I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

He turned to look at the elite ghoul still pinned to the ancient tree, waving its arms in vain as it tried to scratch him.

Despite having its chest pierced and its heart damaged, it has not completely perished due to the tenacious vitality of undead creatures.

"Still not giving up?"

Xia Lin stepped forward, grasped the hilt of the sword, and twisted it forcefully, completely destroying its heart.

Draw your sword and slash horizontally!

The veteran's longsword was sharpened to its fullest extent at this moment, severing the muscles of the cervical vertebrae and severing the hideous head to the ground.

The headless body pressed against the ancient tree, finally ceasing its struggle and fuss.

It's much quieter now.

Shaking off the bloodstains from his longsword, Xia Lin's heart was still beating rapidly.

But it's not time to relax yet.

Looking up toward the defensive perimeter where the old priest Far was, my heart sank.

The exceptionally strong black elite ghoul had completely torn through the fragile defenses.

The only one still able to stand in front of the old pastor Farr, barely able to protect him, was the pale-faced patient Ward.

And two other young guards who were so frightened that they could barely hold their weapons.

Behind the three was the old pastor Far, who was barely able to stand up.

The old pastor Far had barely stopped bleeding from his wound. He was breathing heavily, but his eyes were unusually clear.

The black elite ghoul let out a low growl and swung its claws, sending a young guard in front of it flying, shield and all, blood and flesh splattering everywhere, his fate unknown.

Another guard roared and thrust out his spear, which was first severed by sharp claws, followed by a clear sound of flesh being cut. The guard coughed up blood and fell to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the barrier of the two guards disappeared, leaving only the lone Captain Ward standing between the black elite ghoul and the old priest.

Feeling the sharp pain from the wound on his shoulder, and looking at the tall, terrifying ghoul monster approaching step by step, Ward's hands holding the sword trembled slightly.

His back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Damn! This is like winning the lottery!

...Am I really going to die here today?

Just as despair was spreading, an old, withered hand gently pressed on his shoulder, which was still in excruciating pain.

Immediately afterwards, a soft and pure white light surged from that palm, instantly enveloping Ward's entire body.

The warmth flowed like a clear spring, and the stinging and numbness in my left shoulder quickly subsided. My body, heavy with fear and exhaustion, also felt much lighter, and my spirits lifted.

Ward turned his head in surprise and saw the old pastor Farr's calm and pale face.

"Your Excellency, Pastor!" Ward cried urgently, "Don't worry, I'll protect you with my life, I won't let this wretched thing..."

"Ward, our lives are of equal value in the eyes of the Holy, Suffering Lord, with no distinction of high or low, noble or base."

The old pastor gently shook his head, interrupting him, a weary yet serene smile even appearing on his lips: "If you really want to say..."

He glanced at the fallen guards around him, a look of sorrow flashing in his eyes.

"On the contrary, I'm the one who's dragging you down. You've already done enough for me."

He took a deep breath, endured the pain, and stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ward, facing the towering ghoul that was now almost within reach.

"Their target has always been me."

The old pastor's voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear.

"Or rather, it is my aging body, which has served the gods for many years and contains the power of faith, and... my soul."

The soul of a fallen priest is an irresistible temptation for the demons that command these ghouls...

"so?"

The old pastor, Farr, turned to look at Ward, his eyes, slightly clouded by age, now clear and resolute.

"Do you know what your real mission is next, Ward?"

He gripped the sword hilt tightly, his nails digging into his palm.

Ward's Adam's apple bobbed, and he said in a hoarse voice, "I will protect you with my life, waiting for others to return to help, or perhaps someone to lead you out of the encirclement..."

"No. There's something else, something even more important."

The old pastor's voice was calm to the point of being cold, yet it contained immense determination. Each word, spoken slowly and deliberately, drifted into Ward's ears, but resounded like thunder:

"If necessary, before the demon's evil magic truly touches me, or before I am captured by that monster, I will take action myself—"

"Kill me!"

Ward shuddered violently, his pupils contracted sharply, and he could hardly believe his ears.

He suddenly turned his head and looked at the old man beside him, whose face was peaceful and whose eyes were firm.

For a moment, he forgot the threat of death, his mind filled only with endless shock and bewilderment.

Killed...killed Pastor Fal?!

Captain Ward was still reeling from the shock and bewilderment of the old pastor's dying words, "Kill me if necessary."

The black elite ghoul in front of them, exuding an aura of death, let out an impatient growl.

Its scythe-like right claw was raised high, ready to tear the two troublesome humans to shreds!

The claw blades cut through the wind, and the shadow of death instantly loomed over them!

At this critical moment—

"Whoosh—!"

A dim, mud-stained shadow of a short spear shot out from the flank of the battlefield at a tricky and swift angle!

Unfortunately, it wasn't aiming for the heart or head of the black elite ghoul.

Instead, with a teeth-grinding scraping sound, it slammed hard into the joint of its right arm, which had just been raised!

"Clang!"

The cast-steel tip of the short spear collided violently with the keratinized arm bone of the elite ghoul, scattering sparks.

Although it failed to pierce through, the sudden impact and angle successfully interrupted its poised, deadly strike!

The thick arm was pulled to the side, and the sharp claws grazed Ward and the old pastor's heads, severing a few strands of the latter's hair!

What is that?

A flicker of rage and confusion, as if his meal had been interrupted, flashed in the crimson eyes of the black elite ghoul.

Following the direction from which the short spear flew, it only saw a human figure flying in the air.

How did he get here from such a distance?

Its limited intelligence could not comprehend how this seemingly ordinary human could "teleport" to its side at the crucial moment when it was about to succeed, successfully stopping its attack.

However, the black elite ghouls' pitiful intelligence could never fathom the calculations in Xia Lin's mind at this moment.

In the split second between the old priest's attack and the appearance of the black elite ghouls, a series of numbers flashed through someone's mind:

Druid Griffin promised a base reward of 20 gold for this swamp quest.

Based on the druid's account and market prices, the previously collected chicken-snake beast materials are conservatively estimated to be worth at least 3 gold.

The ghouls in front of us may not be worth much for their foul-smelling materials, but they are numerous, and there are also several elite mutants!

Claws, teeth, and perhaps various other parts that you don't recognize...

Even if it's a bit troublesome to handle, the total is conservatively estimated at 5 gold!

20 + 3 + 5 = 28!

Twenty-eight adorable, golden, heavy coins that seem to jingle right before your eyes!

That's all my money!!