73 – S2. Resentment Brushing Against the Stars -4
The white hood praised their greatness and carried the meaning of repeatedly acknowledging one’s ignorance. Ridiculous things like morality and legal principles were worthless. Compared to them, who possessed infinite wisdom, the thousands of years of human civilization seemed so insignificant.
The world revolves around the superior ones. No one places the poor and powerless at the center of the world. Most humans look up to and follow those who know and can do many things.
It is the instinct of the species called humans to form groups and follow those who possess brilliant wisdom.
So, why not serve them?
In this vast universe, they are a being with supreme wisdom. Existing beyond the constraints of space and time, they can erase the Earth with a single gesture. In human terms, they are an emperor, and humans are like insignificant insects.
Serving them is so natural. It is appropriate to discard useless stones for the sake of a diamond that radiates brilliant light. The balance of the universe clearly tilts towards them.
A fanatic wandered through the library in religious ecstasy. Kicking bookshelves, igniting books with a cigarette, astronomy, geography—all useless and futile knowledge.
So, not being accepted into Miskatonic University, getting tired of parental nagging and killing them for trivial mistakes, all seem inconsequential from a cosmic perspective.
He saw others who shared the same belief.
Some prayed to the sky, some enlightened unaware humans in the library, and others struggled to open the vault of an evil cult.
Abraham.
The leader said that the damn old man’s research could disrupt their arrival. If the great one had truly decided to come, then the event could not be stopped by a mere old man.
We pleaded with them to ‘please look this way.’ If an insect begs an emperor, there should at least be a crazy old woman next to it not babbling unnecessary words.
It was imminent. The sacred ceremony of pleading and longing for them was just around the corner. In four days, on the auspicious day of July 14th. The leader and the saint would build a large bonfire sacrificing numerous humans.
The heart pounded madly. The body trembled, and cold sweat flowed. The fanatic couldn’t distinguish whether the emotions he felt were ecstasy or fear.
Then.
A blue light flashed from the library ceiling.
Was it a divine revelation? Did they know about our sincere service and graciously send down a blue star as a sign of their favor? If so, it would truly be a blessed event…
Shadows writhed from the blue light. And soon, they became the shadows of people. Not one, but three.
Three people descended from the ceiling.
A man with a scar running across half of his face drew a longsword in mid-air. The reflection of the blade emitted a dazzling white light, causing the fanatic to lose focus for a moment. This, something, was wrong…
It was the last chemical reaction that occurred in the fanatic’s brain.
Swish!
Bennett swiftly slashed through the fanatic, landing with a single stroke. Having already assessed the situation when summoned from the ceiling, he shouted, “The leader is absent. Quickly, clean up and escape!”
“I’ll take care of the left!”
“I’m on the right!” Neoere indicated with his body.
Tara wrapped magic around her fist, and Neoere unfolded a magical scroll. Bennett, fully recovered, accelerated with renewed magical power, scattering flashes of sword light.
Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, the fanatics panicked and perished. One of them, looking as if his eyes would pop out at the sight of the three, screamed, “You, you must have died by the leader’s power-!”
“Defying death! Defying death-!!”
Tara, her holy robes fluttering, kicked a fanatic who was slow to react. With an excessive side slit, Tara’s lower body was fully exposed.
Thud!
Bennett, who had been dealing with the fifth one, quickly turned his gaze in Tara’s direction. Black lingerie panties remained like a lingering trace.
Crack!
The fanatic’s neck snapped, and he fell with a thud. Tara triumphantly roared, “Yeah, you bastards! I’ve returned from hell to settle the score with Abraham’s enemies-!”
“… …”
“…Well, what’s with that expression, Bennett? Is it bad that I want revenge?!”
“No, realize that our attire has returned to normal. We re-entered after an emergency escape.”
Tara had a momentary brain freeze. Come to think of it, there was no resistance when she kicked. The evil attire she had worn seemed a bit clingy.
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Lowering my gaze, there was a provocative holy dress adorned with full customization. And she had thrown a roundhouse kick wearing this…?
Tara’s face turned crimson, and she let out a surprised scream.
“Wh- What are you looking at!!”
“I was trying to assist, trying to assist!”
Phwoong-! Phoo-hwaaah-!
The sound of something cutting through the wind twice. Two grotesque spears, formed by bone and flesh melded together, pierced the fanatic and stuck to the wall. As Tara and Venet turned their heads simultaneously to look, Niore pressed his index finger to his lips.
[Shh.]
“…It’s because of you, Venet!”
“Not amusing… Magic is coming, focus!”
Thud, thud.
“aaargh-!”
The fanatics’ main means of attack, an invisible projectile launched by self-immolation. When first encountered, there was no way to deal with it other than dodging or blocking by intuition. However, after reevaluation, countermeasures had been prepared.
Venet reached out towards the projectile.
“『Spatial Expansion』!”
[23, 47, 59!]
A spatial expansion spell, often used by hanging artifacts on one’s backpack. Since it wasn’t his major field of study, the proficiency was lacking, and the expansion was only temporary and meager. Yet,
Wooong-!
With Niore’s keen eyes, it was enough to deflect the trajectory of the spatial spell. Adding a slight curve to the space, diverting its direction. In a way, it was magical parrying.
The invisible projectile had its trajectory altered, pierced through the ceiling, and disappeared.
“It was worth staying up all night to learn this….”
[Success!]
The trio, equipped with countermeasures against the main offensive, was unstoppable by ordinary zealots. The library was swiftly cleared without a scratch.
Tara, both hands turned into gauntlets, stretched herself. Walking towards the direction of Abraham’s vault, she complimented Neore.
“You did well, Neore. Your parrying was impressive!”
“Thank you, Tara.”
“I’m the one who cast the magic.”
“Well, don’t you want to hear that it’s impressive?”
“That’s not the point, is it?”
“Then what is the point…?”
The group arrived at the vault. There were dented marks here and there, as if the zealots had attempted to open it. Benett squatted down and entered the password. ‘0714’.
Click. The sound echoed as the vault door opened.
Piles of thick research documents were scattered inside. There seemed to be no damage. Benett organized the data and handed it to Tara.
“Tara, you keep this.”
“Me?!”
“You have the best defensive abilities here. You can use sacred magic. Your chances of surviving alone in a similar situation are the highest.”
“…No, not me. You keep it.”
“…?”
“Anyway, since you told me to!”
Benett stared straight into Tara’s eyes. Tara avoided his gaze as if hiding something. For some reason. Since you can’t force something onto someone who refuses, Benett decided to take charge of the research data.
“Let’s move for now. We’ll head back through Carter’s secret passage.”
Bennett took the lead. Tara followed closely behind, while Neore walked at the very end, gazing fixedly at Tara’s back.
Tara felt unease and restlessness. Since the moment Abraham contemplated the divine after his death, the sanctity had been steadily diminishing. She only used basic physical enhancements, fearing the possible disappearance of sanctity.
Perhaps, in the worst-case scenario, sanctity might vanish completely.
Without sanctity, Tara was just an ordinary girl from a clothing store. Losing her status as a saint didn’t bother her, to be honest. She just didn’t want to be discarded. A little more, just a little more certainty, and she would let it out… that’s what Tara had postponed once again.
—–
Memo: Players should always have short-term goals. Clearly state what can and must be done at this timing to avoid wandering, providing guidance.
—–
It was the road back to Carter Street. Tara, unable to find suitable clothes, continued wearing the overly stimulating saintly attire.
For some reason, there had been a change in her demeanor. Walking arrogantly through the crowded streets of the academy in that outfit. Now, whenever Bennett turned around, he would scold her to look ahead.
“…Is there a chance of posthumous embarrassment?”
“Bennett, everyone can hear-?!”
“I said it so you would hear. Because you don’t seem to understand.”
[Bennett is duller than expected.]
“…?”
The road continued with questions. The city’s atmosphere was slightly different from before. After Abraham’s mansion was devoured by something, numerous monsters were unleashed in the city.
Perhaps that’s why, if you listened carefully, you could easily hear the bustling sounds of the city.
Someone screaming into the phone to the police, claiming they witnessed a monster.
A zealot preaching that salvation could still be achieved by submitting to the monsters if you converted now.
A severed arm left alone in a deserted alley.
Looking at the worsening security and the escalating chaos in the city, a strange sensation was felt. It was like witnessing the collapse of a tower painstakingly built with trumps – a peculiar sense of emptiness and loss.
The sensation of a single life becoming cheaper.
Perhaps the current city resembles a battlefield.
As you passed through the apartment complex, you stumbled upon the traces of someone, as if being drawn into the darkness of an alley. Judging by the fact that the blood hasn’t yet coagulated, it must have been a recent ambush.
At this moment, it might have been possible to save them.
[Let’s just go, us.]
“…Niore?”
[There are traces of monster footprints. Probably two. Noise will occur during the fight, and then the fanatics will gather again. The person taken away seems to be already dead.]
“……..”
Niore cut it off. Although his chest was stabbed with pain, ignoring his own feelings wasn’t as painful. He couldn’t afford to make another mistake.
Then, unexpectedly, Tara added a word.
“If we’re going to end up fighting anyway, isn’t it better to deal with it now?”
Tara wanted to achieve more revenge while there was still some divine power left. With the expectation that actively saving people using divine power might make the goddess return the favor.
Niore and Tara’s gazes converged on Venet. He made a decision.
“Save them.”
[…Why?]
“Tara has a point. It’s necessary to chip away at their power when there’s a chance. Besides, you wanted to save them, Niore.”
[……..]
“Don’t lose yourself.”
Venet lightly patted Niore’s back and entered the darkness of the alley. After a moment of silence, the two followed him.
15 minutes later.
The group managed to subdue two monsters and three fanatics, rescuing three civilians in the process. However, in exchange, the fanatics gathered and another pursuit began. Someone was capturing the scene from a distance with a camera.
—–
They shouldn’t have saved them. If they had somehow stopped them…
Niole sprinted forward with a gloomy expression, lost in such thoughts. Running alongside him, Bennet read his expression and blurted out.
“I don’t understand why you regret it when it was my decision. Which way is it here?”
To the right.
Following Niole’s instructions, the group swiftly turned the curve. Tara took a deep breath and pushed herself harder.
“They’re like crazy fanatics… How long are they going to keep following us?”
“Yeah, it would have been nice if we had used enhancement magic!”
“…I didn’t feel like using it!”
[12, 56, 78!]
“Spatial Expansion!”
Wooooom-!
An invisible projectile shaved off the corner of a building, bouncing into the sky.
The relentless pursuit was taking its toll. To break free from the persistent chase, they had to fight big. As Bennet toyed with the hilt of his longsword, suddenly, out of nowhere, a hand shot up.
“…An enemy?!”
“No, wait.”
A woman was waving her hand up and down.
The place seemed familiar. It was the same place where they had fought off the fanatics and rescued Yeojija. The person here was Sally, who worked at the New Life Newspaper. It was clear that the newspaper office was on Carter Street.
“Come in here! I’ll hide you!”
“Are you lying?!”
[I’m being sincere!]
“…We’ll help you. Come in!”
You decided to trust the journalist’s words and rushed into the building. The fanatics who had been chasing after you couldn’t find any traces and turned back.
—–
At the entrance of the building, there was a staircase that went straight up, and at the turning point, there was a makeshift barricade.
“The atmosphere is really tense here. Especially because I’m being targeted by the Eunui Twilight Sect…”
Sally grumbled and pushed the barricade to the side. It looked like it would take at least five minutes if you just stood there, so Bennett stepped forward.
*Kigigik.*
“You’re strong, aren’t you? You were able to easily take down monsters in one go.”
“…Were you watching?”
“I was filming with a telephoto lens from the rooftop. I saw how you were rescuing people. That’s why I told you to come in. You seemed like trustworthy people. You saved me before too…”
Sally gave a thumbs up and cheered.
Bennett patted Neore’s shoulder as if to say, “Look at the people you saved.”
[……..]
As you climbed the stairs, you saw a glass door. The logo of “New Life Newspaper” was printed on it. When you entered the room, the windows were covered with curtains, and the wooden planks were nailed to block them.
Inside, there was no source of light, and it was pitch black.
Sally fumbled in the darkness and lit a candle with a lighter. The light was far from enough to illuminate the entire room, but it was bright enough to recognize people’s faces.
“When you turn on the lights, people might notice, so it’s a bit dim. Is that okay?”
“No problem.”
“First of all, thank you for hiding me.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s a matter of life and death. I’d like to treat you to a meal if I could, but… There’s a place nearby that makes great handmade burgers, but the chef got taken by a monster.”
Journalist Sally let out a deep sigh.
“The world is really in a mess. I thought it was just some cult, you know, taking money, harassment, that sort of thing. Who would’ve thought our lives would turn into a horror movie.”
“…Must have been quite a shock.”
“Still, no one said people have to die! Luckily, right in front of us, there are righteous super-powered folks looking for people. Like, the government secretly cultivating super mutants or something?”
Tarra twisted her head at the unfamiliar words.
“I don’t really get what you’re saying.”
“If it’s classified, I won’t ask more. But more importantly, do you want to see something? I found it when I infiltrated.”
Sally rummaged through the darkness. Then, banging her head on a corner, she exclaimed, “Ouch!” and returned with a notebook. She provided crucial information about the Twilight Sect.
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“There’s been a general summons to the Sect of Twilight. July 14th, four days from today. They plan to hold a ‘Calling Ceremony’ where all believers must attend, actively securing sacrifices.”
“…July 14th.”
“Yeah. Probably planning something terrifying. I have no idea, but… You guys probably know better, right?”
As Sally said, Bennett could understand the significance of this information. It was about the summoning ritual date.
In many ways, the time was drawing near.