I Became a Dark Knight in the Game

10 – Sudden Death of the Demon (1)

“But why make us wait for 30 minutes? Weren’t we originally going to storm in together and overwhelm them with numbers?”

“That was the initial plan.”

Kriel stared at the approaching main gate of the mountain monastery. He could feel a dark and murky aura swirling inside the monastery. It felt like if he opened the door to his soul and accepted the power of the Abyss, celestial vitality would surge through his body.

‘Celestial, my foot. More like a mental asylum.’

Kriel laughed off the physical urge.

“The state of the monastery’s interior is unusual. The erosion by the Abyss seems to have progressed significantly.”

“Erosion by the Abyss. You mean it’s been transformed into an Otherworld?”

An Otherworld where different laws of nature applied. If a powerful supernatural ability saturated a limited space beyond a certain threshold, it would transform into an Otherworld.

Of course, not all Otherworlds were created by the Abyss. Independent Otherworlds like the Dragon’s Nest or the Fairyland (妖精鄕) where fairies gathered could also be found.

However, in this era, the power that could most easily cause an Otherworld transformation was undoubtedly the Abyss. An Otherworld created by the Abyss was called ‘Naraku.’

“Blindly sending many people into Naraku is a bad strategy. Although everyone is a saint and won’t be deceived by the illusions shown by the Abyss, the culprit might escape while we wander in Naraku.”

Morgina’s eyebrows twitched. Kriel had essentially declared that he would ensure the saints wouldn’t wander in Naraku for 30 minutes.

“So, you were planning to destroy the core of Naraku by yourself?”

“I’ve done similar things a few times. Weren’t you by my side then?”

In the Western Army, Morgina had teamed up with Kriel several times. When the army was isolated in an Otherworld trap prepared by the ancient dwarves’ automatons, Kriel had gone alone and beheaded the mechanical general.

“You madman obsessed with chivalry…”

“This isn’t chivalry, it’s called rational division of roles. What can I do if I’m the best at finding traces of the abyss?”

In fact, Kriele judged that this abyss exploration wasn’t that dangerous. The holy power of the monastery was well concealing the presence of the abyss. In other words, the presence of the abyss was so faint that it could be hidden with just the blessing of the monastery, without any special relics.

Ignoring the attacking monsters and running to find the core of the abyss would be enough in 30 minutes.

As Kriele pondered how to find the core of the abyss faster, he felt the horn knife at his waist vibrating. As soon as he drew the blade, Orisin spoke.

[Even I think it’s a bit crazy to run into the abyss alone.]

For the first time, Morgina thought that the horse head was making sense.

*

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of a heavy round door knocker being grasped and knocked. There was no answer from inside.

Kriele grabbed the knocker again and knocked as if pressing down.

Then, a presence was felt from inside.

“Who is it?”

Morgina’s gaze turned to Kriele. Kriele tried to convey his intention with his mouth, but then realized that his helmet covered most of his face, so he just raised his index finger to signal silence.

“I am a wandering priest of Eve Kaha, who covers the eyes of the dead with raven wings. I stopped by to borrow a roof for a while.”

The voice beyond the door fell silent for a moment.

“Go back. Our monastery is currently sealed off. It is a special period for offering prayers with the purest heart. To maintain purity, we have prohibited contact with the outside, so we apologize to the guest.”

Kriele thought for a moment. Beyond the door, the disgusting presence of the abyss was wriggling. Although it was answering like a pure priest now, the being making that voice was not a priest, but a monster of the abyss that had devoured the priest’s memory.

Tap. Tap tap.

Morgina tapped Kriele with her finger. She was already holding a mace wrapped in red haze.

Kriele nodded with a sigh.

*

“What the?!”

Satranak was horrified to see the duo of a man and a woman suddenly breaking down the door and storming in. The corpse that had been controlled by Satranak until just now had its face smashed by the following mace strike, severing the connection.

The door of the monastery was protected by a powerful spell.

The words he recited while controlling the priest’s corpse were half true. He had set up a barrier using the holy art employed during the special period to prevent intrusion into the monastery.

However, those two wandering priests ignored the barrier and stormed in, smashing the corpse without hesitation.

It was a corpse that the demon had personally controlled. It couldn’t be distinguished from the living by ordinary means.

‘Then…!’

His existence had been discovered. Satranak felt deep dismay. Had some of his worshippers betrayed him?

Satranyak suppressed the creeping confusion. His master had bestowed upon him an excessive grace, allowing him to occupy this monastery and turn it into a realm of the abyss.

The endless darkness of the abyss would blind their eyes, and the space, larger than reality, would tire their steps.

If they were truly saints approaching to kill him, they could drive out the darkness of the abyss with their holy power. They would pierce through the abyss and reach the deepest part to destroy the core.

But it would take a long time for that to happen.

Satranyak snapped his fingers. The corpses of the priests were imbued with the demonic energy of the abyss. Though they were a hastily assembled force of mostly monsters, with few demons or beasts, the environment of the abyss would be enough to hinder the saints.

Having completed the minimal emergency measures, he looked at the mummified corpse with a blade embedded in it. There was still time before the demonic soldier fully absorbed the soul of the corpse.

The thin blade was rising, recovering its sharpness. Judging by the speed, it would take about five minutes.

‘There are only two saints who have arrived now. It’s an absurdly insufficient number to escape the abyss in five minutes.’

Satranyak believed that investing five minutes in that soul was worth it.

It was a gamble, but an extremely high-stakes gamble. Even if they were given fifty minutes, it would be difficult for just two people to conquer the abyss.

*

“Receive the blessing of Eve Kaha!”

Morgina’s mace crushed the skull of the approaching undead. To think I stepped forward as a champion of trial by combat to protect something like that.

The red-glowing mace was a unique holy technique of the Eve Kaha Order. It was a skill that recreated a weapon by adding holy power to one’s own blood.

If you ask why there were no champions in the Eve Kaha Order at the moment, look up and see Morgina. How could someone who drums on skulls with a mace in each hand be called a saint?

“Where to next?”

Regardless of Morgina’s personal character, her abilities were truly outstanding. If I had to fight the abyssal monsters, I would have been struggling for a long time by now.

In terms of destructive power, I was superior to Morgina, but this was a matter of compatibility.

The abyss would regenerate persistently unless it was destroyed by the same abyssal power – specifically, a power equal to or greater than itself – or by holy power. Although there was a limit to regeneration, breaking through that limit was also a task.

The reason I initially planned to head straight for the core without worrying about other abyssal monsters was because of this.

Using a skill exclusive to dark knights, it was easy to defeat monsters, not demons, but it was enough to activate it just once in front of the core of the abyss.

However, with a saint who could use holy power as freely as water, there was no need to avoid combat with monsters. If Morgina smashed them with her mace, why bother?

After confirming that all the monsters were definitely down, I focused my senses on the abyss. Ignoring the now familiar temptations, I probed the presence of the abyss.

I could feel the core of the abyss pulsating beyond the darkness.

“First, let’s go to the left corner. All five crossroads that come next are traps.”

“Then?”

I drew my sword. Thanks to Morgina, I had advanced comfortably so far, but it was time to start working.

“We need to go down. It’s faster to break through.”

*

The blade in Kriel’s hand did not flicker with a red aura like Morgina’s mace. What he was about to use was pure fighting spirit.

A ghastly glow, reminiscent of bare bones, gathered on the blade. The light concentrated on the blade seemed to absorb even the last remnants of light in the abyss, rather than illuminating the surroundings.

Kriel, holding the greatsword in a reverse grip, aimed the white-tinted tip at the bottom of the abyss.

And then he struck down.

From the tip of the blade to the root. The entire blade pierced through the abyss in an instant. From the spot where the blade had dug in, a thick darkness, like blood, gushed out. Kriel readjusted his grip on the sword and lifted it as if performing an upward slash.

A massive crack was etched into the abyss. Without hesitation, Kriel threw himself into the shapeless, flickering darkness.