“By the way… it’s ridiculously vast.”
Hiding in the shadows, Rudell and Kurt were wandering through the facilities of the Church.
After wandering around for what felt like forever, they concluded that the scale of the facilities was much larger than they expected.
They had been exploring the underground for dozens of minutes, yet the scale of the facility was endless.
One fortunate thing was that the number of Church members seemed relatively low compared to the size of the facility.
Excluding the Church members they encountered upon entering, Rudell had met fewer than five so far.
“This place feels unsettling…”
“I agree.”
The old, moss-covered hallway had an unusually unpleasant atmosphere.
Was it because this place was related to the Church?
Or was it just a matter of feeling?
“Ugh… the smell.”
To make matters worse, it seemed there was a sewage nearby, with a smell that was just awful, making it hard to describe anything else.
“Definitely. This smell is unbearable.”
Of course, compared to Kurt, Rudell was better off.
Kurt had a sensitive sense of smell, so the odors wafting around must have felt like torture to him.
In reality, Kurt’s complexion turned quite pale.
“Are you okay? Should we take a break?”
“I’m fine… I can still manage this much.”
Although Kurt tried to deny it, Rudell could clearly see he was struggling.
It’s best to grab whatever they can and get out of here.
With that thought, Rudell proceeded down the corridor.
Before long…
“Rudell.”
“Yeah? What’s up?”
At Kurt’s voice calling him, Rudell turned around.
“I smell blood from that direction.”
“Blood smell?”
At those words, Rudell shifted his gaze and saw a partially collapsed old passage.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. This is definitely the smell of blood. It’s very strong.”
“I see…”
With that confident answer, Rudell let out a low groan while scanning his surroundings.
Soon enough, he noticed a small space that might allow a person to pass.
“This should be enough to get through.”
Carefully squeezing through the gap, Rudell passed to the other side, followed closely by Kurt who maneuvered through the debris.
–Crash!!
As Kurt slipped through the gap, the debris collapsed behind him, blocking the passage, and both let out a sigh of relief as they continued down the dark corridor.
“How does it feel? Any changes?”
“The smell of blood has intensified. There must be something in the vicinity.”
“Is that so…?”
If that’s true, it means there’s something significant within.
Wearing a faint smile, Rudell advanced down the passage.
A little later…
“This is it. The strong smell of blood is coming from behind.”
“I see.”
Before them stood a thick metal door that was clearly important at a glance.
Kurt, stopping in front, made that remark just as Rudell lightly waved his finger.
The shadow flickering beneath him stretched out, diving into the joints of the door, and a sharp metallic clink reverberated.
As Rudell slowly reached for the door, it opened helplessly to the sides, the locking mechanism destroyed.
“Ugh…”
At the same time, the thick, blood-like smell began to waft from inside, causing Rudell to grimace.
Kurt seemed to struggle as well, wrinkling his face and pinching his nose.
What in the world had been happening in here?
“Light.”
With those thoughts, Rudell began to chant a spell.
The magic power that left Rudell gathered in the air, becoming a small light that gradually illuminated the dark room.
And then, at that moment…
“…!!”
“What the…?!”
A trembling voice escaped Rudell’s mouth at the sight before him.
Inside the room was a column of ominous light swaying ominously.
And suspended upon the column were numerous people impaled through their hands and feet with enormous iron spikes.
It was impossible to tell how long they had been left like that; their lifeless forms were devoid of vitality, and some looked so dried out they might already be dead.
Just the visible count was easily dozens.
The blood they shed pooled below, creating a massive blood puddle.
“What the… is this…?”
“…”
Naturally, Rudell was at a loss for words at what was unfolding right before him, and Kurt seemed equally speechless at the sight.
He felt like he might lose his lunch, but Rudell held it together.
“Ugh…”
Calming his churning stomach, Rudell looked at them with a sigh.
Realistically, he had nothing he could do for them now.
After all, he wasn’t a magic priest.
Even if he dropped them from the spikes, they were too weakened to survive without treatment.
“Rudell.”
“I’m fine.”
Responding to Kurt’s worried tone, he bent down and placed his hand on the ground.
–Crack!!
With a touch, magic power spread out, and along with a loud noise, cracks began appearing in the ground.
Fueled by heightened emotions, the magic power churned the ground, and broken debris started to rise, forming a giant hemispherical structure.
–Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Finally realizing the intruders’ presence, a tumultuous shouting echoed in the hallway.
“Intruder! We have an intruder!!”
“There’s an intruder in the sacrificial room! Move NOW!!”
Panic-stricken footsteps followed from beyond the hallway…
Soon, a group of people appeared at the end of the corridor.
“…”
Seeing them, Kurt silently drew his axe from his back.
The enormous axe, comparable to a grown man, gleamed with a blue blade, and Rudell stood up.
In front of him stood a massive stone wall.
This would not break easily.
“I’m sorry.”
Saying that, Rudell turned to face the approaching Church members down the hallway.
…
He knew very well.
They were beings akin to demons wearing human skins.
Despite knowing this fact, a feeling he couldn’t describe stirred within his chest.
If he had to express it, it was close to anger.
An anger intertwined with complicated emotions.
“Kurt. Would you step back for a moment?”
“Sure.”
Kurt nodded in response to Rudell’s words and stepped back, still holding the axe.
Then, Rudell stepped forward towards the Church members rushing in.
With each step he took, the shadows beneath him swayed.
It looked like a snake preparing to pounce on its prey.
“Ugh…”
With a short sigh, Rudell reached out into the air.
And in the next moment.
The shadows beneath him began to cover the corridor.
*
At the same time.
“Where the heck are you…!!”
With an annoyed voice, Leje was leaping between the buildings in the slum.
As soon as she confirmed Rudell wasn’t in the room, all she could think about was finding him.
Otherwise, she felt something terrifying would happen.
“…”
A dream she once had.
Though it had been a long time, she still remembered it clearly.
Rudell, lifeless, amidst floods of blood.
No matter how hard she tried to forget, that scene lingered in her memory.
Eventually, all she could do was push that memory deep into her heart.
But at that moment.
That memory rose again, refusing to leave her mind.
“You idiot…!!”
With a sharp crack, she bit down on her teeth.
What kind of trouble was he expecting to face all alone?
The opponent was an unidentified monster that might not even be human.
With the skills she knew him to have, there was no way he could face such a monster alone.
“If you’re caught, I won’t let you off…”
Muttering that, as she leapt across the roofs…
–Rumble…!!
“What… what is that!? An earthquake?!”
She exclaimed in shock as she felt a tremor alongside a loud noise.
Just when she was fully focused on finding Rudell, the sudden quake was not welcome news.
As the vibrations underfoot began to escalate…
–Crash!!
With a thunderous sound, dust rose not far away, indicating something had collapsed.
“Don’t tell me…?”
Leje held her breath as she watched the scene.
In this situation, she could think of only one thing.
“Please… please!!”
Please, let nothing happen…
Muttering anxiously, she dashed through the buildings.
