Chapter 41 |
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[Translator – Clara]
[Proofreader – Demon God]
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I started feeling this strange phenomenon a few days ago.
Batory’s source of blood supply was the humans from the nearby villages. Given the perishable nature of fresh blood, the most efficient method was to receive a real-time supply from the surrounding areas.
Fortunately, the villages near the Astreshia Forest, where Cheite Castle was located, had plenty of good blood. The pure and robust blood of these individuals was undoubtedly the finest delicacy for Batory and the ultimate suppressant to maintain her sanity.
Batory thrived on the humans from the surrounding villages. In exchange for periodically kidnapping humans from the village, she protected the villages around the Astreshia Forest from the monsters.
It was quite a lucrative business—of course, the majority of the villagers were unaware of these facts, living their lives without even knowing.
“…You’re saying the humans were wiped out.”
“I’d say wiped out is a bit vague. Since the village was stained with blood, they must have all died, but there were no bodies. They all disappeared. And…”
The problem was that this phenomenon wasn’t limited to just one village.
“The other villages nearby were the same.”
All the human villages in the region had suffered total annihilation.
“I don’t think it’s just a matter of humans causing this.”
After a brief pause, Batory continued with her explanation.
Examining the timeline marked by the bloodstains on the ground, it revealed a ‘marching path’ of the phenomenon. It seemed more like a deliberate, calculated progression than a sudden disaster.
The anomaly consistently moved in a certain direction, systematically engulfing the villages in its path.
“Hastin is in the direction it’s heading.”
The corpses were disappearing. All those corpses vanished as if they were never there.
Unless you were clueless, it was hard not to notice.
“Undead…”
This time, Melje responded. Batory squinted her eyes in affirmation. The crimson tint in her pupils was quite chilling.
“But there aren’t as many creatures capable of doing something like this as one might think.”
Commonly referred to as undead, these beings were mostly devoid of intelligence. Those with intelligence, like Dullahan or Lich, were higher-ranked creatures labeled as ‘Elders’ with special terminology.
And Elder undead don’t typically arise through conventional means. The residents of raided villages, having ordinary bodies and ordinary souls, would, if infected, only resurrect as lower-tier undead without intelligence.
Undead without intelligence typically wander. In cases where an entire human village is overtaken by the undead, it’s normal for the undead horde to scatter in all directions.
The synchronized movement of the undead forces, acting with consistency, can only be interpreted as someone commanding them.
“Erebos.”
The God of the dead—Erebos, the Undying King.
Finally, Batory uttered that name.
If we were to select the prime mover of the incident based on the ability to command undead, the next consideration would be whether this individual had a reason to sweep through human villages.
Through such thoughts, the final conclusion pointed to the boss monster of one of the Seven Great Evil Dungeons, known as the ‘God of the dead,’ Erebos.
“There’s no direct evidence, but it seems like that guy is causing a commotion.”
Batory lightly flicked her finger once again. The servant who reappeared before Batory, carrying a teacup prepared who knows when, replenished the cup. The red liquid filled the cup, creating ripples.
If the one leading the undead is just a ‘Elder Undead,’ there’s no need to pay much attention. Even Melje, who is currently a chef in the core, is practically a demon king. Most Elder Undead wouldn’t withstand a few fire spells and would melt away.
However, if the leading figure is Erebos, the story changes. It won’t be just a matter of balancing forces; it will escalate further ─As there will likely be a territorial battle among the Seven Great Evil Dungeons.
—The invasion of the territory of Cheite Castle and Astreshia Forest by Erebos, the boss of one of the Seven Great Evil Dungeons, essentially amounted to a declaration of war on Hastin, the central region of the Seven Great Evil Dungeons.
It’s akin to declaring war between the two Great Evil Dungeons.
It’s a situation that no one can handle, and Erebos is not someone who wouldn’t calculate that much. It was clear that some scheming was at play.
“Well, roughly, it’s like this. Even if I handle it in my own way, Hastin is still the central region of the Primordial Core, right? Because of this, I came to hear Devourer’s opinion. …But, why is Devourer doing something unusual again?”
Renee forced a smile, saying that the timing was bad.
Batory, who had a headache, cautiously asked, “So, those two. When are they coming back?”
“That’s… Renee doesn’t really know. Actually, I think it might take quite some time. Patrick is also cautious in handling his tasks.”
Batory raised her head, wondering if those two would come back early. If they went, what would they do? The sight of Patrick handling work alone was vivid in her mind.
‘Probably going somewhere to mess around again.’
Batory sighed softly and spoke, “What monsters will you send as messengers?”
“Currently, the dungeon is empty…”
“…Have you established a communication network?”
“Renee trusts Mr Devourer.”
No, from now on, I’ll trust someone trustworthy.
Batory was amazed at the incredible dungeon operation.
It seems difficult to obtain forces from Cheite Castle. Our situation is currently desperate, lacking even the troops to obtain the needed blood.
Moreover, no matter how shameless their relationship might be, this is a task that the ‘dungeon boss monsters’ must undertake to maintain their respective influences.
While indirect assistance can be provided, there was a clear need to draw a definite line when it comes to directly intervening in the events to offer help.
“So, what are we going to do?”
Someone had to convey the news. After posing the question, Batory alternated her gaze between Melje and Renee.
‘She said the demon king is a chef….’
It was the duty of the guardians of the Seven Great Evil Dungeons’ hearts to block those who tried to reach the deepest part of the cave.
I heard news that the 116 Black tentacles was not in perfect condition. Renee could never entrust the dungeon to a chef.
Batory once again gauged Renee’s reaction. Renee seemed to be aware of her own situation, wearing a distressed expression.
Despite the opportunity to visit Mr Devourer, she couldn’t go due to her current state. She might be resenting the 116 Black tentacles right now.
And the demon king next to her—
—was shaking her legs severely.
“Well, well, well, looks like I.I..I.I..I..I have to go. There’s no other choice…!”
She was shaking with joy.
***
Phase 4
***
Yeah, it was suspicious from the start. The captain thought it over, reviewing the situation. They hadn’t revealed anything from the beginning.
Even just looking at the knight, it was evident. The plate mail differed in age from recent creations, and there wasn’t a single emblem indirectly indicating his status. Moreover, the supposed knight didn’t even draw his weapon.
The man in shabby attire went even further, being less than expected. Contrary to the captain’s assumption that he might be a necromancer, the man didn’t use dark magic or enchantments at all. He simply stood there, effortlessly subduing his comrades with minimal movements.
The power emanating from his unassuming build was unbelievable.
Suspicious usually implies some level of danger. In other words, those two were also dangerous individuals.
So….
‘Damn it.’
There was never a chance of winning from the beginning.
Uttering a small curse, the captain collapsed to the ground.
The humans who had rushed Devourer and Patrick were all wiped out. The number of heads that charged in and the number of heads scattered on the ground were identical.
It didn’t take much time to deal with the humans in the alley.
‘It seems to be more or less over.’
After finally knocking out the captain, Patrick brushed off his hands. The clinking sound of the gauntlets meeting echoed, seemingly mocking the humans.
“That was an incredible skirmish. For a moment, you managed to surprise me. Quite impressive for humans.”
“No, weren’t you just fooling around and accidentally stepped on your own foot…”
“Making me make a mistake itself indicates that the enemies had considerable skills. They were not ordinary humans.”
Well, they were actually quite ordinary humans.
Devourer responded with a yawn.
Except for the part where Patrick unexpectedly fell over, causing him to be beaten by the humans, it was relatively easy to tidy up the situation.
After embracing their shabby outerwear and rib bone each in their arms, the two sighed in relief.
After the situation was settled, Patrick rummaged through the captain’s pockets. It looked like the scene where humans rummage through the bodies of dead monsters to loot. The first thing that came out of the captain’s pockets was gold coins, probably taken from Devourer’s pockets. It was the emergency fund that Patrick always kept for Devourer.
‘Well, there’s nowhere to spend all of this in this village anyway.’
After roughly collecting the gold coins, Patrick searched through the captain’s clothes. Quite a variety of things came out, mostly cheap magic potions—ranging from ones that explode to ones that glow, there was a considerable variety.
“That was quite refreshing. Admirable.”
Patrick spoke with a cheerful tone in his solitary mutterings. Knowledge about potion blending couldn’t be acquired wandering around the back alleys. The captain probably wasn’t from this side.
The recent battle was the same. When a few humans fell, the captain shook his head. He obscured his vision, induced explosions, and employed other tricks until the end, targeting only the vulnerabilities.
It was the typical ‘combat for survival.’
“Well, they’re thieves, so I thought they might have a map of the village or something. But there’s no income at all. Rather than wasting more time looking for something useful, it seems better to handle it quickly. So, Boss, please don’t lie down already.”
“You lie down too, Patrick. It’s surprisingly cozy here.”
“I say this every time, but wouldn’t it be better for you to at least pretend to listen when I talk?”
Having found his own outerwear, Devourer, who had been lying on the dirty floor as if his business was done, yawned and stretched.
The ones who escaped were hard to catch. Initially, there was no intention to kill them all. A leaderless group of beggars is utterly powerless, so they would naturally disperse without chasing them down. Therefore,
‘Once we deal with these guys, it should be fine.’
The number of humans sprawled on the floor was less than twenty. Patrick, contemplating how to handle them, remembered the pit he had seen earlier.
“There’s a place on the outskirts piled up with corpses like mountains. Let’s handle it there, Boss.”
He was about to turn his head towards Devourer while saying that.
“First, let’s welcome our lady.”
Suddenly turning his head, Patrick added a remark.
Devourer also turned only his head while maintaining his prone position. At the direction of Patrick’s gaze, there was a girl.
Even in the dark midnight, the girl with dirty clothes and distinctly pink hair was noticeable.
The girl was approaching Patrick. With each step, unmistakable hesitation revealed her fear, but her eyes were fixed firmly on Patrick. She didn’t take a step back; she was approaching steadily.
Trembling, leading her trembling body.
“Th-th…”
“Rosalina!”
A voice chasing after the girl followed. This time, a man appeared behind the girl.
Too old to be called a young man, a thin, bony man. Numerous scars all over his body spoke volumes about the hardships he had endured in life.
“To-Tott….”
Rozalina
The girl called out the man’s name. Unlike the energetic panting of the man, she had a small voice as if she were crawling.
Patrick just chuckled.
“Why are they coming one after another like this?”
In response to Patrick’s playful words, Devourer scratched the back of his head. It was the same when he encountered Arin or whatever his name was in Raize. Humans seemed to have the characteristic of coming out one by one, not all at once.
With a nonchalant tone, Devourer said, “Humans are all like this, huh?”
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[Translator – Clara]
[Proofreader – Demon God]
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