Chapter 193: Big Guy and Little Guy 3

Chapter 193: Big Guy and Little Guy 3

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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A man with a rigid expression decisively swings his sword, aiming unhesitatingly for my neck.

The long, two-handed sword, thrust without a second thought, targets a small gap not covered by my armor and helmet.

This fierce and precise attack is proof of his status as a senior adventurer.

The sword, emanating a blue aura, is both powerful and swift.

Despite my formidable physical strength, I doubt I can withstand such a blow unaided.

Although it might not sever my neck in one strike, it's sure to be painful.

As I quickly raise the shield in my left hand, the sword, unable to even scratch it, bounces off.

However, I can't let my guard down.

The sword, seemingly defying physical laws, curves back in a strange trajectory, aiming again for my neck.

"Damn, swordsmanship at this level is a real pain."

Unlike me, who resolves everything with brute strength and physical capabilities, this swordsman has mastered his skills to the extreme.

It's absurd to think that he, overcome by lust, fell victim to maybe a doppelgnger's infection or brainwashing.

But I'm not alone in this fight.

Before his allies can join in or before they attack Katie, I'm enveloped in a protective white aura.

Trusting in the shield to withstand the senior adventurer's strike, I charge forward.

As the sword, tracing its odd path, returns, did he not expect his sword to be abruptly stopped in mid-air?

I thrust my shield towards the stunned face of my opponent.

"Argh, kyaaak!"

"Kill him and capture the woman!"

What the hell, is this doppelgnger carrying some kind of sex-crazed virus?

Every doppelgnger I encounter seems obsessed with women, to the point where they resemble horny orcs during mating season rather than actual doppelgngers.

Given the state of the senior adventurer possessed by the doppelgnger, the reason seems obvious

These doppelgngers, not undead, but rather a type of infected being, emerged grotesquely from some sinister trees.

I recall a famous line from a drama, 'Even cancer cells are life!'The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.

It makes sense now.

They are not undead but living monsters, carriers of viruses and bacteria like sexually transmitted diseases.

With this thought, I look at the senior adventurer's face, now flattened and teeth shattered.

"Katie, Grace! Try to capture them alive! These aren't creations of the Demon King, but the very adventurers we saw earlier!"

"Huh?! These people, they have divine marks on their forearms!"

"Then first, let's capture them and hand them over to the temple!"

The infected adventurers, undeterred by fear and driven by lust, charge at us even after their strongest, a senior adventurer, is swiftly defeated.

If I can overpower a senior adventurer in one hit, I must be beyond that level, no different from a real monster.

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Raei Translations

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It seems divine energy is almost like a cheat key for gaining favor with the temple's forces.

Reflecting on it, the scenario must have looked dubious: someone without a holy mark overpowering adventurers who had them.

Their skepticism was inevitable.

"So, they couldn't resist temptation when faced with the creations of the Demon King..."

"We've captured them alive for research purposes."

As we handed over the four adventurers, suggesting research, a female temple knight with a sweet voice but chilling words smiled and said,

"Research? Hmm, we were actually planning to just hang them as an example."

"Excuse me?"

She proudly pointed to the gallows next to an open field, shining like new, possibly built for the band of adventurers we had captured.

"But considering they're infected by a newly emerged monster, shouldn't we study this?"

"Hmm, but Sir Roland, these aren't victims of evil magic or poison. They are mere degenerates who attempted violations merely because they found the creatures of the Demon King attractive. Even our merciful Goddess of Life might not show compassion to those with such perverse desires..."

The temple knight was ready to proceed with execution rather than treatment without any hesitation.

Her reasoning wasn't wrong, considering the worlds harsh treatment of criminals like pickpockets.

Given that the accused are monsters and the story of the holy marks hasn't spread widely, the knights naturally lean towards presuming guilt, especially since the adventurers could be innocents returning to receive their marks.

Kind-hearted Irene seemed a bit saddened, believing in the chance for reform, but that was all.

The rest of the party did not object to the idea of executing the infected adventurers we had captured.

"Hanna? If it's research on infection, there are multiple ways to go about it, perhaps focusing on aiding potential victims."

"Victims... But didn't they kill all the stonemasons last time? If they have infectious abilities, why did they do that?"

Only Han Se-ah seemed worried that hanging the adventurers we had captured might ruin the quest, trying to change the subject.

However, to the rest of the party, her concerns appeared merely as an unnecessary act of mercy.

Sending a glance to the temple knight as if agreeing with the execution, I gently comforted Han Se-ah with a reassuring hug.

Yet, the temple knight hesitated to take the infected adventurers away, watching my reaction.

I, too, shared Han Se-ahs concerns, and it seemed the rest of the party was waiting for my signal.

It seemed the temple regarded my opinion as the most important, probably given my participation in the holy war.

"Why not hang the leader who failed to guide the party properly, and send the rest alive to the Magic Tower? The mages there might find an effective way to deal with these evil beings."

"Hmm, indeed... there's no need to hang all of them at once."

So, my proposal was a kind of middle ground.

As the players climb the tower, the Magic Tower acts like an all-purpose shuttle.

They buy mana stones, create magical tools and high-end items, and even open gates.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them 'The Generous Magic Tower.'

This time too, if we just hand over the adventurers infected by the doppelgngers, saying, 'Here's a sample for your research,' the mages, like hyenas searching for thesis topics, will surely flock to them.

The Magic Tower has more of a group of researchers vibe than a group of warriors, feeling like a mix of scientists and university professors.

They're even more eager than blood-thirsty piranhas when something new is discovered.

Of course, this is influenced by character settings in 'Heroines Chronicle.'

There are characters like beautiful sorceresses with assistants voluntarily enslaved by their beauty, or gloomy, dark-haired, long-haired sorceresses in white robes looking like lab coats, looking like researchers with dark circles under their eyes.

"Following Sir Roland's suggestion will also benefit our brothers. We'll hang one as an example and send the remaining three to the Magic Tower."

Thank you for considering my input, even though it may have seemed like interference.

Interference? Sir, as the sword of the holy war, you could ask for more and the temple would gladly comply. Hmm, is the one with the smashed face the leader?

The temple knight, finding logic in my suggestion to use the captives as research subjects for the Magic Tower, agreed to separate the leader from his party members.

Han Se-ah sighed in relief at this decision, hopeful that sending the specimens to the Magic Tower would lead to some progress.