Crimson Servant

Nora was not the first person I saw when I regained consciousness, but she was the one who stayed with me longest during my waking hours.

Recovering from the Crimson Servant's frenzy, my spirit sank into a constant state of discomfort. Because of the body of this flesh and blood monster, there is a strong difference between the cognitive human soul and this crimson corrupted body. Just lowering my head, this deformed body that should only be seen in nightmares is enough to make me gag.

I am a monster, a servant created by an evil god.

This self-loathing intensified as I sobered up, and even though Mariana and Nora hid it well, Francis would directly express his hatred for me with his eyes.

"It's just this body that makes me feel uncomfortable. Your body is not suitable for learning fighting skills. You can't become a warrior."

Francis is a powerful warrior and I have seen him fend off three Crimson Servants alone and dismember them one by one. My awe of his martial arts skills and the awkwardness his cold straightforwardness brought me were intertwined into a new emotion, fear. During my days in Juancrit, my fear of dark elves even overshadowed the pressure of survival.

The amazing thing is that whenever I am afraid of Francis, Nora will always appear next to me immediately, scolding the Dark Elf for its strength and weirdness without flinching.

The petite figure in front of me contained courage that I couldn't understand, which made me, who was frightened and uneasy, rely on her even more. Unknowingly, Nora and I tacitly established a relationship that went beyond ordinary friendship.

This shapeshifter druid became my playmate and guide when I was still a tall monstrosity of flesh.

Sometimes she turns into a black bear to wrestle with me, sometimes she turns into a deer racing with me, sometimes she turns into a hide-and-seek bird, oh, and she plays tireless pranks. Nora freed me from all kinds of worries and made me look up at the deep red sky without any burden.

She also tried to use her gift as a shapeshifter to become one of my kind, but she failed.

"Without enough physical strength and magical power, it seems difficult for me to be your kind. You are too big, John."

It wasn't until later that I understood the reason for her evasion. The Crimson Servant is not considered a humanoid, so she cannot transform. This was definitely a shock to me at the time, but Nora managed to get around it well. For a period of time after that, like a gambler who refused to admit defeat, she spent a lot of time studying the body of the Crimson Servant.

"I have a hunch, John, that the path to redemption lies within."

Mariana and Frances had no problem with Nora's dangerous attempts, and they provided all kinds of help to the dedicated Nora, as if they were expecting something.

That day, I dragged my body back to Nora.

She gave birth to a sapling in Juancrete, a bright red plant with twisted stems.

Nora saw me and patted the ground beside her.

I understood and lay down two meters away, resting my head on the ground and looking up at the red clouds in the sky.

Nora's fingers caressed my face, and I could feel the tiny muscles wrapping around her fingers like mistletoe climbing up a supporting tree. I controlled my flesh and let Nora continue her caressing.

"In a bad mood?" Nola's voice appeared in my ear, and her gentle voice made me give up the urge to hide it.

"Francis, he prophesied to me. He said that my destiny was a whirlpool of blood, destined to drag down those close to me. My future would only bring disaster and suffering, and would only hurt the people I love most. Nora, should I really leave here with you? Maybe I should stay, I don’t want to hurt you..."

"Francis is an idiot." Nora held my face and cursed the dark elf companion angrily.

After that, Nora and I fell into silence. We all know the truth. Francis has a pair of mysterious eyes, those star-gazing eyes that can see fragments of the future. Moreover, unlike his cunning compatriots, Francis does not like to lie.

"I found a way to turn you into a human, John."

"Wild Transformation."

"To be more precise, this is a reversal spell of wilderness transformation."

I looked at Nora who was swearing, and said doubtfully: "I'm not a druid, Nora."

"You don't need to be a druid, John. It's a shadow spell, like a fusion of Sheep and Wild Form. It's not just a change of outer form, it's a complete and complete transformation. There was Many druids have been transformed into wild forms for so long that they have forgotten their original identities. In the end, they really became animals, and I was inspired by it. What do you think I spent so much time busy with? I am a A master of transformation, I can guarantee that even if you live your whole life, you will be hard-pressed to see anyone whose transformation ability can match mine."

I smiled, but in my heart I wasn’t optimistic about Nora’s idea.

The Crimson Servant comes from a sacrifice to Veltis, my Reckless Sacrifice Ritual. Can Nora Sebas' transformation ability compare to the influence of the Crimson God?

"Nora, even if you change your appearance, you can't stop the crimson gift. My core will not change. I am still a monster in human skin."

Nora Sebas held my face between her hands, lowered her head, looked at me upside down, and said seriously:

“The most important thing is not what you are, but what you want to be.”

"What you are is determined when you are born."

"Although there are differences in lifespan between races, life should not take at least a hundred years to understand a long-established truth."

"That's meaningless, John. The meaning of life is that you find a goal you like and move towards it. This is a normal life."

I looked into her eyes, those beautiful, lustrous eyes.

"But what if you fail? If you fail to see your true nature and pursue blindly, you will get nothing in the end."

"Plants grow towards the sun, and they will not touch the sun until they wither. However, in the process of yearning for the sun, they will bloom beautiful flowers."

Nora Sebas smiled excitedly.

“I don’t know what my alternative future would have been if I hadn’t come to Juancrete.”

"But John, you are a prize given to me by fate, a prize I would never trade."

"This prize is so good that no matter what happens in the future, I am willing to accept it."

My body felt hot, and my insides felt like a furnace that was constantly releasing the flames of joy. I controlled the restlessness in my heart to prevent the joy from being released and turning into hurtful violence. I opened my mouth and was about to say something. Nora put her finger on my lips.

"But, John. [Nora's Human Transformation] is still a work-in-progress. I cannot guarantee the risks involved in the spell. Compressing your current body to a normal human body size means severe pain and possibly some uncertainty." negative effects.”

"Haha, I gave you a body, but it's you who will feel the pain. This is quite interesting."

Nora used her jokes to calm my nerves, and I already knew what she meant.

Nora Sebas is an indispensable friend that I must not lose.

"Nora."

"Um."

"I will definitely listen to Mariana's teachings carefully in the future, and I will not let you down."

Nora’s cheeks puffed up quickly, and she hit my chin with her raised fist.

She shouted angrily: "I have worked so hard to tell you so much, but you want to listen to Marianne? Why not listen to me!"

I feel a little wronged.

"Because you never asked me to do anything..."

As a spiritual guide, Marianne Dahl set a series of rules for me to stabilize my mind. She was an excellent teacher.

Nora Sebas was my caregiver, but apart from some jokes, she didn’t seriously ask for anything more from me.

After hearing my answer, Nora's eyes softened, she lowered her head and kissed my skinless bloody forehead.

"Hmph, then I will give you the next requirement that you must comply with."

"John Kemp, if you ever encounter unbearable grief and pain in the future, before you have a nervous breakdown..."

"You must come to me."

she added playfully.

"But I am a shapeshifter. So you still have to face a challenge. You have to find me first!"

…

The Crimson Beloved saw Wendigo's corpse, her headless body sitting on her knees, just like she had done thousands of times in her memory.

Blood flowed from her eyes, and the blood flow on the earth connected with her.

Nora, I'm here, I found you...

But why does this sadness not stop...

The Crimson Servant releases his pain.

"Virtis..."

"Virtis..."

"Virtis..."