Michael's first impulse was to turn around and look at the girls. However, they were not in the room anymore.
'This means that when I passed out, they tried to act to save me or maybe the knights and were sent out as a result. The more problematic thing is... did I do this?'
To the left behind him, one of the knights was stripped of his armor and covered in horrendous cuts. Even his guts were flowing out of him while his eyes were open wide. There was nothing but pure terror on his face.
To the right behind him was a knight missing both arms and his left leg was facing the floor.
To the left of his position, as he stood in the middle of the room, Michael saw another dead knight stood leaning on a bookshelf covered in blood. The man's spear was broken through, while his face was broken beyond recognition as if a punch dealt all that damage.
To his direct right were two bodies. One was decapitated, while the other was in a horrifyingly mutilated state.
'Shorn limbs. Twisted metal. Acrid smoke rises from the body. Did I do this? No... this makes no sense. Each of these knights was at least Level 50-75. I don't have the strength to perform such a feat.'
Then, an inconsistency appeared. To the right, all the way to the front of the room, stood another corpse impaled by its own spear, probably two meters away from the floor. The spear seemed to have thrown the body through the air and then pinned him to the bookcase, judging by the blood splatter.
'The problem is... why is there a seventh corpse on the left side of the room?'
Ignoring the shivering Voszalko, Michael looked at the seventh corpse and felt the urge to puke. Unlike the others, this man still had limbs next to his body. They were severed indeed, but the blood on the ground showed that they belonged to him.
The image was grotesque, but it made him realize the other limbs were missing. Except for the blood on the floor and the incomplete corpses, everything else vanished.
'An offering, perhaps? Or a price that must be paid when summoning a demon? The exorcism on Earth required the demon to be present after all... In that case, did the demon take over me and create this mess?'
Turning around to the only person left alive behind himself, Michael looked at the shaken Voszalko. The light covering his body was gone, and the man made an effort to stand while covering his stomach.
There were no apparent wounds on him, but it was obvious that he suffered a mental trauma of the highest possible tier.
"What the hell happened? Are you hurt?"
[Th-The exorcism... I... I did everything right. As I have done so many times before! But y-you...](Voszalko)
Hearing the words, Michael felt strangely clear-minded. His brain was operating faster and more efficient than before.
'But, to lose after getting Inariu's blessing can only mean... a demon... no! Devil! A devil of similar strength or more powerful than the angel. This isn't good... It looks like I'm in a shitty position. The most important thing is to make sure I'm not blamed for the murder of these people.'
"What exactly happened here? And why is there a seventh knight in the room?"
[Begone. Begone! The angel Inarius... H-he casts you out! Cast you out...](Voszalko)
"Get a grip, priest! Please explain to me! What happened here? Did I do this? Did the demon possessing me do this? What did you see!?"
[Leave. Leave, please! Please...](Voszalko)
Voszalko didn't look like a clergyman anymore. Seeing the man sobbing while covering his head with his hands, Michael knew this man was mentally broken.
Whatever he saw was so horrendous that his mind was probably trying to block it instinctively. And his presence in front of the man only aggravated the trauma.
Annoyed at how badly things turned out to be, Michael decisively left the room and returned to the chapel. He hoped that the girls would have an explanation.
The first thing he saw upon exiting through the doors was the film covering them disappearing. Then, the second was over ten spears pointed at him, blank-point.
[Stand down! He's not an enemy. Michael, what happened?](Prava)
"That's what I would like to ask... It suddenly started raining blood, and I blacked out. When I came to it... all the knights were dead, and you disappeared. I tried asking Voszalko, but... his mind doesn't seem to be there anymore."
[Damn it! Seven elite knights are dead! That stupid Voszalko!](Prava)
Hearing Prava swearing shocked Michael. It seems that the losses this time weren't minor.
"When you say elite knights, what levels are we talking about?"
[Between 80 and 90.](Prava)
"I see... I'm sorry for your loss. Can you tell me exactly what happened after I blacked out?"
[We don't know either. We were sent out by a strong force as soon as the red rain started in the room. All we saw was your head drooping and the knights being lifted into the air.](Helen)
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Helen! Wait! Lifted into the air? Then... the demon?"
[Most likely. As we were being sent out, we could hear the screams of the knights, as well as the wails of Voszalko. I think the exorcism failed.](Mina)
"I think so as well. How long was I inside?"
[A few minutes at most. Prava called the knight guards in case the Dungeon collapsed, and something terrifying emerged. Gladly, it was you.](Helen)
Thinking about the whole sequence of events, Michael felt relieved. Yes. Even after seeing the massacre within that room, he was relieved.
The fact that the demon appeared meant he wasn't responsible for killing seven knights. Seven elite knights, at that.
[ Quest complete - Severing the Bond
Reward 1: 7,560 experience points
Reward 2: 1,350 gold coins
Reward 3: Weak Elixir of Fire Resistance and Weak Precision Elixir. ]
The guard knights, Prava, and even the girls were surprised at the sudden level-up, while Michael was even more confused.
The exorcism failed; therefore, the Quest should've failed as well. He quickly explained the situation to the girls, hoping for good news.
[The fact that the Sanctuary considers the Quest complete can mean only one of two things. The exorcism was successful, and the demon's rage at being cast out was taken out on the elite knights. Voszalko survived due to the Father's blessing.](Prava)
"What about the second possibility?"
[That...](Prava)
[*Sigh* The Sanctuary never meant for your 'bond' with the demon to be severed.](Helen)
"What!? That makes no sense!? Why? Isn't she the bad character in this story? Why would it be good to keep this 'bond'?"
[I'll investigate. I'll see what I can gather from Voszalko. I apologize for asking you this; I think you should go to Yelesna.](Prava)
[PRAVA!](Helen)
"It's alright, Helen. For once, I agree with her."
[But...](Helen)
[It's dangerous.](Tia)
[I agree. This is not a small-time demon, Michael.](Hella)
"It's not like I have a choice in the matter. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away. Plus, if the Sanctuary wants me to keep this connection with her, there must be a reason behind it. Hiding here might put me and those around me at risk."
The sisters crowded around Michael while Prava bid them farewell and entered the archives room with the guard knights.
Comforting the girls on their way home, he felt warm inside, knowing someone cared for him deeply. Furthermore, it wasn't just Helen. All the girls seemed to share the sentiment.
After cooking a feast worth five main dishes and three desserts, the girls were finally appeased. Most of them, though, as Helen hugged and cried on his chest in bed.
[Can you not go?](Helen)
"You know that's not possible. I'll be fine. I still have to catch up with you and Dungeon dive together. I've heard that it's better than going on a date."
That finally made her giggle, making Michael breathe out in relief. Seeing a girl he cared about cry... was his kryptonite. Even with his high EQ, coaxing them back into smiling was more difficult than fighting five Tomb Lords simultaneously.
"As much as I hate to admit it, this 'encounter' really scared the crap out of me. I'm still not strong enough to go to Yelesna yet."
[Then...](Helen)
"I will still go, Helen. But I'll postpone slightly, at least until I reach Level 30. I have a plan."
[Why Level 30?](Helen)
"I need the extra two skill slots. Through them, I'm planning to use my Skeletons and the Golem."
[Why not use more active skills?](Helen)
"I'm not as experienced as you are. More skills won't do me any good; they might trip me at the wrong time. Therefore, having a small army of minions is much better in comparison."
[I see...](Helen)
Finally managing to put his girlfriend to sleep, Michael stroked her hair as she still hugged him tightly.
Sighing at the ridiculous affairs he was getting himself into, he brought up the Status Page first.
[ Class: High Necromancer
Attack Power: 583
Armor: 1178
Life: 720
--------------
Strength: 115
Intelligence: 140
Willpower: 127
Dexterity: 144 ]
His stats were growing nicely, and even Helen agreed that he was ahead of most other Classes at his level — even those who went through their first Awakening.
Next, he opened his Quest tab, where two more Priority Quests had just appeared besides the Cold Faith Quest, which required him to go to Margrave.
[ Priority Quest issued - Extraction and Imprinting
Objective: Speak with Demyan
Description: Occultists are masters of mystical arts and can aid in the Extraction and Imprinting of Legendary Aspects. Seek out Demyan in Kyovashad. ]
The first Priority Quest required him to meet up with his future father-in-law and get schooled about what Aspects can do.
Michael already had a general idea, seeing the Aspects inscribed into his Legendary items. Extraction would probably mean removing it from the item, while Imprinting could possibly replace or add a Legendary Aspect.
Next was the second Priority Quest, which he was more interested in.
[ Priority Quest issued - Gem crafting
Objective: Speak with Kratia
Description: Jewelers can craft or unsocket gems, add sockets to items, and upgrade jewelry. Seek out Kratia in Kyovashad and craft a gem. ]
That meant that he could finally get a rough understanding of how gems work and put the fragments he collected to good use.
'Furthermore, there's also THAT I need to take into consideration.'
Looking at the MAP showing two blue exclamation markers, Michael knew he now had access to two more Side Quests.
'It wouldn't be a bad idea to get them. I seem to gain more experience doing Quests than grinding Dungeons.'
Mentally checking the markers, the Quest details popped up, surprising Michael. It seemed that the system decided to be more helpful.
[ Side Quest (restricted to Level 27+)
Name: Malady of the Soul
Description: A priest from the Cathedral of Light needs assistance with a dangerous task. ]
The first thing that came to mind when seeing the words priest and 'malady of the soul' was another exorcism. It was likely that this small-time priest would engage in getting rid of another demon.
'It might prove a good learning opportunity. After all, I need to know what exactly happens during an exorcism, and that way, I might gain more knowledge into what happened in the Elysiuma Archives.'
As for the second marker, it described an even stranger Quest, which piqued Michael's interest.
[ Side Quest (suggested Level 29+)
Name: Sight to Madness
Description: Reclaim Vilek's eyes from the cultists in Nostrava. ]
First off, the Quest suggested a level of at least 29 before accepting it, but Michael thought he should be good. After all, with the help from the Heart of the Forest, he was ahead in terms of attributes compared to an average Level 29 Wanderer.
Second, if the Quest had a higher difficulty, the experience awarded should be higher also, getting him closer to the Level 30 he wanted.
'So, the plan is to accept these two new Side Quests, complete the Priority Quests, and possibly visit Margrave if it's on the way to wrap up Cold Faith. Then, if all goes well, I should be closer to Level 30. With the two new skill slots, I can use my minions to clear some Dungeons and get used to a new fighting style.'
After closing the MAP and opening up the inventory, Michael opened all the item boxes left. He was disappointed in the end, as there were four weapons that he couldn't use due to various reasons, a Focus item and the Ossified Prayer Beads amulet gained from completing the Call of the Underworld Quest.
Deciding to scrap all of them, he pondered while looking at his Legendary Shield.
[ Dread Shield of Audacity
Legendary Shield
340 Item Power
-----------------
255 Armor (+255 when compared with the currently equipped item)
* 50% Blocked Damage Reduction
* 20% Block Chance
* + 80% Main Hand Weapon Damage
* + 41 Thorns
------------------
* +15 Strength
* +3.0% Crowd Control skill Duration
* 3.5% Damage Reduction from Close Enemies
* 6.5% Damage Reduction from Distant Enemies
Legendary Aspect: When there are at least 5 Close enemies, stun them for 4 seconds. This can only occur every 20 seconds.
Empty Socket ]