Chapter 171
A warm body temperature enveloped me.
Perhaps because the battle had heated things up, I even felt a sense of warmth.
The moment I hugged Hanbyeol, what I felt was a sudden rush of sweet body scent. Perhaps it was due to Sitri's ability, but the scent was quite pleasant.
Not only that, but the sensation of her skin all over my body... Thanks to that, my lower body twitched for a moment. It wasn't just my imagination; my lower abdomen had actually touched Hanbyeol's body.
“...”
Hanbyeol flinched for a moment, but didn't show it and remained still.
I briefly enjoyed that soft sensation.
I just want to stay like this...
Although it was weaker than what others experienced, I was still under the Demon's Mental Interference. In such a situation, my heart couldn't help but be stirred.
Honestly, it felt like I could just *indulge myself* right here, right now. But.
*...No.*
I quickly pushed Hanbyeol away. That was exactly what Sitri would want. Hanbyeol looked disappointed, but still had enough reason to quietly step back.
After that, I immediately took her and persuaded Odelia. After all, if I could just convince her, the Commander, the others would easily follow.
“...That's a good plan.”
Fortunately, she was quickly convinced. She didn't suddenly ask for a hug like *someone else*. Perhaps because we had fought together so many times, she trusted me quickly.
“Alright. Then I'll gather the People.”
With that, she gathered the People who had been fighting separately.
We didn't need many. We just needed enough personnel to clear a path. Everyone knew that a prolonged battle would be disadvantageous, so the people gathered quickly.
“Are you sure you can land a single Strike if you clear the way?”
“Yes.”
“...Then I'll trust you.”
An Adventurer came and asked this question in the middle. It seemed they were a bit worried since the designated attacker was I.
The Adventurer gave me a suspicious look for a moment, but didn't say anything and moved on. By now, my reputation had grown considerably.
It had been quite some time since I started operating outside the Forest, and I had participated in numerous battles during that time.
Moreover, thanks to the Otherworlders, stories spread easily...
The number of people who disregarded me had significantly decreased.
It felt good, in a subtle way, to be acknowledged.
Swoosh.
Immediately after, the Priests also stepped forward and cast Buffs on the Extermination Squad Members.
Their bodies became invigorated, and their minds cleared once more.
Unlike Holy Water, which destroys evil, the Buffs cast directly by the Priests didn't seem to cause any harm. Even I, a Manifestor, could fully enjoy its Enhance effect.
After those small preparations, Odelia shouted.
“Charge!”
Immediately after, the People began to intertwine with each other.
However, unlike before, they formed a proper formation, as if to create a small path.
Watching that, I slowly prepared my Attack.
Hwoooong...
I gathered my magic power and unleashed Blood Force Art. My body, enhanced by divine power, became even tougher. Not only that, but I also coated my spear with blood and Sword Aura.
“...Hmm?”
Unfortunately, however, the Blood Force Art couldn't fully cover the spearhead. Soon, the blood lost its power and flowed onto the ground. This was due to the Priest's Buff on my body.
The divine power was purifying my blood itself.
So, it neutralizes blood that leaves the body.
That fact was a bit disappointing, but I didn't pay it much mind. I had only added a little Attack power just in case, but even in this state, it would be enough to pierce through *that one*.
I just needed to land a single Strike on my Opponent. And so, I took one step after another towards *that one*.
“These guys...”
Sitri, sensing something unusual, exerted her abilities to the fullest.
Suddenly, a sickly sweet scent wafted strongly from the surroundings.
It was like a floral scent, or perhaps the soft perfume unique to women. I didn't know what it was, but it was clear that the Mental Interference had grown stronger. Thanks to it, my lower body felt even more tingly.
Indeed, some Personnel eventually lost their grip on reason.
“Fuck, I can't take it anymore!”
This was because people started shouting such things and throwing themselves into the mass of bodies. They frantically ripped off their clothes for sex, looking quite desperate.
*Me too...*
Watching them, I felt a touch of envy. But that was only for a moment; I quickly shook my head vigorously and snapped back to reality.
My mind is really going all over the place.
Perhaps because I'd been subjected to so much Mental Interference, my thoughts were running wild. In any case, it seemed beneficial to catch the Demon quickly.
Fortunately, the opportunity came quickly.
“Now!”
Thanks to the efforts of the Extermination Squad Members, a path was finally cleared. A straight path, connected through countless gaps in the bodies, became visible. It looked like a path that would quickly disappear under pressure, but it was an opportunity nonetheless.
I didn't miss that opening and immediately charged forward.
I raised my spear beside my head and pulled it back as far as I could.
It was less of a thrust and more like a javelin throw stance. If I threw the spear like this, it would indeed be a javelin throw, though I had no intention of throwing it in this chaotic mess.
But for that very reason, it was perfectly suited for targeting the skull or heart.
“!”
Beyond the path, Sitri's horrified face was visible. She tried to escape somehow, but it was already too late.
My spear was already within reach of *that one*.
Thwack-!
With a large, fleshy sound, Sitri's chest was blown open.
*She* vomited bright red blood from her mouth.
As expected of someone with low durability, there was no significant resistance when I Thrust her.
“...Ugh.”
That was the end. Sitri gurgled blood from her mouth a few times, then vanished. For a demon who had brainwashed an entire village, it was a rather anticlimactic end.
Upon vanishing, all *that one* left behind was a small round mirror.
*I'll check that later...*
I briefly looked around.
Thud.
The men and women inside the hall who had been blocking us were collapsing one by one.
Like puppets with their strings cut.
Seeing that, some people let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew.”
“We're alive.”
The Demon had been dealt with, so now it was time for Cleanup.
*
After Sitri disappeared, the first thing we did was to manage the Villagers.
Even though the Demon was gone, it would be quite troublesome if the Charm hadn't worn off yet.
“Huh? What, what is it?”
“Why am I here...?”
“Good heavens! Why are all those young men naked over there?”
Fortunately, nothing like that happened, and the Villagers who had been chasing us had also regained their senses.
However, their memories all seemed unstable.
“Tsk... Why do I have a fishy taste in my mouth?”
It seemed that the longer one was under the Charm, the more it affected one's memory.
*This Village's birth rate is going to skyrocket later...*
Though that also meant there would likely be many half-siblings. Still, most of the Villagers seemed fine, so we decided to move on.
But 'most' implied that there were also those who weren't.
The condition of the people inside the Hall was a bit more serious.
Even putting aside the injuries from the physical struggle, they all hadn't regained consciousness.
This was despite the Priests infusing them with divine power. Still, the Priest seemed to have a rough idea why they couldn't wake up, and explained with a somber face.
“Their souls have half-departed...”
“What?”
“It's exactly as I said. Their souls are barely clinging to their bodies. As if they could leave at any moment.”
Though he spoke of souls and such. In summary, they were in a Vegetative State. Their bodies were intact, but their minds had already left their bodies, and they couldn't move.
I had felt something was off since they were moving under Sitri's influence, but their condition was more serious than I thought. Indeed, a Demon like *that one* wouldn't just provide comfortable sexual pleasure.
Come to think of it, it was a serious situation.
It was fortunate we caught *that one* early on. The more time we gave *that one*, the more troublesome she would become. She would Charm anyone who came to the Village and use them as her limbs.
If we had made a mistake, we might have had to face an entire City, not just a Village.
Odelia was right to just catch her.
Thinking that, I asked the Priest.
“Then is there no way for them to return?”
“Well... we can Heal all their wounds, but their will to return will likely be important.”
Of course, there's no telling when that might be: a few days from now, or a few years. Perhaps there's even a chance they'll never return. Thinking about that, I felt truly disheartened.
Still, at least their lives were intact. After healing the injuries of the People inside the Hall, we handed them over to their respective Homes. I won't bother to describe the tears of the Families who, without understanding why, received their loved ones in a Vegetative State. Because I don't particularly like dark things.
“How curious.”
“Pardon?”
After we had finished up, one of the Priests spoke to me.
“To be honest... I had a prejudice against you. I believed you were an Ally because of your accumulated record, but I didn't realize you could make such a variety of expressions.”
He was probably referring to the expression I made when we handed over the Vegetative State patients to their families. Feeling unnecessarily awkward, I quietly scratched the back of my head.
“It seems you've been avoiding us...”
Even in that situation, the Priest continued speaking.
“You don't need to be so wary. We are hostile towards Demons, not towards you.”
“...”
“Do visit the Order sometime. We don't have much, but we will welcome you.”
After a moment of thought, I nodded. I had been curious about the Church anyway. Who knows? Maybe they'd give me some Holy Water as a reward if I went.
And so, after resting for a few days in the Village to recover from the journey... we set off on our return trip.
It was time to go back home.
“...”
There was the issue of Hanbyeol not logging in often on the way back. Nevertheless, the journey back was peaceful.