Chapter 296: The Farmer and the Power Thief (III)
"It seems these people can't see the runes on the holy artifacts," Gideon thought.
On the other side, Austin shook his head with a sigh. "Many clergy have already died because of this… sigh."
Gideon narrowed his eyes. "Among those who arrived earlier… not a single one managed to escape?"
If Jolan could send information out, then there had to be a way.
Austin still shook his head. "As far as I know… no. I've been to three regions already. Most of the clergy there were slaughtered."
"Even those who survived… had to face starvation."
As he spoke, he took out a crude straw container filled with a mixture of insects and dirt.
"Once holy power is gone, those of lower theological rank have to eat again."
"But in a place like this… where would food come from? We can only survive on insects."
"If we're lucky, we might find a dying crow…"
Gideon opened his mouth slightly, clearly not expecting their situation to be this dire.
"You mentioned other 'Scavengers' earlier. Does that mean there's more than one of these monsters?"
"That's right," Austin said. "This place is like a maze. Each region has different Scavengers."
"Some spit virulent toxins, some throw tracking axes, and some can even teleport…"
A trace of lingering fear crossed his face.
"But no matter which one it is, they're all deadly. Whenever they appear, there will be casualties."
Gideon frowned slightly. "Some of these creatures look almost human. Are they native to this place? Is there truly no way to communicate with them?"
Austin didn't know. He only said these monsters were like killing machines—driven by an intense craving for blood.
He then returned to the topic of generators.
"To leave a region, all three generators must be activated. And lost holy relics are the only way to power them."
According to Austin, their daily task was to search for these relics.
The moment they found one, they would rush to a generator.
But not all relics worked.
"To keep all three generators running, you need relics that are at least a hundred years old. Even one year less… and it won't work."
"If lower-quality relics are inserted, they trigger special abilities instead."
"Faster movement, danger detection, even vision that can locate special terrain…"
"No one knows where these abilities come from. But they're one of the few ways we can fight back against the Scavengers."
Gideon rubbed his chin. So these relics were the key.
Then another thought occurred to him.
"Even if we activate the generators, it only opens a gate to another region. But that region also has Scavengers… so why—"
Austin gave a bitter smile. "We don't have a choice."
"Each region will eventually be consumed by lava. Only the Scavengers can survive it."
"Between regions, there's a buffer zone—the only safe area. We must reach it before the lava arrives. Then… it all starts over again."
Gideon frowned.
This was nothing short of a cruel survival game—one that slowly pushed people into despair.
"…But there's also a rumor," Austin added, a hint of hope in his voice. "That beyond one of the gates lies a true exit."
"I've never seen it. But at least… it's something to hope for."
"When will the lava appear next?" Gideon asked immediately.
"Usually every five days. Today is already the third."
"Time's tight…" Gideon thought.
But Austin delivered another blow.
"So far, we haven't activated a single generator. We haven't even found a hundred-year relic."
He sighed deeply.
"And every time the region resets… the Scavengers may change."
New enemies meant uncertainty. All prior experience could become useless.
"To understand a Scavenger's traits, you have to face it directly. And that… costs lives."
According to Austin, their group originally had over a hundred clergy.
Now, fewer than twenty remained.
"This chainsaw butcher is new to us. We lost several people just figuring it out."
As he spoke, he placed a hand on the shoulder of the young man named Dylan.
"We all mourn Vini. But right now, only you can deal with that monster. We can't let her death be in vain."
Dylan's eyes reddened instantly, his fists clenched tight.
Lynn leaned close to Gideon and whispered, "They… were very close."
She didn't elaborate, but Gideon understood.
In a place where death could come at any moment, rules and propriety meant nothing.
He then looked at Dylan. "You said only he can handle it. Does that mean…?"
Austin nodded. "Dylan has manifested skeletal traits. In this space, physical training still carries over."
Gideon immediately understood.
"So I'm not the only one…"
He stood up.
"Everyone, time is limited. We need to find hundred-year relics as soon as possible. For what comes next, I may need Mr. Dylan's help."
But the moment he finished speaking, dissent rose around him.
"This isn't the Vatican. You're not the one in charge here."
"Yeah. Unless you can teleport us out, don't act like a leader."
"If you want authority, prove your worth. I'm not dying for nothing."
Even Dylan looked at Gideon coldly.
After all, from his perspective, Lynn had returned with a stranger—while his companion Vini had died.
"Enough!" Austin intervened.
"Father Gideon is trying to help. If we want to escape, we must work together."
He then leaned closer.
"Father Gideon… that teleportation relic—there's really no way to use it?"
Gideon's eyes flickered. He could tell Austin still held onto hope.
But outwardly, he shook his head. "I've already tried. Otherwise, I would've used it."
Disappointment flashed across Austin's face.
"In that case," someone sneered, "drop the 'Church envoy' act."
"Follow orders. Do your part. That's how you earn food."
The atmosphere turned tense.
Gideon remained calm.
The man's words were harsh—but understandable given their situation.
Still, Gideon neither needed food nor intended to wait around.
Before he could respond, Lynn spoke up first.
"Father Gideon held off the butcher for thirty minutes. That's how I escaped."
A wave of shocked murmurs spread.
"Is that true? Does he have manifested skeletal traits too?"
"That monster is insanely fast—even Dylan can only last a few minutes!"
Gideon smiled faintly and calmly shared what he had observed about the chainsaw butcher.
Austin's eyes lit up. "This information is invaluable. I didn't expect you to last that long."
He paced back and forth.
"With this, we can reduce the number of people engaging the butcher—and focus more on finding relics."
He stopped in front of Gideon, his voice filled with renewed energy.
"Father Gideon, welcome to our group."
Not long after, at the edge of a cornfield—
"Look over there," Austin said. "That's a generator."
Gideon followed his gaze and saw a dark-red machine.
It looked old and worn, with a recessed slot in its body. A long metal pipe extended upward, connecting to four light bulbs at the top.
At this moment, all the bulbs were dark.
"As long as you place a lost relic into the slot, the bulbs on top will light up," Austin explained quietly.
"If it's a hundred-year relic, the lights will stay on continuously. Otherwise, they'll only last for a short time."
"Today's main task is to search around this generator and see if we can find any relics."
Gideon nodded.
He scanned the surroundings. It was almost entirely farmland, with no real cover.
If the Butcher appeared, they could only rely on the corn stalks to hide—far too risky.
He glanced at the others and spoke, "Staying grouped like this is dangerous. If that thing comes with the chainsaw, it could injure multiple people at once."
Austin nodded. "Good point. I was just about to have everyone spread out."
"That's not enough." Gideon gestured around them.
"Based on my earlier encounter, that heartbeat sound is likely a warning signal. Since we have numbers, we can use that to our advantage."
Austin and Lynn exchanged a glance, not quite understanding.
"Spread everyone out. If anyone hears the heartbeat, they can warn the others in advance."
"But…" Austin hesitated. "Wouldn't that also alert the Butcher?"
Gideon pointed toward the crows perched on a distant wall.
"Agree on a signal—imitate their calls."
"These crows are native to this place. The Butcher is probably used to their noise."
Both Austin and Lynn's eyes lit up.
"Of course," Gideon added, "this hasn't been tested. If danger comes, the one giving the warning should still run immediately."
"That's more than enough!" Austin nodded repeatedly. "Father Gideon, you're really experienced in this!"
Gideon smiled faintly. "It's nothing complicated. You've just been under constant danger for too long."
"You're too modest," Austin said, visibly reassured, before turning to give orders.
Soon, the dozen or so clergy had spread out.
Only Gideon, Austin, and Lynn remained near the generator.
"Relics don't have fixed locations, but areas near generators are priority zones. Someone might have found one but didn't get the chance to use it…" Austin continued explaining.
But Gideon's gaze shifted to a nearby ridge.
There, faint light flickered from the soil—strikingly obvious against the dull surroundings.
Austin and Lynn moved closer to the generator.
Gideon walked toward the glow.
Before long, he dug up something solid.
It was a black cross, engraved with the figure of the Holy Son.
"Judging by the strength of the runes… about fifty years in quality," Gideon raised a brow.
Outside, this would be a treasure everyone fought over.
Even he would be tempted.
But here… it wasn't enough.
He stood up.
Around him, everyone else—including Austin and Lynn—was still searching, seemingly empty-handed.
Just as he was about to call out—
A sudden caw echoed from afar.
"Three short, two long… it's the Butcher!" Gideon's eyes sharpened.
Everyone immediately hid.
Moments later, a rapid heartbeat echoed through the air.
And faintly—there were cries for help.
"Stop chasing me! I didn't fall asleep! Take off your mask and look—I didn't fall asleep!!"
"Idiot… that thing isn't an evil spirit."
Two figures burst out of the flattened corn stalks.
"It's him," Gideon narrowed his eyes.
One of them was Luen.
But now, the bishop's illegitimate son looked terrified—none of his earlier confidence remained.
Behind them, the Butcher had already revved his chainsaw.
"Move!" Vera Claus shoved Luen aside and leapt away.
The roaring chainsaw tore through the space between them.
Luen rolled across the ground, pain wracking his body.
Before he could even stand, his sister's voice rang out again:
"Run!"
He turned—
A blinding red glow filled his vision.
His throat tightened. His legs refused to move.
The chainsaw roared again.
"Vrrrr—"
It came down hard, followed by a wet, sickening sound.
"Sis!" Luen's pupils trembled.
Vera's figure appeared before him, blood spilling from her mouth. With the last of her strength, she shoved him back.
"Idiot… you're the only one… with two marks… only you can let the Claus—"
"Thud!"
Before she could finish, she collapsed.
Luen stood frozen.
Then suddenly, a strong force grabbed his arm, dragging him into the cornfield.
"Y-you!" Luen finally snapped back, staring at the familiar face.
Gideon raised a finger to his lips.
Luen immediately realized something and struggled to get up.
But Gideon held him down and whispered, "Don't rush. Your companion isn't dead yet."
"Not dead?" Luen looked confused.
Hit like that… how could she—
Gideon explained quietly, "In this place, unless it's a special case, everyone gets two chances before they die…"
This was one of the rules Austin had told him.
As long as you hadn't been injured by a Scavenger before, your first "down" wouldn't kill you—no matter how severe.
Instead, they would hang you on a hook.
Sure enough, the Butcher lifted Vera onto his shoulder and carried her toward a wooden post.
Moments later, a piercing scream echoed through the air.
But Luen let out a breath.
If she could scream like that, then Gideon was right.
Otherwise, with injuries like that, she wouldn't still be this… "lively."
After calming down, Luen looked at Gideon.
His lips trembled, eyes brimming with tears.
Gideon immediately took a step back, alarmed.
Then Luen lunged forward and clung to him.
"I finally found you! I haven't dared to sleep for a single day—those evil spirits keep tormenting me!" he choked out.
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