Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 371
hum-

Pink energy washed over my body like a tidal wave.

Xia Nan could sense that something invisible was lurking within the energy, intending to infiltrate his spirit.

But before he could concentrate on defending himself, with a slight tremor from the silver ring on his right ring finger, all the invisible energy that touched Xia Nan's body was absorbed and converted into 0.001% of his energy.

"Bang, bang."

Two muffled thuds rang in Xia Nan's ears, one after the other.

The first strike was heavy and short, like an iron block hitting the ground; the second strike was relatively lighter, as if it had struggled a couple of times, accompanied by staggering footsteps before falling to the ground.

I glanced at it out of the corner of my eye.

Margaret and Soldin, under the impact of the pink energy, lost their ability to fight and collapsed unconscious.

Fortunately, his life force was still relatively stable, and he did not die on the spot. He should regain his senses once the effects of the gem's energy subsided.

Thoughts flashed through my mind.

Before him, on the altar at the far end of the church, the elderly pastor, dressed in a ceremonial robe with gold trim, was the first to open his mouth:
"It really was you."

Under the dazzling pink light in its eye sockets, only a blurry outline of eyes moved slightly, its gaze sweeping over Xia Nan's body, first lingering on the exposed chain of [Tears of Spring Breath] at his neck, and then landing on the [Emberfall] straight sword in his hand, as if searching for something.

"I found it strange when I received the news from Hans, so... that wealthy businessman from Newme, Horako, was it you who helped him break free from the mind control?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan remained outwardly calm, but his heart sank.

The speculation has become a reality.

"Hans"... is the name of the hotel owner.

Previously, when he accidentally came into contact with Horac's pastel gemstone and helped the other party remove the charm effect, he had considered whether the huge contrast in the wealthy merchant's behavior before and after would arouse suspicion from other people in the town.

The hotel owner's subsequent conversation and the night raid confirmed his suspicions.

Now, even Pastor Moen in front of him knows this, and even knows that it was he who released Horako from control.

Therefore, the hotel owner's seemingly suicidal actions before his death were a way of conveying a message about himself to Moen in the church through the jewel on his chest.

Fortunately, based on what Xia Nan observed in that brief moment, the priest's gaze and expression suggested that he was still unaware of the existence of the [Dream Corridor].

"These gems, and everything that happened in town, were all your doing?"

Of course, he couldn't answer the other party's question directly. Xia Nan's eloquence was not good to begin with, and being insincere and trying to gather information through verbal communication was not his forte.

Instead of struggling with this old man's topic, it's better to change your approach, take control of the conversation, ask only what you want to know, and avoid revealing information in your answers as much as possible.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if the other party doesn't respond, they'll just end up talking to each other.

But to everyone's surprise, the pastor was unusually candid at that moment.

“If you mean this…” Moen raised the pastel gem he was holding in his hand towards Xia Nan, then gently tilted his head and glanced at the huge, dazzling pink beam of light that stretched straight into the sky above, “and this as well.”

"I did contribute to it."

"why?"

Xia Nan subconsciously continued to ask.

At the same time, they made the most of this brief moment to observe the surrounding environment and the priests ahead, gathering information in preparation for the likely upcoming battle.

Of course, there was also the idea of ​​stalling for time to see if his two teammates could wake up from their coma.

Without any attempt to conceal his intentions, Moen smiled kindly and answered the adventurer's question in a calm tone:

"Child, perhaps you cannot understand."

“But I am saving them from this world full of suffering and doubt.”

The voice was gentle and calm, as if explaining something that should be taken for granted.

His expression was relaxed and natural, just like the bright and sunny morning when he first met Xia Nan.

But all of the above, when combined with the current situation where the entire town of Gieshorn has fallen, the enormous pillar of light overhead, and the eyes that have been completely swallowed by the pink light, all contribute to the overall effect.

It seemed so eerie, sending chills down one's spine.

"save?"

Xia Nan found it all absurd.

Even the way he looked at the priest changed, a hint of mockery appearing deep in his dark eyes.

If the other party directly admits that they want to complete some kind of ritual by sacrificing the entire town, or that they are trying to use some mechanism of the gem to absorb the life force of the townspeople to prolong their own life.

He might not think much of it and just assume the other person is a common, misguided member of the evil faction on the continent of Aifara.

But the pastor said he did it to save the townspeople...

Xia Nan felt that the other party was a self-deceiving madman.

Seemingly sensing the disdain of the black-haired adventurer ahead, Moen's gentle smile remained unchanged. He simply shook his head gently, without any malice, just as he had done countless times before when facing the uneducated, ignorant, and honest farmers in the town.

"Child, you are too young to see how cruel the outside world is."

"Faith can waver, goodwill can be betrayed, and efforts can go to waste. I have seen and experienced all of these things firsthand."

"But here, in this small piece of land like Giethoorn, they will never experience these twists and turns and suffering again."

"Wouldn't their hearts be forever filled with 'love' and 'peace' for the goddess? Isn't that 'salvation'?"

Xia Nan had lost patience with the pastor in front of her.

When someone's ideas completely contradict your own, any debate or argument is futile.

Even in his previous life, when facing netizens who had received similar systematic education from similar backgrounds, he had never convinced anyone in discussions of countless contradictory issues.

It is known that in most cases, people simply present their own viewpoints to each other, and it is difficult, or rather rare, to consider the other person's perspective. So-called debates are nothing more than finding loopholes in each other's statements and then counterattacking them.

The pastor in front of him was in his seventies or eighties, and his upbringing and life background were completely different from his own.

He didn't think he could change the deeply ingrained beliefs in the other person's mind by just saying a few words.

Xia Nan lacked such knowledge, eloquence, and patience.

Thinking about this, he felt a sense of calm.

The priest's gaze was no different from the one he usually gave when looking at the filthy, green-skinned goblin in their lair.

But before he actually took action and chopped off the other man's head, he had one last question.

"You seemed to have mentioned 'goddess' just now?"

"Is what you've done on Lady Santia's orders?"

Moen paused involuntarily.

Xia Nan could observe that after his words reached the priest's ears, the pink light in the priest's eyes flickered twice involuntarily, and his right hand, which was holding the ash wood staff, unconsciously clenched and unclenched.

The change in expression was only momentary, and it returned to normal in the blink of an eye.

The pastor smiled, his eyelids slightly lowered, revealing a compassionate and devout demeanor.

"The path of faith sometimes requires some... guidance."

“Isn’t this also a blessing from the gods? It’s better than the lambs suffering in confusion.” Unlike his previous frankness, Moen did not directly answer Xia Nan’s question.

It was precisely his evasive and ambiguous attitude that led Xia Nan to form a rough guess in her mind.

Perhaps the goddess Chantia and the events that occurred in Goat Horn Town were not directly related.

Even if there is indeed some connection, it is probably only a very small part.

It should be mainly Moen who is guiding things from behind the scenes.

The pastor was very patient.

She stood there, a gentle smile on her face, quietly watching Xia Nan on the other side of the church, her expression calm and serene.

After a brief silence, seeing that the other person remained silent, he spoke again:
"I have answered all your questions."

"Now... can you tell me how you help others break free from the charm effect?"

Xia Nan shook his head.

The sharp, straight blade, with a dark gray hue like the night sky, traced a subtle arc in the air, accompanied by the rising howl of wolves, and the appearance of a deep, ethereal figure with swaying mane.

"I have nothing to say to you."

boom--

The powerful impact of the sudden start caused fine cracks to appear on the church floor beneath the leather boots; the air seemed to freeze for a moment, and the high-speed movement of the body made these invisible things, which normally felt no resistance, viscous like water.

The dark, twisted shadows transformed into a cold, ruthless winter wolf chasing its prey; with each stride of its long limbs, the barriers of space were instantly overcome.

The [Night Mother's Gaze] was triggered instantly, causing the priest's pink-lit eyes to flicker slightly, but it quickly subsided.

Even though the other party passed the test and did not fall into a state of fear, that fleeting moment of confusion, combined with Xia Nan's exaggerated speed far exceeding that of adventurers of the same level, still brought him and Moen closer by nearly a third.

He had already prepared a detailed plan for the battle even before he stepped into the church.

In summary, there weren't any particularly complicated tactics.

On one side are fast, highly mobile melee fighters, and on the other are traditional spellcasters who have long been stationed in the church.

With the charm effect of the gem having no effect on Xia Nan, as long as he can close the distance with his opponent, the scales of victory will tilt mostly in his favor.

Clearly, Moen was also aware of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.

Even though he had spent many years in the church in Gieshorn, his combat skills were no longer proficient.

But countless days and nights of devout prayer, and the countless flashes of divine light in the fields and orange groves, still allowed him to pour out the energy within his body at a casting speed that ordinary priests did not possess.

Holy light blooms.

"korn!" (Canonical archaic term meaning grain or corn)

A rapid, high-pitched phrase suddenly burst forth.

The priest pointed the ash wood staff straight at the ferocious black wolf that was charging at him.

Accompanying the sharp, clattering sound of surging energy was a single, intensely golden light at the tip of the staff.

【Radiant Prayer】—Energizing System - Zero-Ring Trick
"Buzz!"

It burst forth suddenly!

The point of light transformed into a beam of brilliant yellow light, which vanished in an instant in the air.

There was no time to stop it; the beam of light struck Xia Nan directly in the chest.

A burning pain spread instantly from his chest, causing him to pause in his tracks.

Fortunately, the excellent green gear [Purgatory Pulse] has good defensive performance. The special steel from the depths of purgatory offset most of the damage from the Radiant Light itself. The remaining damage can only cause minor injuries that do not affect his movement. He doesn't even need bandaging. He can recover in a few days with some rest.

To some extent, Xia Nan relied almost entirely on his equipment and physical strength to withstand the priest's spell.

The distance between the two sides was reduced by another fifth.

hum-

Another beam of shimmering golden light rose from the front.

The energy was noticeably more concentrated than before, and the whistling sound it made as it cut through the air was much sharper and more piercing, vaguely condensing into the shape of a blurry arrow.

Light Guide Arrow - Evocation spell, 1st level

With keen perception, a sense of inexplicable danger arose in his heart.

Knowing he could no longer rely on his equipment and physical advantages to overpower others as before, and having made preparations, Xia Nan raised his left arm as he charged forward, anticipating the landing point of the light arrow, and used his snake-scale arm shield to block it in front of him.

"boom!"

Golden, shattered fragments of light, carried by the strong wind, streaked across the edges of the jet-black, tousled hair.

A slight tremor ran through my forearm; the light arrow had shattered.

【Ghost Scale Guardian】is a rare blue equipment crafted by “Rock Hammer” Barn himself, using scales from a legendary creature from another world as the main material and incorporating many expensive auxiliary materials.

Its extremely tough defensive capabilities meant that even with an attack of this magnitude, its cool, smooth surface didn't leave a single burn mark.

The distance between them has shortened by another quarter.

Clearly, no one had anticipated that this seemingly young adventurer could withstand two of his magical attacks so easily.

Moen's eyes flashed with pink light, and one could vaguely see the outline of the muscles taut beneath his cheeks from clenching his teeth.

He poured his spiritual energy into the staff in his hand as if it were free.

Hum--

Unlike the previous two golden lights, this energy light, which was more of a pale pink, struck Xia Nan once again before he could react.

[Human Immobilization Spell] - Control Spell, 2nd Rank

Key point: Perceived exemption.

Having gained an attribute of 11 points through multiple opportunities, Xia Nan possesses an extremely high immunity threshold when facing control spells that require perception to determine success or failure.

If the caster is a low-level spellcaster with no relevant specialization, it will be very difficult to achieve its effect.

Exemption was easily granted.

At the same time, he finally arrived at the priest's side amidst the high-pitched and long howl of wolves.

He brought his opponent into the attack range of his straight sword.

With a flick of his arm, a [spinning slash] was unleashed.

But before the sword tip could even touch the opponent's skin, the priest suddenly clenched the pastel gem in his palm.

"Om..."

Similar in form to the light barrier that envelops the town, the translucent pink barrier expands rapidly outward from its center.

The clash of blades created ripples of energy.

Xia Nan's body was sent flying high into the air.

(End of this chapter)