The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 154 Elias's Agility

As the sounds of battle pierced through the mist, the entire Sinclair squad tensed up.

They had been staying on the ancient battlefield for nearly ten days. The various unexpected events they had encountered along the way had left everyone exhausted, and their supplies were also depleted. They now avoided any battle and just wanted to return to the town outside as soon as possible.

The bizarre, deformed undead are terrifying, but sometimes, human-looking adventurers are even more terrifying.

"Hurry up and get out of here! The sound is so clear, the battle is very close to us!"

"It's right in front... Should we go around it?"

"Go around, go around, keep your voice down."

The leading soldier listened to the sounds coming from the fog and gestured for his team to quickly move to the other side, but the sounds of battle were getting closer and closer to them.

His face was pale, and his fatigue made it difficult for him to concentrate, so much so that he couldn't even tell whether the two sides fighting on the other side of the mist were human or ghost.

Just then, a huge black shadow flew into the air and crashed down towards them.

Without a second thought, the soldier immediately warned the other team members, "Get out of the way!"

A group of people hurriedly dodged, while the dark figure had already landed, crashing heavily to the ground. It was a ghoul that was two or three meters long.

These bizarre undead monsters are mutated from human corpses under various conditions. They are rarely seen elsewhere, but they are abundant on ancient battlefields. Their strength is roughly equal to their size, and the larger they are, the more difficult they are to deal with.

As for the ghoul that had landed in front of them, the leading warrior estimated that it would take at least two or three of them to deal with it under normal circumstances.

But he only heard the sound of one person's footsteps in the mist. The other person must be a high-level warrior. To be able to knock away a ghoul of this size, he must be a berserker who is good at strength.

Hearing the rapidly approaching footsteps, he could already foresee a burly, muscular man carrying a greatsword emerging from the mist. However, what came out was a tall but not nearly as robust as he had imagined, handsome swordsman.

"..."

Their eyes met. The other person was alone, but much calmer than them. After a quick glance, he raised his hand to greet them.

"By Yera." This phrase, often uttered by clergy, was used on ancient battlefields by chance encounters between two parties to indicate that they meant no harm.

"By Yera!" To avoid any misunderstanding, the warrior responded quickly, then watched as the other walked up to the fallen ghoul, plunged his sword into its eye socket, and smashed its head.

"Did you shoot this down?" the soldier couldn't help but ask.

“Hmm.” Eric nodded, without intending to explain further.

As he watched the experience flow into his body, he smiled with satisfaction. He casually searched the ghoul's body but found nothing, so he left it alone.

Eric nodded to the small group and walked to the other side.

They hadn't gone far when the whispers behind them caught up.

"He killed him all by himself?"

"He's quite tall, but you can't tell he's very strong."

"If we have the chance, we can meet again in Beizhen. I'll ask you for advice then."

"Because it was the finishing blow that triggered the Battle Spirit effect, combined with the enhanced upward slash ring on his hand, that was how he managed to send the ghoul flying," Eric replied silently.

He actually wanted to go back with them.

After grinding for experience for several days, he was exhausted, but the other group looked even more tired and tense. In this place, being of the same kind did not mean being safe. If he rashly suggested going together, he would probably scare them away. He had no choice but to go back by himself.

Although he arrived a few days ago with several teammates.

"I've had bad luck with people..."

Eric muttered to himself, flicking the ghoul fluid off his sword, which had been stained with human blood just two days earlier.

He had been in the ancient battlefield for over a month, and had been grinding monsters and leveling up in the depths for about ten days. He had joined three or four teams, but this was the first time he had encountered an entire gang that was only after him.

I don't know if they were watching me because I showed off my wealth while spending money in town.

After getting his bearings, Eric composed himself and headed towards the outer perimeter.

Before nightfall, he successfully emerged from the fog and saw the brightly lit town in the distance.

Eric first went to the church to ask if they had his letter, and when he was told no, he returned to the hotel and washed away the stench of corpses and decay in the bathhouse.

As he went upstairs, he bumped into Molly, who had just finished eating and was picking her teeth.

"...You're back."

"Ah."

"Did you find anything?"

"Fortunately."

"have you eaten?"

"not yet."

Molly knocked on Elise's door and said to him, "Elise hasn't eaten either, you two can eat together."

After saying that, she turned to return to her room.

"Wait a minute," Eric called out to her.

"I'm sleepy..."

"I have plenty of ways to bring you to your senses."

“Boss…” Molly looked distressed.

Eric remained unmoved. "How many of the hundred gold coins I borrowed from you a few days ago do you have left?"

“Less than twenty,” said Elise, who opened the door upon hearing the noise. “But Molly treated me to dinner yesterday, so it can’t be counted as a loss… well, let’s say one gold coin.”

"Elise!"

"Didn't you tell me this yesterday?"

“I’m not ready yet…” Molly looked at Eric. “The money has been invested, and we’re just waiting to recoup it and make a fortune. It takes a little time and patience…”

"Then I'll wait until you've made a fortune and return my two hundred gold coins."

Eric returned to his room, put down his things, changed his clothes, and then went downstairs with Elise to have dinner.

"How's the training going?" he asked.

Elise nodded. "Pretty much. I've learned quite a few techniques during this time, but Elena said that the truly unique techniques I need to master will have to be learned in battle."

Elena was her Wood Elf mentor.

“She’s right, we’ll work together from now on,” Eric said, “and bring along that mage who can’t pay his debts.”

Elise chuckled. "The insurance you had Molly sell, she sells it for one gold coin a month, and pays out two gold coins if you get injured. She's almost run out of money these past few days, and there are still quite a few people who bought the insurance who haven't come back yet."

“I told her that selling it at such a low price would definitely result in a loss. Does she think this is Lutia? One gold coin a piece? That’s a way to make a big profit and then run away.”

“One gold coin isn’t cheap for an ordinary person. Besides, she can’t run away; she’s signed a magic contract with everyone. Otherwise, who would trust her?”

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Then by the night after tomorrow at the latest, I'll see her crying in front of me."

Adventure teams typically don't stay in ancient battlefields for very long.

Elise rested her chin on her hand. "So what are you planning to do? Keep giving her money to pay up?"

Eric took a big gulp of his drink. "Never mind her, let's just run."

"what?"

"It's been over a month since we came from Tallinn. Mason should have finished making our custom-made protective gear and weapons by now. We should go and pick them up."

Elise then remembered that there was such a thing.

"It's already been more than a month, time flies."

"When you're busy, you don't feel anything."

The two clinked glasses.

Elise licked her lips, looking at his unkempt appearance over the past month and the increasing amount of beard on his chin. "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Ah."

"Are you really going to abandon Molly?"

Eric shook his head. "Let her truly experience what it feels like to fail in business and be on the run from debt collectors, otherwise she won't know how to cherish gold coins."

"Who gave her that confidence?"

"What do you want to say?"

"Hmph, nothing."

The next morning, when the two were about to leave, they found Molly already waiting for them.

"I heard Oliver say last night while I was having a late-night snack that you guys are planning to abandon me!"

Eric clicked his tongue.

"You're such a chatterbox. I'm not going to his tavern anymore." She climbed onto his horse. "Isn't there a set of protective gear for me over there? How can I not go?"

Eric turned to look at her. "You're not planning to stay there and never come back, are you?"

Molly didn't say anything.

"Didn't you sign a magic contract? Do you think you can escape?"

She lowered her body, "Don't remind me of this anymore..."

Elise glanced at the two of them for a moment, then said, "Let's go."

Horseback riding is much faster than driving, and it only took a little over a day to get back to Tallinn.

Upon arriving at the workshop of the elven craftsman Mason, the weapons and protective gear that the three of them had ordered were indeed completed. Mason told them to put them on and try them on, and that any discomfort could be adjusted on the spot.

Eric weighed the light armor in his hand, which was almost the same weight as the leather armor, and once again marveled at the uniqueness of the elven craftsmanship. He soon discovered another special feature.

"Is it coated with some kind of mithril?" he asked.

“Grey-patterned mithril,” Mason said. “But it’s not coated on; it’s added directly to the forging material during the forging process and formed together with this set of armor.”

Eric exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this a compatibilizer? Can it be used directly as forging material?"

Mason gave a mysterious smile. "Thanks to your ten cans of Grey Mithril, I've figured out quite a few new uses for it. Take this set of armor you have, for example. By adding Grey Mithril and forging it directly, the resulting armor is more resistant to magic than heavy armor with spell runes inside."

This is such a pleasant surprise.

Eric put on the brand new protective gear, which felt comfortable and light against his skin. He couldn't help but stretch his limbs and move around a bit, not even noticing Mason's disapproving look at the protective gear he had taken off.

Mason made few major changes to Elias's design for the protective gear, thus preserving the set's effects.

[Elias's Agility]: Increases the wearer's speed, especially their agility when dodging.

Elise and Molly also received their own protective gear, which was lightweight enough for both of them to wear.

"It's so light, can it withstand an attack?" Molly patted her protective gear. It's actually quite common for mages to wear light armor. Apart from places like Xingyuan Academy where mages are the main force, mages adventuring in the wild will usually be wearing light armor underneath their robes.

"The purpose of wearing this protective gear is not to withstand attacks."

Mason glanced at her, then looked at Eric and Elise. "I've tried it. Under normal circumstances, archers below level five can't penetrate this armor. As long as you're not intentionally throwing your lives away, and you seem to be agile, this armor should be enough for you."

Eric was already quite satisfied and told him to ignore the female mage.

Mason then took out the short sword he had made for Elise. She grasped the hilt and found it exceptionally comfortable, as if the sword and her hand had always been connected. She couldn't help but marvel at the exquisite skill of Mason; a master is a master indeed.

"Don't you need to switch to a different primary weapon?"

Mason then looked at Eric, glancing at the Aran steel sword at his waist. "The lost Aran techniques are still quite exquisite, but it seems they can't keep up with your rapid growth in personal strength."

Eric wasn't surprised that Eric could see his growth in strength. In "The Thorn Soul Crown," this guy's level was clearly marked as 120, which is the eighth rank, similar to his uncle Edgar.

“It can still be used for a while,” Eric said, pretending not to notice Mason’s idea of ​​building him a new weapon.

He believed in Mason's skills, but he didn't quite approve of his original abilities. The weapons Mason designed himself weren't very suitable for him, so he preferred to wait a while longer and find more suitable blueprints before asking Mason to build them.

In particular, he also knew where to find such blueprints.

Mason didn't say anything, chatted with the three of them for a few more minutes about equipment, and then continued crafting equipment and busy with his own things.

As the three left the artisan's workshop, Elise and Molly both looked at Eric, "Are we going back to the ancient battlefield now?"

"You can go back directly if you want, but I don't mind resting here for a day."

“Then let’s take a day off…” Molly touched her thigh and hip on the street. “My butt hurts from riding horses.”

Eric looked away from his swaying robes. "Then go to the inn."

She still climbed onto Elise's horse.

After spending one night in Tallinn and briefly enjoying the city's vibrancy, the three set off early the next day to return to the ancient battlefield, arriving the following morning.

As soon as Molly dismounted, she wanted to go back to her hotel room to hide, but she was blocked downstairs by a group of people who had purchased insurance.

"I'm injured. According to that insurance you mentioned, shouldn't I get two gold coins in compensation?"

"I was injured too; I have a big gash on my back."

"Me too! Me too! Pay up!"

Because they were bound by a magical contract, and because these people were genuinely injured rather than cutting themselves to collect insurance money, Eric glanced around and saw that there were at least a dozen people there to collect debts.

In ancient battlefields, it was common for adventurers to get injured, which was why he reminded Molly not to sell it too cheaply.

Without using high prices as a screening criterion, her insurance policy is practically free money.

"I will pay!"

Molly took out the dozen or so gold coins she had left and distributed them to a few people to cancel the contracts, but seven or eight people were still staring at her expectantly.

She turned to look at Eric, only to find that he and Elise were gone.

"It's my turn." Another burly adventurer walked over and showed her the knife wound on his shoulder. "It's just two gold coins, don't dawdle."

“Um…” Molly searched her body several times but couldn’t find a second gold coin.

"You're not going to renege on your debt, are you?"

"No way! There's a magical contract binding us, how can we renege on it..."

"Then you should pay me."

Molly said she had run out of money and needed to go back to her room to get more, so she quickly went upstairs.

"boss--"

She almost knelt down before Eric, but before he could help her up, she stood up on her own. "Lend me some more money."

Eric and Elise were both sitting at the table. "It seems like you don't have the money to pay back."

“After a month of trial and error, I’ve pretty much figured out how to do business here. Once I get through this, I promise I’ll pay you back in full, with interest,” Molly said confidently.

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me how you plan to turn things around."

“I’ve discovered that all the adventurer teams here are eager to find a clergyman to adventure with, but the nuns or knights in the church are unwilling to go with them. But you’re different, boss. You’re a free agent, you can fight and heal, so you’re sure to be in high demand.”

Molly sat down at the table. "What's most important in the ancient battlefield? Talent! I'm planning to hold a talent auction, starting with you, boss. Bidding starts at ten gold coins, and the winning team can go on an adventure deep into the ancient battlefield with you. Those ambitious adventurer teams that aspire to explore the depths of the ancient battlefield should at least be worth fifty gold coins, right?"

Molly slammed her hand on the table. "Fifty gold coins for one adventure! As the middleman, I'll take half, twenty-five gold coins. Eight adventures, and I can pay back all two hundred gold coins. The boss is incredibly talented, and I make money too—a win-win situation!"

“That’s interesting.” Eric smiled and turned to wave at Elise.

"What?" The latter was still in shock at Molly's audacity.

"sword."

"what?"

"Give me my sword, I want to kill her."

"..."

Just then, a loud and imposing shout came from outside: "Where is she—why hasn't that female sorceress from the south come down yet? There's no escaping her!"

"Boss!" Molly knelt down for real. "Help me, help me, help me—the debt collectors are at the door!"

Eric looked at her and said, “Your business acumen means you’re destined to never make any money in this life, but your astonishingly thick skin makes up for it.”

She looked up. "Boss, are you praising me or scolding me?"

"you guess."

"I guess it's a compliment..."

Eric reached out and pinched her face, deforming her little mouth and making it pout.

"I'll lend you another twenty-five, and with the previous amount, you'll give me back two hundred and fifty."

Molly was about to nod when he continued, "Forget about the auction. You'll come with me to explore the depths of the ancient battlefield and work for me. I'll pay you five gold coins per job. Even if you're unlucky and find nothing, you can pay it all off in just fifty jobs."

Molly tried to shake her head, but he held her chin tightly, preventing her from moving.

She looked miserable, "I don't want to fight..."

“Then there’s no money. Elise, go and fetch Miss Molly’s creditors.”

As soon as Elise stood up, Molly grabbed her pants and almost pulled them down.

She quickly pulled up her pants, glared at her, but stopped.

"I'll go... I'll go, okay?" Molly had no choice but to agree.

He stretched out two hands in front of her. She was stunned for a moment, and just as she raised her hand to grasp them, Eric grabbed her tightly.

"Come on, let's sign the contract first."

(End of this chapter)