Subscriber of the Gods Chapter 345 - Like This

“Is that the reason…?”

Scorpion cried out as it was dying.

“You’re just… abnormally strong, that’s all.”

Then, with an indignant expression, it breathed its last.

-You have hunted the Corrupted Guardian of the Temple, Scorpion!

-Your fame increases!

-You have received a reward!

-You have achieved an achievement.

-You have gained likes for achieving the [Desert Hunter] achievement.

-You have gained ‘7’ likes.

The hunting reward for Scorpion was quite substantial.

‘It was quite strong.’

Of course, it was only strong by others’ standards. For Ethan, who was focusing more on training with the Apostles as his benchmark, it was an easy opponent.

But for an easy difficulty, the reward was extremely substantial.

‘7 likes, an achievement, and a reward too.’

The reward obtained from hunting Scorpion was a map.

Ethan first unfolded the map he received.

“What’s this, just a parchment?”

It was an ordinary parchment with nothing drawn on it, let alone a map.

“Don’t tell me, it’s that kind of map?”

Ethan examined the map closely with his Eye of Horus.

“As expected.”

As anticipated, it was a map that automatically drew itself along the footsteps.

“Even though there’s no content, it’s definitely a map of this temple. It’s clearly the type of map that automatically draws the route as you enter the temple.”

To think that a guardian of the temple would give a map as a reward.

“This way, I can reduce getting lost a bit.”

As Scorpion fell, the sandstorm it had been using gradually began to subside.

The mercenaries and Rashibed, who had been trembling with anxiety in the sandstorm, witnessed an astonishing sight as soon as the sandstorm disappeared and their vision cleared.

The massive Scorpion lay fallen in front of Ethan, split in half.

“…”

“…”

There’s a saying that when you’re too shocked, you can’t even make a sound.

The mercenaries could only hold their breath.

Ethan had defeated that enormous Scorpion.

Moreover, he didn’t even seem particularly injured.

“Sir… Count?”

Ethan approached the severed tail of Scorpion.

Then he extracted the venom from the tail and put it in a glass bottle.

“The color is so unique, it would be helpful for dyeing magic. Scarlet would like it.”

Next, Ethan also collected Scorpion’s exoskeleton. Upon inspection, it seemed extremely hard and appeared to have an effect of perfectly absorbing shock when cut.

Of course, Ethan was able to inflict damage easily by freezing it with Moonforce power and then cutting, but still.

‘These are materials the workshop people would like.’

“Now that the situation is mostly settled, come this way.”

However, the mercenaries couldn’t easily approach.

A band of 800 bandits.

The giant scorpion-human that had easily absorbed that band of bandits.

And there was Ethan, who had easily defeated that giant scorpion-human.

“If you don’t want to, you can keep standing there. I don’t mind.”

“Ah, no!”

“We’re coming right away!”

The mercenaries ran with all their might.

Of course, Rashibed was at the lead.

“I didn’t say to come in order of arrival though.”

Ethan smiled as he watched them.

***

Oz had the same dream every day.

A dream where his grandfather appeared.

At first, he didn’t realize it was a dream, but halfway through, he always became aware.

That his grandfather had passed away and this was a dream.

-Oz.

Today’s dream was different. Instead of continuing to speak as he usually would, his grandfather was quietly waiting for Oz.

-Grandfather, I did it. That thing you always talked about, I did it. I cut a mountain. I did it with our Lazarus family’s swordsmanship that you taught me.

Oz knew that the grandfather before him wasn’t real.

Nevertheless, Oz continued his story, crying and laughing.

-Didn’t I tell you? Oz, I said you could do it.

As Oz tried to say more, his grandfather gestured with his hand.

-I’ll listen to the rest later. I’m looking forward to those stories too. Interesting stories, I’m looking forward to them.

…

“Oh, Senior Oz has woken up!”

“Senior Oz has woken up!”

After repelling the Followers of the Moon who had attacked the academy.

Although Ethan had perfectly healed him, perhaps due to the fatigue accumulated in his body, Oz had been asleep for quite a long time.

“…”

Oz slowly recalled the memories of that day.

Then those memories overlapped with the dream he had just had.

“It’s fortunate that I could meet Teacher Ethan.”

He had become a swordsman who could cut mountains.

Ethan had made him that way.

So now it was his turn.

“Winning the exchange festival. I must do it. Without fail.”

He had become a swordsman who could cut mountains.

Oz, who had been wandering without a goal, now had a new objective.

“And I have to tell grandfather many interesting stories.”

He would live long and gather various stories to tell his grandfather.

***

The bandits were gone, and Scorpion was gone too.

But one big problem remained.

“Hmmmm.”

It was the temple itself.

As Rashibed had said, the temple was closed. Because it was protected by powerful magic, it couldn’t be entered by ordinary means.

Eventually, Ethan’s group headed towards the hole the bandits had mentioned.

But that hole had already been blocked, perhaps due to Scorpion.

“The hole has been blocked.”

“This means we can’t enter at all.”

Since the hole Ophemar had made was blocked by Scorpion. In effect, this temple had become a forbidden place that couldn’t be entered.

“Sigh.”

They had come all this way spending an enormous sum of money.

Perhaps it would have been better to use that money to find another healer.

Moreover, seeing Scorpion made them realize even more painfully.

This temple was never a place they should have coveted in the first place.

Not being able to enter was a problem, but even if they could enter, it was still a problem.

Inside, there would surely be monsters like Scorpion swarming around. Breaking through that to find the Desert King’s treasure?

It was virtually an impossible task.

It was a button wrongly fastened from the start. They had wasted their money and time.

“Damn it.”

Hanter couldn’t figure out what to do.

“Mercenary Captain Hanter.”

“…Yes?”

“That healer who told you to bring the Shield of Purification. Do you know where he is?”

“…I can tell you, but.”

“Then, in exchange for telling me his location, I’ll heal that comrade of yours.”

“Ye, yes? Wh-what do you mean…?”

A bewildered Hanter asked back.

“I said I’ll heal him. That mercenary group member you’re trying to save. You just need to tell me the location of that healer. Ah, if possible, I’d like you to stay here as a guide and wait.”

“…”

Hanter blinked twice.

Suddenly, he remembered. The rumor that Ethan had cured the princess’s incurable disease.

Among the many rumors circulating about Ethan, this was the one he thought was truly unbelievable. How could a person have so many talents?

But that was his thought before meeting Ethan.

After meeting Ethan in person, he thought that all those numerous rumors might actually be true.

“Can you… really cure him, Count? Sob.”

At Ethan’s words that he could cure him, the mercenary captain shed tears. The mercenary group members listening nearby also shed tears.

“You all talked so tough earlier.”

Rashibed clicked his tongue as if in disbelief.

But Rashibed’s words weren’t heard by those who were sobbing.

“We can cure him. We can finally repay our debt.”

“I was always bothered by the way he smiled. If that idiot was going to smile, he should have done it properly! Smiling with sad eyes while telling us not to worry. Saying it’s okay because he doesn’t have a family anyway? Why did he say such things to make us worry!”

“That damn fool.”

Everyone was cursing while shedding tears, but their expressions were brighter than ever.

“Thank you so much, Count Ethan. We will wait here until Count Ethan returns. We will protect this guide here with our lives.”

“Oh my.”

Rashibed narrowed his eyes and looked at the mercenaries. He understood that they were full of enthusiasm now that they had hope, but how exactly did they plan to protect him here?

“I’m counting on you. Without a guide, it would be difficult to find our way back.”

Of course, Ethan could return anytime because he had registered the Gaister Desert in Wind Cloud.

But it was premature to part ways like this. He still needed Rashibed.

‘I need to go to the desert city too.’

The road to Lyubin is quite treacherous.

There are many traps along the way. This was because the desert people of Lyubin were hostile to outsiders.

‘People living in such remote places generally don’t like outsiders.’

Wasn’t the underwater city he visited before also a place that was quite hostile to outsiders?

‘The desert also developed a tendency to reject outsiders for similar reasons as the underwater city.’

“But Count…”

It was good that he would heal their comrade for now.

But there was no way to enter this temple right now.

“How are you planning to get inside?”

Rashibed asked.

Ethan gestured for Rashibed to follow him.

Then he led the way towards the entrance.

The entrance of the temple felt traces of long years but at the same time gave off a considerable sense of grandeur.

Moreover, the magic protecting the entrance was as strong as its majestic appearance.

That’s why even the bandits gave up on the front entrance.

In the end, they had to go around and around to find the weakest part of the magic and make a hole.

“…Count?”

“It’s a temple that enshrines the god I believe in. We should go through the entrance proudly.”

Ethan concentrated and looked at the magic. Then he stretched out both hands.

The defensive magic spread throughout the temple reacted to Ethan’s movement. But only for a moment.

Swoosh-.

Ethan’s two hands penetrated right through the defensive magic.

“You asked how we’re going to get in?”

Ethan said.

“Like this.”

The magic protecting this enormous temple had a structure similar to a magical fortress.

The only difference was that if someone tried to forcibly release the magic from the outside, the magic would become entangled and transform into an even more powerful magic.

That’s why Ethan intentionally released only part of the magic.

No, to be precise, he didn’t release it but transformed it.

‘This is magic that can only be released from the inside. It was designed that way and actually moves that way.’

It must be magic cast a very long time ago, but magic doesn’t rust or change.

‘So I transform it. To create a small gap in this entrance.’

Ethan put his hand into that gap, transformed it a bit more, and then entered.

For Ethan, it wasn’t an extraordinary technique.

But to Rashibed and the mercenaries watching from behind, it looked like Ethan was tearing through the defensive magic of this enormous temple and entering.

“Have a safe journey!”

“Come back safely!”

With the mercenaries’ polite greetings as if measured with a ruler, Ethan stepped into the temple.