Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 22B1 - Questioning

He had no reason to doubt Melach and Torb yet remained vigilant. His first experience with other survivors had been difficult, and he didn’t know much about dwarves or elves.

“Your name was David, right?” Melach asked as they trekked through the destroyed city. “You’re a fighter, but you chose Cleric as your Basic Class. That’s rare.”

David shrugged. “It’s worked out well so far. I don’t have to worry about infections, and I can heal most wounds while fighting.”

The infection from the Giant Infected had been cleansed before it could worsen. David had learned not to take unnecessary risks.

“That was a good call, I’d say. You humans have weak bodies. Your anatomy is weird, and your corpses are oddly attuned to the world’s Aether,” Torb commented while carrying the Mutating Giant Infected’s skull in a thick leather bag.

Is that why humans resurrect while Kobolds stay like this?

David had yet to see a Kobold transform into an Infected after getting scratched. Maybe the attunement to Aether was the reason.

“How does the infection work for others? You were scared earlier when the Giant Infected got you,” David asked, glancing at Torb, whose cheeks turned crimson.

“I wasn’t scared, human!” the dwarf barked, pointing a finger at him.

Melach let out a dry chuckle. “Potent infections like those of the undead will kill us if they progress, but they won’t transform us. We were raised in Aether-dense worlds and are thus resistant to the Rise. Then again, our races are protected by multiple gods of the Pantheon. Their blessing is a powerful ward against the Death God.”

From other worlds… David should have expected it. Magical creatures and foreign races had to come from somewhere, but his heart raced wildly at the mention of other worlds.

“There are gods?” His chest tightened at the thought. The existence of gods changed everything he thought he knew. It wasn’t just odd—it was terrifying. “I mean ‘real’ gods. Or are we talking about overwhelmingly powerful creatures with miraculous abilities too hard to fathom?”

Melach slowed and fixed his gaze on David, scrutinizing him for what felt like the first time.

“What are you getting at, boy?” Torb asked before the elf could respond. “I’ve got no clue what gods are supposed to be in your world, but gods are obviously incredibly stronger beings.”

David noticed Torb’s irritated gaze and winced as the small man added, “What’s the difference between gods and overwhelmingly powerful creatures, in your opinion?”

David’s lips parted, but no answer came.

“I… am not sure. How strong are we talking about? What’s overwhelmingly powerful? You mentioned the God of Death earlier. How strong is that god?”

Melach cocked an eyebrow but answered without ridicule. “The God of Death is a major god. He is wherever you find life. Life and death belong together, like the sides of a coin. Since I’ve never met the God of Death—which I am very grateful for—I cannot tell you how strong he is exactly. But he governs death and gains strength from every death. That’s what I was told when I was younger. You can probably imagine how strong he is.”

The explanation was helpful but left him with more questions than answers. He couldn’t fathom how strong the God of Death might be, but if Melach’s words were true and the God of Death’s power increased with every death, he had to be incredibly powerful. The Earthen Union’s integration into the Pantheon must have killed billions already. And that excluded the animals and plant life spread across the Union.

“And this God is also part of the Pantheon?”

“He is one of their bigshots,” Torb snickered. David felt no urge to laugh. Instead, his stomach churned with unease.

Did the God of Death instigate the Earthen Union’s integration into the Pantheon to eradicate most of the Union’s life… to gain strength from all deaths?

Countless questions flashed through his mind. David wanted to ask them all, procuring answers to clear his doubts and confusion.

“How far are we from the System Sanctuary?” he asked cautiously.

“We can reach the outer perimeters in less than thirty minutes if we increase our pace a bit. Arc lies in the plains outside the city,” Melach answered, ready to quicken his pace.

David shook his head subtly. “Is it okay if I ask more questions until we reach Arc?”

“I—” Melach glanced at Torb. “We don’t mind answering your questions. All of this must be a lot for you. I cannot imagine how you must feel now that your world is part of the Pantheon. It must be overwhelming.”

Overwhelming was the perfect word. David felt utterly out of his depth.

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“Okay…” he murmured, trying to sort his thoughts. Where was he supposed to start? What was he most curious about? What did he need to know?

“Were your worlds integrated into the Pantheon as well?”

“I don’t know about Torb, but I guess his situation is similar to mine,” Melach said, his gaze drifting into the distance. David couldn’t tell whether the elf was proud or bitter—it seemed like a mix of both.

“The worlds of my race are said to have been filled with Aether since ancient times, but we were all alone. At first, at least. The Aether changed us. It altered our appearance to fit the environment we lived in. It changed everything and tore our folk apart. We split into countless tribes and waged war against each other.

“According to ancient scripts, the Elven Wars lasted for centuries, ending only when the Pantheon arrived and unified the tribes. Our race has always been close to nature, close to Aether. Magic came to us easily, even more so after the system appeared,” he continued, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “But the Pantheon’s arrival did much more than that. It created powerful warriors. Even gods, who went on to join the Pantheon.”David listened intently to everything the Elf said. He wasn’t overly interested in their history, but comparing how other races had integrated into the Pantheon with the current situation could be useful.

His eyes drifted to Torb, who shrugged. “I never paid much attention to our history. All I know is that the Dwarven God Fortress is my Patron. He’s our Guardian God. No idea if he’s part of the Pantheon, though. Probably not, since he always travels our world—or so my mother once said.”

“Patron…” David tilted his head. “Am I right to assume that your Guardian God was interested in you and gifted you some Skill Runes?”

“Boy, it’s not that simple. I don’t have the same Basic Class as the rest. Thanks to my Patron, I’m a Shield Warrior. I was given [Crush] and [Charge] Skill Runes as my Class’ Basic Skills instead of [Slash] and [Parry]. That’s why I’m wielding a shield and a mace.”

Torb’s case was different from his, which put David at ease. He didn’t want to owe anyone anything.

“Okay, so he shared some of his power to give you new skills and a different Class. That’s…interesting.” David forced a smile though unease simmered beneath it. Melach and Torb seemed polite enough, answering his questions readily, but something about their presence unsettled him—a reminder that they didn’t belong to this world, even if they acted like they did.

It wasn’t because he was confused by their appearance. No. What bothered David was that an Elf and a Dwarf had left their worlds to enter the Earthen Union. What was their plan? Did they invade the Earthen Union or was there more to it? Regardless, David felt like they acted like they belonged to this world.But that wasn’t the case. They were from other worlds—worlds integrated into the Pantheon long ago. Their strongest specimens were already part of the Pantheon.

“I don’t want to sound rude or anything, but why are you guys here in the first place? Your worlds have been integrated into the Pantheon already. There’s no need for you to be in the Earthen Union.”

“You don’t know why we’re here?” Torb’s thick eyebrow arched in surprise. “You really have no clue, do you? Yet you’ve fought by our side and helped us.”

He chuckled. “What a nutjob.”

David’s eyes turned a notch colder, and his hands shifted unconsciously toward his makeshift sheaths.

“Calm down, human,” Torb said, waving a hand dismissively. “I think you’re mistaken about something.”

Melach cleared his throat. “We came with Arc.”

The Elf acted as if that was explanation enough. David waited for several seconds, his brows furrowing when no further details followed.

“Okay?”

Melach seemed to catch the hint, offering a wry smile.

“The Pantheon uses already integrated worlds to help create System Sanctuaries. The Sanctuaries are places the natives can use to learn more about the Pantheon, the System, and the gods. There are countless facilities in the System Sanctuaries, including libraries, shops from across the Pantheon, and training areas for all kinds of Classes. Someone has to run and protect these facilities,” Melach explained.

“We aren’t part of the workforce in the Sanctuaries, but we joined the System Sanctuary as Protectors. We cull monsters around Arc’s perimeter, ensuring the Sanctuary isn’t put in danger. Our mission, for example, was to kill the Mutating Giant Infected. It was considered a threat to Arc and everything within the Sanctuary’s range.”

David reasoned that everything Melach had said implied the Pantheon didn’t want the Earthen Union to fall. In fact, by keeping the threat level in the System Sanctuaries low, it seemed they were trying to protect those seeking asylum. They’d created a safe zone for those who couldn’t defend themselves while also helping the weak but willing to fight gain experience by hunting weaker monsters.

If the Protectors cull the strongest heinous creatures, we can focus on fighting weaker monsters first. This would prepare us for exploring areas beyond the System Sanctuary’s protection. That is—does that even make sense?

“And why did you leave your worlds?” David asked, trying to piece everything together.

“To grow stronger and make my family proud,” Melach answered immediately, his eyes glimmering. “Completing the Pantheon’s missions has always been rewarding, but doing so in a newly integrated world provides even better gains. Of course, newly integrated worlds are more dangerous, but they offer the greatest growth opportunities. The Pantheon invests heavily in their newest additions.”

Torb nodded, though his expression was sour. “I needed money. My family did…stuff. It doesn’t matter what they did. The System made a deal with my Patron, offering to pay my debts if I became a Protector in a newly integrated world.”

He opened his arms with a flat smile. “And here I am.”

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David cocked an eyebrow at that.

“But why does the System Sanctuary need protection in the first place? Aren’t the gods powerful enough to repel undead and other threats if they don’t want them near the Sanctuaries?”

Melach and Torb exchanged a look before their silence dragged on.

Maybe they don’t know either, David thought.

Many questions had been answered, but each answer unraveled even more questions. Despite that, there was one more thing David had to ask.

“Why is the Pantheon doing this? Why are we forced into a situation like this?”

Melach sighed. “Only the gods know.” He shrugged. “But there has to be a reason. If not, the Pantheon wouldn’t do it, right?”

Are they this naïve? David wondered, pressing his lips together, his voice heavy with doubt. “...Right...”