The Saintess of the All Gods Temple
"Your punches pack quite a punch," the saintess remarked.
Adopting a boxing stance, I threw a jab, but she effortlessly dodged it with high praise before mirroring my posture. She raised her guard with both arms to block my attacks—no, she just solidified her guard while the pincer claws attached to the sides of her head unleashed a frenzy of rapid strikes.
"So, how do you plan to beat an opponent with four arms?"
As I tried to create distance, she grabbed my shoulder and arm, hooked my ankle to trip me, and locked in a joint hold. Twisting my entire body to readjust my posture, she draped my side over her thigh, clamped my head against her side, and choked my neck. Just before it snapped, I tried to slip free with rubbery elasticity, but she exploited that flexibility, instantly snatching my leg with her pincer claw for a giant swing. With the whoosh of wind, she spun me wildly before hurling me away.
Still airborne with no chance to land, she split her legs in a flexible upward kick to launch me again. Performing a somersault mid-air, the saintess flipped her body and leaped at me, locking in a wrestling technique as we plummeted to the ground.
Pile Driver!
A vertical head-first pile driver into the ground! No matter how I struggled to escape, once caught by an opponent with four arms, I had no options. "Don't engage in close combat against someone stronger and with more tools," she advised. For me, who endured blows with rubbery elasticity, she now narrowed her strikes to precise handblade chops.
[Vacuum Slash]
"Hoo—[Vacuum Slash]!"
Infusing power into her fingertips, she unleashed a slashing blow with raw strength. My shoulder was sliced open, blood spraying. At the same time, a voice announced the arrival of [Calamity], and suddenly my left foot sank into a pit. Spotting my stagger, she blasted me with a spinning fist. A barrage of successive [Calamity] strikes followed—barely hitting the ground, a faster [Vacuum Slash] than before sliced my chest. Another [Calamity] erupted as I tried to rise, a stone embedding in my hand.
"I can't identify the skill, but wounds around you attract demonic energy," she observed.
"Hoo... You're right. So, what now?"
This skill was tricky to delete. I had skills I could remove, but they required both allies and enemies to activate—a drawback. With no idea how long it'd take to defeat the Maou, extending lifespan was essential. The risk was murderous, but... maybe that balanced it out.
"The invisible hands aren't bad either—versatile. The only flaw is you can't use [Skills] with them."
That would've broadened my options. Mere invisible hands with specs equal to mine, meaningless against those in unseen realms. Without looking, she swung her hand, shattering [Invisible Touch].
"The restriction to constellation-granted [Skills] is the issue. Holding three Maou skills is surprising, but useless ones are just dead weight."
Ultimately, she insisted on body-honed techniques, pounding them into me relentlessly—whether drinking elixirs, hunting monsters, or stacking deeds. "Fundamentals are key," she said. Since our first meeting, she'd beaten me daily in the training grounds.
"Any weapon works with basics, but that's it."
Even that relied on [Skill] corrections. She hammered basics into my body with the same weapons. Block or get hit; endless infinite patterns of beatings, healing amid assorted [Calamity] experiences—birds shitting, random arrows, demonic energy from healing attempts. She even called holy knights for 1-vs-many, insisting I adapt.
"You can beat one holy knight, but two is impossible."
Holy knights could curse, preventing Bopal Weapon use. Without my demon sword, even stripped of armor and blessings, wielding only wooden swords, I barely downed two.
Her praise for my unbreakable spirit—the best she'd seen—came with a fist to the face. She mechanically drilled everything she knew.
"Time rewind is useful for escapes if pinned."
The saintess resists[Time Rewind]!
"But meaningless against those immune."
Divine blessings resisted it, leaving the hero pounded under her ass. Then thigh-choked joint locks with lectures on escapes. [Time Rewind] was handy, but rewound her memory too—opponents would adapt quickly. Demonstrating, she rushed faster than I could assess, smashing my jaw to disable me.
"Unyielding spirit and tenacity to rise after blows. Excellent, hero."
"Joint locks from you, saintess... it's a reward..."
"Watch it, or the gods'll punish you."
Holy knights gathered to watch her pupil, swelling the audience. Before All Gods Temple kids, knights, and villagers, the hero was thrashed like a boy clutching a bear plush, sprawled filthy. Called "hero" by the saintess, they dismissed it as a nickname for her brave trainee.
"Haven't exercised like this in ages—I'm starving."
"That's it for today?"
"Nine hours nonstop beatings. Do you enjoy pain, hero? Even I feel it."
"....Just want to meet expectations sooner."
"Prioritize engraving techniques, training stamina and endurance."
"Done?"
Nex approached quietly. She'd told the party about saintess training. Amid spectators, party members waved. Training ended; saintess suggested dinner with us.
"You okay, bro?"
"Radamu, you took a beating."
"Others envy saintess thighs as rewards—don't get it. Bother you?"
"Not asking me personally, so no reason to meddle in tastes."
Ordering giant larva roast. Knowing her wear scorpion race, others ignored it. Curious Leona got a slice—frowned, "Not tasty."
Surprisingly normal steak and rice for Radamu. Lemon asked, "You always order weird stuff out—normal today?"
"Saintess said consider party appetites."
"Eating's free, but you cross lines, bro."
Po'runga laughed, "Finally, eyes spared," swallowing live eel. Saintess agreed it was normal, chomping larva chunks. Radamu slicing steak wondered why eel jelly and sardine pie upset them—he never forced it.
"Hero, listen with your party. If aiming for hero party, journeys risk lives—those unable to follow, consider non-combat roles."
Post-meal dessert, saintess addressed our hero party. Individually C-grade strong, but as hero party, annihilation loomed. Prepare for worst—non-combat roles.
"Like crafting gear, potions, selling byproducts, base management. No need to fight by hero's side. Supporting him makes a hero party."
Don't overreach; value life. She handed summarized hero duties memo—beaten into me with spare time.
Trust Union enemies: Empire, Holy Eagle Kingdom, Great Forest (elves). Maou Territory at continent's end—distant, rare clashes. Excluding neutral mid-continents, monsters spawn occasionally.
Politics avoid using hero as tool, but Maou candidates here might threaten Union with power.
Maou [Skills] origins unknown. Saintess (20, my age) born with it; Rasera gained suddenly, uncontrolled. At least five more.
"Pirates raiding All Gods Temple, lingering evil gods, calamity monsters, ancient giants/dragons... Even if attacking Union, not purely evil."
"....."
"Heroes rose for weak, repelling great evils—not disrupting balance warrants extermination."
Strong foes targeted anyway; wars are national, not hero's solo fix. Entangled with Maou candidate? Inevitable clash.
"Hero now: observe, seek strength. Hero-only relics with Legitimate Ownership, divine artifacts for mortals. Or elf-extinct ancient kingdoms' legacies... Adventure, hero."
【That which disrupts balance enough for gods to summon a hero】
Until finding it, grow. Others handle "justice"—hero party's role: adventure.
"Maou candidates will emerge inevitably. Some hide forever. Unknown origins mean target threats, prepare for returning Maou: our goal."
Magic Palace grinding yields no deeds, no Constellation Tickets. Help needy, seek continent-spanning treasures to bolster physique with gear, or travel investigating Maou candidates/world threats—three paths.
"Your choice, hero? Training vital, but constellation-dependent. I respect it."
Party and saintess turned. Travel? Not strong enough, funds issue. Hero relics? Like Talos, unusable without fitting [Skills]—better for party.
"Answer's set?" Riko smiled. Yes.
Didn't expect this over continental travel.
"Explore elf-ruined kingdoms' traces."
Like Circe's runes, forgotten records linger—useful to Union too.
Saintess: fetch pirate-stolen treasure maps from temple.
"Many seized pirate ships. Hoist pirate flag?"
"That's pirate party, not hero."
"Pirate flag deters pirates."
Not my seafaring debut vision—adventurer ship to ruins, not flaunting Jolly Roger as pirates.
Hero or pirate? Saintess shrugged.
"Hero can't be pirate?"
"Unconventional...?"
"Captain Eagle aimed pirate king, opened Great Pirate Era—fine, no?"
"What kind of guy is that?"