Chapter 21: Sowing Discord_1

"I'm here to save you all, hang in there! Charge with me! Wipe out these blind creatures! Protect Sister Talisa!"

Upon witnessing this, another person roared and charged forward with a long sword.

Brothers, stop with this cringy talk already, I can't handle it... Colin felt goosebumps all over as he spoke up:

"Quick! I'll provide you with fire support!"

Quick, get away from me, I'm really struggling to hold it together here.

Having said that, Colin turned off "True Sight," took aim at the horde of monsters, drew his longbow, and a whirlwind gathered around him, from the longbow condensed a Wind Elemental Arrow.

His fingers released...

Whoosh!

The arrow, like a sideways storm, instantly killed a swath of monsters, and countless pieces of flesh and severed limbs were whisked into the sky by the storm.

Colin blinked, setting aside the fact it was all illusory, this scene and the haptic feedback were much better than those in a computer AAA title...

Of course, if he used "Beastification" to dispel the illusion, what he would see would likely resemble actors in a special effects movie, the more intense the special effects, the more awkward it looks on set.

Nevertheless, this kind of immersive experience was quite good.

"If I could master this stuff and open a game store in the real world, I reckon I could sell a game for 998, and if I tweaked it for an 18+ audience, adding another digit, or even two, to the price might still attract buyers..."

Colin shook his head and raised his bow again, readying another shot to cover his teammates, but at that moment, several monsters attacked from the side.

However, before they got close, a figure wielding a long sword slashed them all to pieces.

It was Liu Dun, who had charged in earlier, returning from the fray.

Colin looked at Liu Dun, who held the long sword in surprise, "Aren't you going to save your nun?"

"No need, the nun should be fine now. These monsters are pretty weak. You're our only long-range archer; your melee combat definitely won't cut it..."

Liu Dun shook his head, "Don't worry and shoot freely. I, Liu Dun, always keep my word. If I say I'll keep you safe, then you will be safe, I won't back down on that promise easily!"

If I didn't already suspect that you were very likely the one poking me in the side, I might have been moved, but now it could genuinely be what you're thinking... While these thoughts flickered through his mind, Colin smiled and nodded in thanks, "Then I'll leave it to you."

After saying that, he drew his longbow once more, assisting his fellow "Heroes."

This "rescue," unsurprisingly, had no surprises and, after a "heart-stopping" and "perilous" rescue, the young nun was successfully saved.

Of course, to Colin, it felt just like an elaborate game of house.

"Thank you all..." she thanked everyone sincerely, and noticing a few of the injured "Heroes," she pursed her lips with guilt and said, "I will use the 'Purification' of the Church of Light to heal your wounds immediately."

Purification?

Colin's brow twitched, his body tensed, but before he could react, the nun had already bowed her head, closed her eyes, and clasped her hands in front of her chest as if in prayer, a hazy white light emerging from her.

When this light shone on everyone, they all felt their fatigue rapidly disappearing.

Fuck... Colin kept a peaceful expression on his face while anxiously monitoring his "Beastification," afraid that the spell might cause him to lose control on the spot.

He remembered clearly, a nameless priest in the Holy Healing Church had used the same kind of power to make him lose control twice.

"Phew, that was close. It seems like the 'Beastification' is being suppressed quite firmly right now, it definitely won't erupt anytime soon unless I want it to. Did the Bonfire Company do something beforehand to help me with this? But, the Holy Healing Church knows 'Purification,' the Church of Light does too, I wonder what's the connection between these two churches."

Colin first heaved a sigh of relief, then pondered a bit, but since he didn't know too much about these churches to begin with, he couldn't guess anything useful.

It was then that he suddenly realized, after the "unexpected" event involving Sister Elisa, everyone's connection to this world deepened a lot more...

Somehow, as Colin watched people bathed in the holy light, he was suddenly reminded of a short film he had seen before, "Life of a Pig".

The general content was as follows:

Quarantine, entry into the factory, slaughtering, bleeding, washing, cutting, packaging, served on the dining table.

These steps now seemed meaningless, yet they were as vital as the processes on an automatic pig-slaughtering conveyor belt.

They were the pigs being sent down the conveyor belt.

It was just unknown at which step they were now, and what the next step would be...

"Good brother, well done, without your bow and arrow, we might not have been able to rescue them so smoothly," the blond-haired "Hero" glanced at Colin.

"To be honest, indeed you can, several times if not for that arrow, we would have been surrounded by monsters, trapped in a tight spot..."

"If I hadn't already traveled through time, I'd almost believe you were the protagonist."

The others also spoke up.

For Colin's outstanding performance just now, everyone expressed high levels of acknowledgment.

"I don't deserve such praise..." Colin was a bit flustered.

"I did see it, even Sister Elisa glanced your way. I admit you're my rival now!" said the blond-haired "Hero" after finishing.

Colin suddenly felt that the friendly gazes from a moment ago now suddenly carried a hint of distance, especially in the eyes of a few infatuated nuns' "Hero" gazes, even some hostility.

Were there so many little schemes? He shook his head helplessly.

Seeing that Colin didn't quite respond, the blond-haired "Hero" asked Liu Dun, who had been "protecting" Colin, "What would you do if she chose someone else?"

"Uh..." Liu Dun was taken aback, then his face twisted into a conflicted expression.

He was clearly torn by the question, between a good brother he had met only a few hours ago, whom he trusted with his back, and a woman he fell for at first sight despite never having met.

For him, neither side was something he could easily let go of.

He couldn't make up his mind for the time being.

"I'll say it as I did before; I'm not interested in it. If you want to pursue her, just go ahead and do it," Colin was not one for fancy talk, so he simply stated his thoughts.

After speaking, he didn't look at Liu Dun but instead glanced at the blonde-haired "Hero": "I don't think I've bothered you, have I?"

He resolved that he should take care of this guy if he got the chance.

"You..." The blond-haired Hero had just opened his mouth, but suddenly his heart chilled, with a vague sense of horror as if being targeted by a fearsome beast.

It was like turning his head only to see an out-of-control truck hurtling towards him.

He blinked, and the feeling vanished. Seeing the looks from others directed at him, he gritted his teeth, wanting to say some harsh words.

But then, a soldier who popped up from somewhere jogged over, and his message made Colin's eyes narrow slightly—the main event was coming.

"Honorable Brave Ones, the Archbishop had heard of your success against the monster horde and is very pleased. He has prepared a celebration banquet in your honor."

"Please, honorable Heroes, come with me..."