Chapter 186 – Re-Invasion (1)

Perhaps because there was no divine power, the second Death Knight couldn’t be finished as cleanly as before.

Even after stabbing its heart and pouring mana into it, the Death Knight endured.

In the end, I had to cut off its limbs, behead it, and then blow up its head to stop the second Death Knight.

“I’m sorry.”

I bowed my head to the shattered Death Knight.

In addition to the knight’s corpse, there were also the remains of knights burned by divine power scattered across the street.

I wanted to bury them, but there was no time.

I apologized to the two knights and turned away.

The cross in the sky was no longer visible.

Since I had just seen the Lich burn to pieces and fall to the ground, I needed to hurry to Yerim and Hoffmann.

Jumping over the cars blocking the road, I followed the mana detection and soon found my party members.

Hoffmann and Yerim were together on the second floor of a building overlooking a burned-out parking lot.

“You’re late.”

Hoffmann, leaning against the wall, made a sarcastic remark as I hurriedly entered through the window.

It might not have been a joke.

Hoffmann was drenched in cold sweat.

And it wasn’t just cold sweat.

He was trembling, enduring pain.

Even though Yerim was continuously healing him, his condition hadn’t improved.

Yerim, who could heal almost anything as long as the body wasn’t severed, couldn’t heal Hoffmann.

“It’s fine. Even I can see that this can’t be healed any further. Continuing would just waste divine power.”

“But the potion didn’t work either.”

As Yerim said, an empty potion bottle was rolling beside Hoffmann, who was leaning against the wall.

It seemed Hoffmann had already used a potion before Yerim’s healing.

Yet, he still hadn’t recovered.

“He’s pushed his body to the limit, even using potion addiction.”

Despite the pain, Hoffmann didn’t stop talking.

“Don’t tell me they used poison again.”

“You knew after all.”

Having fought as a free knight and against the demon army for years, it was impossible for him not to know.

“It’s not the first time I’ve fought alongside mountain soldiers, nor is it the first time I’ve seen potion addiction.”

“I see. That’s good. I don’t have to bother explaining.”

“But you didn’t tell me!”

Hoffmann apologized to Yerim, who was angry.

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

“We’re in the same party! And why do you keep speaking formally to me?”

“Because you’re a saint.”

“……But.”

Yerim couldn’t refute Hoffmann’s words.

After all, considering the miracle Yerim had just performed—the cross that had risen over the entire city—it was hard to think of her as an ordinary priest.

“Not only the miracle that unfolded over this city, but you’ve also been recognized as a saint.”

But that wasn’t all.

Following Hoffmann’s words, I looked out the window.

Outside, the parking lot was filled with burn marks.

The empty parking lot, with nothing left to take, looked as if a bomb had gone off.

And in the center of those marks was a charred corpse.

A corpse with no trace of its former self.

But I knew whose corpse it was.

It must have been the undead saint.

She had burned up in the divine power that had blown up the entire parking lot.

“She…… wasn’t a bad person. No, she seemed like a good person. It seemed like she had no choice but to fight us.”

Perhaps because she had been a saint in life?

It seemed the former saint had maintained her sanity more than I thought.

But Yerim’s thoughts were mistaken.

No matter what the former saint thought, she was still undead.

An enemy of humanity, bound to follow the Demon King’s orders.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to explain that to Yerim separately.

She was a priest who fought properly when it came to battle.

Fortunately, Yerim’s healing wasn’t completely ineffective.

Hoffmann’s expression gradually improved. His fluctuating mana also seemed to be returning to normal.

“I think I’ll be fine if I rest a bit more. You should go ahead.”

Perhaps noticing me looking out the window, Hoffmann spoke to me.

Indeed, it seemed like Hoffmann would be fine this time.

“But if they use poison again, you’ll die.”

“I know that too. It’s actually a good thing. I was planning to retire after this anyway, so it’s just in time.”

At Hoffmann’s jest, Yerim bit her lip.

“But what will I do if you retire?”

“There are others, right? Party members come and go anyway. You should congratulate me for retiring alive.”

Indeed, it seemed Yerim had relied heavily on Hoffmann.

Not just for physical protection, but emotionally as well.

But Yerim couldn’t say anything in response to Hoffmann’s words.

Because Hoffmann was right.

If Hoffmann retired safely, it would indeed be something to celebrate.

Having spent his life as a mountain soldier, survived battles against the demon army, traveled to another world, and returned with treasures—it was a story worthy of hanging banners in the village.

Not just a village inn, but perhaps even becoming a retainer of a minor lord or a wealthy farmer with several tenants.

“I’ll protect you. Don’t worry and go ahead.”

This time, Yerim said she would protect Hoffmann.

Hoffmann shook his head at her words, but Yerim wasn’t wrong.

All the undead in the city had retreated to the safe zone, and their morale had vanished. No undead could be sensed nearby.

Moreover, with Yerim, recognized as a saint, offering her protection, there was no need to worry.

“Then, I’ll go ahead. Take your time.”

Leaving the two behind, I exited through the window.

As I passed by the parking lot, I once again took in the sight of the burned corpse.

I hoped that one day, all the heroes’ corpses left here could be enshrined in Ea’s temple.

I flew toward the safe zone.

The safe zone, which I reached as quickly as possible, was still under siege.

At the boundary of the safe zone, at the foot of the mountain, countless burned corpses were piled up like a wall.

Inside the safe zone, on the slopes of Donggo Mountain, zombies were burning as they climbed.

The fire, created by divine power, didn’t burn the withered trees, but the sight of hundreds of burning corpses climbing the mountain was both spectacular and terrifying.

More undead were pushing into the safe zone, but the safe zone held firm.

The safe zone, reinforced by Yerim, was different from before. The priests also seemed less strained than before.

The apprentice knights, who had fought a desperate battle against skeletons, fought well again.

Though they were overwhelmed by the numbers, they didn’t seem as defeated as before.

It was all thanks to Zahina.

Zahina, who had flown in first, was helping the apprentice knights.

“Wind, cut down all that stands in your way.”

The burning undead climbing the mountain were continuously sliced in half by the wind blades she shot out.

Several were cut down at once, tumbling down the mountain.

Even though she handled so many at once, the zombies were too numerous and spread too wide.

Thousands of zombies were pushing in from the entire western face of the mountain, so even with the apprentice knights, it was too much for her to handle alone.

Gradually, the burning zombies were approaching the magic circle near the gate.

“Good thing I’m not too late.”

Jumping over the burning zombies, I landed in front of the gate, and Yelena, standing in the center of the magic circle, shouted at me.

“You’re late! Do you know how anxious I’ve been?”

Hoffmann had said the same, and now Yelena was scolding me.

Wondering why, I realized it was because of her disciple.

Behind the magic circle, Irene was looking at me with a frightened face.

I was indeed late, so I had no excuse.

Instead of making excuses, I turned and raised my sword toward the approaching burning zombies.

‘I need to kill as many as possible at once.’

Unfortunately, I had used up quite a bit of mana fighting the Death Knights.

I had also used a lot of mana running here.

Although my mana capacity had increased, it wasn’t infinite.

Now, I couldn’t extend my sword aura as far as I wanted due to lack of mana.

It was my only area-of-effect skill, and a civilian-slaughtering technique at that.

‘Wait, this is the safe zone, right?’

My surroundings were filled with divine power, enough to burn the zombies.

Instead of filling my sword with mana, I tried channeling the surrounding divine power into it.

‘It works!’

Unlike before, the sword glowed white.

The sword aura, created from divine power, gradually lengthened.

“Ah! Divine power!”

Hearing the surprised voices of the priests maintaining the safe zone, I swung the extended sword aura with all my might.

Whoosh.

A white line was drawn horizontally.

It was as if the world had been split in half.

A sight I had created many times with mana, but this time it looked different.

The result was different too.

Previously, the zombies would split in half and spray black blood, but this time, they started burning from where the sword had struck.

Not just their skin burning due to the safe zone’s power, but their entire bodies burst into flames in an instant.

From the severed waist to the chest and head, and from the legs to the feet.

The zombies, burned to ashes in an instant, left no corpses, only ash scattering in the air.

Dozens of charging zombies turned to ash in an instant.

I was surprised by the unexpected sight, but the priests’ astonishment was beyond comparison.

“Could it be… the Holy Sword?”

“Has the hero awakened?”

“But there’s no divine power in his body.”

“But that sword aura was definitely made of divine power.”

Leaving the confused priests behind, I continued to swing my sword.

There was a way to create sword aura without using mana, so there was no need to hold back.

I kept swinging my sword, and soon, after defeating all the zombies on the mountain, the priests all collapsed as if fainting.

It was because I had drained all the divine power from the safe zone.

At the end, the safe zone almost broke, and I was scolded by Yerim when she returned with Hoffmann.

It seemed like today was a day for getting scolded.

Anyway, after Yerim and Hoffmann returned, the magic circle activated.

Finally, the gate opened.

A translucent window formed above the magic circle.

Inside the shimmering window, another world was visible.

Kyaaak!

Boom! Boom!

A battle was raging in that world.

Screams and shouts, skeletons charging, and bloodied mercenaries.

The mage city, far from the dungeon where the Demon King resided, was now under attack by the undead.