Chapter 30: Holy Relic (1)

'What the hell are those Church of Morte bastards up to?'

It was an established fact that the Church of Morte was behind this irregular Wave.

However, this irregular Wave wasn't supposed to happen.

If it had been planned, there's no way I wouldn't have known about it.

'It's definitely related to the first Wave that happened earlier.'

And at the center of it all must be Tatiana Belov's survival.

'But why?'

Even if the assumption that Tatiana Belov is Anton Belov's daughter is correct, that alone isn't a reason for both the Shadow Order and Church of Morte to trigger a Wave.

As I kept following the chain of thoughts, I realized that I needed to go back to the beginning.

'...Did I approach this the wrong way from the start?'

I decided to discard all the hypotheses I had formulated so far and return to the initial premise.

Instead of thinking I knew everything, I would proceed as if I knew nothing.

'Maybe Tatiana Belov's identity itself wasn't important.'

The conflict between the Navy Line and Blue Line sparked by Tatiana Belov's death might just be a secondary issue.

Perhaps there was a deeper reason behind her death.

Why did Tatiana Belov die?

What mission took her beyond Ark?

And most importantly, where did she go?

'If this hypothesis is correct, then my initial assumption that the Shadow Order is behind this might also be wrong.'

In that case, is the mastermind Church of Morte?

Or both the Church of Morte and the Shadow Order?

'Tatiana Belov.'

She holds the key.

The key to every anomaly that has happened so far.

After finishing my thoughts, I shifted my gaze.

Tatiana Belov was important, but there was something I needed to take care of right now.

'That's that... but for now, I should focus on the problem right in front of me.'

Both the Church of Morte and the Shadow Order are capable of artificially triggering Waves through different methods.

That was the case now, as well as with the first Wave a few days ago.

The difference between the first Wave and the one that's about to happen now is that this one is occurring just days after the previous one.

'The minimum interval between Waves is about a week.'

Normally, an irregular Wave like this would be considered a so-called bonus stage.

Since it's hastily created, the number and quality of monsters and beasts are significantly lower than in a regular Wave.

Moreover, since it's classified as an emergency situation, the merit points earned in Ark would accumulate several times faster.

'But this time, the situation is different.'

The biggest problem is that I'm currently outside Ark—in the middle of a perilous open plain.

At this point, even if it's just a makeshift Wave, I wouldn't be able to escape death if it occurred.

Naturally, I had no intention of dying quietly, so I had to stop this makeshift Wave at all costs.

'At least it's a relief that the method has gotten easier.'

I loaded the Experimental Round GHOST-157 and quietly aimed at the center of the ether storm.

If I hadn't obtained Experimental Round GHOST-157, I would have had to resort to a much more troublesome method to stop this makeshift Wave.

'No need to drag this out.'

I aimed the scope and pointed the muzzle toward the core of the ether storm.

The storm itself was so vast that shooting anywhere would likely hit it, but I was targeting a specific spot—a place that could be considered the nucleus.

'Found it.'

A place where the ether concentration was exceptionally dense.

I held my breath and fixed my aim.

At that moment—

[Stop it...!]

[This bastard's gonna───]

[Don't──stop──]

A powerful, distinct voice pierced my ears as if it had been waiting for this very moment.

Of course, I didn't pay any heed to it.

Click—

I slowly pulled the trigger.

Pheeeeeew─────!

A small flash burst from the muzzle as Experimental Round GHOST-157 traced a straight trajectory toward the ether storm.

Compared to the massive ether storm, that single bullet seemed incredibly insignificant.

And in truth, it was.

For a single bullet to penetrate that colossal storm seemed impossible—small, weak, and far too fragile.

However—

The impact that single bullet made was anything but small.

The moment Experimental Round GHOST-157 made contact with the ether storm—

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

[Kikik, kikik, kikik───!]

[Fina... lly...]

The ether howled violently.

It was hard to tell whether it was a scream of agony or a cry of ecstasy—either way, it was nothing short of a colossal catastrophe.

However—

Fsssss──

Before long, the raging ether subsided.

It became clear that a single bullet wasn't enough to stop this great disaster.

'It doesn't matter.'

I never expected one shot to be enough.

If one didn't work, I would fire two—or three.

Click—

I kept pulling the trigger.

Originally, Experimental Round GHOST-157 should have vanished after the first shot, but it persistently remained, continuing to target the ether storm.

[Kaaaaaaah────!]

[I'll have my revenge, I'll have my revenge, I'll have my revenge, I'll have my revenge...]

[Th-thank... you──]

The ether continued to ripple violently.

At last, fanatics of the Church of Morte on the horizon seemed to sense something wrong and began moving.

It looked like they were trying to find me.

'It's too late.'

I pulled the trigger again.

It was the final shot aimed at the ether storm that was already losing its shape.

Shwack!!!

The muzzle flared continuously, and the concentrated ether storm finally began to scatter.

[Gyaaaaaaahhhhhhh───!]

The raging ether exploded.

Nearby fanatics of the Church of Morte were swept away by the ether shockwave.

Kaboom────!!!

The explosion didn't just engulf Morte Church.

Even though I was over 10 kilometers away, I couldn't escape the effects of the ether explosion.

"Tch!"

Sensing danger, the bone armor sprouted bone tendrils from all over my body and wrapped me in a protective sphere.

Thud!

Thwack thwack thwack!

Stones and sand, propelled by the ether shockwave from over 10 kilometers away, pounded against the bone tendril sphere.

Calling them mere stones would be an understatement—those fragments, charged with ether, were like natural disasters in their own right.

And—

After what felt like an eternity, the ether storm finally died down.

Swish—

As the bone tendrils receded, the scene that unfolded before me was a desolate plain, completely swept clean.

"Phew..."

That was close.

[You have released suppressed ether!]

[Wandering souls will focus intently on you. Whether that is a good or bad thing remains uncertain.]

[Ether stat has increased.]

[11 -> 14]

My ether resonance increased by three all at once.

An unprecedented rate of growth.

That shows just how significant it was to have stopped the ether storm that triggered this makeshift Wave.

And that wasn't all.

[You have thwarted Morte Church's conspiracy!]

[Merit points are accumulating.]

[You prevented a Wave before it began! Additional merit points have been awarded.]

[+5,500]

[Current Merit Points: 16,921]

Risking my life in the first Wave earned me around 10,000 merit points.

But this time, I barely pulled the trigger a few times and gained a whopping 5,000 points.

'As expected.'

Even though the Wave itself didn't actually occur, the reward was immense just for having prevented it.

When playing The Defense, there are players who actively track down the Church of Morte and the Shadow Order to prevent makeshift Waves like this.

It's far more efficient compared to actually fighting during a Wave.

'Of course, that's only possible when there's enough leeway.'

If I hadn't obtained Experimental Round GHOST-157, I would have had to go through a painstakingly complicated process to stop the makeshift Wave.

Instead of directly attacking the core of the ether storm, I would have had to raid the Morte Church conducting the ether ritual.

'If they're initiating an irregular Wave, there's likely a high-ranking figure—a bishop or higher—involved.'

Even if I attempted sniping from a distance, it would have been difficult to handle someone of bishop rank with my current abilities.

In fact, a sloppy attempt at sniping might have resulted in a counterattack.

'To handle someone at bishop rank from the Church of Morte, I would need at least the level of combat power required to make an impact on the Blue Line.'

Even though my growth rate has been remarkable, considering that we're just past the first stage, I can't afford to be complacent.

A single moment of arrogance and carelessness can lead to catastrophic consequences.

'Well... the Wave has been prevented anyway, so there's no need to get entangled with them right now.'

Although they're probably too exhausted from the aftermath of the ether storm to pursue me immediately, they'll soon form a pursuit team to track down the scoundrel who ruined their plans.

'I need to leave this place immediately.'

Without hesitation, I turned away and quickly moved on.

Not long after, the location where the ether storm had occurred began to draw in packs of monsters.

It would have been great if those monsters could take care of the bastards of the Church of Morte, but that probably wasn't going to happen.

The Church of Morte had their holy relics.

At least, that's how it should have been...

[Kyaoo, kyaooo!]

[Grrr—!]

Watching the scene from a distance, I couldn't believe my eyes.

A battle had broken out between the followers of the Church of Morte and the monsters.

It didn't make sense.

'The Church of Morte is being attacked by monsters?'

The Church of Morte is a religion that worships monsters and beasts.

Naturally, they should have a way to avoid being attacked by the very beings they worship.

But for some reason, the monsters and beasts were targeting them.

There was only one explanation.

'The holy relic... disappeared?'

Could it have been because of the ether storm earlier?

'...No, that's not it. The holy relics of the Church of Morte wouldn't be affected by a mere ether storm.'

They aren't called holy relics for nothing.

If they were mere trinkets that could be lost to an ether storm, they wouldn't be considered relics at all.

There are only three of these relics in the world, and anyone who possesses one can ward off monsters and beasts from their vicinity.

In this world where safety doesn't exist, the continued survival of the Church of Morte outside of Ark, and the persistence of their bizarre doctrine of beast worship, all stem from the protection granted by these relics.

'Of course, high-ranking monsters or beasts can still ignore that influence, but it's undeniably an incredible artifact.'

That's why the Church of Morte always carries one of these relics whenever they're active.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be strange if a monster horde attacked them at any moment in this perilous world.

But now, the fact that the Church of Morte was being attacked meant that the relic had vanished.

'Hmm...'

The puzzle pieces slowly came together in my mind.

Tatiana Belov's survival.

The accelerated timeline of the Wave.

A makeshift Wave that wasn't originally planned.

A reason why both the Shadow Order and Morte Church would take action.

Morte Church being attacked by monsters.

'When I put all these factors together...'

Finally, I reached a conclusion.

'The holy relic of the Church of Morte.'

It seemed that Tatiana Belov had taken it.

***

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