novelraw Chapter 59 : Apostle ‘Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb’ (4)
Chapter 59 : Apostle ‘Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb’ (4)
Chapter 59: Apostle ‘Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb’ (4)
“Trading with a criminal….”
The Saintess’s eyebrow twitched.
However, a faint trace of amusement still lingered on her face.
“Well, let’s hear it first.”
“A troublesome guy has appeared in the west. He’s strong—too strong—and his abilities are becoming a real nuisance to my plans.”
The White Spider shook its head from side to side and added a word.
“If our Saintess could deal with that man, my work would become so much easier. Then, I might even feel generous enough to hand over the smartphone Kang Yohan has been carrying around.”
A Pandora’s Box filled with secrets that must not be revealed.
Reina had said she would retrieve it.
However—
“That’s a meaningless proposal. I can handle that matter myself without your assistance.”
The fifth floor of the main building.
The location had already been identified.
The Gravedigger had been dispatched along with Paladins and Priests, so even if they barricaded themselves, they wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.
After that, retrieving the smartphone would naturally follow.
Even if the man had some secret trump card, it didn’t matter.
Soon, the Sacred Sword would be completed.
Then—
No defense could withstand the hammer of God.
Pzzzzt….
The Saintess looked up at the golden sphere forming above her head.
The holy magic circle, woven from countless Latin incantations, was already reaching its final stage.
“As expected of our Saintess—confidence practically radiates from you. But, let’s see… from what I’ve observed, your opponent isn’t exactly someone to underestimate.”
“It sounds as if you’re implying that I might fail.”
“If that’s how it sounded, my apologies. But Kang Yohan… how should I put it… he’s truly special. My estimation? The odds of you capturing him are—at best—fifty-fifty.”
At Reina’s words, the smile vanished from the Saintess’s face.
“Fine. Then watch closely from where you are. But if this Kang Yohan’s strength fails to meet my expectations, I’ll make sure you bear the consequences for daring to propose such a deal.”
The Vatican too had its eyes on Reina.
If they could secure her true body through that spider clone…
It would be an incredible achievement in its own right.
＊＊＊
“Kieeeeek—!!!”
The Gravedigger let out a deafening roar.
So, that was it. It hadn’t vanished—it had known about this hidden passage.
It must have used one of the slime-coated drainage tunnels.
[Gravedigger of the Gray Tomb activates Lv4 ‘Corrupted Scythe’!]
Four scythes moved with terrifying speed.
Kagagagang!
“Guhk!”
Ragnar Lodbrok, the tank, barely managed to block by crossing his axes.
Even after activating his exclusive skill, Heart of Steel, wounds still appeared on his arms and legs.
The attacks came from such unnatural angles that blocking didn’t really count as defending.
Moreover—
Pupupupung!
A barrage of holy attacks, including Flame of Purification, rained down upon them.
The black slime within the Nest blocked most of the assaults, but it consumed a large amount of mana in return.
At least the entrance wasn’t wide.
Otherwise, a flood of enemies would’ve poured in all at once.
“There! I found him! Over there!”
“Using a monster’s nest—just like a vile heretic!”
What nonsense.
They were the ones bringing an entire army of monsters with them.
There wasn’t a hint of piety in the way they charged in together hand in hand.
Thunk! Thwack!
“Keek!”
“Graah!”
Park Juhee’s arrow pierced through the Blade Spider’s neck.
Even while soaking her feet, she squeezed out every ounce of her remaining strength to counterattack—an impressive display.
Her dedication to the team—I’d make sure to remember that well.
‘For now, we just have to delay them as much as possible.’
Being outnumbered was bad enough; getting surrounded would be the worst-case scenario.
[Lesser Skill ‘Sleet’ activates!]
Ssshhh….
White snowflakes gathered around the monsters’ feet.
At the same time, he cast Ice Prison, restricting the movement of those at the front.
Crash!
Thud!
“Kek?”
“Graah!”
As the monsters and paladins at the front lost their balance and fell,
the already-prepared Fireball and Wind Cutter struck, creating a violent storm.
Fire and wind—a perfect pair for synergy.
On top of that, Blood Reinforcement imbued both spells with the power of blood.
Kwooooom—Boom!
In the blink of an eye, the monsters at the front were swallowed by flames and wind.
There was no way that level of power belonged to a mere Level 1.
‘Good firepower… but the mana cost is brutal.’
That one move had consumed about 10 mana.
Considering his total was 35, that meant roughly a third was gone.
Still, with a party of six or more, his mana recovery rate had increased by 10%, so in a short while it would—
Kwaaang!
“Urgh!”
Kang Yohan rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding the blow.
He instinctively swung his dagger to offset it, but the impact was still immense.
The Gravedigger, moving at incredible speed, had launched a surprise attack.
Its offense was too fierce to focus solely on the front.
Papat!
In an instant, the Gravedigger flanked behind and swung its four scythes.
[Stag of the Blue-and-White Forest activates ‘Bone Shield’!]
Kagagagak!
The reinforced bone blocked the motion of the scythes.
The moment the corruption spread, the spot grazed by the scythe began to glow with a green light.
[Durability is rapidly deteriorating!]
That was the defining trait of the Corrupted Scythe.
If he kept blocking, both his weapons and armor would soon fall apart.
“You fight just as filthy as you look.”
Clicking his tongue, Yohan counterattacked.
Pupupung!
Two shots each of Fireball and Blood Spear.
He fired them from different angles.
The Gravedigger dodged the off-beat attacks and closed in on Yohan’s back.
Clutching its scythe, it aimed for his limbs.
The weapon was dripping with venom; a single graze would surely mean victory—at least, that’s what it believed.
But at that very moment—
[Polar Bear of the Frozen Land activates ‘Guardian of the Glacier’!]
Through the Bloodline Power, crimson claws slashed across the air.
Thoom!
“Kyaaaaah!!!”
The crow-shaped helmet was completely crushed.
A massive amount of slime spewed out.
“Someone once said—the moment a hunter attacks his prey is when he’s most vulnerable.”
And if he’s already drunk on the illusion of victory, that’s the perfect time to strike.
“Hee… Hik! Hik…!”
The Gravedigger, who had been screaming in agony, suddenly grabbed its helmet with both hands.
Crack… Crackkk!
Then, it split the helmet in half.
A long snake’s head shot out from within.
Ugh. Straight out of a horror movie.
Every time I saw this guy’s Phase 2, goosebumps ran down my spine.
‘There’s no way I can land a fatal blow in this state.’
He needed one powerful strike.
For that, there was still preparation left to do.
Tap!
Yohan swiftly moved to avoid the Gravedigger.
“Kieeeek!”
The Gravedigger lunged after him immediately.
The scythe targeted his back, and acidic liquid sprayed from the snake’s gaping maw.
‘He’s not giving me even a second to focus.’
Whoosh!
Even as he ran, Yohan used Sacred Flame to leave rune-engraved marks throughout the area.
It was a high-level task in itself—but trying to do it while dodging attacks was enough to make his head spin.
Left. Right. This time, he subtly shifted directions to shake it off.
As he darted through the complex nest like it was his own home, the Gravedigger’s fury hit its peak.
“Kieee! Kieeeeeek!”
Roughly translated—it was shouting something along the lines of “What the hell are you doing in my house?!”
No wonder it looked so furious, seeing someone scribbling marks all over its territory.
“Brother! We can’t hold out like this forever! Can’t we just retreat outside now?”
Lagertha, who had been maintaining the area buff, panted heavily.
Her mana and stamina were draining rapidly.
At this rate, she wouldn’t last more than a few minutes.
But retreating now wasn’t a solution.
“Lodbrok!”
The team’s only tank and warrior—
The foremost guardian who could buy the time needed to lead the team to victory.
“What’s this? Are northern warriors the kind who tuck their tails and flee the moment things get tough?”
A true warrior knew no fear.
Even if it meant breaking formation and charging ahead alone, he would never show his back.
So—
Hold the line.
Unless you want to be remembered as a cowardly warrior.
At that, Lodbrok, who had hesitated for a moment, burst into hearty laughter.
“Khahaha! Retreat? Not a chance! Either we all die, or we kill every last one of them. Those are the only two options!”
“Damn it. When he says things like that, it’s impossible to even think about running away.”
[Lagertha activates Lv1 ‘Primitive Curse’!]
A black mist spread through the area.
It was a debuff that lowered the enemy’s accuracy.
[Lodbrok activates Lv1 ‘Taunt’!]
“The god of light? Hah! The square rock in front of my house is greater than that fool—because we’ve believed in it since way longer ago!”
Totemism and animism—their ancient roots traced all the way back to prehistoric times.
It was utterly absurd logic, but who cared?
The only thing that mattered in a taunt was whether it landed well.
“You—you blasphemous scum!”
“I’ll rip that filthy mouth of yours apart, barbarian!”
The eyes of the Paladins and Priests turned bloodshot.
If there was one thing they could never tolerate, it was blasphemy.
＊
Meanwhile, Sambok was the one dealing with the monsters attacking from the flanks.
“Fufu. From here onward, entry is forbidden.”
“Hehe. Jungbok! Entry forbidden? What’s that mean?”
“At least four dog treats, minimum. Yeah.”
Though he looked a little worn out from donating too much mana, his ancient majesty remained untarnished.
[Sambok activates Unique Ability ‘Celestial Black Cloud’!]
Black, cloud-shaped flames surged like a raging tide.
Fwoooosh!
“Kieee!”
“Keeek!”
The monsters caught in the wave were instantly engulfed and burned to ash.
I’d felt it back during the orc incident too—his power was incredible.
If only Vivian were here, things would’ve gone even more smoothly.
‘Did she go to destroy those dolls and end up enjoying the autumn leaves instead?’
Ever since they’d parted ways, she’d vanished completely.
‘I hope nothing bad happened….’
In many ways, that uncertainty gnawed at him.
Still, there was nothing he could do about it right now.
Anyway—
‘It should be about time for that to happen.’
As Yohan slashed through a mid-tier monster, he scanned the surrounding mana.
The presence he’d been waiting for had yet to appear.
Kwakwakwa!
Kwooooom!
They were barely holding on by a thread—and that, too, was nearing its limit.
Everyone had fought far harder than expected, but mana and stamina weren’t infinite.
Just then—
Wooooong!
A powerful light flashed beyond the ceiling.
[Holy Spear ‘Dawn’s Radiance’ activates!]
A golden magic circle filled the air.
The Saintess’s long-range holy magic had finally been completed.
The effective range covered the entire fifth floor of the main building.
All designated enemies within that area were now targets of this Holy Spear.
—I’ll give you one last chance. Hand over the smartphone and surrender. Then, I’ll ensure you receive a fair trial.
The Saintess’s voice echoed through the air.
It was, for all intents and purposes, the final warning.
Refuse—and she would execute them mercilessly.
However—
“I’m afraid that’s going to be difficult.”
He wasn’t about to trade footage of the Saintess’s disgrace for even a Sacred Relic.
Whatever punishment awaited, he’d simply endure it with his body.
—I thought you were smarter than this… how foolish.
Wooooong!
The overlapping golden circles merged into one, and from within them emerged a radiant divine sword.
Dawn’s Radiance.
Among the Saintess’s arsenal of Holy Spears, this was one of the highest-tier abilities.
Had it been a fully completed Sacred Sword, there would be no way for him to withstand—much less evade—it in his current condition.
Indeed, if the Saintess had forged this sword using [Divine Judgment], [Sanctuary], [Judgment], or any power equivalent to them—
Kwakwakwa!
From above—
—to below.
The Sacred Sword descended.
A roaring heatwave swept through, the entire fifth floor trembling as though it would vaporize.
Finally, the moment he’d been waiting for had arrived.
…Now!
Yohan activated the runes he had inscribed across the entire Nest.
Pzzzt.
White letters manifested through the Sacred Flame, radiating a brilliant light.
In that instant, the patterns of the Saintess’s golden magic circles began to shift.
—W-What is this!?
The Saintess’s flustered voice rang out.
It was no wonder she was confused—her invincible power had suddenly begun to waver.
But it was already too late.
Thunk.
The Sacred Sword stopped just thirty centimeters above Yohan’s head.
The blazing heat gnawed into his chest.
[The configuration of the Holy Magic Circle has been reconstructed.]
‘Good.’
He had seized control.
Vwooom!
The sword that had been falling vertically now rotated, aligning itself horizontally with the ground.
Its target shifted.
From the start, the aim had always been clear.
Paaang!
“Kihihik…!?”
The Gravedigger realized far too late that the Sacred Sword was flying toward it.
It swung its four scythes wildly, shrieking in a frenzy.
At the same time, it unleashed skills like [Corruption] and [Decay], managing to form a veil of darkness around itself.
Of course, that meant nothing.
Kwakwakwakwa—Kwakwang!
The veil shattered completely, and the Sacred Sword swept through half of the Gravedigger’s body.
“Kieeeek!”
Its remaining half flailed desperately in the air, its torn arms thrashing helplessly.
“To survive that hit… you’re one tough bastard.”
Had he fought it head-on, the battle would have turned into an endless, miserable slugfest.
As expected of a weapon summoned through a holy incantation chanted for nearly thirty minutes—it had devastating power.
Might as well give credit where it’s due.
“Your sword’s insane.”
And he meant it.
Climbing onto the Gravedigger’s shoulder, Yohan plunged his dagger deep into it.
Thud!
A short but vivid sound of flesh tearing.
A geyser of black blood erupted as the Apostle, who had taken residence within Chungnam National University Hospital, finally collapsed.
At the same time—
A multitude of items dropped to the ground.
An impressive haul, befitting the might it had displayed in life.
“…This is!?”
And among them—
Was one very unexpected item.