Chapter 303: The Farmer and the Electricity Thief (Part 10)
"He'll die a painful death in his dreams, if that's what you wish," Freddy rasped in his characteristically sandpapery voice.
"We can't kill him yet," William said, shaking his head. "Until we understand the Evil Spirit's purpose for devouring souls, killing him might only serve to increase the entity's power."
"Hehe... your caution is truly irritating," Freddy remarked.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Bettis pointed to the side. "We need to keep these others under control as well, to prevent them from trying anything out of revenge later."
Hearing this, Rudolf's remaining accomplices dropped to their knees in unison.
"We were wrong! Please, have mercy on us, just as the Lord would!"
"You can have whatever you want in your dreams." William gave Freddy a look.
The monster grinned, and the men quickly slumped over, unconscious.
"Despicable cowards. They got what they deserved!" Caroline said, delivering a sharp kick to each of their groins as they lay there.
"That is quite unladylike," Hugh said, frowning slightly.
Caroline stuck her tongue out at him and skipped over to hide behind Bettis.
"What about that other thing? Will it let us leave?" Bettis asked, pointing toward the Demogorgon.
William turned to Freddy. "Do you have a way to make it cooperate with us?"
"Hehe... you're far too idealistic. We can only exchange simple commands," Freddy said, adjusting his fedora. "Besides, that thing has no consciousness—only high-level animal instincts."
This was within William's expectations.
"Then trouble yourself to retrieve the holy artifact from it. I assume each of you carries one," William stated.
Freddy snorted but walked up to the Demogorgon nonetheless.
The beast immediately opened its petal-like mouthparts; clearly, having someone that close made it uneasy. But Freddy took the opportunity to thrust his hand deep inside. After a bit of rummaging, he pulled out a crucifix radiating a golden glow.
"Here," he said, tossing the slime-covered relic.
William let it hit the ground first, then used Rudolf's hand to pick it up. After confirming the slime wasn't corrosive, he tucked it away.
Aside from Hugh, everyone (and every monster) present seemed to have grown accustomed to William's peculiar way of doing things.
"Since it can understand simple commands, can you make it stay in one specific spot?" William asked.
"Hmph, perhaps," Freddy replied. "But there are no guarantees. The Evil Spirit could reawaken it at any moment."
"That's enough. We'll be long gone by then."
Freddy let out a series of low growls at the Demogorgon, and the creature quickly retreated out of the chemistry lab.
"Dump these guys in the courtyard, then we'll go find the other survivors..." William began delegating the next steps of the operation.
Not long after.
William and Freddy led the way at the very front, followed closely by Bettis and Caroline. Further back were Ruen, Austin, and their group.
At this moment, the group bringing up the rear looked incredibly stiff and nervous.
"Walking right down the middle of the hallway like this... isn't it a bit reckless?" Ruen whispered, his back still pressed against the wall as his head darted back and forth.
"Walking right behind a Sweeper is what I'd call reckless!" Vera said, her jaw tight. Though she was moving forward, her center of gravity was shifted back, as if she were ready to bolt at a second's notice.
Austin wiped the sweat from his forehead repeatedly. "I... I find myself in strong agreement with Father Ruen. Being this exposed makes my heart race."
Dylan, Lynn, and the others shared the sentiment.
They had encountered William not long ago, and the fact that he had found hundred-year vintage holy artifacts was supposed to be a cause for celebration. But the moment that Sweeper appeared, their hearts had collectively plummeted.
Even more unbelievable was that Father William had actually struck a deal with the monster.
It was... completely surreal.
For veterans of the Land of the Holy War like Austin and Dylan, who knew the lethality of the Sweepers all too well, they felt an inherent, primal fear. Seeing a Sweeper become their "companion" was simply beyond their comprehension.
But the evidence was right in front of them.
When the hideous monster tipped its hat to Austin in a mock-respectful greeting, Austin's fear turned into pure, unadulterated admiration for William.
"Is this the true power of someone participating in the selection for the Holy See's Priest Order...?"
With a Sweeper providing protection, the group no longer needed to hide, but this brought about its own set of "happy" problems.
Before meeting William, Austin's group had lived in the shadows, their nerves constantly frayed. Now, suddenly being this "bold" made them feel entirely out of place.
Austin, for instance, had to fight the urge to dive into a corner multiple times, only restraining himself to maintain his dignity as a Bishop. It would clearly take some time for them to truly adjust.
Following that, guided by William and Freddy, the group moved quickly to scavenge the remaining lost holy relics.
In addition to three hundred-year quality items, they found many artifacts ranging from 20 to 80 years in vintage.
William now possessed a total of six hundred-year holy relics—one he brought in himself, and five found within the Land of the Holy War.
After searching through two distinct zones, he had begun to notice a pattern to their distribution.
Generally, each area contained at least three hundred-year vintage holy relics, not counting the ones hidden on the Sweepers themselves. It was a somewhat balanced rule, considering not everyone would dare to get close enough to a monster to check.
Some time later.
Beep-beep.
The gate on the first floor swung open, signaling that this area had been fully cleared.
Austin and the others immediately headed toward the misty passage leading to the buffer zone, but William didn't follow.
"You're not coming?" Austin asked, puzzled. Suddenly, an object was tossed toward him.
He caught it and saw a pale blue stone engraved with runes.
"One of Sister Olivia's companions is a member of a Holy Clan. Follow him and leave this place," William instructed.
He already knew through Freddy that the man was alive and heading for the gate. Hearing this, the eyes of Austin's group lit up; this was exactly what they had been dreaming of.
"You aren't coming with us?"
William wanted to, but he still had his mission to complete, so he simply shook his head.
"Very well. You all... stay safe." Austin started to say more but settled for a final warning.
Lynn stepped forward and gave William a quick hug, while Dylan and the others nodded their respect.
Though their time together was short, they were all profoundly grateful to have met him. Without William, they likely would have perished in the previous zone.
Before long, three figures approached the gate. In addition to the member of the Saul family, there were two from the Guerrero family.
To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, William had Freddy wait some distance away while Olivia went to speak with them.
Upon learning they could finally leave this hellhole, the Saul family member looked ecstatic and immediately hauled Austin and the others into the fog.
Soon, only William, Olivia, Bettis, and the two Medici heirs remained.
"We haven't seen those guys from the Wings of Vengeance yet. Things are likely to get much more dangerous from here on out," William said. "Are you sure you want to stay?"
They all nodded.
This opportunity was hard-won. If they could contribute significantly to the Church, they and their families would likely see a massive rise in status. And now that they had a Sweeper as a companion, they weren't about to let the chance slip away.
Guided by Freddy, the group soon arrived at the entrance to a cellar.
"This connects to the rifts between the various zones. Only we can enter it," Freddy explained.
He pulled open the iron hatch, revealing a pitch-black tunnel below.
Bettis tried to touch it, but a wall of thorns suddenly manifested, blocking the way down. However, once Freddy enveloped the group in his own power, the obstruction gradually faded away.
In short order, the group disappeared into the cellar.
Raccoon City Police Department (RCPD), East Wing Corridor.
"Ugh ah..."
A zombie suddenly stopped in its tracks.
It tilted its head, as if it had sensed something. After a full minute, the creature began to move again, quickly vanishing into the dark corridor.
Shortly after it left, four figures emerged from beneath an office window sill.
"Phew... that was close. Those monsters seem to act as scouts for the Sweepers."
"Exactly. I watched the Castro family's squad get spotted. They're all dead now..."
"That makes the second Holy Clan squad wiped out. I just hope the Catherine family has a way to handle the Sweepers..."
"Hey, stop dreaming. They can barely protect themselves. If we want to get out, we have to rely on ourselves."
"But we've already been on the hook twice."
The group whispered, discussing their next move. But at that moment, a heartbeat suddenly pounded in their ears. They ducked their heads immediately, their hearts leaping into their throats.
Crack!
A leather whip stained with a blue liquid lashed down across the four of them.
"Ugh ah... it's a Sweeper!"
"Run!"
Ignoring their injuries, they scrambled to their feet.
But the only exit was blocked by the Sweeper, and two zombies were lingering outside the window. In an instant, they were backed into a corner with no way out.
Just as they were about to give up, the zombies in front of them were suddenly torn in half.
"Hehe, what filthy things," Freddy remarked, flicking bits of gore off his blades.
An urgent heartbeat, a glaring red light—this was... another Sweeper!
The four survivors felt their faces turn ashen with despair.
But the next scene left them stunned.
The newcomer Sweeper vaulted over the window sill and pounced on the one holding the whip. The two of them quickly tumbled into the darkness, locked in combat.
"Hey, are you guys alright?"
A voice came from above them. They looked up to see a group of five—two men and three women. Leading them was a young, short-haired priest.
"W-who are you...?"
The four were dazed. They had been in this zone for four days but had never seen this group.
"Take these. When the door opens later, go find the Holy Clan members," William said, tossing them a bundle.
The group was bewildered.
The door opening? How? When? What was going on?
When the four of them first arrived, they had acted as assistants to the three Holy Clan squads. Together, they had managed to light one generator. But after that, the Sweepers had suddenly grown much stronger, and the survivor squads had suffered heavy casualties.
And now this person was telling them... the gate was about to open?
"Is this guy insane?" they wondered in unison.
But they took the bundle nonetheless. Upon opening it, their eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"This is! Fifty-year vintage holy artifacts! Why are there so many!"
"Not just that... there are over a dozen purple stone seals. These are Tier 3 abilities!"
"What is this blue stone?"
"Did you... did you rob the Sweepers?"
The four of them stared at William as if he were a monster.
William pointed behind them. "Everyone, I believe there are more pressing matters at hand."
The four realized the two Sweepers were still fighting behind them and hurriedly scrambled over the window sill as fast as they could.
"How can Sweepers be fighting each other...? I've never seen anything like this."
"Maybe they had a pre-existing grudge."
"..."
Listening to the wild guesses around him, William smiled slightly.
He had noticed something unusual when Freddy retrieved the holy artifact from the Demogorgon. Earlier, he had tried to lure Bubba the Butcher into attacking the Nurse, but the Butcher's axe had hit the environment as if there were no "interaction between biological entities" at all.
Therefore, William surmised that the existence of the leather glove had altered certain rules.
This theory had been proven correct multiple times along the way. Freddy had proactively attacked several times, allowing William to easily collect hundred-year vintage holy relics.
As he was thinking, an object flew out of the darkness.
William caught it; it was an amulet glowing with a golden light.
"Hehe... that one was quite sturdy. Took a bit of effort," Freddy said, stepping out of the dim light.
Thump!
He tossed the other Sweeper to the ground. The creature's feet were bound by its own whip, and its arms were completely missing.
"Sw-sw-sweeper..."
"Who is it talking to? Wait... it... it can talk!"
The four rescued people were incoherent, pointing frantically at the scene.
"Making this much noise might alert the Evil Spirit to the anomaly. That wouldn't be good," William noted.
The four of them whipped their heads around, looking like they had seen a ghost.
"You... you know it?"
"Are you all... Sweepers too??"
Hearing this, Bettis, Olivia, and the others had to bite their lips to keep from laughing.
William patted the man on the shoulder. "Time to go."
He started toward the hall, where a generator happened to be located. Freddy followed quickly, even tipping his hat to the four survivors as he passed.
The four of them stood frozen like startled chicks. Seeing how polite he was, they all bowed their heads in a submissive, robotic return of the gesture.
Click-clack... Click-clack...
In just a few minutes, the remaining two generators were lit, and the gate to the buffer zone slowly groaned open.
A small squad soon reached the second-floor railing.
"Why did the gate open suddenly? Where are the Sweepers?"
"Was it those four? The ones who were acting as our assistants earlier?"
"Let's go down and ask..."
The Catherine family squad quickly found the four rescued survivors, who told them exactly what had happened. However, the Catherine squad was highly skeptical; they had experienced the lethality of the Sweepers firsthand.
But the fact that the gate was open was undeniable.
The Holy Clan squad tried to find William's group, but they had long since vanished.
Left with no other choice, the Catherine family followed the four survivors toward the buffer zone.
Similar stories played out in other areas.
The Crotus Prenn Asylum, Backwater Swamp, Red Forest Temple...
Survivors in these zones were stunned to find a small, incredibly bold group. They walked down the streets without a hint of fear, casually handing out lost holy relics of various vintages like they were Santa Claus!
Whenever they appeared, the generators were fully powered in no time. This group often proactively hunted down the Sweepers, and once they found them, the monsters would mysteriously vanish.
Such prowess naturally drew immense curiosity, but not a single person could track them down afterward. A few tried to imitate them, but their teammates quickly "corrected" that line of thinking with their fists.
"Why do we have to walk on eggshells, constantly on guard for danger, while these guys get to stroll around like they're at the mall...?"
This was the private thought of many Holy Clergy Members. But far more felt only profound gratitude. They had all prepared to die in this place, but this team had given them hope.
Thus, in the Land of the Holy War's buffer zone:
"Everyone from the Catherine family, you're alive! That's wonderful!"
"It was the Lord's protection. We met a strange team..."
"As expected of the Saul family; you actually made it out alone."
"Uh... actually... I..."
"To the members of the Collins, Turk, and Elder families..."
The once-desolate buffer zone had turned into a social hub for the Church's various major families.
At the same time, blue light frequently burst in mid-air. Whenever the light faded, a portion of the crowd would vanish, followed by a brilliant streak like a shooting star across the sky.
"Lord Saul, this is how you use the Teleportation Flying Stone," Austin said, bowing with great reverence.
The Saul youth nodded and took the stone in his hand. After reciting a passage from the Bible, the runes resonated with the noble bloodline in his body.
He tossed the stone into the air, and Austin, Lynn, and the others hurriedly crowded around him.
With a flash of light, they turned into a shooting star and soared into the sky.
Holy Land, Cardinal Conference Room.
Cardinal Parolin sat in a large, comfortable chair.
After listening to his subordinate's report, he frowned. "Another hundred or so returned safely?"
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