How the Cult Saves the World-Chapter 180

I followed Bayar deep into the forest. After walking for some time, once we had distanced ourselves from the Flower of Life, Bayar stopped walking.

Bayar stood before thorn bushes that strangely didn't harmonize with the Centaur Forest and began muttering something.

"───."

I couldn't understand Bayar's words at all. Just as it had been with Quir.

But it was abundantly clear that the language he muttered contained specific meaning. Because the space before him rippled and a portal formed. Bayar immediately entered inside. I followed after him.

"This place is..."

"Right. This is the Elf Forest."

The Elf Forest was as beautiful as the Centaur Forest, with a mysterious atmosphere. But the problem was the smell of blood wafting from everywhere. And...

'The Evil God's energy.'

I narrowed my brows at the energy felt from all directions. And part of that energy was being felt from nearby too.

"I understand what I need to do."

I told Bayar that and quickly moved my steps. When I passed Bayar as if I knew without hearing a proper explanation, he called me in a flustered manner.

"Church Leader!"

"It's this way."

I headed straight behind a large tree. As expected, three elves with parts of their bodies turned black like Bayar had been, were collapsed unconscious here.

"How did you..."

Bayar looked at me with surprised eyes upon discovering them. It meant how did I find them. I immediately used 'Area Healing' on the unconscious elves.

Flash—

Bright light poured from my hands. And the elves' bodies were gradually healed.

"I can sense the Evil God's energy."

Bayar looked at me with newly surprised eyes. Well, that could be.

"Nng..."

While briefly explaining to him, the treatment ended and the elves who had lost consciousness opened their eyes.

"Are you all okay?!"

"Bayar? What is this place..."

"Th-that's a human!"

Damn racial discrimination. Though someone worked hard to heal them, the elves were busy being surprised at seeing me, a human.

"This person isn't just any human."

Only after Bayar earnestly explained the current situation did the elves' gazes toward me soften a bit.

"Ah, I see. Thank you."

"Yes. It's nothing."

After receiving formal thanks from the elves, I moved my steps again.

The direction I was heading was toward where the 'Elf Clan Leader,' the root of all this, was located.

And while heading there, I could discover more injured elves. I immediately healed them.

But sometimes there were those for whom it was too late. Those whose entire bodies had already been eroded by the Evil God's energy and whose breath had ceased. I looked at them and said,

"...I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Church Leader, you have no reason to be sorry."

Bayar smiled with effort through sad eyes. Like that, we continued moving our steps.

Some elves followed us, while some moved seeking safe places. Of course, toward directions where the Evil God's energy wasn't felt.

When I had healed quite many elves.

"Gasp, Bayar! Please, save the children in that cave over there."

A female elf who had regained consciousness spoke hurriedly toward Bayar. The direction she mentioned was west—that is, where my target was.

"That place is..."

Bayar looked at me with troubled eyes. I immediately told him.

"For now, there's no more energy felt in this vicinity. The rest seems to be over there, at the place where your leader is."

In other words, I had healed everyone who could be healed immediately. Because those near the Elf Clan Leader couldn't be healed right now due to the leader.

"So from now on, I'll go alone."

"What? I'll go together too."

"Let me go alone. That would be better. Because your leader is ahead."

"But... there are children there!"

I stopped Bayar again from following me. Because these elves couldn't help me anyway.

"Right now, the only one from this place who can face your leader is me. If you follow unnecessarily... you all might get hurt again."

At those words, Bayar shut his mouth. I smiled faintly toward them.

"Don't worry. I'll save both the chieftain and the children."

And I turned around. I moved at an even faster speed than before.

Toward where the Evil God's energy was felt most strongly.

—Child, do your best.

'Yes, Lord Kyros.'

After moving briefly while hearing Kyros's encouragement, I could finally discover the Elf Clan Leader.

Near a stream reached by following where the Evil God's energy was thickest, he stood. The leader shedding black tears in streams with a Black Arc embedded in his forehead.

Behind such a leader was a cave that looked deep at a glance.

'The children must be in that place.'

Fortunately at least, the Elf Clan Leader seemed to have no interest in the cave. He was scratching his head vigorously with his hands to pull out the Black Arc embedded in his forehead.

Watching that, I took out my mace from inventory.

The real 'Black Arc,' when activated, strengthens the user's power for about 30 minutes. And it makes them strongest when first used, with about half effectiveness afterward.

'So right now I can face him at least.'

Though the Elf Clan Leader's own power would be strong, my target was only the 'Black Arc' anyway. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Tap—

I immediately rushed toward the Elf Clan Leader, Rasen. Only then did Rasen discover me. But it was already too late.

Whoosh—! Pow!

I immediately swung my mace. But Rasen's arm blocked it.

Sizzle—

Rasen's arm that had been turned black regained its original skin color.

'Damn.'

The problem was I didn't seem to deal any damage. I quickly retreated backward.

"Graaah!"

Rasen roared. Then he rushed toward me.

Thud, pow— thud!

Though I blocked Rasen's fierce punches with my mace, I had no choice but to be pushed back due to the difference in strength.

'What kind of strength...!'

He was really as strong as Diego Church's apostles. I injected some holy power into my mace and pushed Rasen away.

Fortunately, Rasen was pushed back obediently.

'It can't be helped.'

Just from the brief moment of confrontation, sweat flowed from my forehead. I wiped the sweat with one hand while injecting about half the holy power I had into the mace.

Whoooosh—

Pure white light wrapped around the mace. Then the mace's form gradually lengthened and began transforming sharply.

This was one of the results I had obtained from half a year's journey.

After obtaining the holy relic 'Kyros's Scabbard,' the mace's transformation became possible. Not simple change, but enhancement through holy power.

Like now, when I injected a considerable amount of holy power into the mace, the entire thing became a pure white holy sword.

—No matter how many times I see it, it's truly beautiful.

Kyros admired. The holy sword gripped in my hand was quite beautiful even to my eyes.

And it was as powerful as it was beautiful.

I immediately leaped. I operated the Holden family's breathing technique to read the Elf Leader's movements.

And I swung the pure white holy sword.

"Grrk—"

The leader, Rasen, dodged my sword. But there was a part he couldn't dodge.

Crack—

The holy sword precisely touched the 'Black Arc' protruding from his forehead.

The Black Arc that touched the holy sword began cracking. And before long, it shattered into pieces with a crackle.

Fsssss—

The shattered Black Arc's pieces turned into black smoke and disappeared.

Thud—

And the Elf Clan Leader who lost the Black Arc immediately collapsed.

It was then.

"Clan Leader!"

Bayar and the elves who had been secretly watching my battle with Rasen appeared.

Well, I knew they had followed. I considered chasing them away, but since Rasen's gaze was only focused on me anyway, I just left them.

"Fortunately, he's just unconscious."

"Really, what a relief."

While the elves checked Rasen's condition, I looked at the message that appeared before my eyes.

[Sub Quest 'Phinis's Request' Clear!]

[Sub quest reward will be paid.]

[You obtained 'Elf Clan's Trust.' From now on, the Elf Clan will trust you forever.]

To think I obtained trust from the Elf Clan, who had considerable racial discrimination. Not bad.

"Really thank you, Church Leader. You saved us. From now on, we will regard you as a friend."

"Right, Church Leader. Thank you!"

The elves who had approached before I knew it gave me thanks.

"It's nothing."

Meanwhile, Rasen who had lost consciousness opened his eyes. He shed tears immediately as if remembering everything he had done.

"Everyone, I'm sorry..."

Leaving Rasen shedding tears among the elves behind, I moved my steps. Because I didn't want to see the elves hugging each other and crying either.

"Are you all okay?"

Because I also had to save the children in the cave. Fortunately at least, the Elf Clan's children in the cave weren't greatly contaminated.

All could be healed with a single Area Healing.

"Come on, you can come out."

Perhaps thanks to the Elf Clan's trust received as quest reward, the Elf Clan's children didn't dislike me though it was their first time seeing me.

Like that, I came out of the cave with the children, and could soon see the Elf Clan all gathered together.

I received a round of thanks from the Elf Clan and even received a friendly hug from Clan Leader Rasen.

They resolved to rebuild the forest and become even stronger, using today's events as a lesson.

I watched that scene from a slight distance. And when the elves' gazes fell away from me.

I headed deep into the forest. After confirming there were no signs around, I opened my mouth.

"...Come out."

Then the guy who had been hiding in the air revealed himself.

"You knew?"

The clean-looking youth wearing priest robes looked at me with surprised eyes.

"It would be stranger not to notice that unpleasant energy."

"Hmm, the elves didn't know though."

"Because they and I are different."

"How long has it been? Is this the first time since we saw each other at the sea?"

"Then and now, what you're doing is the same, Rawin."

The one before me now was precisely Diego Church's Seventh Apostle, Rawin.

"Why did you do such a thing to the elves?"

"Ah. It just happened."

I thought this guy wouldn't do such things since he clearly distinguished between work and personal matters. I glared at him. Then Rawin's eyes curved beautifully.

"Don't hate me too much. It's been a while since we met."

"How can I not hate you when you've done such things?"

"Is that so?"

Then Rawin floated into the air.

"Still, soon I'll definitely pull you to our side. When that time comes, you won't hate me."

Rawin said that and soon hid his form. When he disappeared, the evil god's energy was no longer felt.

'...Really, Diego Church's apostles are unpleasant whenever I see them.'

After today's meeting, I hoped not to meet Diego Church's apostles for a while.

I didn't know then. That just a few days later.

"Who has come to visit?"

[It's Terdius!]

I would meet that guy again.