I Started My Redemption by Raising Believers in the Wasteland-Chapter 5 : Mutated Ghoul, Raise Thy Sword!

Chapter 5: Mutated Ghoul, Raise Thy Sword!
Before Lynn could come up with a countermeasure—
The source of that bone-chilling aura, the BOSS, could no longer hold back.
“Not good—it’s coming!”
Lynn’s expression changed.
As expected.
A massive shadow appeared.
It cleverly avoided the strongest area of the Holy Light Field—
And swiftly crawled toward the church.
Yet, through his higher-dimensional divine sense, Lynn locked onto it at once!
It was an unspeakably twisted monster.
Its body was nearly three times the height of an ordinary ghoul—taller than a two-story building!
Its skin was a grotesque gray-green shade, as though corroded by strong acid.
Boils oozing pus covered its entire body.
But the most horrifying part—was its head!
It had no eyes.
Where its eye sockets should have been were two bottomless holes, constantly leaking black ichor.
A gaping mouth split all the way to its ears, filled with layers upon layers of jagged black teeth like files.
Moreover—
Its limbs were unnaturally long, with joints bent backward.
Its claws ended in poisoned hooks that shimmered with a ghostly green glow.
And unlike other ghouls—
This creature did not let out meaningless roars or act purely on instinct.
It moved in eerie silence.
Its goal was clear: to destroy the source of the Holy Light!
To destroy the nest that radiated the aura it so loathed—
Lynn Church!
The Mutated Ghoul appeared like a phantom behind the church.
The stone wall there was full of cracks, and part of it had collapsed.
Thus, the Holy Light Field was weaker in that area due to the damage.
The cunning creature exploited this weakness, slashing its claw fiercely at the cracked ancient wall!
“Damn it, this beast is smart!”
Lynn instantly sensed the danger.
Its claws carried a foul power strong enough to corrode stone!
If the wall were struck, it would surely suffer heavy damage—and the believers hiding inside would be in grave peril!
Almost instinctively, Lynn poured all his remaining Holy Radiance madly into the 【Divine Art: Holy Protection Sigil】.
This time, the target was directly—the church itself!
The moment the ghostly green claw touched the stone wall—
The surrounding space twisted violently.
An ancient sigil of golden holy light appeared out of thin air, forming a radiant shield.
CLANG!!!
A deafening explosion rang in everyone’s ears!
The ghostly green claw struck the holy sigil, and blinding gold and green light clashed violently before canceling each other out!
A shockwave burst forth from the impact point—
Pulverizing several nearby ghouls into dust!
The Holy Light Sigil remained unbroken and unscathed.
But Lynn’s consciousness was struck as if by a hammer, pain stabbing through his mind.
“Damn it! What is that thing?!”
Liz seemed to feel Lynn’s pain as well.
She turned her head sharply—and her heart almost stopped!
She finally saw the monstrous figure flashing behind the church.
The pollution radiating from it was far more terrifying than all the surrounding ghouls combined!
“A Second-tier Mutated Ghoul?”
“Not good! It’s attacking the church’s weak point!!”
Without another word, Liz lifted her sword and charged.
After all, ordinary ghouls weren’t even First-tier.
But this sudden leader-level monster—was terrifyingly at Second-tier strength.
If it broke through, no one would be able to stop it!
On the other side—
The Mutated Ghoul seemed surprised by the sudden fierce resistance.
Its eyeless face twisted toward the holy sigil, letting out a piercing shriek—
Filled with rage, and deep fear.
Its warped body recoiled slightly, seemingly evaluating the risk.
The backlash from that strike had also injured it somewhat.
Before it could act again—
Liz’s sword light flashed!
The Mutated Ghoul showed a trace of human-like disdain.
Its massive green claw rose—effortlessly blocking the knight’s sword.
Then, with lightning speed, the other claw swung out—
And sent Liz flying ten meters away!
“Cough… cough—!”
Liz crashed heavily into the ground, spitting a mouthful of blood.
She had just regained her battle aura, barely stepping into First-tier strength—
Clearly no match for this near Second-tier monster.
When her companions rushed to help, she immediately shouted, “No! Leave me!”
“Hold the main gate! Don’t let those filthy things break through!”
Liz knew how terrifying this creature was.
Any normal person who approached would only die in vain!
“Perhaps… only the angelic lord can destroy it…”
After repelling Liz, the Mutated Ghoul did not press the attack.
Its intelligence was not low.
Realizing Liz posed no real threat, and wasn’t the key target of this feast—
It moved again!
Instead of trying to crush the Holy Light Defense head-on—
It darted like a green lightning bolt, climbing swiftly along the cracked wall.
Its target was now the cross atop the church—
The most visible core of the Holy Light!
“You shall not succeed!”
Lynn locked onto the rapidly moving shadow.
That cross was not only the symbol of the Holy Light—
It was also the vital node through which he channeled his Holy Radiance.
The equivalent of a human brain!
If destroyed, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Lynn desperately racked his mind for a solution.
He looked toward Liz below, covered in blood—
Toward the octagonal cross emblem on her chest—
And at the fragment of Holy Bone embedded at its center!
A reckless idea burst into Lynn’s mind!
“There’s no time to hesitate! I’m betting it all!!”
Lynn gathered every last drop of his remaining Holy Radiance—
No longer trying to attack or defend directly—
But condensed it into a beam of purest holy light—
And poured it violently into Liz’s body!
【Liz Hawke!】
【In the name of the Sanctuary! Guided by Faith! Empowered by the Holy Bone!】
Lynn’s majestic divine voice—
Thundered within the depths of Liz’s soul.
【Raise thy sword!】
【Aim at the filth that defiles the Sanctuary—and unleash the light within thy heart!】