The blood mist, reeking of a metallic tang, had nearly vanished. Sunlight poured down brightly, and faint chanting echoed over the ruins of Southwind Outpost. At the centre stood Reisha, the nun with a slender, graceful figure.
She held a Bible, her expression far from her usual wild, alluring demeanour, now solemn and focused. A bead of sweat glistened on her delicate nose, her red lips moving as a beautiful melody flowed from her mouth.
No need to dwell on the Bible’s words; the charm hidden in her chant was captivating enough.
From the cracks in the ruins beneath her feet, writhing blood-red tendrils could be faintly seen, twitching as if in pained unrest. If one listened closely, a soul-piercing roar could be heard. The evil spirit raged and howled, yet it was powerless against the holy nun’s chanting, trapped like a beast, its strength slowly eroded by the girl.
Occasionally, faint blood-red shadows crawled from the stone crevices, vague human shapes and faces. These were the tormented souls enslaved by the evil spirit, now freed by Reisha’s purification. She could even sense them bowing to her in gratitude, whispering thanks before dissipating into the air, ascending to the blissful realm of heaven.
Among these tormented souls were burly men, elders, men, women, and even children barely ten years old. They had been cruelly tortured, their pain fuelling the evil spirit. Though purification was a nun’s duty, Reisha wasn’t adept at it. Only in these moments did she feel a spark of joy. She was holy in these moments, her soul cleansed and elevated.
The sensation of guiding suffering souls to heaven filled her with satisfaction and joy. Despite the growing weight of exhaustion on her body, the thought of freeing these souls gave her strength. She… wait, what was that delicious smell?
Reisha’s nose twitched. Immersed in her sacred task, she couldn’t help but turn toward the source of the aroma. Her stomach growled, and the sanctity and beauty of the moment were instantly swallowed by hunger, her focus shattered.
“…”
Reisha paused, sighed helplessly, closed her Bible, and carefully stepped over the rubble toward the nearby camp. Her mood was complex. How could it not be? Two tents were pitched, a fire pit with a roasting pot, a simple table with folding chairs, and even a parasol by the table.
Who prepares this thoroughly for a wilderness trip?
Ye Chui and Debbie sat comfortably at the table, sipping freshly brewed tea from delicate cups, a plate of fine pastries before them. The two teens lounged lazily, utterly relaxed.
Debbie cradled her magical pet, named Road Builder, stroking it like a true noble lady. But Road Builder seemed less than pleased, repeatedly trying to escape, only to be firmly yanked back by its tail each time.
What left Reisha most speechless was Green.
Green stood at the fire pit, cooking. This spatial mage had little combat skill but was adept at choosing campsites and setting up tents. At night, he’d pull out leisure items like playing cards and dice. Most impressively, he had a hidden talent: cooking. He was now roasting a rabbit he’d caught, explaining enthusiastically as he worked.
“To make rabbit tender and tasty, there’s a trick. You must keep turning it to roast evenly. This rabbit’s already plump, so no need for butter, but seasoning is essential. Luckily, there’s leaf grass nearby. Let me tell you, leaf grass is my secret. At the Blue Horn Magic Guild’s cooking contest, I won three championships in a row with this trick. The rabbit’s almost done now. The final key is salt…”
Green pinched a bit of salt from a seasoning box, raising his arm to sprinkle it lightly. White grains slid down, settling onto the rabbit’s slightly golden meat.
(Reisha couldn’t help but think of the “Salt Bae” meme…)
Watching Green’s dramatic salt-sprinkling, Reisha wondered if he could possibly make it any flashier.
The demon-hunting wilderness adventure had turned into a gourmet cooking show. All it needed was background music!
“Hey, Reisha, are you done purifying?” Debbie jumped up, casually tossing Road Builder aside. The pet let out a “meow” of protest, landing nearby and glaring at its owner with supreme irritation.
Ye Chui stood too. “Perfect timing for dinner. You’ve been at it for three days. Almost done?”
“Almost,” Reisha said. She wanted to mention the hardship and danger of her purification, but seeing Green’s finished roast, she decided against it in this atmosphere. “One more day, and I’ll fully purify the souls here. Then the evil spirit will no longer be a threat and can be easily killed.”
“Good,” Ye Chui nodded.
Green placed the roast on the table, along with a pot of fresh vegetable soup and soft bread baked in the fire pit’s ashes. A hearty dinner was ready. Debbie, delighted, patted Green’s shoulder. “Your cooking’s two Ye Chuis better than Afur’s. Nice job. I’m appointing you our guild’s head chef.”
Green beamed. “Really? Great!” Then he paused. “Our guild’s just three people. I’m already in charge of procurement, finances, logistics, and the only member. Now head chef too?”
“Don’t complain, kid. Our guild’s going to grow big. Hold onto these roles now, and you’ll be second only to us, above thousands, got it?” Debbie said, seizing the chance to motivate him. Where else could you find such a diligent, life-skilled guild member?
Green muttered, slicing the roast, unsure if he was convinced.
Reisha sipped from Ye Chui’s teacup, letting out a pleased hum, then asked curiously, “Big brother, you’ve already formed a magic guild? What’s it called?”
“Oh, it’s just a casual name,” Ye Chui said, eyeing the teacup. Sister, that’s my cup…
“Casual?” Reisha asked.
“The name’s literally Casual,” Debbie clarified. Road Builder, spotting the roast, scurried onto Debbie’s lap, standing on tiptoes to beg cutely for meat. Debbie summoned a gate, grabbed its tail, and tossed it in. As the gate closed, Road Builder’s yell echoed, “You jerk!”
Reisha blinked. “Casual’s still a name, right? What is it?”
“It’s called Name’s Casual…” Ye Chui explained weakly.
Reisha’s eyes widened. “You guys are really casual…”
The evening sun cast a beautiful rainbow glow on the horizon, and the wilderness dinner began.
Reisha took a bite of the delicious roast and suddenly remembered something important. She asked Ye Chui, “Big brother, these past few days, have you… felt anything off?”
“Off?” Ye Chui paused.
“Yeah, anything different from usual,” Reisha said, leaning closer.
Ye Chui glanced at the enticing view as she leaned forward, swallowed hard, and looked away. “My right arm’s a bit numb every morning. Does that count?”
Reisha looked puzzled. “Huh?”
Ye Chui coughed, smiling. “I’m fine, Reisha. What are you worried about?”
“Oh, nothing…” Reisha shook her head, doubtful. The dark magic book was just her suspicion; it might not be in Ye Chui. From what she knew, no one could awaken two magic books. If a dark magic book was in him, he shouldn’t have awakened a new one, or at least faced obstacles summoning it. But Ye Chui showed no such issues.
That night, however, Ye Chui had a dream.
Bored in the wilderness, he rewatched the only unlocked resource on his iPad, One Punch Hero, until the magic book’s power was drained. He recalled it into his body and prepared to rest.
But in that liminal state between sleep and wakefulness, he suddenly heard a childish voice, like a child’s, whispering in his ear, “Mummy, mummy…”
