Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Suspiciously Suspicious - 1
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Kur-rung!
Over the plain blooming with white flowers, ominous dark clouds spread like ink. Like black afterimages swept by waves, the aura of the dead began to linger.
-Clack clack
-Kyahaha...
-Grroooar—!
Walking skeletons, corpses with scraps of flesh clinging to them, and eerie ghosts shrouded in ominous cloth were slowly moving in a horde. They headed toward the holy site, following the dark clouds that blocked the sunlight like parasols.
A gloom as if a downpour might start any moment.
The sounds of hundreds of spectral monsters echoed for hundreds of meters around. It was a landscape shrouded in an ominous presence beyond mere numbers.
That horde of hundreds surged like waves.
Sneering at the feeble existences before them.
-Clack!
-Keeheehee—!
-Grooo...
….
….
….
….
In the midst of that scene.
Stood me, Niva, Abel, and Angela, who had joined us late.
With the sunlight blocked by the dark clouds leading the horde, Abel and Angela had their hoods pulled low.
A white-clad,
silver-haired and pink-haired duo.
I glanced at the angelic pair on that ground and thought.
….
'Sunlight isn't a complete weakness for them—it's just direct rays they're vulnerable to. They can handle it once filtered.'
Fascinating vampires.
And the pose of us four gazing arrogantly at the horde, like protagonists from a hero movie. It gave me a bit of a rush somehow. But I didn't show it in this serious situation.
I wasn't tense,
but I wasn't the type to crack jokes in a grave atmosphere either.
I eyed the horde slowly approaching from several hundred meters ahead.
'That many—I could wipe them out with a single boulder drop.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -It's fine. We'll handle it. -It's been a while since we received the Lord's blood. Abel and Angela insisted on showing their power firsthand. So Niva and I just watched them with mild tension.
Angela removed her eyepatch and spoke. Crimson light flashed from her eye.
"The Storm Horde returns after half a year. As a saintess, I cannot allow it."
Flash!
Abel also removed his eyepatch, opening his narrow slit eyes.
"As long as we stand here, we won't let you pass. That is our duty."
Flash!
The two vampires looked just like dark heroes from a movie. I was quietly impressed by how cool they seemed. Niva gave me a strange look as she noticed.
"You like that kind of stuff, huh?"
"It's cool."
"Should we say lines when we do boulder drops too?"
….
I was tempted.
But I shook my head.
"We crash in a few seconds—no time."
"True, but if we could slow the fall with wind magic..."
"Delaying just for lines is a bit much."
"A bit?"
"Yeah."
"Then forget it."
While we chatted.
The two finished their lines and lifted the canteens I'd given them—filled with blood—to their lips. Their throats bobbed as they gulped down the blood I'd carefully prepared.
Gulp!
"!"
"!"
They pulled away from their canteens, and their eyes flashed again. This time, the glow was intense, like lasers might shoot out.
"This power...!"
"This scent...!"
The two nodded at each other.
"More than ever, we'll give our all..."
"...with full sincerity!"
Then Angela gracefully raised her hand from bottom to top, and Abel forcefully swept his down from top to bottom, shouting.
"Blood Saint—!"
"Blood Saint—!"
Splurt!
Red blood sprayed from their white hands like mist, instantly hardening into massive spears. The blood-forged spears were etched with sacred patterns.
Gripping a spear each, they charged forward. Bloody afterimages trailed them as they accelerated rapidly.
"Haat!"
"Hup!"
Like misty blood,
with the ferocity of wolves,
the two dashed out.
Tat tat tat!
They became vivid red streaks, massacring the spectral monsters. Wherever the blood magic touched, the creatures ignited from the hot life force.
-Shaaaak—!
Screams like priests searing them personally.
The wails you'd expect from a perfect counterattack.
There, I discerned another property of blood magic.
'Does it infuse sacred power into the magic itself!'
Angela and Abel's casting speed was impressive too.
Mastery hard to match even with shortcuts. They became twin red streaks across the plain, slaughtering the murky gray spectral monsters.
Slash!
Slash!
-Kyaaaak—!
-Shaaaak—!
With every sweep,
dozens of monsters vaporized—a wondrous sight.
"!"
The rush hit me again, sending shivers.
'Blood magic has poor cost-efficiency, but damn, it's cool when used right.'
Red blood burst,
new blood magic weapons spawned from the monsters' thick blood.
"Blood Saint—!"
Slash—!
Spears stabbed into the earth everywhere.
It felt like a declaration from a saintess and inquisitor starting a holy war.
Niva muttered in admiration.
"Those spears look just like giant prophecies."
….
Ah, damn.
The curse of knowledge.
'Now that she says it, they really do.'
My reason snapped back thanks to Niva's curse.
As the sacred holy war turned into a steamy soup kitchen scene, the saintess and inquisitor's battle swiftly ended.
The hundreds of spectral monsters had evaporated.
Hundreds of red spears stood on the ground, proclaiming victory.
'The more monsters they kill, the stronger they get from the residual blood.'
Even in approaching victory,
Abel and Angela's difference was clear.
Abel handled charging monsters with restrained spearwork, while Angela boldly swung hers, exploding several at a time.
Roughly speaking,
Abel was between Luciana and Sword Ghost level.
Angela was at Sword Empress massacre tier.
'Does the saintess's Blessing of the Flower treat blood magic as life force and bless it?'
….
'Abel is hero-grade, saintess is legend-grade.'
By the time I thought that far.
The battle fully ended.
With sunlight piercing through again, the two donned hoods and eyepatches and returned to us, beaming proudly.
Then they suddenly praised my blood.
Angela clasped her hands, smiling brightly.
"Savior! Your blood is truly amazing! I used so much blood magic and still feel perfectly fine!"
"To go all out like this without exhaustion... It's a first. Even against the Storm Horde, weak to blood magic, we've never pushed them this hard."
"Really... I regret not gulping it all down at once."
"No helping it, Saintess. We needed it to stop the horde."
"I know, but—."
Sudden blood worship.
'I just handed over the blood.'
So I awkwardly changed the subject.
"Anyway, does this mean we've repelled the entire Storm Horde?"
"Ah..."
"Ah—."
The two shook their heads.
Angela answered.
"No raids for half a year recently, but usually the Storm Horde comes once a week. If they're starting again now..."
"Another raid in a week."
"Yes, probably."
Angela clasped her hands prayerfully.
"But thanks to you, Savior, the holy site's issue is resolved. No need to waste the Blessing of the Flower elsewhere—we can focus on battle. A relief."
….
"Though the Storm Horde is larger than last time."
….
That one line brought dread.
'Would the Tower's malice really settle for "same as before"? Even Baran would've suffered half destruction minimum if we failed that world quest.'
No matter how I thought.
This raid felt like a goblin proliferation omen.
'Even if nothing's left in the holy site, there might be hidden secrets. Can't leave allied Gades Vanea alone.'
No more pretending ignorance.
So I made a proposal.
"Not doubting your power, but from personal experience, I'd like to suggest something."
"?"
"?"
*
"Please grant us the sanctity to overcome this trial—."
In the temple of the holy site Gades Vanea.
Aslan and the holy knights prayed before the Earth Goddess statue. Dozens of armored giants and priests praying reverently was overwhelming in itself.
Even the people who watched them fearfully now crept closer to pray together. Soon hundreds gathered, praying before the Earth Goddess.
Like a scene from a religious painting.
"Grant us tomorrow's mercy..."
"Strength to survive today!"
"...And leisure to reflect on yesterday."
Unlike that reverence,
Aslan's prayer ended crudely.
"So... uh... anyway, give us tremendous power, please."
….
….
….
Scratch scratch
Under the stares,
the half-elf holy knight grinned sheepishly.
"Haha, forgot the prayer."
….
….
Pfft.
-Wahahaha!
-What kind of holy knight is that!
-Such a funny guy.
The holy site's people laughed. I chuckled too from the temple corner with Angela.
I said to her.
"Forgive them, Angela. They travel lands, pray to many gods—can't memorize every prayer."
"Hehe, it's fine. Prayer is from the heart anyway."
Angela smiled, her eyes suspiciously flashing in the temple's shadows. A look I'd seen often lately. I learned her eyes sparkle when emotions rise.
-Wahahaha—!
"Hehe, know that guy? He's been dozing since earlier. Woke up from the laughter."
Sparkle
Sparkle
….
A saintess who's a vampire.
For a saintess,
pretty combative and frank.
'Never thought she'd allow a climber camp in the holy site and suddenly switch to casual speech.'
-I-Is that okay?
-Yes! Of course!
Our switch to casual talk happened surprisingly fast.
….
'And setting up camp was quick too.'
I looked outside the temple.
The empty lot below Gades Vanea now had a small village. Sturdy walls guarded it too—of course, my consecrated work.
'So the holy site counts as my territory now.'
Climbers and NPCs bustled, setting up camp.
-Deployable ballista installed.
-These damn kittens are in the water jar again! Smash, turn 'em into rugs!? Get out, you stink—!?
-Kyaaak! Run, nyang!
Niva popped up everywhere, moving key NPCs like Dinara.
📜 MAIN QUEST 📜 Save Midgard, the Land of Ruin.
Progress: 5.8%
….
'Two of seven villages, forest heart, and plains securitized. Still under 10%?'
Misty craplands dominate, but hundreds of kilometers of plains and forests.
Yet under 10%.
….
The layer's scale hit home.
Angela spoke to me again.
"Savior, by the way, Archbishop Kairos wants to meet you. Nice weather today—perfect for talking..."
"!"
Since Shock Day,
Archbishop Kairos, bedridden for days.
He wanted to see me.
I nodded.
That night.
Archbishop Kairos sat in the silent temple. In his worn black robe, eyepatch on, facing the old man alone.
Kairos spoke in a gravelly voice.
"Welcome, Savior. I am the old man who prophesied you, servant of the goddess—Kairos. Forgive my rudeness in remaining seated."
….
For some reason.
I could guess where Angela and Abel learned their suspicious vibe.