Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: 14. I Can't Hold Back Anymore. (1)
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"Priest, is it still not over? I heard they were just going to handle the remaining ones, but it's taking longer than I thought."
Now thoroughly bored with being cooped up, Nun Rachel was pouting her lips repeatedly. I felt much the same way, so I gave her a wry smile.
"Yeah, it really is dragging on. We need to head back soon..."
The sun was dipping low in the sky.
Without someone coming to let us know, we couldn't leave for the church or do anything else. In our current situation, we were stuck—no one here could safely escort us back, and most of these people could barely take care of themselves.
"We should at least send a messenger bird to the Bishop..."
We couldn't even get word out, which was frustrating beyond words. I couldn't go myself either, so all I could do was stare desperately at the firmly shut door.
"How about I go check?"
"What? You, Nun Rachel?"
Her sudden suggestion made my face freeze solid. I shot her a look like she'd lost her mind.
"What if you get hurt?"
"I'll be quick—just poke my head out and come right back."
Was it because she was still young? She tossed out such a reckless idea without a second thought. Even I, with my divine power, hesitated to step outside. For Nun Rachel, who didn't have divine power and couldn't even produce holy water? That was out of the question.
"You said there were only a few monsters left. What are the odds I'd even get attacked?"
Oblivious to my worry, she giggled up at me. I couldn't help thinking this was safety negligence at its finest as I smacked my forehead.
"Haa... Absolutely not. You've never even fought a monster—don't even dream of it."
"Aww... Really?"
When I glared at her sternly, she shrank back a little. I'd let her jump me and have her way with me, but this? No chance.
"If you knew how to use divine power, maybe. But you're still just a regular person. If you got hurt... haa... I'd be devastated."
"Ugh... O-okay..."
I put on my saddest face possible. Her eyes wavered as my feelings hit home.
"A-alright. If you're saying it that strongly, Priest, I'll stay here."
She finally gave in to my pitiful gaze. Nothing tamed her quite like a man's tears.
I reached out to pat her head.
I'd just stood to check on the patients while we waited a bit longer.
Bang—
Huh?
No sooner had I moved than the wooden door flew open wide. Thinking it might be Isabel, I naturally looked toward the sound—and there, staggering in, was a woman covered head to toe in blood. Not at all what I'd expected.
"S-save... me..."
Her voice was a ragged wheeze, like she was forcing out her dying breaths.
She stumbled to the middle of the room, then stopped, creaking like rusty hinges as she frantically scanned the area for something.
W-what the...?
This half-dead woman who'd barged in—her gear suggested she was an adventurer like Isabel, but her condition was anything but normal. Her arms and legs were twisted badly, like she'd been mauled somewhere, and her leather armor was in tatters, about to fall apart entirely.
"P-please... save me..."
"W-wait! Hold on, I'll heal you right—"
Details could wait. Seeing her on the brink snapped my sluggish body into motion on instinct. Treat the wounds first, then get the story—but...
Crunch—
"Eek!"
It happened in an instant, before I could reach her. As I rushed to help, a crude axe came flying at the back of her head. It split her skull open, spraying brains everywhere.
Wha... what...? Hold on... blood?
I wiped the fleck of flesh from my face with my arm, smearing dark red gore. Too shocked to think, I stumbled back and fell flat on the floor.
N-no... what the hell is going on...?
I couldn't process it. A blood-soaked, injured woman staggers in? Shocking enough. Then her head explodes the second she arrives? Right in front of me...?
I sat there dumbfounded, soul drained, staring blankly ahead. The medical ward erupted into pandemonium from the sudden horror—agonized screams of "Save me!" echoed from all sides.
"P-Priest, are you okay?"
Nun Rachel helped me up. As I caught my breath and tried to calm down, skeletal fingers crawled up between the open doors like spider legs.
And then—
Krunch—crack—
Grrrrowl—grrrrowl—
With a shove, the wooden door crumpled like a cookie. A grotesque silhouette emerged into the medical ward, snarling like a wild beast.
An... orc!? N-no, goblin?
Not quite an orc, not quite a goblin—ambiguous. Its size screamed orc at first glance, but up close, nothing about it fit. Just bigger, with jagged, uneven teeth and a tadpole belly jutting out—pure ugly goblin.
Is that a special variant?
In the game, monsters were just dots, so I couldn't be sure, but given the situation, what else could it be? Like a goblin decked out in dangly trinkets and upsized...
The problem was how the hell it got here.
Rare special ones were one per group, hard to spot. How'd it infiltrate the village?
Grrowl—
Grrowl—grrowl—
As it scanned the room, more beastly growls echoed from behind.
Not just one, then.
Grrowl—
Gr—
Shit... don't tell me they're all specials?
One was bad enough, but the two following matched its bulk.
As far as I knew, specials were one per group. My mind went blank trying to figure this out.
Was this Hell difficulty?
In-game, higher difficulties spawned more specials—Hell mode had over half per group. Not impossible, but I'd rarely seen them. I'd never left the village much anyway, but if they were this common, the world would've ended already.
"D-Deacon, get behind me."
"Huh? But Priest..."
"Quick...!"
"..."
They were all injured, but with adventurers here, maybe we could handle one. My hopes shattered—there were three.
No rescuers coming from outside. Surviving this was a miracle in itself.
Grrowl—grk—
Hunched nearly ninety degrees, long arms nearly dragging. The leader-looking one up front waddled over and yanked the axe from the woman's head. It swept the room for prey, its dull, dead eyes locking onto me.
Fuck... we're screwed...
Some old text I'd read flashed in my mind—goblins, especially males, were scarce, so they kidnapped other races to breed...
No idea why that popped up now, but bad feelings never lied. The leader grinned ear-to-ear at me—goosebumps exploded across my skin.
If it catches me, I'm dead. For real.
Instinct screamed to run or die. But abandoning Nun Rachel? Impossible...
Shit... what do I do? No way to escape safely with her.
"How the fuck did these bastards get in?!"
"Dammit! I told you to hold the line! How many slipped through? This is insane!"
While I racked my brain, adventurers grimaced and staggered to their feet. Even holy water-weakened, they gripped weapons, ready to fight.
Of course, odds of winning were near zero...
No helping it. Holy water sped recovery at a cost—the body bore the burden. Even unscathed, they'd struggle against a single kobold now.
"Nun Rachel, if things go south, run on your own."
"What? Priest? Leave me and run alone?"
No time to waste. I gathered every last drop of divine power at my fingertips. Even if I died, I'd get her out alive.