The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 138

EP.138 The Mad Goblins

Lamia Dungeon’s deputy, Stia, couldn’t hide her shock as she faced the advancing undead army.

“W-why is there a Death Knight here?”

The information from the Association was completely off. They had been told that the dungeon’s master was an Arch Lich. Yet, here stood a Death Knight. In some ways, a Death Knight might be easier to handle than an Arch Lich, who could use corpse explosions. However, a Death Knight possessed the ‘Aura of Death,’ a trait that strengthened the undead army.

Moreover, it was well-known that those killed by a Death Knight would be reborn as ghouls, making them the worst kind of enemy, capable of resurrecting after death. In this sense, a Death Knight could be even more dangerous than an Arch Lich.

“We must inform Lady Arcane immediately!”

Her master, Arcane, needed to know this at once. With a Death Knight present, their current plan was useless. The only hope was that Lady Arcane had become a 5-star with the Association’s help. If they could regroup, they might stand a chance.

“Ugh…!”

Skeletons began firing arrows in unison. The barrage of arrows made it difficult to move.

“Defend yourselves! They’re just arrows!”

Stia reluctantly ordered a defensive stance. The scales of the Lamia race were tough, but a hit to the face could still be dangerous. Following Stia’s command, the Lamias coiled their bodies to shield their heads.

– Ting-ting. –

Arrows bounced off their scales and fell to the ground.

‘Is Lady Arcane safe?’

Even in this dire moment, Stia’s thoughts were solely on Arcane. To her, Arcane was everything. She would gladly give her life for her.

‘Lady Arcane….’

If not for Arcane, Stia wouldn’t be alive today. In the distant past, when Stia was not yet fully grown, she had nearly been killed by adventurers. Wounded and fleeing desperately, Arcane had appeared before her. Arcane had effortlessly defeated the adventurers chasing Stia.

The sight of Arcane standing over the bodies of the adventurers she had slain was awe-inspiring. Stia had been mesmerized for a long time. From that moment, the one who saved her became the absolute being she wanted to follow. Thus, Stia began serving Arcane as her master.

Over time, Stia became a loyal deputy. And now, she scanned her surroundings, trying to gauge the situation.

Stia wasn’t thinking of fleeing out of fear for her life. She was contemplating how to regroup with the main force and escape the dungeon. Despite the perilous situation, her thoughts were solely on her master, Arcane. Was it loyalty or obsession?

In the end, Stia issued an irrational command.

“Everyone, advance! We must buy time for our master!”

Even if it meant sacrificing twenty Lamia soldiers, they needed to stall for time. However, the sudden order left the Lamias hesitating.

“……”

No matter how loyal they were, risking their lives required a moment of contemplation. That brief hesitation proved fatal. The undead army seized the opportunity and attacked without delay. The terrified Lamia soldiers fought back fiercely, but the undead, bolstered by the Death Knight’s aura, were relentless.

Stia had to swing her tail desperately to shatter the skeleton knights. The sharp tail cleaved through the skeletons, but the undead surged forward like an unending tide. Instead of buying time, they found their retreat cut off.

“Graaah!”

The horrific cries of zombies and ghouls echoed through the dungeon. Despite her desperate resistance, most of the Lamia soldiers were being torn apart by the undead. The terror of the undead lay in their persistence; individually weak, but their relentless nature was overwhelming.

Soon, the stench of blood filled the dungeon.

“No…”

Stia staggered, trying to escape.

“I must… reach Lady Arcane…”

She attempted to push through the undead horde. However, a ghoul grabbed her tail.

“Ugh!”

She smashed the ghoul with her remaining strength, but it was futile. Dozens of ghouls swarmed her. Immobilized, a skeleton knight’s sword pierced her scales and flesh.

“Gah!”

Stia collapsed onto the cold floor. Blood pooled beneath her.

“Lady… Arcane.”

She saw the Death Knight, who had been standing still, slowly approaching. Gritting her teeth, Stia knew she had to warn her master, even if it cost her life. She crawled, bleeding, towards the exit.

As she inched forward, the Death Knight’s sword impaled her heart.

“Lady… Arcane.”

The cold blade withdrew, leaving Stia’s body convulsing. She felt her time slipping away. Yet, she summoned her last ounce of strength to call out her master’s name.

“Aah…”

She couldn’t die like this.

Even in death, Stia wanted to fulfill her purpose. But her body wouldn’t budge.

“Lady Arcane-”

Her vision grew dimmer, and her memories began to fade. The loyalty she once held for her master, Arcane, was also disappearing, along with her memories.

Just then, a terrifying transformation began to take place in Stia’s body. Dark energy enveloped her entire being. Her eyes turned black, and her body began to rot, with flesh falling off in chunks.

“Ar-”

A voice escaped Stia’s lips, but it was no longer hers. It was a hollow, deathly tone.

Ah, now even her master’s name was forgotten.

She had once sworn loyalty to someone, but she couldn’t remember who. Instead, her gaze fixed on the Death Knight before her, filled with a strong desire to obey.

“….”

Stia’s mind was already under the Death Knight’s control. She had fallen victim to the Death Knight’s skill, ‘Death’s Shadow’, which granted undead life to those who died at his hands.

Now, Stia’s master was no longer Arcane, but the Death Knight. Only his commands were absolute.

“Command me…”

The ghoul Stia struggled to her feet, her twisted smile a testament to her new allegiance.

“…My master.”

She bowed her head, her loyalty now solely dedicated to the Death Knight. The master she had once sworn to protect with her life was forgotten.

The Death Knight gazed at Stia with a cold, calculating gaze. The current situation was dire, with intruders in the dungeon.

“Just give me an order, and I’ll give my life.”

Stia, who had once been proud of her ability to handle tasks on her own, was now nothing more than a servant to the Death Knight.

The Death Knight handed Stia a pickaxe.

The current situation was dire, with intruders in the dungeon. The Death Knight needed more laborers to speed up the construction. If there weren’t enough workers, he would simply add more.

Soon, the fallen Lamias, now ghouls, began to rise from the ground. The Death Knight was satisfied.

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***

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Picha, a Lamia mage, walked down the middle path. As a high-ranking Lamia, she was a skilled magic user, known as a Lamia sorceress. With 36 Lamias following her, there was nothing to fear.

“……”

And the place she headed towards was filled with goblins. Picha deliberately slowed her pace, chanting incantations for her spell. Soon, the goblins appeared before her. The dungeon was teeming with countless goblins. Among them, she even spotted one wearing a crown.

‘Goblin Lord!?’

It was an unmistakable presence.

‘Why is the Goblin Lord here?’

This dungeon was supposed to be home to an Arch Lich. Seeing the Goblin Lord here left Picha bewildered. However, it changed nothing. Regardless of the opponent, Picha only needed to eliminate the goblins as per Arcane’s orders. She began casting the pre-memorized spells.

“Earth, be tainted with poison!”

With Picha’s incantation, green smoke billowed from her mouth. It was poisonous gas. The toxic mist spread through the air, enveloping the goblins. Victory seemed assured. Picha smiled triumphantly, but then something unexpected happened.

“Poison! Poison! Poison!”

At the shout of a Hobgoblin, all the goblins began to put on strange masks. The masks resembled bird beaks, and every goblin except the Goblin Lord wore one. For some reason, the Goblin Lord just smiled proudly.

“Krut! The time has been shortened! Excellent! It was worth the budget!”

Indeed, the masked goblins were unaffected by the poison. Picha’s face twisted in frustration as her carefully prepared spell failed.

“Damn it…!”

She couldn’t believe that mere goblins had neutralized her magic. It was infuriating. Her pride was so deeply wounded that her face turned red with anger.

“Insignificant creatures!”

But Picha wasn’t done yet. She chanted another spell. One failure was enough. Failing this mission would mean she couldn’t face Arcane. That was something she couldn’t bear.

“The earth shall be stained with death, rise up!”

As Picha’s voice echoed, the ground trembled and quaked. Countless spikes emerged from the earth, their tips laden with poison, like the touch of death. This time, the goblins couldn’t avoid it; those impaled by the spikes lost their lives.

‘This one works!’

While the poison mist had failed, this attack was effective. Picha cast the spell once more.

“The earth shall be stained with death, rise up!”

Again, spikes erupted from the ground. However, this time, the goblins didn’t remain passive.

“……!”

The goblins began to climb over the corpses of their fallen comrades to avoid the spikes. The Goblin Lord at the back wore a proud expression.

“That’s right! We must not waste the sacrifice of our fallen comrades!”

Picha’s second attack had also failed, and she scowled. How could mere goblins completely neutralize her magic? Even if the Goblin Lord gave the orders, it was unbelievable that all the goblins moved in such perfect unison!

But Picha didn’t give up. If this attack didn’t work, she would use another spell.

“By the power of the poison within me, cast a curse of death upon my enemies!”

As she chanted, a red glow emanated from her eyes. The aura of the curse took the shape of a serpent, paralyzing the goblins. This was the moment for the Lamias to strike.

But it was short-lived.

“The best shield is right next to you! Move as we trained! Krung!”

The goblins lifted their nearby comrades and used them as shields.

“What in the world…!”

The goblins used their own kind as shields to avoid the curse. Picha felt a fear greater than the fear of defeat—she was terrified by the goblins’ behavior.

No, it was more than fear. These goblins were insane. They weren’t just mad; they were showing a level of madness that involved using their comrades as shields.

“This place is insane…. Those, those monsters—”

The goblins, using their comrades as shields, continued to advance. Picha was horrified by the sight of these madness-driven goblins.