◈ 17. Favored by the Gods
Whoosh!
The sharp sound of something slicing through the air reached my ears the moment I dodged.
I saw a blade-like blue energy swipe past the spot where I had just stood.
It was the monster’s claws, transformed into razor-sharp weapons through its skill.
Slash—
The claws missed me and instead sliced cleanly through a nearby stone pillar, severing it in two.
The smooth surface of the cut looked as though it had been precisely carved by a machine.
The claws possessed incredible cutting power.
If that had struck me, not only would I have died instantly, but my body wouldn’t have remained intact.
I cautiously stepped back, trying to assess the situation.
‘What was that just now? That thing’s head… it’s like it’s made of steel…’
Looking closer, I noticed that the monster’s head was surrounded by a dark blue magical aura.
I wasn’t entirely sure, but it seemed like it was using magic to reinforce its skin and bones.
Just as infusing a weapon with divine energy made it stronger, magic could similarly harden physical objects.
However—
‘…Could they enhance their bodies like that too?’
I had never heard of such a technique, reinforcing their physical form in such a way.
It seemed even more durable than a reinforced weapon.
My mace, imbued with divine energy, couldn’t even make a dent in it.
While I stood there momentarily thrown off by this unfamiliar ability, the monster let out an unpleasant laugh.
【【Aw, what a pity. I could have killed you just now. 】】
“Your head’s a bit tougher than I expected. Are you one of those ‘blockheads’ I’ve heard about?”
【【Ha ha, are you really comparing us to mere stones? You know we’re much sturdier than that. 】】
Pointing at my wrist, still tingling from the earlier impact, the monster chuckled.
【【It’s true that you’re exceptionally strong, but we haven’t spent all this time just aging without purpose. 】】
“…”
【【We’ve developed our own methods of defense. That reinforcement you just saw is one of them. 】】
I raised my weapon again, glaring at the smirking monsters.
“You all talk too much.”
I retorted, attempting to provoke them.
But they just laughed, as if I’d told some amusing joke.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of finding anything funny.
‘They’re not entirely wrong. Their defenses are tougher than I expected. At this rate, my weapon will break first….’
The shock that traveled up my arm during my last strike still left my entire forearm tingling.
Even with all the overlapping effects of skills and items, this was the result.
If one of my skills deactivated mid-fight? Victory would be out of reach.
Luckily—if you could call it that—it didn’t seem like they could keep pulling off those tricks indefinitely.
Whether it was holy power or magic, those energies were just the ‘raw material’ for activating skills.
Using that same energy to reinforce their bodies directly? It was inefficient.
A terrible cost-benefit ratio.
In short, their reserves would run out soon.
‘Let’s wear them out first, step by step….’
I immediately leaped up to the second floor.
With the first-floor hall extending all the way to the third-floor ceiling, there was no need to bother with the stairs.
The second floor was a blind spot for them.
Once safely out of their sightlines, I sprinted and jumped down behind the monsters.
【【Hmm? 】】
The moment they noticed I was behind them the monsters mobilized their magic.
Soon, their backs were cloaked in an intense layer of magical energy.
I swung my mace down on it, this time adjusting my strength deliberately.
Clang!
The metallic ringing echoed again, but I didn’t mind.
I continued swinging, precisely as planned.
Their necks, the nape, the wings… I didn’t aim to deal damage but instead targeted as many spots as possible.
The goal?
To force them to redirect their magic all over their bodies for defense.
And finally—
Thud!
Instead of the metallic clang, the sound of flesh and muscle being struck reached my ears.
The monster failed to fully reinforce its body with magic.
It was a sign: their energy reserves, drained by such an inefficient use of power, were finally running low.
【【Ah, couldn’t block that one. Better pick up the pace. 】】
Looking slightly more serious than before, the monster swung its claws at me.
Whoosh! Slash!
Despite their massive size, their movements were as quick as mice.
These creatures, larger than elephants, moved with alarming speed, leaving no room for error.
I wasn’t fast enough to dodge completely, and their claws raked across my thigh.
“…Ugh!”
The fabric of my clothes and my skin tore apart, spraying blood in every direction.
Even with the pain-dulling effects of my buffs, the wound burned fiercely.
Acting on instinct rather than reason, I jumped back and immediately reached for a healing potion.
‘Don’t take your eyes off the monsters. Move quickly…!’
I clamped my teeth on the cork stopper, yanked it out, and poured the potion straight onto the wound.
The fluid splashed across the gash in one smooth motion—a movement I had repeated thousands of times during countless battles.
There was no hesitation, no wasted effort.
The moment the potent, expensive potion touched my skin, the pain dissipated.
【【…Hey, have you been rolling around on some battlefield instead of praying? You don’t fight like any priest I’ve ever seen. 】】
Clearly displeased with how quickly I healed, one of the monsters clicked its tongue.
Its tone was less mocking and more irritable than before—a sign they were beginning to tire.
【【This fight is pointless. No matter what you do, the outcome won’t change. You’re just making things annoying for us. Stop wasting energy and let’s end this. Come here!! 】】
“Hah, instead of running your mouth and pretending to be tough, maybe you should’ve spent that time honing your combat skills. If you had, you wouldn’t be struggling this much against someone younger than you.”
【【…】】
Did I hit a nerve?
Their blood-red eyes—devoid of any whites—darkened with a cold glint.
Then, a sharp, oppressive energy pricked against my skin.
Murderous intent.
The killing aura emanating from them, combined with their magic, grew far sharper than before.
【【You’ve got no sense of your place, huh? You’re not even cute anymore. Fine, let’s end this for real. 】】
With those arrogant words, the monster spread its eight wings wide at once.
A shiver ran down my spine.
‘Don’t tell me…!’
It was unmistakable.
This was the kind of attack skill I’d seen before—used by boss-level, flying monsters in the <CRW> dungeons.
The attack was infamous for its overwhelming power—a devastating S-rank skill that survivors insisted should never be blocked but avoided at all costs.
When monsters prepared to unleash it, they would adopt a specific stance: spreading their wings wide and hunching their backs, just like those creatures were doing now.
‘It’s definitely that.’
I quickly retrieved the Nerbloka Shield from my inventory.
Then, rolling down to the base of the stairs leading to the second floor, I braced myself for the imminent onslaught.
The monsters ascended into the air, and a torrent of attacks rained down like a deluge from a summer storm.
Just in time, I channeled divine energy into the shield, forming a protective barrier.
Ratatatatat!
The skill they were using was called “Punishing Rain (S).”
It unleashed a relentless downpour of piercing strikes, pulverizing everything indiscriminately into dust—be it rocks, trees, or human beings.
Whenever this skill had been deployed in past encounters, it left nothing but a barren wasteland.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Each strike carried terrifying penetrative force, hammering into the ground like rounds from a machine gun.
Through the translucent barrier, I could see the marble floor reduced to powder, and the staircase that once sheltered me above had long since collapsed.
With nothing but Nerbloka Shield to rely on, I endured the relentless barrage.
But suddenly, a surge of hot blood welled up and spilled from my mouth.
‘Divine energy…’
Every time the barrier sustained damage; the shield automatically absorbed a significant portion of my divine energy to repair the cracks.
Thanks to this mechanism, the barrier hadn’t shattered under the assault.
However, the cost was steep—my reserves of divine energy were depleting at a dangerous rate, faster than when summoning spirits.
My consciousness flickered, teetering on the edge of blacking out.
‘I have to stay awake…
Grinding my teeth, I forced myself to hold on.
If I fainted now and the barrier disappeared, it would all be over.
Finally, just as I reached my limit—
‘…It stopped.’
The deafening noise that had filled the air had suddenly vanished.
The skill had run its course.
【【What the hell…? You’re still alive? 】】
The monster landed back on the ground, muttering to itself as it stared at me, as if witnessing something that defied logic.
I didn’t bother responding and instead retrieved a potion from within the barrier formed by my shield, drinking it in silence.
It wasn’t enough to fully recover, but as a high-grade potion, it was sufficient to restore me to a condition where I could move.
As I straightened my back, the monster visibly flinched, even its shoulders jerking slightly in surprise.
【【Wow… Seeing you now, it’s clear. You really are a particularly favored apostle. 】】
“…?”
It was true that I was a pope and an apostle of the divine.
But hearing demons refer to me as an apostle ‘particularly favored’ by the divine was perplexing.
I had never once considered myself particularly favored by anyone or anything, so I could only respond with a frown.
…What nonsense are you talking about?”
【【Why are you playing dumb all of a sudden? You know very well that out of all the popes, saints, and holy figures in history, you’re the one the divine favors most. 】】
“Favored… as an apostle?”
【【Exactly. If you weren’t such a special being, you would’ve been dead by now. But look at you—still alive. Doesn’t it make you wonder if you’re benefiting from divine protection? 】】
I struggled to make sense of their words, sorting through my tangled thoughts.
‘Alright. So, this world clearly has a god. That much is certain. After all, it’s a world where divine power—an extension of god’s presence—exists. For someone like me, who came from another world, it’s a hard reality to grasp, but it’s undeniable.’
And these creatures seemed to view me as someone chosen by that god to wield influence on this land—a favored apostle, no less.
“Fine, let’s say that’s true. But if you know this, why are you doing this to me? Do you want to bring divine retribution upon yourselves for messing with someone ‘so favored’?”
I pointed a finger toward the sky, subtly shifting the conversation to mask my true intentions.
It was a diversion, meant to steer them toward a topic I’d been wanting to address.
“If it’s not too late, why don’t you drop this transformation now? Let’s pick up where we left off in that dream. You can show me what you wanted to—something about the Sage’s Dream, right? It wouldn’t hurt to deal with that before we keep fighting.”
Given my fragmented memories were incomplete, I had no choice but to see the dream for myself to uncover what Nikellus had sought.
However, the monster squinted at me, as if measuring my words, before smirking and replying with something infuriating.
【【I thought you had a decent head on your shoulders, but the way you’re talking now makes me think you’re not as smart as I thought.】】
“What?!”
【【Her name… was it Luciana? There’s no real way to protect that knight from the Forgotten. You were told the Sage’s Dream could reveal a way? That was a lie, of course. 】】
“Wait… what?”
Why was Luciana’s name coming up here?
Caught completely off guard, I froze.
Seeing my reaction, the monster repeated its words with an almost patronizing kindness.
【【There’s no way to protect Luciana. Sure, we have the Sage’s Dream, but just because it’s from a Sage doesn’t mean it holds all the answers. There are things even the dream can’t reveal. 】】
“……”
【【Don’t hold a grudge for being deceived. We had to make up something to lure you here. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come, right? 】】
As the monster spoke, I forced my mind into overdrive.
‘Nikellus wanted to know something from the seers… Was it about how to protect Luciana?’
The □□□□□ □□□ □□ that the seer promised to reveal in the dream…
That must have been ‘the way to protect Luciana’.
The puzzle piece I hadn’t been able to remember suddenly clicked into place.
‘But protect her from what? The Forgotten? Who exactly are they?’
From the name alone, it seemed like they were some kinds of secretive group.
‘The ‘Forgotten’—erased, hidden from the light of day. They don’t sound like an organization that operates out in the open.’
Perhaps they were an underground crime syndicate.
‘But a crime syndicate targeting Luciana? That doesn’t make sense.’
Even though Luciana hadn’t inherited her family’s title, she was still the daughter of the prestigious Marquess of Lazar.
Moreover, she wasn’t just any noble—she was a High Priestess of the church and the captain of a knightly order.
In other words, she was far too prominent to be a target for some obscure, petty crime syndicate.
If there was a group bold enough to target someone like her—a noblewoman of renown, a High Priestess, and a knight commander—then it wasn’t a ‘normal’ human organization.
‘Could it be something… not a human being?’
