novelraw Chapter 56 Thunder Knife
Chapter 56 Thunder Knife
So... what's going on here?
Sieg stood far away, showing no intention of approaching.
The moment he saw the self-harming old man, he realized that this person was not someone to be trifled with and was prepared to retreat, as he would never make things difficult for him.
But the old man didn't seem to have any ill intentions.
He unfolded a lake-blue robe, draped it over his body, picked up the broadsword-like weapon that lay at his feet, and planted it on the ground.
That broadsword should be a "Thunderthorn Staff Sword".
It can be a weapon for beheading and severing bodies, or a staff for casting spells.
The Painful Miracle Orthodox is a weapon that only the "Judicators" of the Tribunal are qualified to wield.
Is he the judge of suffering?
But why a blue robe?
There are many styles of uniforms for adjudicators, but the color must be bright red. Sieg has never heard of an adjudicator wearing a blue robe.
The ruling prompted him to smile.
He looked at Sieg and said politely, "Mr. Sieg, there's no need to be nervous."
"...Do you know me?"
Sieg frowned.
"Someone showed me your portrait. She also asked me to give you this letter."
The judge raised his hand and lightly used magic to send over a blank sheet of paper.
The white paper floated slowly in and faced Sig on its own.
Sieg saw that there was only one line of text on the paper:
I am now an Apostle, currently residing in seclusion on the Shadow Isles.
A system notification immediately appeared:
[A message carried by fallen leaves: On the other side of the heavens, your once close companion dwells in the Shadow Isles, now an apostle.]
[You have taken a solid first step in establishing a connection with Murta and have received a node reward:]
[During your time working with Apostle Murta, you acquired the superior class "Pain Judge," ultimately reaching rank nine.]
You can reclaim a skill you once possessed.
The illusion of the past has been triggered.
Sieg was somewhat bewildered; what welled up inside him was not joy, but confusion.
What's going on?
Who sent this letter? She refers to herself as "I," and combined with the system prompts, then she is... Murta herself?
It's really baffling.
How did Murta know that Sieg was still alive?
How did she know that Sieg was in Blackscale City?
More importantly...
Why did Murta write this letter?
His cognition was shaken, and Sieg was so bewildered that he could barely think.
The letter contained only one sentence, without any pleasantries. Murta went straight to the point, explaining her current situation as if—
She knew about "Past Illusions".
She knew how Sieg would get the "node reward," which is why she wrote that line!
Sieg looked up at the blue-robed adjudicator twenty paces away, his expression utterly calm: "Your Excellency, is there anything you wish to say to me?"
The judge smiled and said, "His Excellency the Apostle said that I cannot answer your question, but I can say a few words to you."
Sieg, quite displeased with his affected manner, said, "Go ahead and speak."
"First, do not approach Shadow Isle, and do not try to find her. This is an extremely dangerous act; you will surely die."
"Secondly, Mr. Sieg, I grant you permission to join the 'Mourning Abbey'... and participate in the 'Construction of Heaven' project."
The judge raised his hand and tossed something towards him.
Sieg grabbed it with his backhand, a rusty bronze dagger with a carving of a disfigured woman at the bottom of the hilt. This was the "Saint of the Scorched Face," one of the two saints of the Miracle of Suffering.
You have learned of Murta's actions; she has established the Monastery of Mourning, attempting to construct a heaven within the shallow fissure.
[You have been invited to join the Monastery of Mourning and complete the second node reward.]
The first phase of rewards for the Phantom of the Past, Murta, has been distributed. Please advance your rank to unlock more rewards.
A system notification appeared before my eyes: the two rewards from the Murta route had been completed in an unexpected way.
Sieg didn't feel joy; he felt numb.
"The Construction of the Kingdom of Heaven"?
What is that?
"I have said all I needed to say. So, Mr. Sieg, if fate allows, we shall meet again at Shallow Flinthole."
The old man in the blue robe was evasive, but his attitude was generally friendly.
A crimson-black death light surrounded him. He bowed slightly and disappeared in a burst of bright light.
Sieg just found it bizarre.
Are you uneasy?
A little.
But more than anything, there was obvious confusion: What is Murta doing?
You have a reward to claim.
On the retina, the system notification is flashing.
Sieg stopped thinking and checked his rewards, starting with skills, one of three to choose from:
[1. Mind Scream: Gathers magical power to unleash a high-pitched, piercing scream, dealing damage to enemies directly in front.]
[2. Demonic Blade: A unique attack effect. The power of this skill can be increased by whipping oneself.]
[3. Experience pain: You can gain strength from pain, up to the point of mental breakdown. The more intense the pain, the more significant the growth.]
The advantages and disadvantages of these three skills are quite obvious.
"Feeling pain" is the unique core skill of the Pain Miracle. Once mastered, the worse your condition, the more powerful you become.
Bleeding and getting injured is the last thing an adventurer wants to see.
However, for those who believe in suffering, it is a buff, not only increasing their explosive power and reaction speed, but also having the miraculous effect of "increasing health regeneration" in the game.
Not choosing this skill is truly inhuman; in some ways, it's even stronger than having invincibility.
You have reclaimed the ability to feel pain.
A new skill appeared on the panel, and Sieg looked at the item rewards in the second node.
[During your time with the Apostle Murta, you acquired one item of rarity (blue) or higher.]
You've stirred up memories, piecing together items from fragments of the past. You've obtained...
[Thorn Staff Blade.]
The decision-making body bears the responsibility of review, and it demands dedication.
How can someone adorned in gold and silver exercise the will of the Mother of All Mothers and punish the treacherous elements within the church?
Even though that archived item was at the ninth level, the only high-level extraordinary item he possessed was the Thunderthorn Staff, which served as a symbol of his status; he had handed over everything else.
The light converged and condensed into a simple knife in Sig's hand, which felt cold and heavy to the touch.
The gleaming blade reflected the calm expression on the face, revealing the item information for the Thunderthorn Staff Knife:
[Thunderthorn Staff Blade: Purple Epic]
[The identity marker of the Tribunal for the Miracle of Suffering, a weapon with two uses, infinitely mysterious.]
Equipping this staff increases your spellcasting level by 10.
Equipping this staff grants you the power to purify and exorcise evil; every attack you launch will be aided by thunder.
Sieg gripped the long handle with both hands and poured magic into it.
A deafening roar of thunder echoed powerfully through the underground mine, creating a tremendous spectacle!
Golden lightning crackled and clung to the long blade of the Thunderthorn Staff, making this epic-level extraordinary weapon incredibly powerful. Even without other abilities, Sig could easily deal with other extraordinary beings of the same rank with this weapon in hand.
The only regret is...
"The Thunderthorn Staff Blade has too much symbolic meaning. If I take it out, those in the know will immediately recognize that I am a victim of the Painful Miracle. That doesn't seem right."
Sig dispersed the thunder.
Just then, a flurry of footsteps sounded. Sieg turned around and saw Nefarian and Emilia approaching quickly with several mine guards.