Chapter 345 Chapter344-Mysterious Abyssal Curse, Curse Devouring Skill
Lying on the sickbed, Annalina blinked her innocent eyes at John.
She parted her lips to speak but a sudden pain contorted her expression.
John hurried to Annalina's side. Angela quickly grabbed a bottle of Life Water from nearby, pouring its contents into Annalina's delicate mouth.
Struggling, Annalina consumed the Life Water.
The tension in her furrowed brows eased, her body relaxing as she gave John an apologetic smile.
It was then that Angela began to explain: "During one of her adventures, my daughter discovered a stone statue. Upon touching it, she was afflicted like this. I've sought the help of various local healers, but none have been able to cure her. Desperate, I turned to the church for help."
"Brave warrior, if you can aid my daughter, I will bestow this gift upon you."
Angela produced a scroll. John glanced at it, and a game prompt sounded:
[Third Floor Exit Scroll, disappears after a single use.]
Holding the scroll, John respectfully bowed to Angela and reassured her, "Fear not, fair lady, I am at your service."
The thought of stealing the scroll never crossed John's mind.
While it might hasten his completion time, his conscience would rebuke him.
He wasn't a player of the Chaotic Evil alignment and wouldn't stoop to such dishonorable deeds.
Surveying the surroundings, Angela placed a miniature statue in front of John.
It radiated an eerie aura.
The material of the statue was enigmatic and terrifying, inducing heart-pounding fear.
John squinted slightly, sensing an overwhelming dread emanating from the statue.
The Abyss!
The statue exuded the sinister, nausea-inducing aura of the abyss.
John, eyes narrowing further, turned to Angela and inquired, "Where, fair lady, was this statue discovered?"
Angela seemed lost in memory as she spoke with difficulty, "My daughter mentioned she found it in a forest. Nearby, it seemed, was a Fragment of Sacred Healing Authority. Hero, I have a map here. The forest is teeming with thunder beasts. If you decide to go, please be cautious."
John understood the quest's process: venture into the forest, locate the Fragment of Sacred Authority, and heal the young Annalina. Only then would the quest be considered complete.
However, John took a different approach.
He approached Annalina, who was grimacing in discomfort, and from his hand emanated a radiant holy light:
[Divine Purification (Divine Skill): A celestial boon from the holy angels. Cooldown: 72 hours, Consumes 2000 MP. Can cleanse curses, diseases, plagues, bleeding, and other debuffs.]
Indeed, John possessed this skill!
In these Twelve Trials of the Hero, he wasn't afraid of failing to complete them swiftly.
As the holy radiance enveloped Annalina, a sinister black mist manifested around her.
But upon coming into contact with the pure light, it vaporized, gradually dissipating.
Angela looked on in astonishment!
Was this even possible in the trial?
Wasn't the quest to journey into the forest and find the Fragment of Sacred Authority before lifting the curse?
How could this be?!
The Lord of Storm City, who was observing the scene, was taken aback, exclaiming bluntly, "Holy shit!"
With shock evident in his eyes, the Lord of Storm City turned to the Grand Archbishop beside him, questioning with uncertainty, "Your Holiness, isn't this adventurer from [Galewind] an assassin? Why is he using a priest's skill here?"
"How is the principle of equivalent exchange on our continent not applicable to this adventurer?!"
A hint of embarrassment crossed the Pope's face.
However, clearing his throat, he addressed the Lord of Storm City, "Lord, there's no need for alarm. Ancient texts speak of such occurrences. It's entirely possible for one to master two distinct abilities."
The bishops nearby had looks of sudden realization, "Truly, His Holiness the Pope is profoundly knowledgeable."
However, internally, the Pope was in turmoil, "Why? How can one person possess two such powers, and these abilities... they feel god-tier to me!"
"It can't be, it can't be, this must be a dream!"
"Oh, almighty god of storm, this has to be an illusion, right?"
...
Inside the room, as John continued his healing, the curse on Annalina had been completely dispelled.
Moreover, the young girl's body, tormented by the curse, slowly began to recover.
With her lips slightly parting, she whispered, "Thank you."
She then drifted into a peaceful sleep, enveloped in boundless warmth, as if resting upon a cloud, her breathing becoming steady.
John turned to the astonished Angela and began, "Um, fair lady, I..."
The shock on Angela's face slowly faded, no longer the poised elegance she once held.
As if having seen a monster, she hurriedly handed John the clearance item, urging, "Leave, leave, here's the item."
John scratched his head in embarrassment.
[Item: Twelve Trials of the Hero - Level Three Escape Scroll]
[Type: Consumable, disappears after one use]
[Quality: Rare]
[Note: Woah, woah, woah! An actual Hero who bypassed the main quest to obtain this item. Even the Lord of the Storm Palace thinks you're a monster.]
John glanced at the note, even the system was mocking him.
Well, what can he do?
With many Divine Skills at his disposal, he was simply that powerful!
With a sense of resignation, as he prepared to use the scroll, he waved goodbye to the sleeping little girl and the mesmerizingly mature Angela, and activated the scroll.
Angela stepped forward, presenting the mysterious statue to John, "Sir Hero, I offer this statue as a token of my gratitude for saving my daughter."
John took the statue, and system data appeared:
[Name: Abyssal Summoning Statue]
[Quality: Rare]
[Usage Condition: To be developed!]
[Note: It will prove useful when you need it.]
[Can it be taken out of the trial: Yes!]
After receiving the statue, John nodded in appreciation to Angela standing nearby.
The fact that this statue could be taken out of the trial intrigued him.
It seemed that the 'Twelve Trials of the Hero' had a profound connection with the Abyss.
He wondered if, as he delved deeper, this connection would be unraveled.
Outside, the gathered clergy, including bishops and priests, surrounded the Pope, bombarding him with questions, "Your Holiness, why wasn't this statue given to others who completed the challenge?"
"Your Holiness, has there been an error in our challenge?"
"Look at this [Galewind] contestant. He isn't following the designed challenge rules."
Listening to the continuous chatter, the Pope felt mentally drained.
Even though he had witnessed countless surprising events, today's two trials had entirely redefined his perceptions.
However, as the wise Pope, he couldn't let his subordinates know that he was as baffled as they were.
It would tarnish his image.
Clearing his throat, a formidable aura emanated from him, and he spoke with authority, "Silence! Objects from the third level have been taken out before. From the tenth to the nineteenth Pope, all have taken something. It's just that you were unaware."
With the Pope's declaration, everyone quieted down, their eyes fixed intently on the screen.
As the Pope saw the crowd's focus shift to the screen, his own curiosity led his gaze there as well.
His pupils constricted upon seeing a new portrait next to those of the tenth to nineteenth Popes.
It was a portrait of John.
A myriad of thoughts flickered in the Pope's eyes, as if connecting countless dots.
With a heavy sigh, he finally murmured, "After millennia, is the Chosen One emerging again? I wonder if he can make it to the end."
...
[Congratulations, player, for reaching the fourth level of Twelve Trials of the Hero: Thunder Pursuit]
[In thirty seconds, you will be placed on a racetrack. A Thunder Sprite will pursue and try to eliminate you!]
[Endure for thirty minutes!]
[Don't get caught. Survive at all costs!]
John surveyed his surroundings, finding himself within a vast maze.
The setting bore a striking resemblance to the maze from the second level.
Curiosity piqued, he gazed into the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Good heavens! Isn't that the sprite trapped in the second level?"
"Why is it here? Are the second and fourth levels connected?"
This level seemed akin to the heart-pounding, fast-paced survival games.
However, observing the sprite pursuing him, John noted its dim blue aura, even discerning its stats with ease.
The sprite was injured, or perhaps still recovering.
So, in this life-or-death pursuit, could it be...?
A daring thought emerged in John's mind.
The levels in Twelve Trials of the Hero were interconnected!
If he had realized this earlier, he would've planted even more of those bombs, ensuring the sprite wouldn't even have a chance to revive.
As John was lost in his thoughts, the system's alert chimed:
[Thunder Pursuit countdown: Prepare yourself, player, for the deadly chase. Run for your life!]
[3!]
[2!]
[1!]
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