Chapter 196 “Reckless Player”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation

Vanna was momentarily caught off guard by the appearance of a figure that suddenly materialized before her. This was partly because the figure was entirely draped in a long, black trench coat and was shielded by a large, black umbrella. Additionally, her perception had been briefly dulled when she had peeped through the curtain, causing a fleeting lapse in her observational acuity.

However, her confusion was short-lived. The moment the creature emitted a raspy, low growl when she caught the stench of its tainted, vile breath and saw the tarnished and debased silhouette of its hands extending from beneath its covering, she had a moment of clarity.

The creature was an embodiment of heresy – the heresy of the Black Sun.

Vanna had always been a fan of straightforward confrontations, and now things had become crystal clear for her.

With a deadly elegance, her hefty greatsword cut through the air, producing a chilling whistle. Simultaneously, her sacred lantern worked to ward off the creature’s malevolent aura. Launching herself upward with the might and fury reminiscent of a towering tidal wave, Vanna’s descent was rapid and intense. The sheer force of her attack, akin to a devastating tsunami, took the creature off guard.

The aftermath was gruesome. Like a fragile vessel cleaved in two by a monstrous wave, both the creature and its protective umbrella were split straight down the middle.

The remnants of this sun heir were forcefully scattered afar, leaving behind a gruesome path of blood and carnage. The shattered umbrella, however, remained in place, releasing sporadic blue sparks and spewing blue crystals from its torn end.

Not one to leave any factor unchecked, Vanna swiftly crushed the remains of the umbrella under her boot. In the midst of combat, it was crucial for her to eliminate any unpredictable elements. And sure enough, the bifurcated body of the sun heir began to reconstitute itself. Within mere seconds, it was whole again, though its visage was now more grotesque, dominated by writhing, hideous tentacles. Its roar, now more potent, had the power to incapacitate the average individual.

But, much to the creature’s surprise, Vanna regarded it with a smirk.

She knew that its ability to regenerate didn’t mean it was indestructible. She could sense that the creature was considerably weakened and in great distress after the loss of its peculiar umbrella.

Adjusting her grip on her sword and fastening the lantern securely to her side, Vanna began to confidently approach the creature. But as she did, a fleeting distortion caught her eye, playing among the flames near a bookshelf.

Years of battle-hardened expertise and a keen sense of intuition prompted Vanna to pivot swiftly. Just in the nick of time, a tentacle abruptly erupted from the flames, propelling a thick metal sheet directly at her with the force of a cannon.

Meanwhile, the previously injured sun heir, having fully regenerated, reshaped itself into a dripping, black shadowy form. It shot forth two tentacles, targeting Vanna’s neck and back, thereby coordinating a simultaneous assault with its concealed ally.

Vanna expressed her frustration with a click of her tongue. Swiftly, she thrust her sword forward, releasing it like an arrow, piercing straight through the heart of the shadowy form. The sheer momentum of her attack embedded the creature into the closest wall, producing another grotesque splatter. Not to be caught off-guard, Vanna, with an almost supernatural speed, snatched the incoming metal sheet mere inches from her face using just two fingers, creating a visual illusion of a trailing afterimage due to her speed.

With a tone of realization, Vanna remarked, “So, it’s you who’s behind all this.” Demonstrating her strength and resilience, she tore the searing metal shard in half and cast it aside nonchalantly. With an elegant gesture, she beckoned her sword back to her, which brought along the impaled shadowy mass.

Effortlessly, she slammed the impaled creature onto the ground. Without a backward glance, she continued her stride, leaving a command for the shadow, “You can remain here and heal. I’ll deal with your partner first.”

The shadowy creature, skewered on her massive sword, no longer had the protective cover of its mysterious black umbrella. Despite its ability to heal, its current weakened state would take considerable time to recover. Vanna was aware of this advantage and therefore turned her attention to the source of the ambush – a burning bookcase hiding a second sun heir.

No longer concealed, the second shadowy figure emerged from the flames. Bearing a striking resemblance to the first, it was tall and lanky, with tentacles writhing from underneath its long trench coat. The creature, in a revolting voice, hissed and spat obscenities at Vanna, warning her to maintain her distance.

“Fear, anger, confusion… These creatures exhibit genuine emotions, contrary to the belief of many who thought they were merely mindless ‘split bodies’,” Vanna observed calmly as she advanced. Always vigilant, she kept an eye out for potential ambushes. To combat the potential mental effects of the monster’s blasphemous roars, she addressed it directly as a tactic. “You remnants of the Black Sun… Your presence indicates the proximity of at least one major sun heir… Where might it be? Lurking in the fiery depths? Just outside the church? Or perhaps…”

Before she could finish her speculation, the creature lunged, deploying a tentacle in a swift side swipe aiming for Vanna’s neck.

Anticipating the move, Vanna deftly sidestepped the attack, seizing the barbed tentacle. She then channeled a powerful vibrating shockwave into it, a technique she had previously employed in a dream alongside Duncan.

“Could it be hiding in the flames of the 1889 incident? Or within the chapel from 1885?”

The tentacle Vanna held disintegrated in a gruesome spray of blood, the destructive force spreading rapidly up its length. The ensuing destruction reached about a third of the creature’s body before it could stop the damage. This was sufficient distraction for Vanna to press her advantage.

With a swift motion, she raised her hefty greatsword and slammed it down onto the creature’s head.

The resulting impact silenced the creature’s roars, sending it flying like a lump of corrupted flesh. It crash-landed near the first sun heir, which was in the midst of reconstituting its emaciated form. Just like its predecessor, this creature’s tentacles took on the appearance of a black trench coat, seemingly as a protective layer.

With a satisfied demeanor, Vanna approached her fallen adversaries, looking down at them with a mix of pity and disdain.

“While the motives of the Black Sun in intertwining with historical events remain a mystery, and I am yet to discover what your primary form has in store for me, one thing is certain. I will challenge every last one of you here to ascertain the limits of your persistence. Either I eliminate all of you, or I’ll reaffirm my unwavering loyalty and faith to the goddess.”

She raised her greatsword once more, and the rhythmic sound of methodical slicing resumed.

Vanna’s strategy was clear-cut – while the sun heirs possessed formidable regenerative capabilities, they were not invulnerable. If their regeneration drained their vitality, they could be defeated. Small, precise cuts might suffice. And if they didn’t? She was always prepared to strike again.

……

Shirley slowly opened her eyes after what felt like the deepest sleep she had ever experienced, gazing upon an unfamiliar ceiling. Soft sunlight gently kissed her face as it streamed through the window nearby.

The bed she was lying on felt plush and inviting. The quilt enveloping her bore a clean and crisp aroma, a fragrance she wasn’t used to. In the slums, where she had spent much of her life, such a scent was rare. The old, decrepit pipes and blocked sewers ensured that a damp, musty smell was ever-present in the narrow, cluttered alleyways. Even if someone managed to dry their quilt in the open, it often ended up absorbing the pervasive stench of the sewers from the moisture-laden air.

Lying there, she savored the moment, not wanting to disturb the serenity by moving. However, curiosity eventually got the better of her, and she pushed herself up to survey her surroundings.

Nina was nowhere to be seen. Judging by the position of the sunlight filtering through the window, it seemed to be midday.

“Dog,” she called out in a gentle voice, “how long did I sleep?”

Immediately, Dog’s voice echoed in her mind, “It’s already past ten, possibly nearing eleven. You fell into a deep sleep after having a meal and a bath last night. You’ve slept for nearly twelve hours. Understandable, given how much energy you expended.”

Shirley tried to shake off her grogginess. The events of the previous day felt like a distant dream, with disjointed memories floating in her mind. It would take her some time to differentiate between the real events and the figments of her imagination.

Her gaze then settled on a modest box resting in the corner of the room. That box held all the memories and belongings from the last ten years of her life — the sum total of her and Dog’s existence.

“We’ve really… settled here,” Shirley murmured, still in disbelief. “It all feels surreal.”

“I know right,” Dog replied. “I’m still in shock. And as for Mr. Duncan, he’s currently preparing something in the kitchen. I’m apprehensive about what he might bring out.”

“Why are you always so skeptical about the food here, Dog? You’ve mentioned that more than once now.”

“Just… don’t ask.”

As she listened to Dog’s playful grumblings, a spontaneous laugh bubbled up from Shirley.

“The sunlight today is truly beautiful…”

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