146 – Road to the underworld – 1

Darkness symbolizes rest, but it also represents fear.

When the village that was so noisy during the day becomes quiet, and darkness settles in the silence.

The soldiers guarding Trevor’s village looked back after they were more armed than usual.

There wasn’t even a buzz among them. All gathered are only skilled people.

In order to participate in night hunting, he needed a certain level of skill.

Words of gossip can never give rest to those who are wandering away from their rest.

Knowing that, the guard looked at the hunters once again.

Among them, there were mercenaries and adventurers who were always with death, but there were also priests who plowed the fields while taking care of children during the day, and there were also winemakers who made ordinary wine.

There is a bartender who makes cocktails, and a butcher who always smiles warmly.

Are they the only ones?

Although they are all from different professions.

As much as during the night hunt, they all belonged to the same place.

– Clap.

Standing at the head of them was a tall priest whose face was covered with bandages.

Impressive in his black priestly uniform, he slowly raised a large ax in one hand.

at the same time.

“Let the hunt begin.”

As if asking God for salvation.

He slowly pointed his ax at the village gate and sentenced, and at that moment.

-Clap! Clap! Clap!!

It was a different job, but for this night, the hunters who had become a community took up arms.

-Kikiiik…!!

The guards seeing them off showed the utmost respect they could. They put their right hand on their chest, get down on one knee, and spread their cloaks on the ground to make way for the hunters.

Hunters trample on the path made of blood-red cloaks.

May this cloak, tainted with snow and dirt, not be tainted with blood when they return.

The guards bowed their heads and once again paid respect to the noble hunters.

like that.

The hunt has begun.

***

I walked in the dark with Veronica. We are currently heading north of town.

When they arrived near the dense forest after passing through the shaman’s barrier that prevented the undead from entering, Veronica pointed to one side with her turquoise eyes flashing.

“there.”

-Kiririk… Kirik. Queek… Kirik…

It was a skeleton, one of the undead that could be easily seen. The flesh has rotted away, leaving only the skeleton.

In the empty hole where the eyeball should be, the red light of the sin of defying death was flashing.

-Queek… Queek!

The skeleton’s white bones were stained with blood and flesh.

Fortunately, it was not human.

It’s just a big field mouse that got caught badly.

Whether it be human, elf, dwarf, beast race, or chitin race.

At least, whether it’s just animals, insects, or plants.

The undead, which hated everything under the premise of ‘living’, were insulting life by tearing wild mice to pieces.

“How to?”

“You can just ignore it and move on. We have to prioritize cursing rather than participating in the hunt. Why? Do you want to join the hunt?”

Veronica is also a priest, so the undead are bound to be annoyed. If so, wouldn’t it be better to send it to Cecil or the Sixth Man?

In any case, you will never be able to ignore their skills.

“Yeah. No.”

Gently shaking her head, she followed my words and took a detour to avoid the skeleton. and after a while

A hammer flew from somewhere and smashed the skeleton’s head.

It was in the middle of moving north through the forest like that.

– Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik!!

A woman in black with an ax was striking the undead in silence.

zombie.

The undead rose up after insulting the corpse that should rest forever.

The filthy existence spewing out poison along with depravity was now becoming a lump of meat.

The undead, unable to move any more, hate the living even in the situation where they are born, and their red eyes glow.

As if despising it, as if hating it.

Hitting the zombie with an axe, she turned her head when she saw me and Veronica.

“Uh. This is a bit dangerous.”

“…Yes why?”

“That person. He’s under a lot of stress. He might end up going mad.”

“…great…”

I took out the lute I had brought. and lightly.

-Tiriling…!!

“…oh.”

The woman who exhaled murderous intent along with her white breath shook her head.

and,

“…Whoa…”

He exhaled slowly. When the excessive stress was relieved, he came to his senses.

The madness in her eyes was gone, and she sighed as she looked at her hand and the zombie lying on the floor.

“thank you.”

“He says a lot. It’s helping the same hunters.”

I moved the lute back, and Veronica healed her.

When the scars from killing zombies disappeared, she politely bowed her head.

“May God shine light on the glorious path.”

“You’re a believer. But why…”

“hahaha… Actually, ever since my lover was killed by the undead, I’ve been very angry whenever I see the undead.”

“You can’t participate in night hunting with that mindset. You should just think of it as earning money for meat.”

“Huh? You looked very sublime when you left earlier, didn’t you?”

“It’s just a ritual. You know that too, don’t you?”

“hahaha… Yes. He who hates death, death also hates you. Don’t look into the abyss. The abyss also looks into you…”

A famous saying passed down in the mercenary guild.

In fact, it’s only to the extent that the development company appropriately changed the words from Nietzsche’s book, Beyond Good and Evil.

“When you live as a mercenary, you often become a bit… emotional. There are many quests where it is difficult to distinguish between good and evil.”

“is it?”

“Yes. That’s why mercenaries always have to be cool. We just follow the request. Emotions shouldn’t be put on it. We just have to look at the money and move.”

The grinning woman looked at her ax and sighed.

“I guess I’m still a long way off. Anyway, thank you.”

The woman who nodded and walked away with frequent steps. Seeing her leave, Veronica couldn’t hide her bitterness.

“let’s go.”

“…yes.”

There were quite a few hunters I encountered while passing through the forest.

Among them, there were those who really cut the throats of the undead like a knife, and there were also those who showed their hatred by tearing the undead to pieces like that woman from before.

“Variety.”

“What. Contestants?”

“yes.”

Veronica nodded slightly and remembered the person she had treated earlier.

His arm was torn off by a ghoul, but the butcher, who was happy to say that he cut the ghoul in two, said with a smile after receiving treatment.

You f*cking undead bastards.

The guys who killed my brother who just came to deliver meat at night.

Read at noblemtl. com

Just as they tore my brother to death, I will tear them all apart.

With a genuine hatred of the undead, the butcher left to hunt again, not caring even though his arm would hurt.

Remembering that, Veronica muttered with a melancholy expression.

“Originally, it is the priests’ duty to deal with these undead.”

“There is nothing you can do about not being able to afford it.”

“…still.”

Looking at Veronica, who was sullen, I stroked her hair. That’s when she calmed down a bit.

You have arrived at your destination.

It was a small distortion to be in the north after passing through the forest.

“Is that… your goal?”

“yes.”

“But there’s nothing there. It’s just a distortion…”

“Let’s wait. The more the hunters catch the undead, the more it will materialize.”

It was like that in the game too. When more than a certain number of undead are destroyed, that shimmer will turn into a knight.

then you have to catch it

“Wouldn’t it be better to catch us after we join the hunt?”

“The time the article appears isn’t that long.”

If you catch the undead in another place and it appears and disappears again, you have to wait until tomorrow again.

Better to wait and catch it.

That’s how I waited for the knight to be born with Veronica.

Screams are heard from the forest side, and lightning and flames erupt.

Amidst bizarre and terrible moaning, whether something thought to be a ghost or a Wraith appeared.

Veronica asked while fiddling with her mace.

“If you catch that article, will all the undead disappear?”

“Huh? That can’t be the case. Those that have already appeared will not disappear. However, the remaining undead will eat each other and become stronger, reducing the number. It will be easier to deal with.”

“Really? Uh… Ah. Hyunwoo!”

It was then.

The shimmer starts to grow. Is it because of the pale moonlight? The shimmering started to change to pure white, wriggling like slime, and in an instant became a knight wearing heavy armor.

white knight.

Anyone would admire the noble and beautiful appearance, where not even an inch of hair could be found.

Me and Veronica couldn’t do that.

That would also be the case, because the glowing light inside the helmet was the red eyes he had seen in the undead so far.

“Now. Let’s start.”

A unique wand that was given to me by Veronica after I lost the moonlight after Kronos and obtained it after defeating the demon followers.

Lightly waved the wand, which greatly increased the user’s maximum magical power.

-With my daughter…!!

The first red bell of the seven bells hanging from the end of the wand rang.

At that moment, what was shot was the finest flame magic, the residual fire.

The moment the embers that flew through the sky touched the white knight, a huge heat wave erupted.

“God will be with you!!”

Veronica’s mace swung at the staggering white knight.

The battle itself wasn’t too difficult.

Because it was a mid-boss that could be played solo in the game in the first place.

The important thing is this:

“uh?”

The white knight destroyed by Veronica’s mace and holy power disappeared, and a door appeared in its place.

“Huh? Aren’t you a wise man? What are you doing here? Huh? What’s that door again?”

You got the timing right.

Cecil, Karin, and Leo and Marax’s team arrived here.

“Why did you guys come here?”

“Uh… because I caught it?”

I’m just saying it’s a coincidence. Well done anyway.

“Tonight. The cardinal joins the hunt.”

“Eh?”

I gestured to Cecile. said, pushing Veronica lightly as she approached.

“If you go to the east of the forest, there is a big tree. There are two red rocks on the side of the nest. Undead eat each other and a group of reinforced ghouls will appear there. I’ll do it.”

“You?”

“I have to get in here. Veronica. Help them.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if we went in together?”

“It’s faster to do it alone, and I have to catch them so there are fewer enemies I have to fight in there.”

“Really? I told you earlier!”

After slapping me on the shoulder, Veronica said to Cecil the party.

“let’s go.”

“Uh. Yes. By the way, Sage. What is that door?”

Instead of answering, I smiled once. Then, he turned his eyes to Leo. His deep eyes were staring at the door.

Being the king of the beastmen, he seemed to know something about this door, but when I brought my finger to my lips, he nodded slightly.

“Let’s go. If the wise man’s words are followed, the number of ghouls that will appear there will be considerable.”

“Okay. Then see you later.”

After giving me her blessing, Veronica walked away with them.

Left alone, I held my staff lightly and closed my eyes.

So let’s go inside the door.

You can see dozens of doors connected to corridors and corridors that are so long that you can’t see the end.

A labyrinth where it is difficult to know which is real and which is a trap.

I entered the so-called labyrinth of death, but I wasn’t particularly worried.

– With my daughter… With my daughter…

Second drop, third drop, fourth drop.

A total of seven bells vibrate sequentially to create a clear sound.

When the mana that surged with a sense of exhilaration began to rise beyond my maximum level and reached its climax.

– The living. Do you think you can find answers in the questions death asks you?

I heard the voice of a woman who was so solemn.

The queen’s voice and that of Laurelia, leader of the Wings of Light tribe in the Elven Forest, sounded strangely like scratching a person’s temper.

but there was nothing wrong with that

This labyrinth is the labyrinth of the seven deaths that no one has ever conquered.

Because it was ‘arrogance’.

“Hmm.”

– Death is divided into thousands of ways, but it is a labyrinth that ends in one. Do you really want to be able to make the right choice?

The Labyrinth was mocking me.

He laughed at the living and said in an old-fashioned way that he would lead me to death here.

So I opened my mouth.

“Do you know why a sage is called a sage? It’s because every question in front of him has an answer. Whether it’s a raid or an event.”

– With my daughter!!

The soaring magic power spreads to the surroundings according to the sound of the bell.

The moment when the magic power that far exceeded my maximum level with the special effect of the rainbow wand engulfed this vast labyrinth in an instant.

I opened my eyes and opened my mouth.

“Either the most difficult labyrinth.”

-…Try it. dear Conquer and trample the labyrinth of death that no one has conquered. One failure…

Walking towards the door that emitted a soft blue light among dozens of doors, I effortlessly avoided several traps on the floor and grabbed the doorknob.

“All of you seven sisters, who have not been conquered by anyone until now, will all succumb to the sage’s technique and turn it into a female labyrinth that only wails.”

-…..If you can, as much as you can.

“Ha ha ha! Can that arrogance continue?”

I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it.

An ordinary person is filled with strong hostility and malice that would make them faint just by facing them.

Faced with the hostility of the labyrinth that hates me, hates me, and despises me, I snort.

No matter how strong it is, the ill feelings of others.

It cannot penetrate the walls of the heart.

“This one.”

-…What?!

I threw a sneer at the frightened labyrinth again and made fun of my steps.

“Be prepared to rant.”