Chapter 130: The Priest's Prayer
Unsurprisingly, Jake became the de facto leader of the group.
His display of single-handedly taking down a Licker was etched in everyone's minds.
The only regret was that Peyton hadn't survived; Jake actually had a decent impression of the guy.
They got into a car, during which a scrappy survivor named L.J. joined them, but this didn't slow them down.
The group quickly arrived at the school.
"What's the plan?" Jill asked, glancing at Jake. Of the remaining survivors, only he possessed combat prowess comparable to Alice; L.J. and Terri were out of their depth.
"We split up to search," Jake pointed to the building's corridor. "You and Terri search the first floor, L.J. takes the second floor, and I'll cover the rest."
"I suspect the kids in this building might have also turned, so be careful!"
Jake pulled out a spare pistol and handed it to Terri, so she wouldn't be defenseless against the infected.
Jake had acquired multiple weapons, so he wasn't worried about running short.
After brief instructions, Terri finally put away her camera and gripped the pistol with both hands. She understood that at this moment, survival was more important than career advancement.
"Just aim for the head."
The group split up to search.
Jake searched the school building's basement. The clean, deserted corridor made him wonder if everyone had evacuated.
His boots echoed loudly in the darkness.
"Red Queen, can you help me locate Angela?"
he asked, gesturing to his wrist device. A moment later, a small holographic figure appeared before him.
She floated in front of his face, radiating a soft glow, like a miniature fairy.
"No," the Red Queen refused bluntly.
"Why not?"
"I can't connect to the school's surveillance system. Your suit's hardware is insufficient. Besides, the school has no power. I can't access offline systems."
"So what should I do?"
"Manual search."
"You're completely useless?" Jake couldn't help but feel frustrated. How could this portable AI be so limited?
Just as he was about to complain further, a scream pierced through the entire floor.
It sounded like a woman's voice, possibly Terri's.
Sure enough, that reporter hadn't escaped trouble, but Jake couldn't understand how she'd gotten hurt even with Jill protecting her.
He quickly and thoroughly searched the entire basement, but his luck held; he didn't encounter a single moving threat.
Finding Angela was also Jake's priority, so he wouldn't slack off. After clearing the basement, Jake quickly moved to the upper floors.
Searching each room methodically, Jake found Jill holding the hand of a little girl. Jake recognized her from the intel; she was Angela Ashford, their objective.
"Help...help me..." Not far from them, a blood-covered figure collapsed on the ground, raising a trembling hand, seeking salvation.
"Should I put her out of her misery?" Jill raised her weapon, aiming at the person on the ground.
It was Terri; she had been attacked by infected children, but her will to survive had kept her conscious, though she clearly wouldn't last much longer.
"No, no..." Terri struggled, her eyes widening when she saw Jake. "You're a priest, you can... you can save me, right?"
Tears welled in her eyes.
She still clung to life...
and feared death...
her gaze filled with desperate hope.
"Of course," Jake nodded, stepped forward, and under Jill and Angela's watchful eyes, lifted Terri's broken body. Ignoring the bloodstains that might soil his suit, he gently cradled her head in his arms.
He looked down at the dying woman with compassion, his voice soft. "Calm down... don't be afraid."
"Do you feel fear? Rest in my arms. You'll feel safe here. I'll give you an absolutely secure embrace... Here, in the peace beyond, you will find eternal rest. Your pain is merely the price of this world. Only after this trial will you pass on cleanly."
He spoke softly.
"Do you need salvation? You don't... because you've already been saved."
"Only after brief suffering can you reach a place of peace."
"Peace is already with you... all you have to do is accept it..."
"Really?" She asked doubtfully, yet a faint smile played on her lips.
"Of course," a gentle, deep voice whispered in the dying woman's ear. "We all seek freedom and peace, and now, you have found them..."
The woman passed just like that, with both a smile and pain on her face.
When Jake looked up, he found himself surrounded by the others: Alice, Jill, L.J., and Carlos Olivera from the U.B.C.S. tactical team.
He gently placed Terri's body on the ground, positioned her hands across her chest, retrieved the pistol he had given her, aimed it at her head, and fired.
"This is true mercy..."
Jake sighed, a complex emotion settling over him.
As the worlds he traveled to became increasingly dangerous, human life seemed increasingly fragile, and he feared he might lose his capacity for compassion and empathy.
The gazes of those present held different emotions now.
Perhaps Jake's identity as a priest hadn't been taken seriously before, even treated as somewhat ironic, but at this moment, he gained genuine respect from many.
"Let's go," he said, standing up and brushing off his suit. The bloodstains seemed to simply fall away, leaving his clothes pristine.
"Damn, man, that's some suit!" L.J. exclaimed, but no one paid him attention.
Alice's gaze toward Jake as they departed was clearly different.
Previously in the Hive, the power Jake displayed had subconsciously made her feel dependent on him, but this feeling had faded as her own abilities increased.
His power wasn't divine, perhaps just advanced technology. Therefore, while Alice still respected Jake, she no longer looked up to him; she considered them equals.
But now, having just escaped from Nemesis, Alice had rushed to the school only to witness this scene.
Perhaps this man before her truly was a priest? Perhaps he truly possessed a way to navigate this increasingly collapsing world with dignity intact?
Regardless, a seed had been planted in Alice's heart, waiting only for time to let it grow.
Jake was completely unaware of Alice's shifting perspective. Using genuine compassion to allow a suffering person to pass peacefully had sparked an idea in his mind.
Could he, while experiencing these worlds, also help alleviate the suffering of others?
He had extensive lifespan ahead of him; he had to do something meaningful. He didn't want to be a villain, so how about becoming a true shepherd who helps those in distress?
Of course, this was just an idea; how to actually implement it was another matter entirely.
Your support keeps this story alive! 💙
Rewards:
500 Power Stones = 1 Chapter
10 Reviews = 1 Chapter
Read 20+ future chapters on P5treon (Soulforger)