novelraw Chapter 57 : Apostle ‘Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb’ (2)
Chapter 57 : Apostle ‘Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb’ (2)
Chapter 57: Apostle ‘Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb’ (2)
“Instead of helping in such a perilous situation, you’re interfering? What on earth are you thinking!”
The Saintess’s voice, filled with fury, flew like a dagger.
A spell that kept interrupting whenever the Sacred Hymn was about to be completed.
It wasn’t enough to cause physical harm, but it was more than enough to shatter her concentration.
“My, my! Come on now. What do you take me for? I was trying to help, and well, I might’ve made a few mistakes here and there.”
“Lodbrok admits it! This was an attempt to help!”
Kang Yohan and the Viking warrior burst into laughter.
Their perfect coordination made the Saintess’s expression twist even more fiercely.
If she could have it her way, she would’ve sent both of them to the guillotine right this instant, Gravedigger or not.
However, she couldn’t.
At the moment, dealing with the Gravedigger was a far more urgent matter.
As she ground her teeth furiously, Yohan crossed his arms leisurely.
‘Once they take down the Gravedigger, the next target will obviously be me. So why help them?’
He had dabbled in countless hobbies across many regressions, but masochism—the kind that enjoyed torture devices—wasn’t one of them.
Unfortunately for him.
There was a certain trait one could acquire upon reaching the stage of enjoying pain, but it wasn’t something achievable through ordinary effort.
Well, maybe if he rolled around with the Saintess for about ten years straight, it might be possible.
‘Not that it’s worth risking my life for.’
For now, he needed to secure a position of advantage for negotiation.
With benevolence brimming in his heart, Yohan cast another spell.
Boom!
The sound was crisp.
“Argh!”
Boom! Boom!
That’s the sound!
“Gaaaah! Stop! We’re really cutting it close here!”
One of the Paladins shouted, looking back.
Thud!
“Urgh!”
But only for a moment. He was struck by the Gravedigger’s scythe handle and sent flying.
No matter how angry one was, it was always a rule to keep one’s eyes forward.
Anyway—
The situation was indeed growing more serious.
Faces began to appear even on the walls and ceiling.
The more the black, slimy fluid oozed and dripped, the stronger the Gravedigger’s attacks became, exponentially so.
He had already been a monster of the 2nd Star of the Second Moon, but as the Nest Formation progressed, his power grew even greater.
Slash!
Crack!
“Kihihih! Kiaaaah!”
The enormous scythe was becoming ever more soaked in crimson.
It was reaching a truly dangerous stage now.
If they couldn’t make a decision quickly, the entire raid party could be wiped out.
In the end, the Saintess could no longer hold back and screamed.
“Don’t you realize that doing such a foolish thing is suicidal for everyone?! Don’t you even care that your comrades are dying one after another—huh?”
As she spoke, the Saintess suddenly sensed something odd.
Now that she thought about it—
Those who had died so far were all Paladins and Priests.
For some reason, the Gravedigger hadn’t touched any of Yohan’s party members.
“Don’t tell me, you…?”
“Well. What do you think?”
Yohan shrugged.
The incense burning outside contained a scent that instinctively repelled those who had taken medical-use potions.
Of course, the Gravedigger would eventually attack them too...
But by then, the entire Vatican raid unit would already be dead.
The so-called ‘As long as it’s not me’ mode.
So, it’d be wiser for them to lower their tails and play the part of a docile kitten.
From the moment the Gravedigger appeared, all of the Saintess’s options had already vanished.
“If you stop interfering and help us, I will absolve you of all charges of impersonating an Inquisitor and any other blasphemies. In addition... I will yield all rights to the by-products obtained from defeating the Gravedigger.”
Oh?
That was quite the concession.
“Are you sincere about that?”
“I swear on the name of the Saintess.”
Her tone turned solemn again.
Perhaps she was just throwing the words out there with no intention of keeping them.
Or maybe the situation was so dire that she was truly willing to offer that much.
But Yohan wasn’t one to believe in verbal promises.
“Lodbrok.”
“I’m listening!”
The dependable Viking warrior beside him stepped forward.
“Take out your smartphone and record that statement right now. Gotta keep evidence so my back doesn’t start itching later.”
“That’s impossible!”
“What? Why?”
“Because I don’t know how to use a smartphone!”
“What do you mean you can’t use it?”
Even Spiritualists, Vampires, and that Hestia Empire spy over there could handle them just fine. How could a modern human not?
Wasn’t there even a phone company in Scandinavia called Nokia or something?
“It’s not that it’s hard... A true warrior simply doesn’t rely on such petty tools!”
Lodbrok flexed his muscles and raised his two axes high.
“For a great warrior, these axes alone are enough!”
If an Australopithecus were transported to the modern age, it would probably look just like this.
When he smashed that Fortune Cookie, Yohan had thought maybe he was hiding information like Park Yeri had.
But now, he felt sorry for doubting him.
That man would’ve smashed not only his own Fortune Cookie, but everyone else’s too, just for good measure.
“Haa. I’ll do it myself.”
Park Juhee sighed and switched her smartphone to video mode.
“Hmph! A warrior’s pride remains intact.”
“Ah, you’re the only weird one here, you know. Don’t lump the entire Warhammer Guild together with you. For reference, I’m using one of these.”
Lagertha waved her latest iPhone.
It was a Pro Max model.
＊＊＊
“All right, let’s make this quick. We don’t have much time.”
Kang Yohan handed a sheet of paper with writing on it to the Saintess.
It was a script he had written based on long hours of research and observation of the woman known as the Saintess.
“W-What is this? Didn’t you just ask me to repeat the content of the deal we made earlier?”
The Saintess’s hands trembled as she read through the script.
“There were... a few minor edits due to production circumstances.”
He had only said they would record a video — never what kind of video.
Still, she didn’t need to worry too much.
He had made sure to respect her characteristic of being relatively docile as long as it didn’t involve blasphemy.
Click.
A pre-downloaded song began to play.
However—
“……”
The Saintess stood still, biting her lower lip.
She didn’t read what was written on the script.
Well, it wasn’t exactly easy to do so.
He understood.
But even now, her loyal Paladins were suffering.
“S-Saintess!”
“We’re fine, my lady! Please, do not give in to the vile man’s words!”
Even as they bled, the Paladins stood firm to protect the Saintess.
Such loyalty was enough to bring tears to one’s eyes.
If he had just three subordinates like them, he could have conquered the world.
The Saintess looked back and forth between Yohan and her personal guard.
“Must it truly come to this? If there’s something else you want…”
“No chance. I’ve got time in abundance. Take all the time you need.”
Ever heard of the Time Bill Gates?
They were outlaws you should never mess with.
Had the Vatican simply sent a different raid team into this hospital from the start, none of this would’ve happened.
But regret came too late.
A few seconds of silence passed.
[The song will restart from the beginning.]
As the upbeat melody resumed—
Her face flushed crimson as the Saintess slowly parted her lips.
“Ah... Baby Saintess, tralala…”
The title of the song was ‘Bloody Baby Saintess.’
“C-cute... tralala…”
It was a cheerful tune about an innocent little girl playing with tongs and hammers in a torture chamber.
“Guillotine, tralala~ Baby Saintess!”
She seemed so lively and adorable when seen this way.
If only she didn’t feel such delight in slicing people apart or watching them burn, she’d be quite popular.
The song lasted for about four minutes.
Only when the Grandma Saintess verse came up did her hellish ordeal finally end.
[Video saved.]
The dignified and ruthless Saintess of the Vatican recording such a humiliating black history?
It was a hundred times more effective than any promise made in the name of honor or faith.
Who knew how long the leverage would last, but it would at least restrain her actions for a while.
“Keep your promise… please.”
“I intend to.”
Swish.
Yohan wiped the smirk from his face and drew forth the Resentment of the Black Abyss.
The black blade gleamed sharply.
[The Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb enters ‘Frenzy’ state!]
[All attributes increase by +15%!]
Chzzzz…
A murderous aura began to seethe through the air.
The Gravedigger fixed its gaze on its prey.
He hadn’t delayed this long just to torment the Saintess.
The Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb’s rewards varied depending on difficulty — and a fully Nest-formed Gravedigger offered something truly special.
To claim that prize, he needed to push the difficulty as high as possible.
The only problem was... the incense’s scent turned out stronger than he expected.
‘Hmm. A 15% buff might’ve been a bit much.’
Maybe he shouldn’t have used so much of the Spirit Herb Root.
At that level, even a tank would struggle to endure.
And then—
“Kihihihi... Kyaahahaha!”
The Gravedigger’s completed Nest granted it more than just a stat boost.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Food! Fresh food!”
“Rip and eat! Limbs! Soft entrails, heehee!”
“Groooar!”
All sorts of monsters scattered around the hospital began rushing in.
Corpse Nurses wielding scissors. Blade Spiders. Even medium-class monsters over five meters tall.
[‘Fence of the Saint’ protects the shepherd and the flock!]
Bzzzzzt!
Once again, golden waves surged through the doors and walls.
If those things made it inside, it would be all over.
“Kahahaha! Finally, a fight worth feeling!”
Lodbrok stomped the ground and charged forward.
[Ragnar Lodbrok activates Lv1 ‘Double Strike’!]
BOOOOM!
His enhanced axe collided with the scythe.
A fearsome shockwave rippled through the space.
But then—
“Gghh!”
A heavy groan escaped from Lodbrok himself.
The impact was so strong that even the giant Viking’s waist bent backward.
No wonder the Paladins hadn’t even been able to put up a fight.
“Brother, don’t overdo it! That thing is strong!”
[Lagertha activates Lv1 ‘Primal Blessing’!]
Green leaves swirled around, granting buffs that boosted attack speed and regeneration.
The Gravedigger instantly shifted its target.
It instinctively knew to eliminate the supporter first.
But—
Lodbrok moved half a beat faster and blocked its path.
[Ragnar Lodbrok activates Lv1 ‘Taunt’!]
“I’m your mother!”
He didn’t forget to keep provoking the enemy to ensure it couldn’t divert its attention elsewhere.
‘Ahh, now this is what I call a proper party hunt.’
Watching Ragnar Lodbrok and Lagertha holding their ground far better than expected, a smile crept onto Yohan’s lips.
The importance of positioning.
At first, he had believed that growing into an all-rounder capable of sweeping everything alone was the only viable way.
But after repeating countless regressions, he had come to deeply understand the roles and synergies of each position.
Dealer, Healer, Tank, Support, and so on.
Even if he couldn’t train every single subclass, he had to nurture the core roles.
Only then could he challenge the late-stage episodes.
‘The reason I failed to clear Episode 32 was exactly because of this.’
This time was different.
He would build up his power solidly and steadily, taking every variable into account.
Pzzzt...
White snowflakes began to form at Yohan’s fingertips.
He activated ‘Sleet’ and simultaneously fired it through ‘Wind Cutter.’
Baaang!
Blades of wind flew straight toward the Gravedigger’s legs.
[The Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb activates ‘Black Leap’!]
A mobility skill that could only be used once the Nest Formation was complete.
The Gravedigger dodged Yohan’s attack with swift, light movements.
Slash!
Missed.
Slash-slash!
By the narrowest margin.
Its irregular, grotesque footwork almost seemed to mock the attacks aimed at it.
“Kihihit! Kyaaaah!”
However, despite the repeated misses, Yohan’s eyes gleamed sharply.
‘Pattern B-10, huh? Even with a 30% boost, its movement pattern hasn’t changed.’
The Gravedigger preferred to dodge right when facing frontal projectile attacks.
And when the attack involved Frost or Holy attributes, it tended to use Black Leap twice consecutively, followed by a long dash.
The distance — exactly 5.86 meters.
With five Paladins and two Priests blocking the sides... that brown desk in the back should be it.
Tap.
The instant the Gravedigger’s foot touched the ground—
[Bloodline Power ‘Blood Bind’ activates!]
Claaamp!
“Kihit?”
A crimson hand burst from the ground and seized the Gravedigger’s leg.
A perfectly predicted trap.
“Ooooh!”
Lodbrok exclaimed, his axe in hand.
The creature moved so erratically and fast that even tracking it visually had been difficult.
But that slippery monster was finally pinned down.
Boooom!
His axe smashed into the crow-helm.
“Kieeeek!”
For the first time, a pained scream burst from the creature’s mouth.
A critical hit — part of the helmet shattered.
Black blood gushed violently from the crack.
“Now!”
The Saintess, who had regained her composure, clasped her hands in prayer.
[Night of the Catacomb – ‘Guillotine of Judgment’ activates!]
Shrrring...
Golden chains appeared, binding the Gravedigger’s right arm.
“Tch! It dodg— ah, missed.”
That was close.
At the last instant, the Gravedigger twisted its neck to break free.
Had it been just a little more precise, it could’ve taken its head instead of an arm.
Still, the mana cost of Blood Bind had been well worth it.
Craaaack... Slash!
The guillotine dropped — slicing off one of the Gravedigger’s arms.
＊＊＊
“……”
The Gravedigger stared at its severed arm.
Only for a moment.
Then it grabbed a handful of the black slime oozing from the wall and shoved it into its mouth.
“Kieeeeeeeeek!”
The beak of its crow-shaped helmet split open vertically, top to bottom.
As the horrifying roar shook the room, the monsters outside went completely berserk.
Bang! Bang! Bang-bang!
“Hihihi! Let us in! Let us in! Let us in!”
“He calls to us! Sweet flesh and hot blood!”
“Groooar!”
The pounding on the door grew fiercer than ever before.
Crack!
Snap!
The Holy Barrier began to fracture, with withered hands clawing their way through the cracks.
“Krraaaagh!”
“Aaaaah!”
Two nearby Priests were instantly seized.
Within seconds, they were torn apart alive — reduced to nothing but chunks of flesh.
[‘Fence of the Saint’ collapse rate has exceeded 50%.]
Their only barrier of defense was breaking down.
At most, they had a few minutes left.
After that, the hundreds of monsters outside would join forces with the Gravedigger.
“We can’t let them in!”
“Then I’ll hack off every last one of those hands!”
Yohan, Lodbrok, and Lagertha moved to reinforce the barrier.
But just then—
“You’ve been holding back for quite some time, haven’t you?”
A chilling voice came from right behind them.
It was the Saintess.