The three people’s attention focused entirely on Jun.
Jun ignored their looks and drew on his magical power.
So this is how it feels.
The recipe for the Tears That Kill Death was obtained from the Hidden Dungeon Witch’s Forest, and it embodied the power to “kill eternity”.
In other words, there was nothing more effective at erasing demonic energy.
So it’s especially effective against creatures like the undead that rely on demonic energy.
Although he hadn’t prepared it with this situation in mind, the Tears That Kill Death was a recipe worth acquiring regardless.
After all, immortal entities like the undead were surprisingly common within Blackout.
“Hmm.”
Using the magical power he had gathered like a brush, Jun began crafting a magic pattern as if painting a picture.
Once the spell was complete, he activated it.
[Psychic: Marionette Line]
It was the same spell he had used back when he and Aiden had struggled against a golem in the Black Forest.
Threads of black light unfurled from Jun’s hands. They floated slowly through the air before connecting with the forehead of one of the fallen crusaders.
He focused his mind. The threads penetrated the target’s head and weaved downward.
So far, there were no signs of rejection.
This was the effect of [Sleep] which subdued the target’s resistance. Even the faint traces of divine energy lingering in the body seemed to gently guide the black threads along.
Following that guidance, the threads traveled down the brain and toward the spinal cord.
There Jun encountered a dark purple energy.
How ferocious.
The moment it came into view, it lashed out with savage hostility.
It resembled a beast that had lost all reason.
An entity with no sense of fear.
The demonic energy thrashed wildly, trying to break through and invade the brain protected by the divine power.
However, the moment it collided with the black threads infused with the Tears That Kill Death, it seemed to emit a scream.
According to Eleanor, it was like oil and water trying to mix.
Similar, but not quite the same.
That thing was merely cloaked in divine power, like a beast disguised in the skin of a lamb.
Disappear.
The black threads howled viciously and started chasing after the retreating demonic energy.
Gradually, they descended along the spine, driving it toward the heart. Soon, the black threads caught the dark purple energy.
Ssssss—
Like flames extinguished by water, the energy fizzled out powerlessly.
Watching this unfold, Jun opened his eyes.
“Ugh…”
The crusader let out a faint groan and his body twisted slightly.
From his nose, mouth, and even his pores, dark purple smoke began to seep out before dissipating into the air.
“My goodness.”
Eleanor let out a soft exclamation of amazement.
Maya also showed a spark of interest which was rare of her.
Aiden simply smiled at Jun as if he had expected nothing less.
“Let’s take care of the other two now.”
It took no more than ten minutes to completely purge the demonic energy from the remaining two crusaders.
***
“What was that just now?”
Eleanor examined the still-sleeping crusaders with her divine power and asked that question.
The demonic energy that had built up in their bodies had completely disappeared without a trace.
“It’s an item called ‘Tears That Kill Death’. It’s a masterpiece created by a certain witch to kill immortals.”
Of course, compared to the original version crafted back then in the witch’s cauldron, this one was of much lower quality.
After all, the cauldron infused with the witch’s magical power had played a significant role in its creation.
“It’s like poison to the undead. But the number of them is limited. It takes a long time to make, and the materials are quite demanding.”
Given that it was made using various deadly poisons, there were numerous restrictions when it came to trading it.
It was only thanks to Chloe’s help that Jun had managed to produce even this much.
“So then…?”
“We’ll have to do our best to increase our forces on this side, just like now.”
There were nine Tears left. Their effect lasted for one hour each.
In other words, they had a maximum of nine hours.
“We can’t save everyone. But instead, we can create a way to save everyone.”
The paladins consumed by demonic energy.
They needed to be rescued first and then driven straight to the location of the Holy Grail in one decisive move.
“We don’t have much time left. We’ll need to move quickly. Eleanor, what’s the status of the forces the Church sent?”
“…Two hundred crusaders, ten paladins, thirty regular priests. Aside from me, there are four high priests, one senior paladin, and one bishop.”
“As expected, we can’t afford to focus on each crusader individually. Let’s prioritize the paladins for now.”
However, that plan was destined to fall apart from the beginning.
After spending half a day scouting, Maya returned with her report: the paladins were all stationed inside the base camp.
But not all of them were found within the camp itself.
“I spotted a large paladin. He was carrying an enormous hammer and shield.”
When she heard that, Eleanor shouted.
“Bern!”
“Bern?”
“It’s the man you saw last time. He’s a senior paladin. He used to be a knight commander.”
“He’s quite the big shot.”
Their next target was decided immediately.
***
“Are you ready?”
At Eleanor’s question, the three crusaders standing before her responded in a tense and disciplined manner.
These were the crusaders who had awoken from their sleep while Maya had been out scouting.
“Yes! We’ve prepared everything perfectly!”
“We will complete the mission without fail!”
“We will definitely repay this grace!”
Following Eleanor’s suggestion, they were sent as a backup measure.
They were tasked with leaving the enemy territory to act as messengers and inform the Church about the current situation.
Even if Jun’s plan were to fail, they would help lighten the burden.
After sending off the three crusaders, Jun and the others followed Maya as they wandered through the Silent City.
Occasionally, they encountered undead, but their numbers were not significant.
For some reason, the undead didn’t roam near the base camp.
Perhaps it was because, despite their corrupted state, they could still sense even a faint trace of divine energy.
Thanks to that, the journey was relatively easy.
“There he is.”
“Old man…”
Eleanor let out a soft sigh beside him.
He was clad in thick armor and held a battle hammer in one hand. On the other hand, he wielded a shield so huge it made one question whether a human could even use it.
At that size, he was a human weapon in and of himself.
“Even seeing him again, he looked incredibly powerful.”
Jun suddenly recalled a warrior character he had played during his past life as “Lee Jeong-Jun”.
That character had been equipped similarly to Bern.
“Bern is a Level 7 warrior.”
“Level 7, huh.”
It was a level that felt impossibly far away at the moment.
Jun was just barely clinging to Level 5.
Aiden was at the tail end of Level 3, while Maya was nearing the end of Level 4.
If we’re not careful, we could get annihilated.
Fortunately, the opponent couldn’t use his greatest weapon: divine power.
In other words, he would have to rely solely on his physical abilities to fight.
Even so, you can’t underestimate the physical strength of a Level 7 warrior.
While his power output might be closer to the early-to-mid stages of Level 6, even that was overwhelming.
Aiden and Maya wouldn’t last even a moment against him, and even a golem infused with a significant amount of magical power could likely withstand just one of his attacks.
But if I enhance them with support magic…
Aiden could reach early Level 4, and Maya could push into the early stages of Level 5.
If we combine that with Eleanor’s divine magic, it wouldn’t be entirely reckless.
With the enemy lacking divine power, they had to approach the fight as strategically as possible.
The plan was for Aiden and Maya to wear him down and create an opening for Jun to restrain him with binding magic.
Once restrained, he would then layer multiple [Sleep] spells to completely incapacitate him.
Thud―
At that moment, the opponent spotted them.
Even his steps sent faint vibrations through the ground.
Is he an ogre or something?
As expected, his eyes glowed with a dark purple energy.
“I’ll save you, old man…!”
Eleanor summoned her divine power.
[Hymnal of Light]
A celestial hymn resonated through the air.
The blessing of a high priest was bestowed upon Aiden and Maya.
Their overall physical capabilities surged dramatically, and they became much less prone to fatigue.
[Life Shield of Light]
A shield of light that was capable of blocking a single unexpected strike enveloped their bodies.
While it couldn’t withstand a full-force attack from a level 7 enemy, it should be enough to block one hit from Bern, who was unable to use divine power.
“Hoo.”
Jun followed Eleanor and used his magic.
[Enchantment: Elemental Armory]
[Elemental Attribute: Fire]
He lent support to Maya, whose equipment and attack power were relatively lacking due to the low purity of her magical power.
Whoooosh! Flames flared up on her twin swords.
Thanks to this enhancement, Maya could conserve her magical power and move more swiftly and silently.
Thud, thud!
Bern who had spotted them began walking toward them slowly with his huge hammer.
Maya darted toward him.
She blended seamlessly into her surroundings, then disappeared for a moment, only to reappear at Bern’s side.
“……!”
However, Maya didn’t recklessly charge forward; instead, she immediately retreated.
Boom!
The huge hammer slammed into the spot where she had just been standing.
“That was close…!”
If not for her extraordinary senses,
If not for her ancestors’ spirits warning her,
That strike would have turned her into a bloody mess.
While Maya bought them a brief moment, Jun’s magic flowed into Aiden.
[Enhancement: Elemental Body]
[Elemental Attribute: Wind]
Like in their last battle against the Eroders, Aiden’s body became imbued with the wind attribute.
Though it didn’t contain an image this time, Jun’s mastery of fifth-circle magic made the spell far more refined.
“…Ah!”
Moreover, after his fight with the bandaged woman Illora, Aiden had reached his own enlightenment.
However, his body had yet to fully absorb that enlightenment.
My body feels as light as a feather.
Jun’s magic, combined with Eleanor’s divine magic, perfectly filled that gap.
Back then, it felt like I was entrusting myself to the wind itself…
Now, it felt like he could become the wind itself.
Though his immediate destructive power might have lessened compared to before, his movements had become far more versatile.
If it’s now…
He lowered his stance.
He carefully watched Maya’s evasive movements and paid even closer attention to Bern’s actions as he chased after her.
Even with such heavy armor…
Bern was keeping up with Maya.
No, he’s not just keeping up. He’s predicting her.
His movements followed a path that allowed him to pursue her with minimal effort.
Then, what I can do now is…
Support Maya.
And attack.
Aiden’s offensive power could surpass Maya’s for a single moment.
Following her movements, Aiden pushed off the ground with force.
Maya dodged Bern’s hammer and regained her stance.
Aiden read Maya’s movements.
She’s going to aim for his flank again.
The training they had gone through together was paying off.
Just as Bern was reading Maya’s movements,
Aiden was doing the same.
Not to counter her attacks, but to exploit the openings created by her movements.
Like Bern, he moved with the most efficient actions possible to close the distance.
Bern’s upper body was already turning toward the flank Maya was aiming for.
Aiden targeted Bern’s exposed back.
The timing was flawless.
I need to immobilize him!
A burst of crimson energy erupted from Aiden.
At the same time, the crimson gemstone necklace around his neck began to glow.
It was an artifact that infused magic with fire attribute.
[Salamander’s Blessing]
It was an artifact Jun had acquired from the Volcatornic Magic Tower.
Aiden’s sword which was now blazing with flames as red as blood swept toward Bern’s heavily armored leg.
Flames trailed behind the blade’s arc.
It was a strike as fast as it was precise.
“This is it…!”
It was the cleanest sword strike he had ever executed.
Even for a Level 7 Paladin, the speed and trajectory were beyond reaction.
But then—
…Huh?
A shadow loomed over Aiden’s head.
Bern’s battle hammer was already right in front of his nose.
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