The Apostate

Humanoid field mobs.

Their nasty trait is planting seeds of doubt about your own humanity in the target's mind.

They look human. They can hold a conversation.

Therefore, what you're doing right now is murder. An evil act.

Countless climbers failed to overcome that mental wall, wasting away or falling for the tower's vicious tricks and meeting their end.

But.

"My arm! My arm, aaagh!!"

"You're not dying, dumbass."

"I-I'm dying! I'm gonna die!!"

"Then die."

For the zealots, the unidentified energy flaying their skin in real time was less terrifying than—

The killer ghost swinging that holy sword without a flicker of change on his face.

'I have to survive.'

The overwhelming terror even granted these field mobs an unauthorized spark of intellect.

To survive, they had to get even more ruthless.

"...!"

And so, some of them—

The zealots in relatively decent shape shifted their gazes to the woman standing dazed behind him, watching the scene.

"Grab that bitch! Take her hostage!"

"Y-Yes...!"

- Thud!

They moved in perfect unison to carve out a path to survival.

Those already caught in his gaze and sliced by the holy sword were beyond saving.

Offer your hearts!

Sacrifice your lives to protect the hostage! Then the comrades who went first won't have died in vain.

"....?"

Lisha's eyes widened in surprise as she spotted the zealots charging late.

Her frail, delicate build looked utterly unsuited for combat, her reaction screaming inexperience—

The lead zealot flashed a triumphant smirk beneath his mask as he lunged—

- Crack!

"Eh."

"Whoa, that startled me. What the hell?"

The zealot's jaw spun around in an instant, and he crumpled to the ground.

Lisha's surprised roundhouse kick had landed perfectly on the field mob's vital spot.

They called it the Saintess Roundhouse.

Having landed the sacred blow, Lisha blinked in bewilderment, scanning the zealots.

"Saintess, nice shot!"

Woojin, who'd been watching, chimed in.

"Uh, um?"

The following zealots froze in confusion beside the corpse with its neck twisted.

"I'll leave 'em to you!"

"Didn't you say you'd handle everything?"

"Saintess punch! Saintess punch!"

The saintess's sky-blue eyes glared resentfully at the approaching cultists, her face flushing red.

"W-Wait a sec—"

"...Die."

Disturb the peace, and punishment—no, divine retribution must follow.

Some say.

Before the saintess was cloaked in holy light's gentle warmth, she harbored a beast in her heart.

- Whoosh.

One zealot squeezed his eyes shut against the strike blurring in too fast to track.

- Splat!

"...Oh."

I turned to the remnants, entrusting my back to her.

"....!"

Guys covered in wounds from Shadow Slash's effects.

"Become offerings to my holy sword quietly."

"Y-You murderer...!"

"Murderer?"

That stung a bit.

I pointed my holy sword at the one who'd first spat the word and spoke.

"Before I got here, I saw a monster made from a massive pile of corpses, yeah?"

"...."

"That thing begged me, as I headed next, to avenge it."

"....!"

"Nothing hitting home?"

"E-Everything is a sacrifice for the righteous path...!"

Look at that shamelessness.

His desperate shout reeked of resolve—struck deep but refusing to bend his faith.

"Fine, respect."

"Wh-What...?"

"But take responsibility."

I reactivated the domain, paused just for a chat.

"...!"

The zealots flinched again at the sharp edge grazing their skin.

'Not a normal human.'

Even throttled down, normal flesh and muscle would've been sliced to the bone.

I'd tested its cutting power exhaustively on the previous floor.

- Grind.

"Huh?"

As I smoothly mulched the zealots, a bizarre change hit a few.

"Guh, guh...!"

Black tentacles sprouted from their lower backs.

"Fucking hell."

So grotesque, I lost control of the output without thinking.

- Bam-bam-bam!

"Kieee...!"

With output maxed, the tentacles bursting from the zealot's back shredded in seconds.

- Whoosh...!

"Oh."

Then.

Holy power suddenly flowed from the holy sword, slipping through gaps in the domain's sharp aura—

"Oh, it works!"

"Kieee?!"

"Shut up!"

I kept dishing out domain strikes to the noisy tentacle freaks.

Heart pounding, I awaited the new status window.

"....!"

The holy sword strike I'd longed for finally appeared.

- Whoosh!

"Kyaek...?!"

The strike, shadowed before, now infused with the sacred aura from wielding the holy sword.

"Ahh, I get it. The essence of holy swordsmanship."

This moment.

A euphoric high swept over me, as if detached from the world.

"W-Woojin?"

"Yeah, this is me."

Lisha's voice came from nearby.

Her calm tone suggested she'd handled her side without issue.

- Shiiiing...!

The domain filled with trajectories evolved far beyond Shadow Slash—pure holy swordsmanship.

"Kyak...?!"

I spoke as the zealots cleanly bisected.

"Good work, guys. Clock out."

Got what I needed; time to hunt the objective.

- Whoosh...!

I cranked the domain's output and range to wrap things up.

..

...

....

#

After snagging a small statue-shaped objective from their altar.

Lisha and I followed the faint saintess memories to the next spot.

"Woojin, but."

"Yeah."

"That domain... can you keep it on all the time...?"

Her subtle probe.

"Dunno."

"....?"

"Just a hunch if it's possible or not."

First real test of the domain's limits was against the King of the Dead.

The first simultaneous deployment nearly knocked me out.

"I'm not your traditional mage."

"True."

I'm a newbie hunter anyway, and compared to prospects from other dimensions—

I knew my mana sense and experience lagged.

'Jack of all trades, master of none.'

Without the skill's grace, I might've been on a date here with Lisha in her saintess outfit.

Anyway.

"Lots to figure out step by step. Feels like I know less than I know."

"From now on too."

"Huh, what?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"I-If there's a chance...! I'll share what I know, so don't worry too much..."

"...Oh."

Help from someone like Lisha? Touching.

"Gotta repay debts. That's our tribe's core mindset..."

Saintess robes, titles, exp, other rewards—

Way juicier than grinding Normal mode.

'Never tried Normal, so who knows.'

Anyway, good is good; hope Lisha thrives now that we're here.

Pure sincerity, no cap.

Next.

"Y-You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bastards...!"

More zealots guarding an altar; getting tedious.

"Hang back a sec."

I left retreating Lisha and deployed the fresh holy sword style.

Got what I came for; no hesitation.

Evolved from Shadow Slash, no stamina drain worry.

'Ultimate basic attack.'

If Condemning Bludgeon's the ultimate, this is a super-efficient high-end basic.

"....?!"

Zealots panicked at the intangible aura brushing their collars—

Too late once they sensed the anomaly.

"Guhk."

The field mobs, turned zealots, collapsed from where they stood.

"Wh-What just happened...?"

"Good stuff."

Urging awed Lisha, I grabbed the next objective.

'Smooth sailing.'

Pocketed the similar objective.

"I think I know where the last one's at?"

"...."

Our eyes naturally turned to the towering structure.

Plastered pure white like it worshipped false light—its pristine luxury amid ruins felt grotesquely off-putting.

"That's the last, right? Haven't checked there yet."

"...But how do we suddenly—"

"We'll know once we go in."

I was a bit surprised too.

Something that huge should've been spotted ages ago.

'Collected enough?'

Four objectives in; maybe it's advertising "boss time."

- Step.

Slipped smoothly into the White Temple, spotting the objective floating blatantly inside.

"...."

No traps?

Scanned around, but no odd sensations in the wide domain.

"Let's go."

"...Yeah."

And so.

The moment I reached for the final objective—

- Ding!

- Shiiiing...

A chilling sensation prickled instantly.

"....!"

Our eyes snapped to the White Temple entrance ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠together.

"...A guest arrives."

A man stood there.

Unlike the other zealots, clad in black priest robes.

Skin corpse-pale.

【The Apostate】.

"You've trampled my brothers and sisters' blood and flesh to reach here."

"They're in a better place."

"...."

Sent them off with well-wishes; no lingering regrets.

The silent boss sauntered inside leisurely.

"I wish to speak with you."

"Pass."

"?"

Blunt refusal clogged his words again.

"Why bother?"

"...To enlighten you on that misguided hope you cling to."

Enlighten?

Honestly.

Whatever happens here doesn't concern me.

Saint or whatever—

Climbers have unwritten rules.

- Ding.

"Alright, let's talk."

"...Very well."

- Kaboom!!

Ferocious momentum ravaged the White Temple interior.

The only calm one inside was dazed-faced Lisha.

The Apostate's composure cracked as the domain closed in instantly.

"...What?!"

"Thought you were facing a saint?"

"...?"

Lisha's face went dumbstruck at the exchange.

"Not a saint...?"

"All concept."

We're climbers; that's the boss mob.

Duty's clear, right?

- Kaboom!!

The temple couldn't withstand the sweeping strikes.

It exploded spectacularly on the spot.

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