Chapter 305

Chapter 305 - Abandoned God (1)

"We should have brought more summoners."

Rampage lamented. In unpredictable situations, magic users are the best insurance.

In Alzhar's case, he manipulates the power of the earth and even raises powerful golems, so his abilities were quickly recognized in Eugene's camp.

"Don't consider mages or summoners to be omnipotent. Because outside their field of expertise, they aren't even as good as a warrior who wields a sword somewhat well. There was no one worth bringing for an underground cave exploration."

The subordinates found it hard to accept Eugene's words. For those who do not know mysteries, everything just seems amazing.

"Lord Marbas seemed to be good at everything, though?"

Moreover, they also knew an all-around summoner.

"We were doing a night raid, and when he flicked his fingers, all the tOrches at the enemy outpost went out. We charged in during that gap and easily subdued them."

"When I drink beer with him, at some point, refreshing ice sculptures float up."

"One time he spoke to a freshly dead person to interrogate them, and would you believe it, he actually found out where the enemies went and how many were ambushing?"

Everyone shared Marbas's big and small exploits one by one.

"That's because the old man is amazing. It's troublesome if you consider him the standard for summoners."

Magic is usually endowed with talent focused in one area. However, summoners exhibit abilities in multiple domains depending on their learning. Among them, Marbas's fields of inquiry were as wide as a lake.

In exchange, the depth wasn't that deep, but the versatility helpful in all situations was a tremendous advantage.

"The elderly are on standby at home. Didn't you all see him suffering from a cold when we came here last time?"

"We know."

Eugene kept the elderly and weak from leaving the castle for a certain period in transmissions where environmental changes were extreme. It was a sort of cold response protocol.

Marbas suffered greatly before recovering, but unfortunately, there were also elderly whose symptoms worsened and died.

"It's more pleasant than I thought? Caves suspected to be mines are usually cramped."

There is quite an incline, but terrain requiring rope descent hasn't appeared yet. The passage is also wide enough for 2~3 people to stand shoulder to shoulder.

"It looks like someone did expansion work."

"No way! If they had, it would have immediately caught our eyes."

Even though they walked the path of warriors, as sons of the earth, Dwarves were born with an eye for reading the ground. The unique traces of digging walls with shovels catch their eyes immediately. Nothing of the sort was seen here at all.

However, Homi caught what they missed. A whispering whistle made Eugene's ears and the Dwarves' beards twitch.

"What is it? We don't see anything?"

The Dwarves found nothing strange on the wall Homi pointed to.

"Someone did indeed do expansion work."

Eugene pulled out a small fragment embedded in the wall. The darkly discolored object was slightly curved and more than twice as long and sharp as a human fingernail.

"A claw?"

"It's a fingernail. It belongs to the Rakshas."

Having frequently seen the ones belonging to Shasha, who had joined the Wandering Castle, he could recognize it right away.

"To dig a cave wall with their hands..."

"It might not be possible with human hands, but with their hands, it's probably fine."

Eugene threw the fingernail away.

"It might just be a trace of a Raksha that wandered in here by chance."

"Perhaps. Anyway, just don't let your guard down."

As Eugene's group continued advancing like that, they faced the first fork. A place dividing into 3 tunnels.

"He used the first summoning spell here. Probably some kind of pathfinding spell."

"How do you know that?"

"When there are no rocks blocking the path, what other use would there be for doing something at a fork besides pathfinding?"

At the obvious answer, the Dwarf who asked scratched his head in embarrassment.

"We go left."

Is it because it's an isolated underground? The summoning spell, which was only a day old, left a clear residual scent like breadcrumbs.

*

Let's rewind time for a moment.

"Since there's still not a single piece of feces to be seen, it seems there really are no monsters."

"Here! Look over here! It's a vein!"

"There's one on this side too!"

The preliminary exploration team's investigation went very smoothly.

The experience of veteran miners, Alzhar who commands earth spirits, and on top of that, originally abundant veins.

With the three elements harmonizing, mouth-watering gold ores were being discovered in abundance just by looking.

"As expected of you, Lord Summoner! You truly excel at everything related to the earth!"

"In the past, when I lacked research funds, I used to pick up placer gold from rivers in mining areas. Those who knew me called me Golden-Eared Alzhar."

"Golden Ears! That is a truly excellent nickname!"

Being in the same boat of living off digging the earth, Alzhar and the Dwarf miners got along perfectly.

"You guys have tried panning, right?"

"Of course. As guys looking for gold mines, how could we not have tried that?"

Panning is a method used when collecting placer gold from a river. You scoop up river water and sand at the same time with a panning dish, and then gently shake it from side to side in a circular motion.

Gold is 6~7 times heavier than sand grains. In the process of shaking the dish, water and sand are thrown out, leaving only gold pieces behind.

It's easier said than done; it was exhausting work, shaking it dozens of times each round, aiming for a slim probability. Of course, Alzhar, who handles earth spirits, was an exception.

"I only need to shake it once. I summon a spirit that likes gold and have it possess the dish. Then, the moment a piece of gold enters, the spirit reacts. No reaction? I just throw it away and scoop another shovelful."

"Wow... To think what I only fantasized about was actually possible."

The Dwarves looked at Alzhar with awe and respect. Under their sparkling eyes, the shoulders of the power-loving summoner rose with pride.

"Then some greedy lord mistook me for a gold smuggler and tried to arrest me..."

While excitedly sharing stories and going down, the space suddenly widened. A large underground cavern unfolded before the exploration team.

"What is this place?"

The Dwarves examined the ceiling and walls with marvel and a desire for veins. On the other hand, Alzhar fixed his gaze on the fragments covering the floor.

"These are bone fragments."

Bones are the medium that the grudges of the dead seep into first. They are the material summoners react to most sensitively.

"Lord Summoner. Are all those bones?"

"They are not from beasts."

Creatures that walk on two legs have pelvic and thigh bones, and especially foot structures, that are distinct from other beasts. Summoners can tell immediately upon seeing them.

'Are they Raksha bones? They feel subtly different from humans.'

The scale of the bone mound was easily hundreds of people. Alzhar picked up something from among them.

"What is that?"

"It seems to be a flower crown."

It was so old that the grass and flowers had all rotted away, but the traces of a circular crown woven from branches could be recognized. Because hundreds of the same thing were rolling around.

The Dwarves discovered lacerations on the rolling skulls. There were marks everywhere as if very large teeth had scraped away the flesh.

"It wasn't that there were no monsters. There was a reason no feces were seen on the way. The sacrifices walked in on their own feet, so there was no need to go hunting."

Alzhar muttered in a low voice.

"..."

"..."

In the silence, the Dwarves exchanged conversations with their eyes and immediately tried to return the way they came. Tiptoeing without making even a small sound.

But it seemed they were too late. A growl full of joy flew towards them.

"Ohh!!! Ooooh!!!"

As the Dwarves reflexively aimed their crossbows, a large figure revealed itself from the darkness.

Even with a hunched posture, it was twice as large as Alzhar, and besides the legs standing on the ground, it had three pairs of arms.

Blink.

Two blood-red eyes the size of apples were clearly visible even in the dark.

'It's a predator and we are food.'

Upon being stared at by it, even the experienced Dwarves instinctively recognized the hierarchical relationship.

"Nosferatu! Everyone run!"

Alzhar, confirming the monster's appearance, screamed.

Thud thud thud thud!

As the large creature ran on multiple legs, the sound was like cavalry charging.

"Now!"

The exploration team suddenly turned around in the narrowing passage! Lying down, sitting, and standing, they unleashed a three-tiered volley. It was a sight proving they were no ordinary veterans.

"Kiyyaaaaaak-!"

But what stopped the hungry pursuer was only about 2 seconds. It only further provoked the creature's anger.

"Rise!"

If Alzhar hadn't blocked the path with a Clay Golem, they would all have been caught and torn to shreds.

"Does anyone have silver?!"

"Why would we have something like that!"

At the flustered Dwarves' answer, Alzhar spat out a curse.

"Damn it! Keep running! We can't land a valid hit on it without silver or holy water!"

The golem was being hacked to pieces. In front of the grasps that could crush a Dwarf's head in one squeeze, the 3-ton clay doll couldn't last long.

"It's a dead end!"

Because they ran frantically, returning the way they came was impossible. The sound of the rapidly approaching monster could be heard from behind.

"Keep running!"

"Everyone trust the summoner and run!"

At the exploration leader's order, no one hesitated and dashed forward. In mine exploration, the leader's command is like a royal decree. It carried far more authority than a captain's at sea.

A moment later, the Dwarves with their backs to the dead-end wall aimed their crossbows and spears towards the passage. Now the monster was close by.

"What do we do now?"

The exploration leader asked Alzhar with hope.

"Take out all your belongings and stick them all over the walls, ceiling, and floor."

"Did you hear the Summoner?!"

Pipe smoking pipes, carvings brought as charms, wooden spoons, canteens, beard combs, etc., were stuck everywhere.

"Rocks. Form the bones! Earth. Fill the flesh!"

Alzhar chanted a spell while forming hand seals. Several large stones and a massive amount of dirt clumped togAAether to form a door.

"Items steeped in sweat and emotions have filled this space! I declare that from now on, this is our new home!"

As the spell was completed, a single solid door blocked the front of the exploration team.

A deathly silence followed for a moment.

Slosh slosh.

With unpleasantly wet footsteps, the monster arrived.

"!!"

Along with a flustered vibe, the sound of pacing back and forth in front of the door was heard.

Because the passage wasn't perfectly blocked, a shadow and gray skin could be glimpsed through the gaps on both sides.

Tap tap.

The monster knocked on the stone part of the door.

Then, the necklace of Banas hanging in the center of the door shook and lost its vitality. It was an item belonging to Alzhar, who had converted to impress Eugene.

"Can I.. come in..?"

The monster spoke with a beautiful, melodic voice. However, even if it faked the tone, it couldn't hide the terrible thirst laced within it.

"Fuck off!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At Alzhar's shout, the monster banged violently on the door.

The dirt pile forming the door slid down from the impact, but when Alzhar chanted a spell, it returned to its original position.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The monster kept pounding on the door. However, this was strictly within the bounds of a knock. Even though it could easily smash its way in if it used its full strength, it couldn't do so.

"Throw a fit for a hundred, a thousand years! We will never invite you in!"

Because it wasn't invited by the house owner.

"I've never seen such a monster in my life!"

"Did you say Nosferatu? Why can't it enter?"

The Dwarves were relieved yet puzzled. It was a much cruder obstacle compared to the Clay Golem. The monster's attitude of just stomping its feet was incomprehensible.

"That's no mere monster. It's a vampire."

"Those guys from Barcia?"

Alzhar waved his hand at the Dwarves asking with blank faces.

"Not those mosquito bastards, I mean a true vampire. The first bloodline (First blood) and the prodigal son born of nature (Dread born). That is the Nosferatu!"

Alzhar had also only seen the creature in monster bestiaries.

The royal archives of Roman contained records of various monsters exterminated from the ancient kingdom era up to the present.

Its contents were impossibly entertaining. It was a popular book widely sought by mages, summoners, knights, and squires.

The ancient blood-sucking demon Alzhar had read about in that bestiary was lurking beyond the door.

"An ancient species that old is bound by folklore as the price for its immense power. Now that this space has become our home, it can never enter unless invited."

From Alzhar's back as he spoke like a declaration, the Dwarves felt a fatherly reliability.

'Long live the Count!'

'If I return alive, I will even offer bows.'

They all thanked Eugene's foresight for attaching Alzhar to this exploration. If he hadn't, they would all be dead meat by now.

The Nosferatu pleaded to open the door using all the languages it knew. Its mournful voices belonged to victims it had devoured in the past.

"!!!. !!!!."

Among the voices, the Rakshas' were the most numerous.

Bang! Bang!

When the exploration team didn't open the door no matter how much it pleaded, the Nosferatu screamed and went on a rampage.

Rumble!

Through the sliding dirt, a corpse-like cheek and blood-red eyes were visible. An ugly maw opened, and a snake-like tongue slipped in.

However, the flickering gray tongue couldn't cross more than a few centimeters from the door. As if rules set by the world were blocking it.

The tongue moved disgustingly, as if trying to taste even the air tainted with the exploration team's body odor.

"Fuck off!"

A Dwarf fired a crossbow, piercing the tongue.

"Kiyyaaaaaak-!"

The Nosferatu screamed and backed away. Not because it hurt, but out of resentment. Top-quality fine wine was full inside those appetizing meat sacks, yet it could only watch.

"Phew."

"I think it went far away?"

The Dwarves sighed and sat down.

"It only retreated temporarily. It will never give up on us."

Alzhar bit his lip.

"If we had just returned to His Excellency the moment we found the cavern..."

"What use is saying that now? We all got excited and went down togAAether."

The Dwarves also grabbed their beards and smiled self-deprecatingly.

"What about food and water?"

"If we ration it, we have 3 days' worth. If we give up on escaping and just plan to hold out, up to 5 days is possible."

The exploration leader answered politely to Alzhar's question. Dwarves have higher metabolisms than humans, so they collapse faster in the face of starvation.

"The Count must have realized something went wrong. We lost contact, and powerful summoning spells were activated in succession."

"Would he really come down himself?"

"If it's the person I know, without fail."

The Eugene that Alzhar saw assigned bothersome or trivial tasks to subordinates, but took the lead in resolving major troubles.

"Then isn't it dangerous? If the Count comes down and encounters that monster..."

"The monster will die."

The Dwarves were dumbfounded by Alzhar speaking so flatly.

No matter how famous a knight he was, the monster outside was truly out of the norm. Moreover, this was its home ground, an underground cave.

"Brace yourselves and hold on. Time is on our side."

At Alzhar's declaration, the Dwarves raised their fists and nodded. Even if it was a terrifying monster, if holding out like this was all it took, it was well worth trying.

The problem was that the Nosferatu that reappeared had companions.

Grrrr-.

Ooooh-.

Dozens of completely blood-drained Rakshas approached, shambling.

From that sight, Alzhar recalled the last paragraph of the Nosferatu in the monster bestiary.

'Those who die from having their blood sucked by this evil demon must be cremated. Because they rise as undead more powerful than Wights. Similar to the monsters called Mummified Ones (Mummy) that appear in the Eastern Empire...'

The Ghouls clung to the door and started digging frantically.

"Damn it! Folklore doesn't work on low-tier undead!"

Beyond the rapidly crumbling door, the Nosferatu smiling greedily could be seen.

This ancient demon was a being the Raksha Kingdom had served as a god for a long time.

However, when the Raksha Queen Sempikar became the champion of the evil god Sullivan, it was completely abandoned.

Suddenly cut off from sacrifices and howling in hunger, the Nosferatu was able to fill its belly again when Eugene's army captured Akran.

-Oh God! Salvation for us!

It was because the remaining small group of Rakshas flocked here seeking survival and salvation.

Naturally, the Nosferatu is not a true god possessing divinity. Just a powerful yet long-lived monster.

-Yum yum.

Just like that, the final Raksha group all became the Nosferatu's nourishment.

Afterward, at the end of another year-long starvation, new food had visited its lair. The Nosferatu licked its lips in joy.

*

At that time, Eugene entered the cavern the preliminary exploration team had reached.

"This is a sacrificial chamber."

Eugene immediately recognized the purpose of this place. The countless thoughts of the victims pooled everywhere like puddles.

Fear. Courage. Regret. Faith. Despair. Joy.

There is only one case where such conflicting thoughts mingle. Only when it is the final destination for those who voluntarily sought to die.

Homi also pinched her nose and pointed to a spot. Dried feces were piled up tremendously.

"No wonder no feces were seen outside."

"Even Troll feces would be thinner than that."

At that moment, the sound of stepping on bone fragments rang out from the opposite side. The Dwarves turned around like lightning.

Fwoosh!

The candle of Banas reacted and emitted a stronger light. The candlelight, which illuminated the surroundings in 360 degrees, focused its light towards the sound as if drawn to evil energy.

In front of a searchlight that skipped an era, the Raksha Ghouls were exposed at once.

Grrrrr-!

"Strike!"

The Dwarves charged holding morning stars. It was a versatile weapon effective against common small species like Orcs, as well as undead or monsters with carapaces.

The dried Ghouls were smashed from all sides, making exhilarating sounds.

Eugene, who got behind them, swung two Aether Swords in both hands. Because of his bizarre spinning footwork, he never exposed his back.

Slash!

Swish!

The Ghouls reaching out from all directions were swept away as if caught in a blade storm.

Sizzle.

Blue flames ignited on the severed cross-sections, purifying the evil energy.

The candle of Banas emitted radiance in straight lines wherever evil was detected. Thanks to this, the Ghouls hiding throughout the cavern were all revealed.

It also kindly illuminated the Ghouls squirming on the floor because they weren't completely dead, urging a confirmation kill.

"Oh Goddess!"

"Thanks for the grace!"

The Dwarves crossed themselves, thanking Banas for her help. Only Eugene was smirking, thinking it was like a flashlight.

"Count! It's the exploration team's footprints!"

Around the time the undead cleanup of the cavern ended, they found traces of Alzhar's group in front of a tunnel.

"Looks like they are being chased."

"What is this?"

Footprints of the Nosferatu chasing the dizzyingly printed Dwarf footprints. It was a size that couldn't be fully covered even if several Dwarves stepped on it.

"What do you think it is? Probably the guy who received sacrifices here."

A moment later, when even the destroyed Clay Golem appeared, everyone's steps quickened.

"Count. If it's a guy who received sacrifices of this size, it must definitely be a monster worshipped like a god."

They were subordinates who had gone through all sorts of experiences following Eugene. They made cold analyses comparable to a decent mage.

"I know Your Excellency is stronger than anyone, but the location is too bad."

Humans developed swordsmanship to fight monsters. And to exhibit it, ample space is required.

In such a cramped cave, no matter how much it was Eugene, it would be difficult to properly exert his strength.

"I suggest retreating for now and finding reinfOrcements..."

"It's fine. A narrow place isn't necessarily only disadvantageous."

Eugene held the Aether Sword with a reverse grip. As if he was about to throw a javelin.

Gulp.

The subordinates imagined that the sword Eugene threw would definitely be engulfed in a halo of holy light.

"It's comfortable because of things like this when holding two swords."

Eugene resolved that no matter what happened, he would avoid granting an audience to an envoy coming from the Roman dynasty.