Chapter 179: Holy War 4
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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As the obscured view clears, a vast sky unfolds before me.
The gigantic tree, like a towering building before me, along with the numerous grey trees and vines surrounding it, have all disappeared.
The scene is more aptly described by extinction than destruction, a grim landscape.
There's nothing left ahead.
Not only the plant-type monsters, event creatures, but also the poison ponds and paralyzing swamps have vanished, leaving overturned earth bare, stretching to the horizon.
'Did I just wipe out an entire floor?'
With this thought, I look back and see priests and nuns scattered on the ground, their white robes dirtied with dust, stirring feelings of regret within me.
Ambrosio is the only one standing; my companions must also be sprawled on the ground.
"How do you feel, brother?"
"Surprisingly well."
Ambrosio, chuckling, asks as if asking during a casual walk.
I reply calmly, but my mind is in turmoil.
Damn, isn't the temple too powerful?
If a single saint's enhancement magic is this potent, then the knights of the temple could shatter the Demon King and conquer the world, declaring a sacred empire.
It's like a tank barging into a duel of swords and spears, firing a cannon a completely unbalanced scenario.
If such enhancement magic is a skill that can be used anytime, then the difference between a kingdom's knight and a temple's knight is as vast as between a wooden sword martial artist and a tank commander.
"Well, the temple did go a bit overboard. Brother, even though the divine energy used in the spell dissipates, a residual amount will remain in your body. That will aid you in your journey in the name of the Goddess."
"Overboard, you say?"
Ambrosio chuckles, gesturing towards the priests and nuns struggling to stand, covered in dirt.
His eyes reveal a complex emotion as he looks over them.
Could it be that the priests and nuns have suffered a permanent penalty?
As I ponder this and follow Ambrosio's gaze, something strange catches my eye.
"Hehehe, worry not, brother. We declared this holy war in the Goddess's name, and this is a burden we must bear. There's no way to bring treasures when we grow old and join the Goddess's side."
The priests and nuns are empty-handed.
They once held staffs made of pure silver, gold, and adorned with jewels, but now, as they rise, shaking off the dirt, they're all barehanded.
Just considering the length and size of the pure silver and gold staffs, they wouldn't be light.
But if they were sacred relics used in the temple, what would their price be...?
The fact that the priests and nuns are all unscathed after getting up stokes my curiosity.
The residual divine energy from the enhancement spell alone was potent enough to purify hundreds of meters of land.
It's remarkable that everyone is fine despite using such a significant amount of divine energy.
"Um, Priest...?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"I was just wondering, how much does it cost to use this kind of spell...?"
Thankfully, the camera drone had been above me, so it didn't show my embarrassing fall in full detail.
-Learning earth magic through rolling on the ground?
-I've seen this in fantasy novels. She's boosting her affinity with the earth element, haha
-Did the cameraman drop the camera and start rolling too?
-If the camera drone hadn't captured Roland, I would have thought the game had reset, lol.
-So, why is Roland lying there? Is it a side effect?
"I didn't know he'd fly that far in one step. I was expecting some dazzling lights and a sweeping wave of divine energy, not to summon a storm with a bat swing."
Han Se-ah, still receiving an earful from the viewers, doesn't stop talking even as she lifts the tent entrance.
It makes me wonder if the quest proceeded amidst that chaos.
The field was decimated by my strike, swung from right to left like a baseball bat, and the monsters were annihilated.
With the grey trees, vines, and the colossal specie all gone, the temple's priests are fixing the ground and scattering divine energy.
My concern is that nothing was left behind in the field not even the ashes that monsters usually drop when they die.
If there's any part of the quest remaining, it might be completely messed up.
"Still, it looks like the quest is cleared, and it seems the 35th floor itself might become a sort of safe zone. It's odd, not the 50th, but the 35th floor.
What's next after the 35th? The 70th, and then the top at the 100th?"
I couldn't see the quest log, but fortunately, it seems the quest is complete.
The mid-event on the 35th floor probably involves the temple's forces joining in and a large base camp being established inside the tower.
"Roland, how are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling great. My divine energy has increased tremendously."
"That's good to hear... Honestly, I was a bit worried there might be side effects after something so grand."
Irene was the last to enter the tent.
As a Saint Candidate, she might have been talking with Ambrosio, the saint, as she arrived late while Grace and Katie were talking about my swing.
I was initially dazed by the notion that one buff cost as much as a castle, but I didn't feel too bad.
Instead, my body felt stronger, just as Ambrosio had said.
My divine energy, which was a part of my mana, had surged dramatically, increasing to about 40% in one go.
My body felt rejuvenated, as if it had been replaced with a new one.
My skin toughened, muscles firmed up, and bones felt as solid as steel girders.
"So, what do we do now?"
"What else? We either head up to the 36th floor... or go back outside the tower to regroup."
"Do you think the temple will try to stop us?"
"Why would they? From what I saw, they're too busy fixing the ground Roland smashed. It's too soft, so they're likely to call in the mages from the Magic Tower for some foundational work."
After checking my condition and standing up from the tent, my companions naturally started following me.
Since we didnt do much on the 35th floor, we began discussing whether to ascend to the 36th or exit the tower.
The decision was to go outside, report back to the guild, and take on new assignments.
In truth, the assignment was half an excuse; it seemed everyone was eager to wash off the dust and dirt from rolling on the ground.
Considering the dirt was from a terrain plagued with poison pools, paralyzing marsh and undead, it was understandably uncomfortable.
...Realizing that the dirtiest we've ever been in our adventures is because of me is so absurd that it almost made me laugh.
With that, we left the now safe zone of the 35th floor and exited the tower.
