novelraw Chapter 30 : Requiem Cult (2)
Chapter 30 : Requiem Cult (2)
Chapter 30: Requiem Cult (2)
The night had deepened.
One hour, two hours.
As time passed, the sound of breathing gradually became more rhythmic.
The small campfire lit in the middle had also long since burned out.
Only faint smoke, tinged with an unusual bluish hue, rose gently into the air.
Around them, blue and red herbs were scattered.
Then—
Ssssh.
Shadows moved within the darkness.
As if on cue, swiftly and silently.
They headed toward the two sleeping bags.
Puk! Puuk!
Blades tore through the down and stabbed deep inside.
However—
“……!?”
“……!!”
Nothing.
That heavy sensation of a blade sinking into flesh—was missing.
The realization of failure came at the same moment a voice sounded from behind them.
“3:30 a.m.—the hour when people drop their guard the most. You really are Korean, huh? Even the time you stab people in the back doesn’t change.”
“I was sure of it the moment you offered sweet chocolate. Truly, you people can’t be trusted.”
Kang Yohan and Scarlett de Juliard appeared from behind a tree.
Scarlett’s eyes, in particular, were completely dyed crimson.
She wanted to tear apart the wretches who dared to attempt harm upon them.
It wasn’t because she was angry about being fooled by a single Snickers bar.
“Hmm. How did you know? That we were going to launch a surprise attack?”
Kim Geunsik drew his blade from the sleeping bag.
He must have aimed to finish it in one blow—there was a hole right where a heart should be.
“You were being too considerate.”
No matter how overflowing with compassion someone might be, this was too much.
Exempting them from night watch, generously sharing all the supplies?
Unless they were top guild rankers or famous figures, such kindness was impossible for ordinary Hunters.
“So, being too kind ended up being poison to us… Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind next time.”
Kim Geunsik smiled faintly as he rose to his feet.
And then, with a voice that almost sounded genuinely sympathetic, he said,
“Since you’re so perceptive, it seems you won’t be leaving peacefully. If you had stayed asleep, you wouldn’t have felt a thing.”
Shrring!
The cultists drew their curved blades, dark energy swirling around them.
“If you’re relying only on numbers, you’ll regret it.”
“And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“I mean, don’t make the mistake of thinking everyone here is on your side.”
A smirk crossed Yohan’s lips.
Before going to sleep, Yohan had gone to find Jung Seongtae of the Monarch Guild.
His reason was simple—to release the mental suggestion cast upon him.
The Trait [Proselytize].
It was what Yohan had seen on Kim Geunsik’s status window.
It allowed him to brainwash others into accepting his faith.
‘Even the command structure smelled off.’
From the very first meeting, it wasn’t the A-rank Hunter Jung Seongtae but Kim Geunsik who made the final decisions for the entire raid party.
The rest of the members obeyed blindly without a single objection.
From that moment, Yohan was certain—
The entire raid group had already fallen into the grasp of Kim Geunsik and the Requiem Cult.
And his guess was right.
When Yohan used [Sacred Flame] to dispel the [Proselytize], those trapped in the nightmare awoke.
—Thank you, Hunter Kang. Thanks to you, we’ve escaped hell.
—We don’t know how to repay this debt…
—If you’re planning to wipe out those bastards, just give the word.
Jung Seongtae and the Hunters who followed him agreed to strike back at the right moment.
That moment should’ve been coming right about now—
But then.
“From the sound of your confidence, it seems you’ve undone the suggestion I placed on Jung Seongtae and the others.”
The words from Kim Geunsik’s mouth shattered Yohan’s expectations.
“……!?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? You handle holy power quite well, I’ll admit. But if you wanted to deceive me, you shouldn’t have used it at all.”
No matter how carefully holy power was used, the foul, nauseating scent of divinity could never be completely erased.
Pzzzt!
A sinister energy erupted from Kim Geunsik’s curved blade.
“The ones you’re waiting for will never make it here. I sent people far stronger than I am to where those Hunters are sleeping.”
And with that—
“Krroooaah!”
“Kwaaaah!”
Roars ripped through the night, tearing at their eardrums.
＊＊＊
Orcs.
The alarms and traps that should’ve activated hadn’t gone off at all while the creatures closed in.
They’d prepared for this in advance, too.
This time, they’d been outplayed.
“Unbelievable. You actually thought of teaming up with Orcs.”
There were plenty of madmen in the world, but this guy might take second place among them.
“If necessary, I’ll join hands with anyone. It’s simply a matter of mutual benefit.”
“I’m genuinely curious—what did you offer to persuade those berserkers?”
Surely it wasn’t, ‘Let’s be secret friends from today.’
Maybe he promised them a Sacred Relic or something?
“Well, that’s not something you need to know. You ask too many questions for someone who’s about to die.”
So cold.
Though, perhaps that attitude was exactly what had appealed to the Orcs.
As they exchanged words—
Crack!
A cultist who had approached from behind silently wrapped his arm around Scarlett’s neck.
The curved blade pressed firmly against her carotid artery as he snarled at Yohan.
“Drop your weapons and surrender. If you resist, this girl will die.”
Well now.
Taking the weaker-looking one as a hostage wasn’t a bad decision.
However.
At least in this situation, that example was slightly mistaken.
The House of Juliard was renowned among all noble families for its exceptionally high internal mana reserves.
In other words—
Scarlett herself already possessed a divine rank far exceeding the First Month.
“Kang Yohan.”
Scarlett’s eyes turned as cold as frost.
“I think it’s time I stopped holding back, isn’t it?”
He did want to extract more information, but he couldn’t just keep asking a True Ancestor to wait.
They had already gone far beyond the limit.
“Are you out of your minds? Do you even know who’s holding the blade right no—”
KWAANG!
The cultist who had seized the rear was blown sky-high.
The one pierced by the Blood Threads had already stopped breathing.
“What?”
“H-how could this…?”
A gasp escaped the cultists’ lips.
But only for a moment.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
At Scarlett’s following gesture, the ground split apart.
The Blood Threads surged violently, striking at everything in sight.
“Gyaaah!”
“Aaargh!”
They were too fast to dodge—nor could they be blocked.
In the blink of an eye, four cultists were ensnared and lifted into the air by the threads.
[Bloodline Spell ‘Arachne’s Nest’ has been activated!]
The prey trapped within the spiderweb—
The predator toying with her strands would not forgive intruders who dared enter her domain.
PUPUPUPUK!
Blood spurted as the four cultists were slain instantly.
Swoosh!
The living threads slithered toward Kim Geunsik.
[Kim Geunsik activates his Unique Ability ‘Ashen Benediction’!]
WUUUUNG!
A murky aura seeped into the curved blade in his hand.
Then—
KAGAGAK!
For the first time, the Blood Threads’ relentless charge stopped.
A portion of the Evil God’s authority had manifested.
As the ominous demonic energy surged, a mocking smile spread across Scarlett’s lips.
“You’re a little different from the others. Except that you’re still a rude little creature.”
“That’s high praise.”
Kim Geunsik’s demeanor had completely changed.
The white-haired girl who had introduced herself as Scarlett—no one could deny she was a monster.
However—
“Kang Yohan. What shall I do? If you wish to interrogate him, I can just restrain him.”
That monster sought permission from Kang Yohan before every move she made—
As if showing proper courtesy to a superior of high standing and confirming her place beneath him.
That could only mean one thing.
‘That Yohan… must be far stronger.’
He had spent so long spinning his web, gathering sacrifices—
Only to meet a cataclysm right before achieving his goal.
“Hah. Life never goes quite as planned, does it? A shame, but there’s no helping it now.”
Kim Geunsik infused his hidden object with the power of the Ashen Benediction.
No way…
“Stop him!”
Yohan shouted.
But the item activated a split second faster.
[Item ‘Fragment of Darkness’ activated!]
[This area has been declared as ‘Domain of the Evil God’!]
One of the Requiem Cult’s signature spells—‘Domain of the Evil God’.
It was far inferior to higher forms like ‘Territory’ or ‘Sanctuary’, but to those just entering Episode (1), it might as well have been an impenetrable wall.
A translucent barrier divided Kim Geunsik and Yohan.
The lakeside lined with stone towers was now on Kim Geunsik’s side.
KAGAGAK!
KAKAKAK!
Scarlett unleashed the Blood Threads, but the barrier remained unscathed.
“Sorry, but that won’t even leave a scratch.”
From behind the veil, Kim Geunsik smiled faintly—
As though relishing once again the greatness of the Requiem Cult.
Pride and self-satisfaction overflowed on his face.
Normally, Yohan wouldn’t have wasted his strength on something so petty—
But seeing that expression made it hard to let go.
After so many fierce encounters, resentment had inevitably built up.
“That’s always your problem. You people put too much faith in that damned being. You sacrifice everything for it, convinced that one day, you’ll be rewarded.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Evil God doesn’t care for you. It merely rules over you and uses you.”
“……!?”
Kim Geunsik’s pupils trembled at Yohan’s words.
It was shocking.
He had never imagined that anyone here could possibly know their true identity.
“How do you… Who are you?”
“Well.”
SHRRRIP—
The pages of the book Yohan drew flipped rapidly.
[Polar Bear of the Frozen Land activates ‘Guardian of the Glacier’!]
[The trait ‘Sacred Flame’ seeps in!]
[Additional damage against Dark Attributes will be applied!]
[Bloodline Ability ‘Beast Blood Surge’ activated!]
The Polar Bear’s claws glowed crimson.
White flames erupted—then a colossal beast’s strike tore through the air.
BOOOOM!
“I told you. It’s useless.”
Kim Geunsik clicked his tongue in frustration.
The ‘Domain of the Evil God’ was invulnerable until its duration expired.
No matter how much he struggled—
But then—
ZZZZZT.
Claw marks appeared on the barrier.
They hadn’t pierced through, but the visible scars were clear enough.
WUUUNG!
In an instant, the barrier restored itself.
Yet the shock carved into Kim Geunsik’s mind could not be undone.
At that moment—
Yohan slowly spoke.
“Let me tell you one thing as well. The ritual to hatch the Egg of Darkness will not succeed.”
“……!”
Kim Geunsik froze on the spot.