“I will never... forgive you...” I muttered.
“...”
“I won’t forgive you,” I said.
“...”
Ahn Ki-Mo cast a horrified look at me, and I had no choice but to suppress the fury inside me.
Everyone else nodded as if fury was the right emotion to show.
As the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival, I had to show that this wasn’t a scene I could condone. Talk of parallel worlds and intervention from foreign beings meant nothing to these fools, but they seemed to get the gist of what was happening.
They probably understood that I didn’t want to get involved and couldn’t step in easily because of my position. However, the faces of those gathered here looked as if they couldn’t stand by and watch those murderers remain free.
Had it not been for me, they would have already rushed in. Of course, they would only be shredded like meat by Jung Jin-Ho’s family.
“Hyung...” Rafael mumbled.
I bit my lips so hard that blood trickled down my chin.
“Are you okay?” Rafael asked.
My tightly clenched fist began to tremble.
Seeing that, Rafael muttered, “Hyung... you don’t have to hold it in.”
“...”
“I honestly don’t understand the current situation... and I don’t know how this will all turn out either... but I believe you should follow what your heart tells you, hyung,” Rafael added.
‘Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?’
“Mr. Rafael...” Gook Minji said.
“This is probably dangerous, right?” Lee Chul-Woo chimed in.
“It’s not that it’s dangerous. It’s unnecessary... and... maybe it’s something we shouldn’t be doing... We don’t belong here,” Kim Tae-Geon also mumbled.
“We will... simply follow your order, Saint of Sacrifice and Revival,” Lee Chul-Woo said.
“...Everyone,” I said.
“...”
“...”
“Strictly speaking...” I trailed off.
“...”
“There’s no real reason to fight. In fact, we shouldn’t fight. For the sake of the world’s balance, any interference must be kept to a minimum. That’s what’s right. I-I’ve been trying to refrain from exerting any influence on this world,” I continued.
“Mr. Lee Ki-Young...”
“But...” I paused again.
“...”
“But now, I can’t hold back anymore. I didn’t want to put you all in danger... This might not be something we can or should handle... and maybe there’s nothing to gain from this fight... but I can’t forgive them.
"This might just be my personal feelings... but I believe we have to stop them,” I explained.
The mood fell in an instant. I bowed, asking the party members for their understanding.
“Please... please lend me your strength,” I begged.
As expected, there was a wave of overwhelming support.
“Of course.”
“Just leave it to us.”
“Hyung...”
“It’s a fight... but one we absolutely have to fight.”
It was like everyone was expecting it. It was the perfect moment to shed tears of gratitude, but...
‘We need to take care of this first.’
The party briefly paused and then took their positions. They cast a spell that lowered the perception of other people toward them before wrapping bandages around their faces.
The disguise was a bit awkward, but it was better than nothing. The situation was chaotic anyway, and the enemy was clear. Perhaps to break the tension, Ahn Ki-Mo cautiously said, “Hahaha, moving in secret like this is pretty fun.”
‘What’s fun about this?’
“It feels like we’re some kind of secret group,” Ahn Ki-Mo added.
“...”
“The ones who protect the moon. The Moon Protectors,” Ahn Ki-Mo said.
‘Are we the Moon Breakers or something?’
I quietly called out to him, criticizing him, “Can't you see how tough the situation is?”
“Ah... well... I’m sorry,” Ahn Ki-Mo said.
“And what’s with the Moon Protectors all of a sudden? Did you meet the twins or something?” I questioned.
“Ah! Do you know as well, sir? Well... I’m sure you do since Miss Ji-Hye introduced them to you. Actually, since Mr. Deok-Gu and Miss Ye-Ri have been a bit busy lately... I’ve been hanging out with those girls pretty often,” Ahn Ki-Mo revealed.
“Girls?” I asked.
“Yes. Is something wrong?” he asked.
‘One of them is a guy, you idiot.’
It seemed like the twins had pulled some strange prank on him, but I didn’t think it was necessary to tell him the truth, as he had been pretty annoying lately.
Sure enough, as always, he revealed a sly grin as he said, “Ah, anyway, from now on, I’ll watch what I say, sir. B-but, really, what do we do? It might look like I’m holding back, but... those guys... aren’t they monsters?
"Ah! Of course, I’m not blaming you for turning them into monsters because they look like some kind of fallen heroes of light. If that was intentional... I admit, it's exactly my type. They were pretty cool. Not that I want to become like them myself...”
“...”
“It reminded me of when the Guild Master turned into a monster a long time ago. Honestly, I’ve made a name for myself as a holy knight across the continent, but facing those kinds of guys is a bit...
"Ah, not that I’m scared of anything... it’s just that I have to look out for your safety as well,” Ahn Ki-Mo rambled on.
“As long Miss Lian’s here to protect me, I’ll be fine,” I told him.
“Of course, having Miss Park Lian around is reassuring, but still...” Ahn Ki-Mo argued.
“I have Miss Ah-Young as well, and you’re at the front lines. What kind of nonsense are you talking about?” I said.
“I-I see. Hahahaha. W-well... I expected all of that,” Ahn Ki-Mo stuttered.
‘Why do you look so down?’
“Of course, I’ll make sure nothing seriously dangerous happens. It’s not a lie that I have to be a supporter, after all,” I said.
“Ahh! I see! But... is that possible? It’d be fine if the command center were here, but contacting them right now is difficult... and your thoughts won’t reach everyone here,” Ahn Ki-Mo said.
‘Why is that impossible?’
It could cause some heavy bleeding, but it was possible.
[Creating a Legendary-rank Forced Quest.]
[The Fate of Those Who Coveted the Power of the Gods (0/1)]
[A Legendary-rank quest has been delivered to all players within the specified area. No quest rewards were declared, so the players will not receive a reward.]
‘This should be enough, right?’
I didn’t write a lengthy explanation, but the overall description would surely get the point across. It was a simple story about how the Murder Brigade foolishly sought the power of a nameless god.
Their sudden evolution into that form, and how an unknown, wrathful entity was able to broadcast its voice to everything tied together in a way that made sense.
Even in this world, it was common to receive and complete quests here and there, so the adventurers would probably accept it without much thought.
Ahn Ki-Mo stared at me with wide, shocked eyes. Naturally, he wasn’t the only one surprised. Even as the battle raged on, I heard faint voices everywhere.
“It’s a quest!”
“What the... A quest out of nowhere?”
“Damn it... those brigade bastards...”
“Those lunatics... What the hell did they do? Is there a dungeon nearby? Or maybe a divine altar? Some kind of statue? Find out if there were any signs of abnormal activity and report back! Do we have any rangers left?!”
‘Now that’s a normal reaction.’
“Uh, Commander... what should we do?”
“What do you mean, what should we do? We came all this way. You think we’re just going to let those brigade bastards slip away?! Whatever it is, it’s a quest. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s not bad for us. Just think of it as one more variable.”
‘Some people are staying cautious.’
That was a reasonable reaction. After all, the activation of a quest meant that something was happening in the region. Quests were usually tied to dungeons or to the grand narrative of the continent, so naturally, some of them were starting to wonder if this quest could end up bringing trouble their way, too.
However, they had come all this way, so it wasn't like they could just back out now. The entity issuing the quest clearly seemed hostile to the brigade, not to them. More than that, they probably just didn’t want to let the brigade leave this place alive, especially now that those bastards had obtained some kind of unknown power...
‘They’re probably thinking there’s no way we can let them escape.’
That’s when I heard another loud voice.
“Sector Three has been completely breached! Damn it!”
“Shit... should we fall back?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We kill them. Every last one of those bastards.”
“Move! Move! You there, what are you doing?! Didn’t you hear me say move?!”
“We’re under direct command of the Red Mercenary Guild,” Ahn Ki-Mo said.
“Damn it...”
“...”
“Even now, those Red Mercenary scumbags want to play politics?”
“No, Miss Cha Hee-Ra asked us to support you...” Ahn Ki-Mo answered.
“What? Is that true?” the adventurer asked.
“Yes. The Mercenary Queen is fully aware of how serious this is,” Ahn Ki-Mo answered.
“Well, that’s good to hear. In that case... we’d appreciate the backup,” the adventurer said.
“...”
Time to begin the reconciliation even between factions.
Sounding as carefree as ever, Ahn Ki-Mo asked, “Did I make a mistake?”
“No, you did well," I replied. Then, I said, "Mr. Rafael, let’s get going."
“Okay.”
“Just to be clear, don’t bring out your wings, okay?” I said.
“Okay, hyung,” Rafael answered.
“I’ll provide detailed information directly during battle,” I told them.
‘They’re already having fun killing.’
“Then where will you go, hyung...” Rafael asked.
“Miss Ah-Young and Miss Lian will be on standby with me,” I answered.
Although he looked a little uneasy, there was no other choice. In the end, Raphael and the Friendship Guild members nodded. Ah Ki-Mo was unexpectedly tagging along with them, but he revealed a face full of silent discontent.
He clearly had that “I want to get a piece of the pie, too” look on his face, but still...
‘Do I really look like I’m here to freeload?’
I zoomed in with my Telescope without hesitation, and sure enough, those bastards were still in the middle of a massacre. Spells and arrows were raining down on them, but they didn’t seem to care about those attacks.
Some were protected by shields of light, and whenever they were struck directly, their wounds would heal almost instantly. Those monsters were casually using abilities that were unknown even to me.
‘How the hell was I supposed to know this was going to happen, damn it?’
Jung Jin-Ho’s condition was the same as before. He hadn’t stopped swinging his sword for even a second. He chopped the heads and cut open the stomachs of his enemies with his blade, laughing as blood splattered across his face.
His face was twisted in ecstasy, like he was lost in some kind of trance, and then, he started babbling words that didn’t make any sense. He looked like a lunatic.
I couldn't say for sure whether this was the result of becoming Lee Ki-Young’s templar, if he had always been like this, or if I somehow managed to open a new path for him.
However, it was clear that he was completely out of his mind.
"Hahahahaha... Hahahaha! O God! Are you watching me right now?! This is the power you’ve given me! Just as you gifted me with more death, I shall return the favor with joy and blood!"
‘That crazy delusional lunatic.’
"I’m finally getting what I deserve! Hahahaha! Hahaha! Cough! Cough! Ha... kgh... cough! Hahahaha!"
‘This bastard has turned into a complete psycho now.’
"Die! Diiie! Haha! Die! Diiie! Die! Die! Diiiiie!!! Heh... hehehehe... Cough!"
‘You crazy murderer! He’s giving me goosebumps.’
"You understand me! You actually... understand me! Someone really understands me! Ahh... ahhhhhh! Ahhh! Yes! Yes! It’s so... sooo... kek... heh... hehe... hahaha!"
“...”
“...”
“Wh-what the hell is that bastard saying?”
“...”
“Th-that bastard... has completely... lost it!”