What is an offensive priest?

Chapter 33 The Green Hag!

The red-hatted Blood Sage looked at the charred crater created by the fireball spell and the scattered remains of his companions.

In those fierce red eyes, an instinctive fear finally flashed uncontrollably.

It is a noble spellcaster, a wise man who has mastered ancient and bloody secrets, which means that it is more adept at assessing situations than those brutes who only know how to wield scythes.

It quietly took a step back.

They attempted to use the still-lingering flames and smoke as cover to disappear into the depths of the twisted, withered wood.

But before it could act, a swift black shadow appeared behind it like a ghost.

The Blood Sage stiffened and slowly turned his head.

It saw a pair of golden eyes that were chillingly calm.

After Richard dealt with the bloodthirsty red hat, he rushed to the Blood Sage's side.

"Gah—"

The words were not spoken.

A large hand covered in fine iron gauntlets gripped its throat tightly.

This Blood Sage is similar to a mage, but is physically weaker and does not possess the melee combat abilities of a regular Red Hat.

Its withered neck was like a fragile twig in Richard's hands, which would break with the slightest pinch.

The Eye of Judgment!

The moment the Blood Sage met Richard's gaze, the endless cycle of sin swept over him.

Richard released his grip, and the Blood Sage collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud.

Its pupils went completely dark and lost their color, and its red hat slipped off its head, rolled into the mud, and was quickly submerged in the murky water.

[Defeat the Red-Hat Blood Sage, experience points +300]

[The Light Priest's level has been increased to level 3]

[Gained the divine spells of the Realm of Light: Blazing Orb, Scorching Ray]

[Bloodlust attribute upgrade → Bloodthirst]

[Quality: Rare]

[Effect: Enters Bloodrage state, Strength and Agility are increased by an additional 25%, and the decrease in Sanity is reduced by 10%]

After dealing with the group of red-hatted people, the two rested briefly before continuing in the direction indicated by the map.

That's where the Green Ghost Granny's teahouse in the woods is located.

Along the way, they encountered scattered red hats again.

These demons either lurked behind withered trees or stood openly by the roadside, staring intently at the two with their scarlet eyes.

But strangely, they seemed to have received some kind of higher-level command.

He merely stared warily at the two men, a low, threatening growl emanating from his throat, his scythe slightly raised, yet always maintained in a defensive stance.

And so, under the eerie and oppressive gaze, the two walked for half an hour.

The road ahead suddenly ended.

A wooden bridge that has completely collapsed.

The bridge originally spanned a swampy waterway about fifty feet wide, but years of soaking caused the wood supporting the piers to completely rot and decay.

At this moment, the middle section of the bridge has completely collapsed, and the broken wooden planks are scattered in the yellowish-green swamp below, their surfaces crawling with wriggling leeches and unidentified larvae.

Richard measured it briefly, and even with his own strength attributes and Avel's enhanced jumping ability, he might not be able to cross this swamp.

If we take a detour...

Richard looked around; the waterway stretched out to both sides, disappearing into the thick miasma and fog, with no end in sight.

Just then.

Avel suddenly spoke up: "Lord Richard, I've thought of a way."

She walked to the edge of the broken bridge and raised her staff.

"Tenser's Floating Disk!"

First-level spell, Tansen's Levitation Technique!

Create a horizontal disk made of force field, about three feet in diameter, suspended three feet above the ground, capable of holding up to 500 pounds of objects.

It was strong enough to support the two of them and help them cross the swamp safely.

Seeing the sorcerer's various spells, which always proved useful in special situations, Richard once again expressed his admiration for the sorcerer's authority.

Looking at myself, I have nothing to offer except my fists.

He's practically like a... crude martial monk.

As the two reached the end of the muddy path, the wooden house, which had been partially obscured by the mist, finally revealed its complete form.

It was a wooden hut built deep in the swamp, with walls made of blackened, rotten wood and a roof covered with a thick layer of decaying, withered grass, making it look eerie and sinister.

The most unsettling thing was the atmosphere around the cabin.

There are no red hats here; it's like a restricted area for them.

They gathered at the edge of the fog, their scarlet eyes fixed on the direction of the wooden house, letting out suppressed growls, but they dared not take a single step forward.

"The smell of blood..."

Avel suddenly frowned, his crimson pupils turning to the right side of the cabin.

There was a simple well there, built with black stones.

The well opening is about three feet in diameter, and the rim is surrounded by a ring of dark red stains, like dried blood.

The pungent, nauseating smell of blood emanated continuously from the well.

Avel approached slowly.

She looked down into the well, her pupils contracted sharply, and she raised her hand to cover her mouth tightly, almost vomiting on the spot.

There is no water in the well.

There was only a well full of highly rotten flesh and blood.

Human limbs and head, dwarf's internal organs...

All the remains showed varying degrees of decay; some were reduced to bones, while others were still slowly oozing yellowish-green pus.

Beside the well, a ragged Tiflin woman was tied to a rusty iron stake.

She looked quite old, with the typical dark red skin and devilish horns of a Tyflin.

Her eyes had been gouged out, leaving only two bloody, mangled holes. The skin around her eye sockets was ulcerated and scabbed over, and her pale cheekbones could be vaguely seen below.

His body was emaciated from long-term hunger and abuse, and his dark red skin was covered with old and new whip marks and burns.

She huddled beside the iron stake, her body trembling with cold and fear.

"Help...help me..."

Avel's heart clenched.

She quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and tried to soften her voice as much as possible.

"Were you captured? Don't be afraid, we—"

"She came voluntarily."

A familiar, hoarse voice came from the doorway of the wooden house.

squeak-

The dilapidated wooden door was pushed open.

Aunt Ethel slowly walked out of the house.

She was still wearing that coarse cloth dress, her gray hair was neatly combed back, and she had a gentle and kind smile on her face.

The moment Avel saw her, his expression froze.

"Grandma?" She stood up instinctively. "What are you doing here? It's dangerous here."

Richard stood silently behind Avel, watching Aunt Ethel's figure, with some guesses in his mind.

Aunt Ethel ignored Avel's question.

She walked slowly to the well, stretched out her withered fingers, and gently stroked the Tiflin woman's hair with a tender gesture.

But the woman trembled violently as if touched by a venomous snake!

"She came to me and wished she never had to see her husband again, the Tyflin merchant who drank and beat her every day and treated her like a slave."

"To fulfill her wish, I gouged out her eyes."

"That way, she'll never have to see that man again."

"What a perfect solution, isn't it?"

Aunt Ethel gave a sinister smile, seemingly quite pleased with her work.

Avel stood rooted to the spot, his crimson pupils blazing with fury.

"This isn't real help at all!"

"You're just playing word games; you've ruined her life!"

Why did you do that?

Richard, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke.

His voice was calm, his gaze fixed on Aunt Ethel's figure, and he spoke with conviction.

"Because this Aunt Ethel is the green hag we're looking for!"