Chapter 62: Priest Eden #2

Chapter 62: Priest Eden #2

The colossal body of the Giant Worm, seemingly reaching the blue moon in the night sky, rose up.

It was truly a wondrous sight.

Or, depending on the person, it could be felt as a scene from a nightmare.

CRASH-!

Black lightning bolts raced across the shell of the corpse.

Then, the dried and crumbling corpse of the Giant Worm began to move as if imbued with life.

‘Necromancy…!’

Eden’s expression changed instantly. Fierce flames sparked in his eyes, and his fists clenched so tightly that his veins bulged.

An evil technique that denies the order of life and death.

As expected, even though that girl looked frail, her core was undoubtedly that of a damned Lich.

‘I must eliminate her here, no matter what.’

Eden had no way of knowing how Estel obtained the corpse of the mighty beast, the Giant Worm.

However, the method was not in Eden’s sight right now.

Eden’s task was clear.

After shoving that grotesque giant worm back to where it belonged, beneath the cold earth.

Then, to kill Estel again and again to neutralize her.

“KUOOOOH!”

The Giant Worm thrashed its massive body and charged at Eden.

It was a power that would overwhelm most adventurers, making them faint just by facing its colossal size.

But Eden didn’t even blink.

He was a companion of the hero. He had faced countless greater threats.

Swoosh.

Eden swung his sword, blazing with white flames, again and again.

The Giant Worm, long dead, paid no mind to its body being cut.

This was because it was an undead, feeling no fear of death.

Furthermore, it felt no pain and moved solely to annihilate the enemy before it.

‘Yes, I know. Undead shouldn’t be treated the same as other enemies.’

Eden leaped high into the air to evade the Giant Worm’s charge.

He was not flustered.

He had dealt with undead countless times.

The Giant Worm was certainly a formidable opponent, but Eden knew how to tackle it.

“It’s night. Isn’t it time for bed? It’s noisy, so could you please stop rampaging?”

As Eden smiled coldly, sparks began to gather in his hand.

The technique symbolizing the wrath of Justicia itself, “Holy Judgment.”

Eden rained down white lightning bolts consecutively from the air.

KWA-GANG-

The dark night sky lit up as brightly as day. Thunder roared in all directions, and flashes of light erupted like the midst of a battlefield.

“KRURURR…!”

A total of eighteen lightning spears.

The light beams, densely embedded in the Giant Worm’s massive body, no longer allowed it the freedom to move its colossal frame at will.

“Hoo.”

Eden brushed back his disheveled bangs.

His divine power had been significantly depleted in a short period.

While the strength to subdue a giant raid boss with the power of a single priest was indeed worthy of being called a hero’s companion, the expenditure of power was not insignificant.

“You’re amazing. You’re more of a monster than the Giant Worm.”

Estel, who had somehow ended up on the Giant Worm’s head, taunted Eden as she looked down at him.

‘What? Looking down on me? How dare she…!’

A sinister shadow fell across Eden’s face.

He wanted to make that arrogant face, which didn’t know its place, contort into a pout as soon as possible.

Eden leaped towards Estel without hesitation.

‘I’ll cut you in two.’

The Holy Sword shone brightly.

However, Eden was unaware.

At this moment, when the opportunity to finally strike down Lich was before him, he was losing his composure.

The more emotions take hold, the narrower the vision becomes, and the simpler the thinking.

And Estel had been waiting for this moment.

***

‘I’m screwed.’

This is not a joke. I’m truly, utterly screwed.

The Giant Worm was neutralized too easily, too meaninglessly.

Of course, I never expected that I could simply defeat Eden by reviving a raid boss.

This guy is someone I raised myself, so that’s only natural.

I know better than anyone how powerful Eden’s stats are.

Probably better than Eden himself.

‘But why did this bastard show up now?’

The timing is terrible.

Was my ominous premonition correct after all?

What was originally supposed to be an easily passable trial has turned into hell difficulty due to Eden’s appearance.

‘I might actually die here.’

Cold sweat trickled down my neck.

I can’t afford even the slightest lapse in concentration to catch this guy.

The best strategy. A move to catch him off guard.

It’s a desperate situation, but don’t stop thinking. There must be a way.

‘Is this all I have left?’

Eden, wielding a fearsome sword of fire, had already charged right in front of my eyes.

Live or die.

Everything is decided in this single moment.

Fzzt-

The “Amulet of Reflection” glowed.

The Holy Sword was enveloped in light, scattering flames in all directions.

“Wha…!?”

For the first time, a look of panic appeared in Eden’s eyes.

And, without even a moment’s gap for Eden to react-

The vortex of flames rising from the Holy Sword was reflected back directly towards Eden’s body.

“KAAAK…!”

Eden’s face contorted miserably.

The holy fire that had burned and dismembered countless people now burned Eden’s body.

Eden, his eyes rolling back white, thrashed his hands as if in a seizure.

Fwoosh-

A barrier bloomed around Eden’s body, shaking off the flames.

‘You damn monster. You’re not even dead from this?’

I clicked my tongue, once again realizing the power of the Hero Party I had trained.

Still, while he didn’t die from a single blow, it was clearly a critical hit from the looks of it.

Eden’s upper body was blackened and burned to the bone, and he seemed to have trouble standing properly.

“Kuuu… Justicia will not forgive you…”

Eden, now a living well-done steak, muttered with a groan of pain.

This psycho bastard.

I must deal with this guy right now.

Eden is a troublesome opponent who will help Michael, whom I will have to face someday.

‘Coming to find me alone was your mistake.’

I let out a sigh of relief.

Surely Eden underestimated me.

Only a little over a month had passed since I escaped the mansion.

He probably thought, ‘How much stronger could she have gotten?’ and didn’t take it seriously.

Of course, Eden is immensely stronger than any ordinary adventurer, and his choice had some logic to it, but…

Regardless, he will have to pay the price for his mistake.

“Almighty Justicia… Protect this pitiful servant with your light-“

Eden’s body was enveloped in light.

Then, surprisingly, Eden’s wounds, which had been completely burned to the point of being charcoal, began to heal.

Eden’s divine power, which could nullify even fatal injuries that should have killed him within minutes, was truly.

It was an ability that could be called cheating.

‘You, you damn-!’

I can’t just stand here and watch.

I know the power of that cheat recovery skill better than anyone.

And the combination he’ll use next is, of course-

“K-kuhuhu… I took a hit unexpectedly… but it’s not over yet.”

Eden chuckled as he was healed within the holy light.

Another divine skill was activated from Eden’s body, which was being healed.

“Emergency Return.”

An escape skill that teleports to a pre-designated location.

This is not the end. A third divine skill to cover the vulnerable period during the activation of “Emergency Return.”

“Heavenly Radiance.”

An ultimate divine skill that can be used once a day, making Eden invincible to any attack for 1 minute.

‘It’s a damn efficient combination.’

Absolute Healing, Emergency Return, Heavenly Radiance.

How could I not know that combination of three skills?

It’s a cheat combination that I’ve used countless times myself.

The ultimate skill combination of the Nine Stars to break through crisis situations.

With this skill combination, which encompasses recovery, escape, and absolute defense, one cannot be killed by normal attacks.

“⋯Hoo, hoo… This is the end of my carelessness. We’ll meet again soon…”

Eden looked at me leisurely, enveloped in an invincible barrier.

If I let him escape like this, he’ll return fully recovered and in perfect condition.

And it’s likely he won’t be alone then.

If he brings Hero Michael and Mage Anna, I can never win.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

I approached Eden, who was disappearing within the dazzling halo of light.

“You know, but do you know?”

“⋯.”

“That’s not invincible.”

Eden narrowed his brow.

Does he think I’m bluffing?

However, if he thinks so, he’s greatly mistaken.

I’ve played as Priest Eden dozens of times in games. I know the weakness of that skill combination that looks invincible at first glance.

“There are only a few ways to disable Heavenly Radiance, and I happened to acquire one. Have you ever heard of the Anti-Magic Tattoo?”

I pointed my finger in front of Eden’s face, who was enveloped in the barrier.

A tattoo depicting a small bird in flight.

Eden wouldn’t have known.

Whether it’s a sword, a spear, or magic, if it exists in this world, even a nuclear bomb wouldn’t be able to inflict a single scratch on Eden.

However, the Anti-Magic Tattoo, which possesses only anti-magic properties and not offensive ones, can disable that barrier.

Just like this.

“⋯Impossible!”

Swish-

A swirling vortex of light green wind swept away the absolute defense that had been protecting Eden.

“You never imagined you’d be countered by the skill of a mere Orc, did you? That magnificent divine skill. Right?”

Eden’s face turned pale.

Eden’s mouth twitched as if he were about to say something, but only a weak groan escaped.

You should have judged people properly before picking a fight.

To me, who knows everything about the Nine Stars, every skill has a weakness.

“What are you going to do? You can’t escape now.”

I grinned and raised Garden’s Meteorite.

Now that the barrier was gone.

There was no longer any defense to block the beating Eden was about to receive.