Chapter 388 - Hero? Faith!

Within the dark, fetid cave, Han Wu reviewed the areas he had explored while transformed into a Dark Curse Bug and pieced them together into a three-dimensional mental map. He traced the paths in his mind, searching for the mine’s exit. Soon, he spotted a small group of gnomes mercilessly whipping a cluster of emaciated humans, apparently forcing them into a specific shaft.

While Han Wu was startled by the grisly scene, one of the gnomes peered into the shaft where he hid and somehow spotted him. It bellowed, cracked its whip, and lunged forward, presumably to punish him for straying from the group.

Han Wu would not allow it. Though weakened as a clone, his strength had grown thanks to careful stat allocation. He wielded the Overlord Sabre and carried the experience of countless battles, not to mention the Silver Bladefall Skill. Defeating a mere gnome would be effortless.

As the gnome entered his strike range, Han Wu swung the sabre and cleaved it in half. Dirty blood splattered across the cave floor, and the gnome let out a brief, piercing shriek before collapsing.

The surrounding gnomes were stunned. The humans they usually terrorized cowered like dogs; when had any of them shown such courage?

They had no idea what had emboldened this supposed human slave. Without hesitation, they drew their weapons and charged, determined to overwhelm him with sheer numbers.

Han Wu felt no fear facing a horde of enemies at once. He moved with fluid precision and wove through the gnomes. With a few swift slashes, he cut them down effortlessly. The human slaves cowered on the ground, trembling and pleading for mercy.

Han Wu felt pity for them. He cut the ropes binding their hands and urged them to flee.

Yet most remained frozen, conditioned by years of terror. One older slave even tried to reason with Han Wu and urged him to confess his actions to the mine’s owner in hopes of reducing his punishment.

Han Wu kicked the man aside. He had never imagined such deep-rooted submission. He ignored the others and advanced toward the unexplored section of the mine, intent on locating treasure chests that his seniors had left behind during the game's early phase. He knew this would allow him to grow stronger faster than anyone else.

As he explored, numerous gnomes attempted to block his path, but a single sweep of his sabre cut them down. Blood stained the ground wherever he walked.

Some slaves, still harboring a rebellious spirit and seeing Han Wu as their hero, picked up fallen weapons and followed him. Driven by rage, they sought gnomes to kill, and Han Wu did not stop them—he even spared one or two gnomes so the slaves could vent their fury.

After bludgeoning the first gnome to death, the slaves felt as though they had been granted a second chance at life. Their fear of the gnomes vanished and was replaced by unrestrained aggression at every sight of one.

The slaves’ efforts eased some of Han Wu’s burden, giving him more time and energy to search for the chests left by his seniors. He soon discovered two more wooden chests, claiming 1-Star God war greaves and a scroll containing the Fire Dragon Breath spell. He also gained four points, which he immediately allocated to Dexterity to enhance his speed.

Han Wu thought that everything seemed to be going smoothly until a slave screamed in pain. He turned and saw a towering gnome, easily three meters tall, swinging a massive wooden club and crushing the slaves in its path. Several were obliterated instantly, reduced to a gruesome paste. The remaining slaves lost their courage and fled in terror.

The gnome chuckled, emboldened, and swung its club again to kill ten more slaves.

Han Wu had just arrived to investigate when he suddenly found himself directly in the gnome’s path. He strode past the fleeing slaves and soon stood before the giant gnome.

Offended that a human dared approach on his own, the gnome swung its club down at him. Han Wu did not dodge. Instead, he met the strike head-on with his Overlord Sabre. The blade bit into the wooden club with ease, but he had to strain to pull it free.

He now understood the gnome’s strength and knew a prolonged fight would be dangerous. He needed to end it swiftly. With that resolve, he leapt high and brought the Overlord Sabre down in a vertical slash. As the blade descended, silver light flashed with razor-sharp brilliance.

The giant gnome sensed the attack and swung its wooden club to block it, but the weapon was no match for the Overlord Sabre’s edge. The club split in two, and the blade sank deep into the gnome’s throat.

Han Wu twisted the sabre and severed the gnome’s head cleanly. Its massive body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

The surrounding slaves stared at Han Wu in awe. Finally, one of them whispered, “Hero.”

The other slaves caught on, and their murmurs swelled into chants that filled the mine. Han Wu’s presence seemed to banish the despair that had long gripped their lives, replacing it with courage and hope.

Initially, Han Wu had intended to continue his exploration, but he suddenly felt the familiar tug of several threads of faith reaching toward him. The slaves regarded him as a deity. After all, in their darkest hour, they had grasped a single strand of light that embodied hope and poured all their belief and trust into him. It was only natural that Han Wu had become their guiding beacon.

He surveyed the slaves, who were waiting expectantly for his guidance. With his experience in spreading faith, he recognized this as the perfect moment to gather even more followers. Thus, he raised the Overlord Sabre and proclaimed, “I shall lead you forward!”

In the slaves’ eyes, his gallant figure was like a sun that radiated light. Many raised their weapons and cheered in unison, a clear sign of their loyalty.

The moment was right, and Han Wu resolved to deepen their faith further. He recalled the places he had explored and remembered where the gnomes had stored their food—enough to sustain the slaves for months.

Leading the way, he guided the crowd of slaves to the cache. He swiftly dealt with the two gnomes guarding it and then distributed the provisions.

The slaves, long starved and forced to labor without rest, had rarely received enough to survive. Now faced with a mountain of food, none could resist. They surged forward and devoured their fill with ravenous gratitude.

In that instant, their devotion to Han Wu transformed. They evolved from Believers to Worshippers.