already were.'

'His first impression was likely completely and utterly ruined, huh...'

"P-Princes?" The swordsman said weakly as he felt the familiar presence enter his personal space

'What a disgrace.' The man thought to himself as he tried to get up, only to fail in mustering any strength 

'He wanted to rise and stand before her, yer his body did not listen.'

'He never felt so weak, even when he challenged the monsters in the mountains to grow stronger, nothing had ever pushed him to such despair.'

"NO! No more! Leave Lidari alone!" She exclaimed loudly as she stood before Silver

"T-Talvi… Stand… Behind m-me." Lidari spoke amidst gasps as he held his stomach

"NO!"

"... Uhh… Miss..." He said awkwardly as he tried to pull her attention to himself

Talvi, is it?

I heard her name before from the other inhabitants of this city, but I envisioned her a bit differently... I expected her to look like some abomination... 

Well... I'm glad I was proven wrong; nonetheless, how do we solve this issue?...

Better not call her by name yet, I'm many bad things, but not this kind of an asshole.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding here." Silver said with a somewhat apologetic expression as he relaxed

"Eh?"

'The girl was evidently confused, her expression locking in a mix of bafflement and anger.'

'Seeing that his words worked, Silver proceeded, saying:'

"Miss, it may not look like it but we're not fighting to the death here, to be honest, this was more of a trial than anything."

I'll have to lie a little; I'll apologize later.

"?!?!?!"

TRIAL?! AS IF!

'On the side, the still paralyzed Uskari had the urge to scream in anger, but alas, his tongue was locked in place and the only thing that seemed to change was how intense his glare became.'

'He could only look intently as his face grew red.'

"A trial?... Is this true Lidari?" She asked as she turned her head around

"..."

'She's really naive.' Silver thought as he looked at her

If I had bad intentions, this slight moment of distraction would've been everything I needed to knock her out… Not that I needed it.

She doesn't look like someone who would put up much of a fight if things went down that route…

"Huff… Huff… I lost. That's all there is to it." Lidari said in one breath, despite his physical weakness

'Even amidst his exhaustion, he retained his pride amidst gasps, trying to maintain his strong persona in front of the princess.'

'He finally understood that there was no point in trying to get up and that instead, he should focus his energy on recovering as fast as possible so he could stand up again.'

'Not that he had a plan to deal with Silver, but anything was better than gasping for air on the ground.'

"Lidari…"

'She momentarily looked at him, fully understanding what he was feeling at that moment.'

'Having grown together, who else but family to understand you?'

'Anyhow, the princess quickly turned to face Silver, a somewhat neutral expression now on her face.'

"Who are you?"

'Great, this is better than all the screaming from before.' Silver thought to himself as he let out a mental sigh of relief

"For lack of fancy words, I'm an adventurer, though originally, only a passerby." He said as he manipulated the stone underneath him to form a seat

"You speak as if those were different conditions." She replied, still greatly skeptical and wary of him

"And they are, at first, I came here since it was on the way, a mysterious city in the middle of the mountains… How could I not visit the place?

"Or so it was, until I was attacked by a strange monster in that poison pot you call a swamp." He said with a cough as he looked at the mountains in the distance

"From that moment forth, I went from a passerby to an adventurer, being dragged onto this mess."

"Now, I came here to do my job, especially since you all don't seem capable of doing so anymore."

"No offense mind you, too many people out there suffering from monsters, it's part of my work to take those out… The ones I can."

"However dangerous they may be... Although I do prefer if I kept my life after."

'Silver then turned to the two swordsmen who were collapsed on the ground.'

"Those two believed I wasn't strong enough; their doubts were well put; from what I heard, my predecessors didn't leave behind a good impression on you all..."

"Me, on the other hand, believe we can never know until we try. Thus, we came to an impasse."

"And for as long as history goes, when two people disagree… Well… It goes either one way or another, right?"

"This time, I emerged victorious."

"..."

'The Princess' expression wasn't pretty to look at, and for a moment, Silver thought he spoke too much and that he had chosen the wrong 'vibe' to try passing.'

'But after a deep breath and some thinking, she replied:'

"An adventurer?... No. It's not possible." Talvi said slowly as she quickly realized what this was about

"Nothing is trully impossible. Otherwise, life would be meaningless." Silver retorted as his eyes sharpened

"You don't understand…"

"I'm trying to, but no one tells me anything." He retorted sharply as he cut through her words

"The Swamp King can't be defeated, it can't be killed… Well, why?" Silver said as he got up from his seat

"Before, I asked that Elf if this monster was the strongest one in the world, and he was unable to answer me."

"I tried to hold a conversation with the blind dude over there, but he's as talkative as a damn stone." He added as he swung his hand in the air, protesting for his lack of sense

"So, if there's no one I can rely on, I'll seek it out on my own... Even if I have to force it from someone."

'Talvi understood his words; they made sense, but only in a bubble, and an argument that only works inside a bubble is meaningless and essentially incorrect.'

'Or was it?'

'She couldn't let him run wild. Thousands of lives were at stake here.'

"You're being short-sighted, do you even understand what would happen were you to fail?" Talvi asked sincerely, her expression serious, albeit also deeply melancholic

"That one over there already filled me up on it. No need to repeat it." He said as he pointed at Uskari

"Then why risk it?! Pride? Is that it?"

"Maybe, I can't deny there's pride in it." Silver said as he looked directly at Talvi's eyes

And a few things more... However, it all falls down to some sort of Pride I'm afraid.

I won't shy away, I cannot shy away.

For no matter how unreasonably irresponsible my actions may be, if one cannot stand before a monster... Then all is lost.

I won't stand in the background and leave my life in the hands of the success of another, I would much rather die trying to carry my fate with my own hands instead.

So... I won't shy away from this monster, I cannot. Especially now of all times.

An ancient monster terrorizing the people... This is the perfect heroic myth, this is but a microcosm of what I may be forced to face, I can't let go of this, if I do it now, then why not later?

And even if I do return later... Would anything be left standing by then?

I can always destroy my own argument with facts and other tales, but it's fundamentally all about conviction.

The strength to stand for yourself and face one's horrors.

The Goddess said it wasn't possible, so I'll prove her wrong. This is the dream of Mortality, the chaotic miracle that is creation, the very thing that drives the Gods mad with desire.

I will kill this monster, my way.

Of course... I could've approached this in many ways, but what are they all if not excuses?

In the end, I have to draw my blade and slice the Swamp King, and above all, I'm on a schedule here, I don't have the time to go on a long questline to prove myself to these people before mounting a final resistance against the beast with the power of friendship and cooperation.

It's a bit too fantastical for me, I prefer a more... 'Direct' approach to things that piss me off.

And... If all of that isn't enough of a motive, then... If I leave now... This will likely leave a scar on Artemis' mind.

I'll never let something like that happen.

"You…"

'Before Talvi could even finish her sentence, a voice of disapproval rang behind him:'

"You're disgusting." Someone voiced on the side

"... That's quite the way to put it. But did you have to phrase it that way?" Silver said with a sigh as he turned around, only to be met with Bhera as she took a step too close to him, invading his personal space

'There wasn't even a need for Silver to think; he understood immediately why the Goddess was this out of character.'

'Like many Gods he knew, some would completely flip over if their children were to get even slightly hurt by the hands of another mortal or God.'

'Hermes was one such God, followed by Loki. Both were individuals Silver would spend several hours "begging" if he accidentally hurt one of their children.'

'Offending Hermes is one thing, Asfi would probably beat him up before anything happened, a slight apology would then suffice, depending on the situation at hand.'

'But Loki? She would probably devise something demonic to completely destroy both his Body and Soul even if Riveria tried to stop her… Though there was a chance she may ignore her actions if she felt angry at his actions also.'

'In short, Gods cared deeply for their Children, it was but a representation of their many flaws. The loneliness of eternity.'

'He can be rude and disrespectful to the Gods, but most wouldn't even care; after all, what was the elegy of a short-lived soul before an eternal concept? To them, it was like a grain of sand passing by their feet on a windy day by the beach...'

'But messing with their children? That may as well be beyond their line of reason.'

'In the end, Gods were individual beings with singular personalities, none the same, so generalizing them wasn't something Silver would rely on.'

'To the Gods, a feet before the other was the way to go when dealing with them.'

"Humph, is there even another way to put it? If there is, do enlighten me, though I think that with your muscle head, that would be quite the feat." She said with a smug expression as she pressed her finger on his chest

"#!!..."

'Out of everything someone could call him, being called a muscle head was really not his thing.'

'Silver was momentarily offended by it before he calmed down, knowing there was no point getting angry with a Goddess, much less a playful one like her.'

'His temples tensed, but only for a breath before he calmed down.'

She knows where to poke, I lost my cool there for a moment.

I hate trying to play mind games with the Gods, I feel like I'm a child trying to convince an adult to buy me candy...

"But... Two can play this game." Silver said as he looked at her

"Your refusal to comply with our previous questions, wasn't it all because of your own internal fears?" He asked with a serious expression as he looked at her

"In the end, the children resemble their God, their fears stem solely from their inability to deal with the root of the issue, the fears of failure, which comes from your own lack of knowledge, a reflection of your failure to give them another solution." 

"You're quite bold boy, saying a God lacks knowledge, talking as if you know me or anyone else." Bhera said with a sly smile as she looked straight into his eyes

"It's the truth, isn't it?" How long has this been going for? How many centuries have you all suffered like this?"

"You say I'm bold, I say you have the balls to say there's no solution aside from these meaningless sacrifices."

"Meaningless?..." Bhera asked in a low tone as her expression turned dark

"Very well then, since you're the Goddess that always answers, answer my riddle if you will." Silver said as he crossed his arms

"Is the Swamp King stronger than the Three Great Monsters?"

"... Is that the extent of your argument? It doesn't go that far. You've already used it before."

"It's all I need answered."

"All monsters can be killed, that is my argument."

"Urg… Truly a musclehead. Fine, I'll answer your question…"

'But before she could say so, Silver raised his hand, interrupting her.'

"You don't need to say anything, I know it isn't."

"Good, I don't like answering people who order me around. Much less fools who ask meaningless questions." Bhera said with a scoff as she crossed her arms, clearly somewhat displeased with his tone and words, though she knew he wasn't fundamentally wrong

'She was a Goddess, and not a stupid one, maybe stubborn, but not stupid.'

'She knew the same old method of just beating the monster to submission was a solution, but it's not like she could convince a bunch of common people to fight what was essentially a mutated Boss Monster with near infinite Vitality.'

'And she knew that even if she told them to grow strong, they wouldn't be able to keep up with the beast's rate of evolution.'

'In a sense, she had her reasons to believe so, but in another, it was a clear fumble in reasoning. With a blessing, mortals could relinquish their limits and pursue a higher vessel, trying to confine them to this piece of land was nothing but extending their suffering.'

'Of course, it's not like the people gave up on strength, it's just that, in all of their history, Lidari and Uskari were the two strongest they ever managed to create, and the idea of sending her children to Orario for strength was ridiculous, even to her.'

'Belthane was constantly seeking a method to free themselves.'

'They were at their apex, and tomorrow would break that record, constantly, again and again... Until one day...'

'Some considered, some tried, they all failed too, a story far too old for even most to remember, one she buries deep within herself in a futile attempt to stop others from throwing away their lives at the city of "heroes".'

'In the end, after the thousands of possibilities she may have seen with her Divine Brain, only one reasonable solution remained, which led them here, 1000 years later.'

'She would've traded anything to spare them this suffering, but there was no one to trade with. They were alone, tucked away in their little paradise.'

'Their Heaven... Became their Hell.'

"I know, I know... You said so before already…"

"Anyhow, it's time for me to leave." Silver said as he shook his head, somewhat agreeing with her

"And where do you think you're going?"

"To the Spring of Life, where else?"

"Would you like to go with me?" He asked with a snort as he turned around, walking past Talvi, who was now left out of the conversation

"Did I let you leave, boy? Be a good kid and listen to a Goddess." She asked deeply as her eyes sharpened

"I only listen to my own Goddess, and I don't remember those kinds of orders amidst the words she gave me."

"For your knowledge, she only told me not to 'cause trouble'. Anything else is fair game." 

"You… You call this... Sigh, you sure know how to annoy me."

"It's been centuries since I felt this annoyed. Should I have expected it coming, as you're her child?" Bhera said with a tired expression as she touched her head for the first time since they met

'Slowly, a headache was forming at the corners of her mind.'

'But after a while in silence, she raised her head, looking at him with a deep, deep gaze...'

"Alright, do you want to prove me wrong, I'll give ya a chance." 

'Her tone seemingly shifted.'

"But if ya fail… I'll be cutting it right off." She said as her eyes darted to his pants

"KYA!" Talvi exclaimed as her face grew red, looking at her goddess with an upset expression, completely thrown off due to the sudden shift in her Goddess tone

"..."

"What is it, boy? Growing cold in the feet?" She teased, trying to get under his skin as always

"Heh, are you going to do that personally? Can we change the terms a little if I win?" Silver teased as he laughed as well

/Gasp!/

'Talvi gasped as her mouth opened in shock, Uskari's expression distorted as he grew pale, not believing what he had just heard, while Lidari stopped moving from a feeling he had never felt before...'

"HAHA! It's been centuries since a man tried to court me, not since I turned the last one into a popsicle... Man, that brings back memories..." She said with a smirk as she touched her chin

'She turned back to face Silver, a smirk now in her face.'

"Try it if you can, though I wonder if you have the balls, those two would likely cut them right off if you did, no need for me to get involved." 

'She added a "chopping" sign with her fingers as she mentioned Hestia and Artemis.'

'For a moment, Silver laughed it off, but then again… Although something like that would be ridiculous from Hestia, he did imagine a more… Violent reaction coming from Artemis.'

'Though, albeit extremely dim... There was a chance Hestia could react even more violently than her... The tales of her past self from a time long lost from Hermes were enough to make Silver shiver...'

"Can we just go back to topic?" He said as he touched his nose bridge, trying to forget everything he was thinking about and move on

"Heh."

'Laughing as she knew she had won, she walked to Silver, saying:'

"Talvi, take care of these two dunces, I'll talk with them after I'm back."

'She then turned to face Uskari, alternating between him and Lidari.'

"I thought I told them NOT to approach the outsiders, and I was right to go after them as they ignored me altogether. The result wasn't far from what I expected."

""...""

'They were too ashamed to say anything, or fearful...'

"I… Yes?"

'Talvi was immeasurably confused, so much so that she vaguely nodded as she looked at her Goddess.'

'This conversation had gone a tad too fast for her, which wasn't unusual given her Goddess antics, but the thing is, how come this man was following her?'

'At one point it seemed as if she was going to punch him in the face and the next moment they were talking about...'

'Her face then turned red, and she once again derailed onto her fantasies.'

"..."

'Silver said nothing as he witnessed it all.'

'He was surprised the Goddess predicted this outcome from their singular meeting… Not after all the confidence she showed the last time they met.'

'It seemed it was all but a bravado, as in that single moment she met him, she already knew there was no way her children could stop him.'

'Sometimes he wondered if all Gods could do the same, but if it was that simple, then they wouldn't derive surprise from impossible odds being overcome.'

'How confusing the Divine mind was...'

/Turn!/

'Bhera then turned to Silver, saying:'

"As for you, would you be so 'kind' to allow my child to move again?"

"Cough... No problem, but it's not necessary."

"He will recover naturally in a few hours, but I guess that's a bit excessive..." He said as he raised his hand in Uskari's direction

"?!"

My skin! It scratches! ARRRRRRG...

'Immediately after, a few droplets of dirty blood seeped out from Uskari's skin, the poison Silver injected into him was now being properly disposed of.'

'Silver threw it to the side, staining the floor with a dark trail.'

"Done, he won't be moving for the next few minutes but he should be fine afterward, as for the other one, he's just tired, he did more damage to himself forcing his muscles to move than I did to him." He added as he dismissively waved his hand around

"Not surprising, he's just like that most of the time, how else do you think he became this rude? He used to be so polite when he was younger..." Bhera said as he looked at Lidari

"..."

'Lidari said nothing nor showed any reaction to her words, but inside, he was offended.'

"Let's get a move on, I don't have all day." She said as she began walking away from the ruins

"..."

'Silver turned his head back to look at the trio one last time before following after Bhera, the two vanishing in the distance.'

…

""...""

'As Silver walked away, Talvi, Uskari, and Lidari were left to their own devices.'

"... Just what's going on…" Talvi asked as she helped Lidari get up from the ground, much to his ashamed expression

"... I lost…"

"We lost." Uskari said as he completed Lidari's words

'With much of the toxins inside his body gone, Uskari's incredible high Abnormal resistance kicked in, allowing him to speak, even if weakly and wobbly.'1

"But… How did things turn out like this? Who was that man?"

"Cough... I don't know much either… From what I've seen, he's an adventurer from Orario." Lidari said as he took a deep breath

"The story goes that he was walking down the mountains when he got lost, ending up in the swamp where he was attacked by the Swamp King's tendrils."

"Though I don't think someone like him can get lost... He likely saw Belthane from afar, deciding to approach when he was attacked instead."

"But the Swamp King?! Did it wake up already?" Talvi asked with concern, fidgeting with her fingers as she grew worried for the people

"No… It won't wake up this soon… It's likely closer to twitches than anything, an instinct to protect its territory." Lidari replied as he got up completely

"It hasn't been long since they arrived, and when they did, the Goddess went to meet with them before talking with us, saying she met an 'Old, bothersome person', a 'Stuck up person that can't look at their own nose' and a 'Playboy who thinks too much', and that it would be for the best if we didn't meet with them anytime soon… Likely for this exact reason."

'Talvi listened quietly, it wasn't every day Lidari spoke so much due to how sensitive his ears were, he must be really appalled by this event, or consider it of utmost importance.'

"She said he was a maniac, saying she could see it in his eyes…"

"I didn't quite understand what she meant by that, but after meeting him, I can kind of understand now." Uskari added as he let out a sigh of disappointment

"... But why were you all fighting? I understand the gist of it but still…"

"He wants to face the Swamp King Talvi… And it's not the time, Belthane isn't ready to confront it now… In case something goes awry."

"And above all I… Didn't want to trust outsiders again. Not after what they did to us." Uskari replied as he closed his eyes and bit his lips

"It's my fault, had I instead tried to talk to him instead, maybe things…"

"Nothing would've changed, he's as stubborn as Talvi, there's nothing that can do to stop people like them." Lidari added as he fetched his blade on the ground

'For a blind man, he was quite aware of his surroundings…'

"Hey! That was unnecessary! I'm not that stubborn…" Talvi said as she puffed her cheeks

"Cough… Anyhow… We need to prepare for the worst…" Uskari said as his expression went dark

'It was obvious what he meant, were Silver to fail and prematurely awaken the Swamp King, then they had to prepare the sacrifice to put it to sleep ahead of time.'

'It was the only way.'

"... Uhum."

'Talvi's expression became stoic as she heard that, she knew of the responsibilities she had, and she knew this day would come…'

'Saying goodbyes was never good, she did so once already… And now, it would be her second time.'

"Help me up for now… We can talk on the way to the Spring." Uskari said as he tried to move his arms, only for them to twitch a little

"Are we going after them? But she…"

"And what? Are we meant to stay as our fate hangs at the hands of another? To leave our Goddess with a violent stranger?!"

"Even if we do nothing but watch, it's better than licking our wounds here in these ruins." Uskari said as he clenched his teeth

"..."

'Talvi turned to Lidari for help, but he said nothing, he only stood there, blade in hand.'

'His meaning was clear, he agreed.'

"... Alright."

'With Lidari's help, although it was hard to say if he was enjoying the process, they helped Uskari walk.'

'Step by step, they went after their Goddess and the violent man, Silver.' 

'But with their speed, it was hard to say if they were going anywhere...'

…

/Sometime later…/

'The way to the spring was full of moss, broken stones, poisoned streams, and dead plants…'

'For once, Silver could envision what was once a stunning lush forest, but now, only this deadland remained.'

'Neither Silver nor Bhera said anything on their way to the Spring, with Silver believing it wasn't quite proper, but it seemed Bhera only saw his silence as something to mock, as soon after, she said:'

"We're here, quite the company you were huh?"

'However, Silver did not joke back, trying to instead, fix some of his broken image:'

"... Once this is over I'll…"

"HAAAA… Shush with it, will you? I don't wanna hear empty words for something I don't really give a care, so do your thing and leave yeah?"

"... Of course."

'Silver exhaled lightly as a weak smile formed on his face.'

'And without hesitation, he took a step inside the Spring of Life's clearing, taking a look around as he tried to gather as many clues as he could.'

"Hm… Unusual."

"What's unusual about it?"

"I mean… How can it not be? What even is this place?"

"Is this a Spiritual Land? No, forget that, firstly, what even is the Spring of Life?"

"..."

"Really? You're going to hit me with that line "Silence is an answer" or something?" Silver asked as he turned to face Bhera

"... How did you know?" She asked with a teasing smile as she touched her lips

"Figured, you seem like the kind of Goddess who would pull such things on others."

"My, thank you!"

"... Whatever."

'The clearing wasn't anything special.'

'It was a small pound surrounded by massive trees with barks akin to that of a boulder's surface, pilled together to give the illusion of a mountain's wall.'

'At the center of the pound was a small rock with an ancient tablet atop it, there were a few old pieces of cloth and paper talismans around the stone, together with two wine bottles and a bowl made out of carved stone.'

'This entire scene gave Silver the sensation of an old, shamanistic ritual meant to seal an ancient beast/demon, or that of an ancient shrine left behind by eras past… Something quite unusual in these lands.'

(Image)

'It would be easier to assume he was somehow transported to the Far East instead of the Beol Mountains, but then again, the world is thousands of years old. Maybe one day in an already forgotten time, people of the Far East or a deity associated with their Mythos came here and left something behind.'

'Gods, even in the ancient past, were prohibited from interacting with the mortal world, however, in certain circumstances, their Arcanun could descend to reshape the world's laws.'

'If a Spirit blessed the land or a Ritual was conducted, it wouldn't be strange to explain the unnatural existence of this place.'

"..."

There's an insanely high amount of Magical traces being released by this seemingly uninteresting pond.

It's useless to me or any Mage I would imagine, however, if there are traces, then there has to be a source somewhere…

But such intense concentration would negatively affect someone, yet everything points to this place being some sort of immaculate paradise for the sick or anyone as a simple sip of the Spring's waters would cleanse someone of all their bodily problems.

Or at the very least, quash them for a while.

In the end, what even is magic? I always found it weird that magic seems like a force of nature, yet it can manifest as these strange circles full of runes.

Even the Arcanun, which is the purest manifestation of the rules of the world often takes perceivable forms, at least that's what the books say, I have yet to witness a God going haywire and releasing his Arcanun, and hopefully, I won't anytime soon.

Either way, this can be seen as a mere interpretation from our mortal minds, but that is a question for another time.

'Silver crouched near the spring, carefully putting his hand inside it.'

/Sizzle…/

'He quickly took it out, glancing at his somewhat burned hand.'

This was once a place of worship and reverence... But now, the Spring's waters are tainted.

This is a highly potent corrosive poison… Nonetheless, something's not quite right here.

'Silver expanded his senses, diving deep into the Spring itself, figuring it the source of its problems.'

I see, the Spring is constantly trying to purify itself, but the poison is just unending.

There's a powerful stream of it flowing into the water, and it's stronger than the Stream's healing ability, which is quite interesting.

This poison is not just strong, it's considerably resistant to healing magic, or so it would be if we had a healer here.

The poison of the Swamp King evolved to be hard to purity, even so, it's being purified by the Spring.

Yet, it lasts just enough for it not to be cleansed instantaneously, and with how much the Swamp King releases, it can never be cleansed on time, only somewhat diluted.

This means the Swamp King will have quite a potent poison, though it's more corrosive than anything else…

Anyhow, where's the source of this water?...

"..."

'Bhera watched in silence as she looked at Silver.'

'For once, she had no expression on her face, just an icy, cold stare, worse than anything she had shown before.'

'It was good Silver wasn't facing her, otherwise, he may have been slightly intimidated, which wouldn't actually help his already shattered "face", if he ever had one...'2

(Face like Reputation)

"..."

The Spring is also very deep, deeper than I can measure with my senses, it goes on for several Kilometers underground.

This looks to be like some bottomless sinkhole that was later filled with water, but trying to explain it using geography when a Spirit could have just come and cast some sort of magic is not going to lead me anywhere…

Part of me wants to believe this place is a spiritual land, but trying to make sense of this at this point in the race is a bit too premature for me.

Aside from that, there's a stone lid with a few holes in it atop the hole, this is what supports the stone tablet sticking out of the water. It's likely all part of some sort of magical ritual to seal the Swamp King, maybe it was the original method of sealing the beast.

A method that lasted a long time, with this now being its remnants...

Despite the corrosive water, neither the pillar nor anything in the surroundings seems to be dying, even the plants seem somewhat okay, although they're now yellow and dry.

Likely, the Vitality from the Spring is so overwhelmingly strong, that it seeps into the earth and allows the plants to live even as they absorb this tainted water.

This checks out since you can purify the water and drink it to get the original effects of the Spring, meaning that despite being tainted, the water of the Spring contains almost endless power, it's only surrounded by filth that can't be consumed by Humans.

Maybe that's the reason why the poison isn't being thoroughly purified, the monster may have evolved its poison to a state where the Spring has difficulty taking it out, as in a way, if the Spring purified everything without care, then it would delete all matter it got in contact it, especially organic matter such as a Human's throat.

There is a method of selection here, even if entirely natural.

So in essence, the Spring is the same as it always was, it's just dirty.

… Is there anything else? Ah yes… 

Where's the darned monster?

'Silver got on his knees, his guard up.'

'He closed his eyes before shoving his hand inside the swamp.'

/SPLASH!/

"...!"

'After a few seconds, he smiled.'

Found you.

…

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Notes