TOP 27

Chapter 27.

 Priest Lee Pilseong (1)

The Gaia Order.

They were called the guardians of the world, and of course, their scale was immense.

However, their influence was concentrated only in capital cities and major urban centers of each nation.

Places like this backwater village? They didn’t care at all.

At most, if an uncontrollable Gate appeared in a countryside area, they would dispatch a small support force.

So, I never expected it.

That here—

I would encounter a priest of Gaia.

“Filthy undead scum! How dare you crawl out here! Return to the Void!”

Fwoooosh──!

Boom! Crash!

A young man, who looked like a priest, pummeled a corpse golem with fists wrapped in holy power.

Each strike caved deep holes into the rotting flesh of the golem.

Holy power was the natural enemy of the undead, but still—this priest was skilled.

‘About 4-star level.’

Roughly on par with me.

If we fought right now…

‘I’d win.’

Barring any unforeseen variables, I’d definitely win.

Besides, he was currently busy battling the corpse golems.

If I struck by surprise, I could easily gain the upper hand.

So, if I killed him first and then dealt with the golems—

【Eugene?】

That was when Frill’s worried voice rang in my head.

Like a bucket of cold water, I snapped back to my senses.

What the hell was I just thinking?

“…Hoo.”

My reason returned, if only a little.

‘I almost thought I had to kill him immediately.’

…That was dangerous.

‘Of course, I’ll have my revenge.’

The Gaia Order were the murderers of my parents.

My sworn enemies.

Even after ten years, my hatred hadn’t lessened at all.

But the priest before me? By their standards, he was just a low-ranking grunt.

So do I just swallow my vengeance?

‘Of course not.’

But—not right now.

Too many eyes were watching.

‘If word spreads that I killed a priest, I’ll become the Order’s public enemy.’

And once that happened, I’d be screwed.

I’d end up living as a fugitive, unable to even attempt proper revenge, and die in obscurity.

That couldn’t happen.

If I was going to kill them, it had to be with a thorough, perfect plan.

So for now, I would restrain this one-dimensional anger.

“Hunter over there! Don’t just stand there—either run or help out!”

Right then, the priest spotted me and shouted.

I looked around. Several corpse golems were approaching me.

Groooaaar—

“…Hoo. Fine, for now…”

I’d deal with these monsters first, then think again.

Loosening the tight grip of my fury, I adjusted my hold on the Everfrost Blade.

Then I wrapped aura around the sword.

Grooooo—

A corpse golem swung its massive fist at me.

Its body was a patchwork of stitched corpses like a rag doll, but its destructive power wasn’t to be underestimated.

However—

Shiiick—!

My aura was stronger.

With a single stroke, I sliced off its arm.

“You dare, with a body like that?”

I channeled my rage at the Gaia Order into rage against the monsters.

【Six o’clock! Body slam incoming!】

“Got it.”

Graaah!

The golem, now missing one arm, swung its other.

I cut that off just as easily, stepped on its shoulder, and leapt into the air.

Boom!

It collided with another charging corpse golem.

And I—

Shiiick!

—sliced through both of their necks in one swing.

In an instant, two down.

But there were still many left.

Dozens more were crawling out of the Gate.

“Raaaaah! Goddess Gaiaaa!”

The priest, who had bravely charged in, was slowly being pushed back by sheer numbers.

At that moment, a thought occurred to me.

‘…If I don’t help him and he dies, that’s not my fault, is it?’

A delightful thought—killing by omission.

‘Yes, I’ll make sure not to help him.’

So instead of focusing on fighting the monsters, I decided to prioritize saving civilians.

That way, the priest’s chances of dying would increase, right?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t completely withdraw from battle.

“Kyaaaah!”

“P-please! Save us!”

Panic-stricken civilians were still running for their lives.

If I stayed passive now, most of them would die.

My choice could kill them—or save them.

And I wasn’t cold-blooded enough to deliberately let innocents die.

‘That low-ranking priest’s death isn’t worth sacrificing all these people for…’

“Fine. Let’s have some fun.”

Resolving myself, I kicked off the ground toward a golem looming over a young girl.

“U-uwahhh…”

“No, Minji! Nooo!”

Her mother rushed desperately to save her, even knowing she’d fail.

A tragedy about to unfold.

But—

Flash!

My aura-wreathed sword split the golem in two.

Thud!

Its halves collapsed on either side of the mother and child.

The mother trembled, holding her daughter tightly, waiting for death.

“…Huh?”

But when death didn’t come, she cautiously opened her eyes.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah… y-yes! Th-thank you so much!”

“Hhic… Waaahh!”

The mother bowed repeatedly, while the girl burst into tears.

“Now go. Quickly.”

I urged them to flee.

There were too many monsters left for me to waste time here.

Leaving them behind, I dashed toward other golems.

“Th-thank you!”

A youthful voice cried out from behind me.

…It didn’t feel bad.

‘If only a miracle like this had happened for my parents too…’

Memories I didn’t want to recall resurfaced.

My mother had once risked her life to save me, just like that woman.

The difference was—

‘…Enough.’

I cut off the thought.

There was no time for the past.

I had golems to kill.

Graaaar!

Shiiick! Smash!

I rampaged across the battlefield, cutting them down.

It wasn’t hard.

After three months of growth, I was now at the peak of 4-star level.

On the brink of 5-star.

‘Even among 4-stars, there’s a difference in level.’

These corpse golems couldn’t threaten me.

Of course—

Boom!

“Ugh.”

“O-oh? Th-thank you!”

“Run. Now.”

…I did get clipped once while saving someone.

But it wasn’t serious.

Didn’t even hurt much.

After who knows how long—

Shiiick!

“Haaah…”

My final strike felled the last golem.

The battle was over.

I looked around.

“About a hundred.”

Roughly a hundred corpse golem corpses lay scattered.

I had tried to minimize civilian casualties, but some had died.

Others were gravely injured.

The destruction of property was unspeakable.

This 4-star eruption Gate had been subdued, but not without leaving deep scars.

“…Still, this was lucky.”

Had I not happened to pass by, the casualties would have been at least ten times worse.

And then—

“Haaah… Praise be to the Goddess! Thanks to Her, I survived and saved the believers-to-be!”

Unfortunately…

“…Tch. Damn.”

The Gaia priest survived.

I had watched him carefully during the battle. He barely clung to life, but never fell.

‘Damn healers.’

Healers who could fight as well were ridiculously tenacious.

Still—

I couldn’t deny he had played a role in minimizing casualties.

Not as much as me, but he alone had handled thirty or forty golems.

【Eugene, are you going to kill him?】

‘Yeah.’

【Really?】

‘Yeah.’

But that’s that, and this is this.

【Then right now—】

‘No. Not now.’

【Why?】

‘Too many witnesses.’

As I had thought earlier, killing a priest required caution.

If I wasn’t careful, I’d end up the Order’s enemy.

I needed a perfect crime.

Slash, slash.

For now, I quietly harvested the magic stones from the golem corpses.

Then—

【Eugene, he’s coming your way!】

“….”

Clench!

I gripped my butcher’s knife tightly.

Why the hell was he coming to me?

“Thank you, believer-to-be.”

“….”

“You are not yet a follower of the Goddess, yet you risked your life to save others. I admire you.”

He kept talking to me.

Ignoring him did nothing.

He just kept spewing his lines.

That alone pissed me off—but what really enraged me was—

‘Believer-to-be, my ass.’

The Gaia Order called ordinary people “believers-to-be.”

Not followers yet, but inevitably destined to become one.

That smug arrogance made my blood boil.

“Hey.”

“Oh! So you can speak after all.”

“Quit bothering me and go heal those people.”

He had spoken down to me first, so I returned the favor.

Besides, his attitude after the battle was grating.

“U-ugh…”

“Don’t die! Somebody, please help!”

Though the fight was over, the situation wasn’t resolved.

Someone wept holding a dead lover. Another screamed for help to save their dying family.

And of course, they turned to the priest.

“P-priest, sir! Over here! This person’s gravely injured—c-could you please…?”

If he used his healing, he could save them.

But what he said was absurd.

“Are you a follower of the Goddess?”

“N-no, but…”

“Then I cannot help.”

“P-please, priest! I beg you!”

He refused to heal anyone who wasn’t part of the Order.

So much for “believers-to-be.”

I silently kept collecting magic stones, watching this farce.

‘Not like I could help anyway.’

I had potions, but they were for Hunters. Ordinary people without mana would only worsen if they drank them.

Then—

“Believer-to-be, will you study the Goddess’s teachings with—”

The priest was about to start pestering me again when—

“I’ll convert!”

A loud cry came from the wounded civilians.

Thankfully, the priest’s attention shifted there.

“What did you just say?”

“…I’ll join the Gaia Order. Please, save this person, priest.”

“Good. To recognize the Goddess’s greatness even now—you are wise.”

So that was settled.

Healing in exchange for belief.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

“From now on, live your life in gratitude to the Goddess.”

“Yes, yes! Of course!”

The priest reached toward the dying person.

“If this one holds no blasphemous thoughts toward the Goddess, they will live.”

“…What?”

“Otherwise, they shall die.”

“W-wait! You never said—”

“Judgment.”

Fwooooosh──!

A bright white light enveloped the dying body.

And then—

“Gaaaahhhhhh!!!!!”

A scream of pure agony ripped out.

As if from someone with strength they shouldn’t even have left.

“Aaaghhh! Noooo! Please—!!!!”

The priest remained calm.

“A heretic, then. How unfortunate.”

“S-stop! Priest, please stop! I beg you!”

“I cannot. You requested healing. This one is simply unworthy to receive it.”

“AAAGGHHHHH!!!!! H-help… aaAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

“Noooo!!!”

The one who begged for help now threw themselves at the priest to stop him.

But—

Wham!

“Gah!”

Thud.

They were swatted aside like nothing.

“If he is innocent, he will survive. Believe, and wait.”

“…Ahh…”

The man shed silent tears, watching helplessly as his loved one shrieked in torment.

That was all he could do.

SMAAASH—!

“What kind of crazy bastard is this?!”

But I wasn’t like him.

【Eugene, nice shot! Smash his face in!】

I finally couldn’t hold back my fury—

And drove my fist straight into the priest’s face.

Ah, shit.

So much for my perfect crime.