How the Cult Saves the World

After an hour-long meeting, we had a rough plan in place.

Thanks to Arhen, who knew the routes of the guards, infiltrating the Bahano Royal Palace seemed not too difficult.

I ran a simulation in my head.

'First, I secure all the mandrake roots, capture the High Priest's new recruits, and destroy the barrier. Then, I throw the mandrake roots into the large-scale monsterization device that Celos must have hidden somewhere...'

That way, I could save Bahano.

But there was one problem. I didn't know the exact location of the monsterization device. It would be much easier if I did.

I was sure it was inside the Palace, but it never appeared in the main story.

'The large-scale monsterization always happened before the player arrived.'

It was always too late to stop it. As if, it had to be that way.

But what I was doing now was a hidden route. The arrival time and the story progression had changed long ago.

'This event is already tricky enough, and the hidden route makes it even harder... That's why I want to stop it this time.'

"Master."

That's when I heard Zain's voice.

Zain, Troy, and I were walking on the street. We had given the lodging to Arhen, who looked very tired. It wouldn't be easy for her to rest with the three of us around.

"What is it?"

"I don't know if it's just my feeling, but..."

Zain looked at the sky and pointed somewhere with his hand.

"Doesn't that look similar to what we saw in the Cartel Forest?"

Zain pointed at the sky right above the Palace.

It was the time of sunrise, but the sky over the Palace was unusually dark.

'No way...'

I opened my eyes wide. There was a black mist over the Palace, like a cloud.

"That's... the mist that led to the death of our tribe."

I heard Troy's trembling voice from the side.

"Damn it, this is crazy...!"

I cursed out loud.

The large-scale monsterization had already begun.

---

The ominous black mist that covered the sky.

I knew what it was that triggered Troy's trauma. 'Large-scale monsterization'.

'No, why. How come the large-scale monsterization has already started?'

I couldn't understand it. I thought there was still time left before the monsterization happened. But I couldn't deny the reality in front of me. Something had gone wrong.

'Did it happen because we rescued Arhen from the western tower? Then they were just waiting for the right time, and they had everything ready, damn it.'

I was careless. The monsterization always happened before the player arrived, regardless of the arrival time. It was up to them when to pick up the spoon from the prepared table.

'I was short-sighted.'

I bit my lip. I felt my mental state crumbling. What should I do? How should I move?

"When the mist touches those who are addicted to Happy, they either die or become monsters. That's what happened to my tribe, and I saw the High Priest of Aldone experimenting with it."

As I watched the mist anxiously, Troy muttered quietly.

"What, that's ridiculous...!"

Zain also looked shocked. I looked at their faces and closed my eyes.

'Calm down.'

I had to calm down to overcome this situation. I had to steel my mind. There were many lives at stake in the upcoming ordeal.

'First of all, it's impossible to stop the monsterization that has already started.'

The mist was spreading faster than I could go and fix the monsterization device. I couldn't catch up with it at human speed.

In other words, all the plans I had made were shattered.

"Master, what should we do?"

"Leader, we have to stop it. The people might all die."

Zain and Troy urged me. I clenched my trembling hand.

Yes. The situation was hopeless.

But, it was worth a try.

"First, we have to go and wake the Princess up."

I turned my body toward the lodging.

---

"What?! What the hell is that...!"

Arhen was shocked to hear the situation. It was only natural, since the words she heard after waking up were no different from the kingdom's destruction.

"Those who are addicted to Happy will die or become monsters when the mist touches them. Sometimes, there are survivors, but... I don't know the exact probability."

Troy added an explanation before I opened my mouth. He was right. The 'monsterization' experiment by the Rizes Church had advanced a lot after many trials.

So, those who had their skin discolored by Happy, even a little bit, would change as soon as the mist touched them.

The only ones who could survive this disaster were those who had never taken Happy or whose skin had not yet changed.

"You said, when the mist touches them, right? Then we have to evacuate the people right away!"

She slammed the table and voiced her opinion. I spoke calmly to Arhen.

"It's too late to evacuate. The mist is spreading very fast. It's still spreading now."

Someone who heard me might think I was cold-hearted. But it was the truth. The mist was faster than humans, and it was devouring the capital bit by bit. And even if they hid in the buildings, the fine particles could enter through the small gaps.

"Even so, we have to save at least one person!"

Arhen jumped up from her seat. Her blue eyes were filled with determination.

"...I understand."

I sighed and said.

"But, you can't move alone."

I wasn't ignoring Arhen. I knew her abilities to some extent, but it would be dangerous if the monsters came.

"Master, I will go with the Princess and evacuate the people."

Zain said with a resolute look. He knew I needed Troy, so he volunteered.

"Okay. But don't take too long. If the people turn into monsters, come back to the Palace right away. I'll go to the Palace with Troy."

"I understand."

Zain got up from his seat and I too got up.

"Princess, I'll go to the Palace with Troy and try to stop or slow down the mist."

"Got it."

As soon as the meeting was over, I hurried out of the lodging. Troy followed me quickly.

"Troy. I'm counting on you."

"Don't worry."

Troy transformed into a black panther. It was dawn, and some people were walking on the street, but we didn't have time to care about their stares.

"Hold on tight, Leader."

"Don't worry."

As soon as I got on his back, Troy started to run fast.

'At this speed...'

As Troy's speed increased, the buildings around us became almost invisible. Only one thing was clear: the flow of the mist that started to spread from the palace.

The black mist that had been floating in the sky over the Palace had reached the town by now. The flow of the mist that had already started to spread would not stop until it covered Bahano.

'And...'

The Bahano Palace had become a dark mass of black mist, as if it was the source of the mist.

'The Palace is already done for.'

At the same time, the black mist in front of us approached. Troy and I entered the mist in an instant. The visibility was very poor. I could only see a few meters around.

"Leader. We're at the Palace."

Thanks to Troy's fast movement, we reached the Palace entrance in no time.

"How horrible."

I nodded at Troy's murmur.

Most of the guards who guarded the Palace entrance were dead, spitting blood. Some of them looked like they had just fainted, but their condition was not good either.

"Leader, the gate is closed."

"We have no choice but to break it."

"Got it. Hold on tight."

As Troy warned me, his upper body rose. I thought I was going to fall off, when.

Crash!

Troy's sharp claws smashed the gate to pieces. It was made of wood, but it was still thick. I was glad I had him by my side.

"Are you hurt?"

"Don't worry about me."

Troy stepped on the debris and entered the Palace. I tightly gripped his fur again and said.

"Do you know where the annex is?"

"I do. Don't worry."

Troy's speed increased again. I knew where Celos was staying, thanks to Arhen. But it was not easy to find the location, since the whole Palace was engulfed by the black mist.

Of course, I had the memory of the original work in my head, so I had a map of the Palace. I was going to tell Troy if he went the wrong way, but he surprisingly went straight to the annex.

"Krrr!"

"Kiek!"

When we had crossed half of the vast garden, we heard the sound of monsters.

I narrowed my eyes. They had human shapes, but their whole bodies were blackened. They were monsters, no doubt. And they were wearing armor, which meant they were the soldiers who guarded the Palace.

"Leader, be careful!"

"I'm fine, just keep moving."

I took the Holy mace out from my inventory. And I swung it at the monsters that ran towards us.

Thud! Thwack!

The monsters that were hit by my mace flew away.

"Don't stop, Troy."

"Got it!"

Thwack! Thud!

I swung the mace and dealt with the monsters. After killing about twenty of them...

We finally arrived at the annex. The soldiers who guarded the entrance of the annex were also dead, like the others. I looked at them with pity, and got off Troy.

The annex was as white as the main Palace, and it was beautiful. The flower beds that filled the surroundings would have made me feel good if I had seen them at another time.

But now, there were monsterized servants and blood stains.

Thud! Smash!

I killed the monsters with Troy, and got close to the building.

"...How tragic."

Troy, who had returned to his human form, muttered bitterly. I patted his shoulder once and opened the door of the annex.

"Krrr!"

"Kiek!"

As if they were waiting for us, the monsters rushed at us. The Holy mace was stained black with the blood of the monsters.

The short battle ended, and a gruesome scene captured me. Bodies that were not intact, as if they had been attacked by monsters. Red puddles. Monster corpses.

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again, and moved on.

My plan was not ruined. Even though the monsterization had started, I could still reduce the damage if I moved as planned.

So, what I needed right now was the 'mandrake roots'.

But where were they? I knew they were in the annex where Celos was staying, but I didn't know the exact location.

Then...

I took out a pouch from my inventory that contained the mandrake roots. There was not much of it, so it was not enough. But.

"Troy. Can you track the smell of this plant?"

Maybe I could use it like this.