Chapter: 259
Prete, the Apostle of Goddess overseeing beauty and art, came to his senses in a pitch-black place.
The first thing he felt was pain. There wasn’t a part of his body that didn’t hurt.
What did I do yesterday?
I have no idea. Nothing is coming to mind. My head is filled with all sorts of disgusting thoughts, so I can’t recall any proper memories.
Should I start by figuring out my surroundings?
The front is obscured. Is my vision blocked by a blindfold?
No, because I don’t feel anything near my face.
Huh? It’s not just near my face; I can’t feel my hands, feet, or skin at all.
With my wrists not moving well, it seems I’m tied to something.
…Of course there’s no smell. Even when I’m moving my wrists around, there’s no sound.
What on earth happened?
Even in this situation where a crisis could be looming over him, Prete was calm.
Whether it was summer or winter, he had traveled here and there, conveying the words of the Goddess while using the ground as his bed and the sky as his blanket, showing a somewhat excessive carefree attitude.
At this moment, he thought that as long as he wasn’t dead, everything would turn out fine, and he was about to close his eyes again.
“Hey. Hey. Don’t sleep. You crazy idiot.”
That was when he heard a voice for the first time around him.
It was a voice he felt he had heard in the distant past. Judging from the faint memory left, she must have been somewhat beautiful.
“I can’t think of anything in my head, so what else would I do but sleep?”
“Normally, it’s normal to be scared, right?”
“If I die, then I die. I’ll get to see the beautiful Goddess up close. What’s there to be afraid of?”
“…Wow. You’ve become even crazier in ten years.”
Snap! With that sound of fingers snapping, the darkness lifted, revealing the surroundings.
Firstly, he saw the gloomy ceiling of a brick prison.
Iron handcuffs binding his limbs.
His body, looking like it had been tortured.
And lastly, the face of a woman he thought he would never see again.
“Karia?”
“Yeah. It’s me. You perverted bastard.”
“…I heard you died.”
“That’s a complicated story, you know? Just think fast.”
Think fast, huh?
Ah. Apparently, as various sensations returned, the disgusting thoughts in his head faded away.
Recognizing her, multiple pieces of information came to Prete’s mind.
The reason I ended up here was due to the Guidance of God.
I was told that those who wished to taint the world were in the Burrow territory, so I secretly moved there.
This place seemed fine on the surface, but it couldn’t deceive Prete’s eyes.
To him, who divided everything into beauty and ugliness, the ugliness hidden in the territory was something he couldn’t help but notice.
After entering the territory, Prete soon realized it had fallen entirely into the hands of the Evil God. And that the center of it was the House of Burrow.
Having grasped everything, he initially thought of escaping and bringing the Holy Knights of the Church for a purification crusade, but unfortunately, his intentions failed.
Despite using various means to erase the traces of the Apostle, he could not escape the gaze of the Evil God.
Prete desperately tried to escape from this territory, but the darkness showed no end no matter how fast he ran.
All he could do was fight and collapse.
“Do you remember everything?”
Spitting out the blood pooling in his mouth, Prete nodded.
“…Yes. Roughly.”
“How weak have you gotten in the ten years I’ve been absent? You can’t even escape properly.”
“There wasn’t much I could do. I didn’t even get a proper chance to fight.”
The moment he realized his identity had been exposed, the darkness had swallowed the territory.
Countless traps lurked within that darkness.
Then, at the end of it all, the Apostle of Evil God appeared, with Duke Burrow guarding them.
Even if they faced off in perfect condition, he encountered the risky attack just before collapsing, so what other outcome could there be but defeat?
“And speaking of weakness, isn’t it similar for you, Karia?”
In her prime, she was regarded as a pillar defending the kingdom alongside Benedict Allen, but that was no longer the case.
The Karia in front of Prete now only had the strength of an ordinary knight.
Huh. Now that I think about it, it’s strange. No matter how skilled Karia is in espionage, she wouldn’t be able to deceive the Evil God with that level of strength.
…Could it be that I’m seeing an illusion? Perhaps the obligation to convey the calamity of this place is creating a hallucination in front of me?
No, that can’t be.
If I were to create an illusion, I’d make it something much more beautiful.
For example, yes, like the beautiful figure I saw recently in Partlan territory, as if the Goddess had descended upon the earth.
Ah, I want to meet that person again.
The moment our eyes met, everything around me vanished, and music from the heavens echoed in my ears, and I wanted to feel again the sight of the Goddess proclaiming that she should bless that beauty.
While bowing at her feet, receiving that sharp gaze…
“…You disgusting pervert. Get a grip.”
“Oh. Your ability to read expressions is still intact?”
I wondered if the Evil God was mimicking Karia, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
“Got anything to say?”
“Yes. It’s important. Karia, there’s a massive black magic being prepared in this territory right now.”
Having traveled around the continent fighting the followers of the Evil God, Prete acquired knowledge about black magic in the process, and he had a rough guess about the magic circle he saw during his escape.
“The Apostle of Evil God intends to offer this territory as a living sacrifice.”
“…Are you insane? Is that for real?”
“Yes. I don’t know what kind of outcome that black magic will bring, but it’s clear that every life in this territory will be sacrificed.”
A greater disaster will bloom from this calamity. That must be stopped. Upon hearing this from Prete, Karia raised one eyebrow.
“More details… Ah, damn it. It’s urgent, so just listen. Help will arrive here soon. I’m planning to explode from within when that happens, so save your strength. Got it?”
“Yes.”
Although it was a story lacking in various details, Prete didn’t ask further questions, as Karia didn’t seem to have the leisure to do so while skinning someone alive.
“Oh, and prepare your mind. I’ll be pretending to torture you to conceal my identity.”
“…Huh?”
Torture… you say?
“I’ll poke holes in your palms. Scratch your sides. I’ll play with your organs.”
As soon as Karia put on a skin, her voice changed from a slightly light feminine tone to a dark, gruff middle-aged voice.
“Don’t worry. I’ll only do it to hurt. So scream really well.”
…Aren’t you planning to make me scream forcibly anyway?
Thoughts like that naturally engraved themselves in Prete’s mind, but unfortunately, he couldn’t voice them out.
Before that, his mouth was filled with screams.
*
Grandpa was right.
Believing my interpretation was correct and charging forward without thought, I was able to find the winning streak at some point.
That winning streak was that a skeleton can’t maintain composure indefinitely.
If it were an ordinary opponent, it wouldn’t matter. But in front of the Mesugaki skill, even the strange skeleton must build up rage.
When the skeleton was in control, I could solve that anger by hitting it intermittently, but that wasn’t the case now.
As long as I’m focused on defense, the skeleton can’t penetrate my shield. The unvented rage only accumulates further and affects the skeleton’s mind.
Look at that guy swinging his sword now.
The swordsmanship that used to amaze me has vanished, leaving behind only frantic and desperate attacks.
Clang!
With gritted teeth, I blocked the skeleton’s attack and revealed a smile over the shield.
“Oooh♡ What’s this cute little attack?♡ So short and lacking in ha-hum strength?♡ Oh right~♡ The skeleton knight is actually the young lady♡”
Instead of a response to my provocation, a sword strike came flying, but it was no problem.
If I were still in the trial location, the skeleton’s strikes would be a threat, but in my significantly weakened state, they aren’t at an unmanageable level.
Anyway, the skeleton’s sword is ordinary.
This time, swinging from the right. The strike is considerably rough compared to the beginning.
With that level, it might be possible to deflect it rather than block it.
Making a quick call, I shifted the shield just as the skeleton’s sword slipped along the face of the shield.
As the skeleton lost its balance, I didn’t press forward but raised my shield again.
That earlier opening wasn’t a Critical Gap.
“Oh, skeleton lady~♡ Do you plan to keep moving cutely like that?♡ Hehe♡ But what can we do?♡ No matter how hard the skeleton tries, it can’t be as cute as me~♡ How pitiful!♡”
“You coward, hiding behind a shield!”
I observe the furious cry along with the attacks rushing in.
Is it because you’re losing your sanity?
That attack reveals the skeleton’s original habit, the pattern of the game.
So, without much danger, I deflect it, revealing a big window in the skeleton’s defense.
However, despite this, I still didn’t push forward.
I wasn’t confident enough to successfully attack in that opening.
“Come out! Fight like a knight, honorably!”
“Are you mad?♡ Upset?♡ Then let’s see if you can come out~♡ Can’t do it?♡ No chance?♡ Oh, the skeleton lady’s swordsmanship is as cute as her short legs♡”
I watch the skeleton raise its sword over the shield.
A basic and clear attack, swinging from above to below, powerful but ordinary.
And something I had monotonously faced before the possession.
I deemed it a clear opportunity, but suddenly I felt a disturbance.
Is the skeleton really repeating the same mistake three times even in a state of losing sanity?
Wouldn’t this be the same skeleton who pushed me hard while recolibrating its sword through countless taunts?
Following that suspicion, rather than recklessly move, I scrutinize the skeleton.
A short step forward.
The sword raised above.
A slightly elevated shoulder.
Huh. Preparing to recoil of course.
Hoping to draw me in with a feigned mistake?
It seems like they are trying to create an opportunity while risking a substantial danger.
I’m in a hurry. Really in a hurry. Has it genuinely gotten angry?
If it were the skeleton I first encountered, I would’ve focused on executing a more dedicated crazy act.
For now, I’ll silently express my gratitude.
Thanks to your urgency, I was able to read the intent and it allowed me to use it.
The power and timing of the attack I’m now executing perfectly align with what I’ve seen countless times.
As they prepare to rebound, the timing of the attack remains consistent.
So you know, even without using a shield, I can execute a parry and prepare for it.
I chant a prayer in my heart.
What I intend to use is the miracle of defense.
A spell to create a shield made of divine essence.
When made at the precise location and timing, the shield effortlessly deflected the skeleton’s sword, thereby creating a vast opening.
And I, who had never moved my shield, could now penetrate faster than the skeleton anticipated.
The skeleton tried to swing its sword to push me back, but the feeble motion held little strength.
It only collided with my shield.
The distance between the skeleton and me closed.
Its hollow eyes met my smile.
Then, seeing the skeleton desperately trying to evade, I raised my mace high.
I thrust forward with all my might.
As the mace struck the skeleton, a shock coursed through my hand, accompanied by a delightful ding echoing in celebration of my success.
– Ding!
[Quest Clear!]
[Successfully strategized the dungeon dominated by the Evil God!]
[Your previous achievements and current achievements have merged!]
[Reward ‘Divine Realm’ has been granted!]
I won.
You piece of shit!
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