Chapter 52: Forbidden Body

“Ugh… my head…” Ethan spoke in a slow, heavy voice, his eyes half-open, his body completely devoid of balance.

He was currently lying atop a cold iron table, covered by a simple white sheet.

A sheet that had quickly turned red, soaked through with his blood.

Moon stood beside him, watching with a deep frown.

Next to her stood several figures .. some dressed in long, humble robes that reflected simplicity, while others wore attire closer to the standard garments of hunters.

Without exception, all of them were priests.

There were five inside the chamber.

Three of the Heart clan, and two outsiders.

All of them were at advanced rank or higher .. making them capable of invoking at least mid-tier incantations .

incantations differed from magic.

They required faith, not intelligent. The stronger one’s faith, the greater the incantations power.

Among the countless incantations known to man, many healing incantations had already been cast upon Ethan in hopes of restoring his broken body.

Moon had been so worried that she invoked her grandfather’s name ..Asterion Heart .. and his standing within the clan to summon this many priests to Ethan’s aid.

Normally, such a number would have been more than sufficient to heal him swiftly and completely.

But today, something impossible occurred.

After casting incantation after incantation upon him…

Every priest present began to frown.

They exchanged tense glances before turning back toward Ethan.

Seeing this unsettling reaction, Moon stepped forward, demanding an explanation for their grim expressions .. and why Ethan remained untreated.

The answer came like a thunderbolt from the eldest among them, an old Heart priest who took it upon himself to speak.

“Good Hunter… your companion… I have never seen a case like this before.”

Moon’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean? Explain yourself clearly.”

The old priest exhaled uneasily, his gaze returning to Ethan.

“I have served as a priest and healed hunters for decades. Though I may not be exceptional, I am confident in my incantations’ ability to mend wounds like these. But…”

He hesitated, swallowing.

“Your companion… the incantations do not work on him. They have no effect whatsoever. It is as if… his body rejects them.”

Moon’s frown deepened.

“What are you saying? It’s impossible for incantations to fail to heal injuries like these.”

“That is precisely what I am telling you, my lady Hunter. incantations can heal him. Easily. But they do not function on him. His body refuses them. I have never witnessed anything like it in my life. incantations work on all humans.”

He paused.

“And only monsters reject them.”

Those words only worsened Moon’s growing dread.

“My lady… I regret to inform you… your companion’s body is not normal.”

“…Is this because of the curse?” she asked, grasping for an explanation .. perhaps the Blood Eclipse Curse was to blame.

But the old priest shook his head.

“No. The problem lies with the body itself, not the curse. The way his body rejects our incantations… is the same way monsters reject them. I fear continuing will only worsen his condition.”

Moon staggered back a step.

Meanwhile, Ethan lay there, barely conscious, listening from afar.

Unlike them .. who understood nothing ..

He understood perfectly.

’I see… the price of the demonic body deal has begun to manifest.’

’The loss of my humanity.’

His thoughts were sluggish, barely coherent.

One of his deal’s had granted him a powerful demonic body .. one with endurance far beyond human limits.

It was the reason he had endured the training earlier. No matter the pain inflicted upon him, his demonic body preserved his consciousness… and kept him alive far longer than any human could endure.

But it came at a cost.

The gradual loss of his humanity.

And now, the first symptom had appeared.

incantations no longer worked on him.

They had always been humanity’s greatest form of healing. At higher tiers, healing incantations could even restore severed limbs.

But Ethan would never benefit from them again.

Because he was no longer considered human.

Worse still .. incantations would now harm him rather than heal him.

“Ah… it feels like my mind is drifting away…”

He muttered weakly, sounding utterly intoxicated.

His body no longer hurt.

He could not feel his limbs at all.

Seeing him deteriorate, Moon quickly lifted him, intending to carry him elsewhere after realizing he could not be healed here.

But just as she turned to leave ..

The old priest stopped her, his expression grave.

“My lady Hunter.”

She turned, urging him silently to speak quickly as Ethan’s condition worsened by the second.

“What I am about to say is for your companion’s sake.”

His voice grew heavier.

“Fortunately, we are all independent priests. But if a follower of the Sacred Throne had been present here… and witnessed his condition…”

His expression darkened.

“He would be condemned immediately for heresy.”

Moon froze.

“And you know what follows such a condemnation.”

At the mention of the Sacred Throne .. and condemnation .. Moon finally grasped the true severity of the situation.

Her worry had clouded her judgment until now.

She nodded slowly.

The old priest stepped aside, clearing her path.

“From this moment forward… avoid priests. And above all, avoid the Holy Knights.”

He met her eyes one last time.

“This is my advice .. as a fellow member of the Heart clan.”

Moon nodded in gratitude once more before running off, Ethan carried on her back.

The old priest watched them for a moment with his narrow crimson eyes, then turned toward those present.

There were five priests in total.

Two of them were not from the Heart clan.

They whispered among themselves about what they had witnessed today…

But the old priest stopped them, approaching with heavy, deliberate steps.

“Well then, gentlemen… I believe we have a pressing matter at hand.”

He stopped before the two foreign priests, staring at them in silence for a moment.

“What is it, sir? Surely you do not suspect us…” the first said.

“We have lived among the Heart for many years. We are one of you now!” the second added, striking his chest with conviction.

The old Heart priest smiled at him.

“Of course. You are one of us now. Do not misunderstand me… I do not doubt you in the slightest.”

He said it with a gentle smile.

Then, in less than a second ..

His expression turned into something far more dangerous.

His hand moved within his robe with terrifying speed, pulling out an ancient scroll.

The moment they saw it, the two foreign priests recoiled in alarm.

But the other Heart priests immediately blocked their escape.

Surrounded.

The old priest stepped forward slowly… and tore the scroll apart.

“I am sorry. But what happens to the Heart… remains with the Heart.”

At the same instant his words fell ..

The sound of shattering echoed.

Then came a thunderous impact.

From nothingness itself, two golden swords manifested .. formed entirely from pure mana.

They pierced the foreign priests’ hearts with terrifying precision, their overwhelming force driving clean through their backs.

Both men collapsed instantly.

Dead in a single strike.

Blood pooled beneath their bodies at the old priest’s feet.

The remaining Heart priests approached, unease written across their faces.

“Sir Grigor… what are we to do now?” one of them asked.

So his name was Grigor.

Grigor Heart.

A healer of Saint rank.

At least level 50 .

Grigor stared at the corpses, then gestured toward them.

“Search them. Find what they were hiding.”

His voice carried no hesitation.

The other priests obeyed immediately, searching the bodies.

Within seconds, they found what they were looking for.

The first man was innocent.

Just a priest who had found his place among the Heart.

But the second…

One of the Heart priests pulled something from within his robes.

And Grigor’s expression darkened instantly.

“…Damn it.”

He stared at the symbol in his hand.

A throne.

And behind it, the blazing radiance of the sun.

“The Sacred Throne…” Grigor muttered bitterly, gripping the emblem.

“We will need to devise a justification for his death. Those fanatical zealots will not let this pass easily.”

He clicked his tongue.

“Damn you, Asterion… what kind of chaos have you brought upon us?”

The old priest gestured to the others.

They understood immediately.

Dispose of the bodies.

Clean the evidence.

Erase the trace.

Grigor turned and stepped outside, his movements heavy with burden.

He lifted his gaze toward the night sky.

Toward the massive Moon hanging above.

Its pale light reflected in his eyes as the cold night wind brushed against his face.

Slowly…

He made his decision.

“So be it. The Sacred Throne… or whoever stands behind it…”

His eyes hardened.

“The Heart do not abandon their own.”

Grigor turned back inside ..

Resolved to protect the secret.

No matter the cost.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep