Chapter 290

The Dark God Cultists weren’t an elite fighting force.

They lacked powerful offensive abilities and disciplined organization.

But their strength didn’t come from those things.

*Slash!*

*Stab!*

Even with limbs severed and guts spilling out, they didn’t stop.

“Purge!”

“Purge!”

“Purge!”

Instead of cries of pain, they chanted their intimidating slogan, relentlessly attacking the extermination squad until their very last breath.

There was only one way to stop them.

To kill them.

It meant that they were a formidable group.

Even the Church members, who were often ridiculed as fanatics, were horrified by their tenacity.

“These crazy heretics!”

“They’re like goddamn leeches!”

The extermination squad cursed, their voices filled with genuine anger.

“Damn it, if only we hadn’t fallen for their trap…”

Someone lamented.

It was an understandable lament.

If they had fought on equal footing, they wouldn’t have been struggling so much, no matter how tenacious the cultists were.

But it was pointless.

It wasn’t like they were the ones who had been ambushed.

*Scratch.*

“Gah?!”

A minor scratch.

But the attack dog’s eyes widened in terror, his body trembling.

The reason was soon revealed.

“Ugh…”

Black blood poured out of his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

Poison.

A deadly poison.

The attack dog’s heart stopped, his body convulsing violently.

“Damn it, that fucking poison!”

Another attack dog cursed in frustration.

That was right.

Another reason why they were struggling so much.

The Dark God Cultists’ weapons were coated in a deadly poison.

The cultists could fight like zombies even with their limbs severed, while the Church members would die from a single scratch.

“Hold on a little longer! The magic circle won’t last forever!”

Kador shouted, trying to boost their morale.

The fact that the commander was shouting encouragement meant that the situation was dire.

But,

Were the Dark God Cultists in a good situation?

If asked, they wouldn’t be able to answer yes.

Because of one individual who hadn’t been caught in the trap.

The Armored Man, who had been at the back of the formation.

The fourth-ranked Guardian Knight, the one who had withstood the combined attacks of Max and Marianna.

His monstrous strength was once again on full display.

*Whoosh!*

His greatsword sliced through the air like a storm.

*Thwack! Thwack!*

Two cultists’ heads were severed, their necks as fragile as twigs.

Ian, his face hidden behind a mask, frowned.

“Bishop! We have to stop that monster, for the sake of our brothers!”

“Ugh, alright!”

Ian charged at the Armored Man, his sword drawn.

The bishop followed, wielding a strange, spear-like sword.

Their weapons were also coated in a deadly poison.

It was Ian’s idea.

He had learned from his experience as an investigator how effective poison was as a tool for assassination.

His idea had worked, giving them an advantage in the fight.

But,

It was useless against the Armored Man.

His entire body was encased in impenetrable armor.

It was the cultists’ misfortune.

*Whoosh!*

*Clang! Clang!*

“Tsk.”

“Ugh.”

Ian and the bishop were pushed back, groaning in pain, as their weapons clashed with the Armored Man’s greatsword.

His strength was overwhelming.

Their hands tingled from the impact.

“Damn it, what kind of strength…”

Ian frowned.

“I-It’s an unholy power! An unholy power!”

The bishop declared, as if it was a forbidden power that shouldn’t exist.

But regardless of their reactions, the Armored Man continued his onslaught.

*Whoosh!*

His greatsword, freed from its brief restraint, descended upon its next victim.

*Thwack!*

A cultist was bisected, his body split in half.

The Armored Man had already slain over ten cultists.

‘Damn it, this is…’

Ian realized.

What the outcome of this battle depended on.

He and the bishop had to hold that monster back, no matter the cost, until their brothers could finish off the Church members.

If they failed, and the casualties mounted, they would lose this battle.

“Bishop! We have to stop that monster, even if it costs us our lives!”

“Y-Yes! Let’s cleanse that unholy being with our blood!”

Ian and the bishop charged at the Armored Man with renewed determination.

The Armored Man met their attacks head-on, unfazed.

The battle intensified, becoming even more brutal and desperate.

* * *

“Wow, they dug quite a tunnel. Were they ants in their past lives?”

Sigmund said in amazement.

– Please be quiet.

The Saint reprimanded him.

It was a commendable display of caution.

“Ah, yes, ma’am.”

Sigmund shut his mouth, his face flushed with embarrassment.

I signed to the Saint, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

– Okay with what?

– You said you weren’t feeling well…

I was referring to her previous statement about being old and weak.

The Saint smiled, seemingly pleased with my concern.

– I’m fine. This is nothing.

– I see.

– You’re quite considerate, Max. No wonder you’re so popular with girls. Ah, you’re not expecting that from me, are you?

*Cough.*

I coughed, covering my mouth with my hand.

The Saint was surprisingly human.

She even knew how to make jokes.

– …Just be careful down there.

– Oh my, thank you. I will.

She said that, but I didn’t know the true extent of her abilities.

She was the legendary Saint who had defeated the Dark God, so she must have been incredibly powerful in her prime. But honestly, I wasn’t sure about her current state.

If she was still that powerful, it wouldn’t make sense for the academy to be struggling against these constant threats, would it?

So it was better to be safe than sorry.

I had a feeling that she wasn’t someone who should disappear from the stage yet.

We continued walking.

A spacious area came into view.

“Oh, finally.”

Sigmund grinned, relieved to be out of the cramped tunnel.

The others also seemed relieved.

– Quiet.

But the Saint quickly silenced them.

She was extraordinary.

She was a legendary hero for a reason.

– Our target is right in front of that door. Be alert. The enemy is heretics. I believe in your abilities. You can purge them.

Everyone nodded resolutely, their eyes filled with determination.

The Saint turned to Sigmund.

– I’ll leave the rest to you.

– Don’t worry.

Sigmund smiled confidently.

I knew his true identity now.

He was Sigmund, the second-ranked Guardian Knight.

I had never seen him fight, but his rank alone told me enough.

The position of the second-ranked Guardian Knight wasn’t something you could achieve through luck.

– Max, I’m counting on you as well.

The Saint turned to me.

She had specifically addressed Sigmund and me out of all these people.

Everyone else seemed to understand the significance of her words, as they looked at me with complex expressions.

I smiled awkwardly.

– I’ll do my best.

– Haha, that’s a very Max-like answer.

The Saint chuckled and stepped back.

As if on cue, everyone lined up in front of the door, their movements swift and silent.

I stood behind them.

*Click.*

Sigmund raised his hand.

Everyone made their final preparations.

To charge into the room.

* * *

“Aaaargh!”

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

Screams echoed endlessly within the chamber.

It was a scene of pure chaos.

Mangled corpses lay scattered across the floor, their blood staining the ground crimson.

As a result of the brutal bloodbath, both sides had been reduced to less than half their original numbers.

No, the Church side seemed to have lost even more than two-thirds of their forces.

It was clear who was losing.

Even Kador, the Guardian Knight, was showing signs of exhaustion.

The poison was a threat even to him. He had to fight defensively to avoid even the slightest scratch, which drained his stamina and mental fortitude even more.

Adding to his burden was the pressure to compensate for his incapacitated subordinates who had fallen into the trap.

“Damn it!”

Kador roared in frustration.

But even in his rage, his mind remained sharp, assessing the situation with the cold logic of a Guardian Knight.

“We’re all going to die here! Everyone, prepare to retreat!”

Kador shouted his decision.

The mission was important, but dying a meaningless death was unacceptable.

He could still seek revenge if he survived, but death meant the end.

“W-What about the Armored Man?”

One of his subordinates asked.

The Armored Man was still fighting fiercely in the midst of the enemy, displaying his prowess.

But he was outnumbered.

Even the mighty Armored Man couldn’t easily break free from the encirclement of so many enemies.

The situation had worsened because the Armored Man was pinned down.

“Damn it, he can’t even hear us! Do you have any way to communicate with him right now?”

“N-No, sir.”

“Then shut up and retreat!”

Kador abandoned the Armored Man.

It was a heartless act, abandoning the comrade who had contributed the most to their fight.

But he made the decision without hesitation.

The lives of many versus the life of one.

It was clear which side of the scale weighed heavier.

But it still didn’t sit well with him.

“Damn it, if only Sigmund, that old geezer, was here!”

The man who was lounging around outside.

If he had acted like a normal person, they wouldn’t have suffered this humiliating defeat.

The thought fueled his anger.

“U-Um, Sir Kador, I think… I think Sigmund, no, that man might be a traitor.”

One of his subordinates spoke up cautiously.

“What?”

“If he wasn’t, there’s no way the heretics would have set a trap and waited for us. They had to know our movements, and the fact that he left beforehand is also suspicious…”

“Ugh, that bastard Sigmund! He betrayed us!”

Kador, convinced by his subordinate’s words, roared in anguish.

At that moment,

*Crash!*

The door burst open, and dozens of figures charged in.

Sigmund was among them.

“Who’s a traitor?”

“S-Sigmund!”

Kador’s eyes widened in shock.

“H-H-H-Huh?!”

The subordinate who had dared to speak out against Sigmund looked like he was about to faint.

“You insolent brat, you’re talking back to me now? I’ll bury you with the heretics.”

Sigmund clicked his tongue.

“Calm down. Why are you getting so worked up over a pathetic hostage?”

“Y-Y-You… You’re?!”

Kador’s eyes, which had seemed incapable of widening any further, widened even more.

It was understandable.

An impossible figure had appeared before him.

“Hey, hostage.”

Max sneered.

“W-W-What?”

“Act like a pathetic hostage and sit there quietly. We’ll take care of the heretics. Got it?”

Max’s words shattered Kador’s spirit.