Supreme Summoner Overlord: Rise of the Endless Legion-Chapter 423: A Summoner in a Market Town (6)

More importantly, she didn't understand the dynamics of power. Kara's question was innocent, but it touched on dangerous territory.

"What makes you think the church needs help?"

"Everyone needs help against the monsters. Even the strongest fighters can't be everywhere at once." She leaned forward. "I'm not saying you should join them permanently. But a few days of helping with patrols or clearing monster nests would make a big difference."

Reidar understood Kara's perspective. She had seen the church's public face, and so did he. In her mind, the church never did something wrong, although they acted weirdly. The problem was that, contrary to him, she hadn't seen the rituals, the kidnappings, or the portals. To her, the church was a group of heroes fighting to protect humanity.

"I'm sure there are stronger people in the church," Reidar said. "They don't need me."

"Most likely yes," Kara said. "The church is made by thousands of people. But at the same time, I've never seen anyone at your level. The highest I've seen in the church is around 350. The leaders are probably stronger than you, though; otherwise, how could they control someone at level 350? However, this means that you are a rarity, and your help would be appreciated and put to good use."

He sighed.

"People at my level don't usually do things like this."

Reidar was the strongest human on Earth. The Progenitor might be close or even stronger, depending on how much mana he absorbed, and knowing the church, they surely managed to create some magic circles here and there. But there were still just a few people that might go toe-to-toe against him, and even less those that might be stronger.

However, what the church, or the rest of the world, lacked in terms of levels, they made up for it in terms of numbers. There were simply too many people for Reidar to stop them every time.

In Creamont, he had simply been in the right place at the right time.

Three months ago, the church's elite members had been in the 350s, with their leaders reaching the high 300s. Surely, with all the magic circles they could make, it was likely they got new people at those high levels after Reidar killed them.

<If they keep increasing their levels, they will go feral.>

According to the Ignis, slowing down mana absorption allowed bodies to adapt gradually, preventing the descent into feral mutation. It meant slower growth, but that was better than becoming a monster.

<They must have figured this out by now, and that's why there aren't too many strong people around.>

Kara nodded at Reidar's words. "That makes sense. The really powerful ones are probably too important to waste on patrol duty."

She paused.

"But you look like a good guy."

To her, Reidar was just another strong survivor, impressive but not unique. Maybe she didn't meet other strong people just because she didn't, but that wouldn't necessarily mean they weren't out there. It was a reasonable assumption in a world where information traveled slowly and powerful individuals often operated in isolation.

For all she knew, there could be dozens of fighters at his level scattered across the world, each dealing with their problems and threats. The irony was that if she knew the truth—that Reidar was the strongest human alive—she would understand why he couldn't simply join the church's patrols like some ordinary mercenary.

Plus, she had seen other summoners. While summoning hundreds of creatures was a lot, it was nothing extraordinary. Many people could do it in one way or the other. She didn't understand that Reidar's abilities were in a completely different category.

The Skill Sharing trait was the key. Most summoners were limited by their mana pools and the number of creatures their skills could produce.

Reidar's trait allowed him to share his summoning skills with his summons, creating a cascade effect that multiplied his forces to levels that no one else could do.

A hundred summons became a thousand. A thousand became ten thousand. Ten thousand became a hundred thousand.

Kara had no way of knowing this, which meant she assumed Reidar was like the others—stronger than most, for sure, but still within the same limits.

<I should keep it that way. The last thing I need would be for the church to learn about me.> He faked a sigh.

"I will think about hunting the monsters."

Kara's expression brightened. "Really?"

"The monsters are a threat to everyone. If I can make a difference, I should."

Of course, the monsters Reidar was referring to were the church members. But first, he needed his equipment, and he needed to find Jake and Lena.

"That's great," Kara said. "I can introduce you to some of the church members if you want. They're always looking for capable fighters."

"Maybe later. I have some things to take care of first."

Kara nodded. "Just let me know. I'll be around for a while."

Reidar stood up.

"I should go," he said.

"Of course." Kara smiled. "It was good seeing you again."

"Likewise."

Reidar walked out of the tavern, and after a while, reached the eastern gate. The guards were busy checking a merchant's wagon and didn't spare him a second glance.

Outside the walls, Reidar walked into the forest and made his way to his camp. The clearing was undisturbed, exactly as he had left it.

He sat down against the fallen tree and activated his Overmind Consciousness skill.

Through the mental link, he could feel his Vorathid Sky-Hunters scattered across the region. Some were patrolling the forest. Others were conducting reconnaissance, mapping the terrain and tracking monster movements.

<Time to see what these supplies really are.>

Reidar directed a group of Sky-Hunters toward the eastern warehouse Kara had mentioned. If the church was stockpiling supplies for an expedition, that warehouse would contain valuable information.

The conversation with Kara had been useful. She had confirmed what Reidar already suspected: the church was planning something. It was just that he doubted it was going to be something as simple and, most importantly, as altruistic as helping those in Kingsgate.