studiobondurri Chapter 365: A Complete Change of Heart
Chapter 365: A Complete Change of Heart
Bai Shi clicked his tongue in wonder as he looked at the preserved remains of the “earth god.”
Within this massive species repository were many other creatures of peculiar shapes and sizes.
These were all species that had emerged when the Crucible of Life flourished, now impossible to find in the Lands Between, completely extinct.
Seeing the curious expressions on everyone's faces, a faint smile touched Messmer's lips.
"Feel free to look around. Just don't get lost."
As it happened, the path to the top floor, where his private chambers were, passed through most of the repository's sections anyway.
Although Messmer had ordered the construction of a direct elevator for convenience, since they were interested, he might as well give them a tour on the way up.
However, before they could even leave the current floor, Bai Shi suddenly spotted another elevator nearby.
It was built in a room in the far corner, extremely well-hidden and unattended.
Not only that, but there was no personnel nearby, and the area was cordoned off.
But judging from the sealed ceiling of the room, the lift definitely led somewhere below.
Bai Shi pointed a finger at the elevator, its destination unknown, and asked:
"Does this species repository have an underground section?"
Messmer's brow furrowed, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
"Down there..."
"That's the treatment area."
"You wouldn't want to see what that's like."
Hearing this, Melina immediately understood what her brother was talking about.
"Is it the Numen?"
Messmer glanced sideways at Melina.
"...Yes."
"Do you still have memories of what happened here?"
Melina shook her head and replied:
"I truly don't remember what happened in the Land of Shadow back then."
"The reason I know is that we've already seen them. And we've cured them."
An expression of shock spread across Messmer's face. He asked in disbelief:
"You... cured them?"
Melina nodded and continued her explanation:
"Yes. After we arrived in the Land of Shadow, we were in the Gravesite Plain, near the tower settlement."
"We found the survivors in a hidden gaol and learned of the tragedy."
"After that, we tried to treat them, but our initial efforts had little effect."
"Thankfully, we eventually found a way. Thanks to the power of Bai Shi and Irena, we were able to heal them."
"They're in a nearby church now, being looked after by the physicians and perfumers Bai Shi brought with him."
Messmer looked at Bai Shi, half-believing and half-doubting.
Ever since they had rescued those survivors, they had gathered all the wisdom in the shadow city, but they had been completely helpless.
But these people had just entered the Land of Shadow and encountered the survivors. How long had it been?
It wasn't that Messmer didn't believe Melina's words.
Having seen the horrific state of his fellow Numen, he naturally wished for their recovery more than anything.
It was just... this was simply too incredible to believe.
Hearing that there were still Numen waiting to be cured, Bai Shi was the first to walk toward the elevator.
"There's no time to lose. Let's start the treatment."
"The sooner they're healed, the sooner they can recover."
Messmer nodded and followed close behind.
In any case, he would know whether they could be cured or not once he went down there.
On the elevator, Messmer asked about the survivors Bai Shi and the others had rescued:
"Where did you find the survivors?"
"During the Holy War, my army scoured the entire tower settlement. I can't believe we missed some."
Melina thought for a moment before answering:
"To the northwest of the great bridge, beneath the cliffs on the other side of the lake."
"The gaol was very well hidden. Its entrance wasn't in the town, but its location was underneath it."
Messmer considered this and immediately understood where she meant.
"I see, so that's where it was..."
"It was my failure not to discover it during the Holy War."
"I'm glad you found them."
As they spoke, the elevator finally reached the bottom floor.
Though it was a basement, it was surprisingly bright, illuminated by candlelight, and not at all dim.
Furthermore, the basement was quite spacious.
Similar to the Roundtable Hold, it had two levels connected by stairs.
A vast array of weapons and armor was arranged on the first level of the basement, which clearly served as an armory.
As for the level below that, it was originally a chapel where battlefield clerics spread the faith of the Erdtree before it was converted into a treatment room.
Led by Messmer, Bai Shi and the others continued deeper, officially entering the treatment room on the second basement level.
The room was filled with beds on both sides, where Numen, their bodies grotesquely fused with flesh, were being cared for by perfumers.
But perhaps the long, fruitless treatment had forced them to accept reality, as several Numen survivors with twisted forms were not lying on their beds.
They were pacing slowly, playing with the Jar-Bairns in the spacious center of the treatment room.
This was one of the few, and only, forms of entertainment they had.
The perfumers did not stop them, merely observing the Numen's condition in silence.
Facing a malady they had been powerless against for countless years had taken a severe toll on their hearts and minds as well.
As the highest-ranking physicians, the perfumers' code of ethics was strong, which only made their powerlessness all the more painful.
Looking at the state of the Numen here, Bai Shi gently shook his head.
These must have been the survivors rescued during the Holy War.
Progress on their treatment had remained slow, and even the combined wisdom and power of the entire shadow city had proven useless.
But after so much time, their minds and spirits were much more stable.
Of course, there were also patients who had chosen a more radical path, unable to accept their appearance.
Bai Shi's eyes were immediately drawn to several Numen with bizarre forms lying on the beds, looking different from the rest.
Most of the fleshy masses on their bodies had been stripped away, and their humanoid forms were barely discernible.
According to Messmer, this was an experimental treatment they had requested themselves.
If they had to live on with such twisted bodies, they would rather take a bold chance for the opportunity to live like a person again.
Unfortunately, the final results were still far from satisfactory.
Upon Messmer's arrival, the perfumers in charge of nursing came forward and bowed.
Messmer waved a hand, telling them to await his orders.
He then turned to Bai Shi, still a little uneasy, and asked:
"How exactly do you perform the treatment?"
"Will it be cured, only to leave some other harm behind...?"
Facing Messmer's apprehension, Bai Shi smiled faintly. "Don't worry, they will be completely restored."
"Aside from some sharp pains during the process, there are no other side effects whatsoever."
"Have the perfumers prepare some analgesic incense."
Bai Shi gave Irena a look, signaling for her to begin.
Irena nodded, walked over to one of the Numen survivors, and took her hand.
Spiritual power flowed into the Numen's body, marking the distinction between the two types of flesh, just as she had done countless times recently.
Bai Shi summoned his Great Rune and slowly activated it, while Melina manifested a small golden tree to soothe the hearts of their kin.
A golden radiance once again illuminated the abandoned chapel, looking incredibly sacred.
Realizing what was about to happen, the perfumers held their breath, afraid to interfere with the others' work.
In their hearts, they silently prayed for a miracle.
Under Bai Shi's gravitational magic, the flesh of the Numen and the Hornsent separated from each other.
The Numen's flesh was preserved, gradually reshaping back to its original, normal form.
As for the Hornsents' flesh, it was directly disintegrated, breaking down into inert microscopic particles.
As Bai Shi's treatment continued, the Numen's appearance gradually returned to normal, becoming as she should be.
Sunlight shone upon a body covered in scars, and as the Numen's form was reshaped, all her injuries healed, and the treatment was complete.
Witnessing a true miracle unfold before their eyes, the perfumers forgot their decorum and wept with joy.
No one understood the suffering these survivors had endured better than they did.
Messmer let out a long breath, and the gloom that had weighed on his heart instantly dissipated.
Watching Bai Shi immediately begin treating the next survivor, Messmer's expression was incredibly complex.
—
For the next several days, Bai Shi and the others simply lived in the basement.
The number of Numen in the basement was far greater than what Bai Shi and Melina had rescued from the gaol.
With such a large number, the workload was staggering.
Working for several days straight was no trouble for Bai Shi; as long as Irena was well-rested, they could begin at any time.
Finally, after four days, the treatment was finished.
All the Numen survivors in the shadow city had been restored to their original forms.
During this time, Bai Shi had also sent people to bring the Numen from the church over to live in the shadow city.
As they were kin, it was better for them to live together, which would aid their psychological recovery.
After several consecutive days of treatment, Messmer's opinion of Bai Shi had completely changed.
If before he had been disgusted and repulsed by Bai Shi's status as a Tarnished, now he lamented that he was one.
Besides his status as a Tarnished, Messmer found he couldn't find a single fault with Bai Shi.
If Bai Shi weren't Tarnished, Messmer would certainly be delighted to have such a virtuous and powerful brother-in-law.
Although the thought of Melina being inexplicably swept away by Bai Shi still made Messmer grind his teeth.
But as Melina had said, he was indeed a very good person.
—
With the treatment concluded, Messmer once again invited Bai Shi and the others to his chambers.
This was the hospitality he should have offered on the very first day.
Bai Shi naturally accepted with pleasure.
Irena, however, was too exhausted. To avoid any awkwardness, she took Lilianna to rest in the shadow city.
This time, Messmer had no intention of making Bai Shi and the others climb up from the first floor of the repository.
As the master of this place, Messmer knew exactly how rugged the path to his top-floor chambers was.
It not only required traversing several floors within the repository but also using the external stairways built onto the tower's exterior.
So, for convenience, Messmer led the two of them to an elevator within the species repository.
It was built specifically for ease of audience with him and was normally unused.
The elevator took them directly outside the top floor of the species repository, onto the bridge that connected to Messmer's private chambers.
After returning to his room, Messmer turned to Bai Shi and Melina and spoke:
"Now there are no outsiders."
"If there's anything you want to know about the Land of Shadow, feel free to ask."
Bai Shi didn't stand on ceremony and planned to use this opportunity to gather all sorts of intelligence.
First, Bai Shi asked a rather pressing question:
"My previous armor can no longer keep up with the changing intensity of battle; it's already broken."
"If possible, I'd like to find some excellent materials to forge a new suit of armor strong enough for the battles ahead."
His attributes had increased significantly, leaving almost no room for further growth.
But a person's strength wasn't determined solely by their physical body; many external factors were involved, such as weapons and armor.
With Godfrey's potential return at any moment, Bai Shi felt it was necessary to be fully prepared.
Even Godfrey wore his armor properly in his first phase; Bai Shi certainly wasn't going to fight bare-chested from the start.
If they really got into it, they could all just strip down for the second phase.
Messmer glanced at the purely decorative robes Bai Shi was wearing and understood.
After a moment's thought, Messmer retrieved a massive map from his room.
Two winged serpents, each holding up one side with its head, unfurled the map before Bai Shi and Melina.
It was a map of the Land of Shadow, charting the entire region.
However, many details on the map were blurred, clear evidence that the cartographer had not explored those areas thoroughly.
Messmer pointed his great spear at a spot on the map, marking the location of a ruin.
Looking at the place, Messmer began to explain:
"This is the Ancient Meteoric Iron Forging Ruins."
"The forging ruins were left behind by the giants and trolls; it was where they once forged their creations."
"After the War against the Giants, it fell completely under our control."
"In the ancient era, meteoric iron was the material for the gods' weapons, proof of its superiority."
"This ruin holds a large quantity of meteoric iron. It's an excellent material for forging either weapons or armor."
Messmer paused for a moment before continuing:
"However, meteoric iron has special storage requirements."
"Unless it is a finished product, it must be kept within the fires of the forging ruins' furnace."
"And we have no craftsmen who have mastered the art of forging it. We're unable to utilize it, so it remains stored in those semi-abandoned ruins."
"Meteoric iron demands extremely high forging skills, and you might need to use the forge in the ruins itself."
"If you don't have a smith who can forge it, I can help you find some other materials."
Although Messmer said it was difficult to forge, Bai Shi wasn't concerned.
Smithing. He was familiar with that.
While Bai Shi himself couldn't forge, he could summon two master smiths to do the work at any time.
And if he was going to forge armor, Bai Shi planned to have Master Iji do it.
On the surface, Master Iji was an ordinary troll blacksmith, but his true identity was that of a genuine giant.
He had simply used a secret art to shrink his body.
Compared to forging weapons, Master Iji was more skilled with armor; he had been the one to forge Bai Shi's previous suit.
Using a material he was so familiar with would surely yield a pleasant surprise for Bai Shi.
Nodding, Bai Shi asked Messmer his second question:
"I want to know, have you had any contact with a demigod named Miquella?"