Time Healer Ceres - Chapter 126

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“The Black Forest?”
Seres rose from her seat and approached the window. Her expression hardened gradually as she took in the view outside.
As darkness settled, another change became visible.
“The ground…….”
It was glowing brightly.
Unlike the typical Black Forest where deep darkness persisted, the surroundings were brightening at tremendous speed.
Seres knew exactly what that change meant.
“S-Rank…….”
* * *
“What, what in the world is this…….”
“That, that over there. Isn’t that a desert?”
The priests who had rushed out of the building upon hearing the Black Forest alarm could not believe their eyes. An unfamiliar landscape stretched out before the Temple.
Far in the distance, the mountains that had been verdant all year round had vanished, replaced by a colossal Sand Dune rising in their stead. The streets too were entirely sand.
And what of that scorching sun? It wasn’t even summer…….
No, not even at the height of summer had they faced a sun so merciless! It was as though they had been cast into a desert world itself.
“The buildings…….”
Unlike the Temple, which sat at a relatively high elevation, the structures in the lower districts were slowly being buried by sand and disappearing.
People scattered in panic, fleeing from the sand—a scene that resembled absolute chaos.
Rumble.
“……!”
Then, a violent tremor struck their entire bodies. The priests’ eyes went wide once more.
“The ground……!”
The sand-covered earth began to undulate as though alive. As the sand churned and moved violently like waves, the people who had been staring in blank shock suddenly collapsed to the ground.
[Screeeeeech!]
Immediately, with a tremendous cry, Monsters burst through the sand, towering high into the air.
“N-no, nooooo!”
Enormous centipedes, each easily over five meters long, bared their razor-sharp fangs and began their assault on the people.
Thud.
“That, that’s…….”
“Merciful gods…….”
The priests collapsed helplessly as they witnessed the hell unfolding below. Some prayed to their deity while others wept with terror.
The area around the Temple itself was not safe. A stirring could be felt in the sand surrounding the Temple, and Monsters soon emerged rapidly.
[Screeeech!]
[Screeeee-screech!]
“Everyone, inside, quickly!”
At someone’s cry, the priests hurried inside the building. Though countless people outside were under Monster attack, those who were helpless could do nothing to aid them.
The Imperial Knight Order members who had rushed out at the alarm were in no better position. Unlike the others, they had not fled into the building, yet they could not muster the resolve to run down and assist the people.
An unfamiliar environment they had never encountered, and Monsters that would not stop emerging from within it!
All they could do was stare grimly at the Monsters pouring toward the Temple.
“Aaaah!”
A young priest stumbled as she hurried inside the building, falling forward onto her face.
“Priest Ani!”
Another priest rushed to help her up, but—
[Screeeech!]
“……!”
A Monster that had drawn near in an instant thrust its sharp maw at them. Both priests squeezed their eyes shut.
For a moment, they thought this was the end.
Crash!
[Agonized shriek!]
“……?”
They felt someone rush past them in a blur. Then came the Monster’s anguished cry.
Trembling, the two priests managed to open their eyes and saw the scene before them—their mouths fell open in shock.
Someone had split the body of a massive, formidable-looking Monster clean in two with a single sword strike. Yet the figure was terribly familiar.
“E-Ersi?”
It was Ersi, the priest who had always comforted the young clergy with his gentle smile. But the cold gleam in his eyes and the unfamiliar expression he wore as he drew his blade toward the Monster seemed nothing like the man they knew.
[Screeeee……eee…….]
At the same moment, four Monsters that had reared up high all fell, cleaved by Ersi’s sword, and crashed to the ground.
Ersi lightly brushed the Monster’s blood from his blade and turned to face the priests, who still stood in stunned silence.
“Are you unharmed?”
Only then, at the sight of Ersi speaking with his customary gentle smile, did the two young priests snap to attention.
“Yes, yes!”
The two priests nodded vigorously and scrambled to their feet from where they had been sitting.
“It’s dangerous here. Let’s get inside the building.”
Nod.
The two priests bowed deeply in gratitude, then pushed themselves forward on trembling legs and hurried into the Temple.
Thump.
“……!”
Just then, they collided with someone emerging from the Temple. Before Ersi could warn them away, Priest Ani’s eyes went wide as she recognized the woman’s face rushing toward the priest’s side.
‘That’s…….’
The same woman she had guided to Ersi’s room earlier. The one who had become the new owner of the Tamer Artifact. A sword hung in her hand as well. A jet-black sword.
“You stay here and hold the line.”
“Master, what about you?”
Master? Priest Ani’s eyes widened again in confusion. Why was Ersi addressing this woman as his master?
“Priest Ani.”
“Yes!”
The other priest, who had fled into the building ahead, called to her urgently. At that, Priest Ani hastened to leave as well, gasping in horror at the countless monsters still erupting from the sand around them.
* * *
“And your master?”
“S-Rank. We’ll have to hold it back as much as we can.”
This wasn’t just about protecting the area around the Temple. Even now, countless people were falling into those monsters’ maws.
‘This is insane.’
An S-Rank suddenly appearing out of nowhere. In the middle of the Capital, no less. Had the world truly gone mad? Could S-Ranks just manifest like this?
“…….”
Seres’ gaze turned toward the distant Sand Dune. The best option, naturally, was to kill the Boss there. But even for Seres, taking down an S-Rank Boss alone was impossible.
Just feeling the aura flowing from that place was enough to make her instincts scream danger, goosebumps rippling across her skin.
There was that one S-Rank she had subjugated long ago—and how much sacrifice and time had that consumed?
The acclaimed Mercenary Company had mobilized in full, and the Imperial Knight Order had been deployed as well, yet the casualties had been staggering.
‘And besides, I wasn’t alone then.’
Artia, known to have received the Blessing of Mana, and Kainel, her Master, had been with her. Even so, defeating the Boss had been far from easy.
The memory of being trapped there for over a week, locked in combat with monsters, surfaced in her mind, and irritation flared hot within her.
‘Am I really going to have to do that again.’
And this time, without even Artia?
“Just protect this place.”
“You’re really going alone?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not planning to solo the Boss, are you?”
Ersi, who knew his master’s nature better than anyone, shot her a worried look.
Self-centered to the core, yes—yet someone who could never ignore those dying or bleeding before her eyes. That was his master.
Better to throw herself recklessly at the Boss, succeed or fail, than stand by watching countless people perish.
“I have family now.”
“Pardon?”
“Two kids.”
“Gasp! K-Kainel too knows about this?”
“……? Why are you bringing up that guy’s name?”
“No, well……!”
“……?”
“…Never mind.”
“In any case, I have family now.”
I can’t just abandon those children and act recklessly.
“So don’t worry.”
“Yes. Still, please be careful.”
With that conversation ended, Seres entrusted the safety of the Temple’s surroundings to Ersi and the Holy Knights, then surveyed the area slowly.
Whoosh!
Suddenly a powerful aura erupted from the sword in her hand. Ersi watched, unable to tear his eyes away, as Seres rushed forward with that blade.
Just as she had been before.
The form of his master—stronger and more beautiful than anyone else.
* * *
[Screeeeeech!]
[Growwwl.]
Shriek, shriek-shriek…….
Not only the massive centipede, but countless monsters capable of appearing in desert regions were crawling up from beneath the sand.
Unlike when the Black Forest typically emerged, hiding indoors proved useless. The environment itself had transformed into desert, and buildings were being swallowed rapidly by the encroaching sand.
People watched their homes sink deeper into the dunes and had no choice but to flee outside, exposing themselves completely to the monsters’ attacks.
“U… uh…….”
“M… m, monsters……!”
A couple in their late twenties appeared to be husband and wife, and they were among those fleeing. Collapsed on the ground, they couldn’t even manage a scream—all they could do was tremble uncontrollably.
A massive spider approached them with eerie shrieks, and they scrambled to retreat back inside, but their home had already been buried by sand, leaving no trace of its existence.
Screech-screech-shriek!
“U… aaaaah!”
As the spider’s razor-sharp legs reached toward them, a piercing scream finally tore from the man’s throat.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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