Chapter 294: The Farmer and the Power Thief (I)
Not long ago—
The moment they stepped into the void fissure, a powerful sphere of light enveloped them and hurled them at high speed toward an unknown destination.
During the descent, Gideon caught sight of other clergy members. They were in the same situation, each wrapped in their own sphere of light.
At first, all the light spheres traveled roughly in the same direction.
But halfway through, the energy within the void passage suddenly became violently unstable.
The spheres containing the clergy shattered, scattering everyone in different directions.
Worse still, just before reaching the ground, the sphere around Gideon was struck again. The impact threw him clear of it, separating him from the two nuns as he plunged into a dense fog.
Fortunately, although the process was perilous, he suffered no real injuries.
After brushing the dirt off his clothes, Gideon finally took a proper look at his surroundings.
"Where… is this?"
He stood in what appeared to be farmland. Withered corn stalks towered taller than a man, growing densely in every direction, making it impossible to tell where he was.
Raised ridges of soil and the faint smell of fertilizer in the air only reinforced the impression.
For a moment, Gideon even wondered if he had somehow transmigrated again.
"This is the battlefield of the Holy War?"
He scanned the area but found nothing related to the Church—nor any sign of the Wings of Vengeance.
A thought struck him, and he reached for the backpack slung behind him.
"The holy artifacts are still here… but…"
His eyes narrowed.
Most of the sacred items he carried had lost their holy power.
No—more precisely, their power was being suppressed by some unknown force.
Only the century-old artifact still emitted a faint glow. At that level, it seemed to possess a unique resilience of its own.
Carefully storing it away, Gideon treated it as his ultimate lifeline.
Next, he checked several vials of holy water of varying ages. The contents were intact and uncorrupted.
But the spiritual particles within them seemed sealed off, unable to interact with the surrounding space.
The same was true for his other artifacts.
And even his own body.
The holy power within him had stagnated completely. No matter how he tried to command it, it refused to respond.
Gideon frowned deeply.
That meant if he encountered evil spirits or demons now, he would have no means to deal with them.
He tried casting a holy spell—nothing changed.
Thankfully, the physical strength he had gained from body cultivation remained. Otherwise, he would truly have been reduced to an ordinary human.
Only now did he fully grasp how dangerous this place was.
No matter one's status or power outside, here, everyone was equal.
Still, there was at least one piece of good news.
Gideon glanced at the floating interface before him—his system panel was still active.
Although abilities like [Messenger of Sin] might not function without a target, [Divine Eye Restriction] still worked, allowing him to perceive the abnormalities affecting himself and his artifacts.
Looking into the distance, he saw faint fluctuations in the air—tiny runic patterns formed by spiritual particles.
Though too far away to discern clearly, they proved one thing:
Supernatural power still existed in this space.
After packing away his artifacts, Gideon considered his next move.
His goal was to rescue people and locate the "Ten Commandments Stele," but with so little information, there was nothing to act on yet.
For now, exploration was the only option.
If he could find other clergy members, he might uncover useful clues.
With that in mind, he headed toward a direction where spiritual fluctuations were strongest.
---
Along the way, he discovered more.
Beyond the endless cornfields, he passed several wooden cabins.
They had clearly been abandoned for a long time. Inside, there were only a few red wooden cabinets—nothing else. Even the floorboards were cracked and decaying.
All signs pointed to this being a farm.
Yet something about it felt… off.
For instance, along the edges of the cornfields stood numerous wooden fences.
These formed small enclosed camps. At the entrances were tall wooden boards, taller than a person.
Inside, campfires burned quietly.
But there were no signs of human life.
The contradiction was unsettling.
What drew Gideon's attention the most, however, was something else inside the camp—
A metal hook structure.
It consisted of two parts:
A wooden post over two meters tall, carved with strange, indecipherable patterns.
And attached to it, a massive iron hook—pitch black, with dark red stains still clinging to its surface, like a torture device.
Above it extended claw-like appendages resembling spider legs.
Gideon had no idea what it was for.
But through his vision, he could see a black beam of light rising from the hook, stretching upward into the sky, connecting to a mass of dark mist overhead.
It looked ominous. Mysterious.
Just as he was about to examine it further—
Footsteps sounded outside the camp.
His eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he slipped into a nearby red wooden cabinet.
Moments later—
Two nuns in black robes appeared outside.
"Sister Lynn, this place is so remote. There's no way a lost holy artifact would be here," one of them whispered.
"Vini, the locations of lost artifacts aren't fixed," the nun called Lynn replied. "Harlan once found an eight-year artifact buried in a dirt mound."
"Lost artifacts… Lynn…"
Inside the cabinet, Gideon narrowed his eyes in thought.
Soon, the two figures quietly entered the camp.
"It's really her," Gideon's eyes lit up.
Through a crack, he saw a familiar face—the same nun who had once traded information about a saint's remains with him.
"Too bad… just an ordinary camp. Not even a generator," Vini muttered in disappointment.
"At least the terrain is good," Lynn said, surveying the area.
"An L-shaped corridor, two windows. If we run into a Sweeper, survival chances are high."
Vini nodded. "But it's too open. No obstacles nearby. If we want to escape, we'd have to dive into the cornfield."
Inside the cabinet, Gideon grew more confused.
"Sweeper? Generator? Obstacles… what are they talking about…?"
Lynn spoke again, "Search the area quickly. If there's no chest, we leave."
"Even in a remote place like this, a Sweeper could pass by."
"Got it."
The two began searching.
Vini moved toward the outer fence, while Lynn walked straight toward Gideon's cabinet.
Just as he debated whether to reveal himself—
A distant sound, like a chainsaw, echoed.
Lynn instantly dropped to the ground, terror filling her face.
Thump… thump…
At the same time, Gideon heard a heartbeat.
At first faint, then growing louder—faster—until it felt like it was pounding right beside his ears.
A suffocating sense of urgency filled the air.
Gideon frowned, trying to pinpoint the direction.
Vini returned, crouching as she approached Lynn.
"I found some medical supplies," she whispered, holding up a small bag marked with a white cross.
But Lynn's face sank.
"This is bad."
Seeing Vini's confusion, she explained softly:
"If the Sweeper is chasing another survivor, they'll use this terrain to escape."
"If they notice an opened chest here, they'll suspect others are nearby."
Her lips tightened.
"And then… they might use us as bait."
Vini's eyes widened. "W-what do we do? Run now?"
"It's too late!"
Lynn suddenly grabbed her, pulling her down beside a wall with a window—
Directly opposite Gideon's cabinet.
The heartbeat was now deafening. The chainsaw roared again.
---
The next moment—
A blood-soaked man vaulted through the window.
As he landed, a chainsaw slammed into the window frame behind him.
Clatter—
The blade stalled.
"Ugh… ah…"
The man didn't dare stop. He ran forward immediately, failing to notice the two nuns hiding below.
Then—
A red glow seeped through the window.
A tall figure appeared.
A pale leather mask.
A bloodstained yellow butcher's apron.
And a massive chainsaw.
Gideon recognized him instantly.
Bubba—the Chainsaw Killer from Texas.
"…Is this his farm?"
Before he could think further—
A heavy foot stepped through the window.
The two nuns trembled violently, covering their mouths, not daring to make a sound.
In one second, the killer climbed inside.
But instead of moving, he stood still.
The red glow pointed straight at the cabinet.
The pounding heartbeat felt suffocating.
Gideon even had the eerie sensation—
That it was staring directly at him.
Just as he was about to act—
The killer moved.
But in the opposite direction.
The chainsaw roared to life again, and the massive figure lunged forward.
A scream rang out.
The fleeing man collapsed.
Still alive, he crawled desperately.
But it was futile.
A heavy foot stomped onto his back.
The chainsaw revved.
"No… I can't die here… someone—anyone—help me!"
Despair filled his eyes.
RIP—
The chainsaw tore through his chest. Blood and flesh splattered across the ground.
"AAAAAA—!"
The scream echoed through the night.
The man died almost instantly.
But the killer did not stop.
Inside the cabinet, Gideon took a deep breath.
This was the best chance to escape.
If the nuns made any noise while fleeing, the cabinet would become an obvious target.
With that thought—
He slowly pushed the cabinet door open.
Lynn was clearly startled when the cabinet door opened.
But the moment she recognized the face inside, a flicker of surprise—and relief—flashed across her eyes.
Gideon raised a finger to his lips, silently signaling them to leave quietly.
The two nuns nodded at once, immediately understanding.
Gideon moved cautiously toward a side passage. He had already planned this escape route—the exit led straight into the cornfield, where the tall stalks would provide excellent cover.
The roar of the chainsaw masked their footsteps.
At this moment, if the monster so much as turned its head slightly, it would see the three of them crouching on the ground.
"Five meters…"
"Two meters…"
Gideon silently calculated the distance.
Finally, he reached the edge of the field.
At the same time, the chainsaw suddenly stopped.
Without hesitation, Gideon sprinted straight into the cornfield.
Lynn followed immediately.
Only Vini hesitated, turning back out of curiosity to check the situation.
What greeted her was a flash of crimson light.
BZZZZ—
The chainsaw roared to life, snapping her out of her daze. Vini scrambled forward, tumbling into the cornfield.
But the butcher was faster.
"Vini!" Lynn cried out, her pupils shrinking in terror.
Gideon instantly knew—she wasn't going to make it.
He had already seen the monster's speed when revving the chainsaw.
If this had been before his holy power was suppressed, he might have outrun it.
Now? Impossible.
And just as he expected—
Vini hadn't even taken a few steps before the butcher caught up.
At the critical moment, just as the chainsaw closed in, she slipped.
But the expected spray of blood didn't come.
The chainsaw grazed past her shoulder and only came to a stop several meters away.
Gideon's brows lifted slightly.
With his enhanced vision, he caught a crucial detail.
"When it revs the chainsaw… its turning ability is extremely limited."
At that moment, he recalled what Jolan had told him—
Figure out the rules.
"I think… I'm starting to understand," he murmured, eyes narrowing.
---
Vini shakily got to her feet, realizing she was somehow unharmed.
"Lynn, I—I…"
Her face was filled with relief after narrowly escaping death.
"Idiot! Why are you just standing there?!"
She suddenly heard the unfamiliar man shout, while Lynn's face was filled with urgency.
A sense of dread rose in her chest.
Before she could react—
A shadow loomed overhead.
From Gideon and Lynn's perspective, the butcher stood just centimeters behind her.
As Vini began to turn—
A bloodstained hammer was already raised high.
And then—
CRACK!
It came crashing down onto her skull.
Her forehead caved in instantly, a smooth stream of blood running down the bridge of her nose.
"Lyn—"
THUD!
She collapsed forward, her limbs twitching uncontrollably—yet she was still barely alive.
"Vini!" Lynn's voice broke as she cried out, rushing forward instinctively.
But Gideon grabbed her.
"You want to die too?"
"No… no…" Lynn was on the verge of breaking down.
"Vini… this is already the second time she's gone down… if we don't save her…"
Gideon caught the implication in her words—but there was no time to think about it.
Across from them, the butcher revved the chainsaw again.
This time, Gideon didn't hesitate.
He forcibly dragged Lynn away.
Almost the moment they turned, a wet, tearing sound rang out behind them.
---
Gideon didn't run in a straight line.
Instead, he moved in wide S-shaped patterns, constantly watching for movement behind them.
"Back at the camp, you mentioned 'your camp.' Is it safe?" he asked.
Beside him, Lynn's face was streaked with tears, but she forced herself to answer through choked breaths.
"It's… relatively safe. It's some distance from here… but we can't lead the butcher there."
Gideon immediately understood.
Nowhere was truly safe.
"Damn… what a terrible place…"
Just then—
The sound they dreaded most echoed again.
The heartbeat around them spiked violently.
Gideon grabbed Lynn and changed direction before even seeing the chainsaw.
A second later—
SLASH!
The roaring blade tore through the spot they had just occupied.
This time, Gideon didn't make Vini's mistake.
The moment they turned, he pulled Lynn again—doubling back in the direction they came from.
The sudden change in direction threw Lynn off balance, and she stumbled straight into his arm.
Fortunately, he caught her in time.
---
Meanwhile—
As the two reversed course, the butcher had just finished its previous attack.
Instinctively, it drew a hand axe and swung toward the direction they had turned.
The motion was smooth. Fast.
But a moment later—
The axe cut through empty air.
The butcher paused.
It lifted its head.
The two prey it had been chasing were gone.
Only the corn stalks swayed gently in the field.
Want faster updates? Send those stones my way—the more, the merrier. Read early at [email protected]/A_divin5