Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Star Fall (4)
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***
Someone once said that even in the depths of despair where you can't see an inch ahead, you can still find the light.
Professor was lost in gloom as he watched the mutants literally tearing up the spot on the hill far from Pellas where they had stayed exactly a day before.
That was until he spotted a group of riders charging toward them on horseback.
It had been a day and a half since they retreated upon sighting the Chamber Maid, and now the priest Professor had been desperately awaiting had finally arrived.
“Hey, hey! Borca! Those guys, those are priests, right? It's not just my mental state making me hallucinate or something?”
“There's a faint scent of the church's incense mixed in with the smell of horses. Seems like priests. The ones beside them... not certain, but they look like Lordric regulars.”
“Yeeeeeeessss!!!”
At Borca's confirmation, Professor leaped to his feet and punched the air.
“Damn it! Yeah! If the balance was this off from the start, it wouldn't make sense! I figured it'd take at least four days, but they're here already!”
They had spotted the Chamber Maid five days from the village where they fought the black mages, and after retreating all day, the party was now about four days' full march from that village.
The mages they parted with had backtracked a day's journey, so even if they skipped all procedures in Tobrun and sent the priests the moment the mage arrived, it should have taken at least five days. Yet this group of priests had appeared before them in just a day and a half.
‘If they moved after hearing from the returning mages, that's impossible speed. But if they were sent ahead... that changes everything! The western front wrapped up early! They have enough leeway to turn their eyes elsewhere!’
Yeah, honestly, I'd been screwed over so much by this game that I'd been thinking negatively. Suddenly conjuring up troops that didn't exist? Come on, that doesn't make sense. If there's one thing that's set with pervy strictness in Gedroits's Game, it's cause and effect. No way something miraculous like that happens.
‘I'd excluded this assumption because it felt like over-optimism... but if those forces withdrew from the western front, it explains everything? Yeah! Not just any knights—the Royal Guard + regulars from Lordric, the Kingdom of Knights! Hell, Lordric even has that psycho Castle Knight unit defending the capital, one of those Three Plagues! And the merciless holy knights with bloodshot eyes! Thinking about it, mutants barely scraping by with named units and specials due to resource shortages can't win a head-on clash!’
Once one piece fit, the rest clicked into place. After all their schemes, the queen had miscalculated her power play and suffered a crushing defeat! Realizing she couldn't beat a straight fight no matter how many nameds she had, the queen was now gearing up for a war of attrition! That's why the Chamber Maid was holed up there, with the remnants of her routed main mutant force guarding their last hope, the Chamber Maid, in Pellas!
Aaaah, I can see it! Charlotte parading triumphantly with the Royal Guard! The mutants in full retreat! The queen, scraping roots and dirt to mass-produce low-grade mutants just to survive with no resources!
‘Ahh, yeah. This is the game. If things don't go as planned sometimes, then sometimes they go better than expected, right? These priests coming now are bringing news of victory. Maybe mutant extermination forces are already swarming down the path I took like bees. And since I'm the hero who caught the demon, maybe I'll get some command authority? With command, I can rack up achievements like in Turan, snag a title, smash mutants, then when I've got leeway, split from Hyde and visit dragons or elves, check if eastern desert shamanism works and hunt ancient gods there, meet Rakshasa... aaah, adventure. Not this headache survival grind, but real fun gameplay and heart-pounding quests waiting for me...!’
“Heh... hehehehe...”
“Boss. Drool.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
*Slurp!*
He wiped the drool from his mouth without realizing it, trying to compose himself, but it was tough. Sure, there's that great saying about preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. But the worst I imagined—[overwhelming nameds + overwhelming numbers]—that's rock bottom, right? No matter how cursed my luck, things can't go that bad. I've suffered enough out here. After a crash comes the rebound. No more negative thoughts—enjoy this rare stroke of luck to the max!
Professor fixed his dumb expression, scrubbed the drool stain from his mouth, dusted off his filthy clothes, checked for anything cool like a weapon but lamented choosing bare-fist fighting and just hung his relic visibly around his neck.
The group charging toward them now was priests from the Radiant Church. Their party was already seen as suicide squad with weak standing—couldn't show a dumb side. To snag even a bit more command of the extermination force, he had to look badass. Like a hero who pierced deepest into enemy lines first, blazing the trail!
*Clop clop, clop clop, clop clop, clop clop!*
While Professor dragged his flower-field daydreaming back to reality with all his might, the priests arrived before the party, galloping desperately.
*Splash-!*
“Huff, huff! I am Dimanus, monk of the Radiant Church, servants of the light! Huff! Are you by chance—”
“Lathura Lo Haram. May the grace of light be with you, brother. Yes. I am Professor the hero, bearing Lo Haram's will and this relic 'Light of Nelphia,' illuminating the path to the enemy's heart.”
A solemn demeanor unbelievable from the guy who was just grinning like an idiot drooling moments ago. Hand over heart church-style, then naturally drawing out the relic.
‘Kya, even I gotta say it's impressive! People really do better when positive! Do what makes you happy, and it works out!’
Perfectly acting the 'devout hero' for all to see, Professor marveled at his improving acting skills day by day. His upright, myth-stepped-from look hooked not just the priests but the soldiers behind—even the one in slightly fancier armor stepped forward with teary eyes.
“Ooooh, hero... sob, ugh!”
*Thud!*
Hm. Overdose. Devout soldier usually?
Professor extended both arms in benevolent smile, embracing the kneeling soldier's shoulders.
“Hahaha. Rise, soldier. I'm not so great as to make anyone kneel befo—”
“Heeeerooo!! Save Lordric!!!”
“....Yes?”
And he froze.
Weird. The vibe's way off. That's not感動 tears. Bloodshot eyes like he's about to cry blood.
Professor's mind, strolling flower fields in happy land, began descending to reality, his overcome Mental Fragility highlighting info one by one.
· Soldier bawling before him. Roughly a squad leader.
· Horses lolling tongues, drooling, panting. Nonstop run.
· Priests and other soldiers as grim as the kneelers.
· Save Lordric. 'Save' usually pairs with crisis. Lordric in crisis?
‘No way. No! Ha, hahaha, impossible. How many troops there? Force difference multiples!’
While Professor frantically denied the reality shaping in his head, the soldier banged his head on ground, continuing.
“The western front, the western froooont!!!”
‘No, don't say it, please!’
“Has fallen!!! The enemy marches on Kingsland, heeeeerooo!!!!”
.
.
.
.
.
*Thud.*
Amid the enveloping silence, only the sound of Professor collapsing mid-embrace echoed.
Lost. Those kingdom-wide incompetent bastards dragged every soldier and lost!
‘Hyde.... maybe live together forever? Quiet as a mouse, unharmed, till Dome's miracle drug fixes my body...’
“Ha... hahaha...”
“H-Hero?”
“H-Heroooo???”
*Thud!*
*Boom!*
“Wha-what!”
“H-Hero! The relic!”
Hero my ass. Radiant Church HQ in Kingsland, whole church about to go up in smoke—hero matters?
Eyes rolled-back Professor hurled the relic, whistling through air skyward.
“No more. Hero schmero, screw it all! If you worthless incompetent shits blew it that bad, what am I supposed to do! You Darwin award wannabes!!!”
On the quiet hill near Pellas, the desperate cry of the unlucky gamer who lost all hope in an instant rang out.
Someone said even in unseen despair, you can find light.
But others say you thought it was the bottom, then found the basement.
His heaven-plunged mind pierced reality's floor, plummeting to abyss.
***
*Clack.*
“....Found it.”
“Uuum.... To handle Lo Haram's blessed precious relic so carelessly.... Such irreverence....”
Professor just hung his head, watching the monk frown deeply, sprinkling holy oil on a clean handkerchief to scrub the Light of Nelphia.
After his cursing fit, Borca reminded him the relic was needed for church contact, so they ran fetching it from the distant rock it stabbed into—but can't un-say words. The monk's eyes on Professor were ice cold.
“....Light always shines straight, brother. Even in hardship, to dare irreverence before Lo Haram's grace....”
“Light refracts in water—”
“Ahem!”
“Yessir. Sorry.”
Damn. Over-revved happy circuit then smashed hard—built-up outside stress exploded, lost reason. Look at those twitching eyes. Slap 'heretic' on my forehead, wouldn't glare worse.
Already picturing that bald monk back at church yapping hours on 'hero Professor's blasphemy.'
But that's if church survives. House near funeral vibes, but anyway, comms arrived—situation known.
Once Light of Nelphia sparkled clean of dirt and pebbles, he carefully placed it on his palm, infusing holy power.
“Lo Haram said, from the highest place gazing upon us, one day at His side, you shall see the world from such heights.”
Not magic incantation—holy spell citing prayer. With monk's words, circling holy light flowed into Light of Nelphia, shining stronger around.
*Humm-*
In that light's center, a familiar-faced woman in robes appeared.
“....Lathura, Lo Haram. Glad to see you well again, hero.”
“Lathura Lo Haram. Well. If mental health counts, not so healthy—hard to agree. Bishop Senadis.”
Senadis in light-projection gave wry smile at Professor's words.
“Yes, meeting sooner than thought. You heard the news?”
“News....”
*Tsk.*
‘Wish I had a smoke.’
Professor scratched finger joints habitually, suppressing rising anger at Senadis's words. Needed distraction cramming irritation.
“Heard we lost. Western front with Lordric's full muster. What the hell happened? Not scrubs—Royal Guard, court mages in huge army. Don't say ambushed and wiped silly. That's bullshit.”
“No ambush. Mercy Church and our holy knights, finest knights from Knight Kingdom Lordric, capital Castle Knights, regulars, Royal Guard. Both sides fully prepped, clashed all-out.”
“That.... makes even less sense? Force gap multiples, yet....”
“At least eightfold. Mutants' headcount vs ours.”
*Thud!*
What sound? Oh, my heart dropping. Haha, this. Daily drops lately—wanna nail myself down and die!!!
Eight times. Chaotic field, couldn't count exact—minimum eight. Rushed muster of one kingdom's full forces, yet eight times. Beyond overcoming shortages—overflowing production.
Senadis on screen patiently waited flustered Professor, mouth opening-closing like to speak but holding.
“No, wait..... then no hope? Don't know how they swelled, but—”
“Mercy Saint. Remember? Trigger for full war.”
“Uh.... yes. Edeorna infiltrated Mercy HQ, kidnapped Mercy Saint. But irrelevant now? Can't steal faith.”
Sure, losing Mercy Saint Irene Agricola hurt humanity bad. But her big thing: faith in mercy goddess 'Erinyes' and favor. Triggering massive holy magic. Even if mutant queen steals traits via fluids/body parts, can't steal faith. Faith ain't physical to take/move.
‘Snatch grand mage, maybe [Mana Aptitude (Max)] transfers, but saint's got useless [Pure], [Beloved by All] traits galore. Kidnap wouldn't shatter board like this?’
“We thought so too.... but mutants more evolved than thought.”
“No way, mutants got Erinyes holy power...?”
Senadis shook head with deep sigh.
“Worse. Seems they learned god-believer relation via kidnapped Mercy Saint. Two days ago, oracle hit every church worldwide simultaneous. Evil god born—stop it. Unprecedented clear, firm oracle, no confusion.”
Mind blanked. What'd I hear? Sane? What born? God? Evil god?
Professor prided himself top-tier at predicting scenarios, prepping counters.
Now, that pride crumbling.
Worst after western loss? Worse than worst. Imagined dozens, hundreds absurd scenarios—but Senadis's words? Never crossed mind.
‘Learned faith mechanics...? Not just devour target, cram traits into mutants?’
Chills. Right, this seed's mutants used fake Salvation Church to plant spies in human forces. Knew what religion is. Deeper: kidnap saint, dissect 'faith' power in her life.
“Used worship of their mother.... to create faith.”
“Yes. All mutants have instinctive love for queen. Turning to worship not hard.”
“Absurd.... so each mutant produced adds worshiper? More worshipers boost queen's divine power, she makes more mutants! Stronger!”
From nothing, something.
Absurd mutter, yet real. In GG world, sole miracle force: individual's belief/will-born 1-person world's control right.
At Professor's words, Senadis in light grew resolute.
“Yes. Time no longer ours. Delay, queen evil god's forces snowball, swallow world. 'Hero bands' from worldwide churches/kingdoms rallying to Kingsland now. Hero Professor, in church's name, summon you. Come Kingsland. Before worse, unite all humanity's power, eliminate evil god, Mutation Blood Queen. May light guide your path.”
With Senadis's quiet prayer end, relic lost light, comms cut.
Light gone, silence heavier than defeat news enveloped.
Soldiers sans clerics faces shocked—Lordric troops mostly unaware of evil god rampage.
Amid, heavily sighing Professor shot up.
“Let's go.”
“.....”
“What're you waiting for! Move! Evil god army coming—gonna sit shelling clams?”
Professor ground teeth at dazed soldiers rising one by one.
‘Fuck, fine. Let's see how far! Gave up leading board myself! You win, crowned mutant bitch! No strategy! Power game crush!’
Last hope crushed, but opponent's extreme move opened new path.
‘Post World2 main scenario Dead King's fall, no evil god-worthy existed. Enemying humanity with 'god' business? Churches/kingdoms drop politics, unite forces! God? Fuck that! Ours got eight+ ancient name-card gods shaking world! 8:1 smash!’
Abandoning happy planned gameplay, Professor's eyes oozed venom. Unlike outside, here as non-general piece, he was damn useful pawn.
Lost board-making war total. But now useful as piece too. Lost outside board, so round 2 on board.
***