I Became the Dark Knight in the Game - Chapter 74: Ganiagos (1)

Rumble.

The underground space was filled with vibrations. The blood pooled on the floor flickered with multicolored lights.

Soon after, the air seemed to rip apart.

And from the space that opened like curtains to either side, a large and slick head emerged.

A long enormous body. Thick dark scales characteristic of reptiles. Five snake like heads. And ten ominous eyes that gleamed within the darkness.

The snake that discerns the laws of the world. The demon that commands a thousand spells.

It was the advent of Ganiagos.

The hunched-back man cried out.

“Ah! You have returned! You have finally returned!”

The hunched-back man approached Ganiagos with tears streaming down his face.

The other demon worshippers followed suit but then in the next moment,

Crack!

Ganiagos’ five heads bit off the hunched-back man and the worshippers in one gulp.

They were crunched thoroughly and then swallowed down.

One side of Ganiagos’ belly swelled up.

[Ugh, where is this place…]

[My head, my head hurts.]

[I need something to eat.]

Each of Ganiagos’ five heads complained of headaches and hunger.

The pain was so intense that it couldn’t keep its body steady.

As it writhed in agony, the living sacrifices sitting around were crushed to death.

Ganiagos instinctively swallowed these living offerings.

Then it let out an agonized roar. The aftereffects of Ganiagos’s resurrection seemed to have left it disoriented.

The roar resonated throughout the space.

Just hearing it made the dazed residents who were sitting there faint and collapse.

Those of weak will could not withstand the overwhelming presence of the demon.

“Ugh, my God.”

Talos and the other inquisitors clenched their teeth as well. They were feeling as if something was pressing down on their heads.

They couldn’t stand upright with straight legs.

Upon witnessing the demon that had descended to the earth, they trembled in fear.

Typically, those gripped by fear react in one of two ways.

They either freeze completely or act irrationally.

These inquisitors fell into the latter category. The faith they had built up over a lifetime now instilled them with baseless courage.

All but Talos stamped their feet in unison.

“We must erase that abomination!”

“Grant us strength, O Lord! Courage!”

“Wait! Stop!”

It was already too late when Talos tried to hold them back.

The heresy inquisitors shook off the pressure that was weighing on their bodies and rushed forward courageously.

Their armor and weapons radiated a white glow. It was brilliant.

True to their reputation as warriors who had survived countless battles, the inquisitors moved with agility and overflowing strength.

However…

[Hmm?]

Even amidst its suffering, Ganiagos noticed the gnats drawing near.

Its eyes blinked once.

Then, the bodies of the heresy inquisitors began to levitate. A formidable pressure ensnared them.

“Ah, agh!”

“Ugh! What is this!”

The inquisitors flailed about and desperately tried to escape the crushing force. But it was futile.

Crack!

The spine of an inquisitor bent unnaturally, followed by his legs, arms, and finally his head. His body was contorted into a grotesque ball-like shape.

“Go-Good heavens.”

“Kill me…”

Despite his broken neck, the inquisitor was somehow still alive.

Was it due to the priest’s remarkable vitality? No. Ganiagos had deliberately kept him breathing.

Ganiagos took pleasure in the suffering of these insignificant creatures and, above all, preferred his food alive.

As Ganiagos toyed with the inquisitors, it eventually opened its maw wide and swallowed the inquisitors whole, armor and all.

Talos could only stare blankly at the scene.

Then, Dale approached Talos.

“Hey.”

“……”

“Hey. Snap out of it.”

When Talos showed no reaction, Dale swung his hand.

Slap!

Talos rolled across the ground. The sharp pain dissolved the terror that had bound his entire body.

“What…!”

Ignoring Talos’s attempt to express his anger, Dale woke up Pale and Esther in a similar manner.

Of course, he was much gentler with them than with Talos.

Dale quickly explained to the three who were now alert.

“As you can see, Ganiagos is in an incomplete state. It’s hardly fair to even call it its half-form.”

Had Ganiagos been in its full form, none of them would have been able to stand upright here.

Those with weaker minds would have died spewing blood just at the sight of the demon.

However, the oppressive aura emanating from Ganiagos was much less than anticipated.

It makes sense, in a way.

Resurrecting the dead is not as simple as it sounds, especially for a being as powerful as a demon.

No matter how long the planning took or how many sacrifices were made, it was bound to be unstable.

Therefore…

“We can definitely kill it. Think of the enemy not as a demon but just as a slightly stronger monster. There’s no need to be afraid.”

In truth, the enemy was even more formidable than that.

However, there’s no need to be overly afraid. Courage in danger is half the battle.

“A somewhat stronger monster, you say… That’s rather arrogant.”

Talos retorted coldly.

“So, what’s the plan? We have limited information on Ganiagos. If we had known more… my men might not have died without even getting close.”

Dale responded without hesitation.

“Don’t worry. There are few who know more about the creature than I do.”

“What?”

Ignoring Talos’s puzzled look, Dale pointed his sword at Ganiagos and explained.

“It’s difficult to injure it with spells or miracles. It has to be cut with a weapon.”

Ganiagos was an excellent mage and so it possessed a strong resistance to magic.

The same was true for miracles wrought by divine power.

Closing the distance and wielding a weapon was the best strategy.

“I’ll take on the demon. Meanwhile, you need to wake the city’s residents caught in the ritual and get them to safety.”

Hundreds of residents were still sitting as if bewitched.

Their bodies were becoming increasingly emaciated. This was a clear sign that Ganiagos was sustaining itself with the life force of the sacrifices.

It was evident that if things continued this way, the residents would soon meet their demise.

Dale turned to Talos and said,

“We must not kill them. We need to free them from the ritual while they are still alive. Otherwise, their life force will simply flow into Ganiagos.”

Dale gestured towards the shimmering pool of bright red blood on the ground which was channeling life force to Ganiagos.

This was precisely why Talos’s earlier attempts to kill the sacrifices were futile.

If blood was spilled here, it would only serve to feed Ganiagos with more life force.

Upon hearing this explanation, Talos started to object,

“Even if it absorbs the life force, it won’t gain as much strength as it would from a living sacrifice. So…”

But Dale cut him off,

“Talos. Follow my lead.”

The icy command silenced Talos.

There was an undeniable authority in Dale’s voice that could not be contested.

Talos found himself nodding his head unconsciously. And then he was shocked. He couldn’t believe that he had been momentarily overwhelmed by Dale.

Esther who was listening nearby asked worriedly,

“But, Sir Dale, facing it alone… It’s too dangerous.”

Instead of responding, Dale simply picked up his sword.

Even if it was dangerous, it had to be done.

Dale was also filled with confidence.

Ganiagos.

He was facing an enemy he had encountered many times before once again.

This time, however, the foe was in a weakened state. There was no reason for fear.

Rather, it was an opportunity. By hunting Ganiagos, Dale could become even stronger than before.

Without taking any more opinions, Dale decisively kicked the ground and launched himself forward.

Ganiagos was still in a state of confusion, but gradually it began to grasp the situation.

[Ah, yes. I remember now. I was decapitated and killed. By that fool who called himself the King of Mercenaries.]

[The idiot who was hailed as a Grand Mage.]

[The whore who went by the name of Saintess.]

[By that dull knight! Those scoundrels used the most cowardly tactics!]

[Those cunning bastards!]

The five heads stretched out of its massive body and each one of them started screaming its indignation.

The frustration of death and the desire for revenge against those who had brought it to this state ignited within it.

Ironically, these intense emotions brought clarity to the chaotic mind of the demon.

[Our loyal minion has revived us.]

[However, the ritual wasn’t complete. We need more souls and blood to sustain this body. Otherwise, we’ll return to dust before the moon dips below the horizon.]

[Let’s feast on blood! Strong and delicious blood!]

As Ganiagos’s heads babbled on, Dale quickly closed the distance between them.

Ganiagos noticed him approaching. All five heads of Ganiagos saw Dale and were simultaneously taken aback.

[What the hell is this…]

[We must devour him! At all costs!]

[It’s fate. This is our destiny.]

[Let’s swallow him whole!]

They rejoiced as if they had stumbled upon an unexpected bounty and were all gleaming with delight.

Their eyes flickered. And then magic was unleashed without any chant or incantation.

Crackle.

Dale felt a powerful magical power pressing down on him. Before the pressure could intensify further, he swung his cursed sword with all his might.

The magic was cut through. Now that he was free, Dale accelerated even faster.

This turn of events caught Ganiagos off guard.

And since they were caught off guard, their response was delayed. Dale kicked off the ground and leaped with all his strength.

The long neck of the first head came into view. He swung his cursed sword with great force.

Slash!

The sword sliced through the neck of the creature. Though the tough scales prevented a complete severance, a long wound was inflicted.

[Kyaaaagh!]

The first head screamed in agony. The remaining heads quickly grasped the situation.

[That sword. It’s dangerous.]

[He’s no ordinary foe.]

[We must not let our guard down!]

The eyes of the two unharmed heads blinked in an instant.

Troublesome.

The demon didn’t chant spells but used magic instantly which made it troublesome.

Without knowing which magic would be employed, responding was nearly impossible.

However, Dale knew them well, including their tactics.

The third head specializes in ice magic. The fifth in wind magic.

Dale could deduce the magic’s activation through the flow of magical power and so he rolled away just in time.

Clang!

Dozens of ice spears materialized in the air, soon raining down like a torrent on the spot where Dale had just stood.

Next came the blades of wind.

The wind blades narrowly missed Dale’s hea before slicing through the tunnel’s wall as effortlessly as cutting through butter.

Had he been even slightly slower, it would have been Dale’s head being split apart.

He had barely dodged the magic when the other two heads lunged at him.

The fangs protruding from their gaping maws were stained purple.

Those fangs were coated in a potent venom that inflicted agonizing pain upon mere contact with the skin.

It’s fast as expected.

Dale read its movements with caution.

The most troublesome aspect of Ganiagos was the coordinated movement of its five heads.

Always, two or three heads would cast spells while the others launched physical attacks.

It was like facing five monsters at once. And some of those were skilled in magic.

The complexity and dazzling nature of their attacks would instinctively make anyone step back.

An attempt would be made to create distance and fight from afar.

But that won’t do.

To defeat Ganiagos, Dale knew he had to engage closely.

It was the most dangerous approach, but the only viable one.

Dale kicked off the ground once more and plunged even deeper towards Ganiagos.

He skillfully dodged the two heads lunging from either side and slid to the ground to reposition behind Ganiagos.

Boom!

A grand explosion erupted in the spot Dale had just vacated.

A spell had been cast by the first head after it regained its senses.

Dale used the shockwave from the explosion to propel himself and further accelerated his pace.

At last, an opportunity emerged.

After evading a round of attacks from Ganiagos’s five heads, Dale spotted a brief moment before the next onslaught.

And Dale never missed even the slightest opening.

With a thrust, he successfully drove his cursed sword into Ganiagos’s back.

[You wretch!]

A powerful gust blasted Dale away.

Anticipating this, Dale braced himself with the cursed sword and landed steadily.

Once again, distance grew between Dale and Ganiagos. Now he would have to repeat the daring feat he had just displayed.

Until Ganiagos’s strength was spent.

A perilous battle where a single mistake could cost him his life.

But that didn’t matter.

As long as Dale made no mistakes, victory was his.

And watching Dale’s exploits were Esther, Pale, and Talos who were looking on in astonishment.

“How on earth?”

“To fight off those five heads from such a distance. It’s as if he’s fought this demon hundreds of times. Remarkable!”

“……”

Unlike the others who expressed their admiration, Talos remained silent and simply stared at Dale with a shocked expression on his face.

He glanced at the sword in his hand. Could he too display such movements? For the first time, his wide-eyed stare was filled with doubt and skepticism.

Then Talos closed his eyes tightly before opening them again and said,

“This is no time to just watch. We must continue.”

“Ah, yes!”

The three of them quickly worked to lift the spell on the residents and moved them outside the cavern.

It was a very laborious task as hundreds of people were captured here.

But it was necessary to confront the demon.

With each person spared from being a sacrificial offering, the demon’s power would diminish.

And since Dale risked his life in battle, they too had to give their all.

On the other hand,

Ganiagos who was facing Dale was greatly perplexed.

[Why? How does he see through our movements so clearly?]

[Is he looking into our minds?]

[Impossible!]

They instinctively felt it.

Dale was no ordinary foe.

And Dale was approaching them again.

Could they win if they repeated the previous exchange?

Victory was still within reach. Ganiagos was still powerful and if it came down to the odds, it held a significant advantage in this battle.

The problem, however, was that time was not on Ganiagos’s side.

Ganiagos was maintaining its physical form in this world by relying on the sacrificial offerings and the ritual.

To prevent its body from disintegrating.

And to avoid returning to death, it needed to consume more humans as quickly as possible.

Ganiagos felt a sense of urgency.

[It’s dangerous.]

[They keep taking away the sacrificial offerings. Those people must be killed too.]

[There’s no time to delay.]

[Then…]

The five heads reached a consensus.

Their eyes simultaneously emitted a sinister glow.

A tremendous amount of magical power that had been conserved was now unleashed from their bodies. The density of the magical power in the air became so thick that it was suffocating as if an earthquake had shaken the very space.

Rubble poured down as if the ceiling itself were crumbling.

A powerful pressure weighed down on the entire area. Dale was unable to withstand it and was forced to his knees.

This is bad.

Ganiagos was beginning to unleash its full power much sooner than Dale had anticipated.

To put it in the game’s terms…

The second phase is starting.