Chapter 27: Very good

“Shadow Walker” pondered for a moment, then jumped down from the platform and approached Selene, whispering, “What exactly are you planning to do?”

“What? Didn’t I tell you?” Selene looked surprised. “Of course, I’m going to kill everyone… Well, maybe leave a few alive. I still need to get some information out of them.”

“Tsk.”

“Shadow Walker,” very annoyed, clicked his tongue. He glanced at the priest, whose sword was stabbing towards him, and immediately drew his dagger, slicing it into the middle of the sword, deflecting it, then leaped onto the platform with an agile spin.

“Whatever you’re going to do, hurry up! My dagger is almost broken!”

The priest’s revealed face made him incredibly difficult to deal with. Getting close meant being easily hit by the thorns sprouting from his body. Staying away meant being unable to inflict any damage. So he was only defending himself now. The two weapons clashed repeatedly each second. The intense battle was pushing his dagger, which wasn’t of very high quality, to its limits.

“…I know.”

Seeing that he could hold out a little longer, Selene didn’t rush. She used the short-lived Atinewen to restrain the heretics around them, then pulled out her dagger and opened her wrist.

She stepped onto the first step of the platform. The blood dripping from her wrist stained the stone steps crimson. She paused on the first step for three seconds, waiting for the blood to cover the entire step, then continued at the same pace, step by step, whispering,

“Deity-style altar… self-inflicted wounds… walking the steps of Blood Cleansing… the ‘Blade of Wounds’ saint…”

Only the final condition for the Ritual of the Wound was left.

Meanwhile, on the platform, “Shadow Walker” and the priest continued to fight, their anger rising.

Dodging a slashing blow, he didn’t distance himself as before, but stepped forward, his left foot landing on the sharp, uneven blade. His cracked dagger tore through the air, stabbing towards the priest’s left cheek.

More bloody, fleshy thorns erupted from the priest’s body. But “Shadow Walker” merely dodged, allowing it to pierce the flesh near his shoulder, then relentlessly pressed forward, even as it pierced his body.

The dagger was about to pierce the priest’s head, when the flesh on his face writhed, and another mouth, full of sharp teeth, emerged from the side. His teeth clamped down on the dagger, then bit down hard—

The dagger shattered and exploded in an instant. The flying pieces of metal cut several bloody gashes across “Shadow Walker’s” face. The remaining blade pierced into the mouth.

The priest, as if also fighting seriously, ignored the pain and continued his attack. His left hand grabbed the sword, his now free right hand seizing “Shadow Walker’s” left arm. He exerted his strength, intending to fling her to the ground.

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The weaponless “Shadow Walker,” already weakened, was unable to resist. He saw that the two of them were now at the edge of the platform, so he gritted his teeth, planted his feet firmly, and didn’t care about his captured left arm. He adjusted his posture, twisting free of the fleshy thorn that was piercing his shoulder, and also broke his own arm in the process.

His legs wrapped around the priest’s neck. The force of his jump combined with the force of the priest’s lift, causing the priest to lose his balance and fall backward. The two of them tumbled off the platform and slammed onto the ground.

The impact to his neck caused the priest to involuntarily release his right hand. “Shadow Walker,” using the priest as a cushion, suffered less impact and was able to regain some agility, attempting to grab the sword from the priest’s left hand.

But his left arm was twisted, his right arm was weakening, and his weapon was damaged…

Then “Shadow Walker,” his eyes bloodshot, opened his mouth and bit down on the priest’s left hand like a wild beast. Blood and flesh flew everywhere. Bones were exposed. Tendon and muscle were torn, and his broken teeth were also spat out.

“Shadow Walker” had bitten off the priest’s left hand!

He kicked out, sending the sword and the broken wrist flying.

The priest, having lost his sword, immediately weakened. He struggled for a moment before breaking free from “Shadow Walker” and standing amongst the heretics under his control.

Selene, who had reached the final step of the ten steps, watched in shock. She muttered to herself for a moment, then nodded to the now-exhausted “Shadow Walker,” giving her orders.

“Prioritize your own safety. Get as far away from this hall as possible.”

“Shadow Walker,” who had been ready to press the attack, was startled for a moment. Then he obeyed the order and ran towards the cave. He hesitated for a moment along the way, passing the platform, and used his hand to smear some of Selene’s blood that remained on the steps.

Selene on the platform saw this, but didn’t stop him. She pretended not to see it and remained silent.

She knew that her blood could only temporarily mask the contract’s effects. But she didn’t really care. In fact, “Shadow Walker’s” actions were exactly what she wanted.

—The Binding Contract would only last for half an hour. The time was almost up.

She hadn’t expected to keep “Shadow Walker.” Getting him to help her deal with the priest would already be considered achieving her goal. She wasn’t worried that “Shadow Walker” would attack her, because he was now weaponless and his left arm was practically useless. He wouldn’t be able to hurt her, and would definitely choose to run away… He had signed the Binding Contract, and finding him wouldn’t be difficult.

… But how did he know that blood could mask the contract?

Selene thought for a moment and made the connection between the “Gathering of the Lost” and “Shadow Walker.” Perhaps there was a surviving Lost One among the sacrifices, someone who knew something about the superhuman world, and who had told “Shadow Walker”… A pleasant surprise.

“Get her!”

The same scene as before unfolded as the priest gave his orders. The charging “Fury” conduits, the ranged “Pride” and “Envy” conduits, the stealthy “Lust” conduits, and the useless “Gluttony” conduits threw their weapons at her.

“I need to tell you all something.”

Selene walked to the pillar on the platform and smeared blood across it. In an instant, the painting of the Scholar of Sin and the God of Wisdom’s Eternal Cycle was covered in blood, leaving only the blade held by the Eternal Cycle dancing in the sea of blood.

The blade, painted with inferior pigments, seemed to have many more details. Its surface was full of raised scars and cracks. It seemed as if golden blood was flowing down the blade, forming a golden staircase that led to the divine realm.

“…When setting up the ritual site, besides your own faith, don’t add anything else.”

Selene swung her dagger and shouted,

“I invoke the Blade of Creation, the merciful envoy, the envoy who bears the scars—grant me the staircase!”

At the same time, she cut the artery in her neck with the dagger in her hand!