Chapter 180 — Cooperating Against the Enemy
The corrupted tongue was just about to touch her when Leia jerked her head aside, trying to keep as much distance as she could.
At that moment, a dark object shot in from afar.
A second passed… but the slimy, nauseating sensation Leia expected never came.
Eyes narrowing, she slowly lifted her head—and froze.
A small silver crucifix hovered before her face, wedged between her and the monster's tongue.
"Zzz—!"
The forest echoed with the sharp hiss of burning flesh.
The towering mutant let out a furious roar and immediately retreated into the black fog.
But even in that brief moment, half its tongue had already dissolved.
"A member of the Church?"
Leia scanned her surroundings, but found no one.
"Careful! That black mist drains energy!" she shouted.
"Stay away from it if you can!"
She didn't know who her mysterious ally was, but whoever they were—they had saved her life.
Judging from the crucifix's potency, this person was likely a high-ranking exorcist, perhaps even a bishop.
With help, she felt a swell of confidence.
Together, they should be able to bring this monstrosity down.
Then, from within the forest, a voice echoed:
"Understood. Do me a favor and keep that thing busy.
I won't be coming out just yet—I'll intervene if I see a good opening."
Leia:"...???"
I only said to stay clear of the mist—
I didn't say you could stay hidden the whole time!
She inhaled deeply, forcing her frustration down.
With the monster using the fog as cover, her only option was to keep moving between trees, searching for opportunities to strike.
---
Meanwhile
The program crew also heard the priest's voice—and morale instantly shot up.
Dale quietly gathered them together.
According to the Safety Handbook:
"When someone far stronger steps in to resolve the threat—RUN.
This is likely your only chance at survival."
Dale had already considered retreating the moment the female knight arrived.
But seeing her struggle, he stayed, hoping he might assist if needed.
Now that Father Gideon had returned, staying would only become a liability.
Quickly and in order, the squads began retreating deeper into the forest.
---
At the Base of a Large Tree
Gideon studied the nature of the black mist with holy artifacts.
After several tests, he confirmed:
Only 10-year-grade holy relics could resist the energy-drain.
Even those consumed energy at a far faster rate than normal.
A Containment Array + 30-year relic could end the fight almost instantly.
But Gideon had no idea what the knight's purpose here was, so he chose not to reveal his trump cards.
"Without using my strongest tools… how do I kill this thing?"
He continued observing Leia's battle.
Soon, his eyes narrowed.
Multiple times, Leia slashed off the monster's swollen sacs.
Yet whenever the surrounding fog churned, the wounds closed instantly.
"So its power isn't coming from itself…"
Gideon's lips curved slightly.
"That makes things easier."
Leia had come to the same conclusion.
Dodging another charge, she yelled:
"Something nearby is feeding it power!
This regeneration shouldn't be possible otherwise!"
Regeneration of this scale required enormous energy.
The monster clearly shouldn't be capable of sustaining it alone.
But she couldn't break away to investigate—
Her only hope now was that the unseen priest understood the hint.
But no answer came.
He wouldn't have run away, would he...
"I didn't run."
A calm voice suddenly spoke at her side.
Leia jolted back several steps.
A young, elegant priest stood there.
"Wh-what did you say?" she asked, pretending she hadn't been startled.
"You were wondering if I ran, weren't you?" Gideon shrugged.
Leia's expression froze.
How did he know what I was thinking!?
And how had he approached her without being detected? As a knight attuned to earth and instinct, she was rarely caught off guard.
Such finesse meant unimaginable training—
the kind you only achieved by burning through obscene amounts of sacred oil.
And given his youth?
Likely someone backed by Vatican-level resources.
Gideon, meanwhile, had already judged her:
"Skilled, emotional, doesn't hide thoughts well. Perfect labor force material."
Then the black fog surged again, interrupting them.
"Do you have more of those crucifixes?" Leia demanded.
"I'll stall it—go find whatever's feeding it!"
Gideon knew exactly what that was: the ritual altars.
But the forest was huge, and searching blindly was pointless. He didn't yet know the creature's true vulnerability, and wandering deeper would be suicide.
"I might have another way," he said.
"But I need you to stop it head-on for a moment."
Leia hesitated only briefly—then nodded.
"Fine!"
So trusting, Gideon thought.
Excellent. My perfect temporary tool.
Leia's sword flared bright red as she vanished from sight.
CRACK—
She reappeared behind the monster, slashing multiple joints in rapid succession.
Blood blossomed in the air—
but every wound closed instantly.
"Not the weak point… as I expected," she muttered.
The monster staggered for a breath.
Barely enough time for anything—
Yet the priest acted.
Several black darts shot through the air, embedding into the monster's fists, shoulder, and outer thigh.
"Off target?" Leia frowned.
Those were the hardest areas on its body.
But then—
The forest shuddered.
The black fog surged, drawn toward an unseen force.
The giant monster froze.
It clawed at the spots where the darts had struck—but scraped off only chunks of rotten flesh.
Its tumors swelled violently. More fog erupted—
but instead of spreading outward, it was being drained away, pulled toward the forest interior.
Within seconds, the air cleared.
"Now! Capture it alive!" Gideon shouted.
Leia blinked.
Capture? Not kill?
No time to question it. She acted on instinct.
A blur of motion—
the sword hilt slammed into the creature's skull.
A deep thud echoed through the trees.
The massive monster toppled like a felled oak, kicking up dust.
Leia poked its shoulder with her blade.
Unconscious. Completely.
She exhaled. "What exactly do you plan to do with it?"
Gideon pulled a pair of gloves from his pack, his tone calm:
"Study the body."