Chapter 118: The Price of Slaughter (5)
“Huff…”
As I heard the explosive sounds ringing in my ears, I aimed Latimeria, the dagger in my hand.
The dark purple dagger I held was a special sword unlike any other in the world.
The supreme predator that devoured all magic swords and dominated over them.
The king of magic swords.
That was the true identity of Latimeria.
Holding the most noble weapon that the heavenly god had created, I began to hunt the magic swords that surrounded me.
“——Lagius.”
Crash!
Latimeria slashed down the magic sword Lagius.
The shadow dagger cracked and shattered.
The shadows that flowed out of Lagius dispersed and were absorbed by Latimeria.
The moment Latimeria devoured the magic sword Lagius, I realized that I had gained a new ability.
From now on, I could use the power to return to the place where I had marked.
“——Aterinus.”
Crash!
Latimeria slashed down the magic sword Aterinus.
The flame magic sword broke and collapsed.
Red flames burst out and were absorbed by Latimeria.
Now I could transform my magic power into a huge flame.
Also, the enemies who were cut by my dagger would not heal easily even if they used holy power.
“——Ashilore.”
Crash!
Latimeria slashed down the magic sword Ashilore.
The ice magic sword turned into ice fragments and scattered.
A cold chill swept over Latimeria that I was holding.
From now on, a storm of coldness would rage in Latimeria’s territory.
And the enemies who were hit by the storm would be slowed down by the coldness and lose their stamina continuously.
“——Egernot.”
Crash!
Latimeria pierced through the magic sword Egernot.
The magic sword of swiftness turned into ashes and crumbled.
An ashen wave spread from Latimeria that I held.
My body, holding the sword, began to accelerate as if reversing my age.
Latimeria’s blade also looked sharper than before.
“——Lifrost.”
Crash!
Latimeria smashed the magic sword Lifrost.
The magic sword of lightning oxidized and turned into a beam of light.
Crackle. Sparkle.
Latimeria, absorbing the power of lightning, vibrated and sparked.
The current running through my body accelerated me.
Now, the enemies who were cut by Latimeria’s blade would not be able to move freely due to the aftermath of electric shock.
“——Heimklopf.”
Crash!
Latimeria destroyed the magic sword Heimklopf.
The magic sword of protection turned into pieces of rock and scattered.
With this, I had destroyed all the magic swords and sensed a strong and solid energy surrounding me.
While using the enhanced divine skill after devouring the magic swords, I could be protected from the enemy’s attacks up to ten times.
And when that time of stability ended, Latimeria would reveal a sharper blade than before to the enemy.
“This is… the miracle of the great one…!”
Eliot, who had watched the whole process, shouted with an ecstatic gaze toward me.
Tears flowed from Eliot’s eyes as he watched the ritual.
It was a scene where a mere human was chosen as an apostle of God.
He had witnessed with his own eyes a miracle that ordinary humans could not encounter in their lifetime.
It was natural for Eliot, who was watching me, to be moved.
I left Eliot alone and turned my body to face the door.
The lock was about to break completely due to the shock that came from outside.
Without even looking back, I spoke to Eliot as I faced the broken lock.
“Was it Eliot? If you don’t want to get involved, you’d better hide behind the workbench.”
“Oh, okay!”
Eliot nodded vigorously and followed my instructions to hide behind the workbench.
Right after Eliot ran and hid his body.
The door of the slaughterhouse burst open with a huge explosion.
Kwaaaaang!
As the door that blocked the slaughterhouse broke, countless wooden fragments flew in all directions.
My eyes met with the inquisitor who came in while scattering the fragments.
He was wearing armor as before, but he had even taken off his cloak as if he had given up hiding his identity.
In midair, the eyes of inquisitor Albert and butcher Daniel met.
“Boss. If you were here, why didn’t you listen to me? Then I wouldn’t have had to break in and come in.”
“I have no hobby of welcoming uninvited guests.”
“By the way, what is this stinky smell…? Oh, I see, there was a dead person here.”
Albert’s gaze turned to the dead black mage as he entered the slaughterhouse.
The neatly killed black mage looked like he had been ambushed by an assassin.
Gulp.
The apprentice knights who followed Albert swallowed their saliva.
Albert pointed his finger at the black mage lying on the floor and asked.
“What is that thing over there?”
“Probably a black mage.”
“You know that’s not what I’m asking. Why is there a dead black mage here?”
“He tried to threaten me and my family. So I had no choice but to kill him.”
Albert smiled faintly as he heard that.
He looked like he was immersed in curiosity.
Daniel knew very well what kind of people they were who made such expressions.
Most of them were those who coveted what was his.
And if not, they were those who harmed him and his family.
Albert met Daniel’s eyes and shrugged his shoulders.
“I’ll find out more details when I take the villagers and interrogate them.”
It was obvious what the inquisition of the temple meant.
They would torture the suspects until they confessed.
Daniel didn’t think he would be safe even if he told them he wasn’t an apostle of the evil god.
Of course, he had become a heretic as the knights said by now.
As Daniel caressed Latimeria in his hand and looked into his eyes, questions kept pouring out of Albert’s mouth.
“But before that, I want to know your identity first.”
“You asked about my identity?”
“Yes. A normal person wouldn’t be able to handle people like this. Are you a mercenary hiding in the countryside?”
Daniel snorted at Albert’s words.
Ever since he had a connection with the church, the stories that came from around him were always like this.
Could he be an assassin with overwhelming skills?
If so, how many lives had he taken with his own hands?
The misunderstandings that poured out repeated themselves over and over again, creating a legend without form.
Daniel himself was nothing but an ordinary farmer.
“My identity. Yeah, my identity…”
There was nothing to say about his identity.
He was always nothing but an ordinary farmer.
At best, he was nothing but a farmer who was better at using a sword than others, that was all.
But all those things were worthless.
In the end, they didn’t guarantee who Daniel Hesrof was.
What they wanted from him was not such a humble answer.
Even if he affirmed with his own mouth, no one who heard him would believe him.
What answer should he give to those who denied the truth?
That was the task given to Daniel now.
“My identity is…”
Daniel felt it in his bones.
He could never go back to his normal life.
The world wanted a cruel fate for him.
A legendary assassin.
A silent reaper of lives.
The greatest agent of evil.
If they all wanted him to be that, he had no choice but to become that.
That was surely the only path given to him.
“——The Silent Butcher.”
“What?”
“By your terms, I’m the fifth apostle of the evil god.”
Daniel’s calm voice revealed his existence to the world.
The fifth apostle. Daniel Hesrof.
He proclaimed himself as the most secretive shadow that the world desired.
A cold wind blew around Daniel, who held a dagger.
With the cold wind, frost began to fall everywhere.
Lightning struck from the clear sky and left a large burn on the ground.
“The fifth apostle…?”
“He’s an apostle-level enemy! Be on guard!”
Shriek.
The swords of Albert and the apprentice knights were drawn out in an instant.
Frost settled on their swords as they touched the cold wind.
Albert, the inquisitor of the temple, drew out his holy power and drove away the frost that covered his sword.
Albert’s eyes clearly warned of the apostle in front of him.
Daniel looked at the three swords that were drawn toward him and said.
“Forgive me.”
“What…?”
“I don’t think I can spare you.”
Whiiing.
Along with the cold wind, a shadow cloak fell from Daniel’s shoulder.
Daniel put on the hood of the shadow and looked at each of the enemies in front of him.
The cold wind and lightning kept bothering them.
They were already injured before the battle even started.
Albert frowned as he saw the frost that surrounded his sword and opened his mouth.
“Is this… an ice magic…?”
“Albert! I feel sluggish!”
“Everyone, raise your holy power! Wrap your body with it and you’ll be able to resist the magic to some extent!”
As he said that, Albert’s body was wrapped in a faint light.
Just by being here, Daniel was causing damage to his enemies.
Even though he hadn’t fought properly yet, they were gasping for breath.
Daniel knew how absurd the dagger he held was.
And at the same time, he felt awe for the god who gave him such power.
He bestowed such power with a mere prayer of a humble farmer.
The evil god he served was more formidable than any celestial being.
‘Of course, with great power… comes great responsibility.’
He didn’t think this power was given to him for free.
From the moment he grasped Latimeria, Daniel Hesrof became an apostle of God.
An apostle was someone who represented and executed God’s will.
Perhaps his first task was to deal with the inquisitors of the temple in front of him.
He took a step forward, aiming his dagger at his enemies.
Despite his age, he felt a sharp sense as if he was in his prime.
“They’re coming! Be on guard!”
He stepped forward without making a sound.
Silence and stillness descended on every space where Daniel stepped.
He never made a noise when he reaped lives.
That was his own way of showing respect for death.
Swoosh.
In the silence, Daniel’s dagger moved, scattering the darkness.
Latimeria’s figure was hidden in the distorted haze.
“——Latimeria.”
Woo woo woo woo.
The black dagger resonated with its master’s call.
At that moment, all the abilities that Latimeria had were activated.
A tremendous power flowed through his blood, and Daniel’s body shot out like a flash of light.
A black trail was drawn in the air, and the black haze spat out light and heat.
“Kuh, ugh ugh…!”
Clang!
Albert blocked Daniel’s strike with his sword imbued with holy power.
Albert’s hand trembled as he crossed swords with him.
The immense force and speed created a strong impact.
Of course, that was not the only anomaly that Latimeria created.
The light and heat that burst out of the dagger began to damage Albert’s hand.
Pale smoke rose from Albert’s hand as he crossed swords with Daniel.
“Uh… ugh…!”
“I can see how good the inquisitor is.”
“Like a filthy apostle of the evil god… you use despicable methods…!”
Shocked by the impact, Albert tried to distance himself from him.
Clang! Clank!
Daniel blocked Albert’s swift sword swings and retreated a few steps back.
It was a knight’s strike that he wouldn’t have been able to react to normally.
But under the area created by the overlapping characteristics of many magic swords, Daniel’s body enhanced by Latimeria made it possible.
The enemies slowed down and Daniel sped up.
At this moment, the slaughterhouse where he held his dagger was a space full of irrationality.
“I am… I am knight Albert! I won’t let you evil god’s minions do as you please!”
Enraged, Albert swung his sword at Daniel.
He moved forward, enduring the cold and lightning with his holy power.
Every time his sword swung, a heavy shockwave exploded in the air.
‘Of course, with great power… comes great responsibility.’
He didn’t think this power was given to him for free.
From the moment he grasped Latimeria, Daniel Hesrof became an apostle of God.
An apostle was someone who represented and executed God’s will.
Perhaps his first task was to deal with the inquisitors of the temple in front of him.
He took a step forward, aiming his dagger at his enemies.
Despite his age, he felt a sharp sense as if he was in his prime.
“They’re coming! Be on guard!”
He stepped forward without making a sound.
Silence and stillness descended on every space where Daniel stepped.
He never made a noise when he reaped lives.
That was his own way of showing respect for death.
Swoosh.
In the silence, Daniel’s dagger moved, scattering the darkness.
Latimeria’s figure was hidden in the distorted haze.
“——Latimeria.”
Woo woo woo woo.
The black dagger resonated with its master’s call.
At that moment, all the abilities that Latimeria had were activated.
A tremendous power flowed through his blood, and Daniel’s body shot out like a flash of light.
A black trail was drawn in the air, and the black haze spat out light and heat.
“Kuh, ugh ugh…!”
Clang!
Albert blocked Daniel’s strike with his sword imbued with holy power.
Albert’s hand trembled as he crossed swords with him.
The immense force and speed created a strong impact.
Of course, that was not the only anomaly that Latimeria created.
The light and heat that burst out of the dagger began to damage Albert’s hand.
Pale smoke rose from Albert’s hand as he crossed swords with Daniel.
“Uh… ugh…!”
“I can see how good the inquisitor is.”
“Like a filthy apostle of the evil god… you use despicable methods…!”
Shocked by the impact, Albert tried to distance himself from him.
Clang! Clank!
Daniel blocked Albert’s swift sword swings and retreated a few steps back.
It was a knight’s strike that he wouldn’t have been able to react to normally.
But under the area created by the overlapping characteristics of many magic swords, Daniel’s body enhanced by Latimeria made it possible.
The enemies slowed down and Daniel sped up.
At this moment, the slaughterhouse where he held his dagger was a space full of irrationality.
“I am… I am knight Albert! I won’t let you evil god’s minions do as you please!”
Enraged, Albert swung his sword at Daniel.
He moved forward, enduring the cold and lightning with his holy power.
Every time his sword swung, a heavy shockwave exploded in the air.
Daniel was retreating with leisurely steps, but no sword could touch him.
Every time he took a step forward, Daniel moved back two steps.
The distance between them showed no sign of narrowing.
“I… I only wanted to protect it.”
“Protect what? The altar of the evil god? Or maybe… the wicked spawn of the evil god!”
“You don’t make any sense.”
Daniel sighed deeply as he measured the distance that had opened up.
As much as the gap between them, there was an incomprehensible chasm between their minds.
By now, they had grown too far apart to ever reconcile.
Daniel tilted his dagger as he glared at Albert and the apprentice knights.
He had no intention of wasting any more time.
He had many tasks waiting for him as an apostle.
He had to end this now.
“——Latimeria.”
The moment Daniel called the name of the divine tool, looking at the mark of time he had engraved.
Daniel’s flesh turned into a shadow and scattered, and he reappeared behind Albert.
Thud.
The dagger moved silently and pierced Albert’s back.
The blade of Latimeria, enhanced to the extreme, cut through the knight’s armor like paper.
Daniel pierced Albert’s heart with his dagger and quickly withdrew it.
“Gah… Huk…!”
Thump.
Albert’s body leaned forward with a heavy sound.
He uttered a short death cry and stopped breathing with a bewildered face.
That was the end of Albert, the inquisitor.
The apprentice knights, who had their backs exposed to the assassin, slowly turned their heads as they saw their superior die in vain.
Daniel looked at the remaining two apprentice knights with a cold expression.
Behind him, Albert turned into black ash and scattered.
As they faced the assassin who saw their master’s remains fluttering, Daniel shook off the blood on Latimeria and said.
“Pray to God if you want to live.”
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