Chapter 334: The Northern Reclamation War (6)

When did he manage that?

Even through his confusion, Krom swung his scythe backward, but his fingertips couldn't touch anything.

He’s fast.

The moment Krom realized that, he stepped back—he judged that his opponent would strike at an opening. However, no attack came.

“You’re an impatient one,

huh?

”

It was a relaxed voice that didn’t match the battlefield where blood sprayed and screams and shouts echoed loudly.

“Why do you look so scared?” Kai tilted his head as he looked at Krom’s hardened expression.

“I’m scared? Don’t be ridicu—!” Krom, who spoke in an angry voice, suddenly shut his mouth.

Th-that can’t be.

He realized that his own voice was trembling like a leaf.

“It’s alright. That can happen,” Kai nodded as if he knew everything, slowly approaching Krom.

And in step with those strides, Krom desperately resisted the urge to step back.

W-what is this? I’m an Inquisitor of the Church of Muldine!

He was even one of the most promising talents of the Church of Muldine. Even within the church, there were few who could pressure him with mere presence.

He must be affected by Dragon Fear.

Kai looked at Krom, who was sweating droplets like rain, and assessed the situation. Of course, knowing that didn’t change anything.

The merciless Holy Sword emitted a fierce aura as it was swung and sliced through the air.

Krom swung his scythe at the sword filled with holy power that was coming at him, but he was too slow. His body felt heavy as lead, and the scythe extended forward sluggishly as if moving through water. The whole world seemed to slow down, but the opponent’s sword approached at normal speed.

Oh no...

Then Krom’s world turned black.

***

Krom’s mother and father were followers of the Church of Muldine, so were his grandparents, and his maternal grandparents too. Since the time of an ancestor whose roots were unknown, his family had believed in the Church of Muldine.

Thus, his religion was already decided from birth. When he turned five, his parents sent him away with sorrowful expressions. They sent him to a Church of Muldine training center. It was a place that accepted five-year-olds and made them go through intense training until they were eighteen.

The rules there were simple enough for even a five-year-old to understand.

You don’t have to be a genius, but the dull-witted won’t survive.

At the end of each month, they had to pass the Church of Muldine’s test to stay alive. If they failed, they died. Additionally, since it was an absolute evaluation and not relative, if everyone performed well, there would be no dropouts. Therefore, the children encouraged one another and worked hard. And on the long-awaited first exam day, out of 67,523 entrants, 841 children died.

That day, Krom was deeply shocked. Friends who had eaten with him and cheered each other on just hours ago were all dead. He buried his face in his pillow, cried, and vomited repeatedly, but that changed nothing.

There was no guarantee that he wouldn’t be the one to die in the second month, so he forcibly pushed away his fear and clenched his teeth to shake off his weakness. To survive, he swung his sword, and to survive, he memorized the holy scripture of the Church of Muldine.

Though it was said to be an absolute evaluation, living together with thousands of children naturally led to comparisons. Krom spent thirteen years in that hell, filled with sabotage and mind games, and the results were satisfactory.

He graduated ranking fifteenth out of 38,178 students. His outstanding talent was recognized, and at a young age, he secured the position of an Inquisitor.

However, up until then, Krom had no real faith in the Church of Muldine. Rather, he harbored hatred toward the order that had created such a hell-like training center.

“You’ve come.”

On graduation day, Krom stood before Giden, the head of the training center and a bishop of the Church of Muldine. He was there to be appointed as an Inquisitor.

But who’s the person next to him?

A man was completely covered in a thick robe, revealing not even a speck of flesh, let alone his face. What was even more surprising was that the mighty Bishop Giden walked on eggshells around the man and gave him a smile he had never shown before.

“

Haha

, this is the one I mentioned before... the one who’s a bit confusing.”

—His results?

His voice was chilling, like scraping metal.

“He ranked fifteenth overall. He uses a scythe as his main weapon, known for stylish attacks and natural strength.”

—He’ll be useful.

Then, the mysterious man asked Krom a question.

—Do you believe in Muldine?

Krom replied without a moment’s hesitation, just as he always had, “Of course.”

However, the man before him wasn’t the kind of fool he was used to dealing with.

—No, that’s not it. I see hatred instead.

The man slowly rose from his seat. He reached out toward Krom, and from beneath the robe, a bony hand suddenly protruded.

Startled, Krom drew his scythe to strike him down.

"How dare you!" Bishop Giden used divine power to restrain Krom’s body.

Unable to move even a finger, all Krom could do was open his eyes wide.

—Hatred toward the church... and suspicion toward Muldine, I see.

The skeleton slowly pulled back his hood and brought his index finger to Krom’s forehead. It didn’t end with a mere touch, as his finger pierced into Krom’s head.

“

Guhhhh

...”

Blood-red tears streamed from Krom’s eyes for a moment, then the light in his eyes vanished.

The skeleton asked once again,

—Do you believe in Muldine?

“Yes. I believe in Muldine,” Krom replied in a lifeless voice.

Then the skeleton, satisfied, withdrew his finger.

—It’s properly done now.

“

Oh,

you’ve baptized him. He will come to love his reborn self,” Bishop Giden, having witnessed the sacred baptism, praised the man with an emotional expression.

The skeleton, Cardinal Atroc, simply looked at Krom and let out a low laugh.

***

Kai easily sliced across Krom’s neck. Of course, the attack didn’t end there. Retrieving his sword, he struck the same spot again, then dragged it down vertically, dealing another wound.

“

Grrhk

...

Gahh!

”

Squirming in agony, Krom spat blood and closed his eyes.

“What is with this guy?”

He didn’t even seem willing to fight back, not so much as a flinch. He even closed his eyes in the middle of a duel.

Kai narrowed his gaze and gripped the Holy Sword tightly.

Something doesn’t feel right. Let’s finish this fast.

At that moment, Krom suddenly opened his eyes. They had turned pitch-black, with no whites remaining.

—

Grrk... kghh

...

Krom shook his head violently, looked around once, then turned to Kai.

At that moment, Kai felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

Is this guy the same person I’ve been fighting until now?

He couldn’t quite explain it, but it felt like an entirely different person stood before him. Still, Kai quickly refocused.

It’s fine. No matter what trick he pulled, he can’t overturn the duel’s outcome.

In fact, Krom’s body was already a wreck, with only 7% of his health remaining. Yet, what was this vague sense of unease?

As Kai watched in silence, Krom opened his mouth.

—I can see your fear.

With a low chuckle, Krom scanned Kai from head to toe and smiled broadly.

—The Holy Ring Petra, the Holy Pauldron Nike... even the Holy Sword Prius... You really are an Apostle.

“What...?”

Even as an Inquisitor of the Church of Muldine, how would he recognize sacred relics?

Since it was his first time experiencing this, Kai’s eyes filled with wary suspicion.

Facing that fierce and hostile gaze head-on, Krom smirked.

—Amusing. Truly amusing.

Bending down, Krom picked up his scythe from the ground.

—This child... it was said he used a scythe, was it?

As if understanding something, Krom nodded and beckoned Kai with his finger.

—Let’s see what you’ve got.

“You... Who are you?”

—

Hehe

... Who knows.

He clearly had no intention of answering Kai’s question.

Then I’ll just have to force it out of him.

Kai’s eyes turned cold as he lunged at Krom as fast as he could.

He has 7% health left. One stab to the heart, and it’s over.

Kai aimed the Holy Sword at Krom’s heart with the most optimal trajectory and highest speed. No, at the very moment he thought he had driven the sword in, Krom’s body dissolved into black smoke, and Kai felt something unfamiliar near his throat.

“

Kugh!

”

The source of the strange sensation was a massive scythe.

Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Kai was sent flying backward. Rolling across the ground several times, he reached for his neck and checked his HP. Since he was a player and not an NPC, no blood flowed out, but 23% of his health had vanished in an instant.

A look of bewilderment surfaced on Kai’s face.

Not only did he catch up to my speed... he even overpowered me?

It was clear. Whatever trick his opponent had pulled, the one standing before him was no longer the same opponent who had struggled against him moments ago.

—

Hmm...

Is this all? What a trashy body.

Considering Kai’s current defense, stats, and level, it was an absurdly successful attack, yet Krom appeared dissatisfied. However, Kai had a vague idea why he was expressing discontent.

Krom’s left arm dangled, twisted in an unnatural direction.

—A body that breaks from a single full-power strike. Just what I expected from defective goods.

Clicking his tongue, Krom approached Kai while gripping the scythe in his right hand.

—I do hope this little amusement lasts just a bit longer.

“... Are you, by any chance, Muldine?”

Krom suddenly stopped in his tracks. After a moment, air escaped from his mouth.

—

Pfft

.

Bahahahaha!

Krom burst into loud laughter, his shoulders shaking. With every motion, his limp left arm flailed like it was dancing.

—

Ahaha, whew.

How ignorant and arrogant. If Muldine had personally descended into this body, a bug like you would’ve vanished instantly.

This time, an attack shot out without warning. However, Kai had already judged that his opponent’s skill level was above his own, and because he had been fully focused, he barely managed to block the attack.

Claang!

The Dark Scythe and the Holy Sword clashed as the two began a contest of strength. Ironically, the victor was Kai.

—What a pity. If only this body were in better shape... this pleasure would have lasted a little longer.

Krom’s skin began to crack, dropping fragments like crumbling stone.

“So, who are you?” Kai shoved him back with the Holy Sword and asked sharply.

As if having lost interest, Krom stepped back, dropped his scythe, and slowly said,

—Atroc.

“Atroc?” Kai repeated the name.

He had never heard the name before. Then again, he realized he didn’t actually know much about the Church of Muldine’s people at all.

The being who called himself Atroc looked curiously at his own disintegrating body, then lifted his head.

—Next time... make it a bit more... entertaining for me...

With those final words, Krom’s body crumbled completely.

Kai silently watched the black dust scatter in the wind.

“

Yeaaahh!

”

“The enemy’s supreme commander is dead!”

“Wipe out the remaining forces!”

Though the war ended in a great victory, Kai felt as if a heavy stone had been placed in a corner of his chest.