5

The manager emphatically shook his head and exclaimed, "Not a chance!" We are the only ones having this conversation right now. No one else matters!" " Then let me rephrase my request," I made a request by pressing the button, "Can we discuss these issues outside of the room where Rex is currently resting?" I assure you that I will not discuss anything that was brought up in this meeting with anyone else. I also won't bring up the fact that you were involved in this catastrophe.

"Hmph! That makes sense. Stay in my wake."

As was to be expected, the manager took us through a number of rooms that were full of people chanting religious chants. In addition to this, it looked like a large group was congregating close to a circular altar that was positioned directly beneath the windows that were located high up on the wall. The majority of them wore white robes with crimson crosses embroidered onto the fabric, which were emblazoned with the robes. In stark contrast to the gloom that engulfed the surrounding area, their features shone brightly. Even though he was surrounded by hundreds of men and women who were all dressed in the same attire, the boss was easily identifiable due to the sheer magnitude of his body. He was so tall that he towered over everyone else who was there. While the other members of the cult all stood at an average height of around 6 feet and 1 inch, his frame was noticeably larger. In addition to this, his well-toned body had not the slightest trace of fat on it, which made him appear to be even taller. I couldn't help but wonder for a moment whether he possessed some sort of superhuman strength that allowed him to effortlessly lift heavy objects. Maybe because of this, he was able to amass such a large following. In any case, he presented an intimidating presence when he was standing next to me. In addition to that, he carried himself with self-assurance and authority, both of which contributed to the intimidating presence that he exuded. Since I had arrived at the secret location, I had not experienced any feelings of apprehension until now.

The manager pointed us in the direction of the nearby stairwell as soon as we reached the door that led to the outside. "Come along with me. Be sure to maintain a low profile so as not to draw unnecessary attention to yourself. Oh, and be careful not to tread on any of the dead bodies that are dangling from the ceiling and walls. It's possible that they could spontaneously come to life."

When I thought of the phrase "Thanks for reminding me," I grimaced.

"Don't be concerned. They are nothing more than sacrifices waiting to be consumed by the spirits within," the boss cackled in a malicious manner. "They're dead anyway," the boss said.

"You mean sacrifices, right?" I mumbled with sarcasm, "That sounds absolutely delectable."

The manager greeted the remark with a malicious grin and replied, "Yes, it does." Let's see... Where should we start with our meal? Oh, you're right, the big guy does seem to have an appetizing appearance.

The manager grabbed hold of my collar before I had a chance to respond, and then effortlessly hoisted me into the air. He did not pause for a second before throwing me against one of the nearby walls, which resulted in a painful fracture to my skull. I immediately fell to the ground while wailing loudly and my face was covered in a thick layer of blood. In response, several members of the cult hastened towards us, while others dashed back towards the altar to join the rest of the congregation in chanting religious mantras. However, none of them dared to approach us out of fear of drawing the ire of the manager. After only a few moments, it seemed as though the entire area had been turned into a bloody battlefield with dead bodies strewn all over the ground. A lone figure clad in black armor and carrying a spear emerged from around a bend in the path. As soon as he caught sight of us, he immediately raised his weapon and began charging forward at top speed while aiming it at us. The remaining members of the cult quickly followed their leader's example and charged forward with their weapons drawn and ready to attack.

***

The boss made a menacing gesture by raising his left arm above his head in preparation for the fight. In the meantime, Lina moved closer to me in an effort to protect me from any potential danger. Due to the fact that she was simultaneously wielding two swords, she was thankfully spared from being stabbed or impaled in the course of the battle. However, as a direct consequence of her actions, she found herself on the receiving end of multiple blows. At that point, the boss had already made use of the magical power that he possessed. It seemed as though an intense light had engulfed his entire body, transforming him into a massive glowing creature that resembled a giant dragon. He was able to lift himself and Lina off the ground thanks to the extension and thickening of his wings, which gave him the power to flap them more forcefully. In addition to this, he transformed his claws into razor-sharp blades, which enabled him to easily cut several cultists' heads off with relative ease. When the smoke finally cleared, the manager was found sprawled out and motionless on the ground, covered in fresh wounds.

"Damnit!" Lina let out a vehement cussing. "Why did you do that? You've not only hurt other people, but you've hurt yourself as well!

The manager muttered under his breath, "Shut up. It's fine. Just keep your attention on winning the fight."

Having said that, the boss slowly got to his feet using his massive tail as leverage as he did so. He cast a menacing glare in the direction of the opposing soldiers just as they were making a hasty retreat back towards the altar. It wasn't until that point that he noticed the enormous pile of dead bodies that had been strewn about the area. It would appear that the lights that were being used in the rituals were blocking a portion of his vision, which is why he hadn't noticed them earlier. Once more, I had the sobering realization that it was sheer good fortune for me to have arrived just in time to stop the crisis from spiraling out of control.

"Let's move," the boss commanded in a commanding tone. If we move quickly, we may be able to eliminate the last of the cultists before the arrival of additional troops. In addition, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves by remaining here for an extended period of time. Join us; I'll show you the way.

He got up and started walking in the direction of the nearest stairway that led upward. In the meantime, Lina and I were rushing to keep up with him as he moved quickly. I did everything in my power to block out the searing pain that was coming from my injured shoulder as well as the multiple cuts that were on my chest. Given that there was no bleeding involved, we were fortunate that they did not appear to be serious. Having said that, the wound on my head continued to cause me excruciating pain. Still worse, the swelling made it difficult for me to have clear vision. Nevertheless, I was aware that I could not afford to stop moving until we arrived at a secure location. After all, the cultists would most certainly dispatch their killers to come after us as soon as possible rather than later. After waiting for them to come out of hiding, we had to eliminate them before we could leave through the front gate. All we needed to do was wait. Assuming that we made it through the ordeal alive, we would go back at a later time to eliminate any remaining cult members before making our escape. In a nutshell, everything was proceeding precisely as intended. That is, until I recalled a very significant detail.

"...Boss," I questioned with some trepidation as I called out, "What about Rex?"

Lina ran into the boss after he suddenly stopped moving, which caused her to collide with him from behind. He confronted me with an angry glare that cut like daggers and asked, "Are you stupid?! If you care about him as much as you claim to, then explain why you haven't already healed him.

Because...," I stuttered anxiously before continuing, "...he's unconscious right now. " In addition, the activation of healing magic requires some amount of time.