Chapter 94: Outer Corridor

Something was wrong.

I stopped laughing—there had clearly been a battle just ahead. The group of Tiyas, which sounded somewhat sacred, were all carrying some injuries, and scattered around them were several corpses, most of which were the same kind of monster. The only different one was actually a human’s?

I immediately gave Xiaoxue and the others the command, and the five wolves and one vine immediately pounced on the group of Tiyas. These Tiyas, despite their seemingly sacred names, were actually just the second evolution of giant beasts, resembling enlarged, ferocious apes. Perhaps due to the blessings of the monastery, they had such an inappropriate name.

While Xiaoxue and the others were fighting, I carefully examined the battlefield. There were over a dozen corpses on the ground, and the human corpse was still holding a bow. From his attire, he was likely a Rogue archer, and his death was extremely gruesome. His lower body had been smashed to pieces. The only ones with such strength were undoubtedly the Tiyas.

The rest were all corpses of Dark Stalkers, including one Elite. These Dark Stalkers, like the Rogue archer, had died in a terrible state, their bodies beaten to a bloody pulp.

Why was there only one Rogue mercenary here? With a mercenary's strength, it was absolutely impossible to train alone. And what about these Dark Stalkers?

After some thought, I concluded that it was probably an adventurer team that had accidentally encountered this group of Dark Stalkers. They didn't expect there to be an Elite, so they fled, with the Rogue voluntarily acting as a decoy to lure the Dark Stalkers away. During the escape, they encountered a group of Tiyas. Caught between two enemies, the Rogue archer died immediately, and the Dark Stalkers that followed continued to fight the Tiyas, ultimately leading to the Tiyas' victory.

Apart from this possibility, I couldn't think of any other explanation. This would also explain the injuries on the Tiyas. Although the Dark Stalkers were far weaker than the Tiyas, they were numerous and had an Elite, making the victory not so easy for the Tiyas.

I walked forward and carefully examined the brave Rogue. He was in his thirties, with a refined face that possessed all the features typical of a Rogue. Unfortunately...

I looked down and couldn't bear to look again. His lower body, from the abdomen down, was a mess. His legs were almost turned into meat pies, and his intestines were exposed. Blood was still warm and flowing, indicating he had died not long ago. If I had arrived a moment earlier, I might have been able to save him.

Sighing, I thought, "If only..." But in this world, there are no such things as "if only." I could only blame his bad luck. In recent days, I had seen many bodies left in the wilderness and buried them. Some had died even more horribly, but they had been dead for a long time. This one, with still warm blood, was different.

While observing, I didn't forget about Xiaoxue's battle. With the Toxic Vine and Xiaoxue, the battle had no suspense. Soon, with the fall of the Elite Tiyas, the battle ended.

The Elite Tiyas dropped a blue hat. Upon identification, it was a Wolf Hat with +4 life. It was as useless as the +10 accuracy items... In short, it was garbage.

The Elite Dark Stalker, having been killed by the Tiyas, didn't drop anything good, just a few potions and some gold.

After collecting all the items on the ground, I tried to bury the Rogue, but to my surprise, when I touched him, his eyelids twitched. I was startled, thinking he had come back to life or been corrupted by hellish forces. But it was too soon for that.

Seeing his hazy eyes through the slit, my third reaction was to pull out a Vitality Potion from my inventory. But then I shook my head. It was too late. His life had already reached zero, and even a Vitality Potion couldn't save him. The remaining life force was just a last flicker, a testament to his strong constitution and willpower.

"Any last words?" I patted his cheek and whispered.

His remaining consciousness seemed to sense someone nearby. He tried to open his eyes but failed, and only tears streamed from his squinted eyes.

"This... this bow..."

He moved his dry lips, speaking in a faint, indistinct voice. Even with my keen hearing, I could only catch a few words before his voice faded again.

"Hey, anything else to say?"

Seeing his eyelids droop again, I held back my sadness and slapped his cheek.

It seemed to have some effect. His eyelids stopped drooping, and with what seemed to be his last ounce of strength, he turned his head toward me. But his eyes were already clouded, unable to see anything clearly.

"Angel... I... see..."

He managed a faint smile, his voice growing fainter until it faded into nothing.

This fool, still thinking the angels would come to greet him at the last moment? I wiped my damp eyes. Well, at least he died with a smile, even if he was deceived by those birds.

Picking up the bow from his hand, it was just a plain Hunter's Bow.

Sighing, I felt a strange mix of sorrow and confusion. After burying him in the mud outside the monastery, I stood silently by the unremarkable grave for a while before calming down and continuing into the monastery.

The architecture inside the monastery was primarily white, with walls and pillars adorned with intricate carvings. While I didn't have a deep understanding of these carvings, their elegant and noble style reminded me of ancient Greek temples and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Especially the tall, ivory-colored, patterned stone pillars, which had a Greek mythological feel.

The monastery could be roughly divided into four sections. The first, where I was now, was the outer courtyard, or more formally, the Outer Corridor. It was mainly used to receive believers and for their worship. Inside the outer courtyard was the inner courtyard, or Inner Corridor, which was off-limits to ordinary people. It was the residence of the monks and bishops. After the hellish invasion, the passage from the Outer Corridor to the Inner Corridor was blocked, so people had to enter the Inner Corridor through the barracks. The barracks, before the hellish invasion, were famous. The successive archbishops seemed to understand that might was right, so they used their vast wealth and manpower to form the renowned Divine Guard, which had a role similar to the peacekeeping forces in the original world, though the monastery's power was much greater. The barracks were specifically built for the Divine Guard.

At the deepest part of the Inner Corridor was a cemetery where the "high-ranking officials" of the monastery were buried. It was said to be the closest place to heaven, and anyone buried there would be reborn in heaven. What a load of nonsense. Andalriel lived there for so long, but she never got purified.

Of course, most of this was mentioned in Cain's book, which I had simplified and emphasized. It seemed Cain had little affection for the monastery.

The elegant stone carvings, the grand cathedral, and the beautiful, spacious corridors, though I disdained them, I had to admit the monks had good taste. Additionally, the Outer Corridor had several large courtyards, now overgrown with weeds and infested with monsters.

The sneaky Razor Ridge Beasts, the third evolution of Hardened Rats, liked to hide their blood-red bodies in the weeds and shoot their hard spines at any passing creatures. The massive Tiyas hid in the trees or gathered in corners, ready to ambush anyone who entered.

However, with the Toxic Vine's warning, their ambushes were child's play to me. Once prepared, I turned the tables on them, especially after transforming into a Bearman. The Tiyas' strength was comparable to mine, and the close combat was exhilarating.

There were also some Lesser Demons, who, lacking any sense of aesthetics, set up a broken pot next to the elegant fountain and danced the Fallen Demon Dance around it, turning a beautiful courtyard into a chaotic mess.

I never held back against them. Unlike the open highlands, the courtyard was confined, so I didn't worry about them escaping. I first killed the Lesser Demon Mages, then Xiaoxue and the others played hide-and-seek with the fleeing Lesser Demons. The hunting behavior seemed to awaken their primal instincts, and they chased the Lesser Demons around, forgetting even their master.

The Lazy Crow, on the other hand, had a particular fondness for smashing pots. Once the Lesser Demons dispersed, it would fly over and peck at the pot, draining the water and then using its hard beak to turn the pot into a pile of broken pieces.

The Toxic Vine, as a plant monster, loved to ambush the Razor Ridge Beasts hiding in the weeds. The poor Razor Ridge Beasts, unprepared for an attack from below, often ended up being swallowed whole by the Toxic Vine, dying in frustration.

Seeing their enthusiasm, after dealing with the troublesome Tiyas, I sat by the fountain with the only non-combatant, the Oak Sage, and enjoyed the elegant scenery of the courtyard. Watching my summoned pets slash and kill the enemies, blood splattering on the blooming flowers and intricate carvings, created a strangely beautiful and mesmerizing scene. Was I becoming more twisted?

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End of Chapter 94