Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Chapter 22.
“Ah, this is nice.”
Regan, the boss of the Twilight-colored Feet, the one-armed man.
The city felt quite beautiful to him these days.
“Very nice.”
They were once just one of countless gangs in the lower district.
A mere corner store selling cheap drugs and extorting protection money from merchants.
But ever since the grace of God touched them.
Regan’s life had changed 180 degrees.
He stroked the prosthetic arm attached to his left arm with satisfaction.
“The VIPs should be here in about an hour. Get the carriage ready.”
“Yes! Do we move the Underground Sacrifices immediately as well?”
“Hold on. We move them after the confirmation is complete.”
“Ah… enjoy your pleasant confirmation!”
His subordinate grinned with a lecherous glint in his eyes.
Humans selling humans.
Regan felt no revulsion at the fact.
For a very long time, people had been nothing more than a source of money to him, nothing more, nothing less.
“They’re already finished with their lives anyway. It’s only polite to make good use of them before they rot further.”
He slowly pulled out a cigarette, and leaving his busy subordinates behind, headed underground.
Before his eyes as he descended the dark stairs.
The pile of gold coins he would receive as payment for this transport seemed to shimmer.
‘If I save up a bit more, maybe I can buy a villa in the mid-level district.’
That was truly a symbol of success for someone from the lower district.
Behind him, as he indulged in pleasant thoughts—
Thump-
Something was attached.
Before Regan, startled, could even turn around.
An emotionless voice pierced his ears.
“Since you’re someone with a magitech prosthetic arm, I trust you know what’s stuck to your back right now.”
Beep-
A ominous beep followed.
Only then did Regan realize.
That none of the subordinates he had stationed as guards underground were visible.
In the middle of the quiet staircase.
His blood ran cold.
‘…How?’
Had they managed to infiltrate this far, past such stringent security?
“Y-you! Who sent you?”
But no answer came.
Only a crude mechanical device was thrust before his eyes.
Regan, unable to even breathe properly, stared at the ‘Detonator’.
“You’re wrong. You should be asking a different question now.”
“…W-what do you want.”
“That’s right. It would be a shame to die, wouldn’t it? You must have a lot of possessions.”
Regan didn’t dare to turn around.
Click- The sound of the detonator being pressed continued to echo in his ears like an auditory hallucination.
“I will now tell you what you will do.”
Not a single common curse word.
But that voice contained something that made him erase the option of defiance himself.
An unwavering confidence that this entire situation was perfectly under his control.
Regan squeezed his eyes shut.
“I-I’ll do anything. Just spare my life.”
“Yes, if you do as you’re told, I’ll spare you.”
As if to reassure him, one more sentence was added.
“…I promise on my father’s honor.”
* * *
BEEEEEEP-
A small, unfamiliar noise tore through the sacred silence and seeped in.
The Priest, who had been holding up the Ritual Dagger, stopped.
‘What was that?’
But the sound didn’t continue.
Perhaps he had imagined it.
He put strength back into his hesitant fingertips and lowered his gaze to the sacrifice.
‘Focus.’
Beautiful golden eyes were staring him down.
Eyes filled not with fear at the face of death, but only with burning hatred and contempt.
The Priest was quickly enveloped in a thrill once more.
“…An exquisite sacrifice.”
The Ritual Dagger slowly moved towards her long ear.
He intended to savor the ritual by first cutting off her ear, the pride of an Elf.
BEEEEEEP-
…This time, it was clear.
The Priest lowered the dagger and cast a questioning glance towards the door.
‘An Alarm?’
He had specifically instructed the boss, Regan, not to disturb the ritual.
The fact that an alarm was sounding meant that an unforeseen situation had occurred, one that the gang members couldn’t handle.
The corners of the Priest’s eyes twitched slightly.
‘What’s happening?’
He quickly got to his feet.
And lumbered towards the door with his massive frame.
It was the moment he reached for the doorknob to check.
CRASH!
Before the door had even fully opened, someone burst in.
He didn’t even have time to get angry at the audacious act.
“V, VIP! It’s an attack!”
A gang member whose face was a bloody mess.
His pale face trembled, making his large frame seem insignificant.
“An attack…?”
Indeed, beyond the corridor, red lights were flashing erratically.
The Priest unconsciously leaned his head out and surveyed the surroundings.
But he heard no sounds of clashing weapons or screams.
“To call it an attack when it’s this quiet.”
“Th-that’s… the place where the Underground Sacrifices are kept. Our men were found dead. It seems someone infiltrated through the ventilation shaft.”
“…What?”
Only then did a warning light flash in the Priest’s mind.
He recalled the name of a certain Heretic Group that had been persistently disrupting the Theocracy’s events lately.
‘No way….’
It couldn’t be.
This transport must not fail.
If there was a problem with the transport, an investigation would immediately commence, and what if the existence of the ‘Special Sacrifice’ he was hiding was revealed?
No matter how much merit he had accumulated, the higher-ups would never forgive him.
The Priest kicked off from his spot without any further delay.
“Where are the sacrifices? Where are they now?”
“Th-they’re being moved outside for now…”
Before the gang member could finish his reply.
BOOM-
The sound of the warehouse’s main entrance opening echoed.
The Priest exclaimed in shock.
“You insane bastards! Why are you moving the sacrifices outside!”
“It-it was the boss’s order. He said it was dangerous to keep them in the warehouse…”
Nonsense!
This warehouse was the safest place in the vicinity.
It had a security system that cost a fortune, and the terrain was suitable for defense.
The wisest course of action was to gather the sacrifices in one place and hold out for reinforcements.
But to load the sacrifices onto a carriage and send them outside?
That was like inviting the Night Crow to snatch them up.
The Priest spoke urgently.
“Where is Diego?”
“D-Diego who….”
“Isn’t he the one who came with me!”
And at that moment.
A very peculiar expression flashed across the gang member’s face.
The situation was unfolding exactly as his friend had tipped him off.
He spoke the prepared reply.
“The other VIP is out searching for the intruder with the boss!”
“No… he’s acting alone right now.”
Diego was a capable Paladin.
But the Night Crow was also a formidable enemy.
He had to join him quickly.
Reaching this conclusion, he yelled at the still-hesitating gang member.
“What are you waiting for! Guide me!”
“Y-yes. I’m coming!”
The gang member, crouching low and flustered, followed the Priest out.
…It was at the same moment his foot pushed something under the door.
.
.
.
And shortly after the two left.
Click-
The sound of restraints being released echoed clearly in the dark room.
“……”
Golden eyes gazed at the small note that had come with the set of keys.
* * *
[Special Ability: Lizard’s Wall Run is active. Remaining time: 78 seconds]
In a corner of the warehouse.
Gunter, hidden in the shadows of the stacked cargo, calmly observed the unfolding situation.
‘Good, it’s going according to plan.’
While the Priest prepared the ritual and the Paladin indulged in his perverse hobby.
Plan Z was proceeding step by step as planned.
The boss of the organization, turned Puppet, had personally sounded the alarm.
The reason: the bodies of the guards found in the basement.
“I will report to the VIPs. First, get the sacrifices out!”
The organization members moved according to his instructions without suspicion.
Next, the boss headed to the Priest’s room.
Under the pretense of helping search for the ‘intruder,’ he separated the Priest from the children.
…It was the moment the first condition for a complete victory was met.
‘Ryan handled the Priest side well.’
The mission to lure the Priest and deliver the stolen restraint keys to Dimona.
Ryan had succeeded admirably.
He was as reliable as ever, always getting the job done.
Thus, the safety of Dimona and the other Special Sacrifices was secured.
If she acted according to the note Dimona handed over, she would soon safely evacuate the sacrifices.
And then provide support for the upcoming battle through hacking.
Incidentally, the safety of the Underground Sacrifices loaded onto the carriage was also secured.
‘I sent them directly towards the building where the Moon Wolf is waiting.’
Even if the principle was not to intervene, he figured they would handle that much.
In summary,
All the sacrifices in the warehouse were now safe.
No one was sacrificed.
[Red Street Pillar claims your strategy resembles his in his youth]
[Addict Saintess scoffs. She says you take after your maternal grandfather (?)]
[Ninety-Nine Overlord Knight King advises not to be complacent, as it’s not over yet]
[But his lips curl into a smile]
Yes, the Knight King was right.
There was still something left.
Gunter looked down at the floor, which was beginning to stir.
[Special Ability: Lizard’s Wall Run is active. Remaining time: 45 seconds]
The Puppet’s final mission was underway.
To bring the Paladin to the designated location within the allotted time.
“Ah, I think I heard a noise from this direction earlier. My subordinates also said they saw a suspicious fellow.”
“…You’re still coming up empty. You useless piece of shit. If it’s not this time, I’ll cut off your useless eyes and ears.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
And he, while flustered, succeeded in this difficult mission.
He brought the Paladin to Gunter’s feet.
“Diego! You’re safe!”
The Priest also appeared from down the corridor at just the right moment.
He saw Ryan subtly disengage behind him.
He wasn’t worried about Ryan.
He was the best at surviving, better than anyone.
‘Now it’s my turn.’
Gunter took a deep breath and reached into his pocket.
Click-
As he carefully manipulated the detonator’s button, a very faint beep began to echo in the corridor once more.
The reactivation of the bomb, which had been turned off to avoid detection.
The Paladin and the Priest, unaware of anything, continued their conversation.
“I didn’t see any intruders on the way.”
“I’m still coming up empty. Where on earth could they be hiding?”
“Damn it, it might be a diversion… Has the retrieval of the sacrifices sent outside begun yet?”
“That’s Regan, that bastard’s subordinates… Wait a minute.”
The expressions of the two, who had been murmuring, quickly stiffened.
“What is this sound?”
Beep….
The intuition that something was going wrong finally struck them.
“Could it be….”
The Paladin, Diego, muttered.
The moment his hand reflexively went to his sword hilt.
“U-Ughhhh!”
Regan, who had been trembling, lunged forward and cried out piteously.
“I-I kept my promise! Please spare…”
KWA-AAAAAAANG-!
With a desperate roar and the floor surging upwards, the entire corridor twisted.
A shockwave that deafened the ears.
Dust clouds rose with a fierce pillar of flame, swallowing their vision.
In that moment, with the surroundings filled with flames and debris—
[Special Ability: Lizard’s Wall Run is active. Remaining time: 0 seconds]
Gunter was falling.
It was an explosion powerful enough to turn Regan’s body to dust.
But—
‘Neither of them died.’
He had clearly seen it.
The black barrier unfurling from the Priest’s hand just before the explosion.
It was the Defense Magic of the Order of Abundance.
Even a rare-grade magic bomb likely wouldn’t have delivered sufficient lethality through that barrier.
One of the characteristics of the Order of Abundance was its strong defense.
…So now was important.
A moment to feel relieved that they had survived.
At the moment they were exhausted from blocking the explosion!
WHOOSH-
Piercing through the dust, smoke, and flames.
Gunter, sword raised, descended upon the Priest.
An unexpected surprise attack from above.
The Paladin, with his keen senses, detected it first and shouted.
“Maruna! Above!”
.
.
.
[Level Up!/Lv.42]
[Agility 33 → 34]
Gunter grinned as he pulled his sword from the Priest’s flabby, folded neck.
Blood trickled from his cheek, grazed by an offensive spell by a hair’s breadth, but he felt no pain.
Only the thrill of his plan’s complete success coursed relentlessly through his spine.
“Is this kid’s name Maruna? Cute name for a pig.”
The Paladin stared at him with vacant eyes.
Gunter kicked the limp corpse of the Priest and stood up straight.
The corridor blocked by raging flames.
Distant screams and shouts.
There was nowhere left to run.
There were no orphans to take hostage.
Yes.
It was time to finish this.