Chapter 42

  Eve could not wipe the smile from her face. Now that she had a mount to carry her, the game felt completely different.

  She no longer felt like she was on the verge of collapse just trying to keep up with Ben. White Fang was not only fast, but extremely comfortable to ride when it wanted to be. It zipped around the battlefield, helping Eve collect the items dropped by fallen orcs.

  Occasionally, an orc slipped past the killing line of Ben and his cherubs to attack Eve and White Fang. White Fang swatted them away like flies.

  One hit. One kill.

  “Wow,” she thought.

  White Fang was even more powerful than the Dire Bear Boss she and Ben had barely defeated. At level 15, it stood a full 5 levels above them. Ben was just as amazed by White Fang’s performance.

  He figured the wolf was never intended to be obtainable this early. It was locked behind a hidden quest that no level 10 player should have been able to complete. Ben smiled in reverence. Another powerful blessing.

  It took roughly half the usual time for Ben and Eve to reach the heart of the next Orc General camp. This tribe had its own distinct markers. The camp was filled with icons depicting the same dark, humanoid, animal-like figure. Ben recognized them instantly.

  “Baal?” he thought.

  The activity within this camp could not have been more different from the White Fang clan. Where the White Fang were silent and disciplined upon Ben and Eve’s arrival, these orcs were engaged in loud, frenzied celebration. They danced and shouted hysterically, and the moment they spotted Ben’s group, they attacked without hesitation.

  Ben realized their fervor went beyond a simple lust for battle. Something deeper and far more sinister lurked behind their crazed expressions.

  He narrowed his eyes, brandished his halberd, and charged. He and his cherubs gave no mercy, carving a path toward the center of the village. There, rising above the huts, stood a grotesque sight.

  A massive black cathedral.

  Ben and Eve burst through the cathedral doors and bore witness to a dark ceremony. A female orc stood near an altar, chanting and dancing with the same wild fervor. Human NPCs were chained to the altar.

  A sacrificial ritual.

  Ben wasted no time. He and his cherubs leapt into action.

  This fight was different.

  The female priestess raised an exotic staff and unleashed a wave of powerful support magic, empowering the congregation around her.

  Mass Frenzy

  Mass Haste

  Mass Profane Weapon

  Eve watched in awe as dozens of orcs were enhanced at once. The empowered horde surged toward Ben and his cherubs.

  Ben sent his cherubs crashing into the orc army while he carved a direct path toward the priestess. When he reached her, his spectral blade struck a shimmering white barrier. It cracked, but held.

  He barely avoided a ball of black fire launched by the priestess. It detonated nearby, singeing his shabby leather armor. Ben did not slow. The small amount of damage he took was quickly healed by the lifesteal from his halberd and the claws of the Cherub Master Pugilist.

  He continued hammering at the priestess’s barrier. Orcs rushed to intercept him, but he cut them down with ease.

  The battle was grueling. Orcs poured into the cathedral with suicidal frenzy, desperate to protect their priestess. Ben had not cleared the entire camp before entering, and now they faced the full force of the tribe at once.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The priestess repeatedly refreshed her barrier and recast her mass support spells. When her mana ran low, she drained the life force of a nearby orc to replenish it. The victim collapsed, the look of frenzy still frozen on its face.

  Eve and White Fang were far from idle. White Fang routed reinforcements while Eve looted from atop his back. She knew she would have been exhausted on foot, but White Fang’s stamina seemed endless. Truly worthy of a level 15 side boss.

  After nearly 15 minutes of nonstop combat, the orc tide finally slowed. With no orcs left to drain, the priestess’s mana ran dry, and her white barrier shattered.

  “You think you have defeated us, child?” she sneered. “This is only the beginning.”

  Ben decapitated her without ceremony.

  System notifications flooded his vision, but Ben focused first on the humans still chained to the altar. He had successfully protected them during the fight.

  He strode forward and broke their chains. There were about 12 captives, mostly women and children. They stared at him in awe.

  “You’re free,” Ben said.

  They glanced warily at the fallen priestess and hesitated to move. Ben noticed a familiar mark branded into their skin. His expression hardened as he summoned a black orb from his inventory.

  The orb was the size of a basketball. Dark red energy swirled within its core, pulsing outward. The wave washed over the captives, and their brands faded away.

  “What… what is this?” one woman whispered.

  She stared at the place where the mark had been.

  “By evil you were taken. By Christ, you have been set free,” Ben said.

  The sentence left his mouth automatically. The words were made bitter-sweet as terrible memories resurfaced. Eve noticed his sour mood immediately. The captives, however, looked at him with awe.

  “Christ?” one of them asked.

  Ben nodded.

  “All will be revealed, if you seek Him,” he said.

  The group stood shakily, dressed in rags. Eve approached carefully.

  “We can escort you back to your home,” she said.

  One woman shook her head.

  “I know a way out. It is safer if we go alone.”

  Ben could not suppress a small smile. Eve noticed, but said nothing. She simply nodded and cast a few healing spells, mending wounds and cleaning them.

  “Thank you, both of you,” the woman said. “We will not forget this. We will seek out this Christ. Please come find us later so we can show you our gratitude. We are from Oakpine Village.”

  A marker appeared on Ben and Eve’s map.

  “Go in peace,” Ben said.

  The NPCs did not need to be told twice. They hurried down a corridor and vanished. Eve turned to Ben with an amused look.

  “Let me guess,” she texted. “You find it funny that NPCs always refuse escort quests?”

  Ben nodded.

  “Yeah. The game must know escort quests suck,” he replied.

  They shared a brief laugh, easing the lingering tension. Eve watched Ben closely, though she tried not to make it obvious.

  “Alright,” Ben said. “Let’s divide the boss drops.”

  Eve followed him to the priestess’s body. Together, without prompting, they made the sign of the cross.

  After a brief prayer, Ben inspected the loot.

  The most notable item was the priestess’s staff. It had the standard enhancements of a faith-based staff. These included higher maximum mana, increased regeneration, and bonuses to faith abilities. It also carried several powerful special effects.

  [Staff of Profane Faith]

  [Rarity: Epic]

  [Quality: Common]

  [Passive: Single target support abilities cast while wielding this staff affect all allies within a 30-meter radius.]

  [Passive: Multi target support abilities are empowered based on the wielder’s Faith score.]

  “Whoa. This is broken,” Ben said.

  He immediately passed on the staff, intending it for Eve. To his surprise, she passed as well.

  [All party members have passed on the Staff of Profane Faith.]

  Ben stared at her.

  “Are you serious? This staff is perfect for you.”

  Eve smiled softly.

  “It would be perfect for your Cherub White Mage too.”

  Ben hesitated.

  “True.”

  He shook his head.

  “This kind of gear is too rare to waste on an angel. This is a massive upgrade for you, Eve. You would be even more irreplaceable. Isn’t that what you want?”

  Eve bit her lip and glanced toward the White Mage Cherub gathering loot. After a calming breath, she met Ben’s gaze.

  “I have accepted that combat is not where I serve you best. My abilities are redundant.”

  “Eve,” Ben began.

  She raised a finger, and Ben stopped.

  “I don’t think that is a bad thing anymore,” she continued. “Being a helpmeet can mean many things. I have ideas. Better uses of my time, for you. So for now, you should prioritize gearing your White Mage.”

  She paused.

  “In exchange, I want you to seriously consider a proposal of mine.”

  Ben’s brow rose. “Oh? What kind of proposal?”

  As the cherubs finished looting, Eve absorbed everything into her inventory, sorted it, and initiated a trade. Ben barely glanced at it before he accepted. He trusted her system.

  Eve patted the space in front of her on White Fang’s back.

  “I will explain on the way,” she typed. “It is a lot.”

  Ben’s curiosity spiked. He equipped the staff to his Cherub White Mage.

  The staff transformed instantly.

  The menacing black aura faded, replaced by radiant white light. Its name changed, though its effects remained the same.

  [Staff of Pure Faith]

  “Fitting,” Ben thought.

  Satisfied, he climbed onto White Fang. Eve wrapped her arms around his waist without hesitation as they set off toward the final boss spire. Once they settled into a steady pace, Ben glanced back at her.

  “Alright,” he said. “Tell me about this proposal.”