How the Cult Saves the World

I glared at Zain, my eyes spitting silent curses.

The Miner Mole was a creature of incredible speed, rarely offering a chance to hit it with a burst of spiritual energy as I had just done.

"...I'm sorry, Master."

Zain, catching the meaning behind my gaze, rose to his feet and bowed his head.

"Sigh, it's alright."

It's not like he fell on purpose.

---Don't be too harsh, my child. It wasn't intentional.

'...Right.'

---Yes. So let's forgive him this once.

I clenched my trembling hands tightly.

"Zain, be more careful. Your actions just cost us a perfect opportunity."

Yes, Troy. Well said. Zain, looking deflated, didn't retort this time.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes, don't worry about it."

Even Troy, who had been scolding him, softened upon seeing Zain's disheartened look.

They're both quite adorable.

"It's fine. We'll get another chance."

Facing the Miner Mole, I gripped my mace with renewed strength. Then I said to the two of them,

"Let's go."

"Pant, pant."

---You've worked hard, my child.

I gasped for breath. That damned mole was disgustingly fast.

Even for a hidden dungeon of easy difficulty, it would have been tough to clear without Troy.

The mole, a master of escape, easily dodged my mace swings and Zain's arrows. After several misses, Troy's attack barely connected, but even that was a struggle.

My spiritual energy release was also dodged as soon as the mole sensed it, making it an exhausting effort. Controlling the amount of spiritual energy was already challenging, and wasting it like this quickly drained me.

Eventually, Troy, transformed into a black panther, managed to catch the Mole. While he held the mole by its side in mid-air, I released my spiritual energy and finished it off.

[Hidden Quest

<Miner Mole Extermination>

<Miner Mole Extermination>

[Hidden Quest Rewards will be distributed.]

Creak-

As the system message appeared, vibrations emanated from the boss room's floor. I immediately approached the center where the ground was splitting.

"What is this..."

Zain and Troy, who had been resting, came over as well.

In the cracked floor, a small space revealed itself, shining with Magic Stones that brought a smile just by looking at them.

Two red Magic Stones, and one white. Given the nature of Magic Stones to change color based on the stored mana, we had obtained two superior Magic Stones and one top-grade Magic Stone.

"Is this all?"

Zain sighed as if disappointed. But this was quite a haul.

"You saw earlier. The moles were munching on Magic Stones."

Fortunately, the top-grade Magic Stone was left. I collected the Magic Stones with a smile.

When we emerged from the hidden dungeon and returned to the dwarf village, the sun had already set.

"Brothers, we have returned."

Holding my hungry stomach, I entered Katu and Lufu's forge.

"Gasp! Leader! You're back already?"

"My goodness! Are you hurt anywhere?"

The two dwarves rushed over in surprise.

"I'm fine. No need to worry."

Despite my assurance, Katu and Lufu circled around me, checking my condition themselves.

"Truly a relief."

"Who would have thought you'd return so quickly!"

The dwarves beamed with joy upon confirming my safety. I handed them the Magic Stones.

"Please use these to craft my artifact."

"Wow, these are in excellent condition!"

"Ha, it's been ages since I've seen a top-grade Magic Stone! Don't worry! I'll create a masterpiece to remember!"

The grinning dwarves received the high-grade Magic Stones I had also handed over.

"Use these for Zain and Troy's equipment."

"Gasp... Master!"

"Ma, Master. You don't have to do this."

Zain looked at me with grateful eyes, while Troy tried to dissuade me.

"No. It's better to have good equipment. So don't worry, Troy."

"...Thank you, Master."

Troy quickly accepted the gesture. And Zain looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"As expected of Master! I knew I could trust you!"

A lie. I had clearly seen Zain's envious gaze as I collected the Magic Stones in the mine earlier.

"Don't think about selling these for money. Now, I leave it in your hands, brothers."

"Leave it to us!"

"Don't worry! We'll craft it properly!"

Katu and Lufu assured us that the equipment crafting would take about two days, so we should rest in the village in the meantime and ushered us out of the forge.

With nothing else to do, I guess I'll take a look around the village.

"Yawn."

What to do with my time starting today. The plan to explore the village ended last night, quite abruptly.

'Maybe I should visit Bahano since I have two days free.'

With that thought, I got out of bed. Since I had slept in, I was the only one left in the lodging.

---Look, there are the children.

'Where?'

---Over there, by the stall.

Following Kyros' words, I peeked out the window and saw Zain, engrossed in taking notes while surveying a street vendor's wares.

He seemed to be searching for information worth some money.

And there was Troy, voraciously eating skewers at a nearby shop.

The pile of empty skewers in front of him suggested he had devoured dozens already.

'Eating so much meat first thing in the morning...'

With a nod of respect to the black panther's impressive appetite, I began preparing to step out.

Having finished my preparations to visit Bahano, I had just left my lodging.

I considered setting up a portal in my room, but it was too cramped, and there was no suitable space within the dwarf village. Besides, explaining it to the dwarves if they noticed would be a headache.

Since I had some time to spare, I decided to take a leisurely stroll and enjoy the scenery on my way to Bahano.

At that moment...

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The sound of a horse galloping reached my ears from the entrance of the dwarf village.

"Who could it be?"

Turning my head, an astonishing creature came into view.

"Good heavens."

---Oh, what is that!

It wasn't just me; even Kyros seemed surprised, his voice filled with excitement.

"Who do we have here, if not Quir?"

The dwarves, familiar with the creature, naturally struck up a conversation.

The man with curly black hair had a bronzed, muscular torso on display. Behind him, the body of a horse extended.

'A centaur!'

I was speechless. To think I would encounter a centaur here!

The centaur, looking around, spoke to a nearby dwarf, and I was taken aback.

"I've heard the leader of the Kyros faith is here."

Why would a centaur be looking for me...?

As I stood bewildered by the unexpected visitor and his words, the centaur's gaze found me precisely. Standing tall among the short-statured dwarves, I was easily spotted.

Especially since Zain and Troy were nowhere to be seen.

The centaur approached me.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

I watched, dumbfounded, as the centaur drew near.

'To meet a centaur here, of all places.'

It was a situation I had never anticipated. Even after countless iterations during my gameplay, I had never interacted with them.

After all, centaurs were a race that greatly despised humans.

"Are you the leader of the Kyros faith?"

The centaur looked down at me, his gaze seemingly displeased.

"Ah, yes. That's correct."

I answered cautiously, and his eyes softened.

"I've finally found you."

"...Yes? Why were you looking for me?"

I couldn't fathom why a centaur would seek me out. As I asked for clarification, he brushed his hair back and said,

"Some time ago, a light enveloped all of Bahano. I need that light."

Could he be referring to the time I used the large-scale Purification Light?

"Let me introduce myself first. I am Quir."

"Ah, yes. I am Leviathan, the Leader of the Kyros faith. But what do you mean, you need that light?"

"In the forest where I live, there is a 'Flower of Life', akin to the lifeblood of centaurs. That flower is currently dying."

The centaur and the Flower of Life.

'The Flower of Life?'

Even as a top player in Woosebeop, this was a tale I had never heard before.

"However, the parts of Bahano touched by the light you released came back to life. Curious about this phenomenon, I investigated and learned that the light originated from the leader of the Kyros faith. That's why I've come to seek your help."

[A sudden quest appears!]

[Sudden Quest: Revive the Flower of Life

Description: The nature-loving centaurs. Please revive the Flower of Life they worship.

Objective: Restore the centaurs' Flower of Life

Success: The goodwill of the centaur race

Failure: -]

[Do you accept?]

[Yes/No]

A quest had suddenly emerged, and it was a sudden one at that. I calmed my startled heart and reviewed the quest details, then felt a surge of astonishment.

'Incredible.'

The reward was the goodwill of the centaur race?

A race that loathed humans to the point of abhorrence!

'I can't possibly refuse this.'

I didn't know what benefits or dangers lay ahead.

But without hesitation, I accepted the quest. If I could convert these centaurs into followers, perhaps they would aid me someday. And for someone who thought they had experienced every route, the prospect of a new one was too enticing to pass up.

---The centaurs are a race skilled in magic. And they are incredibly beautiful!

Kyros seemed just as excited as I was.

Indeed. I had never encountered centaurs in Woosebeop, but I knew they were a remarkable race.

Though few in number and disdainful of humans, they were said to be adept in magic.

'But to become involved with centaurs like this...'

During the original gameplay, I knew there was a dwarf village nearby, but I had only visited the hidden dungeon, never the village itself. After all, the dwarf village wasn't accessible from the game's launch. Hence, I had never interacted with the centaurs.

Especially since the rewards for the dwarf sub-quests had changed after I arrived in this world.

It seemed right to assume that one could only interact with them through a hidden route.

'The centaurs' Flower of Life...'

Could the flower, which was dying, have been revived, even partially, by the large-scale purification? Has the Flower of Life suffered from magic?

I couldn't make sense of it. The original game barely mentioned centaurs, let alone the existence of the Flower of Life.

'I accepted the quest, tempted by the goodwill of the centaurs.'

But a significant problem remained: how to heal the 'Flower of Life'.

'Can a flower even suffer from magic? If not, what should I do?'

---Child, the essence of holy power comes from life force. Even without using the power of healing, holy power has a faint ability to heal living beings. Though it's not as strong as the power of 'healing'.

'I see.'

---The power of purification ultimately stems from holy power. It's like the root from which the fruits of purification and healing grow.

From what I had seen in Woosebeop, the power of healing was something only a select few within the Kyros faith could wield. And only those with abundant holy power.

So, the power of healing was a force that could bloom from a vast reservoir of holy power.

---In this case, you became a 'conduit' for the power of purification, so your holy power, which contains healing abilities, combined to heal the flower.

'Even if it wasn't magic?'

---Yes. The power of purification extended from you.

Now I understand. The healing power within me had mingled and healed the flower.

That's why the injured in Bahano weren't in such dire condition.

With my doubts cleared, confidence surged within me that I could heal the flower.

"I will help you."

I said to Quir, smiling.

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