Chapter 55 – Apostle (2)

Seeing us, the man greeted first.

“Nice to meet you. I am Michael, the Apostle of God who created and maintains this sacred territory.”

I couldn’t help but tilt my head at the man’s words.

He looked like a pure Korean, could he have had a past life like me?

Or maybe it’s just an ordinary baptismal name.

“Ah, I had a name given by my parents, but after God chose me, I received the name of the first angel anew.”

I understood what he meant.

It meant he named himself after awakening.

I introduced us again.

When I introduced the Knight, the Children of the Sacred Tree, and the Mountain Soldier in order, everyone’s expressions became ambiguous.

“I heard about it before, but it’s hard to believe. Even in a world where the dead move, people from another world…”

As the one calling himself Michael muttered with a disgruntled face, the young man standing to his left spoke up.

“Well, we can first verify their abilities, can’t we? Making such an outlandish introduction means they must be confident, right? Since they’re even wearing armor, surely they won’t refuse.”

At the young man’s words, I turned my gaze to him.

The man who challenged me was a youth with sharp features.

Mana was slowly flowing from his body as he glared at me.

‘A powered individual in the safe zone. Another one standing on the opposite side.’

With Michael at the center, on the left…

Damn, I could understand why people didn’t call the Apostle by name on our way here.

Changing one’s name to that of the first angel.

Even I, who had heard countless ridiculous titles in the other world, found it difficult to say.

On the Apostle’s left stood the provocative youth, and on the opposite side, a sturdy man in his early thirties was observing us.

Though not tall, he had a solid build.

While examining us, his eyes met with Seo-eun who was with us.

Seeing how both their expressions softened when their eyes met, their relationship seemed more than ordinary.

‘Perhaps lovers.’

Well, it had been two years since her ex died, she couldn’t have stayed alone all this time.

When that thought crossed my mind, I didn’t feel pain or regret.

Instead, I felt relieved.

It felt like putting down a burden I’d been carrying.

Perhaps I had been feeling indebted to my ex.

Maybe that’s why I came to Daejeon.

While I was lost in thought watching the two, someone stepped forward in my place.

“There’s no need for the Knight to participate in such a duel. I will handle this fellow.”

Hoffman drew his sword and stepped forward.

“Hah, an old man wants to substitute?”

The youth sneered at Hoffman who stepped forward, and others looked at him with puzzled expressions.

Even Zahina seemed unable to understand why Hoffman stepped forward.

It was natural for Zahina to be puzzled.

Actually, although he could sense mana, Hoffman wasn’t awakened.

Unlike natural awakeners who naturally become aware of mana on their own, in that world, there were methods and techniques to artificially make one sense mana.

I became a Knight thanks to techniques passed down through generations, and Hoffman sensed mana because of that too.

Thanks to such techniques, many Knights and Mages were created, but unfortunately, not everyone who used the technique became a Knight or Mage.

Some awakened to mana and became Knights or Mages, but most never sensed mana.

Such people lived as ordinary soldiers, mercenaries, or civilians.

And there were those who succeeded in recognizing mana but stopped there.

Stronger than ordinary people but not reaching the level of Knights or Mages – half-successful.

While disappointing for the individual, they were very useful.

They were perfect candidates for mountain troops, special forces, or noble guards.

Hoffman was such a case.

Naturally, he was bound to be weaker than the young man who was a natural ability user. Their levels of mana utilization were different, and so were their physical capabilities. Moreover, there appeared to be a considerable age gap between the young man and Hoffman.

It was Hoffman’s misfortune to look older than he was.

‘However, if their experience levels were equal…’

I allowed Hoffman to step forward. While everyone was puzzled that I didn’t step up myself, I couldn’t always be the one to handle these situations.

As Hoffman stepped forward with his short sword, the young man’s face contorted as he grabbed a spear leaning against the wall.

“Damn it, this is really annoying. It’s been a while since I’ve been disrespected like this.”

His sharp features transformed completely as his expression changed.

“With that changed expression, he looks like someone with a bad temper,” Zahina remarked, and I had to nod in agreement. The young man’s transformed face indeed suggested an unpleasant personality.

“I won’t go easy on you just because you’re old!”

Hoffman frowned at the young man’s words.

“I’ve never been called old before…”

In truth, back in that other world, Hoffman would have been considered normal-looking. Most people there looked aged, after all. Sorry, but I couldn’t take Hoffman’s side on this one.

Actually, Hoffman was probably around the same age as the Apostle watching from behind, though they appeared to be twenty years apart.

Regardless, the young man’s words successfully provoked Hoffman.

As people stepped back in the empty indoor space, creating sufficient room for combat, Hoffman unusually took the initiative.

He lowered his body and rushed forward. Though he reached the young man in just a few steps, the latter sneered at Hoffman’s approach.

“Haha! You’re slow because you’re old!”

The spear swung quickly through the space where Hoffman was charging.

*Whoosh!*

It moved at a speed difficult for ordinary people to perceive, let alone dodge. However, Hoffman evaded the swinging spear by pressing his body close to the ground as it passed over his back.

“Huh!”

Hoffman swung his sword at the surprised young man.

“You think I’ll fall to such a slow sword!”

Hoffman’s sword cut through empty air. Though the sword thrust through the spear’s backswing, the young man, true to his awakened nature, managed to dodge it while countering the momentum.

The same scene repeated afterward. Hoffman dodged the spear swings as if he knew them in advance, while the young man avoided the sword strikes with superior movements before they could touch him.

Watching them, I could only shake my head. It reminded me of scenes where knights would tease their apprentices—a method to humble overconfident apprentices who had just awakened to mana. It was a kind of mental training where they would pit experienced soldiers who understood mana against apprentice knights to make them eat humble pie.

I never expected to see such a sight here. Usually, despite struggling greatly, the apprentice knights would win most of the time, but in this case, it seemed the soldier would emerge victorious.

“Damn it, so persistent… Just one hit and it’s over!”

The young man shouted while swinging his spear, but unfortunately, he failed to grasp his situation.

“You’re dodging by luck, but just one hit, just one… Huh?”

The young man’s eyes widened as he felt his back touch the wall. Somehow, he had been driven into a corner.

“That’s what happens when you swing with just force without properly learning how to use a spear.”

“Damn it, damn it, damn it.”

The young man’s face turned red at Hoffman’s words. He seemed furious to the point his head might explode.

However, he couldn’t swing his spear again. He knew well that he hadn’t even grazed Hoffman’s clothes before being pushed to the wall.

At that moment, another awakened one who had been watching spoke up.

“Let’s end the duel here. I think we’ve seen enough.”

Even without his words, there was no reason to continue the fight.

At the awakened one’s words, Hoffman looked at me and sheathed his sword.

As Hoffman turned to walk back toward us, a shout came from behind him.

“Damn it! Die!”

The red-faced young man’s shout rang out.

Along with his cry, the spear shot toward Hoffman.

Hoffman turned like lightning, and blood sprayed from his body.

*Bang!*

Simultaneously, an explosion rang out.

“Argh!”

Following that, came the scream of the young man who was now embedded in the wall.

I stood where the young man had been moments before.

After looking at the young man, half-buried in the wall and coughing blood, I turned to check on Hoffman.

Hoffman was clutching his bleeding side.

I sighed looking at him.

“Why didn’t you dodge properly?”

“Haha, you noticed?”

Despite my signals to be careful, Hoffman hadn’t properly dodged.

Seeing the injured Hoffman, the Apostle rushed over.

“Oh no, you’re hurt. Let me heal you.”

As the Apostle approached with glowing hands, Hoffman frowned, and I clicked my tongue.

I pointed at the young man embedded in the wall.

“He needs treatment more urgently. I used too much force when I had to block him quickly.”

The Apostle made a troubled expression at my words.

“But our guest is injured…”

“He won’t want it.”

I pointed at Hoffman.

“Hehehe.”

Hoffman was taking out a potion with a bright face.

As expected, he got hurt on purpose just to use a potion.

I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed that someone so addicted to potions didn’t self-harm, or to scold him for deliberately getting injured.

I could only shake my head.

Hoffman opened the potion bottle, poured half on his wound, and drank the other half.

The wound began to foam, and Hoffman trembled in “pain.”

The Apostle watched Hoffman’s healing wound with a hardened expression.

He seemed to have forgotten about the young man I had embedded in the wall.

“What’s in that bottle?”

He asked me, pointing at the bottle.

Though it was a potion…

“It’s holy water from our world.”

I lied to him.

“Sacred water created by our priests through prayers to God.”

The Apostle’s expression froze coldly at my words.

‘So that was it.’

I had wondered why he had the young man attack Hoffman, but now I understood.

‘He planned to injure Hoffman so he could heal him.’

He clearly intended to demonstrate his healing abilities, or rather his miracle, under the pretense of an apology.

By doing so, he meant to prove to us that he was truly God’s Apostle.

After all, the miracle of healing was the greatest miracle in any religion.

This Apostle seemed to be a much more genuine believer than I had thought.

I had already believed his faith wasn’t fake just by seeing the safe zone he created, but he was a proper zealot who wanted to spread his faith to everyone and make them share the same beliefs.

After watching the zealot glaring at the potion bottle, I turned my gaze to the couple who were just observing.

Seo-eun and the awakened one who appeared to be her lover.

They surely understood what had transpired.

Now it was time to determine whether they had merely been bystanders or if they had played a part in this.