The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices - Chapter 112: The Oncoming Calamity (1)

The dungeon monsters keep offering sacrifices – 112

EP.112 The Oncoming Calamity (1)

The sun had disappeared. Light vanished, and only darkness enveloped the sky. Soon after, stars began to fall, and red dots started to fill the sky.

“What is that!”

Could it be a prank by the gods?

Faced with a scene they had never witnessed before, people were thrown into confusion. Was this the insignificance they felt in front of a massive natural force?

People looked at each other in terror, and then they remembered something they had long forgotten.

“Could it be!”

They gasped, recalling the existence of a catastrophe that had once terrorized the continent centuries ago.

The realization dawned that the being, once dismissed as legend, had returned.

“Everyone run!”

The fear etched in their memories stirred.

In the ensuing chaos, people pushed and shoved each other in their rush to escape. Adults clung to their children’s hands, but the crowd had already turned into a tumultuous mess.

In the midst of this, a child who had lost his mother’s hand cried sorrowfully.

However, no one paid any attention. Instead, the hurried footsteps merely overlaid the sound of the children’s cries.

This phenomenon was not isolated to one city.

Chaos unfolded across the entire continent of El Dorad.

====

***

====

Meanwhile, before the anomaly occurred.

Princess Elena had quickly completed the ritual. Although she had sacrificed one of her fingers for the ritual, she did not regret it considering the future events she had planned.

Still, the overflowing blood needed to be stopped.

The princess brought her hand close to a candle.

“Argh…”

She groaned as the flame burned her wound.

Pain surged through her.

“Haah… Haah…”

Her breathing became irregular.

After a moment of intense pain, the wound was somewhat stopped.

Princess Elena quickly wrapped her left hand with a bandage and concealed it with a generously sized glove.

At that moment, the space inside the room distorted.

“……”

The princess remained unfazed by the occurrence, as it was something she had experienced many times before. Shortly after, two beings emerged from the twisted space.

One was a shadow serving as a messenger for Celia. The other was a stranger to Princess Elena.

“Oh, we have a guest?”

The overall appearance was unmistakably that of an adventurer. However, the head was concealed by an iron helmet. The torso was clad in leather armor yet topped with an iron helmet. Even for a princess, the sight was discordant.

Nevertheless, she knew they had come to assist her and refrained from commenting. Instead, she quickly checked the note that the shadow had delivered.

“Your name is… Maru. Ah, I shall address you as Sir Maru,” she said upon reading the name written on the note. It was a somewhat endearing name.

The note also detailed the abilities that Maru possessed, including the capacity to wield divine power. With just this information, she could surmise the plan Celia had in mind.

Having met with the messenger, it was now Princess Elena’s turn to prepare. She donned silver armor, although properly arming herself would have required the assistance of her maids. Now, it was merely for show.

Thus, Elena hastily put on the superficially resplendent silver armor.

“Everything I do from this point is for the sake of the kingdom.”

Princess Elena murmured to herself before leaving the room.

With all preparations complete, the princess, accompanied by Maru, exited the room.

“Your Highness, everything is ready!” announced Lenon, the royal guard waiting outside. He reported immediately as Princess Elena emerged.

“But who is this person?”

Lenon inquired, glancing at Maru who followed behind the princess.

Elena produced a preconceived excuse in response to Lenon’s question.

“This is Sir Maru, who will be assisting us. He is currently an adventurer but once served as a holy knight.”

Lenon bowed his head at the mention of a holy knight. Although he was unsure why Maru was emerging from the princess’s chambers, now was not the time to question it.

If Maru had indeed been a holy knight, he would undoubtedly be a significant asset to their cause.

Once the introductions were hastily concluded, Princess Elena issued a command.

“Sir Lenon, let us proceed.”

Guided by Lenon, Princess Elena headed to the location where the knights were assembled. The entire knight order stood in formation, awaiting the princess’s orders. Among them were even five royal mages, included in the event of the White Order’s involvement and to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.

“……”

Princess Elena surveyed the knights. As members of the royal guard, their skill was not in question. Determination was evident in the eyes of all the knights. Above all, the royal knight order was a direct force under the king’s command, loyal and acting solely in the interest of the royal family.

Princess Elena raised her sword high.

“We shall surely be victorious! I will not forget your courage and loyalty!”

She proclaimed, intending to boost the morale of the knights before the campaign.

“Our first destination is the estate of Count Bearton. Let us march forth immediately.”

The destination had been predetermined, the estate owned by Count Bearton. Princess Elena mounted the white horse prepared for her.

“March forth!”

With the cry of the knight order, they moved out from the palace. Once outside, the knights surrounded the princess to escort her. Since the princess was not meant for battle, there was no need for her to lead the way. Apart from a few knights and the mages, everyone moved on foot.

‘Indeed, it is inconvenient without a finger.’

For the princess, it might have been more comfortable to walk than to ride, as the absence of her little finger made horseback riding uncomfortable. However, she had to endure it. For the greater cause, such pain was trivial.

In the midst of the moving procession, Lenon approached Maru.

“Sir Maru, there is no need for you to walk.”

Lenon offered Maru a horse to ride, a gesture of respect for someone of his supposed former status as a holy knight. However, Maru declined Lenon’s offer.

Maru had never ridden a horse before. He worried that if he attempted to ride and showed any ineptitude, it might reveal that the claim of him being a former holy knight was false. Therefore, he shook his head and politely declined the offer to ride.

“Understood. Should you change your mind, just let me know, and I will make arrangements.”

Lenon replied, respecting Maru’s decision and not pressing the matter further. In fact, Lenon’s opinion of Maru increased.

‘That man is a true knight.’

Impressed by Maru’s decision to walk despite the convenience of riding. Lenon admired Maru’s focus on his duty.

The knight order’s procession was peaceful. Everyone simply walked forward, focused on the path ahead. Princess Elena, even while moving, was organizing her thoughts.

‘The High priest is said to be there.’

She had received all the messages and news through the shadows, Celia’s informants. It was through the head steward of the Count’s household that Celia had learned the delegation clashing with the Count currently included the High priest and Gerard, the leader of the holy knights.

A High priest from the Inquisition and Gerard, the commander of the White Order’s sword, the holy knights.

‘We must hurry,’ she thought to herself, though she did not voice the command. Her grip on the reins was already precarious.

Instead, she maintained the current pace while considering how to approach the White Order’s delegation upon meeting them. What happened next was crucial.

The first hurdle was to converse with the High priest and Gerard, who were essentially the powers behind the delegation. It was paramount to resolve the issue through them, as the best outcome for Count Bearton’s problem would be to settle it with the Count himself.

If the High priest decided to hold the royal family accountable, it would complicate matters. Princess Elena hoped that Count Bearton would stall for time until their arrival.

Yet, she wasn’t overly concerned if that wasn’t the case. She felt quite at ease.

‘By now, the deputy commander must also be in motion, right?’

Riana, the deputy commander of the holy knights whom Celia had persuaded, would also be raiding the estates of the nobles. Since skeletons had been infiltrated into the estates of nobles belonging to the noble faction, framing them as heretics was an easy task.

Of course, not every noble’s estate had been trapped with skeletons. A long tail is easily stepped on, after all. In fact, there were fewer skeletons infiltrated into Count Bearton’s estate than in others.

But Princess Elena’s strategy did not stop there. She had employed the same tactic with a select few nobles from the royalist faction as well. Should all the connections point only to the noble faction? Someone might grow suspicious. When cornered, even a mouse will bite a cat.

Some might call it a cruel act if they knew, but Elena had made a decisive choice for the sake of a reborn kingdom. Any action against the royal authority was, from the outset, a treasonous act deserving of execution. And the behavior of the noble faction was a blatant mockery of the royal family, which naturally incensed Elena.

She saw the current situation as an opportunity to diminish the power of the nobles. Nobles owned estates in the capital city separate from their own territories. While owning land in the capital was not permitted as it belonged to the royal family, owning estates was allowed.

This fact unsettled Elena. Of course, there was nothing unusual about it in itself, other kingdoms and empires also had nobles with estates in their capitals. In case of emergencies, these estates were necessary for the nobles’ swift entry to the palace.

However, the situation in the current Sael Kingdom was different. The distance from the capital to the royal palace was negligible. Should the nobles decide to rebel, their estates in the capital could become swords pointed at the royal family.

‘This is an opportunity to reduce the power of the nobles.’

Thinking of the nobles, Princess Elena’s expression hardened. If this matter was resolved successfully, a sweeping change among the nobility would follow. The noble territories would lose their masters, with most reverting to royal ownership or possibly being granted to those who distinguished themselves in this affair.

‘For now, this will suffice.’

Princess Elena snapped out of her reverie and looked around. A considerable amount of time had passed since they had left the royal palace. As they moved further away, the atmosphere on the streets began to change.

The scene before them was not one of order but rather of chaos, as if a horde of monsters had rampaged through the area.

“Aaahhh!”

A man’s scream pierced the air from a distance, and he ran towards them in panic.

The unexpected situation forced the knight order to halt.

“Halt!”

A royal knight shouted at the approaching man.

With the princess among their ranks, they had to ensure her safety and ascertain why this man was rushing towards them.

“State your identity!”

Despite the knight drawing his sword, the man did not stop. Instead, the number of people running behind him increased, all screaming and rushing towards the knights.

No, they weren’t just running.

“We’re saved! It’s the knights!”

“Please, save us!”

They pleaded, clearly fleeing from something.

“What is this…?”

The question hung in the air. From whom or what were these people fleeing?

Behind the running crowd, the figures of monsters became visible—numerous skeletons.

As the fleeing people passed the knights, Lenon commanded.

“All knights, prepare for battle!”

Though he was a royal guard, Lenon had the authority to issue orders in this emergency.

The knight order, now grasping the situation, drew their swords in unison.

“Knights, use all your might to hold back the monsters! Mages, provide support from behind!”

Lenon drew his own sword as well.

“We must protect the princess at all costs!”

The reason for the skeletons’ presence in the capital was unknown, but their priority was clear, to safeguard Princess Elena.

The knights at the front brandished their swords, while those at the rear readied their bows, pulling back the strings. The mages gathered mana and began chanting their spells.

Moments later, the knight order clashed with the swarm of skeletons.

====

***

====

“Clack, clack, clack!”

(Move to the next!)

The first to breach the Sael Kingdom was Necros, a lich of considerable power. Clutching a thick ledger, he walked at a leisurely pace.

“……”

Silently following behind him was the Dullahan ‘Werther’ and the rest of the skeletons. Initially, Necros had been assigned only one Dullahan and fifteen skeleton knights, but thanks to one of his skills, ‘Corpse Resurrection’, his forces had grown significantly. While a 4-star Lich might only be capable of exploding corpses, a 5-star Arch Lich like Necros could use corpses to create skeletons.

Even though they were of low rank, these skeletons were excellent for increasing the size of his horde.

“Clack, clack.”

(There are humans over there.)

As if on cue, another group of humans came into view. At Necros’s command, the skeletons charged towards the humans.

“Aaahhh!”

The General Manager Celia had proclaimed her intent to save the kingdom and spread the will of their master, the ultimate goal. However, the White Order had already infiltrated the Sael Kingdom. There was no avoiding confrontation with them.

To stand against the White Order, the monsters initially assigned to Necros were not sufficient. That’s why he had been turning humans into skeletons, bolstering his forces. Even now, Necros’s horde continued to swell, and he meticulously recorded each process in his ledger. Even as a guardian of the hierarchy, he maintained his role as an inspector.

Necros, saved humans by turning them into skeletons. This is a commendable act.

The Death Knight is not visible. Tardiness is a reason for demerit.

Necros nodded to himself. He planned to increase his forces just a bit more before confronting the White White Order. He had been certain of his plan, but then—

– Boom! –

An enormous explosion sounded, and the skeletons that had advanced ahead were swept away in the blast.

“Clack?”

(What was happening?)

Necros surveyed the battlefield, trying to comprehend the sudden turn of events.

Among the knights, Necros spotted a figure.

“Clack!”

It was Maru, standing amidst the knight order.

‘Clack, clack.’

(This was unexpected.)

Celia had mentioned that Maru was central to this operation, but Necros had encountered him far sooner than anticipated.

“Clack, clack!”

(Everyone, fall back!)

Necros acted swiftly. The priority was to retreat and regroup. At his command, the remaining skeletons began to withdraw.

“There… the owner of the demon sword is-”

The Dullahan started to speak but promptly closed its mouth when Necros looked its way.

– Shows an obsession with the demon sword. This requires correction. –

Even in a potentially dire situation, Necros did not stop recording in his ledger.

– Maru, true to being a knight serving our great master, excels at infiltration. This is praiseworthy. –

– Death Knight still has not shown itself. This is a serious disqualification for a mid-boss. –

As Necros diligently made notes, the sky darkened. Shortly after, red dots filled the heavens.

Necros could feel it. It was a sensation similar to when he became a guardian of the hierarchy. He could even sense the source of the power emanating from the sky.

Necros nodded.

– Death Knight, as expected, performs well. This is commendable. –

====

***

====

“You foul creature! Have you truly betrayed humanity?”

The High priest glared at Count Bearton, clutching his wounds.

“No, it’s not like that—”

“No excuses are necessary!”

The count tried to speak, but the Priest would not allow it.

“Priest! We must evacuate this place at once!”

Gerard, the commander, urged the High priest. However, the Priest stood his ground.

Just moments ago, the situation had been favorable for the White Order. But now, the scene had drastically changed.

The majority of the White Order’s holy knights had been slaughtered, and the same fate had befallen Count Bearton’s knights.

Initially, the extinguishing of lights in the banquet hall was the only sign of trouble. But then darkness descended from the sky, stars fell, and countless red dots replaced them.

The High priest and Gerard, the commander, knew all too well what this portended, as did everyone present. They recognized it as the resurgence of a past calamity.

But by the time they grasped the situation, it was too late.

“Why…!”

The High priest lamented in a grief-stricken voice.

Then he noticed the entity standing beside the count.

‘Dangerous… This is a being I cannot contend with.’

Beside the count stood a being from which death itself seemed to emanate. As soon as this entity appeared, the holy knights fell, all succumbing to instant death.

“Ugh…!”

Merely laying eyes upon it was enough to drive one to madness. To lose one’s mind here would mean tasting death immediately.

“To think the calamity has been awakened…”

A 7-star monster that once plunged the continent of El Dorad into terror. The Empress of Darkness, Syllestra. While the being beside the count was not the Empress of Darkness herself, it was clear that it was a being of comparable dread.

How could the count have known to unleash such a force? No matter how much the Priest racked his brain, no answer came.

“Goddess above…”

What is to be done with a lost lamb?

The Priest muttered, as if in a trance. The horrific being before them wielded a pickaxe, but that was not what mattered most.

It was the sword slung across its back. The chilling power emanating from that blade could be felt on the skin. How much blood must it have absorbed to carry such a ghastly aura!

Could the entire White Order stand against it and prevail?

The High priest shook his head, unable to muster any certainty in the face of such overwhelming dread. His gaze then shifted to the shield in the opposite hand, upon which hung a maid’s outfit, the kind a servant might wear.

“Oh… Goddess…”

Are you truly forsaking us?

Even in this moment of despair, the High priest was concerned for the future of humanity.