Half a dozen officers swarmed the small room, with Derrick trapped dead in the center of the conflict. Judging from the refinement of their auras, they were likely Rank 6 combatants just like Derrick himself. In a head-on confrontation, the chances of victory were nearly zero.
Should I blast them away with a surge of spirit flames? No, that would be a waste of energy, and they likely have some sort of resistance to flame magic since they worship the Sun Goddess Solari. Liar Mask is useless on enemies who have already seen my face, and I'm terrible at substitution magic. However...
Being backed into a corner forced Derrick to test his abilities on the fly in an act of dangerous improvisation. He reinforced the Spirit Echolocation technique with an Authority and concentrated purely on the sound of the room. He produced a low-yield explosion to release a wave of low-frequency sound.
When sound hits a wall, part of it gets reflected while the other gets absorbed due to the difference in acoustic impedance between solid and air. Assuming that the entire room has the same acoustic impedance, sending a low frequency sound should reveal which wall is the thinnest, since thick walls are more reflective than thin ones.
Derrick's extensive knowledge of science from the human world was perfect for the situation. The walls to his left and right were the most reflective, but the ceiling was relatively thin. He had no choice but to leave this floor and go to a higher level. He easily broke through the ceiling and escaped the confining room.
The cultists were hardly deterred by such a tactic. The imposing leader of the group, Father Blithe Tellow, examined the room before giving his orders. "Nini, Hana, Mao, you three will keep guard of this Atonement Chamber. Tenma, inform Father Hoffman of the invasion and shut down all church activities on the Light Side."
"Yes Father Tellow!" The trainees said in unison. They scattered instantaneously upon receiving their order.
Tsk, I told those kids to just call me by my given name, Blithe lampooned.
Tenma is the fastest among the new recruits to the Dark Side. It shouldn't take anymore than 10 minutes to reach the Light Side. The Atonement Chamber is destroyed as well, but that shouldn't be an issue. We'll just exonerate the blasphemers of their punishment and announce their repentance. It's no big deal.
Blithe slicked his hair back and sighed with a hint of annoyance, "All that's left is to hunt down the rat."
He entered the upper floor with a single bound as a torrent of spirituality flowed within him. He activated his application ability, [Bloodhound], to track the location of the recent intruder.
Around 200 meters away to the east. This will be quick.
With a surge of spiritual energy, Blithe closed the distance between himself and Derrick in the blink of an eye. His movements were like a predator's, swift and precise, catching Derrick off guard. Before Derrick could react, Blithe's fingers closed around his neck, cutting off his air supply.
Derrick gasped for breath, his hands instinctively reaching up to pry off his aggressor's hand, but the priest's grip was unyielding, fueled by a dark determination. As Derrick struggled against the vice-like hold, the priest's eyes gleamed with a fanatical fervor, his belief in his cause unwavering.
"So you're the rat...what a letdown," Blithe said in disappointment.
With a brutal force, Blithe launched Derrick through the nearest wall. As he crashed through the wall, the world spun around him in a blur of pain and disorientation. Shards of stone cascaded around him like rain, each impact sending jolts of agony through his battered body. He lay there for a moment, dazed and breathless, his mind racing as he struggled to regain his bearings.
"I didn't expect you...to find me...that fast," Derrick said as he gasped for air in between sentence fragments.
"Hunting down unbelievers like you would hardly count as an exercise. If you want to cry about the result, blame your own weakness first." Without a moment's hesitation, Blithe lunged towards Derrick with a piercing blow. The attack narrowly missed Derrick's head, only leaving a scratch upon his cheek and a crater in the wall. Seeing the opportunity, Derrick countered with palm strike to the chin.
"Hm. A good move." Despite the apparent praise levied towards Derrick's technique, the priest wasn't even fazed by the attack. He sent the boy flying with a single chop, fracturing both of Derrick's arms. Though Derrick winced from the pain, his various injuries were hardly a problem due to his incredibly refined healing factor.
I apologize for the oversight. Let's ensure the dialogue includes all the necessary details:
Blithe noticed the wisps of smoke emanating from Derrick's regenerating body parts. "So you're a Wraith, hm? It's rare that you see a halfling like you wandering around The Hole," he remarked, his tone becoming more cordial.
"Why would a Wraith like you be here?" Blithe asked, genuine curiosity coloring his tone.
Derrick, still catching his breath as he stood up, straightened his posture. "I suppose I'm not as keen on worship as you guys are. I'll do my own thing, thanks," he replied, his voice steady despite the recent ordeal.
"Why deny the Holy Flame when that is precisely where we originate? We are practically brothers in the eyes of the Holy Mother Solest," Blithe inquired.
Derrick shook his head, dismissing Blithe's beliefs with a grimace. "Sorry, but I'd hardly call a cultist my brother."
Blithe's patience wore thin, his earlier cordiality replaced with disdain. "I see, then this conversation holds no meaning. Die," he declared, his voice dripping with malice.
Derrick took a defensive position as he faced the adversarial priest, Blithe Tellow, in an all-out death match. Despite the enemy's overwhelming strength, he felt no fear for his life. Instead, a steadily increasing rage consumed his heart as he thought of the countless victims in his wake.All of you see no meaning in life. You take it, defile it, and throw it away at a moment's notice.
The boy's flames increased in intensity as his negativity overtook him. "I'll make all of you understand the weight of a person's life, even if I have to beat it into you."
Half a dozen officers swarmed the small room, with Derrick trapped dead in the center of the conflict. Judging from the refinement of their auras, they were likely Rank 6 combatants just like Derrick himself. In a head-on confrontation, the chances of victory were nearly zero.
Should I blast them away with a surge of spirit flames? No, that would be a waste of energy, and they likely have some sort of resistance to flame magic since they worship the Sun Goddess Solari. Liar Mask is useless on enemies who have already seen my face, and I'm terrible at substitution magic. However...
Being backed into a corner forced Derrick to test his abilities on the fly in an act of dangerous improvisation. He reinforced the Spirit Echolocation technique with an Authority and concentrated purely on the sound of the room. He produced a low-yield explosion to release a wave of low-frequency sound.
When sound hits a wall, part of it gets reflected while the other gets absorbed due to the difference in acoustic impedance between solid and air. Assuming that the entire room has the same acoustic impedance, sending a low frequency sound should reveal which wall is the thinnest, since thick walls are more reflective than thin ones.
Derrick's extensive knowledge of science from the human world was perfect for the situation. The walls to his left and right were the most reflective, but the ceiling was relatively thin. He had no choice but to leave this floor and go to a higher level. He easily broke through the ceiling and escaped the confining room.
The cultists were hardly deterred by such a tactic. The imposing leader of the group, Father Blithe Tellow, examined the room before giving his orders. "Nini, Hana, Mao, you three will keep guard of this Atonement Chamber. Tenma, inform Father Hoffman of the invasion and shut down all church activities on the Light Side."
"Yes Father Tellow!" The trainees said in unison. They scattered instantaneously upon receiving their order.
Tsk, I told those kids to just call me by my given name, Blithe lampooned.
Tenma is the fastest among the new recruits to the Dark Side. It shouldn't take anymore than 10 minutes to reach the Light Side. The Atonement Chamber is destroyed as well, but that shouldn't be an issue. We'll just exonerate the blasphemers of their punishment and announce their repentance. It's no big deal.
Blithe slicked his hair back and sighed with a hint of annoyance, "All that's left is to hunt down the rat."
He entered the upper floor with a single bound as a torrent of spirituality flowed within him. He activated his application ability, [Bloodhound], to track the location of the recent intruder.
Around 200 meters away to the east. This will be quick.
With a surge of spiritual energy, Blithe closed the distance between himself and Derrick in the blink of an eye. His movements were like a predator's, swift and precise, catching Derrick off guard. Before Derrick could react, Blithe's fingers closed around his neck, cutting off his air supply.
Derrick gasped for breath, his hands instinctively reaching up to pry off his aggressor's hand, but the priest's grip was unyielding, fueled by a dark determination. As Derrick struggled against the vice-like hold, the priest's eyes gleamed with a fanatical fervor, his belief in his cause unwavering.
"So you're the rat...what a letdown," Blithe said in disappointment.
With a brutal force, Blithe launched Derrick through the nearest wall. As he crashed through the wall, the world spun around him in a blur of pain and disorientation. Shards of stone cascaded around him like rain, each impact sending jolts of agony through his battered body. He lay there for a moment, dazed and breathless, his mind racing as he struggled to regain his bearings.
"I didn't expect you...to find me...that fast," Derrick said as he gasped for air in between sentence fragments.
"Hunting down unbelievers like you would hardly count as an exercise. If you want to cry about the result, blame your own weakness first." Without a moment's hesitation, Blithe lunged towards Derrick with a piercing blow. The attack narrowly missed Derrick's head, only leaving a scratch upon his cheek and a crater in the wall. Seeing the opportunity, Derrick countered with palm strike to the chin.
"Hm. A good move." Despite the apparent praise levied towards Derrick's technique, the priest wasn't even fazed by the attack. He sent the boy flying with a single chop, fracturing both of Derrick's arms. Though Derrick winced from the pain, his various injuries were hardly a problem due to his incredibly refined healing factor.
I apologize for the oversight. Let's ensure the dialogue includes all the necessary details:
Blithe noticed the wisps of smoke emanating from Derrick's regenerating body parts. "So you're a Wraith, hm? It's rare that you see a halfling like you wandering around The Hole," he remarked, his tone becoming more cordial.
"Why would a Wraith like you be here?" Blithe asked, genuine curiosity coloring his tone.
Derrick, still catching his breath as he stood up, straightened his posture. "I suppose I'm not as keen on worship as you guys are. I'll do my own thing, thanks," he replied, his voice steady despite the recent ordeal.
"Why deny the Holy Flame when that is precisely where we originate? We are practically brothers in the eyes of the Holy Mother Solest," Blithe inquired.
Derrick shook his head, dismissing Blithe's beliefs with a grimace. "Sorry, but I'd hardly call a cultist my brother."
Blithe's patience wore thin, his earlier cordiality replaced with disdain. "I see, then this conversation holds no meaning. Die," he declared, his voice dripping with malice.
Derrick took a defensive position as he faced the adversarial priest, Blithe Tellow, in an all-out death match. Despite the enemy's overwhelming strength, he felt no fear for his life. Instead, a steadily increasing rage consumed his heart as he thought of the countless victims in his wake.All of you see no meaning in life. You take it, defile it, and throw it away at a moment's notice.
The boy's flames increased in intensity as his negativity overtook him. "I'll make all of you understand the weight of a person's life, even if I have to beat it into you."
