Chapter 115: Nephilim (1)
The ballroom had become hell.
But outside wasn't much different.
“Grrrr!”
“Keeeeh!”
The undead summoned by the Requiem Cult were slaughtering people indiscriminately.
A few knights led soldiers in resistance, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.
“T-Thank you for saving us.”
“Everywhere is dangerous, but if possible, head to the fortress's underground shelters. That's where you'll have the highest chance of surviving.”
As Yohan rescued everyone he encountered along the way, he added that piece of advice.
There were several shelters within the fortress.
All but one were located underground.
Most of the survivors would probably gather there.
“The Nephilim isn't following us.”
Scarlett repeatedly glanced over her shoulder, remaining on guard.
She had been worried they might be attacked from behind, but the Holy Power still lingered only inside the ballroom.
“Their slaughter of humans is merely an instinct born from hatred. Killing itself isn't their true objective.”
That idiot Pedro had apparently chosen the Nephilim simply to implicate the Saintess.
It had been the worst possible choice.
[The range of the Outbreak gradually expands.]
[The beings belonging to 'Purgatory' savor the scent of a new world.]
[Among the three manifested Nephilim, one serves as the key that unlocks Purgatory. Should he die, Purgatory will immediately be opened.]
Tsk.
Yohan clicked his tongue as he looked at the status window.
‘This is the real headache.’
The liberation of Purgatory wouldn't merely consume this fortress.
It would devastate the entire Empire.
And eventually, all of Europe.
Naturally, it would become an enormous obstacle to clearing the Episode.
This had to end here.
Just then—
A group of people approached.
Were they remnants of Count Pedro's forces?
Or perhaps members of the Requiem Cult?
Yohan sharpened his senses in preparation for the worst.
But he quickly lowered his guard.
They were familiar faces.
“Thank goodness you're safe.”
“Haha. Didn't I tell you? There was no way you'd die.”
It was Priestess Michelle Beatrice and Military Mage Beman Sherphon.
Many of the Hunters who had participated in the expedition were also with them.
“Hunter Kang Yohan!”
“Please let us join you. We'll follow your commands again this time.”
They naturally regarded Yohan as their leader.
The leadership and ability he had displayed inside the temple had changed the opinions of many people.
‘Not bad.’
In a situation like this, the more trustworthy allies they had, the better.
Especially Beatrice, who served the God of Light.
She would be a tremendous help when it came to removing the seals placed upon the Divine Stones.
Yohan briefly explained the current situation and what they needed to accomplish.
“So in the end, the key is finding and destroying these Divine Stones. Since there are several of them, we'll need to divide our forces appropriately.”
Sherphon immediately grasped the essence of the situation.
“Exactly. However, if even one team fails, we'll lose a great deal of time. And this is a double-edged sword. The more Divine Stones that are destroyed, the more the combat strength of the Requiem Cult will multiply.”
In other words, balance was more important than anything else.
Rather than creating one exceptional team, they needed three teams with no obvious weaknesses.
Yohan had already decided how each team would be organized.
‘The intervals between each Divine Stone being destroyed can't be too long.’
Leaving two Divine Stones remaining was acceptable.
However, if only one Divine Stone remained intact for more than fifteen minutes...
It would begin to become corrupted.
And once that happened, things would become far more troublesome than expected.
Team One:
Yohan.
The Saintess.
Reina.
Sherphon.
Team Two:
Seo Changhee.
Evelyn.
Park Yeri.
Team Three:
Beatrice.
Scarlett.
Lodbrok.
Lagertha.
Each team would be led by someone capable of overcoming the Divine Stone's trial, while the remaining members provided support.
As for the Saintess—
To prepare for any possible betrayal, Yohan decided to keep her beside him and watch her personally.
In addition, each team was assigned five or six Hunters and Imperial soldiers.
“Good luck.”
“Let's all survive.”
Perhaps because they had already crossed the line between life and death once before...
Everyone sincerely wished for each other's success.
Still.
It wouldn't be easy.
Only a handful of them would survive this as well.
＊＊＊
The central shelter located closest to the ballroom.
Most of the people who had escaped from the ball had gathered there.
“W-When will reinforcements arrive?”
“It'll be safe here. It has to be...
Yes. It definitely will.”
Though trembling in fear, no one could take their eyes off the door.
It felt as though something would burst through it at any moment.
Then—
Boom!
A tremendous crash echoed throughout the shelter.
At first, they thought they had imagined it.
Boom!
But when the second impact slammed against the door, everyone realized it wasn't their imagination.
The murmuring instantly ceased.
Tremble.
Their limbs shook uncontrollably.
They wanted to cry.
Yet somehow managed to suppress it.
Of course.
It was all meaningless.
Creeeak...
A chipped sword blade slipped through the crack in the door.
The hollow eyes of the dead gleamed from beyond it.
[Skill 'Steps of the Departed' has been activated!]
Whooooo...
Black shadows slowly seeped into the shelter.
“So this is where all the little rats were hiding.”
The figure that emerged from the darkness was Cain Belmaier.
Behind him followed an overwhelming horde of undead.
A sealed room with no escape.
Only one outcome awaited them.
A one-sided massacre.
However—
“Hmm. It would be a shame to kill a few of you. I'll give you one final opportunity. If you join us, we'll spare your lives.”
At the final moment, Cain offered them a ticket to survival.
“M-Me! I want to!”
One young noble immediately raised his hand in desperation.
“I said those worth preserving.
I never said I was giving fools a chance.”
“Huh? W-What do you mea—”
Slash!
His question never lasted long.
The Black Knight standing beside Cain swung his sword.
The noble's head vanished.
Blood splattered across the floor.
Cain walked with light footsteps toward a certain man.
It was Ryuhei.
The Guild Master of the Horobi Guild and a Ranker renowned as the Sword Demon.
“So.
Do you have any interest in this ticket?”
“Not particularly.”
When Ryuhei rejected him coldly, Cain calmly changed the subject, as though he had expected that answer.
“I've heard your younger sister is gravely ill. It's a rare disease, and maintaining her treatment requires an enormous amount of money. Eight years now, wasn't it? It must have been incredibly difficult for both you and your sister.”
“You...”
Ryuhei drew his sword.
Its blade radiated terrifying killing intent.
“You'd better choose your next words very carefully.
Unless you're looking to die.”
Everyone had a reverse scale they refused to let anyone touch.
For Ryuhei...
It was his younger sister.
For the sake of a single person, he had sworn to become stronger than anyone else in the world.
And he had worked until his hands bled.
He had cut down dozens of people.
Slaughtered hundreds of monsters.
Desperately saving every penny he could.
Even so...
Protecting just one person had proven unbearably difficult.
His younger sister, Ayane, suffered from a disease whose treatment required materials costing over fifty million dollars every year.
Furthermore, the Horobi Guild's terrible reputation only isolated Ryuhei even further from the rest of the world.
“We'll give you the money. Enough that you'll never have to worry about medical expenses again. So? Does that interest you?”
What Cain offered was gold.
A temptation Ryuhei could never refuse.
The reason he had come to such a dangerous place.
The reason his hands had been stained with so much blood all this time.
Everything had been for a single purpose.
“Damn it.
What exactly do you want me to do?”
“Do I really need to spell it out? Simply prove it.
Prove that you're on our side.”
Could one kill everyone else...
For the sake of saving a single person?
“……”
Ryuhei had answered that question long ago.
＊＊＊
The destination chosen by Yohan's first team lay near the outer edge of the fortress.
The key to locating a Divine Stone was following the faint, alien residue that differed from ordinary Holy Power.
Naturally, the Saintess was the one best suited for that task.
“This way.”
The Saintess led the group from the front.
“Keeeeh!”
“Fresh flesh. Blood. Entrails. I'll devour every last bit!”
They encountered undead monsters along the way.
But—
Boom!
“Not a chance!”
“Protect the Saintess!”
The team members fought together with flawless coordination.
Having already worked together repeatedly inside the temple, monsters of this level posed no threat.
[Sherphon activates 'Multiple Wind Cutter'!]
Slash! Clang!
As expected of a Military Mage, Sherphon proved invaluable against large numbers of enemies.
Triple Magic.
His combat instincts were excellent.
And his mana control was equally impressive.
It certainly wasn't an exaggeration that Military Mages were regarded as being at least two levels above ordinary mages who spent their lives peacefully conducting research.
Not long afterward, they discovered a white stone nestled among the trees.
[Only a pure soul that takes pride in pursuing righteousness, helps the weak, and willingly sacrifices itself to uphold its convictions shall earn the recognition of the Divine Stone.]
This was the problem.
Simply smashing it was possible.
But it would take far too long.
Furthermore, once the Divine Stone came under attack, the Nephilim would immediately notice.
In the end...
The only option was to prove oneself worthy according to the Divine Stone's standards.
“I'll handle this.”
Yohan stepped forward.
His noble conviction to save humanity and rescue everyone inside the Tower of Trials.
His genuine care for his companions.
He had learned Sacred Flame and had consistently gathered grains whenever he found them.
Everything matched perfectly.
Tap.
Standing before the Divine Stone, Yohan placed his hand upon its smooth surface.
Then—
[The Divine Stone passes judgment upon a soul corrupted by darkness to its very bones.]
Together with a crimson status window—
“……?”
Crackle!
Golden lightning struck him.
Had it not been for the Ring of Crimson Lotus, the attack would've killed him instantly.
Damn.
It felt as though even his internal organs had been roasted.
Smoke drifted lazily from Yohan's mouth as he awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Ahem! Well... righteousness is open to interpretation.”
“Sigh. Just move aside.”
The Saintess brushed past Yohan and approached the Divine Stone.
Heh.
Yohan snorted.
As if that would work.
A fanatic who had slaughtered countless noble people could never possibly earn its recognition—
[The Divine Stone acknowledges the value of a soul purer than any other.]
...No.
Why does she pass and I don't?!
The urge to curse rose all the way to his throat.
But making a scene now would only make him look pathetic.
Regretfully, proving how unfair this was would have to wait until another time.
[One of the three pillars has fallen!]
[The Holy Power possessed by the Nephilim has been reduced by 10%!]
Ten percent of their total power.
At least this had weakened them somewhat.
Hopefully the other teams were doing well too.
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
[The third Divine Stone has fallen!]
[The Holy Power possessed by the Nephilim has been reduced by an additional 10%!]
Good.
The side where Lodbrok had gone had also succeeded.
He might act like an idiot.
But his heart was kind.
No one could match him in purity.
Besides, Priestess Beatrice was with him.
Yohan had calculated that their chances of success were more than sufficient.
However—
There was still no news from the second Divine Stone, where Seo Changhee had gone.
That was unexpected.
Among the three teams, Yohan had expected Seo Changhee to finish first because of his Spirituality.
Five minutes.
Six minutes.
Eight minutes.
Time continued to pass.
Bubble...
The Divine Stone before them gradually darkened.
At the same time, black mana began gathering around the Nephilim.
“Isn't this bad?”
Reina asked anxiously.
She was right.
Something had gone wrong.
Very wrong.
“Reina. Stay here with Mr. Sherphon and guard this place.”
“What about you?”
“I think I need to go check on Seo Changhee's team.”
He had to find out what was happening.
If they delayed any longer...
Things would become irreversible.