Ch.47Chapter 47 – God Betrayed Him

My head feels foggy.

I couldn’t keep up with the situation.

And then, I hear a voice from behind me.

“I’m glad the request to the workshop wasn’t too late.”

A voice that shouldn’t be heard here.

And a voice so familiar.

“Who the hell are you?!”

As Hudson shouted, something fell between me and the test subjects.

Suddenly smoke spread, blurring my vision.

As I instinctively curled up, someone pulled my body.

‘Who…’

Fighting against my fading consciousness, I looked toward where the voice had come from.

People who shouldn’t be here were there.

“Are you alright, Mr. Kay?!”

The one who pulled me was Sera, wearing a backpack and holding a staff in one hand.

Behind her stood Eve, with a sword at her waist and a crossbow in her hands.

“How…?”

“We snuck in with the help of adventurers, the Haven party members.”

Eve said with a smile.

“Though we almost got caught right above here.”

“The magician in the robe told us to hurry down and help you.”

So they were caught by Ludger and Aria, but the lich let them pass.

While my sluggish mind was processing this, Eve stood beside me and aimed her crossbow at the enemies.

“Who are you?!”

“None of your business.”

Eve immediately pulled the trigger, and the woman who had been hit by an arrow earlier deflected it with her sword.

“Capture them!!”

As soon as Hudson shouted, the test subjects all began to run.

-Thud!

After taking just a few steps, the woman fell.

She fell with her shattered armor, making a loud noise.

“What the hell is going on?!”

Hudson shouted in confusion.

Meanwhile, Eve fired her crossbow again.

“Don’t get hit by those! Dodge them!”

Hudson quickly gave orders, apparently judging the crossbow to be a threat.

Thanks to that, the other two test subjects focused only on avoiding or cutting down the arrows rather than approaching.

-Thunk

I see a cut arrow in my peripheral vision.

Some kind of liquid was flowing from it.

“What’s that?”

“Centipede venom. I explained it was a paralyzing poison, remember?”

So it was the poison Sera had taken from the mine.

That paralyzing poison had neutralized one test subject.

Sera had already retrieved my bag that had fallen to the ground.

She rummaged through it and eventually pulled out a round pill.

It was the medicine she had given me this morning.

“Chew it.”

Following her instructions, I bit down hard on the pill, and soon liquid spread in my mouth.

While experiencing the strange bitter-sweet taste, a warm light was shot at my waist.

“Master, oh my goodness!”

It was Christina.

She seemed to have come running with the other two.

My condition must be quite serious, as her face had turned pale.

“Emergency treatment…!”

Soon her healing magic illuminated my waist, and the bleeding began to stop.

When I moved my body at the slightly ticklish sensation, pain immediately surged in.

“Ugh!”

“You shouldn’t move violently, Master!”

There must be limits to healing magic.

It seemed I shouldn’t move like this.

“That painkiller alone wasn’t enough. Here’s also…”

Sera put another medicine in my mouth, and only then did the pain subside a bit.

“It’s a painkiller made with centipede venom. It’s more effective than the first one you took.”

The pain decreased even more than before.

Now I could move my body smoothly.

“Why did you come all the way here?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Eve said as she threw away her crossbow.

She seemed to have used up all her arrows.

Eve smiled and drew her sword.

“Like a proper merchant, I came to create a debt.”

When I turned my gaze to Sera, she was smiling too.

“I told you I’d come running if you got hurt, didn’t I?”

My head was clearing up now.

The pain had also greatly subsided.

I think I can fight without any problems now.

“…Thank you.”

I stood up. Hudson seemed enraged by the unexpected interference.

“Why, why, WHY?!”

He shouted, pointing at me.

“That’s a heretic from another world! Someone who doesn’t matter whether he lives or dies!”

“So what?”

Eve said, pointing her sword.

Her stance was clean, without any unnecessary movements.

“Whether Kay was a test subject or from another world, that’s none of my business.”

“Then why?!”

“He saved me, and I came to save him. That’s all there is to it.”

Eve glared coldly at Hudson, pointing her sword at him.

“…Shut up, if I fail, if I fail, again…”

Hudson touched his face as if he were out of his mind.

“My face, even my remaining face… no, I don’t want that.”

“So you only know your own pain and don’t care about others’ pain?”

Sera spoke as if angered, pointing her staff.

“‘Grant us robust bodies.'”

As Christina formed a hand seal, golden energy flowed into me, Eve, and Sera.

Christina had cast a blessing on us.

“Bring them here now! No, kill them! Right now!!”

In response to Hudson’s cry, the remaining two test subjects approached with sword and claw.

I threw my halberd at the sword-wielding test subject, who deflected it with his sword.

But the cost was that his stance was greatly disrupted.

I quickly drew my sword, rushed in, and engaged in a test of strength with the enemy.

A power struggle began.

Meanwhile, Eve and the small one with claws were exchanging blows.

Of course, Eve was being pushed back.

Her skill wasn’t bad, but she was clearly outmatched compared to the test subjects’ specs.

However, she wasn’t taking any fatal wounds.

Even when she gave ground where necessary, Eve never retreated and continued to fight back.

Even when her arm was slightly cut and bleeding, she didn’t back down.

“Magic Missile!”

Sera cast Magic Missile, forcing the enemy to fall back.

Then Christina formed a hand seal and healed Eve’s wounds.

The enemy’s stance was slightly disrupted as he dodged Sera’s Magic Missile, and Eve thrust her sword in that moment.

-Clang!

“Quite sturdy!”

Eve’s thrust was blocked by the armor.

But the fact that she had made contact meant she could hold her own.

The two continued to exchange blows.

If I had fought that enemy alone, I would have been subdued instantly.

But Eve, Sera, and Christina were moving as one.

They made up for their lack of strength by helping each other.

Watching that, I put more strength into my power struggle.

I can’t lose.

I must not lose.

I pushed away the sword and drove my knee into the enemy’s stomach.

-Thud!

As the enemy fell backward and dropped his sword, I ignored the pain in my knee and picked up the sword, throwing it at the enemy with claws.

Naturally, the enemy’s stance was disrupted again as he dodged the sword I threw.

Sera’s Magic Missile hit him squarely.

And Eve slashed the enemy with her sword.

In that brief opening, she precisely cut a part not protected by the armor.

Finally, blood spurted from the enemy.

“What, what is this, at this rate…”

Hudson was starting to go berserk.

This situation must be like a nightmare to him.

It should have been advantageous for him.

In fact, I was on the verge of being subdued.

But with the interference of these intruders, he was now being pushed back.

“No, this can’t be, please!”

He said this while desperately searching through his pockets.

Even while searching, he continued to mutter something.

And finally, he seemed to have found what he was looking for.

“With this.”

It was something like a black sphere.

I thought I shouldn’t let him use it, but Hudson was faster.

Soon the black sphere grew slightly and then burst in all directions.

Then smoke began to rise heavily from the test subjects’ bodies, and their eyes began to turn red.

“You lot, go mad! Forget about lifespan or anything else!!”

As if unwilling to be defeated like this, the test subjects began to approach more aggressively.

The one in front of me drew another sword and was soon surrounded by something like a white light.

He immediately swung his sword, and I blocked it with mine.

His strength had increased.

If that also had an effect like a blessing, his physical abilities were now superior to mine.

However, he was just swinging wildly without even minimal technique, so it wasn’t difficult to dodge.

‘Is that something that enhances the test subjects while making them go berserk?’

The favorable situation was suddenly about to be reversed.

I exerted my strength to maintain balance.

‘I can manage on my side somehow.’

But the problem wasn’t on my side.

“Ugh!”

Eve started taking more and more hits.

Christina kept healing her from behind, and Sera was diligently keeping the enemy at bay, but nothing was reaching the opponent.

“What is this smoke?”

“It’s the same as Master’s…!”

I hear confused voices from the side.

Even before, the three of them together were just barely holding their own, so at this rate, they would obviously be pushed back.

Eve was still fighting with a cool face.

But even from a distance, it felt like she was holding on through sheer willpower.

Finally, Hudson began to laugh madly from behind.

“Yes, these guys are all disposable. Trash. Use them once and throw them away!!!”

‘That damn thing.’

I wanted to get rid of this one and immediately cut down that bastard.

And then he suddenly stopped laughing.

“Right, those ones.”

His gaze turned to Eve.

“If we capture them too, make them test subjects, make them speak our language…”

What insane talk is this?

“Cut open their insides, replace their hearts, soak them in all kinds of drugs…”

Hudson’s eyes were shaking.

“Yes, that’s what it takes to break even. I, I here…”

He was casually talking about turning normal people into test subjects.

Into puppets like these who have lost their will and swing weapons mindlessly.

He was talking about making them like I used to be.

I turned my gaze.

Eve was still fighting calmly with a cold face.

Sera and Christina were sweating as they helped Eve.

These are people who had no reason to enter this dangerous place.

They came into this danger solely to help me.

“Yes, yes, that’s it, if we take them all and offer them as test subjects, Lord Somnus will…”

That’s not going to happen, you bastard.

Smoke began to rise from my body.

I started another power struggle with the one thrusting his sword at me.

“No, Master!”

I ignore Christina’s voice.

“That will surely come at some cost…!”

“Number 13, are you risking your life for a woman?!”

Hudson laughs.

“Even so, you’re just a fake…!”

They’re good people who walked into danger just to help me.

My lifespan will decrease if I use this power?

“To hell with lifespan.”

I muttered unconsciously.

I spoke to myself.

“Give me more.”

More, a little more.

So I can crush those damn bastards.

“What are you muttering to yourself?!”

Hudson shouts, spitting saliva.

He adds something afterward.

I can’t hear the content of his words clearly.

The smoke that was rising from my body gradually stops.

‘I said give me more.’

My body, recklessly torn apart by those bastards.

Electricity began to surge.

Red lightning began to race through my body.

“That’s more like it.”

I pushed away the sword and extended my fist.

My fist, wrapped in red lightning, shattered the armor.

The test subject flew backward, spewing blood.

Blood splattered by the enemy as he flew entered my helmet.

“What…”

Hudson’s eyes are filled with terror.

“What’s happening… that…”

Ignoring Hudson’s words, I roughly removed my helmet and held it in my hand.

I threw the helmet.

The enemy fighting Eve with claws was hit by the helmet and flew away.

“Huff…”

I took a breath and stepped forward.

Red sparks were still rising all over my body.

“What is that red lightning…”

“What do you think it is?”

I glare at Hudson.

“It’s your death day, you damn bastard!”

I charged.

Hudson sat down.

The test subjects rushed in.

I no longer feel heat in my body.

But I had a sense that while wrapped in this red lightning, I was stronger than when the smoke was rising.

I shattered the enemy’s armor with a simple punch.

I swung my sword and cut through the armor.

The armor that I could barely crack with all my strength until just now was torn like paper.

“…Right, surely, the awakening condition…”

Hudson began to laugh as if insane, but it didn’t register in my ears.

“Could it be, has he awakened? No, impossible. The materials were insufficient. How…”

It doesn’t matter if I can’t hear.

I raised my sword and cut down the enemy with claws.

The blade of the claw, probably made of steel, was cut, and I cut through the enemy’s body as well.

Bleeding, the enemy collapsed.

Seeing that scene, Hudson was terrified.

“He… he was your comrade!”

Yes, a comrade.

Pitifully, people who were captured by this crazy cult and turned into test subjects, perhaps people from my homeland.

But with that puppet-like appearance from earlier, there was no more hope.

“Rather than letting you be worked to death as their puppets, it’s better that I cut you down myself!”

Rather than leaving them as puppets who can’t think at all, that’s better.

Maybe I’m just making excuses to survive, but still.

“You, less than a beast, even your own comrades!”

“You’re one to talk!”

If it weren’t for them in the first place, none of this would have happened.

I stepped forward.

I charged in.

Ignoring the barrier, I extended my fist.

-Boom!

“The, the barrier!”

With the sound of breaking glass, the barrier was easily shattered.

I grabbed Hudson and squeezed his head.

“Let go, you beast! Do you know who I am?!”

I applied more strength to my hand.

“You don’t know who I am either!”

“Number 13…”

“Wrong!”

Sensing someone rushing from behind, I threw Hudson with all my might.

The other test subject who was trying to ambush me stopped his body, seeing Hudson flying.

Pitifully, he stopped, concerned for the safety of the priest who was the commander.

I threw a punch.

The enemy’s body bent, and I drew my sword and struck down.

The test subject extended his arm to block.

And his arm cleanly flew off.

In that state, I let go of the sword and uppercut with my fist.

The test subject who took the hit to his chin flew toward Hudson as I walked toward Hudson.

“Ta, take me and run! Quickly!”

At Hudson’s command, the test subject with the severed arm quickly moved and carried him.

But his movements were much slower.

“Mr. Kay!”

With Sera’s voice, a bow and arrow that she seemed to have thrown came flying.

I caught them and aimed the bow.

Seeing that, Hudson seemed relieved and shouted loudly.

“Number 13! Test subjects can’t shoot arrows! Ranged weapons, with just knowledge…”

I clenched my hand holding the bow.

I applied strength to the hand pulling the bowstring.

Hudson’s face turned pale with anxiety.

“No way…”

Seeing my aim, Hudson shouted, turning blue.

“What are you doing, quickly, run faster!”

Did he break a bone from the earlier attack?

Did something go wrong?

The test subject moved slowly.

As if something had gone wrong, he moved slowly like a broken machine.

Thanks to that, it was easy to aim.

I released the bowstring.

The arrow flew and pierced through the test subject’s body, breaking the armor.

“Urrrgh!!”

As the test subject’s body collapsed, I could see Hudson rolling on the ground.

And the sparks that had been continuously jumping from my body stopped.

My body became extremely heavy.

‘I need to finish him off.’

I moved my heavy body.

“Cough!”

With nausea, blood spurted out.

I stared blankly at the blood.

‘Time’s up, I guess.’

I wiped my mouth and moved my feet.

“Master!”

Eve, Sera, and Christina all ran toward me.

I tried to say I was fine, but I couldn’t feel strength in my legs.

In the end, I barely changed my posture to avoid falling face down.

“Damn it…”

Just as I was trying to put strength into my body again, something rose and ran toward Hudson.

It was the test subject who had been paralyzed by the arrow earlier.

‘Has the paralysis worn off already?!’

It had been quite a long time, but to be able to move after being poisoned, it was unnecessarily tough.

“I, I will return! With this information!”

Hudson said with a laugh full of joy.

“With that much power, the experiment wasn’t meaningless! Test subject!!”

“Damn bastard, there…”

I forcibly stood up again.

And with nausea, blood poured out.

When smoke was just coming out, I was just tired, but now I felt like my life was in danger.

Unconsciously, I touched my body and found blood.

‘My side…’

Did it burst open again from moving violently?

At the same time, tremendous fatigue began to rush in.

Finally, my body began to collapse.

The ground came into view.

-Thud

I felt an inexplicable sense of buoyancy.

The test subject who had been shot with an arrow was supporting my body with one arm.

Looking down, I saw he was moving his mouth.

“Th…ank…”

“…”

“you…”

His voice was very faint.

Soon strength left his body, and my body began to collapse again.

Then Sera and Eve caught my body.

I felt the warmth of the two people, and soon my vision began to darken.

“That damn bastard…”

“It’s too much, Kay.”

With the worried and frustrated faces of everyone in my sight, my consciousness faded to black.

+

He survived.

Hudson barely had that thought.

“With this information, yes, at least I can avoid being crushed…!”

That strange appearance Number 13 had shown earlier.

The red lightning.

Of course, Hudson didn’t know its identity.

But it was nothing short of a new achievement in the experiment to forcibly create heroes.

That physical ability, that speed.

‘It far exceeded the original specs of the test subjects…!’

The armor worn by the test subjects was not of a strength that could be destroyed even with their power.

And yet, Number 13 had easily shattered it.

He even broke the specially made barrier.

With this information alone, at least it wasn’t a complete failure.

He could avoid execution.

Two test subjects had died, but compared to this result, it was cheap.

“God has not abandoned me!!”

Hudson laughed with madness.

At the very last moment, he thought that God had not abandoned him.

“No, I think God has abandoned you.”

And he smelled tobacco.

“Because I happened to appear before you.”

“What?”

As he wondered, suddenly the test subject flew away.

“Cough!”

Falling to the ground, he looked at the test subject.

And he was aghast.

The test subject was embedded in the wall and not moving.

Only his arm was barely twitching, indicating he was still alive.

“Wow, it’s hard to control my strength~”

With the sound of a bottle being opened, there was the sound of something being drunk.

“But I’m so happy with today’s harvest that I need a drink.”

“Who are you?”

She had long black hair.

Her face was strikingly beautiful at first glance.

Though that beauty was marred by the bottle of alcohol in her hand and the smell of tobacco.

“Both that helmet guy and you cult members, you’ve been doing interesting things, haven’t you?”

“What…”

As he moved his arm, there was a cracking sound followed by the clanking of chains.

“Crazy… dog-like… who are you?!”

Hudson stood up, cursing.

And the woman instantly grabbed his neck.

“Who am I, you ask?”

He began to suffocate.

“Should I answer out of common courtesy?”

The woman smiled.

“Beatrice.”

The woman smiled fiercely.

“Just a passing drunkard.”

“What…”

Hudson tried to free his arm.

However, he couldn’t break free from the soft and delicate-looking grip.

“I won’t kill you for now.”

“What…”

“I need to extract all your knowledge first.”

Beatrice smiled.

For some reason, Hudson found that smile terrifying.

“Oh, by the way, if you want to end your life quickly and simply, that’s fine too.”

Beatrice’s mouth was smiling.

Beatrice’s eyes were not smiling.

“I can extract all the information from a corpse anyway.”

Oh, God.

Hudson prayed earnestly.

But, at the very last moment.

God betrayed him.

Beatrice took another sip of the alcohol she was drinking.

“Being an informant paid off well.”

It was worth staying up all night here after receiving a request from that helmet and learning that these guys had snuck in here.

“And a good harvest too.”

Beatrice, who had somehow bound Hudson and the black-haired female test subject who was trying to escape with chains, began to drag them away as if it were nothing.

She took out a paper from her pocket, and a blue vortex appeared before her.

“I’ve also secured a gift for Asam.”

She amusingly threw the two into it and then entered herself.

She turned back one last time and smiled.

“Next is Mr. Helmet?”

With those words, the vortex disappeared.