Chapter 181

181st Episode

Another Saint

We continued heading south.

The further we descended, the more the terrain was blocked off by towering cliffs, fitting for the region called the “Valley of the Dead.” Through its center flowed a thick river of a bluish-white hue.

We kept walking endlessly along the wide path by the river.

“Is this…?”

Suddenly, a grand barrier loomed in the center of the valley, blocking the way.

This was not a natural formation. From every angle, it was clearly an artificial structure. Drawing from what I’d heard from Adrang and Knightrea, combined with knowledge obtained in Gaissus, I deduced what this was.

‘This must be it. The Infected Defense Line.’

I’d heard about this from Seseona.

Originally, the content of the Valley of the Dead Hero Trial involved eliminating 100 beasts that surged forth like mad whenever night fell, all from this infected barrier.

It’s somewhat analogous to the old hero trials of Halssenberg: killing 100 Undead beings from the northern lands.

“Seems it’s been breached because there’s no one left to guard it…”

No heroes are being summoned anymore, so there’s no way to maintain this infected barrier.

That’s why Erakma, once the hero summoning spot, has since deteriorated, and eventually, the pestilence spread all the way to the Gaissus region in the hinterland.

I let out a soft sigh and slowly walked into the broken gate at the center of the towering wall.

“Urgh! Whose skeleton is this?”

“Probably discarded bodies of patients.”

The atmosphere grew increasingly eerie as we ventured deeper into the valley, and sunlight began to wane.

Moreover, not only at every stop along our path, but also in the thick river and the reeds around, there were plenty of half-rotted corpses and remains.

All of them were grotesquely twisted with insect-like forms somewhere in their bodies.

“Urgh…!”

Yuria, who’d been following us, repeatedly gagged.

Attempting to turn away from the horrifying sight by closing her eyes, she kept seeing more bodies everywhere she looked.

After this happened about four consecutive times, Yuria’s complexion turned deathly pale, looking close to fainting.

‘Hmm… truthfully, it’s a bit bothersome.’

Unfortunately, the kind Park Jeong-yong perished in Markeuteuriseu. Now, I am utterly indifferent to the horrors around me.

Conversely, Yuria’s excessive reactions irritate me a little because our progress is noticeably slowed.

[Sorry for holding you back.]

Each time, Yuria would write this on a piece of paper and show it to me.

Whether she intended to not do it again next time or not, she immediately discarded the paper. And then she would write again, discard again, write again, repeating the cycle.

When she gagged for the third time, I told her to recycle the paper instead of just throwing it away.

“Being sorry is enough. Let’s restart once you’ve calmed down.”

What can I do? I can only utter these words and give her a light nudge.

And as we went a bit deeper into the valley, Yuria wasn’t the only nuisance.

Gik… kikikikik!!

Huge insect-monsters began swarming from all sides and blocking our path.

Monsters that still retained traces of their human form. They were the remains of individuals who had completely succumbed to the Black Blood Disease.

“Am I that delicious looking?”

There were easily over a hundred of them.

It was hard to suppress a chuckle at the sight, reminiscent of people queueing up after hearing about a popular restaurant.

[Monster Info]

[Name: Ilene Hansen]

[Health: 430/430 Magic: 0/0]

[Strength: 48 Agility: 101 Intelligence: 1]

[Details: A human transformed into a giant insect-like monster due to Black Blood Disease. There is no way to reverse this. Death is the only solace.]

Though completely transformed into monsters with the designation of ‘monster,’ their names still retained their human names, which was rather unsettling.

“Geez, what a bunch…”

Some resembled cockroaches, crawling flat on the floor, flicking their antennae.

Some moved like centipedes, equipped with countless human legs.

Some like spiders, dangling sticky mucus from their crotches onto trees.

And some, like mantises, had knife-like forelegs that had torn through breasts.

Just like humans, they were varied, each one different.

“Hiiik!!”

Yuria gasped, as if out of breath, sinking to the ground. Her limbs were trembling like willow leaves.

On the other hand, Ruci didn’t even flinch, hiding skillfully behind me. The difference was distinct despite our similar ineptitude, prompting a hollow laugh.

This is exactly why companies prefer hiring experienced candidates when hiring new employees. It all became clear with a nod.

‘It’s troublesome to deal with all of them individually. I can’t possibly handle this quantity while protecting these two imbeciles.’

There was no other option. I pulled out the bright red greatsword strapped to my back.

Uuuung. Emitting a low hum, the enormous greatsword was raised high above my shoulder as I murmured the activation words for a skill.

“Flame of Oblivion.”

Puhwaac!

Flames, crimson like blood, surged from the blade. It was a violent and overwhelming heat, devouring the darkness of the night.

The surrounding insect-like monsters shied away slightly in fear of the flames’ heat.

“…Ah.”

Yuria let out a gasp, captivated by the flames.

Simultaneously, I slashed the sword horizontally.

“One slash.”

Hwarrrr!

Following the graceful arc of the blade, firebolts scattered everywhere.

Instant flames engulfed the surrounding reed fields, turning them into seas of fire. The inextinguishable flames seared the monsters’ flesh, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Kieeeek!

Kigik! Kiiiiik!

For a while, endless screams of the monsters echoed through the valley. It was a nauseating blend of human voices and insect cries.

[Notice – Evil Consumption]

[Special Skill: ‘Flame of Oblivion’ has been activated, consuming accumulated evil. Humanity has slightly diminished.]

They say that, and it’s startling that I still have any humanity left for it to be diminished.

Amidst the blazing flames and shrieks from all sides, there’s no need for a separate depiction of hell. Yuria, perhaps sensing the same, covered her ears as tears flowed down her face.

Meanwhile.

“Sure burns well. It’s warm, which is nice.”

“Keen for some roasted sweet potatoes.”

The demon king and his henchman, with their unearthly disposition, looked around gleefully as the surroundings blazed, uttering such remarks.

Their expressions were calm if not outright bored.

In the end, we camped overnight at the edge of the scorched insect carcasses in the depths of the valley. The next morning, it took us half a day of further walking to finally arrive at a village-like place.

It took much longer than expected. With two deadweights in tow, issues seemed to multiply.

“Uh. There’s nothing visible.”

Ruci grumbled while waving her hand in front of her eyes.

True to what she said, with the abrupt widening of the valley, thick fog blanketed the surroundings.

What we had reached was not so much a real village but rather the entrance to an amusement park, marked by temporary tents set up around it.

[A place where dreams and hope live. Welcome to Skid Land…]

A welcome sign of the type you’d see at theme park entrances greeted us at the village’s edge. Worn out and bleached to the point where the last part of the text had completely vanished.

The place felt like an abandoned theme park, and sure enough, it was the site of an amusement park. I nodded in understanding.

“Even dreams and hope have gone down with it.”

Ruci looked at the sign, smeared with dirt and grease, with a wary expression and shuddered, clinging to me.

“… This place gives me the creeps. Ghosts might appear.”

“Scared of ghosts even as a Demon King?”

“Wha- Who said I’m scared? I’m not scared.”

“Got it. Let’s go in.”

“Mi- Don’t push me! I’ll go myself, I tell you!!”

As usual, we exchanged meaningless dialogue as we entered the village.

The tent-dwelling village was decrepit, dirty, oily, and unmistakably on the brink of death.

‘Serious situation.’

Running through the middle of the village, rusted pipes ran everywhere. These pipes connected to a headless mascot statue in the center of the square.

The fallen symbol of the once-glorious mascot for the amusement park perfectly conveyed the current state of this village.

“… That Erakma? This place is worse.”

Ruci murmured, and I agreed.

The faces of the people walking around lacked vitality, and beggars and victims of the Black Bloody Disease lay around like trash. Broken machines and junk were piled up haphazardly in a corner.

All this waste seemed to likely stem from the abandoned amusement park and disused factories at the upper reaches of the Valley of the Dead.

“Well… In any case, let’s buy some food here.”

“Yeah. Good plan.”

Fortunately, at least there was a grocery shop and a cathedral.

The cathedral is the most critical point.

‘Here, it might also be possible to use Shultz gold coins here.’

It is highly plausible that the Shultz coins, guaranteed by the Temple of Goddess Propishia for use by heroes, might be accepted here.

How such a remote mountainous place has a cathedral of Propishia goddess while Gaissus didn’t is unknown, but the reason doesn’t matter.

‘Nothing else really matters.’

Just having those two suffices.

It doesn’t matter how the people in this place survive; there’s nothing worth my help. It’s just a headache if I bother.

My specialty is dying and killing, not saving lives. I’m on the same tier as water-striders when it comes to saving lives.

It’s a relief that the warm-hearted Seop Baek isn’t here, if anything.

“Come to think of it, I heard this rumor in Erakma.”

As I looked around the area, Ruksi suddenly poked my side and spoke up.

Glancing sidelong at her.

“Rumor? What kind of rumor?”

“They say there’s a hermit saint here. It’s said that seriously ill patients come here instead of elsewhere. She cares for the sick and distributes wonderful medicines?”

“Saint then…”

Naturally, I turned to Yuria. Yuria suddenly widened her eyes as the attention focused on her.

I casually asked her.

“Do you have any siblings?”

She shook her head firmly, side to side.

She’s an only child. I shrugged and looked back at Ruksi.

“Seems like one.”

“Ah, if it’s saving lives, does it really matter whether it’s real or fake?”

“That’s true. So, what’s this fake saint’s name?”

“Huh? I just heard it, don’t ask me for details.”

“… This kid is prickly.”

Having been lightly scolded, I shrugged and headed over to the general store tent.

It sold various things from alcohol to clearly stolen weapons and diverse herbs at inconsistent prices.

There were also a few middle-aged men sitting at the shop’s table, casually drinking.

It doubles as a bar too, it seems.

“Um… Let me buy this, and this… Ah, and that too?”

This time, I bought a much larger amount of food and water than I had before.

The dried goods were surprisingly cheap, but the water was ridiculously expensive, which surprised me. Of course, given the local conditions, drinking water being expensive is understandable.

Showing it to Luci, she nodded with a satisfied look. Apparently, it was a passable amount.

“… Total comes to 51 Shultz gold coins.”

The female owner of the general store looked at me intently with sunken eyes as she said this.

Her gaze was so intense it felt like she was staring into my soul, and it reached its peak when I pulled the gold coin from my pocket.

Her startled eyes quickly turned pale with deep fear.

“Sh-Sh-Shultz gold coins… y-you, a-a-are you… a-a-a Hero?”

“… Yes. Is something wrong?”

“Aa-a… Uh…!”

The shopkeeper began to noticeably fidget. The fear in her eyes when she looked at me was clear.

“…?”

What is this? I haven’t done anything.

Even if the people of Unterland generally dislike heroes, why react this much?

‘It can’t be due to the exchange rate…’

Even though there might be slight differences in value for Shultz gold coins from region to region, it seems unlikely that it would cause this much of an extreme reaction, as if she’d seen a ghost.

While I was tilting my head in confusion,

“Haven’t you heard? Lately, there have been rogue Heroes wreaking havoc around the middle part of the Valley of the Dead…”

Suddenly, the murmur of the men drinking behind me caught my ears.

“Is that so? Aren’t they Dyrus the Human Hunter and Moskden of the Goo Toxin?”

“Huh?”

“You got it. They supposedly receive support from those guys.”

“Who?”

“From Zadkiel, right? Along with that morally reprehensible superior from Leviathan…”

“Dear me. Don’t spread rumors that could lead to trouble. Shhh!”

One of the men abruptly stood up, hurriedly clamping a hand over the other man’s mouth.

Furtively glancing around, he nervously averted his eyes when they met mine. Unfortunately, I had already heard everything.

With a deep sense of despair, I nodded.

‘… Rogue Heroes?’

I’m not sure exactly what kind of people they are, but it seems anything with the prefix ‘rogue’ automatically becomes absurdly powerful, be it ninja or hero.

‘Ah… This feels off.’

Apparently, these guys are blocking the path deeper into the Valley of the Dead. Given the current state of my danger sensor going off violently, a conflict seems almost certain.

As the future ahead became dimmer, it dawned on me why I had received such looks.

‘Human Hunter Dyrus. Moskden of the Goo Toxin.’

I made sure to etch the names of these two notorious rogue Heroes into my memory.

The glare of fear is bitter to receive at any time. It’d be best to gather as much information as possible on these two as soon as possible.

Silently pulling out the gold coin, I quickly left the grocery shop.

“… Thank you for your business.”

Feeling bad for scaring her unnecessarily, I even left 100 gold coins. The female shopkeeper looked perplexed, but she certainly wouldn’t mind receiving so much money.

As expected, after we left, she immediately busied herself collecting the money.

“What is this Hero doing, creeping around like a furtive stray cat!”

“Shut up and follow quietly.”

I hurriedly slipped out of the shop, prompting Ruci to ask.

And briskly, we headed straight for the town’s cathedral.

“Let’s see the face of this ‘Fake Saint’.”

In the southernmost reaches of Unterland, in the Valley of the Dead where even the central government has effectively abandoned, it is highly likely that the famed saint is here at the cathedral.

I confidently entered the massive tent erected in front of the battered statue.

“Kyaaa!”

Just then, a petite figure was running toward me from inside the cathedral. Upon spotting me at the last moment, she collided, sending her sprawling.

I stood still, but the young girl who had bumped into me fell flat on the ground.

“Uh… Ow.”

It was a girl, younger than Tara, probably under 10 years old.

Her scruffy covering hid green hair and red eyes, with a pale complexion showing protruding blue veins here and there. Above her temples, grotesque, elongated antennae were constantly wriggling. Additionally, six dragonfly-like wings were attached to her back.

‘… Is she a patient too?’

No matter how much my empathy has degraded, it’s hard to see someone so young in such a state without feeling troubled.

With a light sigh, I exhaled. Only then did the green-haired girl with black blood disease abruptly stand up and, after staring intently at my face for a while, let out a low groan and hastily ran away.

She’s cautious. Given this environment, it’s understandable. With a nod, I entered the chapel again.

“Uw… Ww…”

“Kh… Uh… Kiik…”

Inside were countless patients. People who still looked semi-human, those closer to monsters, and those on the verge of death. The moans and groans of all lying in four rows across the tent intermingled and sounded in my ears.

Though it’s impossible not to feel compassion, it’s definitely less intense than what I experienced when I saw that young girl.

However, the steps that had been striding confidently through the cathedral suddenly came to a halt.

During a brief glance over the patients, I saw a face I shouldn’t have seen.

“… Aldcon.”

A red-haired boy whose face was half-covered with grotesque scales.

The small body that used to boast a robust muscular structure was now covered with grotesque, round lumps that protruded everywhere.

The red lumps squirmed as if clumped together. His upper body resembled a slab of meat with grapes hanging from it.

“… Ah… Ah… You, man… Long… time…”

I wanted to have been mistaken.

However, the red-haired boy patient — no, something that merely looked like a boy — Gazed at me with unfocused eyes and let out a rasping voice.

‘Ah… This, damn bastards…’

A sharp sinking sensation started from the soles of my feet.