Mithra's face was pale, and cold sweat dripped down her forehead.
The forging process felt like a woman's period.
She forced herself to walk down the street.
Suddenly, the horizon in the distance brightened.
Dawn?
She hadn't been keeping track of time, but even if she had been fighting from afternoon to the next morning, it wasn't strange.
So much had happened in such a short time.
She didn't feel much of anything.
Just a little tired.
Except when facing Safin, Mithra hadn't experienced any emotional fluctuations. If asked to describe her feelings, she could only say "nothing."
That was why she had never finished writing an essay about her feelings.
The light ahead became brighter.
Was dawn this bright?
Mithra slowly opened her eyes and realized it wasn't just dawn. More precisely, it wasn't just dawn, but dawn used as the foundation for a miracle, activated by some entity.
["Dawn": A light miracle. A miracle of light that can only be used at dawn. It dispels evil, purifies filth, and illuminates the path. Creatures of darkness silently retreat before this supreme light.]
A brilliant light enveloped Gross Town. All the cursed creatures were instantly purified, turning into dust. The Night Hunters church members, terrified and unprepared, were attacked by figures in grey robes.
"The Sanctuary!"
Someone quickly identified the newcomers.
The Sanctuary believers swiftly attacked the Night Hunters. The church members, exhausted after a night of fighting, their vitality depleted from years of dark rituals, were no match for them.
This group from the Sanctuary were also no ordinary believers. Their miracles were mostly advanced, beyond the basics.
Except for the Night Hunter knights, most of the church members were quickly overwhelmed.
Moreover, under the "Dawn" miracle, those with dark hearts were also suppressed.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
Mithra stood in the light.
Seeing the information provided by Night Eyes, she wondered if the light would reveal anything about her.
But she didn't try to avoid it.
Mithra had a clear conscience. Both the Stranger and the beast form, no matter how unruly or chaotic, were still a part of her.
But it seemed she had been overthinking it.
"Dawn" not only had no adverse effects on her but also brought a sense of warmth, slightly alleviating the effects of the internal forging process.
However, the effect was limited. She wasn't sweating profusely anymore, but the discomfort remained.
Suddenly, two Sanctuary members in grey robes appeared before her.
It felt a bit like a narrow alley encounter.
Mithra narrowed her eyes. "What?"
Her tone wasn't friendly, but it wasn't intentional. The discomfort from the forging process made her sound hostile.
"There's a survivor here!"
The two figures rushed towards Mithra, one from each side.
"Huh?"
Before Mithra could react, she was lifted into the air, one person supporting each end of her body. They moved swiftly and smoothly, so smoothly that even at high speed, Mithra didn't feel any discomfort.
Slightly embarrassed, Mithra opened her mouth to speak.
"We're sorry we're late!"
"You look terrible! We'll get you treatment immediately!"
Their rapid-fire words cut Mithra off.
So Mithra closed her eyes.
She might as well rest.
...
At the entrance to the town, a fleet of white and grey vehicles had temporarily set up camp.
They erected tents, set up beds, distributed food and water. All the Gross Town residents were receiving aid.
The medical tents were especially busy, various healing miracles and patterns flashing constantly.
Mithra stood before a woman with slightly curly, dark hair. She wore a delicate longsword at her hip and a black outfit with white accents, distinct from the grey robes of the other Sanctuary members. It resembled a nun's habit, but there were differences.
Most notably, her eyes seemed to be sealed by a white, dust-like substance. At first glance, it looked like she was wearing a blindfold.
Her name was "Orph." She seemed to be the leader of this Sanctuary group. The earlier "Dawn" had been her work.
"I see. This is what you know about the events in the town. You've been through so much," she said in a tone of admiration and sympathy, her voice gentle and melodious.
"That's right. So, did you find anything when you examined me?" Mithra asked impassively.
They were in a medical tent. Orph held Mithra's hands.
They had brought Mithra here for treatment, but they couldn't find anything wrong.
Mithra's body was incredibly healthy, so healthy it was astonishing. All her indicators were within the range of a very fit person. Mithra even saw them perform a blood test.
Of course, this "blood test" probably only shared the "drawing blood" part with modern medical tests.
Mithra had recounted the events from her perspective, omitting her transformations and the casual dismantling of the Wandering God, but sharing most of the details. She wondered what Orph would make of it.
"Although physically, your body is normal, from a deeper perspective, there seems to be a lot going on inside. I dare not pry too deeply, as it feels dangerous," Orph said, a hint of seriousness in her voice.
"Your flesh is changing in a way undetectable to ordinary people. This change is related to advanced miracle use, but you...I don't mean to offend, but your usage of miracles doesn't seem to have reached that level yet."
"Oh?" Mithra was intrigued.
This woman was insightful. She had noticed something.
Advanced miracle use, was that the nature of the Flesh and Blood Forge, and even the Flesh Armory?
While not necessarily true, it was worth considering.
"I apologize, my knowledge is limited. This is my limit. If it's necessary, please come with us to Andemiriya for further examination and treatment," Orph said.
"Perhaps another time," Mithra withdrew her hands and flexed her wrists.
Orph gently lowered her hands. "I understand our inadequacy might be dissatisfying."
She had learned about Safin from Mithra's story.
"I'm not dissatisfied. Everyone does what they can. As long as the world doesn't explode tomorrow, it's fine," Mithra said casually.
"Your outlook is quite unique."
"Unique? It's more like apathy, even coldness, to most people."
"What about the pendant?" Orph gestured towards the pendant around Mithra's neck. "If you're busy, I can deliver it for you."
"I'll make time. How could you face his daughter otherwise?" Mithra touched the pendant.
"..." Orph's smile faltered slightly. "You're truly not angry with us?"
"No," Mithra looked up at her, seemingly genuinely not angry.
"Alright. We've also received another young man from Planet Blue. You might know him."
...
After a brief conversation, Mithra left. With unsteady steps, she found Nie Hong, who looked even worse than she did.
Nie Hong was covered in bandages, almost unrecognizable.
He was clearly distraught. Seeing Mithra, his eyes immediately reddened.
"What's wrong?" Mithra sat beside him, her voice softening.
"I couldn't save them..."
"But five survived, didn't they?"
"Only five..."
He remembered the townspeople they had made the promise to. There had been at least a dozen, mostly women and children.
And it was precisely because they were mostly women and children that Nie Hong blamed himself so much.
"That knight... I was no match for him. Mithra, you're really strong... really strong..." Nie Hong started sobbing, tears streaming down his face.
Nie Hong had encountered a group of believers led by a knight while escaping with the townspeople.
He was lucky to have survived such an encounter alone.
Trying to protect the defenseless townspeople had been too ambitious. The fact that five survived was a miracle.
"I'm not strong... My power was given to me, the miracles were taught by Safin and you. In the end, I could only collect bodies in this town," Mithra glanced at the busy Sanctuary members outside. "I can't even say I collected bodies. I was just a passerby."
Nie Hong shook his head, unable to speak through his sobs.
"Your experiences will nourish you. At least don't rot away like me. Become someone extraordinary," Mithra said, her expression and tone unchanged.
Shortly after, the tent flap opened.
"Big brother! I came to see you!" A child ran in.
Nie Hong froze, then slowly recognized the child.
It was the child he and Mithra had saved when escaping the town. It seemed the city officials had kept their word and entrusted the child to the Sanctuary.
"Big brother, why are you crying? I heard the Sanctuary aunties and uncles say you're a hero who saved many people..."
Nie Hong, who had been trying to hold back his tears, finally broke down.
Mithra stood up, patted the child's head as she passed by. "You take care of him."
Then she left the tent.
Standing under the sun, she looked up at the sky.
The weather wasn't bad today.
Ah...