Unique Legend Volume 9 Chapter 10

*Found this chapter's raws on a Facebook post since most websites don't have it (except for sfacg) so here's the if anyone wants to read it in Chinese*

Chapter 10: The Phoenix Clan and the Counter Incantation

Location: Lake Town  Time: 5:40 PM

"My name is Rollins Lyncinaya. Everyone here should know who I am."

[T/N: Pretty sure it's one word, so I'm changing it from Linda Cinaya to Lyncinaya. Please tell me if you have a better translation for 琳婗西娜雅, I really hate translating names?]

As soon as that big sister opened her mouth, the surroundings immediately quieted down. She folded her arms and said, her voice reverberating throughout the entire s.p.a.ce and spreading very boldly to everyone's ears, "I am the head of the Phoenix Clan and the medical team, and some also call me Huang Xiu (beautiful/ elegant phoenix). Everyone is very clear on the current situation; what we should do now is hold the Soul Returning Incantation Array. You should all understand the Soul Returning Incantation Array's difficulty and danger, so don't treat this matter as child's play! Those who have power, give me your full cooperation! Those who can't should protect this area properly and not let any outsiders invade! And those who don't understand should get out of here as to not be a hindrance, got it!?"

That…Should I start getting out of here now…because I have no idea what that Soul Returning Array they were talking about is at all. I don't even know what kind of power I can contribute. I don't want to drag other people down again.

"Chu, you just need to cooperate with whatever Lyncinaya says." As if he knew what I was thinking, at the side, senior Gasai removed the mask on his face, slightly curving into a smile. "Don't worry, nothing's going to happen."

But I'm afraid…

Chifuyu, the five-colored rooster head and the others had already retreated a good distance away.

Under that big sister's arrangement, she, the black cactus, and the a.s.sistant stood in a triangle, with Yado and Leido on one side, and Senior, the others, and me on the other side. A wall made up of the other medical teams surrounded us, scattered about as if they were lined up in their own positions.

Yado was quietly lying in the middle, his face pale as if he was asleep.

"There's a limit to everyone's life. Once you are fated to reach the end, you won't be able to remain here even for a second. The Soul Returning Incantation Array is able to awaken a soul that is just about to head towards the place of rest, and return him to this world to continue his unfinished mission. But, this is an act of violation to the world, so what kind of price are you willing to pay?" Standing in the middle of everyone, Lyncinaya looked at Yado and Leido in front of her, "You who are negotiating with the place of rest, what price do you dare to pay in exchange for him?"

"No matter what price you need, we will pay it." Without even hesitating, Yado immediately spoke, "Including our lives, it doesn't matter even if you take them." Beside him, Leido instantly nodded.

Lyncinaya curved into a smile, a very cold one, but it also allowed one to feel a gentleness, "Very good, you guys should just hold on to this sort of mentality until he fully recovers." She abruptly snapped her fingers, and a totem started expanding out from the ground beneath her feet. Like a bird unfolding its wings, a golden large-scale array continued to spread, spreading all around everyone. "The Soul Returning Incantation Array is able to recall the soul, but it cannot reconstruct a destroyed soul. He will recover more slowly than anyone else, so, you have to wait for him."

"It's fine no matter how long we have to wait." Leido looked at her, and said firmly, "Let's start now."

In between their brief conversation, I suddenly thought of another strange thing.

Just now she said that she was called Rollins Lyncinaya, and her other name is Huang Xiu…that, what is her relations.h.i.+p with the a.s.sistant!

[T/N: The a.s.sistant's full name is Rollins Tyre, and his Chinese name is Feng Jiu, Feng is male phoenix, Huang is female]

"Lyncinaya is Tyre's older sister, and she is now the head of the entire Phoenix Clan and medical team." Beside me, Senior gave me a sideway glance, "The incantation array is about to begin. Don't think about those nonsensical things again."

I know…I just suddenly thought of the a.s.sistant's name…

Standing on the same spot, a circular totem array that was connected to the ones beneath the others appeared below my feet. A faint golden glow continuously flickered. It felt beautiful but wasn't glaring to the eyes, letting one feel a warm, comfortable feeling of softness.

What am I doing here?

In fact, I don't understand at all.

"Pray, if you can only look on from the side."

I heard that voice, and saw the surrounding people cross their hands to their chests, lowering their heads, [*Please listen to the sound of my chant, to the deceased of the place of rest, the head of the Phoenix Clan offers tribute.] A soft singing-like voice sounded from Lyncinaya's mouth, and the surroundings immediately quieted down. The array followed by rotating slightly, and tiny b.a.l.l.s of golden light slowly floated up.

[T/N: There's too many incantations in this chapter, so from now I'm putting it in brackets (since they look similar to the『』that the author uses) to differentiate the incantations from normal speech.]

However, it seems like it wasn't going so well. Those tiny lights were flickering; it felt as if they would suddenly go out.

[The Elves of the wind who deliver messages, please transmit my voice to the place of tranquility.] Noticing that the specks of light weren't so bright, Lyncinaya raised her eyebrows slightly, as she continued singing.

Speaking of which, if they continue to flicker on like this…I wonder what's going to happen.

[The atmospheric Elves who obey the Elven King, the wind that pa.s.ses and causes shaking, listen to my command and bring the message to the place of rest.] Unexpectedly, following behind Lyncinaya was Senior's voice, [The soul that is heading toward the final place and is about to return to the origin, the head of the Phoenix Clan has a message, and from here opens a pa.s.sage.]

I saw some kind of bright silver ball of light appearing above Senior's hand. Not long later, the ball of light dispersed throughout the surroundings, and then the flickering little lights on the ground suddenly brightened up.

[Hear my command, maintain a temporary pa.s.sage.]

At the same time that his words ended, the entire array on the ground seemed as if it was liberated, as they exploded into a huge brilliance, making it a bit hard for me to open my eyes.

Lyncinaya gave Senior a thumbs up, before turning her head back to form several hand seals, "Soul Returning Incantation Array, with my Phoenix Clan's blood as the path, the Elven voice as the guide, activate." She bit her finger; it was not red but rather golden blood that came from beneath her skin, bit by bit as it dripped on the entire light on the ground.

In that instant, I suddenly heard some kind of song, whose content I couldn't understand. The nearby medical teams were singing an unknown song; their voices were very low, drifting throughout the entire underground s.p.a.ce.

A faint fragrance spread.

Starting at some point, under the light, one by one, unknown white flowers had popped up. With long stems, they moved with a swaying motion, before gradually expanding outwards one after another.

Once the singing voices came to the end of that pa.s.sage, it changed to a sort of sutra-like chanting sound.

"Chu." Just when I was staring absentmindedly at the white flowers near my feet, all of a sudden, something came smas.h.i.+ng toward my head, and I hastily caught that thing. After a closer look, it was a rolled-up cowhide scroll. "Please be a bit more serious, and earnestly chant this through." Senior, who threw that over, gave me a look and said.

Earnestly chant this through?

I opened that scroll. Written on it were densely packed words, but fortunately, they were all Chinese characters that I could discern. The content of it seems to be more or less about some kind of return to life spell. The words were very small, so small that if you didn't pay attention, you'd probably read the wrong line or reread the same one.

"If you read the wrong line, this whole array will fail." Beside me, Senior added on a declaration that made me want to throw the thing back to him.

What the h.e.l.l is this thing! Why is it that the main point I heard is that if I don't do it properly, I'll be cut into pieces by everyone!

"When recalling a soul back from the place of rest, it needs to have some guides, for example, voices. On that scroll is a complete record of guide words. Before the negotiations with the place of rest is completed, it cannot be interrupted or else it will fail." Senior, you clearly know that it's very important, so please don't continue giving me psychological pressure.

I'm suddenly afraid that I would read something wrong.

"There's nothing that can be absolutely successful." Red eyes looked at me, and coldly said, "But, you wish for Yido to be safe and sound, right?"

Yido…

In that instant, I seemed to have once again seen that terror of being unable to do anything when Andellar appeared.

I can do this. I think…I definitely won't read anything wrong.

"Very good, then let's see you do it."

The surrounding flowers seemed to have a life of their own, as they covered the entire underground s.p.a.ce with layers upon layers. A quiet scent that didn't belong here permeated the air.

I took a deep breath and then spread out that scroll. This is an incantation that guides souls back.

Why am I standing here?

Because I wish, with a firmness that does not allow anyone to doubt it, that Yido can safely return to Yado and Leido.

[Opening the pa.s.sage to the place of rest, I represent the Phoenix Clan in this negotiation. The blood of three royal clans, two blood relatives, and one chanter who guides the way requests for the water aristocrat who is heading toward the place of rest, Yido Glendor, to return to this world.] Lyncinaya twirled her finger, and a short blade appeared. Without a change in expression, she directly drew a cut on her palm. A large amount of golden blood immediately fell on the ground. [The blood of three royal clans, the gold is the cleansing of the way back.] After saying that, she threw the blade in her hand to the side, and it landed in Senior's hand.

[The blood of three royal clans, silver is the sublimation of sin that fastens on the body.] Similarly drawing a cut on his palm, Senior coldly looked at the large amount of blood flowing down.

Silver?

Wait a minute, I saw that Senior's blood was clearly red. Why did he say that it was silver?

[The blood of three royal clans, red is the evidence that confirms life.] The last one to receive the blade was senior Gasai. He chanted as he drew a cut on his palm just like the two before him did.

As soon as senior Gasai's blood fell to the ground, all the white flowers on the ground instantly turned to a transparent color, and the ground shook with a violent earthquake.

[Two blood relatives, guard, and support the returning person.] Lyncinaya continued with the unfinished array. Right after she chanted that, the nearby Leido and Yado abruptly kneeled at the same time. Their hair were covering their faces, so I couldn't make out the situation.

There was a moment when I really wanted to ran over to see if they were alright.

Suddenly, red eyes glared at me, causing me to once again become afraid of moving about.

[A chanter leads the way back.] Gold and red, two different colored eyes looked at me. In that instant, I suddenly knew what I should do.

Immediately holding the scroll, I gazed at the words on it and began chanting. In fact, after I actually started reading it, I didn't feel it was difficult anymore. Those words seemed like they would automatically remind you where you'd read up to, as they faintly lit up one by one, making it hard to make mistakes.

For some reason, I intuitively felt that this should be a little trick that Senior came up with.

The voices of the other people around me suddenly quieted down. I could only hear my voice drifting in the s.p.a.ce.

On the ground, all the flowers' petals rolled up into flower buds. Then they bloomed again and spat out small golden lights, again and again, until the whole underground s.p.a.ce was full of bright dots.

"Tyre, Julian, how's his physical condition?" After a good amount of time, Lyncinaya asked the other two people who were still beside Yido.

"He's always been in the best condition." The a.s.sistant raised a finger and said.

"Very good." Curving into a slight smile, Lyncinaya made a beautiful hand sign, [The soul that is returning, please return to the ending point. In the name of the Phoenix Clan, soul return!]

Just when her words ended, a huge glaring light suddenly lit up the entire ground.

That kind of feeling was just like seeing a bomb exploding right in front of you. The sudden intense light stabbed my eyes and made me completely unable to open them. It was so painful that even my head hurted; subconsciously, I immediately closed my eyes.

There was a strange, piercing eagle cry pa.s.sing into my ears. It felt like it was a sound that shouldn't be here.

Wait a minute! I'm still not allowed to stop chanting the incantation!

When I suddenly reopened my eyes, whether it was that light, the flowers, or the array on the ground, all of them had already disappeared. What appeared in front of me now was that underground s.p.a.ce with nothing in it at all.

It can't be that it failed?

If I knew that before, then even if my eyes became blind from the light, I wouldn't have stopped.

A force suddenly smacked my shoulder, and I jumped up with a start. I turned my head and saw that Senior had already been standing behind me at some point.

"Chu, it's over."

He told me this, "The Soul Returning Incantation Array is already over."

Over?

I looked at the scroll in my hand. It's all over? Just like this?

"Otherwise, how long did you think it would take!?" With a "peng" sound, the back of my head was smacked hard by someone. There was a moment when I saw the familiar darkness and blurriness, "Snap out of it! It's all over. It's already completely over!"

So what does "it's completely over" mean?

"Chu, we succeeded." Gasai, who had directly sat down on the ground at the other side, curved into a slight smile, and gave me a thumbs up.

The surrounding people had all either collapsed or sat down, looking like they were completely worn out.

Succeeded? Then what about Yido?

I immediately turned my head towards the center of activity from just now. The a.s.sistant and the black cactus were already hanging at the side, lying on their backs. Yado and Leido, who had fallen to the ground, almost simultaneously climbed up from the ground, directly throwing themselves at their brother's side.

"Yido?" Leido reaches out his hand, shaking Yido's shoulder.

After a very, very long time, that fairy aristocrat lying on the ground slowly tilted his head, opened his light-colored eyes, and managed to curve up a weak smile with much effort, "I'm back…"

Beside him, Yado looked at him, then rubbed his eyes.

"Welcome back."

"All of you children! Don't try to slack off now!"

Just when the surrounding touching atmosphere had lasted less than thirty seconds, a certain piercing voice directly broke apart the warm picture. With one foot stepping on the stomach of the a.s.sistant, who was said to be her younger brother and was now her right-hand man, and completely ignoring the wails of the victim, Lyncinaya shouted, "As of now, the condition of the returned soul is still not certain, so immediately send him back to the medical team's headquarters for further treatment. Be quick, and don't be lazy!"

Once she shouted that, the others, almost all of which were lying on the ground, immediately started to jump up and move. This made me fully understand how powerful the head of the Phoenix Clan is.

"You two are still on the ground, get up!" Kicking the a.s.sistant, who was said to be her younger brother, at the same time, Lyncinaya bluntly yelled.

In fact, just now it's not that the a.s.sistant had wanted to lie on the ground but that he was stepped onto the ground by you…

"Old witch." The a.s.sistant complained while climbing up from the ground.

With a "peng" sound, he was kicked back onto the ground. Next to him, Julian let out a strange laugh as he darted far away, "Little brother, you probably want to experience the fate of not respecting the head, right?"

Lyncinaya raised her eyebrows. One gold and one red eye narrowed, and then she revealed a cold smile.

"No, no need, thank you." I could almost see three black lines appearing on the a.s.sistant's head.

Right after I relaxed, for some reason, I suddenly felt dizzy as my legs grew weak, and I fell sitting on the ground.

"Yang Yang!" Chifuyu's voice quickly sounded out behind me. Then he held my shoulders, preventing me from completely falling to the ground. "You've worked hard, repeatedly using your mental strength."

Mental strength?

Oh…it's that legendary thing* that can form vows and attack the enemy's mind, right…

[T/N: Mental strength can also be translated as spiritual power or mental power, not sure which one he's talking about.]

Where did my thoughts wander off to…

"Yado?"

A voice pulled my attention back. Just when the a.s.sistant picked up the seriously injured Yido and was getting ready to head towards the medical team, at the side, Yado fell kneeling again. Probably also startled, Leido immediately crouched down beside him, "Not feeling well?"

Yado shook his head, "I'm fine."

"It could be that he used up too much power during the array just now. You guys should also go to the medical team's headquarters to receive treatment, and get a good rest." Lyncinaya said, with an imposing manner that didn't allow them to have more refutations.

Nodding, Leido supported his twin brother up.

After several bright lights, several people simultaneously disappeared within the teleportation arrays.

In fact…it's over, right?

I looked at that empty ground. I don't know why my entire nose suddenly felt very, very sour.

It can finally be over.

A pair of feet appeared in front of me. I raised my head slightly and saw that pair of gold and red, different colored eyes.

Lyncinaya crouched down in front of me. Her long hair shook slightly in the air. "Not bad, little kid. Usually after it ends, the person who acted as the chanter would need to lie down for one or two days to be able to recover his strength. Seeing how good your vigor is, sleeping for one night shouldn't be a problem for you."

Lie down for one or two days?

To be honest, right now I only feel like I'd finished eight laps of endurance running. My whole body, other than being fatigued, feels sore, and lying down for two or three months probably still wouldn't be enough. You're overestimating me, big sister! And to say one or two days!

"That's right, this is yours, right?" Lyncinaya turned her hand, and I saw a vague form appear perching on her arm. A bit familiar, it seems to be in the shape of a bird…

"Ah!" I immediately knew what that thing was—that incantation of praying for a wish that made a speedy getaway!

The eagle-shaped form chirped at me twice, and then disappeared completely.

"This child has been nearby all along, seeing it through to the end, and even contributing some power. Otherwise, it wouldn't have ended so smoothly." Lyncinaya curved into a faint smile, and said.

Contributed some power?

Vaguely, I felt that sound was pretty similar to what I'd heard before from the borders of the glaring light.

"The stronger the desire, the stronger the incantation of praying for a wish will be." Chifuyu said from behind me, "After the wish is fulfilled, the incantation will disappear."

So it didn't make a speedy getaway.

I suddenly felt grat.i.tude toward that eagle. I'm sorry, it was me who misunderstood you before. Thank you for your help.

"Alright, since everything has ended, this place should be cleared out. I believe the intelligence team still wants to continue with their a.n.a.lysis." Lyncinaya stood up, and said.

Which means that we're leaving this place?

"Yang Yang." Chifuyu stood up, and then stretched a hand out to me; I immediately held onto his hand, letting him pull me off the ground.

Because my steps were still a bit unsteady, Chifuyu very straightforwardly let me lean on him as I walked.

"Then, Lake Town's mission has come to an end. All the people who are still on the ground, please withdraw back to school." Walking over here with Gasai, Senior instructed to the five-colored rooster head at the side.

"Oh." Shrugging and without giving more resistance, the five-colored rooster head disappeared on his spot.

"Children, you can go back to school for initial treatment first." Turning around, and saying this to Senior and the others, Lyncinaya looked at me again, not saying anything more.

"The mission has been completed. Then we'll do as you said first." Senior took out a very familiar object, "This is a pa.s.sage that is opened by the compet.i.tion. How we came here will be how we'll go back." He turned the key in his hand, and said.

I suddenly had a question: if we didn't use that to go back, then what will happen?

"You'll be treated as running away during the compet.i.tion." Giving me a very simple answer, Senior coldly snorted.

Hearing that, I deeply felt that it was a good thing I didn't sneak back on my own.

"Aih? We don't need to wait for the others?" I saw that Senior seemed to be intending to leave right now, but then what are the people left behind here supposed to do? Tell them to walk back on their own?

Red eyes glared at me, "Did you forget that there's a total of five teams that came here!?"

It was only when he said this that I remembered. If I subtract Yido and the others, there should still be three other people with the keys to go back…

"Then let's go."

Just like when we first arrived at Lake Town.

We pa.s.sed through the entrance that appeared after the key, and after a burst of light, the surroundings fell quiet.

When I reopened my eyes, I saw a pitch-black, but filled with countless s.h.i.+ning stars, sky.

There was a cool breeze in the area.

I opened my eyes, and reflected in my eyes was the building of the health care center that couldn't be any more familiar.

Being at Lake Town just now abruptly seemed to be a dream. The whole thing suddenly felt unrealistic; it could be that I've never been there before either.

"We're here."

I don't who it was that spoke first, but by the time I recovered my senses, I had already been dragged along by Chifuyu into the health care center. "Looks like we're the first batch to arrive." He smiled at me, "Otherwise, this place would have been crowded with the other teams."

As soon as he said this, it brought me back to reality. Then I remembered that other than the teams that went to Lake Town, there seems to be teams that went to another location.

The entire health care center was vacant with no one there. It looks like there really weren't any other teams that came by.

That's not right! It could be that the others simply didn't get hurt at all!

"You two can go take a break here first. We have to go and make a report about the compet.i.tion." Walking behind us, senior Gasai told the two of us this, "Later, Lyncinaya will come here, so you two shouldn't run around."

"Oh, okay." I nodded. Basically, according to my current fatigued condition, I wouldn't be able to run anywhere even if I wanted to, right?

"If Seven Hill Academy's players return, give this to them. Any one of them would do." Senior tossed a blue crystal to Chifuyu, and after hurriedly instructing him, he and senior Gasai instantly disappeared on their spots as if they were rus.h.i.+ng to reincarnate.

Chifuyu turned the blue crystal in his hand, before putting it away without a word.

What is that thing?

I suddenly felt very curious, but also too embarra.s.sed to ask. Forget it, based on experience, I just have to wait until they feel like it's alright to tell me, and then they'll probably tell me it themselves; if they're not allowed to tell me, then even if I asked, it would've been for nothing anyway.

At the same time that I was exercising my brain, the shape of a teleportation array appeared on the ground. Less than two seconds later, Lyncinaya appeared in front of us, "You two children, how about drinking some supplements first?" Before Chifuyu or I could even reply, she walked up to the small refrigerator and took out a bottle filled with an unknown substance.

While she was busy, I secretly glanced at the time. Right now it's ten past forty at night…Wait a minute!

Ten o'clock? Why is it that I remember it was just five o'clock before we started the counter incantation?

That counter incantation felt like it shouldn't have taken more than an hour from start to finish, right!? Then during that blank time in the middle, I was taken by aliens to somewhere?

How scary.

Sometimes I really feel that it's very terrifying to activate certain arrays, because more time would pa.s.s than you'd imagine. It can't be that when I activate an array like this one day, and then starting originally still as a young man, after leaving the array, I'd become an old man?

A cup was handed out in front of me. After subconsciously taking it, I realized that this drink was the same one that Restua had previously brought over after the Ghost King's Tomb.

"Drink, then rest for a bit." Lyncinaya blinked at us, getting a cup for herself and sitting on a nearby table.

Glancing at Chifuyu beside me, he looked at that cup for a long time before starting to drink…Could it be that he'd never drank this kind of thing before? It shouldn't be possible. I'm probably thinking too much.

After finis.h.i.+ng the drink, I felt a bit more comfortable. At least I didn't have that feeling of soreness and pain and wanting to bash my head against the wall to die anymore.

Lyncinaya, who had long since placed her cup down, tilted her head and listened for a long while, "Looks like they should be arriving soon."

At the same time that she finished talking, the health care center's door was kicked open by someone. A certain person directly charged in aggressively, "Whoa! This uncle is the first one to reach the terminal!"

Basically this isn't a terminal, and also, are you automatically overlooking the three of us as decorations or dead people?

"Hi, Yang Yang." Coming in after him, Senior Geng's face was still a bit pale, but it looks like her spirit was a lot better. Then she turned her head, and also greeted Lyncinaya.

"Yang~~You actually left me behind and ran off on your own again! And it was even with a nerd! Did I do something to wrong you!?" Rus.h.i.+ng over, the five-colored rooster head took the drink in my hand, and then issued an unknown alleged complaint.

"Uh, probably not…" Watching him drink all of my drink, I was speechless.

"Are you a dog? You still need to follow behind someone?" Pus.h.i.+ng up his gla.s.ses, Chifuyu coldly said.

"Ha! This uncle won't bother to argue with a four-eyed frog!"

"What did you say!?"

As usual, the flames of war immediately ignited.

One after another, the others came in, senior Randall, Ryan, and the students of the other schools.

Just like at the beginning. Only the representatives of Alis Academy were missing.

"You juvenile delinquent! Let's settle all our grudges today!"

"That's just what I want! You four-eyed frog, this uncle is going to turn you into a dried frog and dry you on the roof!"

"You two children, go and fight outside." Lyncinaya directly blasted a certain two people out of the room.

The entire health care center became bustling with noises.

Just like at the beginning, only some people have already left.

The entire room was packed with a dozen or so people, making it very lively. They were all discussing and exchanging information. All of a sudden, it couldn't quiet down.

I sat by the side watching this scene.

And so, just like this, the compet.i.tion has formally drawn to a close.

It's all over.