~Chapter 28~
That night.
The investigation team, led by Theodore, set out for the cave.
“Everyone, halt.”
Upon arriving nearby, Theodore stopped the team.
He had detected an unusual presence.
*’This is no ordinary cave.’*
Just approaching it made the hair on his entire body stand on end.
“The rest of you, wait here.”
With a predatory gleam in his eyes, Theodore stared into the abyss-like cave interior.
“But, Sir Knight… .”
“Do not enter without my signal.”
“… Yes, Sir.”
*Thud, thud.*
Walking alone to the cave entrance, Theodore knelt on one knee and channeled holy power into his hand.
*Hum.*
Soon, five arrows materialized in his grasp.
Placing the arrows, which emitted a silver flash, on the ground, he slowly summoned his bow and nocked one.
*Fweeeeng!*
The first arrow flew inside.
*Fwing!*
The second arrow followed.
From inside the cave, only the sound of arrows cleaving through the air could be heard.
And the moment he was nocking the third arrow…
“Grrrrr…!”
A dull, grating voice like scraping metal began to echo from inside the cave, and the very ground began to shake.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
“He’s coming.”
As Theodore muttered lowly, the soldiers on guard behind him immediately assumed combat positions.
*Click, clack.*
The archers instantly drew silver arrows from their quivers, nocked them, and prepared to fire.
Their arrowheads were aimed at the cave entrance, an abyss where nothing was yet visible.
“Goddess Plurra, please…”
Someone’s quiet prayer was heard.
Something darker than darkness, thicker than blood, was approaching them.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
As it drew closer, it wasn’t just the ground that shook.
The eyes of the soldiers, pressing their arrows taut against their cheeks, also began to tremble slightly.
“Ready.”
As Theodore’s voice, cold as midwinter frost, fell upon the ground, the soldiers held their breath as one and drew their bowstrings tight.
While their hearts pounded like war drums.
“Fire.”
*Fweeeeeek! Fweek!*
“Charge!”
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Just as the holy knights and soldiers were splitting the dark night with silver arrows…
“Whoa… Isn’t that a rock giant?”
“He’s gone crazy. He’s charging with a halberd.”
“Can arrows even defend against that?”
*Rustle.*
From the mountainside overlooking the cave, the triplets and Ivyn were watching the battle like spectators at a riverside fire.
Obok was even munching on corn he’d gotten from somewhere.
Irritated by the *crunch* sound, Ivyn glanced back, and Obok, meeting her eyes, shrugged his shoulders.
“Huh?”
“What are you doing right now…?”
“Want some, Master?”
“Where did you even get that?”
“Where’d I get it? Of course…”
“…?”
“Stole it.”
“….”
Looking at Obok for a moment with a “you would” expression, Ivyn let out a small sigh and turned her gaze back to the cave entrance.
“Oh, they’re engaging head-on.”
The rock giant was fearsome, but thanks to the special blessing effect called ‘Line of Light’s Boundary’ that Theodore had applied, the other team was somehow holding on without casualties.
*Line of Light’s Boundary.*
When he designated a specific area as a ‘Sanctuary,’ allies within that region received a great boost in defense, and non-fatal wounds gradually healed over time.
As if to prove it, a faint golden protective shield enveloped the bodies of the holy warriors fighting the rock giant.
While the soldiers bought time, Holy Knight Theodore vanished alone, quickly disappearing deep into the cave.
“That blessing is cheat-level.”
“I’m jealous. I want to steal it.”
As the triplets chattered beside her, Ivyn, watching the battle, began to grow worried.
According to her original plan, they were supposed to wait until Theodore advanced alone to the end of the cave and defeated all the giants, joining him only near the end…
*’Wait, could he possibly be pushed back…?’*
It suddenly occurred to Ivyn that there might be more giants in the cave than she had anticipated.
*’When I looked at the memories with Echo of the Dead… I don’t think I checked exactly how many giants would appear…’*
A sudden, classic combat rule popped into her head.
*’There’s no match for being outnumbered!’*
No matter how much of a cheat character Theodore was, he couldn’t defy that rule.
“Kekekeke, look at them. I told you so. They were no match from the start.”
Just as the triplets were cackling and enjoying the show…
“…!”
Ivyn suddenly stood up from the bushes.
Startled, the triplets stopped their chatter and looked up at her with surprised expressions.
“…?”
“We’re changing the plan.”
“Huh?”
“Everyone, get up.”
“Suddenly…?”
***
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Theodore had just discovered the formula drawn on the floor.
*’This is a Blood Ritual Circle…!’*
Just as Theodore was rubbing the blood from his fingertips with a grave expression…
*Grrrrrr.*
A massive energy surged from deep within the cave.
*Click.*
Rising up, their eyes glowing red, were what looked like dozens of rock giants.
“… .”
Theodore slowly summoned his holy sword.
“Who is your master?”
He growled, looking at the weapons raised with dark magic.
Of course, there was no answer.
*Thud, thud, thud!*
Instead of an answer, the giants simultaneously began charging toward the holy knight.
*Clang!*
At the same time, a storm-like slash erupted from Theodore’s side.
*Clangclangclang!*
Amidst silver flashes of light in the darkness.
“Move aside.”
The holy sword swung, and one giant’s head flew off.
“Grrrr!”
Yet, even headless, it flailed its arms and legs and advanced again.
*’Damn it, there must be a core.’*
It seemed that, like dealing with undead, a specific spot had to be struck for complete destruction.
Moreover, the sheer numerical difference made the surroundings chaotic.
Just as Theodore took a step back to assess the terrain…
*Boom! Rumbleee!*
A tremendous explosion suddenly erupted, obscuring his vision with smoke.
Parting the smoke appeared an elite Bone Goblin holding a staff.
“A goblin shaman…?”
As Theodore exclaimed in bewilderment…
“Go, my children!”
*Tap, tap, tap.*
With perfectly synchronized footsteps, an undead legion tinged with a greenish glow began pouring in like a tidal wave.
“What in the… .”
Theodore wasn’t the only one stunned.
The rock giants, who had been swinging their fists at the single holy knight, also stood staring blankly at the legion pouring in.
“Grrruk?”
Hordes of Bone Goblins began swarming over the giants’ bodies like ants.
Enraged, the rock giants began swinging their fists wildly again.
*Crash! Crash! Crash!*
But, something felt off?
They were hitting the Bone Goblins, but…
*Their own bodies were shattering…?*
“They’re here, they’re here, fresh rock giant materials are here.”
Dun, watching the spectacle from afar with his arms crossed, clapped his hands.
The death of any living being becomes a necromancer’s material.
Even those raised by magic.
“Rise, my new vassals.”
*Creeeak.*
At Dun’s command, the rock giant, shattered by its near-self-destructive punching, reassembled and rose again.
*Click.*
This time, the glow in its eyes was the unique greenish hue of a necromancer’s vassal.
“Now, let’s witness the tragedy of fratricide in earnest!”
As John and Hwan clapped their hands together, the newly risen giant began charging toward its former comrades.
*’Damn it! I can’t make head or tail of this.’*
After a moment of confused observation, Theodore quickly regained his composure and began swinging his sword again.
***
Meanwhile, dangling from Obok and watching the battle from an omniscient drone-like viewpoint, Ivyn let out a low sigh.
“The saying is true… there’s no match for being outnumbered.”
With the combined forces of the Necromancer family triplets and the holy knight, the dozens of rock giants were cleaned up in an instant.
“Phew.”
Brushing the debris off his holy sword, Theodore turned his sharp eyes toward the Kinzello brothers.
“Was this another one of your traps?”
He asked in a low, emotionless voice.
“Excuse me?”
The triplets looked utterly incredulous.
“We come all this way to help, and you ask if it’s a trap?”
“I told you we shouldn’t help those Holy Kingdom folks. What did I say?”
“Ugh, if it weren’t for our youngest princess’s request… .”
At the mention of the ‘youngest princess,’ Theodore’s gaze shot upward.
*Buzz buzz.*
There, still dangling from Obok’s hind leg and floating in the air, was Ivyn.
“Wait! Hold on a second. First, please follow me.”
Guiding them by retracing the path she had seen through her skill, Ivyn led them to the dead-end chamber of the dungeon.
The scene there was just as gruesome as she had foreseen.
Fragments of bone and entrails, pieces of corpses wedged between rock walls, and in the center of the geometrically drawn ritual circle, a severed head of the kind seen in temples…
Breaking the stunned silence, John was the first to speak.
“This… is a formula drawn in blood.”
Meanwhile, Hwan had gotten down on all fours like a dog, sniffing every nook and cranny.
*Sniff sniff.*
After taking several deep sniffs with his nose to the ground, Hwan’s forehead furrowed deeply.
“It’s the smell of blood from diseased beasts. And mixed with the scent of the demon realm… seems like demon blood is mixed in too.”
Theodore showed discomfort at his appearance, reminiscent of a wolf beastman, but the other brothers looked at him impassively, as if used to this sight.
“Well? Find out anything else?”
