Chapter 95
Aside from "Mianwei" Niya, who remained unscathed, the fabrics on Yulisi and Aivina were corroded, leaving large gaping holes that barely covered their bodies.
When they saw Adele running towards them, completely unharmed, they were momentarily stunned.
It wasn't until Adele recounted Sharl's words that Aivina and Yulisi exchanged skeptical glances in Sharl's direction.
Sharl's words were riddled with doubts... but one thing was certain: Sharl had not been assimilated by the potion and still retained her sanity.
As their mental states shifted, the buzzing in Sharl's ears gradually lessened, only to be replaced by a wave of dizziness from the significant blood loss, making her feel as if she might topple over.
Noticing something was off with Sharl, Adele and Aivina rushed towards her, with Yulisi and Niya following closely behind.
Just as Sharl's legs began to give way and she could no longer hold herself up, Aivina stepped forward to support her. Together with Adele, they gently lowered Sharl, resting her head on Aivina's now bare thigh.
"Hang in there, Sharl."
Adele, who had been somewhat flustered earlier, now calmed down and immediately recognized Sharl's dire state of blood loss.
She quickly retrieved a bottle of deep green potion, gave it a slight shake, and uncorked it, bringing it to Sharl's lips.
Sharl, already parched from the severe blood loss, took the bottle and drank it down in one go.
As the cool potion flowed into her, a warmth began to spread from where it had touched, reviving the numbness in her icy limbs.
However, the softness of the object she was resting on only intensified the waves of drowsiness that washed over the already exhausted Sharl.
**Chapter Seventy-Nine: An Information Network? You might as well run for Pope.**
"Sis, can you check on Sharl's mental state?"
After feeding Sharl the potion, Adele immediately turned to the now-arrived Yulisi.
Sharl was clearly in a very precarious condition.
Though her mind hadn’t shattered, as she herself had said, the murmurs in her head were severely affecting her sanity, making it hard for her to hear the sounds around her.
Such a state was usually a precursor to being consumed by the potion.
Yulisi remained silent, kneeling beside Sharl. Four white shadows overlapped with her figure as she extended her right hand, pressing it against the head of Sharl's shadow.
Buzz—
Like a tsunami crashing down, an endless black noise surged into Yulisi's mind, and she felt blood trickling down her cheeks.
The white shadow, which had originally merged with Yulisi's body, began to spasm uncontrollably, unable to fully align with her.
Suddenly, Yulisi withdrew her right hand, and the overlapping white shadow seemed to be jolted by some force, popping out from her back and hovering in mid-air.
The once-pure white shadow had become somewhat murky, its form flickering erratically.
Sharl, who had been resting on Aivina's thigh, her face contorted in pain and drifting in and out of consciousness, began to relax her tightly furrowed brows, as if she were about to slip into a peaceful sleep.
"I... absorbed some of the mental interference for her. She should be okay now..."
Yulisi supported her forehead, intending to stand up, but her legs buckled, and she fell back to the ground.
Helping others bear the pain of both mind and body was a distinctive ability of the "Bitter Ascetic" path. Previously, when Sharl ascended to "Avenger," Yulisi had helped her endure some of the burns.
But now, even just bearing a portion of the murmurs and mental disturbances in Sharl's mind made Yulisi feel the potion she had almost digested boiling within her.
Visions of countless absurd and bizarre images began to flicker before Yulisi's eyes, as strange, indescribable creatures roamed in the darkness around her.
For the extraordinary, damage to their sensory organs often meant they could see things others could not, making it easier to slip into madness.
Yulisi's eye troubles prevented her from helping Sharl bear any more pain.
"I can't hold on much longer..."
After catching her breath, Yulisi spoke weakly, "We need to get Sharl to the Church of the Savior quickly..."
Yulisi continued, "Let me perform the baptism for her. The Goddess will help her. Once the 'Glorious Bishop' arrives, we can take her to the Church for treatment of her mental issues..."
"No need for that, Your Excellency the High Priestess."
Aivina interjected flatly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Thank you for your assistance, Your Excellency. I will donate in your name to the Church, and I will also personally compensate you handsomely."
Aivina lowered her head, gently placing her hand on Sharl's forehead, carefully brushing aside her hair.
"Sharl is my friend. I won't trouble the High Priestess with her treatment."
Niya, the "Mianwei" standing behind Aivina, stepped forward slowly, her sword and shield still at the ready.
Even without saying a word, it was clear to anyone that if Yulisi refused, she would resort to force.
Aivina would never hand Sharl over to the Church of the Savior, even if they had ample reason to investigate her, as Sharl was now a strictly regulated "Judicator" of the Church.
Handing Sharl over to the Church meant she would likely be baptized and become a member of the Church of the Savior... At that point, would Sharl, who would prioritize the Church's interests and the Goddess, still be the same Sharl?
No, she wouldn't be.
"Miss Russell, please forgive my frankness,"
Yulisi's previously kind expression began to fade, "Your family cannot resolve Miss Sharl's mental condition."
"Moreover, I promised Miss Sharl that she would provide me and the Church with information, and I would help her complete the resurrection ritual... Her situation is still unstable, and the transaction is ongoing."
"The one making promises to her is not me."
"It is the entire Church of the Savior."
Yulisi could not hand Sharl over to Aivina.
The "Glorious Bishop" would arrive within 24 hours. Although the Church of the Savior did not wield much influence in Ansu, in Boren City, they were an unassailable authority.
Before that, she had to ensure that Sharl remained within her sight. Once the "Glorious Bishop" arrived, even if Aivina wanted to keep Sharl, it would be impossible.
Yulisi was almost certain that Sharl was a candidate for the Saintess. If she baptized her, she might also complete the final part of the ritual and obtain the potion and resurrection ceremony from the "Glorious Bishop."
For both personal and ecclesiastical reasons, Yulisi was determined to keep Sharl by her side at all costs.
Yulisi staggered to her feet, the flickering white shadows swirling around her.
The atmosphere grew tense, charged with an unspoken conflict.
Just minutes ago, their alliance had seemed unbreakable, but now, cracks began to spread.
None of them wanted to hand Sharl over to the other.
"The matter of stabilizing her mind is not something the High Priestess needs to worry about. The 'Substitute Saint' can help Sharl stabilize her mental state."
Aivina stood her ground, "The transaction is over."
Yulisi: "Your family doesn't have many 'Substitute Saints' left, do you?"
Aivina: "At least enough to keep her stable until she regains her sanity and digests some of the potion. If that's not enough, I'll procure more."
The atmosphere fell into a heavy silence.
Aivina gently cradled Sharl's shoulders, holding her close, completely unconcerned about the bloodstains from her maid's dress smearing onto her exposed skin.
As soon as Yulisi made any move, she could swiftly lift the light Sharl and have Niya escort her away.
Seeing the tension in the air thickening, Adele felt anxious.
On one side was a friend who had recently listened to her inner turmoil and secrets, and on the other was her sister, with whom she had grown up. Caught in the middle, Adele felt lost.
But she sensed she had to say something; otherwise, things would escalate into a fight.
"I..."
Adele slowly raised her right hand, but it seemed no one noticed her.
"Um..."
As she saw Niya raise her sword, Adele closed her eyes and stepped directly between Aivina and Yulisi.
"Let me say something!"
Adele opened her eyes to find both Aivina and Yulisi facing her.
"I have an idea..."
In an instant, Adele lost the courage she had to intervene, speaking softly, "Sharl can stay at my house... I'm a 'Physician,' and I can take care of her health."
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