Chapter 31 - Before the Fruits of Choice (6)

I drew my longsword with my freed right arm. I wanted to cut the other chains as well, but the demons were too close.

I first pierced the neck of the Three-Eyed Hound that lunged to bite the back of my neck and quickly threw it to the side. A skeleton was hit by the flying Three-Eyed Hound and fell backward.

However, I missed the other Three-Eyed Hound. I clenched my teeth at the pain in my calf—of course, it was just acting. I had lowered the pain settings again, so it barely hurt—and stabbed the mutt that bit me right between its eyes.

SLASH!

CLACK!

Just then, I felt a foreign sensation on my back. A skeleton, clacking its teeth, had slashed me from behind. *THWACK! * Following that, an axe lodged itself into my shoulder. This stung quite a bit.

BEEEEEP.

A ringing sound that I only heard when under extreme stress completely filled my ears.

But was I going to just give up like this? Well. I was a gamer with grit.

CLANG!

I perfectly deflected a rusty sword approaching from the front while gathering the magic power needed for a skill. What was already hit couldn't be helped, so I ignored it; this was a ploy to at least avoid getting hit by the next attack.

Energy gathered in my legs, and I finally snapped the chains tangled around them.

"I'll kill you...!"

My neck and waist were still bound, but as long as I could turn around, it wasn't an urgent issue for now. The only reason I allowed that attack on my back just now was ultimately because I couldn't twist my body in that direction.

I checked my HP window, which had dropped below half, and twisted my waist. The sword that turned along with it swung much further than my waist, launching a horizontal sweeping slash.

CRUNCH!

The spines of the two skeletons behind me snapped cleanly, severing their upper and lower halves.

STAB!

In the midst of that, I was stabbed in the stomach by the smallest skeleton. I wondered if it was really okay for rusty swords to rummage around inside my skin like this, but then figured, what did it matter?

No matter how realistic they make a game, I have yet to see one that even implements infection.

CRUNCH!

Anyway, getting stabbed once was one thing, but I hated getting stabbed more than twice, so I shattered that skeleton's skull. I then fluidly continued the attack that smashed the small skeleton's head and deflected the final skeleton's attack.

"... Pray!"

But one of those damn Demon Contractors, the guy with black veins bulging on his face, cast a spell on me. A dark red energy seeped into the wounds I had already sustained, and a bizarre sensation began to arise.

It didn't hurt... but the feeling of my flesh being gnawed away by something was distinct. Especially my abdomen. Inside where I was stabbed by the shortsword, it felt like something was swarming around, eating away at my organs.

"Guh..."

Even though I didn't want to, a stream of blood flowed up my throat. It was a truly strange feeling.

To think this is a game that replicated not only fatigue and sleepiness but also tinnitus and the feeling of throwing up blood. It's honestly overly realistic to a fault.

It really would have been nice if they had just left out useless things like this.

"Please die, you monster...!"

On top of that... Was it because I kept moving while my fatigue was maxed out at 100? Or was it because my HP was just about to hit rock bottom?

Whatever the case, the edges of my vision blurred. I couldn't distinguish what was in front of me well. My head, which was already sluggish from fatigue, grew heavier in proportion to the amount of blood leaving my body.

"Demon Knight!!"

But when I thought about potentially having to do all of this again, even strength I didn't have would suddenly emerge.

Listening to the thunderous shout, I swung my sword. The final skeleton's head dropped cleanly off, and my knees were forcibly buckled.

「Indomitable Spirit activated!」

"Damn it!"

"O-Oh, this is for the best! Our sacrifices-!"

"Face judgment, you wicked traitors!!"

I quietly looked at the window announcing the activation of a skill I had invested in long ago. What skill was that again?

「Indomitable Spirit | A resilient warrior does not succumb even in fatal crises. Escapes a fatal crisis once.

Effect: Recovers 1 time with 5% HP when reaching death.

Cooldown: 1 Hour (00: 59: 56)」

Ah, looking at the window made me remember. It was the final tree of the passive skill line that increased defense and health. I had already maxed it out early on because of that death nullification effect.

Though I didn't know it would see the light of day here.

I glanced at my recovered HP bar before briefly lowering my eyelids. My vision went black with a *blink* for a moment.

"——!"

Before long, something rang loudly in my ears.

"—Knight!"

It was a familiar voice. One I had become completely accustomed to while traveling together...

"Demon Knight!"

Was it a hallucination?

"Snap out of it!"

U-Uh. Was it not a hallucination, but real?

"Demon Knight!"

The loud call finally awakened my consciousness. Only then did my head seem to clear up a bit.

A sense of relief, as if my face had been forcefully shoved into a puddle of water and then pulled out just as I was about to stop breathing, combined with the suffocating irritation of still lacking breath, roughly scratched at my throat.

"Demon Knight!"

The familiar voice rang through my muffled ears. I realized the owner of that voice a full three beats late.

"You."

"I am stopping the bleeding! Even if it is difficult, you must hold on."

I thought I closed my eyes for one second, but a matter of minutes must have passed in that time. Suddenly, the Inquisitor was right in front of my eyes.

"Keep a firm grip on your consciousness."

U-Uh. Yeah. I should... I should, but...

I lay flat on the floor, panting.

*Cough, cough*. Blood kept rising up from my mouth. Thanks to the pain settings, there was no pain, but it was separately interfering with my ability to speak. I spat out the blood along with a cough.

"Hang in there a little longer. You just need to hold on a little more."

The Archmage was here too, huh. It made sense since the two of them were practically a set.

Along with those stray thoughts, I subtly checked my HP bar. It was because clear numbers were more convenient for grasping the situation than the Archmage's words.

And I discovered that my HP was teetering right at the bottom. It seemed I had roughly managed to narrowly avoid death.

Then the moment the bleeding is stopped, the recovery amount will surpass it, so I shouldn't have to worry about my life.

"It's not, here."

"Pardon?"

Good, if I survived, that was enough. I decided to do what I rightfully needed to do.

「❖ What Hides Behind

∎ Thwart the demon worshipers' plans

∎ Bonus: Eliminate demons 221 / ?? 」

"Outside."

Since the quest even updated, this is undeniable.

"Not here, but, outside."

Ah, shit. Blood is pooling in my mouth, making it so hard to speak. My head is already sluggish, making it hard to even picture what I need to say.

But I felt like I'd end up having to restart again if I didn't say this.

Not even knowing if I was speaking properly, I just moved my tongue.

"Their goal is, to draw, us in."

"Pardon?"

"What do you mean..."

"The real thing is out, side."

*Ssss*. This won't do.

I wondered why this game couldn't just stand up an incapacitated person with a treatment taking a few seconds, but since it was in a similar vein to the complaints I always had, I set it aside.

I brought up the skill window with my flickering vision.

「Treatment | The basics of combat begin with managing injuries.

Effect: Allows the use of healing items.」

「Proper Treatment | Survival becomes much easier if you can handle deeper injuries. Your skill in tending to wounds improves slightly.

Effect: The effect of healing items increases by 10%.」

Treatment was a skill I had invested in a long time ago, and Proper Treatment was one I invested in immediately with the points I obtained by leveling up from the battle just now.

Since stopping the bleeding was urgent, this was the best way to heighten the effect of the bandaging.

"The real thing is outside...?"

"... Inquisitor, head out of the underground passage immediately!"

"Pardon?"

"There aren't enough corpses! The number of victims should be in the triple digits at minimum, yet there aren't that many bodies here!"

"...!"

But what was the point of leveling up the skill? My arms showed no intention of moving.

I clenched my teeth and reached into my inventory. I pulled out the few bandages I had left.

"I will treat the Demon Knight and follow, so you go first!"

"Yes!"

Phew, still, it's a relief that those two have smart heads. Considering the way those guys talk, it probably would have been too late anyway.

However, that was a part beyond my control, so I just attempted to apply the bandages.

"I will do it."

Hey, if you do it, there was no point in leveling up the skill.

SWIPE.

My bandage was taken away in vain. My body absolutely wouldn't move, so snatching it back was impossible. It was infuriating.

"I'll do it. *Cough*."

"Do not speak any further."

I couldn't speak even if I wanted to because of the blood rising up. Ah, shit, I'm going to end up suffocating from vomiting blood at this rate. Why did this game seriously implement things like this?

I blankly watched as herbs and ointments were thickly slathered—or rather, shoved—into my wounds, and my eyelids trembled slightly. To be completely honest, I just wanted to go to sleep.

'I'll probably die if I do.'

Right. So even though it's exhausting, I couldn't bring myself to fall asleep. If dying would log me out, I would gladly die a hundred times over, but... if the world worked out just as one wished, would it even be the world?

"O life, fill these wounds and mend this living thread."

Meanwhile, the Archmage chanted a spell once again. The light flowing from her hands grew even stronger. The wounded areas felt slightly ticklish.

"I won't ask why you went in alone without even discussing it."

At the same time, my HP began to slowly but surely fill up. I was truly in the safe zone now.

"Just know this. Had we arrived even a little later, had the dispel been even a little later, you would have certainly died."

Well, that was true. If the Inquisitor and Archmage had been even a little later, I would have died.

But was this because the difficulty was too high? I simply experienced a crisis because I didn't know the patterns or the existence of the traps. Objectively speaking, the difficulty itself wasn't at an impossible level.

To begin with, if I were told to do it again, I wouldn't even get hurt like this. I'd just have to avoid stepping on the magic circle and take those guys out from the edges.

And it's funny, but even if this were reality, I would have had no choice but to make the same choice.

No, if it were reality, I would have had to do it even more. Just because I played it safe didn't mean they were going to stop.

"... Or, was dying your goal?"

As if. I'm doing this because I genuinely want to live, too.

However, I couldn't confess that. Maintaining the concept was now an essential factor for my survival. A very, extremely unfortunate aspect, though.

GRIND.

Some time must have passed. When my HP filled up to just under half, I heard the sound of teeth grinding.

It was a sound that made a person feel real good.

"Did they come after smelling the blood...?"

My body felt as heavy as a mountain, but it wasn't right to just neglect a ranged damage dealer.

It's true that a melee damage dealer needs to be protected by a tank, but it's still better than the ranged damage dealer taking the hits.

"You shouldn't get up already!"

"... There's no need now."

I forced my heavy body up. My wounds pulled a little, but I somehow managed to stand by forcing strength into my legs.

It was a bit ridiculous. Even setting fatigue aside, shouldn't wounds heal up together as HP recovers?

Will they only get better at full HP? Or is there a setting where injuries require separate recovery time from HP?

WHEEZE, WHEEZE.

And this rough breathing. I doubted it for a second, but it really seemed to be mine.

I was startled by the sound of my own breathing for no reason. Since there was no pain, anyone would react this way if the breathing of a critically ill patient came out of their mouth.

Still, I couldn't dedicate all my attention just to fixing the sound of my breathing.

I lifted my sword.

The sword that had been incredibly light until now was now dreadfully heavy. That was the case even though I had left the two-hander on the ground and only picked up the longsword.

Wow, my HP is recovering, so it shouldn't be because of my HP. Is this seriously because of my fatigue? I shouldn't keep moving while my fatigue is at 100.

"You'll die at this rate!"

"I won't die."

It's true that I'm dizzy, but as long as my HP doesn't drop to 0, I won't die.

I left out that meta reasoning and took a step forward. Just then, a Three-Eyed Hound came running out from the darkness.

"Never."

Did I lose my balance and nearly collapse from taking just a single step?

"Demon Knight!"

THUD!

Before the Archmage's hand could grab my arm, I somehow regained my balance. I had forcefully pushed strength into my collapsing legs and managed to prevent myself from falling over.

SLASH!

Along with that, the sword I brought down from above cleanly bisected the charging demon hound.

"If you understand... then just follow me."

Haa. I would have rested a bit longer if that demon hound seriously hadn't shown up.

What did it matter if my physical condition was garbage? It wasn't in my concept to stay still once I confirmed things were moving.

Well, it wasn't like I was only moving strictly because of the concept. Even aside from the concept, there was a need to go up.

Of course, even though I sent the Inquisitor ahead, I felt incredibly uneasy.

I went through all this suffering to get here, so what if the city collapses without my knowledge, resulting in a GAME OVER and a forced retry?

I'd cry, I'd really cry. I wouldn't even be able to figure out the cause if I just stayed here, right? I'd be genuinely so frustrated and angry if that happened!

"If you fall behind, I will leave you...!"

So even if I rest, I must absolutely rest up top! That way, if I have to retry, I can grasp the situation and move immediately!

* * *

There is no power without a price in this world. The divine power lent by God was no exception.

"O God."

Did gossips call it a power one could obtain without any effort as long as they caught God's eye?

They weren't entirely wrong. As long as you caught God's eye, you could obtain it even by merely offering morning prayers, and you could even wield more power than someone who had proven a greater devotion.

It was a power that followed solely God's standards, reaching the pinnacle of unfairness.

"Make me Your tool."

But those who had actually wielded divine power even once knew.

"Make me Your weapon."

That there was no power in the world as fair as divine power, and that there was a reason God only distributed His power to a limited few.

And so.

They had no choice but to know.

"Establish Your will in this place."

As if it were the price for a human to use God's power, pain proportional to the amount used would gnaw at their flesh and burn their insides, so there was absolutely no way they couldn't know.

CRASH!

The Inquisitor swallowed the familiar pain behind her teeth and raised her mace. The demons, visibly fewer compared to when they first entered, shrieked at the intense light and fled.

If she had her way, she would have liked to hunt them all down and slaughter them, but now was not the time for that.

She ran along the trail of corpses they had piled up. Even though she was sprinting without any tracking process, the exit did not appear easily. It was that vast of a place.

"Huu."

However, no matter how vast it was, she was merely running. Someone had practically cleared this entire place out, so she couldn't possibly speak of hardship over something like this.

Someone else had fought until their entire body was a mess, so there was no way she could say she was tired.

CRASH!

The Inquisitor smashed the head of a demon that had the gall to block her path into the wall and kept her feet moving. The wicked ones' true aim. Outside. Fragmentary clues floated around in her head, urging her steps forward.

"Please, let me not be too late."

But even if she prayed like this, would it really turn out that way? She had already fallen hook, line, and sinker for their ploy and wasted time, so did she really have a chance to turn things around?

"Priest!"

Even if she did, could she uncover the wicked demon followers' true goal all by herself?

"Y-Your companions..."

The Inquisitor sharply drew in a breath as she looked at the people stationed outside the sewer.

That was impossible. There was almost nothing she could do on her own. Even with the Hero's Crest, and even if she could bear a massive amount of divine power, she was still nothing more than an ignorant and foolish servant of God.

Just like how she hadn't been able to help the Demon Knight in the slightest.

"They are still inside. They are just coming out a little later."

"Ah, is that so?"

"More importantly, is there anyone who can help me?"

Therefore, she decided not to be arrogant. Besides, didn't God say so as well? That she was inadequate on her own.

If she couldn't figure it out on her own, she just needed to borrow the minds of others.

"What do you need help with?"

"I have dealt with everyone who was lingering in the underground passage. But I need to figure out what their real goal up here is...?"

The Inquisitor turned her head mid-climb up the riverbank.

"What is that...?"

Very thick smoke was rising from one side of the city. A fog mixed with red and green, at that.