Chapter 306

Chapter 306 - Abandoned God (2)

It was easy for Eugene to track the footprints of the exploration team. Because the large Nosferatu had gone on a rampage while following them, leaving traces everywhere.

In the 100% bedrock areas where footprints didn't remain at all, they received help from Banas.

"Shine the Order's candlestick."

When two Dwarves stepped forward, dark red stains appeared on the bedrock.

It was residual evil energy from the Nosferatu. Like how radioactive residual materials remain in a place where radioactive waste used to be.

Since it was an extremely faint amount, even a mage of Eugene's level would have a hard time recognizing it. However, the candle of the God caught the traces as if conducting infrared detection.

"When we received a commission for undead subjugation in the past, I saw something similar."

Rampage recalled something from about 10 years ago.

"Impurity detection is the most actively researched field regardless of the religious order. Mages or alchemists can also perform it to a limited extent using catalysts."

"The method we saw used powder. They carried around a bag this~ big and sprinkled it incessantly, but the smell was so awful..."

Perhaps it wasn't a good memory, the other Dwarves also grimaced.

"Compared to that, our method is much smarter, right?"

When Eugene held up the Order's candlestick, everyone nodded. It was odorless, light, and capable of long-term detection with a small volume.

But this was originally not Banas's power. It was an 'improvement' Eugene had obtained by constantly and fOrcefully demanding it.

Eugene has the authority to hold private worship at the sanctuary at any time. The retreating priestesses sent respect and gratitude to the knight kneeling before the Goddess statue.

-You are the best brand I have. And a brand must have a direction. Convenience must come with it.

However, in reality, Eugene was frequently offering irreverent prayers.

-The symbols, miracles, and domains governed by the gods of various orders are all over the place. They are needlessly patched togAAether. Does it make sense for the same god to handle peace and war, courage and mathematics? It might be good for puffing out your shoulders and showing off in a specific region, but it won't spread widely.

Eugene grabbed the instep of the Goddess statue and shoved candles in.

-A true brand must be standardized under a single philosophy. You must distribute products that will be popular regardless of era and location. Here is a symbol that guides both the rich and the poor in the dark.

The Hand of Glory taken from the pagan army. The candlelight burning on it flickered unsteadily. As if representing the Goddess's state of not knowing what to do in the face of the Grand Warrior's unfamiliar and difficult demands.

Afterwards, the tribute Banas liked most, the tribute offered directly by the Grand Warrior, was unified into candles. Until she produced what Eugene wanted.

It was an act of disrespect that could not even be dared to be imagined in other orders. However, in the relationship between Banas and Eugene, it was natural, and she didn't question it either.

-Thanks for the grace! I offer bread made from the first harvest of green barley this year.

She was just happy with the fresh tribute offered when Eugene's wish was fulfilled.

*

Crack!

The Ghouls that appeared intermittently had their skulls smashed by morning stars.

"I'd rather face Orcs or Goblins, they would be more annoying. Because those guys set traps or use tricks."

Befitting undead, there was no action of fleeing or calling for help considering the difference in combat power. It was comfortable because they only insisted on charging with hatred for the living.

"We are strong; it's not that these guys are easy. If it had been a rescue team holding weak lanterns with ordinary iron swords, they would have suffered quite a bit."

As they got close enough to not need to rely on the Order's candlestick, the number of Ghouls also increased.

The Nosferatu had raised all of its minions to break Alzhar's door. It was natural for Ghouls to be concentrated around it.

"What is that?"

The Dwarves discovered a large figure prowling on all fours in the darkness far away.

"A bear?"

"Why is there a bear underground...?"

Eugene stepped in front of the leading personnel holding the candlestick.

"Isn't it obvious. Would a bear be hibernating in a place like this?"

As soon as those words fell, the bear started running towards them. The loud footsteps and the rough breathing sound unique to bears, "Huff! Haaak!", rapidly approached.

When its appearance was fully revealed under the light shortly after, the Dwarves groaned.

Most of its fur was stripped off, leaving black, dead muscles. There were also many places where bones were exposed. It seemed the Nosferatu had also dug out and eaten the tender, tasty internal organs. Some rotten intestines were dangling from its empty abdomen.

Kwaaaa-!

Unlike the exploration team, Eugene's subordinates only needed to pack combat gear. Having room for weight, all of them carried crossbows as secondary weapons.

"Fire!"

The bear running in a straight line staggered after being hit by a volley in the chest and face.

Even though they were steel bolts, seeing it endure after being hit this much showed it was indeed different from ordinary Ghouls.

While the Dwarves were loading the few silver-plated bolts they had brought, King's Agony left Eugene's hand.

Swoooosh!

The sword, shot with a tremendous sound tearing through the air, embedded itself up to the hilt in the bear's chest.

Fwoosh!

The evil energy moving the dead body poured out in torrents. The bear shrieked and tried to pull out the sword, but blue flames had already spread from the wound.

Aether Swords, like silver swords, possessed the power to vanquish evil. The decisive difference was that while silver volatilized every time it cut an evil being, it was eternal.

"Don't shoot. Save your bolts."

Eugene pressed down Rampage's crossbow.

Giving up on pulling out the sword, the bear that was struggling to run towards them collapsed 4m in front of Eugene. Falling forward with the momentum of its run, it made a loud scraping sound against the floor.

Thwack!

Without letting his guard down, Eugene stabbed Last Autumn into the back of its head.

Kueeek-!

The bear let out a final shriek and thrashed about. It glared at Eugene with blue eyes and tried to swing its front paw, but soon crumbled into pieces.

The Dwarves were appalled by that clever action.

"A mere beast, and a low-tier undead at that, using tricks!"

"Nothing strange about it. In a situation where you move strictly by instinct, a beast is smarter."

Eugene said as he picked up King's Agony. It was a story completely opposite to the mindset of this era that perceived beasts as lowly creatures.

"Are you speaking seriously?"

"Of course. In the wild, every moment is a battle. Hiding, deceiving, and pouncing are like daily routines. A predator that has survived relying on sharp instincts does not regress as a hunter even if it becomes an undead."

Eugene tapped his head with his index finger.

"However, those who survived relying on reason become idiots worse than beasts the moment they become undead. Because the mindset of a predator no longer remains in their instincts. It would be a different story for higher species like Death Knights, though."

The bear wasn't the only thing the Nosferatu, cut off from sacrifices, had eaten. Jaguars, wolves, deer, and even alligators.

Various beasts reduced to Ghouls lunged at Eugene's group.

"These aren't beasts that would come into a cave like this."

"Maybe they have a homing instinct. Towards the guy who bit them, that is."

When the steel bolts provided stagger, the two Aether Swords hacked them to pieces. Afterwards, they recovered the bolts from the corpses.

This is the reason crossbows are preferred over bows in cave exploration. You can carry them loaded and fire immediately, and it was also good for maintaining combat endurance through recovery.

*

"Huff... Huff..."

"Cheer up, Lord Summoner!"

Meanwhile, Alzhar was suffering like death trying to fend off the Ghoul wave.

The Raksha bastards alone were annoying, but as large beasts joined in, the wall crumbled rapidly.

Continuously casting spells to repair the wall depleted his entire body's mana as if wringing out laundry.

"Shoot, that, damn, bear, please..."

When Alzhar spoke panting, the Dwarves approached right in front of the door. Under the fierce attacks, the door was riddled with holes here and there. Through them, the ugly, rotting face of a black bear could be seen.

Kuhung-!

Shedding dead breath, the black bear continuously struck the door with its large front paws. The Dwarves shoved 4 crossbows right in front of that face.

Thwack thwack thwack!

From the point-blank shots, the black bear fell backward, but it only bought a brief moment. Shortly after, it rushed back with its ruined face as it was and delivered a body tackle.

"What a persistent bastard!"

When the Dwarves finished reloading and planted 4 more bolts, the black bear fell backward again.

Kuhung-!

Without fail, it thrust its face with 8 bolts sticking out again.

"Die! Please just die!"

The black bear only stopped after having 12 bolts embedded in its face.

However, that spot was filled by an increased number of Raksha Ghouls. Now, they only had a few bolts left.

The door protecting the exploration team became as flimsy as cheese gnawed away by rats here and there.

"Hieek... Hieeek..."

The moment Alzhar was about to cast his final repair spell with trembling hands.

Twitch!

The Dwarves' beards reacted. Vibrations traveling through the air inside the cave stimulated them.

"It seems something happened over there."

"It's too early for the rescue team to arrive."

The exploration leader checked the hourglass. Even if the people coming to save them found the path perfectly every time, the time didn't match. Unless they departed at dawn.

But perhaps it wasn't the Dwarves' delusion, the Ghouls attacking the door also retreated.

"!!!!"

Because the Nosferatu issued a new command in the Raksha language.

Kyarrrrk-!

Kiyyaak-!

All the Ghouls moved towards the opposite tunnel. As if something more important than breaking the door right now had arisen.

"Now! Quickly fill in the damaged parts!"

"Pile up additional barricades in the back!"

Taking advantage of that gap, the Dwarves grabbed piles of dirt and stones and headed to the door. They had to relieve even a little of the burden on Alzhar, who had practically collapsed on the floor.

The Dwarves who were late due to lifting heavy stones discovered their comrades frozen in front of the door. Everyone was looking outside through the broken gaps.

"What are you doing?! Not piling it up!"

"We don't have time to dawdle..."

The scolding Dwarves also stopped speaking. From beyond the tunnel, a brilliant radiance incomparable to tOrches was raging. It felt as if a sun had risen underground.

"What is that? Could a fire have broken out?"

"If a fire broke out, the smell would have spread here long ago."

A miracle smell the Dwarves couldn't catch. Only Alzhar reacted to it and struggled to stand up.

"Lord Summoner!"

The figure of their savior staggering wildly, his whole body drenched in sweat. The Dwarves rushed over and quickly laid him down.

"Don't overdo it and please lie down! We will risk our lives to protect you!"

"I, I want to see too..."

"Yes? What did you say?"

Exhausted, Alzhar's voice trailed off.

"I want to see..."

"You are thirsty? Here is water!"

Out of a thirst for mysteries, Alzhar's eyes were bloodshot. But to the Dwarves, he just looked pitiful.

*

"That's the guy."

Eugene stared at the Nosferatu at the opposite end. Two red eyes the size of apples were burning in the dark.

Eugene's subordinates trembled with disgust. It felt as if a parasite that ate the flesh of the living had grown endlessly into a monster.

A being that parasitizes and sucks everything dry.

A being that only endlessly spreads poison.

A being that deserves to be rejected by everyone.

If the most ugly parts of nature were gathered to be born as a living creature, it would definitely be that monster.

"Sacrifice!"

The Nosferatu swallowed its saliva looking at Eugene. It was a sweet scent incomparable to anything it had smelled in its long life.

When Eugene pulled King's Agony back and took a throwing stance, the Nosferatu bared teeth like a shark's.

"Don't resist. Accept your fate."

A whisper that seemed to freeze the heart. The morning stars gripped in the Dwarves' hands trembled.

Most of the sacrifices who came to it in the past fell into a panic the moment they faced the Nosferatu. They tried to run away streaming tears and snot, but no one succeeded.

"My home. No one can escape. You too will soon..."

As if there was no need to hear more, Eugene cut off the Nosferatu's words.

Kwaaaah!

Holy radiance erupted explosively from King's Agony.

"Haaaht!"

The Nosferatu covered its face with its 6 hands. Because just seeing the blazing light made its corrupt soul feel like it was roasting.

"!!!!"

The Ghouls stepped forward using their bodies as shields to protect their master.

"Block it if you can!"

Eugene threw the sword with all his might.

Kyark-.

Grrrk-.

Withered hands, blindly thrust chests and faces burned as if vanishing before even touching the thrown sword.

Ghouls are like moths caught in a spider web, having their bodily fluids sucked dry. Beings with only an empty husk left to crumble and evil power remaining, after all vitality had drained.

And a spider web melts even if it just goes near a tOrch.

Thump.

Flop.

The thrown sword flying in a straight line exOrcised all the Ghouls in its path. Every time, only the holy power contained in the sword was consumed, while the kinetic energy was fully maintained.

Due to the extreme elemental mismatch, the flying sword temporarily ignored the laws of physics that govern collisions.

Thwack!

The Nosferatu screamed as the sword embedded in its shoulder.

Fwoooosh.

The dozens of Ghoul corpses that had protected the guy were being crushed while sparking blue flames.

"It hurts! It huuurts!"

The Nosferatu cried in the voice of a young girl. It was the last words left by a living sacrifice that was eaten alive by the monster in the past.

The Nosferatu tried to pull out King's Agony.

Bzzzt!

However, the moment it grabbed the hilt, intense sparks flew. An Aether Sword wrapped in Divine Smite is entirely akin to a holy relic.

Even for an ancient demon, it was a sanctuary it dared not touch.

Kwaaaah!

A second Divine Smite imbued Last Autumn. Although weaker than the first throw, it was enough to finish off the Nosferatu.

At the same time, the Dwarves who appeared from behind Eugene aimed their crossbows loaded with silver bolts.

"Kiyyaaaaaak-!"

The Nosferatu ran forward holding the corpse of the black bear nearby as a shield. The face, mangled by 12 steel bolts, swayed back and forth.

"Shoot! Do not allow it to close in!"

Along with Rampage's shout, silver bolts were embedded countlessly into the black bear. However, there was no special effect.

Silver and evil power have a relationship somewhat like sparks and flammable substances. If the spell is broken and it has returned to a normal corpse, silver doesn't do much.

Pshh.

Pashsh.

All it did was cause slight sparks in reaction to the residual evil energy in the black bear.

Divine Smite struck the Nosferatu as it screamed, hiding behind its shield.

Boom!

Not only the black bear's corpse, but even the arm holding it exploded as if blowing up.

"Kiyyaaaaaak-!"

The Nosferatu, half out of its mind, wildly swung its remaining 5 arms.

When hands larger than a bear's paw made contact, even the stone walls shattered. They had noticed its tremendous strength when it ran holding the black bear with one hand, but it was immense.

Eugene didn't approach recklessly and picked up a large rock at his feet with one hand. The stone, easily weighing 40kg, was thrown spinning terrifyingly.

Crash!

Taking a direct hit to the face, the Nosferatu fell flat on its back. Blood poured from its smashed nose, and its teeth were half broken.

The Dwarves who finished reloading poured silver bolts into its exposed vitals.

Thwuck!

Thwuck!

The bolts ruthlessly pierced the vulnerable spots unprotected by hide or muscle.

"!!!!!!!"

Even an ancient demon had no talent for enduring the pain of having its internal organs shredded.

With pain and equal anger, the Nosferatu jumped up. However, Eugene, who had already dashed right under its nose, was swinging Last Autumn.

Slash!

Every time the silver flash gleamed, severed arms spun and fell.

Having lost all its arms in an instant, the Nosferatu fell backward again. It desperately backpedaled as if crawling, trying to escape from the executioner.

"The one wearing the poisonous snake destroyed us!"

"They are coming to kill everyone!"

"Help! Help! Help!"

The Nosferatu blabbered the last words of the Raksha remnants it had finally devoured. Every time the severed arms flailed, black blood splattered in all directions.

Slash!

Eugene cut off both its legs as well and kicked them away in another direction. Left with only a torso, the Nosferatu squirmed like a caterpillar before its head fell off.

'The folklore to kill a vampire was driving a stake through the heart, right?'

Just in case, Eugene also stabbed a sword into its heart.

"The Count really came!"

"Lord Summoner, I apologize for daring to doubt you. I never imagined that terrifying monster would be butchered without even being able to resist once!"

The exploration team, having witnessed that sight, apologized to Alzhar. Just discovering the vein and being saved from death was a great grace. To think they doubted the words of such a benefactor and sage.

"Hey. Open the door."

Rampage, checking that the exploration team was all safe, greeted them playfully.

*

When Dwarves on both sides pushed, the half-collapsed door was instantly demolished.

"Lord Alzhar. You've really been through a lot. Oh! Please just stay lying down."

Eugene pressed down the chest of Alzhar, who was trying to get up to pay his respects.

"It was amazing improvisation and leadership. If it weren't for you, this exploration that should have been glorious would have been dyed in wailing right from the start."

"I merely did what I should as a vassal."

Eugene shifted his gaze to the exploration leader.

"The mine search stops here."

"Count. Please reconsider. The gold vein sleeping in this place is no ordinary amount."

"I said we're stopping, not ending it."

Eugene comforted the flustered exploration leader.

"Soon, a large number of heavily armed reinfOrcements will come in. We will clean up the inside completely first and then resume the exploration."

Before heading here from the cavern, Eugene had sent Homi up to the surface.

-Go fetch the Anti-Undead Purification Squad.

When urgently conveying something to the main base during reconnaissance, Homi is the best choice.

Returning alone in such a cave is dangerous. Naturally, additional troops would have to be assigned, but then the existing party would also weaken.

In such situations, Homi could maintain top speed in all terrains and return alone. It is the reason Eugene always keeps her by his side wherever he goes.

Thus, a short while later.

The Anti-Undead Purification Squad, founded under the name of the Inquisitor, descended into the cave.