Seeing an oasis in the desert is a metaphor people use to describe hope.
Ron, however, used a more direct way to tell Isis not to give up.
He sent a beam of light to the Hero’s spiritual world.
“Holy Cleric—”
Casalima, coming to her senses, nearly ground her sharp fangs to dust.
She originally thought she had underestimated Ron’s experience and wisdom, never imagining he could think of such a tricky way to concentrate his spirit and break the hypnosis.
But now, when she analyzed the composition of that beam of light, there was a hint of disbelief and wariness in her eyes.
“Mr. Ron… Lifa…”
The Hero, bound by heavy chains, looked up directly at that light.
Even though Casalima had hastily closed the external imaging the moment Ron turned his blade inward, Ron’s goal had already been achieved. Isis clearly understood that she had not been abandoned or betrayed.
In a daze, the flame of hope to resist this dark prison was rekindling.
’Damn it.’
Casalima, occupying her spiritual world, had the most direct perception and feeling of Isis’s change, but aside from reinforcing the chains binding the Hero, she was already somewhat overwhelmed.
Because Ron’s counterattack had begun.
“Father of all and almighty, Mother of creation and humanity.”
“Incarnation of light, the deity dwelling in the high heavens beyond this lower world.”
Returning to reality, under Lifa’s admiring gaze, Ron guided his spiritual power and chanted a prayer with an extremely devout tone.
***
In the intervals of the prayer, Ron let out a long hot breath.
Magic skills related to soul and spirit are existences no less difficult than the two forbidden attribute abilities of space and time.
After all, when it comes to the extension of the soul, that also represents a supreme authority—life.
Therefore, for the vast majority of mages, aside from a very few class inheritances, there is no way to learn such profound and rare magic or skills.
But as a transmigrator, Ron was an exception.
Having once been a game blogger, he had dabbled extensively in countless save files, and could recite the relevant skills of various classes and schools like the back of his hand.
So even with niche soul and spiritual skills, there were so many options that just now Ron had hesitated over which to use first.
“Voice of truth.”
“Righteous heart.”
“It is I, a devout believer, praying to you.”
He asked. After analysis, his final answer was the basic skill of the Holy Church’s Holy Cleric—Prayer.
“Teacher Ron, is this useful?”
Seeing that she was still unconscious, she couldn’t help but whisper,
“It does. I’ll use it a few more times.”
Ron’s tone was especially certain. He stepped forward and placed his hand on Isis’s wrist.
The reason he chose to use Prayer was firstly because he valued the natural restraint that the Holy Cleric’s skills had against the demon race, which was determined from the difference in the sources of their power systems.
Secondly, Prayer was the skill with the lowest consumption among all of Ron’s available skills. Besides being usable multiple times, its upper limit was terrifyingly high.
“But I feel like Sister Ash hasn’t reacted at all…”
After a while, Lifa murmured softly.
“Don’t worry.”
Ron patted Lifa’s head.
The reason he was so confident was that the target of this Prayer skill was not Isis, nor Casalima.
Instead, it was directed at the deity.
“Teacher, was that the ‘Scripture of Holy Prayers’ you just recited? I heard it at the Enid church.”
Lifa still felt it was unreliable.
She knew the Holy Church had priests, fathers, and other holy clerics with special abilities, but Teacher Ron had never participated in any faith activities toward the deity, nor had he ever shown any ability in this area.
“Give the deity some time, Lifa.”
Ron looked up at the starry sky in the dead of night.
On the Uthis Continent, deities truly exist.
If he had to explain the effect of this Prayer skill more clearly, it would be that Ron attracted the deity’s attention through prayer and shaping his spiritual power, then shouted in the world channel something like “Please, great deity, help me, pretty please,” similar to that.
During the game period, the success rate and effect of this skill were always considered superstition.
Players even joked that the deity’s hobby was reading messages but not replying, which supported a large number of entertainment streamers who performed various prayers.
But Ron had done specialized research on this and made a discovery.
Prayer had an extremely high success rate and effect against the demon race.
Just as the Holy Cleric restrained the demon race, the deity paid special attention to prayers related to demons.
And just as he judged, Casalima, who had been running rampant in Isis’s spiritual world, was now trapped in a dilemma, struggling to cope.
’Just… a few more times, and Isis should be able to wake up.’
Ron was checking Isis’s spiritual state, about to observe a bit longer and start the second Prayer, but at this moment Lifa took out her weapon, tensed her body, and cast a wary glance around.
“Teacher, there’s danger!”
“Huh?”
Ron tensed up; this was truly a critical moment.
“Over there!”
Lifa concentrated on perceiving the subtle changes in the surroundings, and finally faced one direction of the forest, ready for battle.
Roar—
Ron followed the sound and saw a pair of amber vertical pupils lighting up in the dark bushes.
Roar—
After realizing it had been discovered by Lifa, the demonic beast continuously let out deafening roars, and used its tail to smash away the trees blocking its path, hurling them toward the camp.
“Drawing Sword Slash!”
Lifa noticed the danger a step ahead of Ron. As she drew her sword, already prepared, she protected Isis and Ron behind her and effortlessly blocked and cut the flying trees.
’Lifa, improving so fast…’
Ron then realized that now was not the time to praise Lifa’s talent.
Earth Dragon Lizard Chief, fifth-tier demonic beast.
Seeing the beast’s level and condition at a glance, Ron immediately stood up, ready to fight alongside Lifa.
With Isis’s arrangements in place, it figured that the demonic beasts that dared approach the lake were all extremely powerful.
’With only Lifa…’
“Teacher, please trust me.”
“Let Sister Ash wake up as soon as possible…”
Swinging her long sword to the side, Lifa, with her back to Ron, turned her head to leave her teacher a serious profile and a relaxed smile asking him to be at ease as the earth dragon lizard kept approaching.
“Leave this to me this time!”
The girl turned back, facing the earth dragon lizard head-on, ready for close combat.
Facing a demonic beast one tier stronger, Lifa’s fighting spirit was high, without a trace of fear.
She longed to protect her companions, she wanted to contribute her own strength.
“Be careful, protect yourself.”
No need for too many explanations; Ron knew Lifa was buying time for him to help Isis.
Without hesitation, before sitting back down, Ron only gave a warning in a very quick tone.
“This is a fifth-tier demonic beast, extremely high defense. It’s best to attack its eyes and abdomen.”
“Be careful to protect your weapon, and watch out for its tail attack!”
Thump
Thump thump thump
Like a sudden rain falling, the continuous sounds of battle reminded Ron of the pressing time.
“Exalted, infinite saint.”
He slowly sat down.
“Your hidden form has been revealed.”
He closed his eyes.
“Grant me that which the eyes of angels have never seen.”
He reached out his hand.
“The miracle that the ears of Aqiweng have never heard!”
He held Isis’s fingertips, covered in wounds.
The rough texture came from the scabbed skin. Ron felt the lingering sharp pain in his own shoulder, and after a moment of silence, he poured all the spiritual power he could muster into the holy words praying to the deity.
“I beseech you to grant me protection and salvation!”
The last words were not from the Holy Church’s scriptures, but only Ron’s own heartfelt plea.
And the one who answered was not the deity, but the white-haired Hero slowly opening her eyes.