Ch.395Clark (4)

The weapons of the two collided, and a deafening explosion like a bomb filled the underground temple, accompanied by a blinding flash.

Due to the underground nature of the space, the thunderous sound echoed multiple times, while the flash quickly subsided.

Though tremendous forces had clashed, both individuals remained standing firmly in place.

“Ugh……”

Correction. While Clark stood relaxed with his axe resting on his shoulder, Kate’s expression was far from pleasant.

Her beautiful face was contorted in pain, as if she were enduring great agony.

Indeed, bright red blood dripped from both hands gripping her mace, staining the floor below.

Despite it being merely a collision between weapons, her palms had been completely skinned.

Throb—throb—

Not only her palms, but her wrists were in poor condition as well. Thankfully, due to her body enhancement, her bones hadn’t broken.

It was merely excruciatingly painful. If just a little more force had been applied, her bones might have actually fractured.

Kate hurriedly treated her injuries with holy power while keeping her eyes on her opponent. Clark remained still, seemingly uninterested in attacking.

‘Such strength…’

As a Grand Inquisitor, she had fought countless battles. Before demon worshippers, she had hunted heretics, building her combat prowess through those experiences.

But this was essentially the first time she had been overwhelmed by sheer “strength.” They had simply clashed, yet the skeleton remained unharmed while she suffered damage.

Holy power, like mana, could be used to enhance one’s body or imbue weapons. Thus, one could possess tremendous strength depending on the amount of holy power.

Moreover, Kate had received Luminus’s blessing, and currently, few could match her holy power.

Her ability to eliminate countless heretics and demon worshippers, to defeat formidable enemies, was due to her overwhelming holy power.

[Relying solely on your god isn’t good, young one.]

Clark pierced through Kate’s confusion with bitter advice.

Her power—her holy power—was undeniably excellent, beyond comparison. Even Clark, who had crossed the line between life and death countless times, acknowledged this.

However, her dependence on power had left her severely lacking in “technique.” In many ways, it was a weakness perfectly fitting for a zealot.

Her blind faith in her god had prevented her from looking inward, driving her toward self-destruction.

“Silence!”

Kate shouted angrily at Clark’s advice. Though she was outmatched in strength, she hadn’t been defeated yet.

Besides, with just one second and enough holy power remaining, she could heal herself at any time.

As she moved her hand gripping the mace, Clark readied his axe as if to say, “That’s more like it.”

Clang!

The mace, wrapped in golden flames, was swung, and the axe handle easily blocked the attack.

Clark pushed back forcefully with his axe, and as Kate’s distance widened, he moved his legs swiftly.

In an instant, Clark’s form vanished from Kate’s sight. His movements and speed were surprisingly nimble for such a massive figure.

Kate wasn’t flustered by Clark’s disappearance from her field of vision. Unless it was teleportation, movement would create a flow of air that could be felt.

Boom!

“Ugh!”

However, even that awareness came too late. By the time she turned her gaze, Clark had already completed his action.

Just as he had subdued the investigation team earlier, he stomped the ground forcefully, creating a small wave.

Various debris, including stone fragments, flew toward her face, obscuring her vision, while the trembling ground disrupted her balance.

While Kate formed a barrier of holy power to protect her face, Clark gripped the handle with just one hand and pulled back.

Then, using strength and momentum, he swung powerfully.

“…!”

Kate desperately jumped backward to avoid the massive axe blade descending toward her. Though she had deployed a barrier, it was far from sufficient.

During their earlier weapon clash, she had already realized that a contest of strength against Clark was futile.

CRASH!!

Clark’s axe struck where Kate had been standing. More than half the blade embedded into the floor, and the impact sent fragments flying in all directions.

The entire cave vibrated as if an earthquake had struck. If she had taken that attack head-on… the thought alone was terrifying.

Kate regulated her breathing while trying to figure out how to deal with the skeleton before her.

A direct contest of strength was obviously impossible, and holy power was meaningless. She had to defeat him using only her physical abilities and combat skills.

[Hmm.]

Meanwhile, Clark retrieved his axe from the ground and fell into brief contemplation. As expected, he wasn’t generating the power he had anticipated.

It was nice that he could still feel his senses despite being resurrected as a skeleton. It was also good that his mana was similar to when he was alive.

However, being resurrected as a skeleton meant he had absolutely no muscles, making it impossible to exert the same power as when he was alive.

Dodging, ground stomping, and now this momentum-based swing—nothing was satisfactory to Clark.

‘This can’t be helped.’

Still, he had more than enough power to subdue the novice zealot before him. After retrieving his axe, he looked at Kate.

Though her beauty was undeniable, what bothered Clark more was how she resembled someone.

[Hey. What’s your name?]

“What?”

[I asked what your name is.]

At Clark’s sudden question, Kate was momentarily puzzled before hardening her expression again.

“I have no name to give to one who defies the natural order of God.”

[Huh.]

At this truly zealot-like answer, Clark exhaled and shook his head.

Such zealots were truly difficult to deal with, but there was exactly one way to make them listen.

First, subdue them until they’re willing to talk. Actually, killing them would be the easiest solution, but that wasn’t appropriate for the situation.

Besides, even if killed, they would just confess to their god about their inadequacies, which left a bad aftertaste.

[At least Ellie was reasonable… can’t be helped.]

Clark muttered, habitually touching his skull—or rather, his head. He looked at Kate, who was still burning with fighting spirit.

She had just told him to prove that he wasn’t evil.

For someone who had lived his entire life fighting, the only way to prove himself was through combat.

He wasn’t skilled at articulating or writing persuasively like his grandson.

Whoosh!

With that thought, Clark jumped high. Whether it was because his skeleton body was lighter or he had always been this way, his movements were nimble.

As he leaped high, Kate quickly shifted her gaze. She couldn’t afford to lose sight of his movements for even a moment.

Once in the air, Clark slightly moved his axe, which he held with both hands, and then threw it like a boomerang.

The massive axe flying in a curved trajectory like a boomerang would have seemed like an acrobatic feat to any observer.

Of course, from Kate’s perspective, it was an attack she had to avoid at all costs rather than try to defend against.

CRASH!

The axe, spinning like a boomerang, embedded itself where Kate had been standing. Kate had narrowly avoided it, but unfortunately, the attack wasn’t over.

Clark, still suspended in the air, arched his back like a bow, then sprang forcefully toward the axe.

Upon landing near the axe, he grabbed the handle and swung at Kate, who had barely managed to dodge.

“Kuh…!”

Kate let out a groan as she narrowly avoided Clark’s fierce attack. However, each time she dodged, Clark would pursue relentlessly and launch another attack.

Unlike swords, the attack patterns of axe users tend to be quite simple. The skeleton before her was no exception.

The problem was that there seemed to be no opening. More precisely, trying to find a gap felt like gambling.

His fighting style was bestial, primal, and aggressive, with overwhelming power. Even if she wanted to defend, she had no inclination to do so.

‘I have to dodge somehow.’

Therefore, evasion seemed to be the only answer at present. Strike the axe with her mace to alter its path?

Kate lacked such techniques. Having relied solely on overwhelming holy power to defeat enemies until now, she had never considered it.

The deeper her faith grew, the stronger she became—all she had to do was pray. All that mattered was delivering judgment to those who threatened God and Issac.

But now, facing an opponent completely immune to that faith, her confusion only intensified.

CRASH!!

Clark spun once in place, then brought down his axe with one hand. It was a powerful attack that sent fragments flying everywhere, but it also created many openings.

Kate seized this opportunity to swing her mace at his body. The mace, flickering with golden flames, advanced toward Clark’s shoulder.

CLANG!

The sound of metal striking metal echoed throughout the underground temple. It was definitely not the sound of bones shattering.

Indeed, Clark’s shoulder remained intact despite being hit directly by the metal mace.

Kate’s mouth gaped at the impossible durability of the bones. Even upon closer inspection, the skeleton’s bones appeared ordinary.

Whoosh!

In the meantime, Clark adjusted his stance and swung his retrieved axe sideways. Kate hurriedly composed herself and retreated.

But her mind was in turmoil. Not only was a contest of strength futile, but even her opportunistic attack had been rendered useless by his ridiculous durability.

What kind of being was he? Why weren’t her attacks working?

Could it be that her holy power was this inadequate?

Had her faith in God been lacking all along? Was her devotion to Luminus and Issac actually worthless?

As an Inquisitor, she had faced countless obstacles, terrible pain, and desires she shouldn’t have entertained.

Though difficult at first, she had overcome them all. Each time, she had surpassed barriers with faith, endured pain, and humbly accepted her desires.

‘No…’

Kate shook her head vigorously. God is always right. God always guides her on the correct path.

Therefore, this too must be a trial. Her attacks don’t work? Simply infuse more holy power.

As she was about to regain her composure after these thoughts, Clark spoke in a heavy voice.

[Immature believer. Faith doesn’t solve everything.]

“…What are you trying to say?”

[Don’t treat yourself as a mere tool. Do you think this pleases your god? It would sadden them.]

“This doesn’t please God.” This statement directly contradicted the ideology held by zealots.

Especially for Kate, who had lived for Luminus since childhood, it was like touching a raw nerve.

“…It’s absurd to hear such words from one who defies the natural order.”

[There’s nothing more irresponsible than judging everything by what you see and hear, then attributing it to God’s will. Isn’t that the very heresy you despise?]

Another heavy dose of factual criticism.

Clark had mentioned earlier that he lacked eloquence. But he had experience to compensate for it.

He hadn’t encountered just one or two zealots like Kate. Traveling the world, he had faced all kinds of people.

That’s why he could make statements that pierced through Kate’s essence. And people tend to become enraged when their essence is mentioned by others.

Especially if it’s deeply connected to something they’ve dedicated their life to—it’s enough to make them lose their minds.

“Silence!”

Kate was no exception. When Clark directly denied her beliefs, she charged at him in fury.

Her blue eyes blazed like flames, and her beauty, which held the purity of a country maiden, was marred by anger.

“How dare you, who defies the natural order, claim the right to speak such words!”

In truth, the game was over from this point. Though the flames wrapping her mace grew much stronger due to her anger, that was all.

A novice who fell for provocation and couldn’t even control her own emotions—that’s how Clark saw her.

Still, her qualities as a Cardinal and her faith were genuine. The holy power imbued in her mace was enough to predict that.

The problem was that, like many zealots, it manifested in a distorted way. The only fortunate aspect was that she wasn’t extreme.

[I do.]

Clark calmly answered as he watched Kate charging at him with a shout. Then he slowly raised his firmly gripped axe.

[Not just people, but even gods…]

Just before their weapons clashed again, Clark uttered his final words.

[Are never perfect.]

Along with words that somehow felt bitter.

CRASH!!

The entire underground temple was filled with light.

******

The battle between Kate and Clark ended more quickly than expected. If they had fought without speaking, it would have lasted longer, but it ended early because Clark provoked Kate.

Of course, the aftermath left the underground temple in disarray. The skeletons that archaeologists had carefully arranged for research were scattered everywhere, and some were damaged.

If the scholars had witnessed this devastation, they would have been distraught, but fortunately, they had evacuated outside. They wouldn’t be coming back in for a while.

After all, entering unnecessarily and interfering with the battle would have been troublesome, and unless reinforcements arrived, they had no intention of going back in even if the battle had ended.

Therefore, only Kate and Clark remained in the underground temple.

Kate lay unconscious on the floor, while Clark waited quietly beside her.

He would have liked to read the Biography of Xenon he received from the archaeologist, but it had been destroyed during the battle.

The same went for cigarettes. Though he looked around for any that might have fallen to the ground, there were none to be found.

So he could only wait silently beside the unconscious Kate, reminiscing about past events.

“Mmm…”

As he waited endlessly, Kate frowned and let out a groan. It was a sign that she was regaining consciousness.

Clark shifted his gaze at the sound. As he watched, Kate scrunched her face a few times before slowly opening her eyes.

Eventually, her sky-blue eyes appeared, blinking several times before her eyelids fully opened.

“…”

Kate, who had just regained consciousness, stared blankly at Clark sitting beside her. At first, she wondered who this skeleton was, but soon her memories became clear.

Including the words that had directly denied her beliefs and sharply pointed out her flaws.

But strangely, she didn’t feel angry like before. On the contrary, she felt a sense of clarity.

[Are you feeling better now?]

At Clark’s deep greeting, Kate silently tried to get up but hesitated.

Perhaps due to the aftermath of the blow she had delivered just before losing consciousness, her entire body ached.

Not only did every muscle throb with pain, but her palms were skinned again, and this time her wrists seemed broken as well.

She could heal herself with holy power, but before that, there was something she wanted to confirm.

“Why…”

[Why didn’t I kill you? As you said, I’m not an evil being.]

“…”

Clark intercepted her thoughts before she could finish. Kate pressed her lips together upon hearing his answer.

In many ways, Clark was an incomprehensible being. It wasn’t just that holy power didn’t affect him—nothing about her had any effect on him.

Stubbornly persisting would only lead to the same result. Thinking about it again, she had a different reason for coming here.

Luminus’s oracle to bring back an honored guest. There was no need to fight Clark.

But there were still unclear aspects, so she stood up. In that brief moment, she had almost completely healed her damaged hands and muscle pain.

“Huff…”

[Do you have something to say?]

“I do.”

Kate still spoke informally. Despite his sparing her life, she still showed signs of distrust.

Eventually, she looked at Clark with fierce eyes and asked her question. Her tone was full of hostility.

“The investigation team told me earlier. That your goal is to find Lord Issac and Lord Hawk.”

[That’s right.]

“For what purpose? If you don’t answer truthfully, I’ll stop you even if I have to die.”

She had realized through their recent battle that he was an opponent she couldn’t defeat. But this was something she had to do, regardless of whether she could or couldn’t.

Clark, seemingly unconcerned, shrugged his shoulders and answered in his characteristic heavy voice.

[Do I need a reason to visit my son and grandson?]

“…What?”

[I’m going to see my son and grandson. Originally, just my soul could have gone, but my son wanted to bury my remains, so this was the only way.]

“…?”

Kate blinked at his answer. If someone else had heard it, they would have dismissed it as nonsense.

But she had already received an “oracle.” To go to the underground temple and bring back an honored guest.

As this thought struck her, it felt like a hammer had hit her head. Simultaneously, she had the intuition that she had made a grave mistake.

“W-wait. No, wait, sir.”

[Hmm?]

“I-if I may ask, your name… no, y-your full name is…?”

Even after asking, she hoped she was wrong. If it was true, she had committed a great sin.

But mercilessly, Clark calmly revealed his name.

[Clark Mayshall.]

“M-Mayshall…”

While Issac and Hawk had the middle name Ducar, Clark did not. This was perfectly natural, as the middle name had been bestowed starting from Hawk’s generation.

In other words, the absence of a middle name for Clark made his claim more credible. If he had one, it would have leaned toward falsehood.

Kate’s head spun, and her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. Then she spoke softly.

“Why…”

[Hmm?]

“Why… didn’t you… tell me?”

If he had told her, this situation wouldn’t have occurred. Kate swallowed the rest of her words.

At her question, Clark raised one eyebrow with an expression that seemed to say, “What nonsense?”

Though he had only a skull, the light in his eye sockets conveyed such an expression.

[You never asked. You just charged at me, claiming it was God’s will.]

“B-but the investigation team…”

[They didn’t believe me either. Honestly, I wouldn’t have believed it myself. Suddenly, a resurrected skeleton claims to be the grandfather or father of a famous person? Would you believe that? Unless you received an oracle, you wouldn’t believe it at all. That’s why I stayed quiet.]

“…”

Though unintentional, each of Clark’s words stabbed Kate’s heart like a dagger.

In truth, she had had opportunities. If she had received more information from the investigation team, she would have heard Clark’s name.

But she had rejected all those opportunities, confronted Clark, and even engaged in battle.

If she had inquired a little more, if she had maintained her composure without being swayed by faith…

If she had been able to maintain a dialogue, this unfortunate incident wouldn’t have occurred.

“…”

It was a sin. An unforgivable sin.

She had arbitrarily rejected the oracle given by Luminus, and moreover, she had nearly harmed Issac’s grandfather.

Fortunately, Clark was much stronger than her, but if that hadn’t been the case…

No. This was simply a sin.

She had committed a sin against both Luminus and Issac.

“Ugh… ugh…”

[Huh? What?]

“Uuuu. Uwaaaaah…”

With that realization, tears began to flow from Kate’s eyes. Clark was greatly flustered when she started crying.

[Hey, hey. Why are you crying?]

“I’m sorry. *sob*… I’m so sorry…”

[It’s okay, don’t cry. Everyone makes mistakes.]

Though he didn’t know the exact circumstances, Clark tried to comfort her. Despite his rough life, he showed consideration for a crying woman by patting her back.

“Uwaaaah…!”

It wasn’t very effective, though.