Chapter 100 – The Furious Huntress
In the dense forest, three hunters were locked in a desperate struggle against a monster.
Their situation looked grim.
The huntress Amy Calvin lay on the ground, unconscious, her face streaked with blood and pus.
Of the two still standing—
Jan Calvin was swarmed by venomous bees, flailing weakly at the air, already near exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Daphne Calvin circled warily around the Hive Queen, searching for an opening to strike.
"They won't last much longer," Sadie murmured, eyes narrowing.
"The bees that nest on the queen carry venom in their stingers that not only poisons the body but drives the mind into hallucinations. Even if the host is killed, the swarm remains active. A nightmare to deal with."
She explained the creature's nature to Father Gideon.
"And worse—the Hive Queen's resonance can travel for miles. It'll draw other queens to the fight."
Instead of worry, Gideon's brows rose in delight.
"Oh? That sounds like an opportunity."
"…Huh?" Sadie faltered. Right—she kept forgetting that this priest seemed to have no fear of monsters.
"Then… should we help them?" Ralph asked eagerly, itching for action.
"Of course. But first—protection." Gideon handed him a bundle of holy relics.
Meanwhile, Daphne was reaching her limit.
When her companions were beset by bees, she had silently written them off as dead.
The grief cut deep, but she steeled herself, gripping her dagger and lunging at the Hive Queen.
With the swarm distracted, this was her only chance. She couldn't let their sacrifices be in vain.
But her repeated close passes left her splattered with hive venom.
Her vision blurred. Now the forest swarmed with dozens of Hive Queens, and her comrades' warped shapes staggered toward her as monsters.
She shook her head violently. "Damn it!"
The hallucinations faded—barely.
Then she spotted three figures crouched in the underbrush.
Other hunters?
Her heart sank. If outsiders were watching at a time like this, it could only mean one thing—they were waiting for her team to fall, ready to claim the spoils.
No… I won't let that happen.
She made her choice instantly—sacrifice the loot to survive.
"Hey! Will you help me? I'll trade you everything I have!"
She called out to them. Better to bargain now than collapse later with nothing.
"Oh? That can be arranged."
Gideon had just finished instructing Ralph when the desperate plea reached his ears.
Relief flashed across Daphne's face.
"The Allards… and that priest."
Recognizing them, she finally allowed herself to relax.
The Alred family had a solid reputation in Saint Freyan, and she had heard rumors of the tavern incident two days ago—that this priest was a kind man.
"Please—help me finish off this beast. I'm at my limit." She staggered toward them.
"Wait."
Gideon's voice cut sharply.
"How do I know you haven't been tainted?"
"I—"
Daphne froze. She had no way to prove it.
Her heart raced until the priest spoke again.
"Stay with the monster a little longer. I'll need time to verify."
Her eye twitched.
Stay with the monster… a little longer?
What was this lunatic suggesting—that she was on a date with it?!
But she had no choice. If he truly had a way to test her, she'd have to endure.
"Fine! Just hurry!" she gritted her teeth and lunged back toward the queen.
---
Meanwhile, Ralph had already slipped into the trees, quietly setting things up as instructed.
Gideon raised his spyglass, scanning the area.
In his gaming days, he'd been ambushed too many times by opportunists lurking in the shadows. He wasn't about to let that happen here.
Once satisfied, he invoked the Ethereal Sight, peering at the three hunters in turn.
Sure enough, each bore the same corrupt aura he had seen in the Sacrificer.
Left untreated, they would inevitably transform into monsters.
The girl on the ground had already begun to change.
Daphne rolled away from a strike and glanced back at him—only to see the priest calmly observing her through his lens.
Rage boiled in her chest.
Is he… sightseeing?!
She had no idea about his ability. To her, it looked like blatant voyeurism.
And with her long legs bared and her clothes torn from battle, the impression was only worse.
"You—what, want me to strip completely?!"
She yanked up her trousers, exposing more skin in defiance. Ralph nearly poked his head out of cover at the sight.
Gideon blinked, realizing the misunderstanding.
But instead of clarifying, he pointed past her.
"I admit, I'm interested. But it seems the monster isn't."
Alarm jolted Daphne. She dove into a roll just as the Hive Queen spat a spray of venom.
"Damn priest! Who said you were a good man?!" she snarled, fists clenching in fury. She wanted nothing more than to put two bullets in him.
Sadie only sighed and shook her head.
"Stop teasing her. She's fighting for her life."
Then she turned to explain the truth.
Gideon shrugged, pulling the Exorcist's Bible from his pack as he stepped forward.
"Hey. Over here." He motioned with a wave.
Daphne obeyed instantly—her body was already pushed to the brink.
"The Hive Queen's body is loaded with venom. Firearms just spread it farther—you need close-range weapons, like a crossbow—"
She sprinted toward him, quickly explaining the monster's weaknesses.
But the next second—
Her chest seized, her body buckled backward, and she hit the ground hard.
"You—bastard!" she spat, fury blazing in her eyes.
The priest had just kicked her. Was he trying to save her—or finish her off?
Gideon only smiled lightly at her glare.
"Forgive me. I had to act fast."
Her aura hadn't been fully cleansed yet, and he had no intention of touching her directly.
So instead, he had nudged her back into the binding circle with his boot.
"Until the rite is finished, stay inside this line."
He splashed holy water over his shoe, then drew a glowing boundary across the ground.
"Exorcism? A… boundary line?" Daphne blinked in confusion.
But there was no time for questions.
The Hive Queen was already looming closer.
Her grip tightened on her dagger, muscles braced for the strike—
Yet the monster did not attack.
It froze in place, posture tense, surrounded by a storm of buzzing bees that refused to advance.
Daphne's eyes widened.
Her instincts as a huntress—and her woman's intuition—both screamed the same truth:
The Hive Queen was afraid.
And not of her.
Afraid of… the priest?
Impossible.
This creature ranked among the top five deadliest monsters in Saint Freyan.
Veteran hunters had perished by the dozens beneath its venom.
Queens had no emotions. They attacked anything alive without hesitation. That was why every hunter knew to avoid them at all costs.
That's what Daphne herself had done before—her team only confronted it because retreat had failed.
They had actually secured one of the "Trait" clues before this, but during withdrawal, her sister Amy had made too much noise… and the queen had struck again.
Yet even then, the monster's behavior hadn't been this bizarre.
Daphne turned, staring at the priest.
He held a book in one hand, face utterly blank.
Just a man.
No—worse.
A shameless, lecherous man with no manners.
And still… the Hive Queen trembled.
The ribs that formed its grotesque hive began to quiver—the telltale warning before it unleashed its devastating Resonance Screech.
"This is bad! We have to stop it now!" Daphne's voice sharpened with urgency.
But when she looked to Gideon for action, he simply stood there, calm… almost expectant.