Chapter

.Episode 36: Purging the Traitors (1).

That night.

After checking the time, I cast “Reptile Repellent” and left the dormitory, heading to the place where I was supposed to meet Lucia. She had arrived first and was waiting for me at the appointed spot.

Her expression was still blank, but her eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

“You crazy bastard…”

“Starting with an insult the moment you see me? That’s a bit much.”

I replied irritably, though I couldn’t deny my own guilt, so I didn’t protest too much.

Lucia had likely heard about the note through some channel as well.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out? What the hell were you thinking, lying like that?”

“Pfft. I didn’t think the kids would be that invested in romance gossip.”

I had assumed it would blow over quickly, but clearly, I underestimated how obsessed these damned teenagers are with *other people’s love lives*.

Before a day had passed, word about the note I gave Lucia had quietly spread among the students of Sancternim.

Even our classmates didn’t say anything outright… but their stares definitely hit hard.

“Still, thanks to that, people aren’t suspicious of us anymore. Worked out in the end, didn’t it? And you—aren’t your classmates prying too? You’ve kept quiet?”

“…I just didn’t know what to say.”

“See? If we’d both kept avoiding it, they would’ve just hounded us even more to get answers. Better than letting them find out where we’re from, don’t you think?”

Maybe it was my long time spent on battlefields where a single mistake could cost your life, but I just couldn’t sync with how these young students think.

“Whatever, let’s just get this over with.”

I brushed her off and looked forward. Lucia still seemed displeased, but she turned her head to face front, following my gaze.

Neither of us had come here to chat.

*Splash… squish…*

The stone path we walked on was damp, and foul-smelling wastewater ran down both sides.

It was a sewer tunnel with channels on the sides and a walkway in the middle.

This was an underground drainage system located on the outskirts of Sancternim, far removed from the Valak Cult’s headquarters in the city center.

“…This is it.”

The spot where Lucia stopped didn’t look much different from the rest of the sewer.

Except for the crimson veil draped across the passageway.

“Can you see it too?”

“Yes. It’s quite visible.”

This veil couldn’t be seen by normal people. It was a type of barrier only visible to those contracted with Valak.

“So… the traitors have holed themselves up behind this kind of barrier?”

“Yep.”

“Demonic power sure is something. Setting up a barrier this big and still not getting caught.”

As Lucia reached toward the crimson veil, a violet shimmer spread, opening a hole just wide enough for one person to pass through.

She had temporarily deactivated the barrier using the cult leader’s power.

“Aaron, can I ask you a favor…?”

After a moment of hesitation, Lucia spoke again.

“If you see the traitors inside… don’t attack them right away.”

“…Why not?”

“Even if they’ve left the cult… if they can still understand us, there’s a chance they might return.”

“Oh, really now?”

I almost frowned.

Just like in my previous life, this girl hadn’t changed.

She still couldn’t bring herself to sever what needed cutting.

“Do as you please.”

With that short reply, Lucia and I stepped into the opening.

*Huff…*

The air was cold, and thick red mist filled the space.

The glowing stones placed along the sewer at intervals had dimmed, and beyond them lay only darkness.

But once we’d entered the barrier, the traitors would have noticed our presence.

It was no different than walking straight into a trap… but eliminating them required us to step inside.

After walking about 20 minutes with Lucia…

*Splash– squelch– squish–*

Footsteps echoed from the darkness, and multiple figures began to appear.

“…We’ve got them behind us too.”

Traitors started emerging from small tunnels throughout the sewer.

Ten in front, ten behind. Twenty in total.

As we saw during the Artificial Rift, these were traitors who, despite forming contracts with Valak, no longer obeyed his will.

“Wow… the corruption’s gotten pretty bad, huh?”

All of them had bloodshot eyes and black veins visible beneath their skin.

Not to mention the demonic energy oozing from their bodies.

They’d been without Lucia’s mental management for a long time. This was the natural outcome.

*Grrrk… erk…*

“O… our… cult… erk…”

“Lord… it’s been… so long… hhhk…”

Their speech was incoherent, mixed with phlegm-like growls unbefitting humans.

Even so, Lucia addressed them calmly.

“You guys… do you recognize who I am?”

Oh, please.

I sighed inwardly.

Does she really think she can talk to them?

They crossed the line a long time ago.

“Who… is… hhhk…”

“Dangerous… no… not kin…?”

Communication was impossible.

Their minds were broken, to the point that calling them Corrupted Beings wouldn’t be far off.

They were monsters in human form.

Only their survival instinct remained—that’s probably why they set up the barrier and hid.

To them, we were now just intruders.

“Dan… ger…”

“Kill… them…!”

*WOOOOOOM…*

Demonic energy rose thickly from the traitors’ bodies.

Undeniable intent to kill.

“Don’t you think that’s enough of a conversation?”

“…Yeah.”

Lucia let out a bitter sigh.

*Crack-crack!*

Her entire body glowed as she activated her Full-Body Magic Armor.

*Wummm—*

I activated my Stigma and channeled holy power into my heart.

“Should we split up, front and back?”

“Yeah, let’s.”

Two of us, twenty of them.

A lopsided fight was inevitable.

Agility mattered more than brute force, so I traced intermediate holy runes over my body.

—

**Auto-Casting.
Blessing of Agility.**

—

*Whooom…*

My body felt light as the traitors charged from both directions.

They were fast.

Their physical abilities had far surpassed human limits.

Due to corruption, their bodies had mutated closer to demons.

It was like their bodies were perpetually armored.

These were in a different league from the ones we saw in the Artificial Rift.

“I’ll take the front—”

“Wait.”

I stopped Lucia from charging forward and extended my arms front and back.

A straightforward assault would be a hassle with enemies this corrupted and this numerous. Better to disorient them first.

Like blinding their vision.

I opened both palms.

*PAAAH…*

A blinding white light radiated from my hands.

Dazzling, though its range was limited—it was only basic holy magic.

But that also meant low energy cost and quick casting.

In other words…

“Come on, you bastards.”

*PAPAPAPAT!*

Grinning, I rapidly cast the same spell in both hands.

—

**Holy Light, rapid-cast.**

—

The countless spells linked together, expanding their range.

Now the Holy Light wasn’t just in my hands—it filled the entire sewer ahead.

*FWAAAAAAASH—!*

The cascading white light pierced through the gloom of the tunnel.

*Throb…*

“Click.”

Barely a second passed before I felt a sharp pain in my heart and canceled the spell.

Still, it hit its mark.

*Screeeeeeech!*

All the traitors caught in the light screamed and clutched their faces in agony.

“Damn! This stuff works great.”

It wasn’t mana-based light, but holy light. For those corrupted by demonic energy, it must’ve felt like their eyes were melting.

Though the spell lacked destructive force, they’d recover in less than five seconds.

But I wasn’t about to wait around for that.

I summoned Holy Daggers into both hands.

Lucia and I exchanged a brief glance.

*Bang! Bang-bang!*

Without another word, we dashed in opposite directions.

Lucia to the front.

Me to the back.

I extended my arms and threw daggers at the two traitors at the front of my group.

*Ping!*

The traitors sensed the noise and dodged just in time, the daggers grazing their cheeks before embedding in the wall.

“They dodged that?”

Their reflexes had improved thanks to corruption.

Still, it was a hit.

“*KYAAAAAH!*”

They screamed, clutching their faces as golden light burned through the shallow wounds.

The holy power, reacting to demonic energy, began to eat away at them.

—

**Holy Daggers, re-summoned x2.**

—

I dove between the two writhing traitors and slashed at their necks.

*SPLAT!*

Two down. Eight left.

*Crrrk!*

“…!”

I instinctively ducked the moment I heard a sound behind me.

A long, black spike flew past my hair and embedded diagonally into the ground.

Without *Blessing of Agility*, it would’ve pierced my skull.

“Grrrk… hkk…”

Looking toward the direction it came from, I saw a turncoat farther back, condensing demonic energy.

His eyes were half-open. Slightly recovered.

His demonic aura was stronger than anyone else here.

“…What?”

A chill ran down my spine.

Was it because I nearly died? No, this kind of attack was child’s play with agility boosts.

But—

‘Was there a turncoat who could *launch* demonic energy here…?’

Back in my previous life, I didn’t recall any sewer traitors using this kind of attack.

It had been ten years, though, so I wasn’t completely certain.

‘Eh, minor detail.’

*Slice.*

I cut the embedded spike with my Holy Dagger, then threw two more forward.

This time, not straight shots.

*Whrrr—*

I added spin, making the daggers swirl as they headed for the high-demonic-aura turncoat.

“KRAAAAH!”

He sensed the attack and raised his arms, forming a shield of demonic energy. I immediately pulled back my right arm.

—

**Holy Lance, Solo Crafting.**

—

Harnessing my core and arm momentum—

*FWOOOM!*

Threw the lance.

*CLANG!*

The two daggers were deflected by his shield—

“Grrrk?”

But that slowed his reaction.

“Hyah—!”

*CRACK!*

Before he could respond, the Holy Lance pierced his chest clean through.

A delayed combo attack.

His broken mind couldn’t keep up. These kinds focus only on what’s right in front of them.

The troublesome one was gone.

*Grip.*

Now it’s your turn.

With Holy Daggers back in both hands, I kicked off the ground toward the remaining traitors.