Strength 99999 but the Holy Sister

……

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30. Vivian, the Social Anxiety Master

It turned out that the news of the appearance of the underground palace had already spread throughout the city, and even the monks in the monastery were talking about it.

This is not surprising. The opening of the underground palace is bound to be a rare event for adventurers. People in the church monastery will also be responsible for some of the affairs of opening and purifying the underground palace.

Elsa looked at Vivian, who was wearing a wizard robe.

"I see, so that's why you came here..."

After all, Vivian is also a candidate for the Holy Nun, so it is easy to understand why she wants to visit the underground palace.

"You want to go to the underground palace?"

Vivian nodded hurriedly.

"What a coincidence! I was actually planning to visit the underground palace too. Oh, and by the way, you should have registered, right?"

"Huh...? W...what registration?"

"what?"

Elsa was stunned for a moment, looking at Vivian's cute face, and suddenly a bad premonition emerged in her heart.

"Vivian, you... you're not an adventurer yet, are you?"

"I, I was planning to join..." Vivian bit her lip and said quickly, "S-Sorry... I'm not very clear about these things..."

"..."

Elsa was silent.

Elsa seemed to understand. Perhaps Vivian had not intended to leave the monastery at the beginning. That's right, people with social anxiety would never take the initiative to run to such crowded places. It's just that Vivian heard the news about the underground palace from someone, so she came to the guild with the idea of ​​"doing her best in the selection of the Holy Sister" - However, Vivian didn't know much about the affairs of the guild. She wanted to find someone to ask, but she didn't dare to speak, and successfully stayed here.

Honestly, it was quite sympathetic. Elsa knew exactly what it felt like for someone with social anxiety to walk the streets alone. In her previous life, there was a period where Elsa had to endure almost all of it on her own. And this world didn't have the convenience of cell phones and the internet. If Vivian didn't take the initiative to ask, no one would come to her aid.

At the same time, Elsa felt strange in her heart: As a candidate for the Holy Nun, can Vivian really be trusted in this state?

"By the way, did Sister Mary know when you left the convent?"

"Well... I, I told her..."

"I understand—how about this, since we have the same goal, why don't you come with me?"

Elsa extended the invitation.

Anyway, it will take at least ten days or half a month for the underground palace to open, so there is no need to rush. In comparison, Elsa felt that she could not abandon Vivian. Since it was something she could do, no matter whether the person was Vivian or someone else, Elsa would always help if she could.

"Is it okay...will I cause you any trouble..."

"It's okay. I was just in need of a companion, and you came just in time."

"Well, I'm sorry to bother you..."

As if she had grabbed a life-saving straw, Vivian's eyes were filled with moved stars - this made Elsa sigh even more.

"—By the way, Vivian, do you have any experience fighting monsters? A document or letter of recommendation approved by the United Guild would be fine, too."

"Yes, yes..." Vivian whispered timidly, "I, I have defeated a troll... alone..."

This surprised Elsa a bit. Trolls were monsters that only Silver-level adventurers could defeat alone. Did this mean Vivian's strength was at least on par with Silver-level adventurers? Furthermore, Vivian was a mage, so she should be at a disadvantage against trolls. But since she could defeat such a creature alone, it seemed that Vivian's strength was much sharper than her soft appearance suggested.

Looking at Vivian's reserved expression, Elsa couldn't imagine Vivian fighting the trolls.

But in short, Vivian's strength is guaranteed, so the next things will be easy.

"Since you have experience defeating trolls, it's easy. Let me take you to register as an adventurer first. It will be easy for you. After you get the badge and register, we will go to the underground palace. Have you been to the underground palace before?"

Vivian shook her head, her aqua-colored hair swaying like waves, and she drooped her eyelashes nervously and pursed her lips.

"Is it true... that if you haven't been there before, you can't...?"

"Just checking. Whether you've been to the underground palace or not won't affect your registration," Aisha said. "And, coincidentally, I have experience, so I can guide you."

"But..." Vivian clutched the corner of her clothes, "This is too much trouble for you, Elsa..."

"It's just a small matter. Friends should help each other." Having decided to go with Vivian, Elsa no longer thought about the original plan. She smiled nonchalantly and extended her hand to Vivian. "Let's go. We're in a hurry. There are a lot of people here today. If we can finish before noon, we can still go to the underground palace this afternoon. Otherwise, we won't gain anything today."

“Oh, oh…”

Vivian hesitated for only a moment before reaching out to take Elsa's hand—this was the second time Elsa had reached out to her, and both times the touch was equally soft and cold.

It turns out that Sister Elsa has a relatively cold constitution... Vivian thought. Her mother said that girls like this might have worse physical fitness than ordinary people and need more care.

But Vivian didn't dare to take the initiative to do that kind of thing, and she just hooked her fingers with Elsa, which was her limit.

"Come on, don't be afraid."

Elsa turned around and smiled at Vivian, who was still standing there, and then Vivian was pulled into the guild in a daze.

Although she hadn't been here for two years, Aisha was still very familiar with the guild's affairs.

She carefully told Vivian the rules and regulations of the guild, and taught her how to register, how to accept commissions, how to apply for registration, and introduced to Vivian the functions of each functional area of ​​the guild. From time to time, adventurers came up to invite them to form a team, but Elsa rejected them all.

"Look, many people aren't really here to team up with us. Choosing a reliable teammate is crucial." Unlike the introverted Vivian, Elsa is quite experienced in rejecting people. "So, sometimes rejection is necessary."

"Hmm, Hmm..."

Vivian hummed vaguely and looked at Aisha.

In fact, she understood many things in her heart, but it was difficult for her to express her true thoughts and attitudes to others as directly and straightforwardly as Elsa. She couldn't help but envy Elsa, and at the same time she was glad that she met Elsa here today, otherwise with her personality, it would be difficult for her to move forward in the guild.

"Um...Elsa..."

"what happened?"

"Thank you for today's events... I'll do my best... Well, I'll learn to say no..."

Elsa saw the embarrassment in Vivian's eyes and suddenly smiled.

"You're welcome. And, you don't have to force yourself to change. I think you're doing fine. I just think expressing yourself is equally important."

"Well……"

"Just take your time, you can do this."

Aisha encouraged.

In her previous life, Elsa had also experienced a period of social anxiety. Elsa could roughly understand Vivian's feelings. It is not easy for a socially anxious person like this to overcome the inner struggle, and it cannot be resolved in a few words. It takes time.

Similarly, Elsa has always believed that there is nothing wrong with social anxiety and introversion, and it is not something that must be completely denied.

There is a balance between your inner demands and the outside world, just grasp the degree.

……

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31. Rumors of the Dead

The church bells chimed six times, signaling that it was noon.

Elsa took Vivian's hand and walked out of the guild. She looked up at the sky and sighed softly. She felt a sense of accomplishment as if a great victory had been achieved. Vivian had finally successfully registered as an adventurer. In her hand, she also had a black iron badge representing a new adventurer, as well as a registration certificate allowing her to enter the underground palace.

"are you OK?"

Aisha looked at Vivian with a smile in her eyes. Vivian looked very tired, and it was obvious that she was really not used to a place like the guild.

"It's okay..."

Vivian was actually in a bad mood, but she didn't want to appear useless in front of Aisha.

However, Elsa could see through Vivian's stubbornness clearly - after all, as someone who had experienced a period of social anxiety, Elsa could understand Vivian very well.

"Let's go, go eat something, and then we'll go to the underground palace."

Aisha said.

……

Leaving from the east gate of Dammas City, and then going around a hilly area, you will enter the forest. Then continue to move north, crossing the increasingly towering mountains, and you will see the underground palace that appeared in the Ledes Mountain Cemetery this time. From a distance, the mountains are shrouded in clouds and mist, and patches of lush forests are winding up.

Elsa was naturally teamed up with Vivian, and the two rode in the same carriage.

Although it was already afternoon, there were still many adventurers and mercenaries heading towards the underground palace. Most of them formed small teams. There were also solo adventurers, but they were very few. Most of them were strong warriors with silver medals or above.

In the carriage, Elsa and Vivian sat shoulder to shoulder. Elsa took the initiative to chat with Vivian. Vivian acted a little restrained, her body tense, but as the carriage bumped along, she could still feel the soft touch on her arm from time to time. When Elsa leaned over to talk, Vivian could almost smell the fragrance on Elsa's body and hair.

This made her even more nervous.

But this was much better than her previous performance in the guild - after spending some time together, at least Vivian could occasionally say a few more words, which was a huge improvement for Vivian.

"But speaking of which, this dress really suits you. You look great in it."

Aisha praised.

No girl doesn't like to be praised. This is Elsa's own personal experience, so she applied it directly to Vivian.

Sure enough, Vivian's cheeks were slightly red, and although she looked a little embarrassed, the subtle light in her eyes betrayed her.

"This is what my mother prepared for me... Elsa is... Ai-Elsa is the most beautiful..."

Unlike Elsa, Vivian did not wear her nun's uniform, but changed into a smart dark blue wizard robe. Leather bindings and silver guards protected important parts and joints. It seemed that it focused more on meeting the needs of lightness and flexibility than protective performance. There were several leather buckles on the side, hanging medicines and magic stones for easy access during battle.

This set is beautifully crafted.

Vivian's outfit made her look more like a court mage than an adventurer.

Compared to Vivian, Elsa's outfit is much simpler.

At this time, the voice of the carriage driver was heard.

"Hey, ladies, we're almost there. As we agreed, I won't be taking you up the mountain. It's too dangerous for ordinary people like us."

The driver said.

"Uncle, are you familiar with this area?" Aisha asked.

"Of course," the driver patted his chest. "I used to live around here. No one knows this place better than me. I know exactly where the dangers are, where the safety is, and where the shortcuts are."

"I see. From what I've heard, there are supposed to be monsters around here. What do they look like?"

"Demonized jackals, red-tailed snakes, black colobus monkeys, and goblins are the most common," the driver said, raising his hand and showing four fingers as he steered the carriage. "But the most terrifying are the undead. You should know that the cemetery is where the soldiers who died in the war forty or fifty years ago were buried. Back then, Dammas Fortress wasn't even built yet, so many people stayed there. You know what happened later. The fortress was built to resist the invasion of the Demon King's army, and since then, it's become a separate cemetery. Who goes there now besides adventurers? Perhaps that's why the undead are slowly growing resentful. After all, they were the ones who protected the fortress, but in the end, they became lonely ghosts."

This statement is naturally biased. Most of the undead creatures in this world have no memories of their lives. After death, their souls dissipate, and the bodies left behind are parasitized by magic elements, which is why evil spirits breed. It has nothing to do with the dead people.

If there is any difference, it is that the stronger a person is, the more magic energy his body can accommodate, and therefore the more powerful the undead creature he turns into after death.

"Have you seen the undead?"

"I've seen them. They look like walking corpses. Honestly, I don't dare to get close to them. But they don't seem to leave the cemetery area."

Elsa nodded. This was pretty much the same as the information provided by the union.

"Vivian, you don't have any experience fighting the undead, do you?"

Elsa looked at Vivian.

Undead creatures are mostly monsters that have resurrected from the dead like zombies. Most of them are rather clumsy and have no discernment for adventurers' traps and tactics. They will just pounce on them blindly. This kind of monster is not scary when fighting alone, but their vitality is particularly tenacious and it is not easy to be killed completely, so they can also cause adventurers a headache.

If you don't understand the characteristics of this type of monster, you can easily suffer losses.

"No..." Vivian shook her head, her eyes flickering behind her glasses, "But I know something about this."

"What do you know? Tell me."

"Hmm... the book says that undead and zombies are monsters born from the accumulation of magic essence, attached to corpses. Therefore, their magic shells are unusual. Using fire and lightning magic or props can weaken their dark magic shells, but the effect is not as direct as holy light magic. So I prepared a few holy light magic scrolls as a backup, and also mixed a lot of Molotov cocktails. Of course, I also brought life-saving exorcism potions, amulets, and sticky traps. And..."

Vivian has a solid theoretical foundation and explains it very comprehensively.

"If that's the case, then there's no problem. I'll catch a few for you to try out. Just apply all those theories."

Elsa looked up at the sky again, then asked the driver, "Uncle, is there a shortcut to the cemetery from here? It would be best if we could get there as soon as possible."

It was already afternoon, and Elsa wanted to go faster - she didn't want to make a wasted trip today.

"A shortcut?" The driver hesitated for a moment. "A shortcut isn't safe. The knights won't be waiting for us in that place."

"It's okay, please tell us."

The driver glanced at Aisha and said, "From the south side of the mountain bottom, cross halfway up the mountainside and you'll see the cemetery. But you have to be careful. From what I hear, you're crossing the territory of a group of goblins."