Chapter 2: Sacred Ground

'I am a wandering golden tiger who loves exploring mountains and hunting good-looking prey.'

'I can't say I'm the strongest, but I'm not a weak fish in a calm pond. I was hunting an attractive grizzle deer for dinner this afternoon when I unknowingly arrived at this mountain. One of the places where the powerful demon overlord resides.'

'That is the rumour, but I dare not test my luck. Despite being curious about the rumoured invisible demon, I rushed away when I saw a pink tree at the mountain's peak.'

'However, who would have thought I would encounter the mentioned invisible demon here.'

A three-meter golden tiger fell to the ground, unable to run before a particular human girl. He thought this human girl was easy prey, but he was being preyed upon instead. Not to mention the suffocating aura and sense of oppression that made it hard to breathe. He would be killed!

Since he was in danger, he had to beg for his life and ask for mercy. Thus, he removed his cloth bag tied on his back and shoved it to the human girl as an offering.

"..." The shrine priestess was at a loss for words. She shot an arrow with strong anesthetic poison at the tiger's leg because the other party attacked her.

Thanks to a nature spirit's early warning, she managed to easily subdue the big tiger. Who would have thought the big tiger would present a bundle of something to her. He even whimpered with a pitiful gaze like a big kitten begging attention.

"Well, hello there, big tiger. This is the first time I've seen you around here... Are you a new overlord around this mountain? Don't hunt as you please because I'm not easy prey. No, next time, okay?" The shrine priestess lowered her bow, and her hunting tendencies died down.

She wondered what she would do with the big tiger. Perhaps, she would just let him go.

*Whimper* *Whimper*

The big tiger looked scared as she approached.

"What is this? Fresh, well-cut meat? Are you also a civilized beast?" The shrine priestess was surprised when she saw the contents of the cloth bundle. No ordinary tiger would take the meat home like this.

The big tiger felt slightly relieved because the human girl's oppressive aura had significantly decreased. Thus, he whimpered again for mercy because he couldn't utter anything strangely.

"You want to give this to me?" The shrine priestess felt conflicted, but she accepted the kindness after the tiger nodded his head repeatedly.

"I'll only take half a kilogram; you can take the rest home. You shouldn't attack me next time, okay? Or, you could end up as tiger skin rug." The shrine priestess took some well-sliced meat and stored it in her storage pouch hidden in her obi belt. She plucked her arrow from the big tiger's leg, poured the antidote, and then walked away.

"Phew..." The big tiger could finally heave a sigh of relief. He was still alive...

He would have to think twice if he crossed the path with the seemingly easy target again. Sometimes, there was a mighty being that looked like an ordinary mortal.

The oppressive aura disappeared, and he suppressed the anesthetic poison with his qi as soon as possible. He took his cloth bag and hurriedly left the vicinity before that human girl changed her mind.

'Eh? Am I seeing it wrong? That big tiger runs on his two legs? He's not an ordinary beast but a tigerman!' The shrine priestess rubbed her eyes when she saw the big tiger was running for his dear life.

A few moments later, the shrine priestess arrived at a hidden cave entrance gate at the base of a remote cliff at the foot of the mountain. She looked around, then went inside.

*Zap*

She was teleported the moment she stepped into the cave.

It was a spacious, plain underground hall illuminated by the glitter of blue crystals strewn everywhere. A sealed ground with no entrance or exit. Only she could get in there somehow.

Some rock debris was scattered in the surrounding, and zigzag-shaped paper streamers were bound around them.

The shrine priestess looked at the grand stone altar in the hall's center. A three-meter spherical kaleidoscopic white crystal floated above it, exuding a sacred aura that made anyone feel deep reverence and the urge to kneel.

The shrine priestess came over and knelt down. She burned seven incense sticks before clasping her hands in prayer.

She could not see the sacred being's presence sealed within the crystal, but she remembered the event when she first came here with He-Dao two years ago.

It was still vivid in her mind... the figure of a heavenly six-winged Goddess in a tattered white-gold divine dress. The injured divine being was sealed within the kaleidoscopic white crystal by the shackles of a thick, life-threatening cloud of evil energy.

"!?" The shrine priestess gasped as several memories came to her mind.

The hazy things shrouded in mist gradually became clear. She could regain some of her memories every time she came to pay homage to the sacred being sealed within the kaleidoscopic white crystal.

An event about a gruesome battle and an enormous struggle against an army of curse demons flowed into her mind. It was like her life experience but a scary war for her to comprehend.

'I finally know my name. But, Ruvoid... what kind of monster is that?' The shrine priestess held her head and panted heavily.

After she regulated her breath, she felt an inexplicable feeling from within, telling her to leave as soon as possible. Therefore, she bowed respectfully to the kaleidoscopic white crystal. She turned around and walked away to stand on the magic circle next to the altar.

At that moment, she caught a glimpse of a large gemstone buried in the rubble in a corner. She was sure that thing wasn't there last month.

"Fairy?" The shrine priestess could read the carving between the rubble gaps. Yet, she was teleported out before she could comprehend anything.

'Ah, anyway... So, my name is Ely. Finally, I have a proper name. He-Dao and his accomplices can no longer refer to me with those weird nicknames if we meet again.' The shrine priestess looked into the dark cave. She wished to regain more memories and discover more about the truth of her existence.

Unfortunately, she could only visit the sacred ground for enlightenment every thirty days and stayed inside for five minutes. No less, or else she would be ejected without any prior notice.

'I'd better be back before it gets darker.' Ely looked up at the twilight sky and rushed off up the mountain.

"O wind spirit-" Ely was about to ask the wind spirit to help her fly to the top of the mountain, but she heard a strange rustling sound. She also could feel an unusual aura similar to an evil ghost's.

A little wind spirit came upon her call, but Ely had not yet given any command. Thus, the wind spirit could only wait patiently beside her.

"Hmm?" Ely could confirm that the evil aura was in the north, a breath capable of making a demonic ghost pale in comparison.

"O wind spirit, please seal any noise around my surrounding." Ely whispered to the nearby wind spirit. She then rushed quickly to investigate the source of the evil aura.

It only took her six breaths to arrive at the location. A pitch-black devilish-looking rotten slime was writhing on the ground, digesting some herbs.

"Lost Prayer." Ely summoned her silver-gold grimoire out of thin air above her palm.

She checked the mission she was about to complete. Her objective was the desperate cursed creature, and voila, a blue marker appeared above the devilish-looking slime since it was nearby.

"Poor thing... I will free you from suffering." Ely took out her wooden wand and jumped down from the tree.

"Purification." Ely threw eight purification talismans at the devilish-looking slime. She raised her wooden wand and performed a purification ritual.

*Swoosh*

All talismans were scorched, but the devilish-looking slime still looked threatening. No effect occurred, and Ely was stunned in bewilderment.

The devilish-looking slime noticed her presence, and Ely took a step back. She glanced at her wooden wand and remembered it was one of the top-tier items for purification.

*Blob*

The devilish-looking slime jumped up, about to swallow the human girl. Yet, Ely was swift to dodge and immediately released her counterattack.

"Why can't you be purified according to procedure!? My eight precious purification talismans vanished without causing any effect. I'll beat the crap out of you with this holy wooden wand and see if you can be purified!" Ely beat the slime into oblivion with her wooden wand. Her simple attacks caused some purification effect on the devilish-looking slime.

Once the evil energy vanished, the devilish-looking slime became pensive and enveloped in pure white light. Ely took a few steps back to see what would happen next.

"I've never seen this phenomenon before. Purification is successful, but what's with this rampaging energy? I help it control the energy flow with my innate skill. Let's do this." Ely stretched out her hand and tried to calm the turbulent energy flow within the glowing slime.

The light dimmed, and the energy turbulence died down. It was just that a human-like figure with long golden blonde hair emerged from the purified slime and fell down toward Ely.

"Oh goodness, how did a horrible devilish-looking slime suddenly become a young human? Eh, an elf?" Ely caught the young girl by reflex. She found this young girl's ears were pointy, and she felt conflicted about what to do.