Chapter 197: Professional Match

"So, are you all preparing to sweep away these Undead?" Mazarino adjusted his tattered and torn clothing. "If so, may I be permitted to take cover somewhere?"

"For an old man such as myself, this high-intensity combat is a bit too much excitement."

"Would you be able to provide some support from the sidelines?" Ron asked, looking at him expectantly. "You have the incredible power to traverse planes. With just a little rest, dealing with these Undead Creatures should be a simple matter for you, shouldn’t it?"

"I’m very sorry, but the answer is no," Mazarino said with a hint of regret. "In truth, I have already provided my support. Before you all arrived, I took out at least three powerful Undead entities here. However, I don’t possess the means to obliterate them completely, so I’ve only rendered them immobile."

"I am grateful that you are willing to give me time to rest, Lord, but that would also give *them* time to regroup and recover."

"In that case," Ron nodded and turned to Victoria. "Victoria, and you two, proceed as planned."

"You got it!" The two Cultists perked up and immediately began Casting. "Desecration Shield!"

Two dark fields of energy instantly rose around Sera and Constance. This Divine Magic was similar to Devout Shield, but with minor differences in its details due to the Casters’ differing faiths.

"Spiritual Guardian!" Victoria took out her Holy Emblem, but before she could release the Magic, her hand felt as if it had been burned. The Priest cried out in alarm as the Holy Emblem fell to the ground.

"Victoria?" Silvia hurried over and steadied the Priest. "What’s wrong? Are you alright?"

"I’m... fine." Victoria’s expression was strange, but she shook her head, pushed the Vampire Mage away, and picked up her Holy Emblem again. "I was... warned."

"Warned?" Ron looked over, confused. "What do you mean?"

The Priest stuck her tongue out. "He probably doesn’t want me associating with Cultists."

"As a Priest of Heim... this must be quite the predicament for you." Mazarino sat down off to the side and sighed.

’The fact that Heim was only warning her now was, if anything, a sign of his immense generosity.’

"It’s fine, no big deal." This time, Victoria successfully cast Spiritual Guardian. Her gaze fell upon the two Cultists. "You two had better behave. The next time we meet, I’m afraid I’ll be forced to move against you."

"Don’t worry, Ma’am, don’t you worry! We swear!" The two Cultists nodded their heads like chickens pecking at grain. "We swear we’ll turn over a new leaf! We’ll be new men!"

"Er, forgive my curiosity, but... who exactly are you planning on swearing to?" Mazarino suddenly interjected. The unexpected question nearly caused the two Cultists to lose their concentration on their Magic.

"What did you say, sir?"

"Just curious," Mazarino shrugged. His deep blue eyes, hidden beneath a graying beard and messy hair, watched Ron’s group charge down the hill after Victoria. "Swearing to Glazter certainly won’t do, even if you are still using his Divine Magic."

"If you had to choose one of the Deities to swear an oath and repent your sins to, which one would you pick?"

"I don’t know... maybe Taimola?" the Cultist named Gelan hesitated. "Yes, I would confess my sins to her."

"It seems the light of the Lady of Luck shines upon this world as well," Mazarino nodded. "A reasonable choice. After all, Her shrines are everywhere and usually aren’t guarded by Priests. Anyone can say anything they wish to Her."

"But do you know? By the same token, the Lady of Luck doesn’t typically bestow Her grace in such matters. In other words, no one will be listening to your oath."

Mazarino stood up. He had faced countless dangerous situations. This particular encounter was merely awkward, far from fatal. After a short rest, he had recovered from the suspended animation caused by his Isolation Magic.

’These young people are safe for now,’ he thought. ’But if things go as expected, they’re about to run into trouble.’

"Swarm!" A redcap threw himself in front of Polly, disappearing in an instant under the tide of Undead Creatures. But the brief opening he created was just enough to give the Ghost Witch a chance to cast again.

"Get away from me!" A clay pot shattered on the broken flagstones as the Ghost Witch’s body swelled back to its original size. Rising with her was an enormous swarm of venomous bees!

"My darlings! Send these dead things to hell!" the Ghost Witch shrieked. The venomous bees, clearly a different breed from any found in the wild, dove toward the Undead Creatures like a whirlwind. The bodies of the dead were far less durable than those of the living. The swarm needed only to dart back and forth to tear the zombies and skeletons to shreds. When Victoria’s Spiritual Guardian swept past, any corpses attempting to struggle on with their Undying Tenacity were instantly reduced to ash and vanished without a trace.

"I’m not so sure hell would even take them," Yelena sneered. The Thorn Chain in her hand easily ensnared a shrieking ghost. With a flick of her wrist, she tore it into countless fragments.

"As for you lot, you’ve really come to the right person—though I doubt even the most hard-up weavers and Soul Merchants would want you."

The Shadow Dancer weaved and dove between the semi-ethereal Spirit Bodies. Wherever her Thorn Chain struck, souls were scattered to the winds. With her clearing a path around Ron’s group, these most troublesome foes couldn’t even get near the edge of Victoria’s Spiritual Guardian.

"I’ve questioned your decisions more than once, Ron!" Sera fell back into the protective zone maintained by Victoria and Aive. She had given up trying to slash at the flying things; calling her efforts "minimal" would have been a wild exaggeration.

"But bringing a Shadow Spirit along? You definitely made the right call there!"

"But bringing a Vampire Descendant was definitely a mistake!" Silvia scrambled to dodge an attack from a Ghoul that had squeezed through. "Everyone get back! I can’t take any more of these irritating pests!"

"Fireball Magic!" Silvia raised her Walking Stick high. A massive Fireball slammed into the stone bricks, and the resulting wave of flame instantly engulfed a large number of the Undead Creatures.

"Ha! Not so tough now, are you?!" The Vampire Mage yanked the dagger from the back of the Ghoul’s head and kicked the body away. "Victoria, don’t let them get back up!"

Although Ron’s party wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful, their combination of clergy and specialists in fighting Undead Creatures gave them an advantage that even a powerful, lone Mage might lack. They handled the situation with surprising ease. However, this advantage was limited to dealing with enemies that relied on sheer numbers.

The moment Sera charged out from the protection of Victoria and Aive again, she felt a tremendous force travel up her arms. A greatsword, even heavier and larger than the Grip of the Vast Wave, tore through Polly’s swarm of bees and crashed against her own blade with overwhelming power.

Sera was horrified. She was forced back five or six steps before she could regain her footing. When she saw the being that had met her head-on, even the brave and fearless barbarian couldn’t help but scream:

"Gods’ teeth!" she roared in a coarse Northern dialect. "What in the hell is that thing?!"