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Chapter 10 - Even Jesus Can't Save You!

Chapter 10: Even Jesus Can’t Save You!

From just a few scattered clues, the villagers’ poor story revealed cracks.

Firstly, where did the village chief’s supplies come from? According to the chief, the supplies were stocked in advance to prepare for a potential famine. But for a village with hundreds to over a thousand people, these supplies had lasted three whole years without running out. That’s far too much for mere preparation. Even if someone were that cautious, where did the village chief get the money to stockpile that much?

The world here resembled medieval Europe, a strict divide between nobility and commoners. Nobles held nearly all the wealth and power, while the common folk were mostly serfs — or worse, slaves — poor and oppressed.

The village chief may have been the best hunter around, but in this era, hunting was not a lucrative profession. So where did he, a commoner, find the funds to gather such an enormous supply?

The second was the priest. It was the priest who taught the villagers how to fend off werewolves. Yet, there was something that had been bothering Rhodes.

According to the priest, werewolves feared fire. But the werewolf Rhodes had encountered earlier seemed completely unafraid of flames.

So, who was lying?

If the priest was lying, then why did other werewolves show fear toward fire?

If the priest was telling the truth, then why wasn’t that particular werewolf afraid?

“So troublesome,” Rhodes muttered, rubbing his forehead.

As expected, thinking wasn’t his strong suit. He much preferred straightforward and violent solutions.

“If I can’t figure it out, I’ll just go ask the people involved directly.”

He patted the revolver and shotgun at his waist. Armed to the teeth, radiating killing intent. With his current strength, even werewolves were easy prey.

Why waste time on puzzles with ordinary people? If something could be solved with fists, why use your brain? Trust your instincts, always.

…

Inside the church, the prayer session had just ended. Villagers tossed loose coins into a donation box and began filing out. Standing on the high platform in black priest robes, the priest suddenly called out to a young girl in the crowd.

“Father, is something the matter?” The girl asked, her face innocent and confused.

The priest smiled warmly, almost too warmly. “My child, I sense the presence of evil within you.”

The girl froze, visibly flustered. In this village, the priest held immense authority. He was the one who taught them how to survive the werewolves. He was seen as a savior. So, she had no reason to doubt him.

“What should I do now?” she asked, a trace of panic in her voice.

The priest’s smile grew even brighter. “Worry not, my sister in faith. As a devout servant of the Lord, I must cleanse the evil within you. Come with me.”

The nervous but hopeful girl followed him to a secret chamber behind the church. It was a sealed room, with no windows, dimly lit by flickering candles.

Inside, a strange wooden bed in the shape of a large “X,” fitted with leather restraints for arms and legs. A tall iron rack stood over two meters high, from which dangled odd lengths of rope. There was even a torture device, the kind that locked a person’s head and hands in place, with a wooden plank underneath to restrain the legs with leather straps. The walls were lined with tools of punishment: whips, bloodstained thorny branches…

The girl stared at it all, bewildered. The oppressive darkness and bizarre instruments gave her a deep sense of dread. She didn’t understand what the priest was planning.

“Take off your clothes,” said the priest, slamming the door shut.

The once benevolent smile twisted into something far more sinister. His face was now filled with lust and cruelty.

“W-what?” The girl looked terrified, her voice trembling. She asked softly, “Why do I need to undress?”

“The evil demon has already entered your body,” the priest said gently, trying to coax her. “I must use sacred holy water to purify you. But for divine power to enter, your body must be completely unguarded.”

His tone was deceptively kind, almost convincing. The girl, confused but trusting, slowly nodded. Her fear began to fade as she hesitantly reached for her clothes—

BANG!

The chamber door exploded open with a deafening crash. A massive shadow filled the doorway.

Rhodes stood there, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His eyes scanned the room coldly, then locked onto the priest, a beast in human skin.

“Luring a girl in was bad enough… but you were planning to play some kind of S&M game too? You sick bastard… you really went all out, huh?”

“Who are you?! Don’t you know this is a sacred place?!”

The priest shouted in panic, clearly rattled now that his secret was out. He tried to muster authority, but it came out hollow.

“Sacred place? God’s wrath?”

Rhodes chuckled, but there was nothing warm about it. The chill in his smile made the room feel ten degrees colder.

“Let me put it this way. Even if Jesus himself came down today…He wouldn’t be able to save you.”