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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 32
The stigmata are a divine miracle that has appeared only once in the long history of the Church.
A mark of the Lord that only Francis of Assisi had.
A stigmata.
Yet now, that legendary stigmata had manifested in a small land in the distant East.
“Oh…”
Upon witnessing the stigmata, Cardinal Francis fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he began to pray.
Archbishop Ambrosio followed suit.
Of course, Jeanne’s stigmata were not the true divine marks they believed them to be.
They were, at best, an imitation.
It seemed even Cardinal Francis, a leading figure of his time, was unaware that his own predecessors had once fabricated imitation stigmata to mimic divine miracles.
The Church, with its long history, had committed just as many sins and harbored just as many secrets.
‘But… is it really just an imitation?’
Even I was starting to doubt.
In the past, Jeanne’s stigmata had bled they had never radiated such brilliance.
They had emitted light before, but never this warm, dazzling glow.
It was no wonder the two clergymen mistook it for the true stigmata.
As the glow faded and their prayers came to an end, Cardinal Francis rose to his feet.
“What would you have me do?”
His expression was calm. Unlike earlier, when he had hesitated at the mention of essences, there was no trace of uncertainty now.
“Just as I said before I want the essence and the sacred relic.”
“…Understood.”
“…Your Eminence.”
“I will take responsibility.”
Normally, granting a sacred relic required the Pope’s approval. A cardinal could not make such a decision on his own.
The same applied even more so to essences.
Yet, without any conditions, Cardinal Francis accepted my request.
Right then and there, he removed the ring from his own hand and placed it in Jeanne’s.
Then, he retrieved a glass vial filled with essence from his personal quarters.
The essence and the sacred relic had been in the cardinal’s own possession.
“Is there anything else you require?”
“Just ensure that I can come and go through the Gate without interference.”
I made it clear I wanted no entanglement with the Church or exposure to the media. If they failed to uphold this, I would withdraw my support entirely.
“And to be clear, this is only support. If I determine the raid is too difficult, I will withdraw immediately.”
“I understand. I will see to it personally.”
***
With the transaction complete, we returned to the General Store.
Since construction work was limited to the living quarters during the day, the shop was quiet at this late hour.
“How’s the relic?”
“It’s a Ring of Healing. Its ability isn’t all that useful, but it can serve as a source of holy energy.”
Since holy energy itself was attuned to healing, the ring’s healing effect was likely insignificant in comparison.
But that didn’t matter.
The relic was meant to replenish Jeanne’s depleted holy power, not to grant her some new ability.
‘The essence is what really matters.’
I turned my gaze to the glass vial containing the clear liquid.
It was only a mouthful’s worth, but if this essence was the kind I knew, even this small amount would be enough.
Essence was a substance composed solely of the purest concentration of magical energy.
‘I’d love to consume it myself…’
But unfortunately, my body’s potential was low.
Essence was an incredible material capable of strengthening one’s magic, but it wouldn’t suddenly turn an E-rank hunter into an A-rank.
That would require being reborn.
No amount of magic could fill a vessel that was inherently flawed.
So, I had to take a different approach.
‘I’ll cultivate the Snowflower Stone and absorb it through my own power.’
The Snowflower Stone was a self-growing mineral.
Unlike me, its potential was limitless.
So, I would nurture it and integrate it into my Transcendent Connector.
If it was a slot, then it should be possible.
I had already confirmed that the slots weren’t limited to storing only items from another world.
— Storing Snowflower Stone in the General Catalog.
==
[General Catalog]
— Napoleon’s Desk
— Snowflower Stone
==
The Snowflower Stone vanished from my hand and appeared as an entry in the catalog.
But it wasn’t truly gone.
Since the catalog was connected to me, I could still sense the stone and draw upon its magic.
However, this was still an incomplete fusion.
The flow of magic remained unstable, and the connection felt distant.
To fully synchronize with it, I needed to store it in a higher-ranking catalog.
The Relic Catalog.
I couldn’t physically implant the Snowflower Stone into my body, but placing it in the Relic Catalog would be functionally equivalent.
From what I could feel, the Artifact Catalog was practically an extension of my own body.
But for now, that was impossible.
— Higher authority is required to store this in the Artifact Catalog.
Even when I tried to remove Napoleon’s gun and replace it with the stone, a warning message rejected the action.
This meant that the Snowflower Stone had yet to meet the necessary conditions to enter the Artifact Catalog.
It had to grow further.
I uncorked the glass vial and poured every last drop of essence onto the Snowflower Stone.
The transparent liquid dripped onto the stone and was immediately absorbed.
Wuuuuung—!
The once-dormant Snowflower Stone began to resonate.
Whoosh! Crackle!
Fire and ice expanded and shrank in a chaotic cycle, intertwining as if in fierce competition.
And then it changed.
Fwoosh—!
The once-red flames turned blue, illuminating the entire shop with a brilliant glow.
Finally, the flames were drawn into the transparent ice, swirling and coiling within.
==
「Snowflower Stone」
Mana Capacity: 12500 / 12500
Amplification: Enhances the user’s magical output.
==
“Perfect.”
A smile formed on my lips.
The Snowflower Stone, which had been struggling against its limits, had finally broken through and grown.
Not only had its mana capacity more than doubled, but it had also gained the Amplification trait.
If I used 5 units of mana, the stone would enhance it to produce more than just 5 units of power.
In other words, while its listed mana capacity was 12,500, its true potential was far greater.
I’d have to test it to determine the exact extent of its effect.
‘Might even work as a lantern at night.’
That idle thought crossed my mind as I gazed at the Snowflower Stone’s blue flames.
—Resummon cooldown reduced by 3 minutes.
==
Resummon Cooldown: 01:57
==
“Oh.”
It finally went down.
It was just three minutes, but for something that had remained unmoving, any reduction was a major success.
My ultimate goal in increasing my mana was to bring the resummon cooldown down to zero.
Only then could Jeanne break free from the limitations of summoning and truly become a part of this world.
That would also allow her to fully utilize relics without restrictions.
But that wasn’t the only change.
— The holy power of the Stigmata has increased.
Suddenly, a bright glow radiated from Jeanne’s back.
“Jeanne, let me check your Stigmata.”
“Yes.”
With her permission, I examined the markings.
I widened my eyes in surprise.
A single stroke of the once blood-red Stigmata had turned white.
‘Is it turning into the real thing?’
It was just speculation, but the change had undoubtedly been triggered by the increase in her holy power.
And the reason for that increase had to be because my own mana had grown.
Jeanne’s holy power was directly linked to my mana reserves.
If I became stronger, so did she.
At any rate.
[Summons: 3/4]
With this, I could now summon a new Transcendent.
***
Summon slots could be opened and closed at will, like a game host adjusting the number of players in a room.
For now, I chose to keep the slot closed.
Just because it was open didn’t mean a Transcendent would immediately appear, and I had no way of knowing how long they would spend in their own world before responding.
Even if time flows differently in their world, it doesn't matter.
There were only four days left before the Despairing One’s Gate went out of control.
Taking travel time into account, the schedule was already tight.
—Ladies and gentlemen, our flight is now preparing for takeoff. Please ensure your seatbelts are fastened.
“Jeanne, did you buckle up?”
“Yes.”
Jeanne’s voice was as composed as ever, but her actions told a different story.
Her small hands were tightly gripping the armrest, a clear sign of nervousness.
I couldn’t help but smile.
How could Jeanne, a 15th-century Frenchwoman, have ever experienced flying on an airplane?
Back in her time, the sky was considered the domain of God.
We were on a flight from Incheon Airport, heading to the Vatican, where the Despairing One’s Gate was located.
“Do I just… sit still?”
“Yep. If you stay put, the pilot will take care of everything and get us to our destination.”
Bwoooong—
The plane rumbled as it lifted off the ground.
Startled by the sudden sensation of floating, Jeanne instinctively grabbed onto my arm.
The way she curled up in response was oddly adorable.
She was always so calm seeing her flustered like this was rare.
Click—
I snapped a photo without thinking.
Noticing, Jeanne looked up at me with a puzzled expression.
“What did you just do?”
“I took a picture.”
When I showed her the photo, she puffed out her cheeks slightly.
She must not have liked how she looked, all curled up.
But it was cute.
Once she had calmed down a bit, I pointed toward the window.
“Take a look outside, Jeanne.”
Following my gesture, she turned toward the window.
Beyond the glass, the sky stretched endlessly, clear and blue.
A vast sea of white clouds spread out like a soft, endless carpet.
Sunlight poured in warmly.
Her eyes widened in amazement.
“This is incredible… The clouds are right there.”
Looking down, the land below was nothing but tiny dots.
Buildings, packed tightly like clusters of gray specks, looked no bigger than ants.
“…We won’t fall, right?”
“Well we can, but that rarely happens.”
Jeanne clasped her hands together as if in prayer.
I chuckled at how cute she looked but quickly sobered up.
It wasn’t really something to joke about.
Air travel was safe, but accidents, while rare, did happen.
Click—
I took another picture.
***
By the time we arrived in the Vatican, it was late at night.
At one point during the flight, Jeanne’s summoning duration ran out, but I managed to handle it without issue.
Upon landing, we were escorted to our lodging by a bishop.
“See you tomorrow, Jeanne.”
“Yes.”
Once in my room, I dismissed her summoning.
It was too late at night to do anything else anyway.
The next morning, it was time to get moving.
“Before we go, let’s warm up a bit.”
The Despairing One’s Gate rampage was only a few days away, but I wasn’t in a rush.
Before heading in, I needed to assess my condition first.
The Vatican was filled with religious structures, and perhaps because of that, all the Gates here had the dark attribute.
A pitch-black cavern.
Ehehehehe
Pale, ghostly figures cackled as they drifted through the air.
These were Specters monstrous entities born from the souls of the dead.
Physical attacks were useless against them.
Only magic could erase them, and among all types, light magic was the most effective.
Thud, thud!
The Specters’ attacks hammered against my protective barrier.
‘That medal’s finally proving useful.’
Napoleon’s Medal, which had been inefficient before, became much easier to use after the Snowflower Stone evolved.
Thanks to the Amplification trait, it no longer consumed an absurd amount of mana.
Bang—!
Napoleon’s rifle roared, and a Specter lingering near the barrier shattered into pieces.
Mana efficiency: 8%.
A result of my increased mana reserves combined with the Snowflower Stone’s amplification.
‘Let’s see how that one holds up.’
I moved toward a Specter phasing in and out of the cavern walls.
And the moment I took a step.
Whoosh—
My body vanished, reappearing right in front of the creature Shadow Step.
Slash!
My grip tightened around the Twin Dragon Sword as it carved through the Specter, reducing it to nothingness.
‘Hmm.’
My swings were still clumsy due to my lack of strength, but the sheer power was undeniable.
And mana consumption was significantly lower than before.
At this point, there was no need for further testing.
Even though a dozen Specters still drifted through the air, I turned away.
“Jeanne.”
Fwaaaah—!
A divine radiance filled the cavern.
***
The Despairing One’s Gate was once an Eastern Orthodox church used by Russian believers.
A sacred place of worship in its past life, the structure now stood abandoned, overgrown with weeds, exuding an eerie aura.
The entrance to the Gate lay behind the church’s main worship hall.
Astaroth the 29th demon of Solomon’s 72 demons.
A being cast into Hell, eternally lamenting the injustice of its fall.
From within the Despairing One’s Gate, incomprehensible voices whispered, thick with resentment.
“There are Church-affiliated Hunters inside. Please provide them with support.”
“Understood.”
“May the Lord’s blessing be with you.”
Receiving the bishop’s prayer and blessing, Jeanne and I stepped forward into the Despairing One’s Gate.
==
You are now entering the Despairing One’s Gate.
==
Endless darkness welcomed us.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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