Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Ambush
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Benjamin hurried outside, and I and the other three immediately ran to the church entrance.
A short distance away, a man in white armor was striding heavily toward us, unleashing sword energy that obliterated part of the church wall.
Benjamin, who seemed to know him, bellowed in rage at the approaching intruder.
"Vice-Captain Robert! What the hell is this?! Have you lost your mind, attacking the Goddess's church as the captain of the Goddess's Sword Unit?!"
"Priest Benjamin. So this is where you've been hiding since we split, setting up a church like this."
The man called Robert glanced at the people fleeing from inside, then swung his sword toward them.
Sword energy sliced through the air, cutting several visitors in half. They spilled their blood and died without even a scream.
Benjamin's eyes bulged in fury at the sight.
"Vice-Captain Robert, have you gone mad?! Killing people who came to pray and repent to the Goddess—as a member of the Goddess's Sword Unit?!"
"Think about the stories you've told. They're probably all criminals who wandered in from somewhere. They deserve to die anyway."
"And that's your reason for coming here alone to slaughter people?!"
"...That's just the surface excuse."
Robert grinned as he pointed his sword at me.
"I've been searching so desperately for you, 'Holy Warrior.' If that Vector bastard had passed on some info before dying, this would've been a lot easier. What a pain. Hiding here—were you planning to chat with the Goddess? Lucky for us, it made finding you simple."
I activated the Eye that Pierces Truth and looked at Robert. The results were as I'd feared.
He'd appeared as an ordinary man until then, but the moment I activated the skill, he transformed—just like Vector—into a pitch-black mass in human form, covered in countless eyes.
Unlike Vector, who had multiple mouths, Robert had several blurry arms sprouting from him.
"Underground Vermin, huh."
"Calling us that means you've met Liniaras somewhere, I guess?"
"No surprise. Same crap coming out of your mouth as Vector."
"You're screwing up our plans big time. The Great One's patience is wearing thin. Any more delays, and we're in deep shit too. You and your friends—all of you die here. The Goddess's last gasp goes nowhere, and we complete our plan."
Benjamin flew into a righteous fury at Robert's true blasphemy.
"Vice-Captain Robert! What blasphemy against the Goddess is that?! Have you gone insane?!"
"Priest Benjamin, I don't know how he's been posing as captain of the Goddess's Sword Unit all this time, but he's no true believer. That rank's probably fake too."
"W-what do you mean?"
"I don't know the full details. But these guys live under fake identities on the surface while scheming to ruin the world. Vector Baron of Pratea Kingdom was one of them—exactly like this."
"Exactly like...? What the hell are you talking about?"
To normal eyes—without my skill—he just looked like an ordinary man, so Benjamin couldn't grasp my words.
"I mean this!"
I drew my Light Saber and swung it at Robert.
Robert parried the extending blade of light with brute force. A massive explosion erupted ahead, billowing thick smoke.
Benjamin gaped at the glowing sword in my hand.
"Th-that power...! Why does the Goddess's strength reside in someone who's not a Holy Warrior...?"
"That's not important right now. Look over there."
I pointed to where Robert had stood.
Black energy poured from Robert's body. Parts of him had morphed into shadowy silhouettes, and the multiple black arms sprouting from his shoulders hissed with steam, like hot metal plunged into cold water.
Benjamin nearly fainted at the sight of the countless eyes even on Robert's arms.
"V-Vice-Captain Robert?! What the hell is that...?"
"That's their true form."
Robert shook off his black arms with an annoyed look.
"Even a fragment like this is a hassle outside our bonds. Guess Vector fell to it here too."
"Showing your true face so openly? No intention of letting us live, huh?"
"Obviously? You yourself are the biggest wildcard and obstacle to our plan. And of course..."
Suddenly, Robert swung his sword, sending sword energy at the fleeing visitors.
"Anyone who learns this truth is the same!"
"No!!!"
Benjamin shouted and leaped in front of the visitors as the energy hurtled toward them.
Slash!
Thanks to channeling holy power for maximum defense, he avoided being bisected, but he took a deep gash across his chest, blood pouring as he collapsed forward.
"Cough..."
"Hey, you okay?! Lenis! Can you heal him?"
"Y-yeah!"
Lenis quickly cast a recovery spell, but black energy leaking from Benjamin's chest repelled it, sparking violently.
"Eek! What is this?! Something's blocking the healing!"
"Damn it..."
I hurriedly swung my Light Saber, infused with healing power, at Benjamin to suppress the rising black smoke from his body.
The clashing energies made the black smoke vanish, and my power lingered, continuing to heal him—but Robert seized the opening while I tended to Benjamin.
"Alvis! Look out!"
"Alvis, dodge!"
Whoosh!
A fierce blade wind from Ravi flew at Robert aiming for my heart, while dozens of thorny vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around him.
Robert deflected Ravi's leg-powered wind with his sword, then hurled it via one of his black arms to slice through the binding vines.
In that time, we'd saved Benjamin's life—thankfully—but it was clear at a glance that Robert was a monster. No room for relief.
Freed from restraint, Robert glared irritably at us.
"Impressive. Your companions aren't just scarecrows."
"Unlike Vector, no puppet-master tricks to force movement, huh?"
I raised my Light Saber, and Robert smirked.
"Dirty tricks like that are for sneaky bastards like Vector."
"Great for us, then—you're way easier than him!"
I hoisted my Light Saber high and unleashed Judgment on Robert.
With range narrowed and power focused, spears of light rained down like a storm, hammering him. Robert parried the barrage at blurring speed with his arms.
The moment he twitched to reposition, attacks came from all four sides—me, Ravi, Elfin, and Lenis—to pin him down.
Ravi's leg-born blade winds, Elfin's thorned stems empowered by the surrounding woods, Lenis's moon-infused ring blasts—all turned Robert's spot into a dust cloud.
But Robert whipped up a sword gale to scatter the dust and reset his stance.
No major wounds, but he wasn't unscathed—cuts everywhere leaked black smoke.
Robert spat on the ground and plunged his sword into the earth.
"Using power out here is such a pain. This won't do."
"All bold talk about killing us, and now you're running?"
"As if. Just need to change the stage."
Robert pulled a sinister scroll—mix of sorcery and magic—from his robes and tore it.
For a moment, nothing happened...
Then a fierce wind howled from behind, and a massive portal yawned open behind us.
"Shit, everyone—get far from there!"
"Too late!"
Robert yanked his embedded sword upward with all his might. The ground flipped like a tablecloth, hurling us into the portal.
It felt like being sucked into a sewer for a second—then we landed in a void of pitch blackness.
"Goddamn it... Everyone okay?"
"I'm... fine."
"Me too, for now..."
"No injuries here either. But where are we? Why's it so pitch black—no light at all..."
I drew my Light Saber, but its glow trembled dangerously, far weaker than outdoors—like it might snuff out any second.
Scanning the revealed surroundings in the dark: cracked, broken ancient stone pillars and tiles; once-ornate stained glass; moldy pews.
From the antique chairs, candelabras, and glass... this place was...
"A cathedral?"
"An abandoned one? Why no light at all? It's daytime outside."
"Where's that Robert guy? Are we alone?"
At that moment, thermal signatures—red silhouettes—popped up in the blackness, even without the Eye active.
"!!!"
The instant I activated the Eye, I cursed involuntarily.
"What the fuck..."
"Alvis...?"
"Brace yourselves, everyone. Looks like... this is their base."
One of the approaching red silhouettes laughed mockingly upon spotting us.
"Finally cornered the rat wrecking our operation."
Impossible Victory
Focus all power on survival and escape.