Chapter 1: The Hero’s Priest

One day, ten years after the calamity that eradicated all mages—

In a dense forest on the Western Continent’s border, a treasure-stealing goblin was fleeing for its life.

This green-skinned, diminutive creature was no different from its kin. However, the cloth sack slung over its back often contained priceless treasures, earning it a B-rank challenge rating from the Adventurers’ Guild.

Despite carrying a heavy sack, its movements were exceptionally nimble. Just as it believed it had shaken off its pursuers—

Whoosh—!

An arrow unexpectedly whizzed past its head! It embedded itself deeply into the tree trunk before it.

“Thanks to Jie’er’s tracking skills, it didn’t get away!”

A male voice echoed from ahead. The goblin glanced around in terror, realizing it was surrounded.

“That’s thanks to Naya’s preparations from a few days ago.”

A few meters away, a red-haired girl with braided pigtails emerged from behind a tree.

Her arrow was already nocked, its tip aimed directly at the goblin.

Jie’er—16 years old, the adventuring party’s hunter, skilled in tracking and archery.

“Be careful, it might be hiding a dagger,” the girl who had been trailing behind cautioned.

Naya Trei—16 years old, with soft, long white hair, a petite figure, and an innocent, adorable face. She was the party’s priestess.

From her small capelet and uniform top to her skirt and shoes, everything she wore was white, exuding an immaculate, pure aura.

“Don’t worry, it can’t escape now.”

The young man blocking the treasure goblin’s path revealed a gleaming, menacing dagger. His name was Rol, and he was a rogue.

The other two members of the adventuring party also arrived shortly, completely encircling the treasure goblin.

These were Hissou, the adventuring party’s captain, skilled with a spear, and Kurin, the earnest warrior.

The treasure goblin sneered, letting out a loud shriek in a language incomprehensible to humans! Green-skinned figures began to emerge from the forest, surrounding them in turn.

In a flash, an arrow whizzed past Naya’s head! It struck a goblin directly between the brows.

That particular goblin had been concealed within the trees, its bow aimed at Naya just a second prior.

“Be careful.”

Jie’er said, already nocking a second arrow to her bowstring.

“Thank you, Jie’er.”

Naya prayed to Aio, and a halo, symbolizing a Shield of Light, enveloped her.

Even though the reinforcing goblins outnumbered them, it was merely a minor setback for their one-star adventuring party. Goblins steadily fell beneath spear and sword.

Seeing the tide turn, the treasure goblin turned tail and fled.

“Hey, hey, hey—that guy’s trying to run again!”

Rol had just pulled his dagger from a goblin’s corpse. He sprang up and gave chase, oblivious to the danger that had descended upon them in that very moment.

—There was no warning.

—No hint of preparation.

A cross-shaped spatial rift abruptly appeared behind Rol—

“Look out!” Naya cried out, a desperate warning.

But it was too late. Rol’s attention was entirely fixed on the fleeing treasure goblin.

From the rift, a hand clad in dark, sinister armor shot out, seizing Rol by the throat! It dragged him into the swirling void.

Everyone present heard a horrifying shriek from another dimension—Rol’s scream.

In mere seconds, Naya watched, stunned and speechless, as it all unfolded. Rol’s limp body was then flung back out of the rift.

His head, however, was no longer attached to his neck.

“Naya! Save him!!”

Jie’er’s pleading voice rang in Naya’s ears.

‘But… save him?’

‘With his head severed, how could she possibly save him!?’

At that very moment, a figure in pitch-black armor stepped out of the rift. Silent, black flames ceaselessly engulfed its entire form.

The Fallen Nosferatu, Challenge Rating—???

“You monster!!!”

Hissou charged forward, brandishing his spear!

Yet, his impulsive charge failed to account for Naya behind him. The Shield of Light, half-chanted, suddenly dissipated as he moved beyond its casting range!

Naya panicked! She desperately chased after him, but it was already too late.

The next second, tentacle-like appendages shot from the armor’s back, piercing Hissou’s body like arrows.

Naya froze mid-stride. It was… too late.

She watched helplessly as the armor delivered another punch, exploding Hissou’s head. At this point, even the most potent healing magic would be useless.

In that instant, an arrow struck the armor’s helmet precisely in the eye slit. Alas, there was nothing there but swirling black flames.

Several tentacles, moving with the same speed as an arrow, streaked past Naya’s vision. Before she could even turn her head, tragedy had already struck.

The tentacles pierced Jie’er’s body, then flung her entire form far away, landing in a spot Naya couldn’t reach…

At that very moment, Kurin desperately lunged, embracing the armored monstrosity!

“Run—ah—!”

He screamed with all his might at the stunned Naya.

‘Run—?’

‘They had been through dozens of battles, big and small, but never anything like this!’

The next second, before Naya’s eyes, Kurin was impaled by tentacles, riddled like a sieve.

Annihilated.

Wiped out.

Utterly destroyed.

All of this had transpired in less than a minute.

Only Naya remained alive. She stood there, tears streaming down her face, still reeling from the devastating loss of her entire party.

The pitch-black armor now stood face-to-face with her.

Naya felt a wave of helplessness wash over her, collapsing to the ground.

‘Was it her turn next?’

The armor gazed at her for a moment, then, unexpectedly, retreated back into the cross-shaped rift and vanished.

‘Why…? Did it intentionally spare me…?’

Reality, however, offered no time for further contemplation. The three goblins that had fled during the chaos had now returned.

They gestured with their daggers, slowly closing in on her.

Naya wiped away her tears. Having narrowly escaped death, how could she possibly fall to mere goblins now?

Even if she was the last one left, she had no choice but to keep fighting…!

One of the goblins lunged first! Its flailing dagger bounced off the glowing barrier that enveloped Naya.

Naya swung the scepter in her hand, and with the raw grief of her party’s annihilation fueling her, she smashed the goblin’s head apart.

“You—don’t come any closer!”

Though her voice trembled, she gripped her scepter tightly. The other two goblins exchanged wary glances, hesitant to advance for a moment.

Just then, a furious roar echoed in her ears! A massive body rapidly approached.

Naya finally understood why treasure goblins were designated B-rank—they could continuously summon reinforcements!

A colossal goblin roughly shoved its two smaller subordinates aside. The shadow cast by its immense physique completely engulfed Naya.

Naya swallowed nervously, staring up at the behemoth. Was there any hope of survival left now?

The massive goblin raised its hammer and brought it crashing down towards her head…