Depraved Hero's Path: Enslaved Monster Girl Harem In The Apocalypse!-Chapter 14: Katherine, II

Hours earlier,

[Your Representatives have failed you.]

[As such, the Apocalypse will now descend upon your World.]

[Tutorial Quest Timer: 40 seconds.]

'Huh?'

[Your Tutorial Quest starts now!]

[Number of Participants: 15.]

[Tutorial Quest: "Crash Course!"]

[Difficulty: F.]

[Quest Clear Condition(s): Exit the room safely or defeat the Goblins.]

[Your Rewards will be calculated based on your Achievements!]

[Good luck to all Participants!]

"H-Hey!"

"Katherine, what is...?"

"Coach-"

The girls went silent as part of the false ceiling fell. With that part, three Goblins.

"Stay behind me!" Katherine ordered as she placed herself in front of the girls. "Marianne!"

She shouted, but the latter was already out of the door.

***

[Tutorial Quest Clear Rank: S.]

[Rewards are being calculated...]

[C Rank Quest Clear Rank Rewards: 10 Achievement Points.]

[B Rank Quest Clear Rank Rewards: 20 Achievement Points!]

[A Rank Quest Clear Rank Rewards: 50 Achievement Points!]

[S Rank Quest Clear Rewards: 100 Achievement Points and one F-Rank Weapon.]

The Rewards weren't huge. After all, the Tutorial Quest was a simple F-Ranked one.

Defeating the three Goblins without a scratch was enough for the S-Rank Clear Rank.

Not that these things meant anything to Katherine.

[A Safe Zone has been created.]

After tending to her girls and explaining things as best as she could, she left the room to look for help.

Above the stairway was a locked door. A door that, usually, was never locked.

'The cafeteria area is closed for the day, but they still never lock it. There shouldn't be anyone today.'

She gulped and walked up the stairs.

'I have a bad feeling about this. The girls are in a Safe Zone but... Can I really trust whatever these floating words say?'

It took a bit, but Katherine managed to push the door open.

She turned around, making sure that no one saw her.

'They saw me killing those ugly things... Doubt that seeing me push a door like this would shock them.' Katherine sighed.

The door opened, revealing...

[You have entered a Secret Area.]

[The First Main Quest hasn't started yet.]

The hand holding her Spear twitched.

They were everywhere. Goblins, curled up on the ground. Sleeping.

[The Goblins were supposed to awaken at the start of the Main Quest.]

[A Side-Quest has been created.]

[Number of Participants: 1.]

[Side-Quest: "Advanced Course!"]

[Difficulty: C.]

[Quest Clear Condition(s): Defeat all the Goblins on this floor.]

[Your Rewards will be calculated based on your Achievements!]

[Warning!]

[Due to your disturbance, the Goblins will shortly start waking up from their slumber!]

[Goblins Defeated: 1/31.]

***

Huff- Huff-

'I managed... To defeat all of them...'

Katherine let go of her Spear.

'I managed...'

The hand that had been holding the weapon moved towards the red spot on her side.

'With this... Maybe... My girls will be... Safe...'

She slowly collapsed on the ground, feeling her strength leaving her as if absorbed by the red spot on her side which was growing as her strength decreased.

[Side-Quest Clear Rank: B.]

[Rewards are being calculated...]

[C Rank Quest Clear Rank Rewards: 25 Achievement Points.]

[B Rank Quest Clear Rank Rewards: 100 Achievement Points, "Goblin Hunter" Title.]

'I couldn't move with that knife in my side...' She thought between haggard breaths. 'So I had to remove it... But now...'

Katherine remained on the ground, lacking the strength to move.

Waiting for someone to come.

'No... They should stay... In the Safe Zone...'

Still. Deep down, she wished that one of her girls would come help her.

But no one did for a long time.

As she lay on the ground, images from her past started to resurface. Things she thought to have long let go of.

How can you be such a failure? Why are you unable to win? I've trained countless gymnasts, including Petra who ended up winning a gold medal! I am the best coach there is! So why... Why is my daughter so untalented? Why are you unable to-

'Why... Am I remembering this now?'

Just as Katherine thought that she had accepted her fate, she clenched her teeth and fought against the pain.

Pressing against her wound with one hand while taking hold of the Spear with another, she used it as a cane to get to her knees. Katherine pushed to stand on her feet, took a step... And collapsed on the ground.

'It's too... Too early... I can't die when... I haven't even... Started living for myself... I haven't even... Done anything for myself... Why... Why is this happening...?'

There was only one answer that seemed to make sense.

God was punishing them. The Devil has sent down its minions to destroy the world.

Why else would Monsters appear seemingly out of nowhere? Why else?

'Fuck... That...!' She clenched her teeth. 'I'm not... I'm not...'

Katherine was forced to resign herself.

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'I... Can't move...'

There was no fighting against it. Her body categorically refused to follow her orders.

'All I can do... All I can is... Please... Somebody... Anybody...'

As the world around her was painted red, as only a small portion of her field of vision remained untainted by that bloody shade,

"Oh..."

It took everything from Katherine to utter the following words.

"Is... Someone there...?"

He appeared, standing tall and beautiful.

"Did you kill them all?"

Occupying the last of her untainted field of vision.

The Devil had sent down his minions.

"Shall I heal you?"

Only an Angel sent by God could stand against the Devil.

***

"So, um..." She raised her Marked hand. "What's this?"

"A Slave Mark." Elijah answered with a sigh. He stepped towards the staircase, fearing that Katherine would react the way Marianne did. "Don't overthink it."

A couple of silent seconds passed.

"Alright."

Elijah suddenly came to a stop and turned around with an eyebrow raised.

"Alright? That's it?"

"Well-"

Ding- Ding- Ding-

They turned in the direction from which the sound was coming.

[Floor has been Cleared!]

[Local Shop is now available!]

"That's..." Katherine pointed with a confused expression.

"A vending machine." Elijah scratched his chin, staring at the words that floated above it. "Local Store..." He turned to Katherine. "Shall we try it?"

"Um, yes. I suppose..."

[Local Shop Rank: E.]

[Local Shop Type: Roulette.]

[The Local Shop holds Items and Skills of different Ranks.]

[Available Grades:

-Bronze: 100 Points.

-Iron: 350 Points.

-Silver: 1000 Points.

]