Saintess Summons Skeletons

“She cannot come,” Merise said, shaking her head, “Your close link to Sorrow is the only reason you can come and go, Sofia. If your sister comes she will be trapped here with me.”

“... Then I’ll bring you out,” Sofia answered with a light frown.

“I told you already, I cannot leave…”

Sofia turned to Sorrow, who watched with a smile behind her veil, her eyes impossible to see.

“Her soul has been thoroughly separated from the physical world for too long. Unlike your brother whose soul was safely stored on the surface. She will truly die if you force her out of this plane,” Sorrow explained, her voice strangely jovial for who she was and what she was saying. “But…”

“But?” Sofia repeated.

“Just as a fiend like me can find an escape, for a single soul…” Sorrow said with a wide grin.

“Sorrow!” Merise called out, “I thought–”

“Eheh. Did you think you could trust the words of this evil god! Ahahahah-uergh!” Sorrow laughed in a way that felt so clearly unnatural she choked midway. “Erm. So, it’s a bit complex, but there is a way. Originally Merise here wanted not to tell you, because she was afraid you and Saria would drop everything and run to your death trying to resurrect her.”

Sofia glanced at her mother, who stared at Sorrow with a clear expression of shock and betrayal.

“Well. I cannot say she is wrong,” Sofia said.

“I know,” Sorrow said with a nod, “But now is the perfect time. It will be dangerous, painful and costly.”

“I’ll do anything.”

Sorrow smiled, “This is why I love my Apostles. You will need three things. Saria and Wawa will each procure one, while you get the third. I have already planned everything.”

“What do we need?”

“Saria will need to dig up Merise’s physical remains. Her skeleton in Sovuln. Cinthia will help her locate it.”

“I could also do this... Now that I think about it, why… Why have you never said anything about this through Cinthia? Or Ihuarah?” Sofia asked.

“No need, you will be busy enough with your part. As for why I never said anything, isn’t it obvious? Look at the state you’re in, my dear daughter. Nothing good ever comes from rushing things. You would have only put yourself in pointless danger. Now, with my powers, you are strong enough.”

“What’s my part?”

“In the forbidden layer, you need to find a leyline seed…” Merise finally chimed in.

“A leyline seed?! That’s a thing? I see… That might have been too much for me before, yes… Why this, though?”

“This is what Death said. One of the only things that can stabilize my soul on the way back to the physical world.”

“One of?” Sofia repeated.

“The other options are a dragon’s complete brain, a fairy’s aura pearl or a Kleptra’s physical essence,” Sorrow said, “Of course the ‘donor’ needs to be alive before the transfer. Those are the only options. That is why, the seed is better.”

“Alright… And what is Ihuarah’s part?”

“Wawa will be leveraging your and my name for negotiation. We need the help of at least two of them, but three is better.”

“Them?”

“The Arch-liches,” Sorrow said with a grin showing her white teeth, “Who else can help us create a new one?”

“Mom is going to be a lich?!!!”

“Hmmhmm. Poor Merise here has been thoroughly dead and in this divine plane for a long while. Even after we successfully transfer her soul back to the physical world, making her the type of undead closest to death’s divine domain is the only option to let her escape the divine order.”

“The divine order… I thought divinity restrictions were only for gods and divine powers…”

“I am a part of Sorrow’s domain now,” Merise said, “Everyone here is. Even you, the longer you stay here, Sofia…”

“I’m out, then,” Sofia said, lightly stretching, “No time to waste. Merise, Sorrow, moms. Leave everything to your kids. We will get you both out of here.”

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“Sofia…” Merise mumbled, “I know I can’t ask you to stop so… Please be safe, my daughter.”

“Our daughter will be just fine,” Sorrow told Merise, a hand on her shoulder, “Am I wrong?”

“I will be back,” Sofia confidently said.

Merise nodded, “Hug Saria for me, Sofia.”

“Of course, mom. Wait for me here.”

“Enough with this, you are going to make me cry!” Sorrow complained “Now go, Vakariazrehafin, make your parents proud!”

Space seemed to break down around Sofia.

Wait, the essences!

In an instant, Sofia was back in Ser’Extra, sitting in the middle of the ritual circle.

Ihuarah walked up to her.

“Has your journey been fruitful, lady Sofia?” he asked, although his tone made it clear he was already aware of the answer.

Sofia punched him in the chest, it was at a level where he could easily avoid it, but Ihuarah took the blow, pretending to be blown away.

“You already knew,” Sofia accused him.

“Our divine Mother is most merciful, isn’t She?” Ihuarah answered, standing back up with his arms behind his back.

“She was a lot more cheerful than in the visions I had of her until now…” Sofia said.

Ihuarah nodded, “Shouldering the world’s sorrows is no small feat, but our Merciful Mother does it for us. Only a most cheerful and kind soul could survive such torment. Who else would a distrustful old man like myself willingly entrust their soul to?”

“Distrustful old man? Is that how you see yourself, Wawa?”

“...”

“Well, do you already know what you need to do, then? Will you do it? I can pay you…”

“Are you daft, dear Rara? Does one need to pay family for help?” Ihuarah stroked his black beard with a satisfied air, “Arch-Lich TLDR has already agreed to help. I have sought his help on my way here after your trial.”

“So that’s why you took so long… Were the monsters you killed on the way only a distraction?”

“Who is to say? Now that I have safely done my part here, I will leave to call in some favours from my old life. If you really want to repay me after all is done, my lady… Then do not give up on the Wheel of Progress.”

“I would never.”

Ihuarah turned his back to Sofia, staring at the sky above through the incomplete ceiling of the temple. “I have never doubted that. Eve, Cinthia and Saria have already left for Sovuln while you were in the domain. Do you still need me here, lady Sofia?”

“You’ve already done a lot.”

“Then it is also time for me to go. Expect good news upon my return!”

Ihuarah opened his arms wide, like a performer finishing his act, and teleported away.

Sofia could still vaguely feel his position through the skill linking them, Ihuarah had teleported far south into the ocean, it seemed.

“There he goes again… This man really can never stay in place… I almost feel bad for Everelle. She won’t ever be able to settle down with her dungeon at this rate.”

With a long sigh, Sofia laid down on the temple floor.

“A lot to process… To think she was alive all this time…”

“Well… I suppose alive is not the right word…”

A second presence entered the temple, lying down next to Sofia. The cold air around him was surprisingly refreshing.

“Sorry, Pareth, my thoughts must be a mess right now.”

“Sofia!” Bookie cried out as he appeared next to them, “We’re going to save your mom?!”

“You guys… Do you both still want to follow me around everywhere?”

“Of course!” Bookie said without a shred of hesitation, “Sofia is the most best to be with!”

“You both looked so happy dealing with the city…”

“As long as you’re with us we’re always happy!” Bookie proudly said, sticking out his chest.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve both of you. After we’re done doing my things, I want to go on adventures that you yourselves want to do, for once. Will you agree?”

“I want to see the Odon kingdom!” Bookie said first, while Pareth was still on the ground, deep in thought and stroking his short beard exactly like Ihuarah had a habit to do.

“What about you?” Sofia asked, turning her head to look at him.

After a long time thinking, Pareth did a few hand signs that even Sofia couldn’t decipher. Yet, somehow, Bookie seemed to understand.

“Brother Pareth says he wants to properly meet Velania!” he declared.

“Huh? Really? And he managed to communicate that much?”

Pareth nodded.

“I see. Your condition is really getting better,” Sofia said with a smile, “But Velania? Why her?”

This time Pareth did not even need to make any hand signs, because Bookie could already guess the answer. “Because she’s your friend and we barely met her! That’s not fair! She should be our friend too! Then we want to also meet Death! And auntie Sorrow! And goddess Remia! Stop making friends without us!!!”

“Ahahah… Alright, alright. Then, before the next trial, let’s go see Velania and the Odons. Do you know what Pestle wants to do?”

“Pestle?” Bookie repeated, confused, “Pestle only wants to fight things and eat leg!”

A fairy appeared in the temple with a sonic boom, looking left and right like a frenzied predator.

“LEG?!!!”

Sofia burst out laughing on the floor of the temple. Bookie followed, and Pareth laughed silently.

Wiping away her own tears of joy, Sofia opened her status windows.

[Blessing of the Deep]

I truly am blessed.

Her eyes drifted two lines down on the status.

♢ [Venerable physique of the primeval void] ♢ - Starting Step Boundless Space realm

‘You have learned ??? skill [Quantic transposition]’