[Vol. 1] Chapter 41: You've Been Working Hard, Lilya
Violet didn't want such an interesting and unique beastman like this to die in a remote mountain ravine, especially considering that whether Kunnir lived or died wouldn't have a significant impact on Lilya and her group.
The reason why the Shadow Guards, numbering less than a hundred, could silently eliminate over ten times their number of elite beastmen was actually quite simple. They had poisoned their drinking water.
It was a subtle toxin that was usually imperceptible, but in the heat of battle, it caused a debilitating weakness. It's unclear where she obtained such a treacherous substance.
Even so, there were still more than 2,000 beastmen, tigers, and lions on the periphery of the camp who hadn't been affected by the poison because Miss Flora didn't have enough in stock…
Lilya's group had brought a total of 2,000 troops, and in this situation, unless Violet was willing to act, it was inevitable that some would slip through the net.
Although Kunnir was leading the charge, in reality, he was almost clueless about Lilya's group and had limited knowledge of what was happening. He could basically see the commotion caused by Violet.
So, it was alright to let him live. Violet began to consider which skill would be most appropriate.
Among the abilities she had mastered from the [Illusory World], there were at least a dozen with resurrection effects, each with different conditions and ranks. However, some of them weren't suitable for the current situation.
Hmm, it seemed that one in particular would be the best choice.
To avoid any unnecessary interference, the Priestess Violet waved her hand and set up a completely transparent barrier around her, then closed her eyes and began to channel her magical energy.
"[Prayer of Resurrection]"
Seventh-tier magic, the [Prayer of Resurrection], could revive a creature that had died within an hour, with less than a 50% damage rate to the corpse. Among resurrection-type magic, this skill was relatively lower-tier. It consumed a lot of mana, had a long casting time of over ten seconds, didn't fully restore health, and had usage limitations.
From the perspective of [Illusory World], when a monster, player, or NPC died, the corpse would naturally only last for an hour, rendering the first condition somewhat irrelevant. Additionally, [Prayer of Resurrection] could be learned at level 60 and had relatively lenient prerequisites, which were its advantages. Therefore, this skill was somewhat commonly used among low-level player groups and suited the current situation.
Violet's only purpose was to bring this big tiger back to life, and she didn't want to leave too many traces, not to mention that she even intended to increase its strength in the process.
The young girl folded her hands, and six faint golden rings of light quietly emerged from Kunnir's lifeless body, forming a large circle that revolved around his form, like some mystical and ancient ritual.
Shortly after, something in the air appeared to be summoned by the ring of light, condensed, and then reinjected into the beastman's lifeless body.
Afterward, the ring of light seemed to have exhausted its power and gradually dissipated into nothing.
"Is that just now…?"
Ordinary people might not be able to see it, but Violet, as a skill user with high perception, couldn't be fooled by that special fluctuation. It was the soul, the soul of the tigerfolk that had dispersed into the air after death, being pulled back into his body by the [Prayer of Resurrection].
So, there really were souls in this world? Well, considering that even skeletons and undead exist in this world, there's no need to be surprised about souls.
Regardless, Violet didn't have time to dwell on this. She lifted her hand and condensed a small golden light sphere. As it appeared, the sphere seemed to come to life, circling around the Priestess with joy and affectionate positive emotions.
This was also a seventh-tier magic, the [Summoning of Light Elemental Spirit].
But don't get it wrong, Violet didn't resurrect Kunnir solely out of kindness or for a simple experiment.
"Go ahead, keep a close eye on it."
Following the command, the light spirit spun around several times in place before abruptly diving into the thick fur of the tigerfolk and vanishing.
"All done. That should take care of it. Everyone, do your best. I'm counting on you!" Violet stood up, her dark hair framing her face as she smiled with satisfaction, like an evil mastermind in a game whose plot had succeeded. Her figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.
When Violet returned to the main battlefield, the battle there was already coming to an end.
While the beastmen were formidable, the elite force led by Lilya was even stronger than the average lionfolks and tigerfolks. Even without the presence of the Shadow Guards, these well-equipped and cavalry-charging human soldiers, averaging at least level 15, roughly equivalent to mithril rank, were almost massacring the unprepared beastmen.
When the priestess saw Lilya, she was at the forefront, skillfully riding a particularly tall and strong 3rd-tier elite unicorn back and forth in the disarrayed beastman ranks. With every swing of her sword, she sent a lionfolk or tigerfolk to their death.
Wait a minute… I remember she was supposed to be a mage. Why does she look like a berserker right now?
Even with the stats that [Casket of Ascension] granted Lilya, which were significantly higher in the three dimensions compared to regular beastmen and humans, this fighting style was still quite dangerous. It was fine to go up against enemies much weaker, but if she encountered someone like Kunnir, or even a high-level expert like Flora, this method was likely to get her injured or killed.
Even Violet, who usually played the game, wouldn't let a warrior or assassin player of the same level easily get close to her.
Perhaps she had seen Violet accidentally using the [Eternal Scepter of the World's Heart] to attack the beastmen before. Violet should talk to her later and clarify things.
But for now, at least for this battle, Lilya could indulge herself in the thrill of combat. She had been under tremendous pressure during this period.
The reason she had personally led the troops out of the city against the advice of others was twofold. On one hand, there were certain things that only she and those bound to her could accomplish. On the other hand, it was the fervent desire of the princess to prove herself and turn the tide of the battle.
She had invested everything in this, including equipment, resources, and her best subordinates. She had put all her eggs in one basket to win this game.
"Alright, that's enough now," the priestess said.
When the blood-soaked Princess raised her sword again but swung at empty air, she was taken aback. She realized that there were no more enemies around, and the ground was littered with beastman corpses.
Violet appeared behind the young girl at some point and gently took the sword from her hand, which was now full of gaps, tossing it aside without much care.
The princess's noble silver armor had been dyed almost entirely red by the blood of the enemies. She was breathing heavily, and there was a somewhat mischievous, crazy smile on her face, mixed with the smell of blood. Her fiery breath, tainted by the scent of blood, landed on Violet's face, which was very close, creating a peculiar sense of beauty.
It was like a stunning rose blooming after being watered by blood.
"Huff… huff… is the battle over?"
Lilya had been running on empty for a while. Her hands and body were trembling slightly due to the overexcitement and exhaustion. After relaxing, she was on the verge of collapsing from fatigue when Violet naturally reached out and embraced her.
The divine-level holy robe wouldn't get stained with blood, but Violet's hands, the exposed part of her forearm, and her cheeks couldn't avoid picking up the same color.
Dangerous, yet alluring.
Violet paid no mind to this. She gently closed the young princess's eyes, and the unique power emanating from her fingertips quickly eased Lilya into a peaceful slumber.
Holding the petite princess, the priestess nodded toward the red-haired ranger who had silently guarded the girl from the shadows and then turned to leave the battlefield.
"It's over now. You've worked hard, Lilya."