Original God's Dark Priest

This wasn't the first time Sitale had been here, but she was much more nervous than ever before.

Because she had received confirmation that Su Jin, the author of "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime," would be coming here to soak in the hot springs today.

As a loyal reader of Yaedo's light novels, I have two favorite authors. One is Makoto from Liyue, whose "The Legend of the Swordsman" has a completely different style from other light novels, with an indescribable charm.

Therefore, she remembered this teacher.

The other one is naturally the even more mysterious Teacher Su Jin.

Su Jin has not published many works; most of them are short stories. She has published some collections of essays and poems, and her only novel is "The Reincarnated Slime".

This is a classic fantasy light novel by Inazuma, which became a sensation due to its novel setting and smooth writing style. It even pioneered the genre of reincarnated monsters, making it a groundbreaking work.

Unfortunately, after the completion of that work, "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime," we never heard from the author again. According to people at Yaedo, Su Jin-sensei has stopped writing for personal reasons, which is undoubtedly a regrettable thing.

Cetalli had already given up hope of seeing Professor Su Jin. But to her surprise, she actually came to Nata.

So, after confirming the news, the shaman grandmother of the smoke riddle master disguised herself and quietly came to the Flowing Spring Clan.

After another wave of Abyss invasions, the Flowing Springs have not completely shaken off their concealment. Although they still soak in the hot springs to relax, the smiles on their faces have noticeably decreased.

As Sitale walked among the Flowing Springs, she looked at the expressions of the people around her and couldn't help but sigh in her heart. The Nata people were unfortunate; they were born to be on the front line of resisting the Abyss. An easy and leisurely life had nothing to do with them. Every day, they had to face the Abyss invasion that could happen at any time.

But they can find joy in hardship. The suffering and carefree spirit they have cultivated have shaped the Nata people’s mindset in a way that is completely different from that of other nations. They will fight bravely when the abyss appears, even in fear, even knowing that they will die, but they will never back down.

I also try to find various ways to have fun and relax when I have nothing to do, so that I can live each day without regrets.

This is Nata, and it is also the unique brilliance of their humanity.

Sitraly gently tugged at the hood that covered half her face, a slight smile playing on her lips. Who says a country like this has no hope? Aren't they all Nata's hope?

As she was walking, a familiar figure suddenly caught Sitale's eye.

He was a tall, thin man with melancholy eyes and a slightly cold demeanor. Just standing there, he seemed detached from the world, aloof and unlike anyone else in this mortal realm.

But she knew that all of this was a disguise on the man's part. His so-called aloofness was just because he had a brain problem, a talent for saying whatever came to mind, and a personality that seemed honest but was actually cunning and deceitful. This made him consciously keep a distance from the people around him.

Otherwise, social death could happen in the next second.

"Oloren? What's he doing here?" At this moment, Sitrali could no longer care about her disguise, and she followed him in three steps.

And right now, Euron looked like he'd just lost his mother, not because anyone had offended him, but because…

"Can't I really go back? I've already made a promise with the Ara-taki brothers, and breaking that promise would be a very serious mistake," Ororen pleaded.

Beside him, a girl wearing a khaki long top and wide-leg jeans ignored his words.

The girl had flaxen curly hair and wore a pair of frameless gold-rimmed glasses. Behind the lenses were a pair of bright, azure eyes, and her flawless, jade-like face was full of collagen.

This girl was none other than Saffir in disguise. Her outfit was chosen to match her identity as Su Jin, and it was one of her most frequently worn styles in the real world.

At this moment, Saffir stared intently at an older woman: "Who is she?"

Following her gaze, Orlan saw a woman with a sickly appearance. Although she looked unwell, she was still quite energetic overall. Perhaps because she had been through many battles, her aura was different from that of ordinary people, and her eyes would occasionally flash with a sharp glint.

He replied, "That is Agaia, the candlekeeper of the Flowing Springs. She is very famous in Nata and seems to be a good friend of Lord Vulcan."

"A friend of God?" Saffir was somewhat surprised, but then he thought that the fire god was just a human, so it was normal for him to have human friends.

Seeing that Saffir was deep in thought, Orloren asked, "Is there... something wrong with her?"

“It’s nothing,” Saffir said, shaking his head slightly.

Upon entering the Stream of Life, she sensed something unusual. It wasn't murderous intent or hostility, but rather the presence of a very subtle wisp of faith power gathered there, which caught Saffir's attention.

While investigating the source of the power of faith, she discovered a warrior named Agaya, who possessed an aura that was the same as that of Saphir.

It should be noted that there are not many people who possess the aura of Sapphire. Only a few of Hokuto's family members, plus Ying and Clementine who often spend time with her.

Among these people was Agaia, the Candlekeeper whom she had never met. So, where did that aura on her come from?

Saphir's first thought was about protective stones. If Agaya possessed her protective stone, it would indeed be possible for her to carry her aura.

However, the aura of the protective stone does not merge into the body; instead, it floats on the surface and is more like an object on a person's body.

But Agaia's presence was too strong in Saphir's eyes. In her vision, Agaia was like a firefly in the night, faint yet conspicuous, and her whole being exuded that familiar aura.

This is something that a protective stone can never do.

“What could it be…” Saffir frowned in thought, and then she thought of fireflies.

Ying possesses the Chalk Sword, which is infused with Sapphire's blood. This sword can ignite the flame of life to heal others, and those healed by the flame of life will have Sapphire's essence integrated into their bones and blood.

Based on the current situation, Agaia's condition fits the type of healing that Chalk Sword can provide.

Having figured this out, Saffir took the initiative to approach them.

Agaia was sitting by a pool, with a wooden plate beside her containing some simple tea snacks and a pot of wine.

She took a small sip of her wine and suddenly felt an extremely familiar presence approaching.

She looked around and immediately spotted Saffir walking towards her.

Ajaya squinted and carefully examined the young woman. Safiel's attire was completely different from the traditional clothing of the Nata people, and she could be recognized as a foreigner at a glance.

That's why Agaia was certain she had never seen the other person before, but the strangely familiar aura emanating from them made her very concerned.

When Saphir noticed that Agaya had taken notice of him, he spoke up: "Hello, my name is Su Jin, I'm a novelist, I've heard you're the candlekeeper here?"

“Hello, I’m Agaya.” Agaya nodded to Saffir, then frowned, thinking about the name Su Jin. She seemed to have heard it somewhere before.

After pondering for a while without finding a solution, Agaya took the initiative to ask, "Miss Su Jin, is there something you need from me?"

“I was just planning to hold a book fair here to see if I could expand Yaedo’s business. I thought you looked nice, so I thought I’d ask you.” Safiel smiled very kindly, which made Agya unconsciously feel good about her.

Upon hearing the name Yaedo, Agaia's eyes lit up slightly. She remembered that Su Jin, a contracted author of Yaedo, was someone she had heard of before, but she never expected that he would actually come to Nata.

Once she confirmed that the other party was not a suspicious person, Agaya immediately stood up eagerly: "Teacher Su Jin! Oh dear, what a terrible memory I have! I didn't even realize you were in Nata!"

"Huh! Miss Agaya actually knows me?" Saffir feigned surprise.

Agaia covered her mouth and chuckled, "Of course! Your books are very popular here. By the way, do you know anything about Nata?"

"I learned a bit before coming here. It seems to be divided into six major tribes, right? The Echoing Sons of Nazkayan, the Streamers of Meztli, the Hanging Woodmen of Wiztland, the Smoke Riddlers of Miktland, the Flower Feathers of Tralokan, and the Land of Woru of Teteokan."

"I always felt this was a country full of fantasy and wonder. Just the names alone sparked my inspiration, making the trip feel worthwhile." Saffir spoke eloquently about his knowledge of Nata.

What she said surprised Ajaya, because it was normal for outsiders to know the names of tribes like the Flowing Springs and the Hanging Wood People, but names like Natskayan were not something that outsiders would know.

Heroes have ancient names, and the tribes that give birth to heroes also have their own names. Knowing these proves that Safiel has indeed thoroughly understood and investigated Nata.

Ajaya's smile grew even wider: "As expected of Teacher Su Jin, her dedication to research is truly remarkable."

"It's just a habitual way of asking questions, nothing serious," Saffir said modestly, waving his hand.

Oloren's expression grew increasingly strange. Last night, when Saffir approached him and asked him to cooperate with his plan, Oloren refused because he did not want to work for the Fools.

It wasn't until Saffir produced his manuscript and threatened, "If you don't cooperate with me, I won't publish this new work, and I'll tell Sitale that your lack of cooperation has made me feel bad, so my comeback plan is canceled."

Although Safiel didn't know the exact relationship between Ororon and Sitrali, since he was one of the Lord of Smoke Mystery's people, he should have held Sitrali, the shaman, in awe, right?

Since Cetalli loves reading light novels so much, she probably can't accept this kind of thing. Therefore, if Oloren returns to the Lord of Smoke, he will be dealt with very miserably.

Saffir had originally planned to do so, but she didn't expect that after hearing these words, Oloren's expression would suddenly become serious, his eyes as firm as if he were about to join the party: "I'm sorry, Lord Dark Priest, my voice was too loud just now. I am willing to join the Fools."

"Such a drastic change? Is Cetalli really that terrifying?" Clementine was completely bewildered.

Saffir didn't understand either, but... the result was good.

Thus, after Orloren's introduction and the captain's explanation, Saffir's understanding of Nata deepened rapidly.

Now we can use this to fool someone like Agaya.

Saffir and Agaya were having a very pleasant conversation, but perhaps due to their excitement, Agaya couldn't help but cough.

As Agaia coughed, Saphir could clearly see a faint light flickering in her heart, dimming with each cough.

Saffir knew that once the light went out completely, Agaya's life would come to an end.

So she asked, "You look like you've suffered a pretty serious injury. Would you mind telling me what caused it?"

"Sigh... Teacher Su Jin noticed it too? Actually, it's nothing, just an old injury..." Ajaya sighed softly and recounted what had happened.

After Agaia's explanation, Saphir finally understood how that familiar aura had appeared.

She guessed right; it was because of Ying.

Agaia isn't particularly old, but she's not young either. As the Candlekeeper of the Flowing Springs, she must be a battle-hardened warrior.

The enemy that Nata's warriors face is the Abyss.

Fighting against abyssal monsters inevitably leads to the body being eroded by abyssal energy during prolonged battles. In the short term, some minor erosion can be resisted, but over time, the abyssal erosion worsens. Once the abyssal energy has permeated the internal organs, the person is completely terminally ill and beyond saving.

Agaia was the same. Before she met Luminous, she had already been corrupted by the Abyss to the point of no return. A few days ago, she happened to be caught in the Abyss eruption. She dragged her broken body to fight against the Abyss monsters and finally managed to protect the Flowing Springs with all her might.

After repelling the abyss, she completely lost the strength to stand up, and the abyss's erosion made her life as fragile as a candle in the wind.

Just as she was about to find a place to hide and quietly await death, her beloved junior, Marani, arrived before her with a blonde traveler.

The girl used bizarre methods to clear the abyssal power from her body, allowing her to retain her last breath. Then, she took out a grotesque black greatsword and sent a wisp of flame from it into her heart.

“This is the life-giving flame of the Seraph Saphir, which can save your life, Agaia. You are a hero of the Flowing Springs, and you must not fall here,” the golden-haired traveler told her.

Agaia listened attentively, pressing her hands to her heart, feeling the faint flame flickering slowly in her heart veins—her hope for life: "Although I don't know who this Seraphim Sapphire she mentioned is, Ying told me that she would try to bring him to help me, and that I must not die before that happens."

Saphir's eyes gleamed with an almost imperceptible light. She finally understood where that wisp of faith power came from; it turned out that Ying had unknowingly spread the word to her.

She calmed herself down and then asked, "You...believe that the seraphim will come to save you? What if the seraphim doesn't agree?"

"I'm lucky to have it, and I'm destined to lose it. I can't resent those who are indifferent to me just because I'm terminally ill, can I?" Agaia laughed very freely. "With the help of the miracle left by that person, I've been able to survive until today. To be honest, every second since then has been a bonus for me."

How could I be unwilling to accept death in the future? I just want to see more of these flowing springs and soak in these hot springs a little longer.

This is what I've wanted to protect my whole life.