Chapter 84: Surrounded

More than a thousand people died like that... just like that. Without respite. With no one to give them a proper burial. As if it were a fantasy movie, where dying is the norm...

In terrifying agony, with screams that went unheard by anyone who could bring them justice.

Zaid, Khan, and the others were paralyzed by fear... Those who had been fawning over the church suddenly came to their senses and took several steps back, choosing to stay as far away as possible from those mysterious cells that, just a moment ago, had held them captive.

Khan swallowed hard, summoned his sword, and prepared for battle.

This was sure to be a fight to the death. Those archbishops were all Rank B, and the bishops were Rank C... What on earth was going on inside this place? Since when had this religion become one of the most powerful guilds in the country?

The archbishops and bishops looked at their prisoners on the other side, outside their cells. "Oh. Some are trying to escape."

"Wait, that guy over there is the special guest..." One of them frowned, recognizing Zaid immediately.

"So he came here after running away, huh..." Someone laughed.

"Trying to save his teammates? He’s really bold. He must be the boldest F-Rank of them all."

"Just grab them again. Call the Cardinal and tell him these guys are trying to escape." One of them, the leader among the archbishops, stepped forward and drew a sword. "I was told there was a Rank B among you. Why doesn’t he step forward and face me? I like duels. That way, at least you’ll have some fun before you die."

He looked at the cells. "Oh, by the way. That’s the same fate that awaits you. You weren’t spared because you were outside—it’s simply because you have to go up." He pointed down, rather than up. "To see our goddess. Consider yourselves lucky for that—you’ll see our goddess right before you die. Isn’t that great?"

The guy was talkative. In just a moment, he gave them more information than they’d gathered before.

This really was a ritual. And the so-called goddess was here... And they were all going to die.

Zaid frowned and looked at him. "Aren’t you afraid of what you’re doing?"

"Afraid? Of what?"

"Performing cursed rituals on Zachary territory, when their leader is so close to becoming a Monarch... You’ll be wiped out."

"Monarch? Could the Zacharys wipe us out?" The archbishop scoffed. "Boy, you don’t understand the world."

"Do you think your so-called goddess will be able to save you?"

"Do you think the Zacharys would even consider attacking us?"

"Enough."

One of the archbishops growled at his companion. "We’re not here to talk nonsense with an idiot."

All the bishops and archbishops frowned, but nodded. He was right.

One of the bishops went out to find the Cardinal. The rest stepped forward. "You want to escape? Come at us head-on!"

They immediately drew their weapons, and a head-on confrontation ensued in the basement.

Khan grabbed the attention of the four archbishops, leaping into their midst. "I’ll take care of them—I’m leaving the others to you!" he shouted to his companions.

Martin bit his lip to endure the headache and summoned his spear, using it to fight off two bishops. Finn and Kevin, the most level-headed of the group, did the same. The rest descended into chaos.

Meanwhile, Zaid realized that this was no time to keep hiding. He stopped worrying about maintaining his appearance as Gio and focused on the fight.

His two daggers glowed with a steady, brilliant red light reflected from the nearby bars; Valia leaped from his shoulder and set her entire body ablaze.

’Don’t use it carelessly. Remember that your spirit is weakened,’ Zaid ordered her immediately.

’Yes, master. I’ll be careful,’ she replied immediately, but her power increased by several levels in an instant as a result.

Until now, Zaid hadn’t known how this little cat leveled up. Was it the same as him, or did she do it differently? He had been very negligent in raising her, but that was mainly because it had been difficult to have a steady conversation with her since he’d acquired her.

First, she slept for days. Then there were various missions. After that, her weakened state...

Zaid promised himself that once he got out of this, he would ask the questions correctly.

Both of them focused on a single opponent, since these people were Rank C.

Their opponent was wielding a long sword, and they fought at the back of Zaid’s group.

Zaid nimbly dodged all the attacks. He tried to strike, but his opponent wasn’t as accommodating or careless as the previous one. The opponent attacked so quickly that Zaid had to defend himself by crossing his two daggers in front of his face.

The sound of the impact was drowned out by the sound of a body slamming against the wall. Zaid felt his bones ache, but he wasn’t fighting alone, and he knew it.

Valia had managed to send her opponent flying, and her claws turned into flaming swords or daggers that pierced the attacker’s defense and flesh.

Feeling intense pain, he turned to attack whoever had struck him, but his sword didn’t find a large body—only a small cat floating around him. His attack missed, leaving his body exposed to attacks from behind.

Zaid smiled. This was his first time fighting alongside Valia... and it felt genuinely good. He had never felt so powerful in his entire life.

He closed the distance between himself and his enemy and stabbed him in the back with his daggers. Valia did the same.

However, this guy was much tougher than the last one.

Zaid exchanged blows with him over and over again. His daggers clashed with the man’s sword repeatedly. His bones creaked, and his head began to ache from the intense, repeated blows against something so powerful.

Valia circled around him without him being able to attack her.

"Stop, you damn stinking cockroach!" He lost his temper and lashed out furiously in all directions, but he wasn’t a wizard.

Valia dodged repeatedly and climbed rapidly. She stayed as close to his body as possible to avoid his companions’ attacks, and in no time she reached the top. Her claws snapped open immediately and she sank them into his neck—his weakest spot.

The previous attacks had forced Zaid back, but as soon as he understood Valia’s plan, he hurled his dagger at full speed toward his opponent’s neck.

SWOSH!

The dagger sliced through the air and, in a split second, sank into the bishop’s neck.

"Guh!"

[You have killed a "Bishop of the Church of the Seventh Night": Rank C, Level 36...]

[+ 10 PE...]

[+ 1,000 ME...]

Zaid leaped toward him and placed his hand on him before anyone else could notice.

[Scavenger has devoured a Rank C "Bishop of the Church of the Seventh Night": +2 Scavenger Fragments]

Zaid smiled happily... That makes eight. Slowly...

The hairs on his body stood on end; he looked behind him, sensing danger at the nape of his neck. The blade of a spear glinted before his eyes.