215 – It’s Because of You. -4-

A droplet of blood forms at the tip of my sword.

A red line was drawn on the iron fortress that no one, not even Yuri, could harm, and it began to drip with blood.

-Tudu…

I cut off Olaf’s arm and smiled as I looked at his face.

“I did it.”

I finally closed the gap that seemed impossible to bridge.

Was it because our compatibility was good?

Or was it because I had become stronger?

A year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to even make eye contact with my opponent, but the feeling of receiving their boundary was more vivid than I thought.

I thought to myself, “I’ve become strong enough to take on a role in this novel.”

I looked down at Olaf’s body, which had fallen to the ground, with a calm expression.

“Where did the god you believed in go?”

“…”

“Why don’t you pray to your god?”

“What have you done to my body?”

“You should ask your god that.”

His right arm, cut off at the shoulder, along with the white robe.

Droplets of blood falling.

Even Olaf, who had experienced countless battles, felt this wound differently than usual.

“Can’t regenerate…?”

His immortal body, blessed by the god, was refusing the blessing as if it had been abandoned by the god.

A fundamental sense of disconnection.

Olaf hung his head, muttering to himself as a chill ran down his spine.

“This can’t be.”

“…”

“There’s no one who can defy the god’s blessings except for heretics. Is my faith lacking?”

Olaf shook his head, muttering to himself, “Can’t regenerate.” I smiled, hearing his muttering.

“Why don’t you pray more?”

Olaf spoke in a calm tone.

“Don’t mock me, heretic.”

“…”

“God will judge you.”

“God…”

I laughed at his nonsense. What was the god he believed in doing, not showing him mercy?

I thought about his past, as depicted in the novel, and spoke with a hint of ridicule.

“Then, why doesn’t the god you believe in save you?”

“Don’t blaspheme against God. He always responds to my prayers and grants my wishes….”

“Then, why doesn’t he answer your daughter’s prayers?”

At the single word that left my mouth, Olaf’s body began to freeze.

Daughter.

It was a sensitive topic that shouldn’t be touched, but I had to use every weapon at my disposal to break his mental state.

He must have hurt someone too. There was no rule that said I couldn’t do the same. I burst out laughing.

“Hahaha… it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? Your prayers are answered, but not your daughter’s.”

As someone who had read the novel, I knew about Olaf’s past. I knew why he had become a heretic for such a selfish and trivial reason.

He was the king of the dark world.

And a father who had lost his daughter at a young age.

It was a taboo topic for Olaf, mentioning his daughter.

I clenched my fist and spoke to Olaf, who was glaring at me as if to kill me.

“What is your god doing, anyway…?”

“Shut up.”

“Are you not a person, so you won’t listen to my prayers?”

I sneered, gazing out the window at the monster screaming in agony, and said.

-Kieeek!

“Your god seems to discriminate against species.”

“I’ll tear you apart right now.”

“Go ahead and try.”

I grasped my sword, waiting for him to approach.

I waited for him to get close, bending my knees to prepare for a decisive blow before he could adapt to my existence.

The black aura emanating from Olaf’s axe was dancing with dark magic.

As if proving that the title of “saint” wasn’t just a matter of ability, he was approaching with a fierce aura.

I took slow, deep breaths, entrusting my body to the gentle breeze. Then, I closed my eyes and muttered softly.

“Dogg…”

No, I don’t think I’ll say the technique’s name. I laughed dryly and began to gather my strength from my danjeon.

I sheathed my sword.

A technique that poured all my strength into a single moment of friction.

‘Baldo.’

Olaf’s eyes trembled greatly as he saw the enormous horizontal slash approaching. He realized that the sword, which he had thought was just a trivial thing, could take his life.

-Teruk.

He took a step back, revealing his fear of the sword, but it was already too late. The sword had reached the end of his chin, cutting into his skin.

The cold sensation of the sword’s edge slicing through his skin was palpable, accompanied by the sound of “Seokgeok.”

Although it wasn’t as deep as the initial attack, it was clear that the sword had struck without being blocked.

“You!”

Olaf, who had been greatly injured, called out the name of his god, picking up the axe that had fallen to the ground.

“A response to my prayers!!!!”

“Your god is dead.”

“Shut up!”

I was certain as I received Olaf’s pathetic axe blows.

I could win.

Olaf’s ability was reflection.

He could reflect all damage directed at him.

Even Mihail’s attack.

Even Luein’s attack.

Everything was blocked and repelled by his iron-like defense. He wasn’t a weak opponent. He might be strong enough to fight on par with Rowen.

But there was one thing.

-Tirving cuts off all blessings on the target.

The contrast between us was extreme, greatly tipping the scales of victory.

In the novel, the only thing that could deal damage to Olaf was Yuria’s “divine power.” Tirving was fiercely exploiting Olaf’s weakness, severing the source of his power and strangling him.

No matter how powerful the magic was, if the foundation of his power was cut off, it was useless.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t block his reflection. My ability wasn’t divine power. All Tirving could do was create a limit to Olaf’s monstrous regenerative abilities.

I endured the extreme pain in my shoulders and arms, swinging my sword. I was confident in my regenerative abilities, at least.

– Limit Break is testing the limits of “Regenerative Power Lv. 4”.

– Limit Break is testing the limits of “Healing Hands”.

My sword began to approach Olraf’s chest once again. I held my breath, trying to pierce Olraf’s weak point, which was on the verge of collapse, with an overwhelming aura.

“God…”

Olraf thought to himself as he saw my approaching sword.

Is this guy a monster who doesn’t feel pain? He thought that I was a terrifying monster who could inflict wounds on myself and still swing my sword with unyielding determination.

I had to escape this situation, where I was at a disadvantage and couldn’t recover. The flow of the battle was currently unfavorable.

Olraf grasped the handle of the axe moving at his fingertips and thought.

It wouldn’t be bad to destroy everything here, he thought.

Olraf calmly organized his thoughts.

I acknowledge it.

That man exceeded my expectations. I was caught off guard by the snake-like words that knew everything, and I acknowledged my carelessness.

As a saint, I shouldn’t have shown such incompetence, and I even shed tears as I looked at the cold, lifeless bodies of the gods who had left first.

“Lord.”

Olraf bowed his head, silently accepting Ricardo’s attack. It was a shepherd’s duty to embrace the lost lamb’s tantrum.

“Lord…”

Olraf prayed to God, listening to Ricardo’s repentance.

And

He raised his hands to the sky, praying to God.

“Angels, please come to me.”

As soon as Olraf’s prayer ended, the monster that was receiving the storm outside began to move. It violently moved its twitching body and opened its massive jaws wide, heading towards the inn.

I gritted my teeth as I saw the black hand extending from the angel’s mouth.

“Damn it.”

– Kwagagagaga!!

The angel, who had come to save the desperate Olraf, stretched out its black hand, shaped like a baby’s hand.

“Daddy… Daddy…”

The angel, making a strange, mechanical sound, warmly embraced Olraf.

“Daddy… Daddy…”

I gritted my teeth.

This can’t be.

If the 2nd phase opens, it won’t be good.

Then, even the emotional manipulation won’t work.

I slowly swung my sword towards Olraf, who was hiding in the angel’s mouth, and said.

“Bastard.”

Olraf was laughing.

*

I swung my sword all night.

Not because I was going to win against him.

To survive.

He wielded his sword desperately.

And.

[Q. The name that can no longer be called.]

1. Rescue Yuri’s father, ‘James’. (1/1)

2. Survive with the mercy of ‘Olaf’, the apostle of salvation. (1/1)

[Quest complete.]

The day broke.

*

Until the day broke, the battle had ended, and Olivia was gazing down at the ruins of the inn with a dazed expression.

“Ricardo…?”

Ricardo, who was bleeding and lying on the ground, was struggling to breathe.

With a hand stained with blood, he forced a smile and said to Olivia, “You can’t stay here, miss.”

“…”

“Now that I’ve won… I think I can…”

-Kwaduk-kwaduk.

The figure of Olaf, who was clearing the rubble behind Olivia, began to appear. Olaf, who had transformed from an old man to a sturdy young man, revealed his refined physique and gazed down at Olivia.

“Do you believe in God, young lady?”

Olivia looked at Olaf with a dazed expression and asked, “Is it because of him?”

“Yes, miss.”

“Is that why Ricardo is hurt?”

A dark, cold, and deep darkness began to settle in Olivia’s eyes, targeting only one person and spreading.

Olivia gazed at Olaf with a cold voice and said, “Die.”

A massive shadow began to cover the morning sun in the sky.