Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 211
Chapter Title: For Elise
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The lights being on was proof that someone was there. Having confirmed as much, Elise dispelled her Holy Light. At the same time, the ring of light floating above her head vanished.
...With the sacred radiance gone, a wave of unease washed over her.
But by my side was none other than Elise herself. With the utterly devout Elise and me, the blazing macho warrior, setting things right in this land would be a piece of cake.
"..."
"..."
>No words were needed between Divine Friends.
We exchanged a glance to confirm our intentions, then tiptoed deeper inside. Truth be told, our "conversation" through looks was limited to things like "Let's go," "Kill it," or "Ambush"—nothing fancy, but it got the job done.
Lina followed quietly behind us, muffling her footsteps. As the saying goes, old habits die hard—she was using some top-tier stealth technique. Not a sound came from her. Damn, that was a little enviable.
"...Oppa?"
"What."
"No, you were just staring at me."
"Can't I even look at my little sister's face?"
"Ah..."
Lina, who had tagged along to find her grandmother.
Would Lina's grandmother really be here?
Who knows.
Even if she was, she wouldn't be Lina's grandmother anymore.
That ominous mummy... a horrific sight straight out of a nightmare. No one could call that a person anymore. Lina didn't seem to know yet, but there was no need to bring it up.
Above all, these cultists had a history of handling undead.
>...
The flames flickered wildly, as if trying to devour the shadows.
We used them as landmarks to navigate the basement.
The shabby building above ground was probably just a decoy. This basement, steeped in an evil aura, was quite spacious, and the torches lighting it up everywhere looked well-maintained. They must have been changed regularly and fed with oil.
What the hell was this place built for?
One thing was certain: structures like this had a purpose.
They wouldn't put this much effort into something pointless.
Well, it could just be an existing facility they were using.
With my eye, I couldn't tell when or how this basement had been made.
Like tomb raiders digging through a pyramid, we checked each room we came across. But we didn't find anything special... There was a smell of something, but it didn't feel right yet.
That's when we turned the corner.
>Rustle, rustle.
Halt.
A sound reached us, and we stopped in our tracks. Holding our breath, we pricked up our ears and focused. The sound came from the room around the corner—definitely man-made.
>Rustle, rustle.
I cautiously peeked around to check inside the room.
"...!"
A stark white nape, bleached by some curse no doubt.
It was fumbling with something.
The black robe marked it as a cult priest for sure.
He had no idea I was watching as he went about his business.
Tensing up to the max, I gripped my sword tighter. That pale white skin was practically a hallmark of these cultists. His bald, pointed head suggested he wasn't exactly a natural part of this world.
Elise peeked out too, witnessing the truth before her eyes.
"...Elise."
I pulled my head back and whispered her name ever so softly. She turned to me, nodding with a resolute expression brimming with unwavering faith.
>Stealthily.
Like a cat on the prowl.
>Thump, thump.
That strange pounding from my childhood days belt-running with her.
It was pure impulse, the kind of savage frenzy no sane person could explain. Heh, heh heh. Laughter kept threatening to bubble out... Elise wore a similar look.
In this moment, united as Divine Friends, we had truly become one. As if possessed, without a word, we silently closed in on the cult priest from behind—
>Thwack!
Stab!
"...!"
We struck with brutal force in unison.
Elise accelerated like lightning, smashing her mace into the back of the cultist's head, and I followed up with a stab to his back for the kill confirm.
The cultist froze in shock before collapsing. He twitched a bit, but one more hit from Elise put him down for good.
>Thwack! Thwack!
Stab! Stab!
What followed was like a scene from some vicious silent film—a gruesome spectacle. Without any dialogue or emotional outbursts, we just silently desecrated the cultist's corpse. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Haa, haa... Holy One."
Finishing the job, Elise panted heavily and turned to me with an exhilarated expression. You'd never guess this was the girl who'd just cracked open a man's skull to check the contents—her face was adorably fresh.
What was this?
Expecting praise?
"Well done, Elise. Even if it was just one, we've slain an evil being, so the world is that much safer. The gods must be pleased."
Just as she wanted, I placed my hand on her head and gave it a gentle pat while praising her. She beamed with intense joy.
"Hee, hee hee. I didn't expect things to go this smoothly. Well then, Holy One. Shall we search this one's pockets? We must claim the rightful spoils for our sacred labors."
"Heh heh heh... Knew we were on the same wavelength."
I told Lina to keep watch, then stripped the cultist with Elise, both of us stifling grins. She seemed to derive massive satisfaction and joy from killing the heretic.
Felt a bit off, but I was the same, so whatever.
Checking his desk and belongings, we scored a flask of some reagent, engraving tools, a small carving knife, and miscellaneous dried plants or whatever.
What the hell were these for?
Nothing immediately useful except maybe those scribbled occult documents scattered around. The rest was junk.
"Items of unknown purpose. I wonder why he had these... Could he have been conducting some wicked research?"
"Research... Like experiments?"
Evil experiments.
What were the subjects?
I didn't want to imagine, but vivid delusions kept swelling in my mind.
Test subjects in the dark, mummified and wailing grotesquely... They evoked images of those flesh Buddhas, living monks sealed in gold leaf without proper death rites, still craving life...
>Shake!
I shook my head hard to snuff out the burning delusions.
My body's mana was reacting to something, going haywire. I took a deep breath and calmed my inner self. Not a big deal.
"Holy One? You don't look well. Is something bothering you?"
"...Nah, it's nothing. Just a bit hot, maybe."
I'm fine. I've got Elise with me.
Anyway, confirming a cultist here meant we hit the jackpot.
Their remnants and treasures had to be somewhere around. Have some confidence, Kim Katt. These cult priests couldn't handle true warriors like me and Elise, honed by murder and hunting.
Plus, no facial tattoos, no weapons on him.
Ambush, and it's a 100% win.
"Then let's move to the next spot. I feel an impulse raging to exterminate these evil beings... My heart won't calm down."
Elise clutched the chest area protected by her light armor, her face flushed as she spoke. She looked thrilled for the cultist hunt. Hmm... If we were outside doing normal stuff, it'd be utterly cute.
"An emotion that won't calm. Call it an irresistible impulse."
Of course, it was cute now too.
Our Elise is the best.
"An irresistible impulse... you say? Yes. This irresistible impulse feels ready to burst. Surely, this is a sacred mission from the God of Order. To satisfy Him, we must wipe them out as soon as possible."
Stuffing the papers into her bosom, Elise stepped out of the room. I followed, and Lina trailed close behind me with a scared look.
"I truly believe that serving alongside you in this holy duty brings me the greatest joy."
"Heh heh. Same here, Elise. Being with you fills me with joy too."
Elise = Joy. That's the equation.
I smiled as I said it, and she smiled back.
"...The impulse surges again. On to the next heretic."
We rummaged deeper, searching for more victims. The basement was big, so it took time, and finding them wasn't going as planned.
We only found junk warehouses piled with useless crap and oil jars for the torches... Was that really it?
No way there was just that one guy earlier.
There had to be more. Otherwise, this wasn't worth it. Things not going to plan started pissing me off more and more.
"...There it is."
"No need for words."
"Of course!"
And that irritation exploded into extreme violence. A shadow appeared ahead, and we charged at it in complete madness.
"...Huh?"
The shadow's owner was, naturally, another cult priest. His black eyes widened and black mouth gaped at the sight of us rushing in. Like we'd let him scream?
>Thwack!
Slash!
A perfect strike combining friendship and faith.
My sword pierced his throat just as Elise's mace slammed his gut.
"Kuhk...!"
Hit like that, he could only wheeze like wind—no big noise. Ending his crumpled, pained form wasn't hard. We dragged the body into a nearby room and stripped it.
"...Holy One. No loot this time either."
Nothing on his corpse.
Elise looked at me a bit darkly.
"So what if there's no loot. We're not doing this for money. Killing heretics is the real reward."
She knew I liked riches, so she said it out of consideration. I returned the favor.
"S-Such pious words...! Yes, you're right! So very right! B-But honestly, I wish you'd take the spoils... Don't you like trophies?"
"Of course I do, but no need to worry. It'll come eventually. Loot's just a bonus. Our main goal is the blood of the wicked, right?"
"...Kh! I'd love to snag some for you personally!"
I hit the brakes on her感動 and resumed the search. All we found were more occult papers and junk. Just two cult priests total.
Was this really the end?
That's when Lina spoke up.
"O-Oppa... This wall looks suspicious."
She'd been touching the wall.
Wondering what was up, I went over. Sure enough.
A hidden door.
"You sneaky bastard... Not bad! Hey! Good job, Lina!"
"A-Ah... Yeah."
Lina finally earning her keep!
Can't have a party without a scout!
I ruffled her hair wildly, then pushed the door. Stairs leading deeper underground. Me and Elise practically grinned as we headed down.
The real deal was surely waiting below. No doubt.
Whatever truth lurked there, it didn't matter anymore.
I was pissed from getting zero drops on basement level 1.