Chapter 35

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 35: Samuel

The following time was very fulfilling for Samuel.

Besides the basic activities needed for survival, all his time was spent on meditation to gather enough energy to use the Staff of God again. There was a well in the backyard, and in the cellar, there were some nearly everlasting black bread. He would boil the bread with well water, making a porridge that, along with some green onions from a pot, would last a day or two. Relying on these supplies, Samuel could save time from going out to find food—and also money to buy it.

Mr. Samuel, who works as a part-time doctor while being a full-time priest, is busy saving lives. He doesn’t have time to treat minor illnesses like headaches and fevers, which means no income. He spends all his savings on secretly helping and performing rituals for Saro. Samuel struggles to make ends meet without any income.

If things continue like this, the respected priest might fall ill due to poor nutrition. Fortunately, Captain Halite stationed in Red Gum County is a kind person. He regularly sends food through his lieutenant to thank the doctor for caring for the soldiers. Although Samuel only provided basic medical care to the injured soldiers and treated common colds and diarrhea (with his own medicine), Captain Halite’s generosity surprises him. Samuel appreciates this kindness and prays for the captain every day, hoping he will go to Saro’s kingdom after he passes away.

Driving out evil spirits is not easy. When Samuel first tried to drive out the evil spirit from the women in another room, the murky smoke was stubborn and hard to remove. Samuel struggled to maintain the brightness of the Staff of God until the evil spirit left the woman, leaving him exhausted and unable to stand. It was a dangerous situation, as he overestimated his own abilities and couldn’t light the candles again, so he had to hide under the bed in the corner for a few hours before being able to get up.

After resting all day, Samuel went back and found that the woman he had helped with the evil spirit was gone. He wondered where she had been taken. Would she come back and face a worse fate if she woke up? Uncertain, Samuel hesitated to continue treating others. He wandered around the area, cautiously looking for the woman, until he saw her face in the hallway.

The woman, still looking ill, walked confidently, almost leaving Samuel behind. She entered the ward, pulled out a chair, and loudly announced, "I’m fine, sisters! Wake up soon too!"

The woman’s strong voice startled Samuel, almost making him think she was a female bandit. Looking closely, he noticed her muscular arms, looking capable of handling five Samuels at once. The previous image of her weak and helpless in a sickbed was just an illusion.

As long as she’s okay, that’s all that matters…

Maybe this is not a dungeon, but an underground ruin occupied by someone?

Samuel put aside his doubts. After the woman finished visiting, he returned to treat the most critical patients.

Working hard with devotion seemed to help Samuel gain godly powers. At first, after healing someone, he needed a few hours of rest, and it took a whole day before he could use the Staff of God again. However, as he continued to heal more severely ill individuals, he found he needed less time to recover. Maintaining the Star Goddess’ candlelight became easier over time, and he could hold the light for longer periods.

At this point, Samuel began to explore the dungeon more carefully.

The underground structure was very vast with many winding paths, and Samuel doubted if he would ever reach the end. Most of the corridors were lit by blue wall lamps, but some were dark. Samuel tried walking down one of these dark passageways and found nothing after a long journey.

The residents of the dungeon were not many, and the place was not deserted. Samuel had already encountered several types of beings.

First, there were ordinary people who hurried by, leaving only their silhouettes for Samuel to see. He saw a woman with a bow on her back and a man in loose clothes walking slowly with a child in his arms. Their presence did not reveal the nature of the underground structure. There were warriors, but this was not a secret garrison.

Then, there were some dwarfs. When Samuel saw the first dwarf, he thought the person was just short. But in less than half a minute, another dwarf hopped by, followed by three more. These short people, unified with their lack of height development, were definitely not children. They all had beards, chattered loudly in the corridors, and Samuel could overhear them without getting too close. After listening to them for over ten minutes, Samuel ended his day’s exploration feeling dizzy and regretful for wasting time on such matters.

Were these dwarfs hybrids? Samuel had heard of evil creatures taller than regular humans, with green skin, cunning or aggressive temperaments, and a penchant for extracting organs from bodies. However, the dwarfs Samuel encountered underground had rosy complexions. Eighty percent of the time, they were happily silly without reason, and the remaining twenty percent of the time, they were on the verge of silliness.

One dwarf tripped over his own feet near Samuel, falling a short distance, then after standing up, he stumbled again after a few steps. Samuel had to exert considerable effort to stop himself from going over to help him. The priest secretly thought that if a species that preyed on humans had such characteristics, they would likely go extinct early due to their unsuccessful hunting.

Perhaps these dwarfs were just naturally short, suffering from poor growth that affected their cognitive abilities. Samuel began to sympathize with them as he pondered this possibility.

The remaining two creatures certainly could not be mistaken for humans.

When Samuel first saw the large mole, he doubted if he was seeing things from being tired. It was a very, very huge rodent, like a small calf, with tough, tan skin and front paws bigger than a tiger’s. Samuel held his breath as he watched the creature run past him, feeling the ground beneath his feet slightly tremble.

That was definitely no gentle being. With its massive size, a full force collision could perhaps knock down a wall; its huge claws only heightened the danger. Samuel dared not get too close, fearing the creature would make some irrational move, like suddenly growing larger again, expanding to crush him and expose his presence. Does this creature eat meat? Before the priest could fully contemplate the monster’s threat, an image of a small figure riding on it overturned all assumptions.

Not sitting on top, but riding on top. The short figure rode on the mole’s back, grabbing its small ears, shouting, "Hurry baby, we’re going to be late!" as they rushed past Samuel from behind.

It’s really hard to see a creature that willingly allows itself to be ridden as a dangerous enemy, especially when it’s being ridden by a seemingly underdeveloped person.

Therefore, out of all the creatures Samuel encountered, only one truly made him cautious.

Orc.

The female Orc had brown skin, white hair, and a pair of triangular ears standing erect among the hair. It exposed its bare feet, with toenails – its foot claws – long and sharp, lightly tapping the ground between steps, making a faint clicking sound. Like a dog, those foot claws could grip the ground during running to prevent slipping, and it could probably run fast.

Samuel had heard of Orcs, and had seen them from a distance. Further north was Ribe Lake City, the most prosperous city around Angaso, where his nanny had once brought him to broaden his horizons. Pointing far ahead towards what Samuel thought was a circus tent, she told him that the people inside were forsaken by the gods, as they willingly associated themselves with beasts. When the tents were opened, Samuel saw some women with non-human limbs, wearing chains, with eyes haunting enough to give nightmares.

They were not the kind of scary Orcs that Samuel had heard about. In stories, Orcs are usually brave warriors who eat human flesh, use human bones as drumsticks, and human skin as drum heads. Most parents still use these stories to scare their children and make them unable to sleep. A more believable story from history tells us that it has been just over two hundred years since the last war between humans and Orcs, these savage humanoid creatures who once caused a decades-long conflict for the Aryan people. History books mention Orc Warriors who could fight a hundred enemies alone, and battlefield nightmares of giant beasts. This is not just a story, but a real enemy that must be wary of.

The Orc he saw belonged to the latter category.

It was still very young, maybe seven or eight years younger than Samuel, but it carried the scent of bloodshed. It moved swiftly, not like the women Samuel had encountered underground before. Those women moved with the precision of seasoned soldiers (Samuel couldn’t recall if there was a female soldier team nearby), but this female Orc’s steps were lighter, not as nimble as the dwarfs… It was a rhythm that humans found hard to imitate, a predator’s dance.

It was very dangerous.

As Samuel turned a corner, he almost collided with her. Her scarred green eyes shot him a cold glance, almost making him feel exposed. He hurriedly dodged, hoping his clothes hadn’t brushed against her. The female Orc didn’t grab him but lingered in the passage, forcing Samuel to abandon his plan to move forward. As he left, he silently recited a prayer, feeling heavy-hearted.

Was this what a true Orc was like? A young Orc being a ruthless killer in itself, if they were to gather in groups… the thought was unsettling.

Samuel’s suspicion grew fiercely, using all his energy after treatment to uncover the conspiracy of the dungeon, fearing to encounter a large group of trained Orcs at the next corner. He had never really witnessed such a scene but couldn’t explore freely. The female Orc always lurked around, with a grim face, perhaps detecting traces but not enough to expose him.

The stalemate lasted until there were only six or seven victims left.

On this day, Samuel felt quite good. His relentless efforts paid off, leaving only a few soldiers who had recently been brought in underground. Everything he saw after descending the stairs was the same as before, except for those hospital beds.

The bed is empty.

Samuel stood still, thinking hard about where they might have gone. Earlier that day, the captain had sent over some supplies. They had a brief chat, during which Samuel discreetly asked about the army’s situation. The other mentioned that those who hadn’t recovered were still in the same place. The guards on the ground were still on duty, and the captain’s men said they hadn’t been moved. So where had they gone?

The priest suddenly turned around, passed through that wall, and entered that unknown and massive underground building. It was very quiet there. Samuel walked for over ten minutes and didn’t see anyone pass by as usual. His heart sank as the worst possibility seemed to become reality: the mysterious evil force in the dungeon had finally taken action.

Just then, he saw a figure.

It was a normal teenage boy running swiftly ahead. He was moving quite fast, and Samuel, who had been lost in thought, didn’t remember to chase after him until the boy had passed by. The priest was a step behind, so he hurriedly ran ahead, fearing losing this sole lead. Therefore, when the boy suddenly stopped, Samuel couldn’t stop in time.

Waving his hands aimlessly in the air holding the two Divine Artifacts, this futile gesture didn’t help at all, causing him, with a sprained foot, to lose balance. He crashed into the boy’s back, bounced off, and fell clumsily. Even though Samuel tried to hold up the Divine Artifacts in his hands as he fell, the Holy Grail and the candlestick were not unscathed.

The candle flame went out.

The fallen boy quickly got up, turned around, and looked at him as if wondering where Samuel had come from. He didn’t look older than fifteen, freckles around his nose, bright round eyes. He was only wearing a vest and shorts that barely reached his knees, showing no inhuman characteristics or evil aura. Samuel remembered seeing him before; he called some woman, whom Samuel had saved, "sister."

"Child, I’m not a suspicious person," Samuel nervously said, worried that the boy might call for guards or something without reason. He gathered his words, and the boy raised an eyebrow, extending his hand to help him up from the ground.

"How old are you? I’m already fourteen, don’t call me a child," the young boy complained.

"I’m twenty-five, eleven years older than you," Samuel said, battling between gratitude, curiosity, and warning. In the end, the warning prevailed, "Listen, kid, this place is quite dangerous…"

"I have a name, I’m called Alan!" the boy emphasized, hugging his arms.

"Alright, Alan. I’m Samuel… a voter of Saro."

The second half of the introduction slipped out of his mouth in this dangerous and deserted dungeon. Nanny had said Saro’s followers must hide because villains ruled the world, deceiving most, and Saro God’s last power could not endure any more depletion. Finally, Samuel uttered the sentence that had appeared countless times in his mind and dreams, causing him to shudder for a moment, then stand tall.

It was time! The followers of the Sun God could not hide forever in the shadows like unseen mice. If exposure meant extinction, then let it happen now! He would not die in a prison cell, nor at the hands of fools; his blood would cleanse this evil dungeon. A voter of Saro should die fighting evil, not ignorance, when could be a better time than now?

Samuel’s blood boiled with a solemn sense of duty as he said, "Listen to me, Alan, you cannot stay here, I will take you back to the surface. Terrible things have happened here…"

"But we live here," Alan said inexplicably, "we’ve been living here for a while."

"This is a dangerous dungeon, you’re only able to live here now because the demons of the dungeon have not awakened! The soldiers outside have gone missing, the minions of the demon may have already awoken, and once it does, it will be too late!" Samuel urged.

"Originally, we could live on the ground." Alan shrugged, "But the army fired a shot into the forest where we lived, placed a curse. So, no one can live on the ground again. My sister almost died because of it."

"What?" Samuel was taken by surprise and stunned.

He had heard about the army’s actions, and people from Red Gum County had heard about the extermination operation against the Abyssal Descendant in the forest. The young boy in front of him obviously was not an Abyssal Descendant, but the aura surrounding his sister was not good.

There must be some misunderstanding in this, he thought. Weren’t the soldiers cursed when they were fighting monsters in the forest? Weren’t those women affected by demons invading the town? This doesn’t make sense. Samuel couldn’t help but retort, "It’s impossible! The army was cursed by demons!"

"No, they took action and accidentally got caught up in it themselves." Alan snorted, "The captain didn’t know what would happen, and then everyone was affected."

Ah, that makes sense! Samuel was revitalized and said firmly, "There must be demons infiltrating the upper ranks of the army! Their evil plan makes humans turn against each other, I guarantee as a Saro voter…"

"What is Saro?" Alan interrupted him.

"The great and eternal light, the sun, and the God of Justice." Samuel said passionately, "His brilliance shines on the earth, from the day the ancient sun rose to the eternal future, everyone should reverence him…"

"Then why have I never heard of him?" Alan asked.

"Because someone in Aryan’s high ranks has been corrupted by demons!" Samuel said indignantly, "These wicked sinners have deceived the people, making it difficult for the glory of my god to save humanity!"

"Are you just a kid, always talking about ‘demons’?" Alan smiled, "Have your parents ever told you that cavities are also part of a demon conspiracy?"

"Watch your words! Demons are no joke!" Samuel said angrily.

The priest, angered by the indifferent tone of the young man, began to passionately recount history. He talked about how the Cult of Saul used to be respected in the past, with almost all human kingdoms bowing under the power of the gods. He mentioned how the Pastors of Saro and Paladins protected humanity in dark wars, when the Abyss conspired to take over the earth, Saro’s followers united humanity, thwarting the conspiracy. He especially praised the great Paladin Bissar and the revered Saint Nun Mary…

"Can you make it simpler? Didn’t you say we have something else to do?"

"Alright."

Samuel reluctantly skipped through the epic tales, leaving out the heroic Aryan battle – missing this part was a huge loss, as the slogan "For Aryan" originated from those times. These stories accompanied Samuel through his dull childhood of understanding Saroism. He spoke of how Saro’s followers inspired people to banish demons back to the Abyss, separating the Abyss from the earth. He explained how some cunning demons hid among humans, gradually sowing doubt about the divine. After Saro’s followers once again protected humanity by defeating the Orcs, those corrupted by demons suddenly rebelled, betraying Saro God and leading Main God to depart, refusing to listen to people’s prayers. Only when the glory of God spreads across the land again will Saro return through devout prayers.

"That is the true history, distorted by those corrupted by demons, equating God’s messengers with the Abyss! Since then, missionary work has been hindered, and the name of Saro has been hidden," Samuel said, clenching his fist.

Before he could start preaching, Alan curiously tilted his head and asked, "Are God and demons mortal enemies?"

"Never will I share the sky with them!" said Samuel.

"Why does the devil want to link God and them together? If they could control the situation, no one would willingly be placed beside their archenemy," said Alan bluntly.

"Because…" Samuel hesitated, then with admirable quick thinking, he responded, "Because the devil’s reputation is irredeemable, those with a conscience will not believe them. They can only slander the gods, making the fools think that gods and devils belong to evil."

He saw Alan about to speak again. Before Alan could say anything, Samuel hurriedly interrupted, "But followers of Saro never surrendered! When the temple was set ablaze by the foolish and wicked, the devout protected the last Divine Artifact and fled. These were the Moon Goddess’s Holy Grail, the Star Goddess’s candlestick, and Saro’s Staff of God. As their heir, I have inherited the relics of the gods and all the hidden history. I healed your sister with the Staff of God, which is proof enough of Saro’s greatness."

"Saro is the God of Sun, Light, and Justice. What are the names of the Moon Goddess and Star Goddess?"

This question did not come from Alan but from a woman behind Samuel. Turning around, he saw a woman wearing a thick hood, with a hint of white bone protruding from the hood that covered half her face.

Who is this person wearing the bone mask?

"If you have inherited all the knowledge and history about Saro God, you should also know the names of the Moon Goddess and the Star Goddess, as well as the name of the Staff of God," said the masked woman.

Her casual questioning tone made Samuel feel uneasy. "Moon Goddess and Star Goddess do not need names," he confidently stated the fact, "as for the Staff of God, its name is Saro Staff of God."

The woman chuckled, making Samuel frown, feeling like he was being mocked.

"Moon Goddess Patricia, Star Goddess Yujana," she said. "As for the Saro Staff of God? Will it respond if you call this name?"

Now Samuel was sure she was teasing him. He put on a serious face and said proudly, "Madam, if you find this amusing…"

The lady didn’t finish his protest. The beast skull mask turned towards Samuel and made a few sounds.

It wasn’t a common language, but Samuel understood because it was the language Saro followers used to pray to gods. What she said wasn’t a prayer or exclamation, only "Prideful Sun Rod."

Samuel’s chest suddenly felt hot upon hearing this term. The next moment, the Staff of God appeared on its own, shining with warm golden light. More excited than ever before, the Staff of God leaped out of his chest, leaving the priest astonished.

"You see, it answered me," the woman with the bone mask said. "It seems you are far from being all-knowing about this."