Chapter 8: Offensive

"Are you certain this is the outer god believers' stronghold?"

Loren and his group arrived before an estate so ridiculously large it clearly demonstrated its owner's extraordinary status.

Even the dimmest church members could tell this was far beyond their usual sphere of contact. They were scarecrows, elites of the Bountiful Church, but essentially just enforcers. Even Valentina, the highest-ranking knight present, showed some hesitation.

Loren appeared completely unfazed. Losses like these fell within the kingdom's acceptable range. The higher-ups wouldn't touch him, and he might even receive rewards.

After all, as the deity with the most followers, the God of Bountiful Harvest was worshipped across multiple nations. As the composer of the Bountiful Hymn, Loren held significant influence throughout the entire Bountiful Church. At worst, he could simply relocate to another country and continue thriving.

"This is the place. Valentina, follow me in the vanguard. You few, follow behind us. The rest, surround the perimeter. Execute anyone trying to escape on sight. Don't listen to anything they say—they can spread the outer gods' corruption through speech."

Loren dismounted first, checking the ammunition in his two submachine guns before patting his black robe. The satisfying weight of numerous bullet magazines inside brought him comfort.

"Understood."

Seeing Loren take action, Valentina positioned herself behind him. By taking the lead, Loren unmistakably shouldered the responsibility, instantly boosting the scarecrows' morale.

"Ahem..."

Loren cleared his throat, released the safety on his submachine gun, and gently knocked on the mansion door using the gun's stock. Shortly after, a maid came to answer.

The maid appeared ordinary, around her twenties, but her skin looked unusually withered, resembling that of an elderly person.

"Who are—"

Before she could finish speaking, Loren's bullet pierced through her skull. He then stepped over her corpse and continued forward.

"Master Mentor..."

The scarecrows behind him began to ask something, but Loren anticipated their question:

"That wasn't a maid. Look at her body—she's an outer god believer. Probably exchanged her youth through sacrifices, but her status in the cult must be relatively low. Otherwise, only her face wouldn't have rejuvenated, and she wouldn't have been stationed as a doorkeeper."

Though the scarecrows' faces were obscured by straw, Loren could tell they were staring at the maid's corpse, accompanied by the sound of swallowing.

"Your first time witnessing true rejuvenation with your own eyes? Quite miraculous, isn't it?

"But don't get any ideas. Those are outer gods—who knows when they might corrupt you into madness. Better to faithfully serve the God of Bountiful Harvest. Only the God of Bountiful Harvest can truly bring us happiness."

Well, having one person like me sacrificing to outer gods is enough. The rest of you should devoutly believe in the God of Bountiful Harvest.

While discouraging them, Loren took the opportunity to praise the God of Bountiful Harvest, projecting an image of loyalty.

With the minor incident concluded, the group pressed forward. The mansion housed few people—only scattered believers disguised as servants, who were shot dead the moment they appeared.

Before anyone could ask further questions, Loren located the hidden door concealed within the wine cellar. The church members grew increasingly impressed with Loren, though Valentina's hostility toward him deepened noticeably.

The hidden door was small, barely accommodating one person at a time. This time, Loren didn't take the forefront position. Outer god believers employed numerous methods, and those underground would surely sense something amiss, likely already lying in wait at the entrance.

"Valentina, please take point."

"Certainly, Master Mentor."

Valentina's expression darkened further. Loren addressed her directly by name, while she had to use an honorific when referring to him.

Loren remained silent, moving behind Valentina.

The secret passage stretched long, requiring nearly a minute of walking before Loren spotted light ahead—a crimson glow.

This world's moon shone with a bloody hue, similar to the light below. Perhaps this area was open to the sky.

As the group finally reached the endpoint, Valentina had barely taken a step when violent explosions erupted around her body.

"Kill them!"

When the dust settled, it revealed Valentina enveloped in vines, her body emitting a green radiance. Drawing the greatsword from her waist, she roared and charged forward.

Loren stayed close to Valentina's back, letting her absorb the majority of attacks. True to her reputation as one of the kingdom's top warriors, the believers' bullets couldn't harm her in the slightest.

However, the scarecrows following Loren weren't as fortunate. While they wouldn't be instantly killed by bullets, they couldn't withstand concentrated fire either. The underground housed numerous outer god believers.

These believers possessed considerable financial means, making them more challenging to deal with than bandits or minor monsters. Though they might lack magic or martial skills, their abundance of firearms posed significant trouble. The disparity between firearms and bows became increasingly apparent with greater numbers.

"Defilers of the divine, die!"

Offering sacrifices to outer gods within the God of Bountiful Harvest's territory constituted blatant blasphemy. Valentina's faith remained exceptionally steadfast—otherwise, the deity wouldn't have granted her such formidable power.

Valentina swung her greatsword, generating a pressure wave that cleanly bisected two believers ahead while the blade's edge grazed another positioned further back.

"What..."

Under his disbelieving gaze, the minor wound suddenly sprouted, then began growing wildly until several wheat stalks emerged. The wheat grains appeared plump and full, while the believer shriveled into a desiccated corpse.

The greatsword bore the God of Bountiful Harvest's blessing, effectively delivering instant death to weaker opponents.

At the underground chamber's center stood a massive altar laden with various precious items. The God of Greed desired everything, though life remained the easiest valuable to obtain.

The ritual continued ongoing. Those at the periphery were merely minor followers, while the group at the center constituted the true masterminds.

"Stop them quickly!"

The leader wore black robes adorned with numerous luxurious gems. Seeing the urgent situation, he kicked aside the believer arranging the altar and began preparing it personally.

He sliced his finger, using the blood to inscribe symbols across the altar. A mage's blood served as excellent ink, producing highly effective symbols—a method Loren frequently employed himself.

Loren dispatched believers attempting to surround them with a sweeping burst of gunfire. He had enchanted his bullets with flesh-rending properties, particularly effective against flesh-and-blood creatures.

While Loren reloaded, several outer god believers formed formations and began chanting incantations. Elements gathered around them as the temperature rose accordingly.

"Fire element magic? This doesn't belong to the God of Bountiful Harvest's sequence! You've long abandoned the true deity!"

When fireballs came flying toward her, Valentina erupted in absolute fury. Her stature expanded dramatically, reaching three meters tall as her muscles bulged tremendously.

Overgrowth—this was a fifth-tier magic from the Bountiful sequence.

Contrary to the outer god believers' expectations of flames igniting the vines, Valentina simply swept her greatsword casually, dispersing the dense cluster of fireballs before her.

In the next moment, Valentina teleported among them and cut them down with a single sword stroke.