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Chapter 76:

However, the horse hooves were not part of the plan.

‘Hesabel, is there anything else besides trolls in the valley?’

Though it was a minor trace, Isaac didn’t overlook it.

[Hmm, I’m not sure. But I do sense a strong curse.]

A curse.

Isaac remembered the last words of the prophet of the red flesh. After all, it was unlikely for the celestial being to be banished without leaving behind a curse. Yet, he hadn’t truly encountered the real curse until now.

‘Hesabel’s ability is somewhat lacking.’

Unlike Isaac, who could share senses with entities he controlled through his ‘rate in the Wall’ ability, Hesabel could only give directional commands to the trolls, akin to herding sheep. Even this control was shallow, becoming ineffective once the trolls got too excited.

“Paladin?”

When Isaac continued to inspect the ground without entering the valley, one knight called out in confusion. Sensing no time to waste, Isaac proceeded forward.

‘Hesabel, report any anomalies immediately. There’s something in this valley.’

[Affirmative.]

Isaac drew his sword and entered the valley, the warm heat from the Key of Luadin spreading around him. As he suppressed the sword’s heat, its crimson glow quickly subdued to a dark blue.

While the Key of Luadin’s heat was useful, it wasn’t necessary to draw attention to it.

Boom, bang! Loud noises came from deep within the valley. Despite facing holy knights, the prolonged noise suggested Hesabel was managing to control the situation quite well.

“This damn…”

Not long after, Isaac came across a holy knight swearing as he was stuck in mud. The knight quickly shut his mouth and made the sign of the cross upon seeing Isaac. It was unusual for a dignified holy knight to curse, indicating his frustration.

“It’s difficult to deal with trolls in the forest.”

Isaac offered his hand to the knight, who grasped it and pulled himself out of the mud, muttering excuses.

“These cunning creatures. They keep throwing stones or logs from atop the valley, driving me to fury… I should have brought a bow.”

“Isn’t there another holy knight with you?”

“He went ahead to track them.”

Even for a holy knight of the Codex of Light, facing multiple trolls in the forest could be challenging, suggesting either overconfidence or recklessness.

Isaac, along with the holy knight, ventured deeper into the valley.

Eventually, they discovered something. Parts of a troll – arms, legs, and a head – cleanly cut.

“There are scorch marks on the cuts.”

The knight examined them, indicating the holy knight ahead was capable. Despite Hesabel’s cunning attacks, the trolls had fallen to someone skilled.

But the trail of battle didn’t end there.

Suddenly, Hesabel communicated her intent.

[Isaac, several trolls have been disconnected simultaneously.]

An anomaly had occurred.

‘Not by the holy knight?’

[No, he didn’t have the skill for that. And it’s not that they died… It felt like someone took control away from them.]

Isaac felt the odd sensation he had upon entering the valley materialize into reality. Something was indeed happening here. Then, the surrounding branches quivered.

Whoosh.

An uncomfortably warm breeze flowed from deeper within the valley, carrying a pungent scent of blood. The nearby holy knight widened his eyes and tightened his grip on his sword.

It was an ominous presence anyone could feel.

Soon, the source of the blood scent revealed itself. The valley water, now tainted red, began to flow down.

As Isaac and the holy knight ascended the valley, the blood became denser. It could have been the holy knight’s, but more disturbingly, this didn’t seem like the blood of just one person.

‘Where does this valley lead?’

Recalling the geography as they hurried up the valley, Isaac had no prior opportunity to study Hendrake’s domain in detail, but he had acquired some information upon claiming it as a sanctified area. The primary source of income for Hendrake’s domain was mining. However, he had heard that after a brief period of prosperity, some veins had been depleted, leading to abandoned mines.

Isaac thought of this as he stopped at the entrance of a large cave.

Red water flowed from the cave, likely the source of the valley’s stream. It appeared the holy knight had entered this cave. Observing the surrounding ores and debris, Isaac deduced the cave was connected to one of the abandoned mines.

“Could the trolls have gone inside?”

The anxious murmur of the holy knight received a silent nod from Isaac. The disconnection Hesabel reported about the trolls was near this location. Isaac stepped into the cave, immediately noticing the thickening scent of blood.

Thud.

Someone was walking out from deep within the cave. It was a holy knight.

The knight’s armor, stained with blood, glinted in the dim light of the cave. Without a word, he gestured for them to follow. His gauntlet clinked. The holy knight beside Isaac rushed forward, but Isaac stopped him. Instead, he raised his sword, igniting the Key of Ruadhin’s warmth.

A bright light filled the area along with intense heat.

“Damn it…”

The nearby holy knight muttered a curse. The fully revealed holy knight’s helmet was completely crushed. It was hard to believe he was still alive. Suddenly, the knight’s body jerked as if controlled by something. Realizing something was gripping his neck, Isaac quickly pushed the accompanying knight aside.

Bang! The dead holy knight’s body disappeared into the darkness, then was thrown out of the cave.

Boom! Simultaneously, the sound of hooves and a massive figure emerged from the cave.

A vile scent of blood, a murderous aura, and a coldness that dispelled the warmth of spring filled the air.

A knight in blood-red armor, growling like a beast, appeared.

“So, you’ve finally fallen into my maw!”

The blood knight’s mouth opened wide, revealing a mouthful of fangs.

[Blood Knight (A)]

[Guardian of the Banquet Hall. Appeared in this land due to the curse left by the prophet of the red flesh. Suffers from an insatiable hunger due to the curse.]

Isaac recognized the creature’s identity through his Eyes of Chaos.

‘The real curse.’

The curse Isaac had previously bragged about from the prophet of the red flesh was truly lingering in this land.

A Blood Knight, a guardian of the ‘Banquet Hall,’ reputed as the Red Chalice Club’s paradise. They always hungered for the lavish and sweet food visible but out of reach, satiating themselves with the flesh and blood of intruders instead.

This was no ordinary monster.

However, Isaac smirked, thinking this was actually a good opportunity. An unforeseen curse, better dealt with here and now.

Isaac identified the steed the creature rode.

‘A Phantom Steed?’

It was the Phantom Steed that Owen had been riding. It seemed to have been acquired through cooperation with the Immortal Order by the Prophet of Red Flesh, possibly used as a catalyst for a curse.

The Blood Knight’s lower half was fused with the Phantom Steed, with blood drying on the bones of the Phantom Steed, forming a sort of skin. Originally, the Phantom Steed had no legs, but, perhaps to the Blood Knight’s liking, it now had six.

Thudding sounds echoed as the Blood Knight charged again with the fierce noise of hooves. Its spiked whip tore through the air towards Isaac. Isaac quickly dodged, sensing a similar energy to the thorn vines created by the Prophet of Red Flesh in the spiked whip.

However, a paladin behind him, instead of dodging, quickly enhanced his armor’s defensive power with the energy of miracles. It was a move made in faith of the heavy armor’s defense, intending to retaliate by pulling the Blood Knight down from his mount the moment the whip entangled his arm.

But the Blood Knight possessed strength beyond the paladin’s expectation.

“Ugh!”

With the whip coiled around the paladin’s arm, the Blood Knight charged past, dragging the paladin over the rough rocky valley floor, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle.

The shock caused the miraculous power in the armor to weaken rapidly. Isaac looked for an opening, lowering his stance.

“Is it because of the Phantom Steed?”

Even in the game, the Blood Knight was strong enough to take on about two or three paladin units, but it wasn’t so overwhelmingly dominant. Yet, the Blood Knight dragged the paladin around, throwing him here and there in the valley before charging at Isaac again.

“I’ll chew you up!”

“Such a cliché taunt.”

The Blood Knight swung the paladin at Isaac like a club. Even Isaac, protected by miracles, couldn’t cut through a paladin whole.

Nor did he want to.

With a crash, Isaac caught the paladin and activated the color beyond. Dark ink-like darkness flowed from the gaps in Isaac’s armor, dyeing the surroundings black.

As Isaac’s silhouette blurred and disappeared into the darkness, the Blood Knight felt the weight of the whip disappear. The paladin was no longer dangling from the whip. Darkness engulfed the Blood Knight.

“I’m hungry, so hungry, I’ll die of starvation!”

“Give me flesh… your flesh!”

Irritating hallucinations filled the Blood Knight’s ears. However, as a sentinel of the banquet, he was immune to mental disturbances.

“Evil spirits, begone!”

With a thud, the darkness was expelled from the Blood Knight.

But Isaac was already gone.

***

At that moment, Isaac stood at the entrance of the valley, where he had dragged the paladin in. Delia and her knights, arriving late, were shocked by the scene inside the valley.

“Sir, Paladin!”

Delia was surprised to find the scattered dark shadows and the color beyond around the Blood Knight.

“That’s it! The curse of the angel I saw is that!”

Although it wasn’t Isaac’s intention, it seemed he had successfully framed it quite convincingly. Isaac tossed the paladin towards Delia, who hurriedly caught him. The paladin was in bad shape but still alive.

“Take him and retreat first. We need the help of the bishop and other knights.”

“I can fight too…”

“This opponent is too much even for me. Please hurry.”

Delia was shocked at the admission that even a Holy Knight who had defeated an angel found it challenging. She alternated her gaze between the Blood Knight, who dyed the valley red, and the battered paladin, realizing this was not her fight.

She had learned swordsmanship, but her skills were meant for fighting people, not monsters.

Delia and her men quickly retreated.

The Blood Knight, watching the retreating men, remained still.

“Are you confident you can catch them if they run, or am I your target?”

The Blood Knight growled, eyeing Isaac. He was summoned through the curse of the Prophet of Red Flesh. Targeting Isaac was natural.

Isaac stared back at the Blood Knight. His admission of difficulty was not a lie. If it came down to pure swordsmanship, the Blood Knight could overpower Isaac with his strength and abilities.

However, Isaac had never defeated a stronger opponent with just swordsmanship.

Isaac sheathed his sword.

“What are you doing?”

The Blood Knight was not a mindless monster.

He did not whip the unarmed Isaac, not out of chivalry but because he was unsure of Isaac’s intentions.

“Nothing much.”

Isaac extended his hand towards the Blood Knight, making a motion as if grabbing something.

“Just wanted to check out a new ability.”