#064

‘But what the hell is Ter planning to do to a guy who—though it’s a misunderstanding—has an allergy to divine power?’

Is he planning to test if there’s a specific type of Blessing that doesn’t trigger the allergy…?

What if something goes seriously wrong?

‘Is his mindset just “as long as he doesn’t die, it’s fine”?’

Ter cupped my cheeks with both hands.

For some reason, a chill ran down my spine.

Something… something was about to happen….

‘This is exactly how it felt when a dentist suddenly sighed while examining my teeth….’

That moment when you start reflecting on your entire life.

I suddenly began to regret the words I had just spoken.

‘Should I ask him to give me a break just this once?’

While I was thinking that.

Boom.

A thunderous noise suddenly echoed from the direction of the door.

‘What the fuck.’

Did something explode?

I looked at the door, then back at Ter, and saw that Ter had already drawn his sword and was standing in front of me.

It was a remarkable reflex, befitting a top-tier Unit.

Boom, boom!

Strong impacts continued, enough to make the door shake.

Someone was clearly and intentionally pounding on the door as if trying to smash it to pieces.

Crack!

Before long, the door shattered, and a knight wielding a massive axe walked into the room.

‘A fully armed axe knight is roaming around the middle of the Capital Church?’

My eyes widened.

‘It’s not even Christmas yet; has the Church of Order already collapsed?’

“…Hand over Fabio.”

‘A woman’s voice?’

I felt like I’d heard it somewhere before….

“Are you crazy? Why the hell did you break the door to get in?”

“Who are you?”

“Who am I? You’ve got to be kidding…. No, ha….”

Seeing that the axe knight didn’t seem to recognize him, Tertius ripped off his necklace and threw it aside.

“Can you recognize me now? Huh? You brat, Ada!”

“…The sixth?”

“Use Insight! You’re an apostle now! And why on earth did you break the door?”

“Sixth one, why are you here?”

“That’s what I want to ask!”

Adna?

Why did Adna come here fully armed?

‘…Is this a lovers’ quarrel?’

Adna, who seemed to have no feelings for Ter but was actually just unaware of them, heard that Ter entered a room with a stranger and rushed over blindly….

‘No, then it makes no sense that she didn’t recognize Ter at first.’

She called for me the moment she smashed the door.

That means she came looking for me….

‘…Did she suddenly remember something that pissed her off a few days ago and come to wreck me?’

The fact that the door was locked from the inside meant I was in the room.

She might have used something like the Chanter roll-call System to confirm my location and come to catch me.

Of course, it was hard to believe that someone who had become an apostle would cause such a ruckus just to vent her anger, but I couldn’t think of any other reason.

‘But I would have followed her even if she didn’t bring an axe….’

Hadn’t I already seen Adna smash the floor with her bare fists?

No one would consider a bear “unarmed” just because it isn’t holding a pistol.

“So, why did you smash the door to get in?”

“…It seemed Fabio was in a dangerous situation, so I came to rescue him.”

‘Wow….’

She’s truly shameless.

To use her expressionless face to spout such blatant bullshit so calmly?

‘But Tertius can read emotions.’

No matter how much he pines for Adna, he wouldn’t possibly agree with such nonsense….

“…On what basis did you judge that?”

…He does?

No, I get that he likes Adna, but still.

Isn’t it a bit much to fall for such low-effort bullshit?

I was deeply disappointed in Tartarus.

‘That’s why he’s served as a side dish to tasteless fish fillets.’

A guy whose head is filled with nothing but Adna….

And you call yourself an Apostle of Order?

‘Come to think of it, the reason that guy took charge of me in the first place was to reduce the number of times Adna met men by even one.’

So, it was only natural that this guy wouldn’t prioritize me if something happened, but….

‘I really didn’t expect it to be to this extent.’

He’s the kind of guy who, even if he heard I had died a violent death, would be thrilled if he were told to investigate the matter alone with Adna….

“That is….”

“…What?”

“…….”

“Wait, what does that….”

‘Is he having another internal dialogue?’

The feeling of exclusion is overwhelming.

I straightened my clothes and neatly folded Pasia, holding it in my arms.

‘I wonder if the smashed door will be fixed today.’

By this point, I stopped thinking.

If a killer with an axe suddenly broke into my house, I would scream and call the police.

But what if the person who came to the house was a policeman with an axe?

And what if there was already a policeman in my house?

And what if those two started a conversation I couldn’t hear?

Just as I was about to be scared, the question “Is this actually a scary situation?” would come first.

‘Ah, she’s holding the axe.’

Are they going to fight?

Two top-tier Units whose strength stats are at least four digits?

Fighting here?

‘Then won’t my room be completely demolished just by the shockwaves?’

They haven’t forgotten that there’s a durability-25 object here, have they?

For reference, back in ‘Die Heretic!’, based on Athanas (strength stat in the high 600s) before he became an apostle, a mob with 50 durability died instantly just by being grazed by a basic attack.

“Excuse me….”

When I made a small sound, both Adna and Ter immediately looked at me.

‘Maybe I should have just stayed still.’

But since I didn’t want an ending like “died by being caught in a shockwave,” I continued in a timid voice.

“Are you going to fight here…?”

If they did, I might die.

Was she planning to kill me, the one the Saintess said “could live”?

“…No. I have no intention of doing so. I frightened you unnecessarily.”

Adna lowered the axe.

Fortunately, it seemed her reason was still functioning.

“Fabio. Come here.”

I deliberately pressed closer behind Ter.

This guy isn’t exactly trustworthy either, but he was less scary than Adna.

At least he isn’t holding an axe.

“…Sixth one. Get away from Fabio this instant.”

‘Is she telling him not to hide behind someone else?’

What on earth is she planning to do to me?

I gripped Ter’s clothes tightly so he couldn’t leave.

‘You bastard, Ter! You said I could trust you! Save me!’

At that moment, a System window popped up and blocked my vision.

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ ‘Bloodlust’ cannot be felt.

]

…Bloodlust?

I blinked.

‘Does she want to kill me?’

Did I… did I do something that wrong?

“Do you refuse to move?”

“…Adna. Stop. Fabio doesn’t know what’s going on right now. He’ll be scared if you act like that.”

“Do you intend to stay close by using such an excuse? Not knowing is no longer an excuse.”

‘No, shouldn’t you say that after telling me what’s going on?’

I felt wronged.

Because I truly had no inkling of the current situation.

Telling me not to make excuses about not knowing. I really don’t know…!

“…Fabio. Adna is angry at me right now, not you, so you don’t have to be afraid. It’s true that Adna came because she was worried about you.”

“What?”

“As Adna said, move away from me and go to her. I’m saying this for your own sake.”

‘…Is this bastard lying just to gain Affinity with Adna?’

Male insects sometimes offer the prey they’ve caught to mate.

Because if they don’t, they might be eaten themselves.

Am I the prey right now?

“If it’s for my sake, couldn’t you come with me, Lord Ter?”

I said, grabbing Ter’s arm.

‘Yeah, I’m not dying alone.’

You like Adna.

Do you really intend to leave me alone with her?

Hurry up and jump in to keep her in check.

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ ‘Bloodlust’ cannot be felt.

]

‘Fuck…!’

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

How is that “not angry at me”?

It said bloodlust!

She wants to kill me right now!

“…Adna. Calm down first.”

“Do I look like I’m in a position to calm down?”

“I’m really not doing this on purpose!”

“If you don’t let go of that hand this instant….”

“I told you, I’m not the one holding on!”

Meanwhile, Ter was working hard to make sure Adna’s Affinity didn’t drop.

“…Fabio. If you don’t let go of him right now, you will regret it.”

‘Can’t you only regret things if you’re alive?’

At least if I stay behind Ter, I won’t die from a stray basic attack.

I’m scared that if it’s Adna, she’ll accidentally launch an attack and then apologize to my corpse.

“…Adna. Let’s just go like this. Once Fabio hears the explanation from the Saintess, he’ll understand.”

“…….”

Adna looked at me silently, then picked up the talisman-like object that Tartarus had thrown away.

She tapped the talisman against the doorframe where the door had been ripped off, performing a motion as if opening an invisible door.

“Follow me.”

‘What did she just do?’

“…She used Nephiton’s illusion to create a door. So that others cannot enter your room.”

Ter explained as he tied up my Pasia.

“Of course, it won’t be visible to your eyes, Fabio, but to others, it will look like the door is properly closed.”

‘Then what am I supposed to do when I come back in?’

Of course, since illusions don’t work on me, I could just walk through, but to others, I’d look like someone passing through a door.

“…Until the door is fixed, you’ll have to ask someone else for help when entering your room.”

Ter said as he closed the invisible door.

‘Is there an idiot who asks someone else to open a door that looks perfectly fine?’

A guy passing through a door would look less suspicious.

‘…More importantly, from the moment an apostle visited and smashed the room, wouldn’t I already be known as a suspicious person to the entire Capital Church?’

That anxiety washed over me, but I soon realized that no one was paying attention to us.

‘What is this?’

“She’s using Oblivion. She’s making them forget the sense of incongruity.”

Ter explained.

Hearing that, I carefully observed the people around us.

Clank, clank.

Adna, dressed in full armor, was making quite a distinct noise with every step, yet no one looked back at her.

Even when passing through groups of people talking to each other, no one lowered their voice.

I felt a bit eerie.

‘To be able to make people not recognize someone passing right before their eyes….’

I think I understand why it’s called a Miracle.

A power that makes the logically impossible possible.

‘Come to think of it, is this the first time I’ve witnessed a proper Miracle?’

Nasir had once cast an illusion to make an apple look like a stone, but since it still looked like an apple to me, it didn’t really feel real.

At most, it was just a case of the horse not eating it.

Adna smashing the training hall floor was also within the realm of possibility through physical strength, so it wasn’t that surprising.

But erasing people’s ‘sense of incongruity’….

‘…It feels like I’m having a lucid dream.’

It was a strange feeling.

Until now, I had a vague feeling that I might be in some strange medieval-concept city somewhere on Earth, but suddenly it felt like I’d been hit with a bucket of cold water.

Miracles, Blessings, magic, Curses, dreams….

I finally felt the reality that I had come to a world where such things operate as naturally as gravity.

‘Oblivion is a terrifyingly powerful Divine Power.’

That bastard Tartarus was planning to use this on me….

‘But I don’t think I’ve seen anything about a God of Oblivion in the game.’

If there was a Divine Power with such high utility and broken strength, there’s no way I wouldn’t have known.

Was it intentionally omitted?

So that players couldn’t obtain the information….

‘If it had appeared in the game, players would have researched Oblivion extensively.’

If you could manipulate perception in real-time like this, the possibilities were endless.

Just thinking about what could be done….

‘No, let’s not think about how to utilize it.’

There’s a guy right next to me with eyes that can see emotions.

If I start analyzing something the moment I see a Miracle, I’ll obviously look suspicious.

I decided to think about something else.

‘…Why did the Saintess summon me?’

I looked back to see if I had done anything suspicious over the last few days.

But I truly did nothing.

If someone were monitoring me, they’d want to quit out of boredom because my life was so monotonous.

If there was one thing that stood out in my quiet goblin life….

‘It must be that I met Athanas.’

The protagonist of the original game, ‘Die Heretic!’, Athanas.

The future goblin slayer… no, Heretic Butcher.

But if I were interrogated for this, I really had a lot to say.

‘In the first place, I was already sitting there reading a book, and that bastard insisted on sleeping right in front of me.’

How was I supposed to know that Athanas likes to slack off there?

Besides, it wasn’t me who suggested going to the Branch Office; it was Elamin.

He was the one who kept talking to me even when I tried to keep my distance….

Anyway.

‘…Is there perhaps an implicit rule that players should not approach original characters?’

Come to think of it, it was strange.

As for Athanas being friendless and lonely, let’s just say it’s because medieval people are weird.

But what about the players?

Why did the players leave Athanas alone?

Chapter 65