42. It could be your family, brother, or friend
The self-made castle that I saw up close seemed fine on the outside. However, none of those gathered here did not feel the ominous energy emanating from beyond the door.
It’s not very cold right now, but it’s chilly. If I, who is not affected by heat or cold, is like this, then humans made of blood and flesh will be more affected.
Even though they hadn’t even entered the castle yet, the atmosphere of those gathered was already gloomy. According to the Knight Commander, only the best of the Silver Knights were gathered.
“Hero, can you say something for the knights?”
The captain of the Silver Feather Knights seemed to have no idea about the hero’s destructive vocabulary. It’s common for a commander or hero to give a speech before a battle, but if it’s cream…
There is no such thing as a landmine. It’s cute to see her slurred speech sometimes, but if it helps to boost morale, well.
[I can’t help it. Go, Aries!]
[······· Haa.]
Fortunately, we had the best agitator and the best cheater, the Holy Sword. No matter how silent the holy sword is, it will not stand still until the hero is in trouble.
As Cream drew out the holy sword, a bright and subtle flash poured from the tip of the sword. The somber atmosphere surrounding Jaja Castle faded, and the complexion returned to the pale faces of the knights.
[Now we are facing another battle.]
“This voice is…”
A soft yet strong voice that doesn’t go well with Cream’s youthful appearance. The holy sword catches people’s attention just by spitting out his first line.
They turned their eyes to the warrior holding the holy sword high. As a modest but holy halo hung over her back, her usual sullen expression now looked like a resolute female warrior.
[The forces that follow evil spirits are hiding in the back alleys of the city, in the shade of the forest, and in the darkness of the night, trying to smear their dirty filth on us. Unfortunately, that plan has already worked.]
A solemn atmosphere. Even the captain, overwhelmed by the atmosphere emitted by Cream, no, the holy sword, silently lowered his head.
[Your lord has been kidnapped, and the castle has become an impenetrable hideout for him. The shadows whisper ominous rumors, and fear is spreading little by little among the citizens.]
The Holy Sword brought out gloomy stories and realities that he wanted to avoid and brutally hacked them up. The Stealth Knights have been working hard to protect the city, but at best they are at the level of knights in the countryside.
The days of peace have been too long. The power they wielded like swords and the honor they wore around them like armor might work well in the human world, but faded in the face of non-humans.
[But who are you!]
Amidst the extremely subdued atmosphere, the holy sword suddenly raised its voice.
[Remember who you are! Remember the moment you were officially ordained! The days when I was still afraid of spears and helmets that weighed down my head felt unfamiliar! Even so, the oath I repeated every night holding the cross tightly!]
“We are…”
The tone of the Holy Sword was furious. The knights, who had shrunk in front of the unknown darkness, lifted their heads one by one. And, finally, the leader raised his head and opened his mouth.
“This is a knight.”
Said.
[Yes. You are a knight Wasn’t it your oath to be loyal to your lord and to be loyal to the weak? But why are you still hesitating!]
Cream, who had been standing still, turned around and swung the holy sword at the door of Jajac Castle. Obviously, the door was split in half as if cut by something invisible, even though it was out of reach of the blade.
An unpleasant, somber darkness flowed through the cut. However, soon all of them faded, unable to overcome the brilliance emitted by the holy sword. With his back turned away from the knights, the hero aimed his sword at the deep darkness. Divine power scattered like sparks.
[With your hands, save your monarch-!]
“Wow!”
A loud shout. There was no longer any delusion or shrinkage on the faces of the knights. Following the leader’s guidance, they lined up in perfect order and began to enter the dungeon.
And at the forefront was a hero who cut through the darkness with a shining sword.
*
“Umm…”
It took a while for them to enter the castle with brave spirit, and when they entered the interior, all the knights let out heavy moans.
A mood is a mood and reality is reality. The appearance of Ja Ja-seong, who came inside and confirmed it, was more monstrous and more distorted than expected.
A corridor that is too long and wide even for a castle. I couldn’t see where the stairs had gone, the lamps spewing blue-gray smoke instead of flames, and the doors repeatedly opened and closed at will.
The air is gloomy, and low sobs run through the space. As I listened to the almost inaudible sound, the sobs gradually became clearer, and the mumbled whispers took on a clear meaning.
– Come, come, come, come, come, come, come
[Hey, this isn’t even a dungeon, it’s almost the level of another world?]
A dungeon that broke away from the existing space and built its own environment, and beyond that level, is transforming into a different world with completely different laws from our world.
No matter how you think about it, this is not the work of the Dark Church. It’s not that they can’t handle witchcraft, but they can’t be this large. This is a level that can compete with the Elder Lich.
Well, if you compare it properly, there’s no part that lags behind, but it’s already great enough at that point compared to the Transcendent. It was too much to use just to kidnap a country lord.
[No matter how you think about it, this is a trap aimed at you.]
If Viscount Heir really harbored a grudge against someone of that level, such a cumbersome method wouldn’t be used. Poison or assassination, there are so many easy and convenient ways.
From noble mtl dot com
[I don’t want to agree with the magic sword, but I think so too. Warrior, you better be vigilant.]
[What dude?]
The holy sword was of the same opinion as mine. Choco was busy looking around the castle with a thoughtless face, as if the surroundings were strange. I wish I could live a comfortable life
“Since you don’t know how much the structure of the castle has changed, it’s better to explore the surroundings first.”
“Yes.”
Crime and the knight commander had a tactical conversation about future plans. Of course, the leader said everything, and Cream just nodded.
Soon the plan was all set. In fact, it was close to reconfirming the plan already made, as it was being composed before coming in.
“Our first priority is to rescue the Viscount. If we succeed in rescuing the Viscount, we will discontinue the exploration and retreat immediately. The second best thing to do is to find out who is behind or what is the goal of those who made the current castle this way.”
“Okay.”
“Me, Captain.”
Since the load could not be further increased, neither soldiers nor servants to accompany the knights followed. The youngest knight, who was approaching awkwardly, was crushed by the leader’s gaze.
“That…”
“What? Please explain.”
“The entrance is said to be blocked. No matter how much I try, it won’t open…”
According to the youngest knight’s report, we returned to the door we entered first. The door, which was obviously supposed to have a step, was firmly closed at some point, and no matter how much the other knights shook it, it didn’t budge.
“Get out of the way.”
The captain who pushed them away grabbed him by the handle and tried his best to make his face redden, but nothing changed. In the end, Cream drew his sword once more.
“Suck.”
A flash of light seemed to flash, but the door was split in half once more as if it could not withstand the warrior’s knife. However, the expression of the knights turned pale at the scenery revealed beyond them.
“What!”
The door was just an elaborate camouflage, and beyond it was not an exit back to our world, but a solid wall like no other.
The knights touched the wall with empty faces, but that didn’t change the reality. The only thing they could touch with their fingertips was the touch of the ruthlessly cold wall, not the fresh air outside.
“Originally, strange things happen in dungeons, so don’t be shaken!”
No matter how much you sharpen your martial arts, what do you do, you lack experience. Still, the captain read the shaking articles as if they were different. However, the hardships were only just beginning.
“Hey, over there!”
I wondered if the rattling of the door had somehow quieted down. Taking advantage of the moment when my eyes were distracted by the doorway that had become a wall, something was peeking out through the rattling door.
Two arms and two legs. However, no one would see them as human beings. His limbs were covered in scales, and his face was covered with tangled hair growing like seaweed.
Only two eyes flashed and shone through the hair. By the time they appeared, it felt like the sobs flowing through the castle had grown even louder.
“A raid!”
The moment a knight shouted hysterically, they jumped at the knights on all fours like beasts, as if their two-legged walking just before was a lie.
The sound of a sword being drawn echoed everywhere. The knights were taken aback, but the experience imprinted on their bodies through hard training made them react reflexively to surprise attacks.
“Haaap!”
“These guys are weaker than I thought?”
The appearance was bizarre, but that’s all. Of course, there was no way to get my speed out of a quadrupedal walk with a human body, and the black glossy scales were easily cut when a blade touched them.
Cream didn’t even come out. When the knights who quickly regained their senses gathered and formed a square, the monsters could never be their opponents.
A blow with a scaly fist, a scratch with a fingernail, a bite with a tooth, none of which could scar the knight’s silver armor. Soon, all monsters fell.
“Whoa… Whoa… Did you do it?”
“Shhh, no ominous noise.”
Of course, dead monsters did not rise again. After catching his breath for a moment, the captain approached one of the fallen monsters and took a closer look.
“·······!”
His eyes widened as if he saw something. Soon, the captain began to untangle his hair, which was tangled like seaweed, with an urgent hand. Anything that could not be untangled was cut with a dagger.
“Nonsense. How are you here…?”
What was revealed in his hair was a normal human face that had not undergone any transformation unlike the body, even though it was distorted by pain.
Other knights who saw it also began searching the corpses around them. The hair was cut off, and intact human heads were exposed one by one. All faces were contorted with terrible pain.
“Marian! Marian!”
“To think that the attendants and servants in the castle had become like this…”
“Wait, then what about the viscount?”
Anguished screams of lovers’ names, sounds of vomiting, and confused whispers spread throughout the hallway, adding to the chaos. The leader who saw this stomped his foot.
“Stop!”
“But, Captain!”
“Uhhh, I promised to marry you after this season…”
The commotion slowly subsided at the leader’s ferocious gaze. The leader made a harsh noise as if encouraging his knights, but he didn’t seem to notice that his hands were shaking.
“Don’t feel guilty! A body that has already become a monster, it is rather for them to let go in comfort.”
“I killed Marian with my own hands. I!”
“However, the people in the castle have become like this. Maybe even the Viscount…”
Other knights pressed their bodies against the knight who had seizures from crying. Looking at the horror, the leader immediately let out a heavy sigh.
“There are several sad news, so the Viscount is still safe. Don’t be shaken! All of this is their trick, so just save the Viscount and make him pay the price.”
“I see…”
Before the exploration began properly, the knights had to clean up the corpses around them and assign a separate person to manage a knight who had fallen exhausted from crying.
Of course, our party, who didn’t know anyone in the castle, didn’t feel any agitation, so it felt a bit floating. After all, no matter how much I think about it, it would have been much more pleasant if we came in alone.
“I’m sorry, hero. You looked ugly.”
“Can’t, can’t, can’t.”
Yeah, I really can’t help it now. Whether it be porridge or rice, I have no choice but to go to the end.
The captain and 30 elite knights. Currently 1 dropout.