Chapter 61: Priest Eden #1

Chapter 61: Priest Eden #1

Survival.

Crisis.

The mysterious deaths of adventurers.

And, a greater crisis.

The series of unpredictable events paralyzed Flora’s rational thinking.

Therefore, Flora’s use of “Magic Shield” at this moment was likely just an instinctive reaction.

It was the only reaction she could muster when her mind went blank and she couldn’t think of anything else.

Of course, “Magic Shield” couldn’t block Eden’s Holy Sword.

Swoosh-

Like splitting rotten wood, Eden’s sword shattered the shield with almost no resistance.

However, the fact that the seemingly helpless girl attempted to defend herself perplexed Eden, and his sword hesitated for a very brief moment.

“Ugh-“

As a result, Flora’s life was saved.

The sword grazed her side by a hair’s breadth.

‘I thought she was just an idiot, but she’s an adventurer after all. She doesn’t just sit there and die.’

Eden praised Flora in his heart.

At least, she was much better than the scarecrow-like adventurers he had cut down so far.

‘Not bad.’

Of course, that didn’t mean he had any intention of sparing her. His mind hadn’t changed at all.

It just meant he had to swing his sword one more time.

Eden readjusted his grip on the rosary and aimed Flora with the tip of the blazing sword of fire.

‘I won’t miss this time.’

He had already taken into account the new information that his opponent was a mage.

The moment he intended to cleave Flora’s body in two with the blade.

“What the hell are you, you bastard!”

Crack-!

An elf who suddenly appeared kicked Eden’s wrist.

Eden silently stared at his unnaturally twisted wrist.

‘That person is probably her companion.’

Eden obviously didn’t know Mitchell. However, judging by the atmosphere, he guessed she was Flora’s companion.

‘And there’s one more warrior.’

Wagner ran up a moment later and stood beside Mitchell.

Now, there are three people to cut down.

‘No, four.’

Finally, examiner Maria also arrived at the scene.

Eden turned his cold gaze towards the new faces.

That girl’s skills are mediocre, but her luck seems to be on her side.

Eden had failed twice when he genuinely intended to kill her.

‘Truly a companion of Lich.’

Did she sell her soul to a demon to gain unrighteous luck?

Eden pushed back his bangs and laughed.

What he had to do remained unchanged.

He just had to sweep them all away.

Eden concentrated divine power on his broken wrist.

With a white light, the swelling subsided, and his wrist began to regain its shape.

It was a signature technique of priests, Divine Healing.

“Answer me.”

Maria asked in a voice as cold as glacial ice.

“Where is Jack?”

Eden did not answer.

He didn’t know who Jack was.

He vaguely thought it was the name of one of the many adventurers he had cut down today.

Perhaps it was the man who died like a cockroach, stabbed in the back while fleeing.

Or maybe it was the adventurer who begged for his life, shedding tears.

Eden genuinely felt sorry that he couldn’t answer the woman’s question faithfully.

‘Don’t worry too much. I don’t know who Jack is, but you’ll probably meet him directly soon.’

Eden held the Holy Sword in one hand and conjured a sphere of divine power in the other.

“Holy Arrow.”

“Examiner, be careful!”

Mitchell shouted in a sharp voice.

The sphere of light, so intense it could blind, scattered in all directions.

Fwoosh, fwoosh-

Where the spheres hit the ground, craters formed, and holes were punched through the trees.

Even without Mitchell’s warning, Maria was being sufficiently cautious.

Maria was not the type to be distracted when facing an enemy.

However, the problem was that caution wouldn’t help against this attack.

“Kugh-!”

The sphere of light deeply grazed Maria’s side as it passed.

Blood and flesh flew, and Maria’s vision turned red.

‘Did Jack suffer the same fate from this guy?’

It’s a monster.

Maria finally realized.

A monster with the heart of a beast, committing murder without hesitation.

Maria mustered her last strength and barely managed to shout.

“R-run…!”

Even Maria, a veteran of the Adventurer’s Guild, was defeated without even knowing what had happened.

There was no way the rookie Mitchell and Wagner could handle this monster.

“Damn it!”

Mitchell clenched her fists and blocked Eden’s path.

Beside her, Wagner, wearing his helmet, held up his shield.

‘Stupid… fools… They never listen…’

Maria bitterly clicked her tongue as her consciousness faded.

She told them to run, but they insisted on being foolishly brave.

This way, all three of them would die together.

Still, should she consider their intentions commendable?

‘I guess I’ll go to the afterlife with these fools… At least it won’t be lonely…’

Maria looked up at Eden approaching them.

That face.

It seemed vaguely familiar.

“Bear!”

Thump.

Wagner’s shield, cut in half, fell to the ground.

Wagner stared blankly at Eden’s sword.

“That sword… it’s incredibly dangerous. I can’t block it at all.”

“I can see that!”

“Mitchell, maybe you should just… run away alone…”

Wagner couldn’t finish his sentence.

Just as they had ignored Maria’s words and stayed, Mitchell was not the type to run away alone if told to.

Again, white light flashed in Eden’s hand.

Rustle, rustle-

The spheres of light shattered into hundreds of fragments, sweeping in all directions.

Mitchell squeezed her eyes shut.

Even with her swift legs, she couldn’t see any angle to dodge.

‘Ah, screw it. Is this it?’

The next moment, a shadow fell over her face.

Mitchell opened her eyes and saw Wagner’s broad chest.

“Hey, what are you doing-“

“Don’t move.”

Wagner spread his arms wide, embracing Mitchell.

Fwoosh-

Wagner’s armor shattered as the holy arrows pierced his body.

Mitchell wasn’t unharmed either.

Although Wagner blocked several arrows, he couldn’t block them all.

“Ugh…”

Wagner let out a short groan.

The two of them, locked in an embrace, were rapidly cut down by the barrage of arrows.

‘That girl, and these adventurers, they have quite the spirit.’

After the barrage of holy arrows ceased.

Eden nodded and quietly admired them.

Compared to most adventurers he had encountered so far, who were trash not even worth fighting, these ones were a little different.

They seemed to have no strength left to move, yet they were still alive.

A tenacious vitality, like weeds.

Furthermore, their determination to protect their companions rather than fleeing selfishly was quite impressive.

‘How ironic. Such capable individuals are Lich’s companions.’

Eden straightened his posture.

Although his resolve to kill them remained unchanged, he decided to show them a modicum of respect.

At least, he didn’t intend to prolong their suffering unnecessarily.

“Do not move.”

Eden aimed the Holy Sword at the two of them.

If they were to depart with their cherished companions, it wouldn’t be lonely.

At that very moment.

The trees rustled, and clouds swirled across the night sky.

Eden stopped abruptly.

The entire surroundings were tense.

There was only one being who could exude such presence.

‘Lich.’

Eden slowly turned his head.

Mitchell, Wagner, and Maria were no longer in his consideration.

‘Finally, she has appeared.’

Eden’s heart pounded.

Stomp, stomp.

A small girl walked through the bushes.

Her appearance was exactly as Eden remembered.

A young, youthful face that looked young.

Although she was an immortal being who had lived for hundreds of years, her appearance was that of a mere child around puberty.

Estel Frostwind.

The immortal Lich quietly stared intently at Eden.

“It’s been a while.”

Eden chuckled.

Estel walked past Eden and headed straight for her companions.

“Thank goodness. It seems they’re still breathing.”

Estel let out a sigh of relief, then took out a healing potion from her Ring of Storage and poured it into the mouths of the two.

“If you rest here for a bit, you’ll be better soon.”

While she was at it, Estel also gave a healing potion to Maria.

Although her expression was reluctant.

‘This is absurd. Lich is saving human lives.’

Eden tilted his head.

The Lich he knew wasn’t like this.

A cruel lord of evil who had no interest in the lives of the living.

A demon who commanded the dead. That was Lich.

This girl, who was healing her human companions with her own hands for the sake of a few, might not be Lich after all.

For a moment, Eden even harbored such doubts.

“Have you been chasing me all this time?”

After moving the injured to the side of the tree, Estel finally turned her attention to Eden.

“Do you have too much time on your hands? You really have nothing better to do.”

“What are you talking about? When an evil being like you breaks free from restraint and escapes, there’s no way I can just stand by and watch.”

“Who are you calling evil? Hey, isn’t that a bit much? How many people did you kill in that short time?”

Estel laughed coldly.

“Anyway, it worked out well. If I can get rid of you here, it’ll be much easier for me going forward.”

What was the source of that confidence?

Lich had certainly been weakened to the point where she couldn’t get any weaker.

Bound by an ancient restraining device, she had lost all her power and fallen to a level below that of an ordinary girl.

Not that much time had passed. Only a few months.

Had she regained her original power in just a few months?

‘It’s impossible. Such a thing.’

Eden shook his head.

No matter how monstrous Lich was, she couldn’t possibly regain her strength that quickly.

It was a cheap bluff to hide her sense of crisis.

Eden would not be fooled by such things.

“I will cut you down again and again, just as Michael did.”

Eden raised the Holy Sword.

And, as if to counter him, Estel reached into her cloak pocket.

Is she going to use a hidden weapon?

Even so, it would only be smoke bombs, potions, or scrolls-

However, the object that appeared from her pocket the next moment was something that far exceeded Eden’s expectations.

“What is this-“

A massive body, like a giant skyscraper.

The corpse of a Giant Worm appeared before Eden’s eyes.