Falsely Accused, I Started Plundering Monster Traits

Meanwhile, outside the Church—

"Still can’t get through to him?!"

The shout came from somewhere in the chaos of gunfire and yelling. Marcus didn’t answer. His eyes stayed on the horde ahead, tracking the rotters as they pressed closer and lining up a headshot whenever he could. By now, they couldn’t afford to waste ammunition.

Rotters pouring out of the thick fog had already clogged the road and the open ground in front of the Church. Those in front kept dropping under gunfire, while more rotters climbed over the bodies and pushed forward from behind. Corpses already carpeted the ground around the Humvee, leaving only scattered patches of pavement visible. By this point, nearly half the ammunition they’d brought with them was gone.

The two M2s mounted on the roof were their best weapons against the horde, but only one could be spared for the ground. The other remained trained on the Dragon circling high above the Church.

The earlier attack from Reeves’s squad had done some real damage. Several scales were missing around the Dragon’s chest, abdomen, and the base of its wings, exposing dark red flesh underneath. The wounds were minor for something that size, but it had kept its distance ever since, circling high above the Church without diving or breathing fire again. That alone was enough to show that the weapons below were a threat it couldn’t simply ignore.

It stayed high, but no one below could afford to ignore it. As long as the Dragon remained overhead, one of the M2s had to keep tracking it, and everyone else still had to keep an eye on the sky.

Marcus had lost count of how many times he’d checked the sky. Sweat and rain ran into his eyes, but he barely noticed. The barrier sealed off the Church behind them, while rotters pressed in from the front and both sides, forcing everyone closer and closer to the Humvee. Any gap torn open by gunfire was filled almost as soon as it appeared.

He’d tried contacting Lin Yan several times already, always with the same result. When the M2 opened up again and briefly cleared the ground ahead, Marcus grabbed the radio clipped to his chest and pressed the transmit button.

"Lin, can you hear me?"

Only static answered.

---

Inside the Church, Lin Yan’s group continued down the passage until they stopped in front of yet another closed door.

This one wasn’t locked either. The old knight pushed it open, and bright light spilled through the widening gap.

Unlike the dim, narrow corridors outside, the space beyond was unexpectedly large. Rows of lamps lined both walls, their flames washing the pale stone walls and floor in warm light. At the far end, on a slightly raised section of the floor, stood a massive stone coffin. There was little decoration around it, which only made it stand out more.

More than a dozen robed figures stood crowded together in front of the coffin.

None of them carried weapons, and not one stepped back when the door opened. At the sound of footsteps, every head simply turned toward the entrance. The silence was almost unnatural.

An old man stood at the front.

Lin Yan didn’t recognize him, but the old knight visibly stopped in his tracks.

The old man’s robes were far more elaborate than those of the others, with ornaments hanging from his chest that clearly marked his status. His silver-white hair was neatly combed back, and deep wrinkles lined his face, yet his eyes showed none of the cloudiness of old age.

Under the lamplight, his face looked calm, benevolent, almost solemn—more like a saint carved into some old church wall than a living man.

Even with Lin Yan holding an M2, the old man’s expression barely changed.

The old knight, however, stared at him.

"Archbishop?"

Even as the word left his mouth, he seemed unable to believe it.

"What are you doing here?"

The Archbishop didn’t answer.

The old knight took a step forward.

"What are those things outside? And the Saintess—"

"So you came after all."

The Archbishop cut him off.

His voice wasn’t loud, but the chamber was so quiet that every word carried clearly to everyone present.

The robed figures behind him lowered their heads in unison.

The Archbishop slowly spread his arms, a faint smile of almost genuine satisfaction appearing on his face.

"Welcome."

"From the moment you stepped into this place, we knew—"

The old knight suddenly seemed to realize something and whipped his head around.

"Wait—!"

RATATATATATAT—!!

The rest of the Archbishop’s words vanished beneath the roar of the M2.

Lin Yan’s first burst was aimed straight at him.

The faint smile on the Archbishop’s face never had the chance to change. Twelve-point-seven-millimeter rounds tore into him head-on, ripping through the ornate robes, flesh, and bone beneath. The arms he had just spread were torn apart with the rest of his upper body, and in the space of a heartbeat, the man who had stood there looking like a saint was reduced to mangled pieces.

Lin Yan swung the muzzle sideways.

The rounds tore into the robed figures packed behind him. The people in front didn’t even get the chance to fall intact before their bodies came apart, spraying torn cloth, flesh, and splintered bone into those behind them. No one ran. No one fought back. Lin Yan kept sweeping the M2 across the group, row after row disappearing beneath the barrage until no one was left standing.

Lin Yan released the trigger.

"Motherfuckers."

He looked over the bodies and spat out another curse.

"Still trying to pull that mysterious bullshit in front of me."

There was no response from beside him.

Lin Yan turned to him.

"What were you shouting about?"

The old knight didn’t answer.

At some point, he had dropped to his knees. He knelt there with both hands covering his face, not even looking at what was left of the Archbishop.

"It’s over..."

Lin Yan frowned.

"What’s over?"

"It’s over... it’s over..."

Lin Yan looked past him toward the massive stone coffin behind the bodies.

It could barely be called a coffin anymore.

The rounds had torn straight through the crowd and into the coffin behind them. A large section of the lid was gone, fist-sized holes covered the front and sides, and broken stone littered the floor. The inside wasn’t in much better shape.

Lin Yan was silent for two seconds.

Fuck.

Don’t tell me there was something in that coffin we really weren’t supposed to shoot.

He turned to the other knight nearby.

"You know what was in there?"

The knight was still staring blankly at the ruined coffin. At the question, he looked at Lin Yan, then at the old knight kneeling on the floor, before slowly shaking his head.

"I... don’t know."

Apparently, he had no idea what was going on either.

Lin Yan looked back at the old knight.

"Hey."

"Was whatever was in there important?"

The old knight remained on his knees with both hands over his face.

"..."

Fuck.

Looks like it was.

At that moment, a voice came from inside the stone coffin that had just been shot to pieces.

"..."

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