Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Chimera (2)
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A small bug landed on Bishop Lincoln's hand.
His gentle expression was gone, replaced by a face twisted as if a demon had taken hold.
"This is what got taken down?"
He couldn't believe it.
It was a chimera fusing four types of creatures, with expert-level swordsmanship and even infused with holy power.
It wasn't a finished product, but it was still an opponent that no ordinary powerhouse could defeat.
'Did the count step in?'
That didn't seem right.
If the count had gotten involved, the main body probably wouldn't have survived at all. And he would have come storming to dismantle the church right away.
The culprit was someone else. Just as the chimera was dealing with the bugs surveilling this place, a barrier blocking all power had unfolded.
'A sorcerer. Definitely a sorcerer.'
At least a 5th class sorcerer. Anything less couldn't take down a paladin chimera.
Were there sorcerers of that caliber in this land?
The Welton family was renowned for swordsmanship, but they didn't lack sorcerers entirely.
However, the family sorcerers topped out at 4th class. He knew a fully prepared sorcerer was formidable, but not enough to surpass a paladin chimera.
'Wait. Come to think of it, that kid.'
There was a rising hot topic in Hice right now.
'Jamie Welton.'
The Welton heir who had visited here just today.
That boy was a once-in-a-millennium genius sorcerer who had reached 4th class at age seven.
'Ridiculous thought.'
At least 5th class. And not even a fully prepared one could easily take down a paladin chimera.
'No. Even fully prepared, driving it to the point where only the core escapes is impossible.'
An unknown entity had intervened.
If it was just some skilled adventurer passing through, it wouldn't matter. They usually ignored such affairs.
The problem was if it was a third force.
Bam!
Lincoln slammed his plump fist on the desk.
The office supplies jumped.
"What arrogant bastard...!"
Harsh curses unbecoming of a cleric spilled from his thick lips.
This could derail everything.
'I need to accelerate the experiments before it's too late...'
Shing—
A transparent blade like a mirror slipped quietly between Lincoln's folded necks.
Lincoln's eyes widened.
He swallowed dryly, rolling only his eyes sideways.
"Is the second plan failing too?"
A genderless voice pierced his fat ears.
Lincoln's limbs began to tremble. He hadn't expected him to appear at this moment.
Without turning his head, he forced calm into his voice.
"It hasn't failed."
"Then what's that in your hand?"
The small bug in his left hand.
It emanated faint holy power—the paladin chimera's core.
"It's not complete yet."
"So it's fine because an unfinished product ended up like this?"
"That's not what I mean. The experiments are still progressing well. Something annoying just interfered."
"And you haven't even identified what that annoyance is?"
"No need. A couple more times, and the experiments will be fully complete. What we've longed for will be realized."
"A couple more times."
The cold blade touched his skin.
Goosebumps spread across his body. He tried to play it cool, but sweat poured from his bloated frame.
"If the count steps in, it's over."
"I know."
"I'm watching."
The presence vanished.
Lincoln exhaled the breath he'd held and shot up, scanning the room.
His office was serene, as if no one had been there from the start.
He touched his neck.
His hand was slightly damp. Looking down, red blood smeared his entire palm.
"...He meant business."
One slip of the tongue, and his head would have rolled.
"Seven Knights...!"
One of the seven swords guarding the archbishop from Zenith Church headquarters was dispatched here.
To monitor him.
Their near-master level swords were beyond his power to handle.
'If I just complete this experiment...'
The archbishop's face came to mind.
That wicked old man looking down and sneering at him.
'I'll take his place.'
To do that, he needed to speed up the experiments.
Lincoln's face twisted ferociously.
Jamie was heading back to the mansion, having stored the paladin's corpse in his subspace.
"Master, Master!"
A familiar voice called from below.
Looking down, he saw Azad waving frantically at him.
'Why's that guy here?'
Come to think of it, only Raiza had been left in the abandoned building where he'd battled the paladin.
As he descended, Azad approached laboriously, panting.
"Why's an undead out of breath?"
"Y-Yeah, right."
At Jamie's words, Azad looked enlightened, snapped his head up, and instantly regulated his breathing.
What a weirdo.
An undead body was already dead, making it semi-invincible.
No need to breathe, sleep, or eat. No physiological needs at all.
Yet Azad stretched, got bored, and now pretended to be tired.
'Oddball.'
Very different from Raiza.
Did something go wrong during creation?
Black had assisted, but it had been quite taxing. Still, the incantations were flawless.
Undead had outliers too, but his human-era habits were excessive.
'I'll dissect him later.'
He wanted to now, but there was too much to do.
"Why are you here?"
"Raiza told me to fetch you, Master! I was rushing over!"
"How were you gonna call me?"
"Well... um."
Azad pondered, tilting his head.
"Good point? If I went to you, the guards would notice, and it'd cause a fuss."
His dumb response drew a laugh.
Not as sharp as Raiza, but his straightforwardness was occasionally endearing.
"Raiza's gone back. I treated him, but he can't move well yet, so stay by his side and nurse him."
"Got it."
"And no more overt surveillance like this. They're sharp, so be discreet."
"Got it."
"Then I'm off."
"Come back safe!"
Azad bowed 90 degrees.
Jamie chuckled and returned to the mansion.
Watching Azad dash away in the distance, he thought.
'Maybe a special case.'
He suppressed his surging curiosity for now.
When everyone was asleep.
Returning quietly to his room, Jamie pulled out the hollowed-out paladin.
Traces of his handiwork marked its body everywhere.
He hadn't held back, so the black magic remnants were blatant.
"The core escaped, though."
Better that way.
He could track them immediately if they schemed again.
"Let's examine this shell first."
How far had they progressed?
Feeling a twinge of excitement, Jamie carefully began disassembling the paladin shell.
Some time passed.
Before Jamie lay the perfectly dismantled chimera body, divided into parts.
Lower body: insect legs with red exoskeletons. Some organs including lungs: powerful fire resistance. Eyes: compound insect eyes.
And finally.
"The base is a human body."
Four creatures fused in total.
That explained the explosive speed, the flames from its mouth, and dodging his magic.
"Then what's this?"
At the center where the four merged was an opaque silver orb embedded.
No reason for something like this inside.
He first thought it suppressed repulsion between species traits.
But closer inspection showed seamless connections—no need for such a device.
Their research had reached an impressive level.
"Hm."
They wouldn't add a meaningless device with that skill.
A sudden thought struck him.
"It's holding holy power."
Not certain, but otherwise, no reason for it.
He'd assumed the core was the holy power source, but this seemed correct.
'Just a hypothesis.'
Jamie gripped the orb tight and scanned the arrayed parts again.
Now, their goal was clear.
And that their experiments were nearing completion.
"You're making enhanced paladins."
Enhanced paladins.
For some reason, that's what Zenith Church aimed for.
But why?
'Why would they need that?'
No reason for Zenith Church to make enhanced paladins.
Aside from his extreme dislike, they were a religion sustained by followers' faith.
Not black sorcerers doing shady things. Only one reason came to mind.
'Planning a war?'
One enhanced paladin wouldn't be shocking. But if they gathered dozens, hundreds, thousands? That changed everything.
Moreover, this one wasn't complete.
If perfected, it'd be stronger, and an army of them? Unfathomable power.
"Zenith..."
He symbolized war, but war was a means to him.
Not a god mad for slaughter.
No matter how he thought, their intent eluded him.
'Don't worry about it.'
Whatever Zenith's goal, it wasn't the priority.
They drove innocent humans to ruin using their flock. Luring them to hell with sweet words.
Not righteousness.
He'd discarded emotions and altruism.
No pity for those fooled by Zenith's silver tongues into the abyss.
Just rage at their unchanging nature.
'Diablo... live.'
'Sir Volpir. Avenge us.'
'We'll wait in hell, Diablo Volpir.'
Jamie's emerald eyes turned violet.
"You haven't changed a thing."
Seeing humans—all the world—as vermin, as tools.
Why had he vowed to kill the 12 Gods?
Humanity had lost everything once.
Crunch—
Vast yet subtle mana surged, crushing the chimera corpse.
He wouldn't let their will prevail again.
That's why he descended to this land after tens of thousands of years.
Carrying everyone's hopes.
To walk the demon's path.
"I won't allow it twice."
Quiet fury boiled up.
-Ha! What the hell are you doing in just one day?!
"I didn't expect it either."
Lincoln plugged his ears against the roar from the communication orb and made excuses.
-We barely made it, and you let it get torn to shreds like a rag!
The voice belonged to the chimera's creator, venting fury over the news of its defeat.
"The core returned safely. No need to worry."
-Is that your excuse?
"Sorry. What could I do? It was an unforeseen third party."
-Damn it. So what now?
"Planning to select one more soon."
-The kid with saintess potential?
"Crazy? Wasting saintess qualities on this is a loss."
-What's wrong with a chimera?
The creator's grumbling echoed from the orb.
"Anyway, prepare accordingly. We've come this far; it won't take long now, right?"
-Hmph. It's the final stretch anyway. Making this one showed me the shortages. Just need materials. Next one's that kid's bloodline as planned?
"Yes."
Lincoln opened his mouth in a sinister smile.
"The next material is Riki."