Chapter 1008 - 1008: Sweet as Honey

"Hello, everyone."

The emerald eyes reflected four different faces, the young girl waved with a radiant smile.

The Hero, who had flown directly from the Isolated Island Church to the dense forest, expanded her Perception and locked onto the Goblins while also discovering the nearest patrol and the leading Battle Nun.

Although she had only met them once, the Hero naturally wouldn't forget those who had helped her before.

So without even a glance, after burning the entire region of Green Skins into ashes with a Goblin, she moved over and greeted them.

The sudden appearance of the Saintess elicited different reactions from the four members of the squad.

The Mage, who realized it first, reacted almost reflexively, bending over with excitement and delight.

"Indeed! That was the Holy Fire of Lady Saintess purifying the evil!"

The Priest next to him blushed, his lips quivering, but he couldn't utter a word. Reminded by his teammates' actions, he hurriedly followed suit with a grand bow.

"Lady Saintess, greetings."

The Battle Nun, after the initial shock, quickly regained her composure, almost as if she had rehearsed this scenario many times in her mind. She showed a heartfelt smile and bowed.

"We are patrolling around the town. We noticed the Goblins approaching and were planning to eradicate them." She explained in a businesslike manner.

Given the Hero's current status, every word and deed can have a significant impact.

If she actively expressed being an acquaintance of the Saintess, she would gain considerable leverage in any aspect of the Church.

But the Hero keenly noticed the Battle Nun didn't seem inclined to do so, so she just responded with a smile:

"Mm, thank you all for your hard work."

Then, the Hero looked curiously at the silent Shooter.

From the beginning, those observant eyes had been silently staring at her, frozen in place.

This reaction wasn't uncommon, but the Hero sensed that the Shooter wasn't stunned but was engaged in some intense internal struggle.

Meeting the Hero's gaze, the Shooter finally made a decision and gathered the courage to speak loudly:

"Lady Saintess, please give me your autograph!"

Then, the Shooter swiftly rummaged through the ammo-filled tactical vest—a First Turn Professional couldn't yet generate bullets with Magic Power—and pulled out a book.

The book wasn't thick, as it was placed closely, the corners were frayed, but overall it was still in good condition.

"Is this a magazine?" The Hero blinked, her eyes falling on the cover.

The woman on it was unmistakably herself.

With the Kingdom's printing industry flourishing, citizens were no longer satisfied with newspapers. Specialized magazines on various fields emerged in response.

Each Great Guild had its publication, and the one in the Shooter's hand was clearly issued by the Church.

Looking at herself on the cover, the Hero recalled a bit.

"There was indeed a time when I was returning from the Scripture Church, sitting on a street bench, and an uncle requested a photo... So it was used here."

Every time she completed her duties as a Saintess and appeared in various events, magic apparatuses for shooting would flash from under the stage, so the Hero was somewhat accustomed to it.

However, during her solitary walks, the Hero would restrain her Charm, so she was rarely disturbed. After awakening the Forbidden Secret's power, even a Legendary being wouldn't notice her passing by without consciously perceiving it.

Thus, the street photo request left quite an impression.

Probably, it wasn't recognizing her specifically but perceiving the environment she was in as a beautiful scenery and thus noticing her within it.

In simple terms, even if someone else sat on the bench, mimicking her actions, the uncle would have made the same request.

"But, why is the hair this color?" Although the Hero had read many books by now, she hadn't seen many magazines, so she curiously studied herself on the cover.

Although it was indeed her, there were slight differences—the hair on the cover shone with an aurora-like gleam.

Currently, her hair no longer changes color like this.

"It's said they used special dyes that change color with the environment and temperature," the Shooter explained, "to promote a high-tier hair dye called Weather Forecast."

"Ah, so it's finally on sale." The Hero nodded in understanding.

The Cruising Bishop mentioned it long ago.

With the upcoming century performance, major businesses were flocking to the Colorless Ring.

The stage of the century performance, with the Church's full investment, would be broadcast nationwide and even abroad via Magic Broadcast. Even a second of footage was an incomparable publicity opportunity.

This unprecedented exposure benefit made those keen-sensing merchants rush; they'd spare no expense to gain even a slight association with the Saintess.

However, unauthorized modification of the sacred image was a grave sin, and public ceremony performances could not be meddled with.

Only a select few products, with the Saintess's personal approval, were allowed to use her image for promotion.

Though she agreed, she didn't make special time to shoot advertisements, so they'd creatively come up with such solutions.

Understanding this, the Hero nodded knowingly, and seeing the slightly anxious Shooter after answering, she smiled faintly.

Then she extended her hand, her fingertip elegantly leaving her name on the cover with fluent strokes.

"It's signed."

"Th-thank you, Lady Saintess!" The Shooter was overjoyed, clutching the magazine, "I will treasure it as a family heirloom!"

The Priest, observing this, stood agape, letting out a silent moan, seemingly can't believe his piety lost to an out-of-towner Shooter.

"I clearly bought this issue too... Why did I leave it on the shelf?"

The Mage, seeing this, showed a fervent expression—naturally, the Mage carried scrolls.

However, before he could speak, the Battle Nun decisively intervened:

"Enough."

Her tone was calm but left no room for doubt.

"Let's not disturb Lady Saintess any longer; we still have a patrol to complete."

"Yes!"

The leader spoke, and though reluctant, the three could only comply, bowing once more to the Hero, about to turn and leave.

Witnessing this, the Hero thought for a moment and called out:

"Wait."

The four simultaneously halted their steps and turned around.

Facing the battle nun who looked puzzled, the Hero smiled and said:

"I have a task here that requires your cooperation."

[Lord of the Island: A kind of plant]

1.5. Grass

2.6. Flower

3.7. Tree

4.8. Vine

9. Anchor

10. Great Success/Extreme Failure

D10=2

♛: Flower

[Attribute]

1. Four Elements (Earth, Wind, Water, Fire)

2. Light and Dark

3. Exotic Elements (Ice, Thunder, etc.)

4. Composite Elements

5. Spirit

6. Nature

7. Negative Energy (Poison, Evil, etc.)

8. Mutated Attribute (Sand, Steel, etc.)

9. Special (Illusion, Dream, Dragon, etc.)

10. Great Success/Extreme Failure

D10=8

♛: Mutated Attribute (Sand, Steel, etc.)

→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←

"Lady Saintess, can we really do this with just us?"

The shadows of the trees intertwined, and the dense forest seemed gloomy even during the day. The voice of the battle nun carried a hint of hesitation and unease.

They were far removed from human habitation, even the ruins of the past were no more, fully stepping into the primal wilderness.

"No problem at all, you're just right."

The Hero gently reassured.

Leading the charge, her skirt fluttered lightly, walking among the tangled roots of the trees as if she were on even ground. It wasn't like exploring a rarely-visited secret realm, more like a girl on an outing, creating a stark contrast with the struggling team behind her.

Their goal was the center of the Isolated Island.

Although the Isolated Island was deemed to have little valuable resources, that was only relative to overseas transport costs.

Disregarding the distance and the danger, the island itself was far from a barren land; if put inland, it would undoubtedly be considered a rich region. In terms of natural environment, it far surpassed the countryside where her grandfather lived.

According to the Ghost Ship's nautical log, after the last crew member perished, it navigated the seas for decades relying on dead spirits. The Ghost Ship first sighted the Isolated Island, even mistaking it for the legendary New Continent until weeks of cruising and surveying revealed it was a misjudgment.

Thus, during the great age of navigation, even though the Kingdom indeed established a foothold on the Isolated Island, building ports and towns, it merely occupied a coastal corner, far from conquering the entire island.

The wider and deeper regions remained under the rule of Magic Creatures.

Among them, the most powerful entity was the Lord of this island.

Records show the Kingdom's success in establishing the town was thanks to the nature of this Monster Lord.

Because it was a peculiar flower Magic Creature rooted in the island's center, as long as one didn't delve too deep, it wouldn't attack.

"But since we're here, we certainly need to have a talk with the local Lord." The Hero glanced back, noting how much effort the other three exerted, apart from the battle nun.

The effort of advancing through the dense forest was worlds apart from moving on flat land; the Mage was already panting heavily.

Thus, she slowed her pace, summoning a breeze with a thought to ease their journey.

"First, we need to ask for its help to prevent the Goblins' regeneration. After all, this is a long-term task, and only the local Lord can be entrusted with it.

"As for you, you need to act as 'representatives of Humankind,' so it can remember the scent of humans and avoid unnecessary conflicts in the future."

After all, the Hero knew she couldn't serve as a model for humanity...

"Lady Saintess, you mentioned having a talk with the Lord... Do you think it'll really listen?" the Priest worried.

Upon hearing this, the Hero chuckled, a flash of scarlet fleeting across her emerald eye.

"Hmm... perhaps it will?" The girl didn't turn her head, only curling her lips.

"After all, I don't have any other option to offer it."

[Flower Demon - Mutated Attribute]

1.5. Steel Flesh

2.6. Unpredictable

3.7. Honey Crystal

4.8. Light Dust and Dark Mist

9. Anchor

10. Great Success/Extreme Failure

D10=3

♛: Honey Crystal

→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←