Fallen Chronicles

At Renji's direction, No. 86 approached. The maid connected to the entire network of the Blackhole Plains, or rather, being an "observation body" model, began projecting images from her eyes. In front of Suthia, the scene of the church's underground library was displayed.

A group of knights, led by a captain, broke through the sewer entrance and were fighting the tainted corpses inside. They were making their utmost effort, inching toward Renji's current location.

Tamic immediately recognized these people in No. 86's projection.

"Captain!?"

But there was more.

The projection of Number 86 quickly switched again, showing Eileen's mother praying with a cross, showing Durin's wife fighting against a disease in a hospital, showing the knights sealing and exterminating one hideout of Callewa after another, showing the people spontaneously organizing militias and venturing into the sewers to assist the knights.

Just as Tamic had said before, even if the original large tree had fallen and could no longer provide shelter from the wind and rain, the seeds she had sown had already scattered with the wind and fallen into various places, buried in the soil, and there would be more seedlings sprouting.

Moreover, even though this large tree had withered, it was still releasing its last nutrients to the surroundings. Otherwise, it couldn't explain why Callewa could use a cross as a Miasma protection suit, why Eileen's mother and Durin's wife both dreamt of being continuously healed by the Holy Light of the goddess, even if it was very faint.

For five hundred years, Suthia had been sharing her power with all the citizens of Holy Kingdom, giving it to everyone who prayed to her, helping them resist diseases, and purifying the Miasma contamination.

This perhaps explained why the current nun seemed so "weak."

"See, you also have something to boast about, Thia."

"I really... have?"

"Of course. I'm quite proud of you and your Holy Kingdom, Thia. To have such a group of 'foolish' followers willing to follow you, you've done well enough, Thia."

"So now... let's respond to them together, shall we? My Goddess?"

Renji extended his hand to Suthia in a gentlemanly manner.

And when the nun raised her hand, the young man suddenly produced a ring, a plastic ring, and it was clear that it was done in haste, like it was hastily crafted from some discarded plastic bottle in the sewer.

It's more accurate to say it was a plastic ring, at most with a little decorative border.

But in Suthia's eyes...

"This, this is!!"

"It's a pity. I had no choice; you chased me so quickly that I had to make this little thing while running. It's not perfect, but it'll do for now. I'll get you a new one later!"

Renji shrugged helplessly.

In the game, he had spent three days and nights grinding a dungeon to get Suthia an exquisite healing ring. However, after Zero joined, he regretted his past actions, wanting to slap himself for his poor decision. He had coveted the ring's additional attributes, so he removed it from Suthia and gave it to his main character, Zero. Later, after getting Zero a new attack ring, the once-premium healing ring became outdated, and he just... forgot about it.

Forgot to give it back to her!

And melted it down!

Suthia shook her head vigorously. To her, this plastic ring was as if the most beautiful ring in the world, surpassing any expensive diamond.

What moved her even more was that the her Lord still remembered... he really remembered the ring!

As Renji was about to put the ring on her.

Suthia couldn't hold back anymore.

She could do many things with this body, but this one... she couldn't. She didn't want to use this body anymore; she wanted to...

Buzz!*

Renji only felt a flash in front of his eyes, engulfed by bright white light. A few breaths later, as the light faded, he realized his consciousness had been pulled out and transferred.

The surroundings were no longer the dilapidated, abandoned sewer.

But rather...

A confession room?

Quickly, Renji turned his gaze to the figure standing opposite him in this sacred room... a nun.

Her shoulder-length hair was as blue as the ocean.

A sacred ribbon cinched her slender waist.

Under the hooded robe, there was an innocent and flawless face. She blinked at him with purity, but also with shyness and fear, burying her face quickly. This appearance was like enticing someone to "bully" her thoroughly.

Renji walked over to her.

This time, as he took the nun's hand again and slid the ring onto her finger, she didn't resist. Instead, she pursed her lips as if it were a significant ceremony.

And Indeed it was.

As the ring was placed, in the real world, the contract pattern on the back of Maria's neck disappeared, in the spiritual world, on the back of the neck of the blue-haired nun facing Renji, the contract brand, worn and fragmented over five hundred years, began to flicker anew. It grew brighter and faster until it finally...

Transformed into an unbreakable, brand-new contract.

[Ding, due to "unknown reasons", your contracted Eclipse has changed from 'Light Bringer-Maria' to 'Goddess-Suthia']

Along with the notification sound, it seemed as if screams were echoing from some deeper place.

It was as if the Tainted Miasma energy and consciousness accumulated inside Suthia over five hundred years were melting away under the renewed light of the contract, like snow under the scorching sun, continuously dissolving, disappearing... annihilated.

Without the illness, what remained was only... her kindness.

Renji finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at the little nun who blushed just from his presence and couldn't even meet his gaze, this was the Suthia he knew. Renji could finally say those words.

"Long time no see, Thia"

"Really... it's been a long time… Lord Ashen!" Suthia, turned her little feet inward and glanced at her toes, occasionally stealing glances at the young man opposite her.

Seeing the nun in her most adorable state, Renji suddenly asked: "By the way, Thia, is time in this place frozen compared to reality?"

"Eh? No, but if it's my Lord's Wish, Thia can adjust the flow of time. After all, this is just a sea of consciousness."

"Then Thia, hurry, adjust it!"

Under Renji's urging, Suthia quickly brought her fingers together, and when she reopened her ocean-blue eyes, she nodded at Renji.

"It's done, My lord. Now our time here is relatively stopped compared to the outside world, but it can't last long, only about half an hour."

After saying this, Suthia looked at Renji curiously, wondering what her Lord was planning to do.

"Half an hour is a bit short, what a pity."

Renji muttered, then used the power of the contract to summon chains around Suthia. Before she could react, the chains clamped around her limbs, making her unable to move.

Actually, it wasn't necessary to go through such trouble since the contract could make the nun completely in control. But, let's say it was for the mood; revenge needed to be staged appropriately.

Looking at Suthia now bound and unable to move, Renji clapped his hands in satisfaction.

" Lord Ashen?"

"Hehehe! The loser must accept their punishment, and the victor must enjoy the fruits of victory! You have no right to resist, just surrender like a good girl~!"

While mimicking the classic villainous style, Renji advanced step by step towards the chained nun who he had bound into a cruciform shape.

He wanted to return everything he had just endured: being chased by 'Zombies' throughout the sewer, being impaled by a brutal attack, and what he considered a "man's humiliation."

"Sorry!"

"I have always walked the path of darkness!"

Meanwhile, Suthia's neck flushed crimson, spreading to her entire face, making her cheeks as red as ripe apples. She remembered Her Lord did indeed mention correcting her and then... "punishing" her.

"My Lord… about these chains..." Suthia's eyes were watery as she weakly asked.

Renji's answer was straightforward, leaving no room for the nun to argue further.

"You see, I'm…"

 "A person who holds grudges, Thia."