The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices - Chapter 113: The Oncoming Catastrophe (2)

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 113

 

EP.113 The Oncoming Catastrophe (2)

Count Bearton was in a state of confusion.

‘What on earth is happening?’

Moments ago, darkness had swallowed the sky. The stars had lost their way, replaced by countless ominous red dots. Count Bearton understood well the significance of this foreboding sign. The problem lay in what followed.

‘How did this happen so quickly…!’

An uninvited guest had appeared beside him, a being shrouded entirely in darkness. The count’s body stiffened the moment he faced this entity. He wanted to flee immediately, but his body refused to comply. Breathing became difficult, and his heart filled with fear and anxiety.

Yet, Count Bearton mustered all his strength to endure. He knew that losing focus, even for a moment, could spell disaster.

 

‘What on earth is that being!’

 

As the mysterious entity appeared, the knights collapsed, falling to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.

“……”

The fallen knights were no longer breathing. They were already dead. The same fate had befallen the holy knights of the White Order. The confrontation with swords just moments ago now felt like a fleeting dream. It had all happened in an instant.

‘Could it be the Empress of Darkness…?’

Count Bearton immediately suspected the Empress of Darkness, a well-known figure from ancient tales. A 7-star entity that had once nearly consumed the continent. Moreover, Count Bearton himself had just witnessed the strange phenomena. The signs were identical to those he knew.

‘…Has the calamity truly been resurrected?’

He wanted to turn his head and confirm with his own eyes, but he couldn’t. The dark power emanating from the entity seemed to control even his breath.

Count Bearton did not possess the high level of divine power that the White Order’s priests had. He was closer to an ordinary human. Yet, the power was strong enough to instantly kill even the holy knights.

If he, an ordinary man, were to turn his head now, he would surely die. Count Bearton was not insane enough to risk his life in such a situation.

‘Whether it’s the Empress of Darkness or not, what does it matter?’

Even if it wasn’t the Empress of Darkness, it was undoubtedly a being of comparable power. But why had it spared him? This puzzled Count Bearton.

The entity had slaughtered knights and holy knights alike, yet he remained unharmed beside it. Was it deliberately sparing him? It was a reasonable suspicion.

‘Could this be another trap by the White Order…?’

But Count Bearton quickly dismissed the thought. The White Order seemed just as unaware of what was happening.

The High priest’s pained expression indicated he had also been affected. The priest’s reaction alone was proof enough that this was not something he had anticipated.

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

The High priest had shouted those words, but now his face was filled with despair. Even Gerard, who had urged the priest to flee, seemed paralyzed, unable to move from his spot.

‘So, it wasn’t a trap by the White Order….’

If it had been a trap, the reactions of the High priest and Gerard would not make sense. If their reactions were all an act, they would possess a chilling level of talent.

‘Was I mistaken?’

Count Bearton had thought the White Order was framing him as a heretic to take over the kingdom. But that wasn’t the case. One misunderstanding about the White Order had been cleared up, albeit belatedly.

However, the misunderstanding about Count Bearton himself remained unresolved. Despite his claims of innocence, the cursed priest refused to listen.

‘Don’t you dare move that filthy mouth of yours!’

The count was driven to madness by the priest’s refusal to listen. He had never betrayed humanity. He had not made a pact with that demonic being, nor had he summoned it. He could swear it on the heavens. But they did not believe him.

In the end, Count Bearton gave up trying to explain himself to them. His focus shifted away from the White Order. He decided to concentrate solely on escaping the current situation.

‘Can I even make it out of here alive?’

His priority was to escape this hellish place. The only silver lining was that the monstrous entity still didn’t seem intent on killing him.

‘Why…?’

The question gnawed at him. He even began to doubt himself, wondering if he had somehow summoned this being, as the High priest had suggested. He recalled hearing that demons appear in response to a person’s desperate desires.

‘It doesn’t matter either way.’

He decided to believe it, if only to make sense of the situation.

‘Let’s see if I can confirm it.’

Summoning his courage, Count Bearton turned his head.

“Ugh!”

His neck burned with pain. The amount of oxygen reaching his lungs suddenly decreased.

‘Damn it!’

Just turning his head caused unbearable agony. His face turned red, and blood-tears streamed from his eyes.

“Please…”

With all his strength, he managed to speak.

“Please… spare me….”

Fortunately, the monstrous entity seemed to heed his plea. The ominous aura dissipated, and he could breathe again.

“Huff… huff…”

“Count! Do you think you can get away with this?”

But Gerard, the commander, had witnessed the entity sparing Count Bearton. Gerard was now convinced that the count had summoned the monster.

“Count, you will be branded a heretic—”

However, those words became Gerard’s last.

– Slash. –

Red diagonal lines appeared across the commander’s body.

A moment later, red blood spurted out and his body split into pieces.

‘…….’

The monster had already mutilated Commander Gerard’s body.

One second.

No, it was less than a second. In that brief moment, the monster had killed Commander Gerard.

The High priest finally came to his senses at the sight of Gerard’s death. He picked up the commander’s sword from the ground.

“Damn it! How dare you—”

But the High priest couldn’t finish his sentence. Following Commander Gerard, his body was also torn to pieces.

The few knights and holy knights who had barely clung to life were all ripped apart as well.

It all happened in an incredibly short time. Blood from the corpses soaked the banquet hall. The only survivor was the count.

“……”

The count was deeply shocked by the monster’s overwhelming power. But the shock didn’t last long.

‘Yes, this is an opportunity…!’

A glimmer of hope that he might survive appeared. Ultimately, the monster hadn’t killed him. He was the only one left alive! He even felt the monster withdrawing its power.

‘…I can see it!’

He could now see the faint outline of the monster. However, he couldn’t keep looking at it. Just a brief glance sent chills of terror up his spine.

The monster he saw was clad in pitch-black armor, as if it had walked out of the abyss.

“Ugh!”

The count’s allotted time to look was up. He had a feeling that if he continued to stare, it wouldn’t end with just tears of blood. Despite the brief glance, the count didn’t miss the sword on the monster’s back.

‘It was definitely a sword, right?’

He had seen a single sword strapped to the monster’s back. A sword that was entirely black. The count found himself strangely captivated by the sword.

Why did that sword captivate him so? He didn’t know. But a desire to possess it began to swell within him.

‘Yes, there’s no turning back now.’

He had come too far. The despair and fear that had filled his eyes moments ago were replaced with a different light.

The monster could have killed him at any time but hadn’t. In other words, he was safe, at least for now. If he could harness the power of this monster, what did it matter if he was branded a heretic?

‘The White Order will have to bow to me.’

He could conquer not just the Sael kingdom but the entire continent. Count Bearton’s deliberation didn’t last long. If he could obtain the monster’s power and that sword… he was ready to do anything.

His eyes gleamed with a new determination.

“Oh, my new master—!”

With eyes filled with a mix of desire and madness, he knelt before the monster.

“I offer you my body and soul! I vow to serve and obey you alone!”

He pledged his loyalty, adopting a posture of utmost reverence.

“So please… grant me power! I will stake everything to follow your will!”

Count Bearton showed his utmost devotion. Perhaps moved by his loyalty, the monster approached him and handed him something. At the same time, the darkened sky returned to its original state.

====

***

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The skeleton horde that had charged at the knight order quickly crumbled. These were not just any knights but the royal knights. Simple 1-star skeletons were nothing before them. Perhaps overwhelmed by the knights’ overwhelming firepower, the remaining skeletons began to retreat.

In response, a high-ranking knight shouted,

“Do not pursue! Maintain formation!”

Under normal circumstances, they would have given chase, but the princess was with the procession. The knights maintained their formation, shields up, ready for any further threats.

However, the next problem arose. Through the retreating skeleton horde, a figure slowly emerged. It wore a robe, clearly not an ordinary monster. As it approached, its true nature became evident.

“A lich…!”

One of the royal mages shouted. A lich was an undead monster capable of using magic. To prove it, the lich held a book in its hand, undoubtedly filled with dark spells.

“It’s a lich! A lich has appeared! Protect the princess!”

A lich was a 4-star monster, leagues above the 1-star skeletons they had just faced. The knights heightened their vigilance at the mage’s warning. The lich opened its book and began inscribing something.

“The lich is about to cast a spell!”

The terror of a lich lay in its ability to cast spells from a distance.

“Fireball!”

One of the mages launched an attack spell at the lich. The fireball shot towards the lich at high speed. The lich slowly raised its hand and effortlessly blocked the incoming fireball. The ease with which the monster deflected the attack left the mage stunned. The lich continued to inscribe something with its hand.

What kind of formidable dark magic was it preparing?

“Cast shields before the lich attacks!”

The mages quickly switched from offense to defense.

“Shield!”

They cast shields to prepare for the lich’s impending attack. But nothing happened.

‘What’s going on?’

The robed monster’s hand continued to move.

‘Could it be that it’s not casting a spell?’

Despite their confusion, the mages maintained their shields, unwilling to take any chances. This was not the time to conserve mana.

At that moment.

“……!”

The sky darkened. Instead of stars, red dots began to appear in the darkened sky.

“……!”

The knights were thrown into confusion. Lennon was no exception.

“It’s dangerous, Your Highness! We must return to the palace immediately!”

Lennon shouted to Princess Elena.

But the princess’s voice remained calm.

“Sir Lennon, do you think we will be safe even if we return to the palace?”

“But this is clearly a sign of calamity—”

Princess Elena raised her hand, cutting Lennon off. He fell silent at her gesture. She had a point; if this omen indeed signified calamity, there would be nowhere to run.

‘Is this truly the duty of royalty?’

Lennon admired Princess Elena’s composed demeanor. Surely, she must be scared and trembling inside. It was only natural for any human. Yet, the princess showed no sign of fear, maintaining her composure without a hint of movement. Even during the recent battle, she had remained calm.

‘As if she had known in advance.’

Of course, she couldn’t have known beforehand. What was certain was that Princess Elena was striving to fulfill her responsibilities. Lennon felt a sense of pride in serving such a princess.

Nevertheless, as her guard, he had to ensure her safety. If retreating the knights wasn’t an option, he needed to gather more allies to assist her.

“Then we must conscript the adventurers within the kingdom!”

“Do as Sir Lennon suggests.”

Princess Elena granted Lennon’s proposal. Adventurers typically didn’t involve themselves in state affairs, but the situation changed when danger loomed. And now, it wasn’t just the kingdom at risk; the entire continent was in peril.

Lennon requested a communication spell from a mage. He then issued a conscription order to the adventurer guild in the princess’s name.

While Lennon busied himself, Princess Elena continued to gaze at the sky.

‘Is this the power of the Great One?’

She marveled at the sight. Though Celia’s power was impressive, the Great One’s power was on an entirely different level. She didn’t know the exact nature of this power, but she was certain that the current situation was a manifestation of the Great One’s abilities.

‘To think he could even control a 7-star calamity….’

It was truly astonishing. Princess Elena’s entire body trembled, a mix of reverence and awe for a being with such overwhelming power. She allowed herself a slight smile, feeling a bit more at ease. With such support, she couldn’t afford to fail. After all, everything happening now was like a grand play. All she had to do was follow the script.

Unlike Elena, the knights and mages were not privy to the script. They were engulfed in immense fear and dread over the current events. Was the calamity from the past really reappearing? Why had it come? Would the continent face destruction?

These endless thoughts and worries bred fear, leading to mistakes.

“It’s that bastard! He’s the one who summoned the calamity!”

One of the knights at the front shouted. Indeed, the strange phenomena had begun when the lich started inscribing something. The knight, brandishing his sword, charged forward. Whether he died now or perished in the impending calamity, death seemed inevitable. He decided it was better to take a chance, however slim, at survival.

“If we kill it, everything will go back to normal!”

“Stop!”

Someone tried to restrain him, but they couldn’t halt his actions.

“We just need to kill this bastard!”

He raised his sword high, activating his aura, and struck down at the monster before him.

– Clang. –

But the sword made a clear, ringing sound as it was deflected.

“W-what?”

The sound indicated that the attack had been ineffective.

“Eek!”

The knight, now gripped by fear, turned to flee. But it was too late.

“Gah…!”

A skeletal hand burst through the knight’s chest.

“What is this…?”

The lich’s hand had pierced through the knight’s torso, killing him instantly. But it didn’t end there. The knight’s corpse, lying on the ground, began to melt. As his flesh and organs dissolved, the remaining bones slowly floated into the air.

A royal mage muttered in horror,

“It’s not a lich…!”

The floating bones merged, transforming into a skeleton. This was a skill that liches couldn’t use.

[Corpse Resurrection]

It was unmistakably an Arch Lich’s skill.

“It’s not a lich! It’s an Arch Lich!”

They had completely misjudged the situation. Realizing the severity of their predicament, the knights became disheartened and their morale plummeted.

But this was the moment for the princess to step forward.

“Everyone! Do not be disheartened! We still have hope!”

Princess Elena shouted with all her might, rallying the knights.

“There is someone here who will help us! He will defeat the evil Arch Lich.”

At her proclamation, Maru stepped forward. However, the knights’ eyes were filled with distrust. Maru’s equipment seemed inadequate for facing an Arch Lich. He wore leather armor on his torso, while his face was covered by an iron helmet, creating an oddly unbalanced appearance.

Could this person really stand against an Arch Lich?

Yet, no one voiced their doubts aloud. Maru had come to assist the princess, and mocking him would be a dishonorable act.

Regardless of what the knights thought, Maru remained unfazed.

Maru simply advanced, raising his sword. He muttered softly, just loud enough for himself to hear.

“Clack—”

(Judgment of Light.)

A white light began to emanate from Maru’s sword.

“It’s divine power!”

The divine power enveloped the sword, growing in intensity. Soon, an overwhelming amount of divine power filled the street with its radiant light. Maru swung his sword, sending a massive wave of divine power towards the Arch Lich.

The blinding light forced everyone to close their eyes, their vision completely obscured. Seizing this moment, Maru dashed forward. His target was the Arch Lich, Necros, standing ahead.

“Clack.”

(Go.)

The skeletal holy knight, Maru, spoke first.

“Clack.”

(Understood.)

The Arch Lich, Necros, replied. Their conversation was simple and clear. Despite Maru’s powerful divine power, it was obviously insufficient to subdue Necros. After all, they were on the same side, so there was no need for subjugation.

Necros nodded and slowly began to disappear. He walked away leisurely, unseen by anyone. The street was still filled with Maru’s holy light, blinding everyone’s vision.

After a short while, the holy light that had filled the street began to recede. When everyone finally opened their eyes, all they saw was Maru standing with his sword.

Lennon was astonished at Maru’s unscathed appearance.

‘…Just how powerful is he!’

More importantly, the Arch Lich was nowhere to be seen.

‘Could he have defeated the Arch Lich?’

Given the circumstances, it was clear that Sir Maru had vanquished the Arch Lich. Though Princess Elena had mentioned that Sir Maru once served as a holy knight, Lennon hadn’t expected him to possess such prowess.

‘To annihilate an Arch Lich with just divine power…!’

And in a single strike, no less. Lennon was filled with respect for Maru’s strength. In truth, it had merely been a ruse, with the light blinding everyone while Necros made his escape, but no one knew the reality.

“Look! The sky!”

The darkened sky returned to its original state.

“A miracle has occurred!”

The knights shouted. With the Arch Lich defeated and the sky restored, it was indeed a miraculous event. The knights and mages present were deeply moved.

Cheers erupted from behind the knight order as well.

– Waaah!! –

These were the people who had been hiding from the skeletons. They had witnessed everything that had just transpired. They weren’t the only ones. Others, drawn by Maru’s holy light, had also arrived.

Among the cheering crowd, some began to praise Princess Elena.

“Long live the princess!”

“The princess is our hero!”

After all, it was the princess who had given the order to eliminate the evil monster. Though it was Maru who had defeated the Arch Lich, the credit went to the princess. Consequently, the praise for Princess Elena spread rapidly.

“Long live the princess!”

Those who joined in later also began to chant in her honor.

“Long live the princess!”

To the praising crowd, one thing became clear, Princess Elena truly cared for her people. She hadn’t fled in the face of danger but had stayed to protect them until the end. What would the kingdom look like under the leadership of such a person?

People began to hope for a brighter future.

“Long live the princess! Long live! Long live!”

Their hopeful cries showed no sign of stopping. Perhaps it was a desperate attempt to look away from the hardships that lay ahead.