The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices -
Chapter 42
EP.42 The Fateful Connection Reappears
The White Order of El Dorad Continent.
Aurel, the Cardinal of the Order, led the high priests down into the underground.
As they descended the stairs one by one, darkness swallowed every sense.
A chilling sensation from somewhere wrapped the air, making it shiver, and the silence of death descended like a heavy weight.
This feeling persisted for a while.
It was a silent descent as everyone proceeded down the stairs without uttering a word.
At the end of the underground they had arrived at, a massive iron gate stood.
Iron locks overlapped in front of the gate, made of layers of iron.
It was an unmistakably extraordinary space.
In front of the gate, inquisitors were standing guard.
“Have you come, Cardinal.”
As they nodded, Aurel raised his hand gently.
“You’ve always worked hard.”
After the exchange of greetings, the inquisitors began to move in earnest.
“Cardinal, we will now open the iron gate.”
Upon the inquisitor’s words, a high priest behind Aurel shouted,
“Everyone, imbue yourselves with divine power! Weakness will bring death. With the grace of the goddess, we shall advance fearlessly!”
In the dim space, a feeble light burst forth, giving a warm feeling.
But that warmth was short-lived.
The inquisitors were gradually unlocking the seals of the iron gate.
The first lock was released.
Unknown sounds began to break the eerie silence.
The second lock was released.
With a hint of dampness, a rotten smell pricked the nostrils.
The third lock was released.
It felt as if time had stopped, reminding one of the absence of space in this place.
The fourth lock was released.
The scent of death lingered. For some reason, a sense of loneliness and helplessness crept in, stealing hope from the darkness.
Finally, as the last lock was released, the massive iron gate slowly opened.
Only darkness existed.
Simultaneously, this was death.
The scent of life completely vanished, and only the sensation of entering the embrace of death awakened the entire body.
“Steel your hearts, everyone.”
The Grand Vice Cardinal, Aurel, continued with his brief admonition, and soon everyone began to pass through the iron gate.
The interior was monotonous.
Various objects shaped like stones were arranged.
For the familiar priests, they walked with tension, swallowing their saliva, while newcomers curiously looked around and moved forward.
This was the most heavily guarded place in the Order.
It was a location where beings that once threatened the continent were sealed and monitored.
All the objects that looked like stones were sealing stones.
If even one broke, the consequences would be considerable.
As such, the Order put great effort into managing them.
After passing through the sealing stones, another iron gate appeared.
Unlike before, the size of this iron gate was not as large.
Priests following Aurel approached and began to open the gate.
The gate opened with a noisy sound.
Inside, there were unexpected entities.
“Gasp!”
The priest who saw them for the first time stood still, seemingly shocked.
Inside another iron gate were skeletons.
Not just ordinary skeletons.
In the corner, there were Death Knights.
Fortunately, an enormous amount of chains was tied around the Death Knights.
“A knight who brings death…!”
Why were Death Knights here?
For a moment, Aurel, who had opened his mouth, spoke.
“This creature, the Death Knight, appeared even before the Empress of Darkness Syllestra, a 7th-star being, as recorded.”
The name, Death Knight, was known to everyone.
A very ancient creature that suddenly appeared in the distant past, trampling the continent.
At that time, neither the Order nor the nations had the power they have now.
They couldn’t respond at all, so one Death Knight led to the terrible result of the destruction of an entire kingdom.
Of course, they sealed it by uniting everyone.
It was clearly recorded that way.
But look at it now.
It was definitely not a sealed appearance.
Aurel continued to speak.
“This is because it is a means to approach our Order’s goal.”
He argued that it was a necessary experiment for the Order to gain more power.
That’s why they unsealed the Death Knight.
Unsealing them was not enough, the Order manages them.
To an outsider, Aurel’s words seemed close to the ideology of Idoism.
However, none of the inquisitors around him moved. Even the priests who knew about this place nodded casually, showing no concern. Only the priests who had come here for the first time today were momentarily confused. Their expressions seemed as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have.
But Aurel continued with an indifferent expression, carrying on with his duties.
After all, the priests gathered here today were not ordinary priests. They were priests, soon to become high priests. Aurel didn’t mind because they would ascend beyond bishops to become archbishops.
“May the Goddess guide you onto the right path, you humble ones. Admire her mercy, behold her kind smile, and be grateful for her benevolence.”
A tremendous light emitted from Aurel’s hand. At the same time, 1st and 2nd-star skeletons moved.
“Skeleton knights…!”
Even 3rd-star skeleton knights began to move in accordance with Aurel’s words.
But that was all. The 4th-star Skeleton Black Knight and, more importantly, the target 5th-star force, Death Knight, remained motionless. Instead, Death Knight exerted all its strength to break free from the chains.
“Tsk, not yet.”
Aurel sighed briefly, clicking his tongue. If only they could make the Black Knight a puppet of the Order, they would gain immense power. As a Order with the goal of conquering the Sael Kingdom, it was essential to have such power.
‘If only I could control Death Knight…’
The power to manipulate was not yet perfect. It might be feasible with lower undead creatures due to their lower intelligence compared to other monsters, but controlling a powerhouse like Death Knight was currently almost impossible.
If only they could succeed with Death Knight. That would be the starting point to gradually expand control to monsters of other races. If that happened, all countries would eventually come under the Order’s influence. But it was still a distant story. Right now, Death Knight alone was a challenge, not to mention the 4th-star being. Moreover, as the number of entities to control increased, the control over Skeleton Knights felt unstable.
“Bring him.”
Upon Aurel’s command, two priests behind him brought a man forward. The man was in a restrained state.
“Ugh! Ugh…!”
Unable to speak with his mouth blocked, the man writhed in pain.
“We caught him because he is a hunter who entered the Order’s territory.”
Not an adventurer but a hunter. In other words, he was not from the El Dorad Continent but from another dimension, Earth.
“Begin.”
At Aurel’s command, the priests led the hunter near Death Knight.
Even in its confined state, Death Knight could move its head. As the man approached, Death Knight attacked him.
“Ugh…!”
The man couldn’t even scream due to the blockage. Blood started flowing in the area where Death Knight attacked.
The man writhed briefly, then fell silent. He was dead. But the death caused by Death Knight led to another life. The dead man, making strange noises, rose from his place.
“A common ghoul.”
Seeing this, Aurel clicked his tongue again, just as he did before. Occasionally, death by Death Knight’s hand would lead to the birth of a powerful ghoul. The most plausible speculation was that the more a person suffered from pain and hatred, the stronger the ghoul would become.
“In any case, we have been torturing him continuously.”
However, it seemed the man lacked enough hatred. He became an ordinary ghoul. Even if a ghoul was brainwashed, it was useless. An inquisitor nearby drew his sword, striking the former hunter, who had become a ghoul once again.
“We will continue to search for Earth-born hunters!”
Their numbers were very few, but they possessed a power different from the adventurers on the continent. Therefore, they hoped to create a unique ghoul unlike anything seen before. However, their attempts kept failing.
‘I shouldn’t have sent him back then….’
Aurel had forgotten his name. However, the story of a saint sending a hunter back to Earth at the Order’s request was well-known. Although he was Earth-born, he had no power. He was evaluated as being as weak as the lowest iron rank among adventurers, so the Order didn’t pay much attention to him. Since he had spent a long time in the Order and knew many people, there was no point in driving him away. Also, as he lacked power, he was somewhat ambiguous as an experimental subject. That’s why they sent him back to Earth.
‘At least Kim Soo-Ho should have been used as an experiment.’
Aurel sighed as if regretting something.
Kim Soo-Ho, the only Earthling who became a holy knight of the Order.
Even Aurel, the Grand Vice Cardinal, remembered his name. However, the Order refused to use him as an experiment, claiming he had a different purpose. They sent him back to Earth.
He didn’t know what that purpose was. Perhaps only higher-ups like the Head Inquisitor or the Pope knew.
“Well, there’s no need to regret it now.”
It was a thing of the past. Therefore, he focused his efforts on solving the current problem.
Once again, he raised his hand towards Death Knight.
====
***
====
“Maru, now make some ramen.”
Maru, the black-glowing Skeleton Black Knight, nodded his head.
The one who was once a 1st-star creature had become 4th-star in an instant. In essence, it was similar to taming a B-rank hunter.
“Good job.”
After ordering Maru to cook ramen, I looked at my smartphone. Yes, it was all thanks to this game. Because of it, I existed in this current state.
Although it was somewhat awkward to call it a game, I just referred to it as a game for convenience.
“By the way, we need to explore dungeons and make money soon.”
Originally, I planned to buy skill books, but now I had Maru. Although he was F-star, I possessed the skill of the goddess’s healing.
‘With just Maru, dungeon conquest will be easy.’
With the ability to control skeletons of this caliber, joining a party would be simple.
“……”
I stared at my smartphone in silence. I felt there might be a better way.
Currently, my in-game dungeon was located on the El Dorad Continent. This time, I obtained the Demon Sword in addition to the characteristics and skills offered when Celia presented an offering to me.
“If I can obtain other items?”
Getting the Demon Sword implied that obtaining other items was also possible. Currently, the El Dorad Continent had more mana than Earth. Therefore, various herbs, potions, and artifacts existed there.
Due to this, each guild trained and educated guild members who might go to El Dorad, where they could obtain various items. Kim Soo-Ho was one such example. Even with just a supplied holy sword from the Order, he easily defeated an A-rank hunter.
“Let’s actively bring continental items to Earth.”
Of course, I didn’t want everyone to become stronger. At least, releasing luxury items could bring considerable income. Not only money but also invisible power would follow. If that happened, no one could ignore me. Even those who had once tormented me would have to bow their heads.
While thinking like that, I remembered Kang Jin-soo’s expression at the Awakener Center.
My activities were going to increase in the future. Naturally, my fame would spread around. If my current appearance became known, the past enemies would likely reappear to hinder me.
No, it was almost certain.
The ones I knew would never quietly overlook me.
“I should make more use of this in the future.”
I tightly grasped my smartphone. Of course, I had no immediate plans to execute my goals. This, too, required power. Without it, I would be swept away by a horde of enemies rushing toward me.
“But let’s prepare a little bit.”
====
***
====
Kang Jin-soo.
He graduated from the Hunter Academy as the 4th batch and currently works at the Awakener Center.
Despite graduating from the academy, his grade were in the middle to lower range. And the guilds he desired to join were all well-known top-tier ones.
Entering one of those guilds would allow him to showcase his abilities and even engage in bullying. However, his capabilities were too lacking for him to act as a hunter in those guilds.
Becoming a government-affiliated hunter with power was an even more impossible task.
His available choices did not include small guilds from the beginning, and His pride did not allow it.
In the end, he chose to become a government-affiliated hunter.
At the current Awakener Center, the workload might be manageable, but it was safe, and, above all, he could engage in bullying.
Of course.
“Oh my, you’re a hunter affiliated with the Divine Guild. Please come this way!”
He could only bully those lower in rank than himself.
Still, that alone meant something.
If he had joined a small guild, he would have been the one bowing his head.
Kang Jin-soo was satisfied with his current position.
‘By the way, is there anything interesting happening?’
Once, his academy colleague, Lee Kang-hyun, had conducted magic testing here.
Without status windows, Lee Kang-hyun had always ranked at the bottom at the academy. Seeing him here, Kang Jin-soo felt a sense of superiority.
But then, out of nowhere, Lee Kang-hyun gained a status window.
He knew Lee Kang-hyun had been working as a porter. He never expected him to drop dead somewhere, let alone gain a status window.
Still, Kang Jin-soo didn’t pay much attention. Just because someone got a status window didn’t mean everyone became strong.
‘Crazy bastard. Getting a status window isn’t the end.’
If that were the case, everyone would be active as high-ranking hunters like B-ranks or A-ranks.
Kang Jin-soo scoffed.
Lee Kang-hyun, who gained a status window, received an F-rank during the magic test.
Graduates from the academy were automatically promoted to at least D-rank.
That meant acknowledging their four years of effort and recognizing them as high-level talent.
However, Lee Kang-hyun, who graduated from the academy, still had no status window, even after the magic test.
“Isn’t he just incredibly dumb?”
“What?”
The junior next to Kang Jin-soo responded to his unintentional muttering.
“Oh, it was just talking to myself.”
After mumbling vaguely, he looked around.
“Huh?”
Kang Jin-soo’s expression showed surprise.
A familiar face had come to the center.
‘Isn’t that Lee Kang-hyun?’
Why is he here again?
It hadn’t been long since the magic test.
But why?
Kang Jin-soo stared at Lee Kang-hyun.
Then he noticed one significant difference.
‘A skeleton?’
A white skeleton!
And that skeleton was following Lee Kang-hyun.
Lee Kang-hyun was talking to other employees.
After a while, Lee Kang-hyun went outside the center again.
Kang Jin-soo was curious.
What on earth had happened?
Fortunately, Kang Jin-soo himself worked at the Awakener Center.
He immediately checked Lee Kang-hyun’s information.
There, he found shocking words.
‘Lee Kang-hyun is a necromancer?’
That was right; Lee Kang-hyun was a necromancer.
Although it was mentioned that he could only summon 1st-star skeletons, it was still a shocking ability.
It was undoubtedly an ability with no particular value, but Kang Jin-soo was shocked.
Lee Kang-hyun, who recently gained a status window, had become a necromancer.
How much time had passed since then?
‘Could he possibly catch up?’
The scum he always thought would be behind him was now following closely behind.
Kang Jin-soo was anxious.
He couldn’t accept falling behind that guy.
So, Kang Jin-soo made a choice.
He found Kim Soo-Ho’s contact in his smartphone and sent him a text.
The person who had tormented Lee Kang-hyun the most during their academy days was none other than Kim Soo-Ho.
That’s why Kang Jin-soo had expectations.
‘Surely, some reaction will come.’
And indeed, shortly afterward, he received a message from Kim Soo-Ho.
“As expected!”
Kang Jin-soo chuckled maliciously.
Kim Soo-Ho, this guy isn’t a gentleman either?
It was time to torment Lee Kang-hyun again.
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The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 36<time datetime="January 21, 2024">January 21, 2024</time>In "Dungeon Sacrifices"
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