Chapter 13: The Saint of Purification Part 1

I stayed in the city for about half a month while diligently working on leveling up.

I was making decent, if not insane, progress up to level 22, but after that the pace slowed noticeably. This was to be expected in AOE, where there is a system in place to prevent leveling up by killing monsters once a certain level gap is reached.

There was nothing more to be gained by continuing to hunt in this area. The prices of undead materials I had been selling in abundance during my stay were beginning to show signs of dropping.

…I think it's time to leave.

During my stay in this city, I achieved my original goal of leveling up and earned a decent amount of money. El who had been as thin as a twig gradually gained weight and began to look more like a child. Ayla was well fed and she too had grown rapidly and developed into a majestic shadow wolf.

Though taking a leisurely break wouldn't necessarily lead to any problems, I didn't want to rest easy, especially now that I had more mouths to feed. It appeared that the Korean trait of "hurry, hurry" was still ingrained in me.

From now on…

It was time to end the ignorant behavior of mindlessly hunting. In hunting grounds of similar level to my own, the experience points gained from "blind hunting" was less than I had anticipated. Less experience meant slower leveling. Now, it was more efficient to gain experience points through completing quests.

Alternatively, I could switch my hunting grounds to areas dominated by higher-level undead or evil monsters.

But choosing a new hunting ground now won't be easy.

Monsters above level 30 are a different breed entirely. They are capable of killing several humans with a single strike.

As tedious as it might be, it seemed right to follow the quest lines for safety.

Besides, there happened to be a quest worth doing in Galopic.

"Let's hit a big score before we leave."

"A big score?"

El who had just finished her fifth bowl of stew looked at me with a puzzled expression on her face.

This brat eats a lot… Maybe even more than Ayla.

"Once you're done eating, pack your things."

"Pack? Are we leaving this place?"

"Yes."

In truth, there wasn't much to pack. Most of my belongings were stored in my space ring. After gathering her clothes and blanket, El followed me.

We headed towards a temple on the outskirts of the city. This was to obtain a quest.

Temples in cities that bordered the cursed lands such as Galopic, have prevented the expansion of the area of the cursed lands by periodically purifying the cursed earth.

Usually, paladins and priests conducted these rituals, but mercenaries like me could also "volunteer". Of course, ordinary mercenaries often met their end in such endeavors, so most chose to ignore these opportunities.

However, completing a purification quest not only yielded experience points but also brought along some very good rewards.

Given that I'll be traveling through numerous cities in the future, building connections with the temples could be beneficial in many ways.

I first offered a silver coin at the temple's altar and then inquired with a priest about the purification ritual.

According to information I had gathered, the ritual was scheduled for the night of the full moon, that is two days from now, when the largest and brightest moon would rise…

"The ritual is in two days. If you wish to volunteer, I will guide you."

Since I made a plan based on the information I already had in advance, I had plenty of time. I nodded my head in acknowledgment and the priest paused to look at me, or more precisely, behind me.

"These two are…"

"One is my servant, and the other is my guard dog."

"Do you intend to bring them into the cursed land?"

"Yes."

I answered without hesitation, and perhaps due to my confident demeanor, the priest did not ask any further questions.

We were led to a small room, where the assigned priest explained the purification ritual to us.

The method of purification was quite simple.

First, go to the location where the purification ritual is to be performed.

Second, plant the "Pillar of Purification" at the designated spot.

Third, surround the "Pillar of Purification" and begin the ritual.

And then, lo and behold! That part of the cursed lands turns into sacred ground.

The real problem lies elsewhere.

The so-called Pillar of Purification was a branch from the "World Tree", grown in the middle of the "Lake of Life" at the heart of the continent. In other words, it was a sacred tree brimming with life force.

It was the perfect bait for the undead, who were always seeking life force.

The moment the Pillar of Purification was planted in the cursed land, hordes of undead would swarm the area.

Preventing this onslaught was the duty of the paladins and "volunteers", but in reality, it was more likely they would end up as mere meat shields.

It was a path to an easy death with no monetary reward.

No wonder there were hardly any volunteers.

Even the priest looked at me as if I was out of my mind, which pretty much said it all.

In fact, it had been so many years since someone had volunteered like I did that the contract I was to sign was covered in a thick layer of dust.

As I was filling out the contract, the priest explained the concept of "contribution points" at the temple.

"Contribution points" were a form of reward you could earn by serving the temple.

Depending on these points, you could receive free treatment at the temple, stay there, or even purchase or receive temple relics that were sold only there.

But my aim was something different.

"You just need to sign here."

The priest, thinking I might be illiterate, kindly pointed out where I needed to sign.

Well, it was common for people here not to know how to read.

Instead of showing displeasure, I smiled broadly and carefully wrote my name in the designated spot.

[Kang Tae-oh]

"…What is this?"

The priest did not recognize my signature and asked again.

Naturally. The letters I had used for my signature were from the great Hangul of Korea.

"It's a noble language from the Eastern Continent."

Upon hearing my words, the priest's face turned red from embarrassment. A priest of his stature was likely well-educated, but he seemed to feel a sense of shame due to a combination of shock at the fact that there were letters he couldn't recognize and embarrassment at trying to instruct someone like me who knew this "unknown language".

"These letters aren't too difficult; I can teach you next time if you wish."

"…Thank you for dispelling my arrogance. I would indeed like to learn if the opportunity arises."

"It's no trouble at all."

After exchanging brief pleasantries with the priest, I left the temple.

My next destination was the forest on the opposite side of the city.

"Master, will this do?"

"This one is already hollow inside. Look for another."

"Understood."

El, Ayla, and I collected seeds in the forest. There were many different types, including those that grew tough vines, those that grew on hardwood, and those that were poisonous. I sorted the useful seeds, stored them in different pouches, and then returned to the city with El and Ayla. For the next two days, we planned to save money and enjoy the atmosphere by taking advantage of the meals and lodging provided at the temple.

Naturally, the meals provided at the temple were bland and tasteless, and the accommodations were cramped with hard beds. The good news was that El, this former noble young lady, fell asleep without any complaints.

She's not really in a position to complain, is she?

I sorted the seeds for the purification ritual and carved spells into arrows before falling asleep.

A few priests, the paladins, and then there were El, Ayla, and myself. For an event with the grand title of "Purification Ritual", the number of participants was surprisingly small. Of course, the paladins were incredibly strong, but…

The only thing the paladins risked their lives to protect was the Pillar of Purification, so it was better not to expect them to protect us.

El was familiar with the cursed lands, and she had new armor and weapons that we commissioned from Iron Arm Robert. However, it was too much to expect her to handle the onslaught of undead alone. I firmly instructed El to prioritize her own safety before following the paladins.

"A druid?"

"Why is a druid here?"

"Could he be the one from the rumors?"

Some paladins seemed puzzled by my presence. I heard them all because druids have sharp ears…. However, I kept my composure and followed them without revealing my thoughts. After all, I had my own objective here.

The path through the unexplored cursed lands was treacherous. In fact, it was barely even a path. Yet, the priests and paladins, who periodically conducted the purification ritual navigated the rugged terrain as if they were familiar with it and we, who had been going in and out of the cursed lands for quite some time, managed to keep up without falling behind. Surprisingly, some paladins kept looking back as if to check on us.

– Wooong…!

With a strange vibration, the leading priest stopped in his tracks. In his arms, a silver tree branch was emitting bright light.

That must be the Pillar of Purification.

I closely observed the branch. As a druid, I was familiar with nearly every plant, but the branch the priest held was an extraordinary object unlike any I had seen before. If I had to describe it, it didn't seem like something that could be categorized as a "plant" at all.

The branch of the World Tree…

It exuded a tremendous life force, which was evident even at first glance. If you drive something like that into the ground, the undead creatures will go crazy and rush towards you.

"Please keep an eye on the surroundings."

A paladin entrusted me with a task as if he was reluctant to do it.

Keep an eye on the surroundings…The fact that the undead would swarm to us once the Purification Ritual began was as obvious as the sky is blue; even a child would know it.

So basically, they're telling me to pretend to be busy to avoid getting killed.

I glanced at the priests preparing for the ritual. They placed the silver branch on the corrupted, blackened earth, then gathered around it, joining hands and beginning what seemed like a prayer.

An ancient holy text, perhaps?

Thanks to my Polyglot trait, I realized that the priests were reciting an ancient holy text. From what I could understand, they were invoking the gods' protection and blessings. There was a part in the middle that I couldn't decipher, but it didn't seem like the right moment to ask the priests about it.

-Paaat…!

As the prayer neared its end, the branch that lay on the ground slowly levitated, stood upright, and then as soon as the prayer finished, it plunged into the ground. Then it started emitting light like crazy. The brilliant light in the form of a pillar soared high as if it would pierce the sky.

That very appearance is why it's called the <Pillar of Purification>

Even I found myself momentarily speechless at the sight, which evoked a sense of awe in me. The majestic pillar of light instinctively made me think it was "something created by a god".

-Kieeeeek…!

What snapped everyone back to reality was the long, wailing cry of a monster echoing from afar.

Now's the time.

I poured a variety of seeds into my palm.