Chapter 178: Survivor...?

Chapter 178: Survivor...?

It was common for those wandering in search of salvation to dream of ideals, regardless of where they found themselves.

And for them, vampires who secretly controlled them from behind the scenes were nothing more than part of the catastrophe they longed to eliminate.

If these vampires held immense value as the ultimate material in the pursuit of their ideals, then surely, they would want to seize that opportunity.

“Foolish, utterly foolish. Beings who gained their uniqueness simply by chance... thinking they could defy the heavens simply because some began to rely on them...”

Whether it was intentional or a result of madness, it ultimately created this current nightmare.

After recounting that fragmented story to me, he concluded with a sorrowful sigh.

“How could they think they would be exempt from the harshness of this era? How could they not foresee that the desperate struggle of lesser beings would corrode them...?”

At that moment, seeing even such a being lament, I felt a dark heaviness welling up from the depths of my soul, threatening to take hold of my mind.

Foreign beings, the vessel of a god—none of it felt close or real to me.

Even if I learned the truth, I couldn’t grasp what I could do or what I should do next...

“If it seems too much to handle, retreating is also an option.”

Lost in my confusion, his voice snapped me back, and I looked at Virgil once more.

Crack, crack. His body was succumbing to a rapid change rising from below his neck.

Even though resistance seemed impossible, he managed a weak smile as he looked up at me.

“You don’t have to understand everything. If you can’t grasp it, just ignore it and run away. After all, both you and I are mere insects compared to foreign beings... Trying to handle what we can’t by defying such a fate is foolish, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean...?”

“But, young one... you didn’t come here just to idly listen to an old man’s stories, did you? Following the note left by that fortune teller, you came to this dangerous place with purpose—surely you’re no passive soul.”

His resolute voice followed his enigmatic words.

The straightness in his gaze as he looked at me made me feel that his words came from a place of absolute sincerity.

“You are here because of your own will. There must be something that drove you to come here, something you cannot overlook...”

Just as his words struck a chord in me, a thunderous sound reverberated through the space, causing it to shake.

As I heightened my guard, Virgil’s gaze began to shift towards the ceiling, as if he knew the source.

“Seems like there’s a ruckus going on up above.”

“...Do you know what’s up there?”

“A most charming young lady and pigs lusting after the filthiest creation...”

Trailing off, his eyes slowly narrowed.

“...And probably a pitiable being who came to resist the fate that has befallen this land. It seems you might have an idea about that too.”

Yes, I understood that part far better than he did.

And it was only then that I realized something.

One reason I came here was because, by following Airi’s prophecy, I was secretly hoping it would lead to meeting her again.

“So, what will you do now?”

But I still had no tangible link to her.

If danger awaited me beyond this point, it would be best to leave rather than face it unprepared.

“Will you leave now? Or will you risk moving forward?”

Yet, just like her, he was giving me a choice.

Would I turn away from these stories I couldn’t bear, leaving this place to heed the foreboding danger?

Or would I step into the unknown, following the reason for my inner conflict, unaware of what awaited me?

“It’s your choice what you do. Whatever you seek... whoever you stand for...”

He didn’t force either choice on me.

Just like Airi, who had given me my mission.

“In this harsh world, the will to resist must never be left to others.”

Teaching me that the fate I was born with wasn’t imposed by someone else.

But something I had to fulfill by my own will.



-Rumble!

A continuous tremor shook the ground.

Francheska, realizing that even that had subsided at some point, took a moment to pull herself out of the flesh and gather her exhausted body.

No, saying she was exhausted wouldn’t be quite right for a doll like her.

Her main body was overloaded, or her parts were broken, and so on...

-Creak.

In any case, she could keenly feel her joints moving more slowly.

How could such cunning beings end up in the ruins of this sanctuary, reduced to a grotesque factory churning out monsters?

Could this truly be possible?

“Have you come to pray?”

A voice reached her then.

After only hearing the screams of monsters, the human language instantly caught her attention.

The figure standing there wore pristine white robes, exuding an aura of purity that sharply contrasted with the surrounding horrors.

“Or have you come to receive holy water?”

Though her face was hidden by a veil, the voice revealed her to be an “elderly woman.”

The formal attire, the old age...

Even without having met her directly, anyone familiar with the empire’s affairs would immediately recognize her identity.

“Pope Martina?”

Pope Martina.

The current head of the Friga Order, known to hold authority equal to that of the Emperor within the Order.

And to the despairing humanity, she was a spiritual pillar.

“Pope... are you referring to me?”

Yet when her name was spoken, she shook her head in denial.

“Perish the thought. How could a lowly servant like me be called by such a sacred title?”

“What do you mean...?”

“Oh, yes. There was a time when I considered myself special. I believed I was the chosen one, the savior leading the despairing masses.”

In the incomprehensible situation, Martina finally fell to her knees.

With her head bowed, she looked like she was praying to someone she worshiped.

“But now, I know the truth.”

In that state, she spoke—or rather, wept.

“I am no savior, but a lowly lamb who could do nothing but submit to evil forces. All I can do is serve as the proxy of the one who guides me...!”

“What do you mean? A proxy...?”

“The angel! The angel’s guidance given by Friga!!”

A powerful shout erupted from her aged throat.

Her voice, spewing what could be called reverence, began to fill with ecstasy.

“It was all ordained by the angel. We were saved by following their teachings, blessed to gather the parasites mocking the suffering into a foundation to shape the vessel of our god—all thanks to the angel’s guidance from Friga!”

Yes, the Pope had gone mad.

And Francheska, sensing the power from her excitement, realized she was the culprit behind this grotesque situation.

More precisely, as the “executor” rather than the mastermind.

“But merely driving them out isn’t enough. There are still too many things in this world that torment us... We must give those who seek salvation a chance. A chance to receive fragments of God’s essence into their bodies.”

That meant that behind her, the mastermind of all this chaos, the true puppet master, was present.

Seemingly unaware of Francheska’s heightened vigilance, Martina proudly pointed to the congealed flesh on the ground.

“Come now. You, too, who have come seeking salvation, must drink the holy water. Only that will allow us, God’s servants, to resist the world’s cruelty...”

-Slash!

Sharp threads sliced through the air as Francheska raised her hand.

The relentless assault sliced through Martina’s surroundings, purging the foul energy nearby.

“But why...?”

But that alone was not enough.

The opponent was a formless entity, akin to a “spirit.”

“Why are you... posing as an angel beside the pope?”

Realizing that this being was the source of Martina’s madness, Francheska let her hostility show. The dissipating energy coalesced into mist, forming a distinct shape.

“Well, this is surprising~ I thought you were just a little girl to my liking, but you immediately noticed where I was hiding~”



“I was going to watch a bit more and then go to that child, but... looks like I can have a little more fun before I go~”

A creature far from a holy angel.

An embodiment of lust with a wicked grin.