Chapter 303: The Farmer and the Power Thief (X)
"They'll die in agony—inside their dreams. If you want," said Freddy Krueger in a hoarse voice.
Gideon shook his head. "Not yet. Until we understand why the Evil Spirit consumes souls, killing them might only make it stronger."
"Heh… what an annoyingly cautious man," Freddy sneered.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Bettice pointed to the side. "We should restrain these people too. Otherwise, they might retaliate later."
Rudolph's remaining companions immediately dropped to their knees.
"We were wrong! Please, show us mercy like the Lord would!"
"Dream about it," Gideon said, giving Freddy a look.
Freddy grinned—and within moments, the group collapsed unconscious.
"Serves them right," Caroline muttered, stomping each of them once for good measure.
"That's highly improper!" Hugh frowned.
Caroline stuck out her tongue and hid behind Bettice.
"What about that one?" Bettice asked, pointing at the creature—the Demogorgon-like "Overlord." "Will it let us go?"
Gideon turned to Freddy. "Can you make it cooperate with us?"
Freddy adjusted his hat. "Heh… you're dreaming. We can only exchange very basic commands."
"Besides, that thing has no real consciousness—just advanced animal instincts."
That matched Gideon's expectations.
"Then at least retrieve the relic it's carrying. You scavengers all seem to have one."
Freddy snorted but stepped forward.
The creature immediately spread its petal-like maw, clearly uneasy at the proximity. But Freddy seized the moment, thrusting his hand inside. After rummaging around, he pulled out a cross glowing with golden light.
"Here."
He tossed the slime-covered relic over.
Gideon let it fall, then used Rudolph's hand to pick it up. After confirming it wasn't corrosive, he stored it away.
Aside from Hugh, everyone—human or otherwise—seemed used to Gideon's methods by now.
"Since it can follow simple commands," Gideon continued, "can you make it stay in one place?"
"Maybe," Freddy replied. "But there's no guarantee. The Evil Spirit could reactivate it at any time."
"That's fine. We'll be gone before that happens."
Freddy growled lowly at the creature, which soon retreated from the chemistry room.
"Move these people to the courtyard. Then we find the remaining survivors…" Gideon began issuing orders.
---
Shortly After
Gideon and Freddy walked at the front. Behind them followed Bettice, Caroline, and the others. At the rear trailed Austin, Luen, and their group.
The rear group looked noticeably tense.
"Walking openly down the middle of the hallway… isn't this a bit reckless?" Luen whispered, still hugging the wall and glancing around nervously.
"Following behind a Scavenger is what's truly reckless!" Vera shot back, though her body leaned backward as if ready to flee at any moment.
Austin wiped sweat from his forehead. "I… strongly agree with Father Luen. This kind of exposure is unsettling."
The others—Dylan, Lynn, and the rest—felt the same.
Not long ago, they had reunited with Gideon and even obtained a century-old relic—something worth celebrating.
But then a Scavenger appeared.
And not only that—
Gideon had formed an alliance with it.
It was utterly unbelievable.
For veterans like Austin and Dylan, who had endured the Holy War zone from the beginning, the fear of these monsters was ingrained in their bones.
And now…
One of them was their ally.
It shattered everything they thought they knew.
Yet reality was undeniable.
When Freddy—grotesque and terrifying—politely tipped his hat to Austin, the bishop's gaze toward Gideon turned into pure admiration.
"So this is the caliber of someone chosen for the Holy See's clerical selection…"
With a Scavenger's protection, there was no longer any need to hide.
But that newfound freedom came with an unexpected discomfort.
They had lived so long in fear that moving openly now felt unnatural.
Austin, for instance, had repeatedly resisted the urge to retreat into corners—maintaining dignity only by sheer will.
It would take time to adjust.
---
Under Gideon and Freddy's guidance, the group quickly swept the area for relics.
They gathered:
3 additional century-old relics
Numerous relics ranging from 20 to 80 years
Including his original one, Gideon now possessed six century-grade holy relics.
After exploring two regions, he also noticed a pattern:
Each area typically contained at least three century-level relics—not counting those hidden on Scavengers.
A fair system, in a twisted way.
After all, not everyone dared to approach those monsters.
---
After some time—
Beep. Beep.
The gate on the first floor opened.
This meant the area was fully cleared.
Austin and the others immediately moved toward the fog corridor leading to the buffer zone.
But Gideon didn't follow.
"You're not coming?" Austin asked, confused—
Just as Gideon tossed something toward him…
Austin caught the object instinctively. In his hand was a pale blue stone engraved with intricate runes.
"One of Sister Olivia's companions is a member of the Holy Bloodline," Gideon said calmly. "Follow him—you'll be able to leave this place."
Through Freddy Krueger, Gideon had already confirmed that the man was still alive and heading toward the gate.
Hearing this, Austin and the others' eyes lit up. This was exactly what they had been dreaming of.
"You're… not coming with us?"
Gideon wanted to—but he still had unfinished business. He shook his head.
"…Alright. Then be careful." Austin hesitated, but in the end could only offer a simple warning.
Lynn stepped forward and hugged Gideon tightly. Dylan and the others nodded in silent gratitude.
Their time together had been brief, yet every one of them felt fortunate to have met him. Without Gideon, they would have died in the previous region.
Soon, three figures approached the gate—one from the Saul family, accompanied by two from the Guerrero family.
To avoid misunderstandings, Gideon had Freddy wait nearby.
Olivia stepped forward to speak with them.
The moment the Saul family member learned he could leave, his face lit up with joy. Without hesitation, he grabbed Austin and disappeared into the mist.
In an instant, only Gideon, Olivia, Bettice, and the two Medici heirs remained.
"So far, we haven't seen anyone from the Wings of Vengeance," Gideon said. "Things may get more dangerous from here."
"Are you sure you still want to stay?"
Everyone nodded.
This opportunity was rare. If they could contribute to the Church, their families might rise in status.
And now—with a Scavenger ally—the stakes were even higher.
None of them wanted to leave.
Led by Freddy, the group soon arrived at a cellar entrance.
"Below is a network of gaps connecting different regions. Only we can enter," Freddy explained.
He lifted the iron cover, revealing a pitch-black passage.
Bettice reached out to touch it—but thorny vines suddenly materialized, blocking the way.
Only when Freddy enveloped them with his power did the barrier fade.
Moments later, the group disappeared into the darkness.
---
Meanwhile — Another Region
Raccoon City Police Department (East Corridor)
A zombie suddenly froze mid-step.
Its head tilted, as if sensing something.
After a full minute, it resumed moving and vanished into the darkness.
Only then did four figures emerge from beneath a window ledge.
"Whew… that was close. These things can report to the Scavengers."
"Yeah… I saw the Castro family wiped out because of that…"
"This is already the second Holy Bloodline team gone… I hope the Catherine family can handle this…"
"Don't count on it. If we want to survive, we rely on ourselves."
"But we've already been hooked twice…"
Their whispered discussion was cut short—
A heartbeat.
Sudden. Violent.
"Snap!"
A whip coated in blue liquid lashed across them.
"Scavenger!"
"Run!"
But there was nowhere to go.
The exit was blocked.
Outside the window—two zombies waited.
They were trapped.
Just as despair set in—
A zombie was torn clean in half.
"Heh… filthy creatures," said Freddy Krueger, flicking blood from his blades.
The survivors froze.
Another Scavenger?!
But instead of attacking them—
Freddy vaulted through the window and lunged at the whip-wielding Scavenger.
The two monsters disappeared into the darkness, fighting.
"Hey. You alright?"
A voice came from above.
They looked up—
Five figures stood there.
Two men, three women.
At the front—a young priest.
"…Who are you?"
They were stunned. They had spent four days here—and never seen this group.
"Take these," Gideon said, tossing them a bundle. "When the gate opens, find the Holy Bloodline members."
"…The gate opens? What?"
The survivors were completely confused.
They had once helped activate a generator—but after that, the Scavengers grew stronger and their team was nearly wiped out.
And now—
This man was saying the gate would open soon?
They almost thought he was insane.
Still, they opened the bundle—
And froze.
"Fifty-year relics?! So many?!"
"And… purple seals—Tier 3 abilities?!"
"What is this blue stone?"
"…Did you rob the Scavengers?!"
They stared at Gideon like he was the real monster.
Gideon simply pointed behind them.
"You've got bigger problems."
They turned—
Two Scavengers.
They scrambled out the window in panic.
As they fled, they whispered:
"Why are Scavengers fighting each other…?"
"Maybe they have conflicts…"
Gideon smiled faintly.
He had already figured it out:
The leather glove had altered the rules.
From that moment on, Freddy could directly engage other Scavengers.
And thanks to that—
Gideon had easily collected multiple century-grade relics.
Freddy soon returned, tossing Gideon a glowing golden charm.
"Heh… that one was tough."
Behind him, a defeated Scavenger lay bound.
The rescued survivors were speechless.
"You… you know it?!"
"Are you… Scavengers too?!"
Even Bettice and Olivia couldn't help but laugh.
"Time to go," Gideon said.
They moved to the hall.
Within minutes—
Click. Click.
The remaining generators lit up.
The gate opened.
Similar events unfolded elsewhere:
The asylum
The swamp
The temple ruins
A mysterious group appeared everywhere.
They walked openly.
Distributed relics like gifts.
Activated generators effortlessly.
Even hunted Scavengers.
To survivors, they felt almost unreal—
Like saviors.
What was once empty now buzzed with life.
Church families gathered, exchanging news.
Blue lights flared overhead—
Each one marking a group leaving.
"Lord Saul," Austin bowed respectfully, "this is how the teleportation stone works."
The young noble activated it.
A flash of light—
They became a streak of light shooting into the sky.
---
Holy See — Cardinal Chamber
In a grand chamber, Parolin frowned as he listened to the report.
"Another hundred survivors… returned safely?"
[SHOW SUPPORT FOR OUR PRIEST]
Want faster updates? Send those stones my way—the more, the merrier. Read early at [email protected]/A_divin5