Picking Up the Abandoned Healer (5)
The priests screamed and collapsed at that horrific roar. It was due to the demon's innate mental attack skill, Helpless Terror, which gnawed at their minds.
My Demon Hunter passive skill Last Bastion vibrated fiercely, repelling the Helpless Terror. If you weren't a Demon Hunter, most people couldn't withstand that mental assault from a demon.
As the demon reached out, its sharp claws extended in a straight line, skewering two of the whimpering priests like kebabs.
Judging by its use of Hell Claws, this was no ordinary demon.
"Saintess! Snap out of it! Raise the holy barrier! Before all the priests die!!"
I shook the trembling saintess's shoulders roughly and yelled. But she just mumbled something like a prayer, as if she couldn't hear me.
In the end, I had to slap her hard across the cheek.
"Holy Barrier!"
The saintess snapped to her senses, her hands glowing golden as she unleashed her holy power. A massive semicircular barrier formed around her, and the demon hesitated, stepping back.
The holy barrier could block most physical attacks. Especially one created by a saintess with enough holy power to manifest a halo—it was tough enough that even a mid-sized demon would have to exert itself fully just to tear it.
But the problem was that the demon had appeared too quickly at the start, killing most of the priests in just two attacks.
The only survivor was that middle-aged priest called the overseer. The bastard was now huddled inside the holy barrier, shaking like a leaf.
One priest left, terrified out of his mind. The saintess was expending her holy power on the barrier.
Guess it was just me fighting.
"Don't drop the barrier, no matter what."
I drew Nightrend, and the saintess gasped in shock at the starlight flowing along the blade.
"How do you have a holy relic!? Where did you get that?!"
"It's not a holy relic. It's a demon-hunting sword. I went through hell to get it."
I stepped forward, piercing the holy barrier.
"Zal!"
I swung Nightrend around with a shout, and the demon turned its head toward me.
"Vas'ka yul'reis vroga vo'lar?"
[Slen'ra, tik cith'ka k'lor!]
The demon's eyes blazed red as it let out a bellow.
[Veas zar'zen thon rukos zeil! Yul'reis tol'mek, yul'reis tol'mek!]
"Gra'ri fe'lok, rin'veth lok dra! Mor'zul dra vroga zoth'ka tor'va?"
[Goz'rik thag'ok! Dra'nok fe'lok, reza'vok! Krin'za'kam troz'rega zro'lok! Gra'vok nok'ri! Kri'zo'rok zro'vo'rok!]
"Vor'ess! krin'fola dolenos tarak!"
Hunting Dog's Mark activated! A glowing inverted triangle mark appeared above the demon's head.
Once that mark was stamped, the demon was as good as dead. With Hunting Dog's Mark, I could unleash my anti-demon skills.
[Gaz'rok? Re'zok?!]
The demon looked down at me in horror as I closed the distance to its legs in the blink of an eye.
Just as I was about to slice off its knee with Nightrend, a haze rose around the demon's body, and an enormous flame exploded outward.
Using Hell's Heat to barely push me back, the demon propped itself up with its tail and retreated in a hurry.
[Gaz'rok thag'ok! Draz'nok felok, reza'vok?!]
"Mar'goth, zal'gor. Fel'drok gorok, nem'vok Zro'vik raz'lok kro'ma'volok."
At my response, the demon froze, its mouth flapping open and shut.
It probably never imagined running into a Demon Hunter while settling down in some quiet rural village.
But now wasn't the time for chit-chat with a demon. Battles against demons had to end as quickly as possible.
I charged again, and the demon roared, casting Hell Claws. Sharp claws extended rapidly from both sides.
I rolled along the ground, narrowly dodging the claws, and raised Nightrend's blade high.
A brilliant starlight exploded from Nightrend's blade, dyeing everything in blinding white.
[Gra'vaarrrrr!]
Blinded, the demon thrashed wildly, swinging its long tail.
Two seconds until its vision recovered! Leaving an afterimage, I blinked behind the demon, and its tail crashed down on where I'd been with a deafening boom.
Now atop its shoulder, I slammed Nightrend into the back of its neck with all my strength.
The blade dug into the demon's neck, flashes of intense light bursting everywhere. The dark forest flickered between day and night countless times before the demon's head finally hit the ground.
A fight that ended in seconds—minutes at most. That was the textbook way to fight demons.
Some might criticize taking dozens of gold coins for something so quick. But when you're risking your life, you deserve it.
As the demon's massive body collapsed, the holy barrier dissipated, and the saintess slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.
"You okay?"
"Y-yes.... More importantly, the priests...?"
"They're all dead."
At my words, the saintess jerked her head up and looked around. Her face drained of color at the sight of the mangled, unrecognizable corpses.
"A-all of them... dead?"
"Yeah. The demon was too fast, and the priests were defenseless. Because of that guy."
I pointed at the middle-aged priest, who was getting to his feet. The saintess's eyes flashed with anger.
"We barely repelled it."
The middle-aged priest brushed off his clothes and spoke upon seeing the demon's head on the ground.
"Our brothers' noble sacrifice shone through."
What kind of bullshit was that? The priests just died like dogs.
"Thank you for your help, Demon Hunter brother. When we return, I'll recommend appropriate compensation to the higher-ups."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"We'll take the demon's head."
I let out a hollow laugh and pointed at the middle-aged priest.
"I killed the demon. Cut the crap and clean up your dead priests and head back to your sect."
"We can't do that. Without the priests' sacrifice and the saintess's holy barrier, even your life wouldn't have been guaranteed. And by rights, the demon's body belongs to the sect for holy purification."
I was so dumbfounded I turned to the saintess.
"Saintess. What the hell is this guy saying? Who is he? Why's he spouting this insane crap like it's nothing with you right here?"
"He's the overseer...."
"Overseer of what?"
"Brother...."
The saintess looked up at me with desperate eyes and whispered.
"Please kill him for me...."
"What...?!"
"Please, kill him...."
What the hell? A saintess asking a Demon Hunter to kill a priest?
By then, the overseer priest was already grabbing the demon's horn and stuffing it into a large sack.
I didn't know the full situation, but first things first—secure that head.
"Hey. Put that down."
"Step back. Demon Hunter. If you come closer, I'll use holy power."
Fuck this. I couldn't take it anymore.
"What holy power from a halo-less hack like you? And what are you gonna do with holy power against me?"
"Everyone knows Demon Hunters slowly turn into demons. We helped you, so let's end this nicely—back off."
"Cut the bullshit, you prick. Shut your trap and drop the demon head!"
I strode forward and grabbed the priest's shoulder. As he drew his sword to slash at me, I sidestepped the diagonal cut from belly to chest and brought Nightrend down on his neck.
"Self-defense."
"Gurk!"
The overseer collapsed, blood spraying like a fountain.
Stupid bastard. Killing him and blaming the demon would've been easy, but he had to piss me off.
I grabbed the sack with the demon head and returned to the saintess.
"Saintess. What now? If you're not staying here, come with me down the mountain."
"O-okay...."
Glancing at the convulsing overseer spurting blood, the terrified saintess stiffly got to her feet.