Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Transcendent Priest
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Thwack!
Silberna's spear shaft slammed into Jonathan, sending him sprawling to the ground in a heap. Clutching his mouth, he lifted his head.
"No matter the reason, I can't just let this slide right now."
A menacing aura radiated from her.
She gripped the spear shaft tightly, as if barely suppressing the urge to swing it.
"Eek! Pffft-haha!"
"Hey! Cut it out!"
Sharen shouted angrily too, and Jonathan clamped both hands over his mouth.
But his gaze remained fixed on the piles of corpses.
An instinct to drink in the sight for as long as possible.
In the end...
"You bastard—!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Silberna swung the spear shaft wildly, cracking it against Jonathan's temple.
With a sharp smack, Jonathan passed out cold.
But the unpleasant smirk on his lips lingered, frozen like it was caught in the chill.
"What the hell?!"
The massacre of Andes Village alone was enough to deal with, but now Jonathan was causing chaos on top of it. Silberna clutched her head, a headache brewing as she shot Sharen a look with a long sigh.
"He's Helmunt's man, so you watch him, Sharen. The rest of us will head inside and assess the situation."
"O-okay!"
Sharen stood by, pinning the fallen Jonathan under her foot.
The rest of the group moved toward the corpse piles, with Isaac and Silberna taking the lead.
"What kind of lunatic..."
"Just like Anna said—specific body parts have been carved out."
Maggots, parasites, and flies swarmed everywhere, making it hard to see clearly, but there were clear marks where eyeballs or thumbs had been gouged out.
"Urk."
Feeling queasy, Anna stepped back to scout the village outskirts, while Meladic kept his distance, staying vigilant.
It was because of what Isaac had mentioned earlier—how recently they'd died.
"Why do something like this? Organ trafficking?"
"If it was, they'd have kidnapped them. No point in taking eyeballs or fingers anyway."
"True... So what? Looting? And torture for fun while they were at it?"
"Possible."
Isaac glanced around casually.
"But I doubt it."
Silberna caught his meaning immediately and bit her lip.
"Valuables are still here. So it wasn't looting."
Typical bandit raids stripped everything of value, leaving villages like gutted fish skeletons.
But even a quick scan showed Andes Village intact—items left in place, just devoid of people.
"Then I have no clue. What the hell is this?"
Silberna stabbed her spear into the ground in frustration.
Her chest tightened with unresolved questions about these deaths.
"Damn it... If we'd come sooner, we might've saved them."
Even as he heard her sigh-laden voice, Isaac racked his brain internally.
For now, he was certain.
'It's a ritual.'
Not bandits or organ traffickers—damaging specific body parts like this meant using people as sacrifices.
Not after their possessions, but their lives.
'Piled up like this... Has it even started yet? If it's a ritual using humans, it can't be ordinary.'
Something worse than the familiarization curse Pollu suffered.
'Wait...'
A sudden doubt struck Isaac.
'Did Pollu die in my past life?'
Learning the Blackhand family's secret from the transcendent margrave was solely Isaac's doing.
That's why Pollu, a Blackhand, joined Recon Team 5—and got hit by the familiarization ritual from the yeti.
'Pollu didn't die in the past life.'
It was almost certain.
Assuming the Andes Village massacre didn't happen then either...
'The link between them is the ritual.'
Did the transcendent who cursed Pollu come here?
Did his death change something?
Goosebumps prickled his skin, and Isaac's hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
"Silber—!"
The moment he whipped his head to shout urgently, he caught sight of someone approaching from the mountainside connected to the village.
The air grew heavy.
The once pure, crisp northern wind turned foul and oppressive, sticking in his throat like slime.
Long hair reached her ankles, her attire like a bride's.
The thick book in her hand looked too heavy for one grip.
Pale skin and a pair of horns proclaimed her inhuman.
"That guy's the one, right?"
Silberna's eyes were already locked on her. The others fell silent, swallowing hard under the overwhelming presence.
"Ooh."
If the margrave openly resembled a tiger, this one looked like a demon from myth.
Fangs protruded menacingly, yet her demeanor and speech seemed that of a gentle gentleman.
"Recon Team 5! I've been dying to meet you!"
She even seemed to know all about Recon Team 5.
"You... know us?"
Anna's question drew a beaming smile.
"Of course! You put up quite the fight against my familiar. It was a strong ritual too—I put real effort into it."
She pressed the book to her heart, eyes closing solemnly as if honoring Pollu.
"The familiarization kicked in at an unexpected moment, which surprised me. That's why I came here."
"You're the one who...?"
"Ah, forgive my late introduction! Nortemus is my name! You could say I'm Pollu's master!"
Pollu's death, absent in the past life.
The new disaster it summoned.
'This is insane.'
His hand rested on his sword, but Isaac doubted drawing it would help.
Last time with the margrave, he could've fled to Mallidan Wall and trusted Uldiran Caldias.
But no such power here against a transcendent.
'Can we even win?'
No matter how he thought, it was impossible.
Even with Silberna's growth, fighting a ritual-wielding transcendent was too much.
"Hoo."
Aware of the gap, Nortemus oozed leisure.
Her gaze shifted oddly to one man.
"Helmunt's young lady? Pardon me, but could you move your foot?"
"Huh? M-me?"
"Yes. He looks like a half-kin to me, precious as any compatriot."
Sharen glanced down at Jonathan in confusion at the request.
But she didn't budge.
Seemed like she hated feeling outmatched.
"N-no way!"
"Haha, this is awkward."
Nortemus closed her eyes briefly.
Then smiled softly with a proposal.
"How about this? Leave your compatriot and go. I'll pretend I didn't see you, and you do the same for me."
"Bullsh—!"
"Mind your tongue, Caldias."
Nortemus's killing intent crushed Silberna's restrained outburst.
"I'm offering to let it slide since I hate interruptions. No need to beg for your lives—be grateful for the mercy."
No bluff or lie in her tsking demeanor.
Pure confidence she could slaughter them all.
She turned from Silberna to Sharen with a gentle smile.
"Helmunt's young lady must grant my request. Otherwise, I'll have to kill your companions."
"Uh, uhh..."
Overpowered by the pressure, Sharen cautiously lifted her foot. Black ooze gathered at Nortemus's fingertips.
It slithered through the tainted wind to Jonathan.
Embracing the unconscious knight, it drew him to Nortemus's side.
"Even half, you're a compatriot to me."
Nortemus caressed Jonathan's cheek lovingly.
His skin flushed red, veins bulging.
"There, deal's done. Ah! Could there be a finer day for us all?"
Nortemus threw her arms wide, laughing brightly.
"I get my compatriot, and you get your lives! A time of grace and blessing! Praise be to the divine!"
The thick tome fluttered in the wind.
Silberna whispered to Isaac beside her.
"If we fight...?"
"We die. Guaranteed."
She was more dangerous than the margrave.
"Farewell, everyone. Helmunt's young lady especially—stay safe."
Nortemus bowed deeply.
Meladic and Anna edged back subtly.
But Silberna stood firm.
"Hm?"
Because Isaac hadn't moved.
"The wisest among you turns out surprisingly stubborn?"
Nortemus smiled at Isaac.
"Didn't you just say we can't fight?"
She'd even heard their whisper from this distance.
Amazed again by transcendent physique, Isaac replied.
"Turning our backs now means death."
"..."
Nortemus's gaze chilled.
The gentlemanly poise vanished as she rolled her shoulders and clutched her book to her chest.
"How did you know?"
"Transcendents don't leave humans alive."
"Hm, you know a bit about us. But just as humans vary, so do we—not all are the same."
"Maybe."
But not this one.
"I doubt a psycho like you would let us go nicely."
"Psycho? Have you met a kinder one?"
Even as tension and cold stiffened his body, Isaac kept his strength ready.
"You don't believe in gods."
"..."
"Yet you dress like a saint, clutching that book like holy scripture. Fakers pretending to be divine messengers are usually psychos. Or con artists."
"Heh, hehehe."
Nortemus tilted her head with a creepy chuckle.
"Quite."
Her gleaming eyes fixed on Isaac.
"Wise."
The low voice resonated like an orchestra's prelude.
Something was about to begin, the atmosphere thickening heavily.
"Guh, ughhh!"
A groan as Jonathan stirred.
Black patterns spread across his body from an unknown source.
His sclera blackened, merging with his pupils.
"Ah, my compatriot."
Nortemus welcomed him with a radiant smile.
"How's the new world? Seeing your desire to sever ties with humanity, I've prepared the ritual!"
Book to her heart, her other hand elegantly indicated Recon Team 5.
Like a waiter seating diners.
"Feast upon them. Claim them. Prove yourself one of us, compatriot!"
At her words, Jonathan raised his greatsword.
His neat fangs elongated with a grind, like a vampire from legend.
"Come! Together we resist the world, compatriot—!"
Schluck!
The greatsword pierced the book, thrusting skyward.
Dark crimson blood dripped from the blade, Nortemus impaled alongside, creaking her head to glare at Jonathan.
"Comp-triot...!"
"No—."
Tears welled in Jonathan's blackened eyes.
"You're not."
"Compatriot!"
"I am—."
Choking back sobs, Jonathan thrashed and muttered.
"A proud and noble... knight of Helmunt."
Nortemus's face twisted viciously at Jonathan's reply.