617. Evil

Deep in the Black Forest, thick, twisted roots of ancient trees tangled with moss-covered rock, naturally forming a hidden area.

Simple concealment Magic Arrays had been set up nearby. This was the temporary refuge of what remained of Hand of Passing's forces.

Kuruge, the powerful Lizardman priest of Hand of Passing, carefully laid the unconscious girl in his arms flat on a crude couch made of dry grass and a few soft animal hides.

His arms, covered in fine dark-green scales, were knotted with muscle, yet his movements were exceptionally gentle, as if he were holding fragile glass.

Her plain white dress was now stained with dust and a few dried, dark smears. The bare feet showing beneath the hem were sickly pale.

Even with the virtue of "spirituality," which allowed her to hear divine oracles and borrow power that belonged to a god, the price was far beyond what an ordinary mortal body could easily endure.

First, while presiding over the large-scale sacrificial ritual, she had continuously borne the infusion of the God of Death's power. The violent backlash from the ritual being forcibly interrupted had already shaken her soul.

Immediately after, to deal with that mysterious and powerful enemy who controlled Slimes, she had been forced to use the power of death she had been granted.

Finally, to tear open a path of survival before the Empire's army could encircle them, she had nearly wrung herself dry, squandering the remnants of divine grace within her.

Now she curled among the hides, her breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible. Even in unconsciousness, her brows were tightly knitted in pain. Beneath her skin, black veins faintly surfaced from time to time, then slowly sank away again.

Three priests gathered around the couch.

Aside from the Lizardman Kuruge, there was