I have new friends. Her name was Aqua. A blue-colored wisp. I found it when I went to the forest with Matron. Because it looked pretty I also gave it my mana. Now I have two little orbs floating around me. I asked them to hide inside my robe when in the forest though, the undead might notice us.

It has been roughly six months since the baptism. In other places, it should be summer. It didn't affect this area much though. The branch temple was located on the edge of the continent, in the paper it was part of Kingdom Regulus, one of the biggest kingdoms in the continent. The temple of light where the other orphanage went was located in the capital Ros'hein. The God of Light was the most revered in this country, and they have the biggest authority. I also heard they have a royal academy, a place to learn, like a school but bigger. I didn't quite understand, but it was said the biggest school in the continent where even many students from aboard come there too.

Not that it has anything to do with me.

The undead hunt went without hitch. Well after all this time, of course, I became more familiar with them.

Just a few days ago I even defeated a skeleton soldier by myself! Amazing right! I felt like I have become stronger.

Lately, the number of lesser undead that appeared near the miasmas repelling tree has lessened and I need to enter the death forest to search for them. It would be unthinkable six months ago, but lately, it felt easier to enter the death forest. Did my effort finally bear fruit? I felt the miasmas become less thick and I could see better. If I continue I might be able to clear this death forest from the undead, muahaha.

Well, let's not get ahead of myself and proceed with caution like always.

I saw six skeletons. They were a normal skeleton with no weapon. I could do it.

After looking around for another presence, I quickly ready Heal when I was sure there were only six skeletons.

Move quickly between the trees, I aimed heal toward one of them.

Hit, destroyed.

I used my staff to hit them, one on the thigh bone, the joint detached and it fall down. It would make its movement practically rendered.

Four of them started to chase me.

My next heal was ready.

Aim, hit, and turned into ash.

I only noticed a few days ago that the priest has completely advantage toward undead. As long our heal hits them, they will receive massive damage. Of course, it could not be said if fighting against non-undead. I started to understand the danger of meeting non-undead and why Head Temple warned me to run away when I met them. Heal could only damage undead, and staff skill not strong enough to fight non-undead. It might be possible to defeat a weak monster like a goblin, but it might not deal enough damage against something like orc or wolf.

Fortunately, I have never met any non-undead monster in this forest.

According to the Head Temple theory, there might be a powerful undead that has made a home of this death forest. Although it was unlikely a bone dragon class, it should be really powerful undead. And generally, even monsters would reluctant to enter the forest inhabited with such powerful undead. And thus only undead exist in this death forest.

I parry the advance of the other three and ready my next heal. Common skeleton means of attack was their grip and sometimes their bite. It was not really powerful, but a group of them would still tear an adult man into pieces. However, as long as I didn't allow them to grab me, then fighting them is a piece of cake.

I hit one of them in the knee, and throw a heal toward another.

Parry, evade. Heal.

Now the only left was the ones fall to the ground. But before I could finish them off, I felt a presence approaching this place. A pretty strong one.

I quickly took a few steps back and change the incantation of heal into protection. Protection was a spell that increases defense, I learned it a few days ago. The mana cost was not that high, but I didn't have much opportunity to use it because I often defeated my enemies with an ambush.

I looked at the surroundings and spot a shadow-like figure fly toward our location. Ghost? No, it was a wraith.

This was the first time I saw it. And to be honest it was pretty eerie.

But I did not let my guard down and prepare to use purification.

Because they didn't have a corporal body, rather than heal purification would be more effective to them.

Good thing I could still use them. But if this failed, I might not have enough mana to cast another, so I need to focus.

It was fast, but still too far. I need to wait.

"XXIIAAA!" It suddenly screamed and plunged toward me. Now.

"Purification."

"XAAAAAA!!!!" White smoke appeared from it and it becomes fainter and fainter until it disappeared.

That was a close one, and to be honest it was pretty scary, especially its scream.

Good thing it did not perform acrobatic maneuver though, I would not be able to hit it if it did.

I quickly finish off the two skeletons left and returned to the orphanage. Today was a good harvest.

...

...

My daily life had started to slightly more focused on hunting undead. Mainly because I have made my decision and my mana has been growing bigger each day.

I started to plan to go to the forest three times a day, the morning after training, noon right after lunch, and afternoon before sunset.

I might start to do it next month.

When I report my fight with the wraith I was praised, but Matron looked really worried and hugged me. She told me to be always alert and careful. I nodded.

I tried to consult the head temple on how I did not have any means to fight against non-undead monsters other than staff, which completely lacking, but the head temple also did not have any good idea. She said some of the Gaia's Priest she knew used halberd, spear, greatsword, and the likes to fight, but Head Temple only knows staff skill, and there is no longer any weapon like that in the temple. So the only option I have was only to run away in the end.

...

...

Few days passed without nothing special happened. I haven't met any more wraith so I keep hunting lesser undead as usual. But one day, I felt a similar presence with the wraith. Multiple of them.

Normally I would turn back, but I also felt a similar presence with Weiss and Aqua too. So it most likely there was wisps with them.

Ugh, it did not feel right to left them. But whether I could win against the wraiths were different problems. At least I should check it out. I could run away if it was impossible.

I hide my presence the best I could and move swiftly toward their direction.

And it was as I expected. A number of wisp being chased around by wraiths. As I could see and sense, there were three wraiths and four wisps.

The wraiths were as eerie as the one I faced before. The wisps on another hand have different colors with Weiss and Aqua. There were red, green, yellow, and black. They tried hard to avoid the wraith attacks.

Ugh, three wraiths. It was more than the number purification I could use in a short time. I could not deal with them. Additionally, they didn't have a corporal body so my staff skill would not have any effect on them. And wraith speed could overrun my running speed.

What should I do? Leaving them alone would leave a bad taste, but at least I could survive.

I gripped the staff in my hand. Weiss and Aqua appeared from inside the robe.

I knew they wanted me to save the wisps. But how...

Although I could defeat two of them, the last one could kill me. Wraith absorbs the life energy of living things until the victim dried up.

I could run, but it will catch up before I reach the miasmas repelling tree. No, I need to reach the barrier. The miasmas repelling tree would only make them weaker, not kill them.

Every time it absorbs life my stamina would dry up too, so my speed would gradually become slower and slower.

What should I do...

I felt movement from inside my robe. Weiss and Aqua.

You want me to save them? But how?

They floated around me and blinking.

"---trust us---"

As if they were saying something like that.

I sighed. Well, there is no way they did say that of course. But I guess I have no choice. I am sorry Matron, Head Temple.

I focused my mind to cast purification. Two purifications and probably one or two heals. I doubt heal would deal any damage to it.

Should I use protection? Nah, increasing my defense would not affect their absorption.

Here we go.

Focus, I need to hit them precisely.

They move back and forth chasing the wisps. Because the wisps always evade them, they looked enraged. But it looked like it won't last long, so I need to do something fast.

When one of the wraiths charged forward, I also jumped from my hiding spot and fire purification toward it.

It screamed before disappearing.

The other two wraiths quickly noticed me, I quickly chant another purification, but will this be fine?

One of them charged toward me. This is not good.

Weiss and Aqua appeared before me.

They shined and the wraith suddenly stopped in its track.

Just for a moment.

I retreated a few steps. The wraith screamed, it seems like it was even angrier than before.

But battle could be determined in a matter of seconds. My incantation was complete.

It charged toward me and hit my purification head-on.

Now, what should I do with the last wraith? Should I run now?

I was ready to run, but suddenly the other wisps started to gather near me.

The battle could be determined in a matter of seconds, I just said that, and now it might bite me.

Because I was surprised by the wisps, I lost time that I should use to run away.

The wraith screamed.

It will charge toward me, and absorb my life force.

I didn't have any time to run away.

.......sing......

I felt like, I heard that voice from somewhere. A quiet and calm voice.

I instinctively obeyed it. And sing the song that I always sing. The Harvest song.

The wisps started to shine. White, blue, red, yellow, green, and black. Umm, I didn't think the black one "shine" literally, but it looked bigger.

They circled around me.

The wisp that about to pounce stopped in its track. And it screamed. Yet it did not move closer.

I continued to sing.

I see, the wisps protected me.

But since the wraith didn't seem afraid, it should be not posed any danger toward it. And yet it did not dare pounce.

I retreated step by step.

The wraith only watched as I moved away slowly.

I turned around and started to run while singing.

The wisps continue to circle around me. I could not see the wraith, but the presence did not seem to have moved.

I did not dare to dally and just keep running.

Only after reaching the barrier, I dared to turn back.

The wraith did not chase after me. On the other hand, six wisps now floating around me.

They looked happy.

I crumbled to the ground. I am glad to be alive.