Chapter 450 - The Unlucky Night of the Twin Blood Moons
"It's nothing major, just some bad luck," Oara said. She had entered the demonic domain dozens of times already—always alone.
At first, she merely took down monsters near the entrance. Later, she ventured further, seeking ways to eliminate the demonic domain itself. In the end, she formulated theories and delved even deeper.
During one of these expeditions, Oara encountered a peculiar monster—a ghoul with deadly poison on its claws. The moment she laid eyes on it, her knightly instincts warned her: this was no ordinary foe. Moreover, it served as evidence to support her hypothesis.
What was the demonic domain, really? It could be likened to a colony. And in a colony, killing the leader often caused the entire system to collapse. So what about the demonic domain?
"It's the same principle. This one isn't even that big of a demonic domain, but it's been here for over fifty years," she explained.
Her words, tied to the nature of poison, carried on, while Enkrid listened quietly. Oara wasn't a scholar, but she had dedicated her life as a knight to eradicating the grey forest demonic domain before her. Problems she couldn't solve with reason or intuition? She resolved them by throwing herself headfirst into the fray.
"Don't know the answer? Then go in, see it for yourself, and find out," she thought. It was a method that required brute strength beyond the norm—but Oara managed it.
And that's how she came to understand: "It's a generational shift."
While she couldn't explain the mechanism, one thing was clear: the core of the demonic domain changes. Oara determined that the ghoul was the next core meant to sustain the labyrinth. If this were a colony, the ghoul was the leader.
After a few clashes with the creature, she discerned its extraordinary power, speed, and intelligence. She had no idea what the previous core was, nor did she care. To Oara, only one fact mattered: if she could kill this evolved ghoul, the demonic domain would lose its power. No monster more dangerous than that ghoul would emerge, and the remaining ones could be cleared out over time.
In the end, there would be no need for knights. Roman, her chosen successor, would handle the rest. Oara had already decided to stake her life, if necessary, to erase the demonic domain's core. This resolve, her unwavering belief, was her driving force.
For once, her expression brightened. A peculiar energy, her Will, flowed through her body. It was strange, but talking to the man before her sparked a surge of determination. It reminded her of the omnipotence she felt when she first became a knight.
"Is it incurable?" Enkrid asked, grasping the heart of the matter. Meanwhile, arrows rained down again on the darkened land.
"Oara!"
The soldiers shouted in unison, their war cries echoing. Protected by the fortress walls, squires and junior knights stood at the gate, ready to strike down any approaching monsters.
Oara responded to Enkrid's question with a laugh, giving him a hearty slap on the back.
"Hey, do I look like I'm dying? We're working on a cure, so don't worry about it. And I'm fine for at least another ten years, alright?"
Her casual assurance didn't sound like a lie. Though poisoned by the ghoul's claws, she had managed to keep going into the demonic domain repeatedly. She had even fought the ghoul two more times, mixing the poisons further into her system. Holy magic and renowned alchemical remedies had been tried, yet no solution had been found so far. Holy magic wasn't omnipotent, after all.
"Man, your back muscles are insane," Oara remarked, flexing her hand. The sensation of Enkrid's firm muscles lingered on her palm—a surprisingly pleasant feeling.
"Sometimes, there are days like this," she said. And today was one of them: a day when troublesome monsters suddenly swarmed. The demonic domain's movements were unpredictable.
"Those spider bastards," she muttered, her eyes glowing white as her Will sharpened her senses to pierce through the darkness.
A pack of giant spiders lunged at the squires and junior knights. Their enormous bodies threatened to engulf the humans.
"Don't mess with me!"
Before they could strike, Oliver smashed his mace into one of their heads. The spider's skull shattered, spilling thick black ichor.
"Dunbakel."
Enkrid called for Dunbakel, who reluctantly shuffled over, dragging her feet like someone who wanted to be anywhere but here. For days, she had been whining about going back, so her slow response was hardly surprising.
When Rem threatened to cut her ankles if she dragged her feet again, Dunbakel's pace quickened noticeably.
A crow cawed incessantly overhead, while in the demonic domain, the eerie hoot of an owl echoed repeatedly.
"Do you see them?" Enkrid asked.
"Somewhat," Dunbakel replied. Beastkin had excellent night vision. Though Enkrid's training allowed him to see objects in the dark to some extent, he wasn't as precise as her.
"They're holding them off in front of the walls," Dunbakel added.
The screeches of the spider monsters resounded again. The soldiers fought under the dim light of a few torches, their shadows stretching long into the demonic domain.
The four squires and two junior knights stood firm, breaking and smashing the incoming spiders. Their defenses seemed impenetrable. Roman, a cornerstone of their formation, radiated an almost overwhelming energy.
"Die with a smile on your face!" he shouted spiritedly.
It appeared there was no danger, yet Enkrid's instincts screamed otherwise. His skin prickled as though warning him of something unseen.
Why? He didn't know.
Even Oara, who had survived countless life-or-death battles, sensed the change in the air.
"Is it a twin blood moon?" she wondered aloud.
Rarely, the two moons turned crimson at the same time—a phenomenon called "Darpina." It was said to be the time when the god of death descended upon the land, and the god of monsters peered into the world.
In other words, it was a day when bad things happened.
"Bring me my armor," Oara ordered. Two soldiers brought her armor—a chestplate reinforced with steel and leather. As she donned it, a strange noise from within the fortress caught Enkrid's ear—a discordant sound amidst the twang of bowstrings and shouted commands. It sounded like an argument.
"I'll go ahead," Enkrid said, descending the stairs. At the partially open gate, he saw two men arguing.
"Let me out!"
"Don't be stupid. You'll die if you go out there."
"I don't care! I'd rather die!"
One of them, a soldier, shouted desperately, but Millio, guarding the gate, refused to budge.
"Don't be an idiot."
"Damn it, Millio! Rowena went out on patrol and hasn't come back!"
The soldier's voice cracked, bordering on a sob. Millio hesitated, knowing Rowena and this man were the most famous couple in the city—a flower that had bloomed in the dark shadow of the demonic domain.
Millio also knew one more thing: these two would lay down their lives for each other without hesitation.
But letting him out wasn't an option. Rowena was capable, likely alive.
"Trust her and wait. Rowena's tougher than you think."
"It's already past time to return."
Millio knew he couldn't defeat this man. The subordinates of a loyal friend silently stood behind him.
"Are all of you planning to go together?"
"To cheer for the squad leader's love, of course."
A soldier standing directly behind answered. He was someone who had killed two of the lackeys of a tyrannical lord back in his territory before making it here.
Now, he was a proud soldier of Thousand Stone.
It was madness. Utter madness, but Millio stepped aside.
"The knights are already holding off the front. Take the left flank to bypass them."
"We know."
The soldiers slipped out of the castle gate.
"Oi!"
Millio suddenly shouted, and the soldiers on the walls stomped their feet in response.
"Oi!"
"I'll die laughing!"
The rallying cries tore through the night sky.
The Screaming Spider was only one type of spider monster.
There were others—armor spiders, web-shooting spiders, and so on.
Yet none of them could breach the barrier constructed by the knights twenty paces before the castle gate.
To make matters worse for the monsters, another figure joined the fray.
"Hey, let's play together!"
It was Oara. She slid down the castle wall as if it were a performance, landing seamlessly before merging into her squad.
Even descending the wall like that was a feat of skill.
Now she moved nimbly among the monsters.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Drawing her longsword, she charged straight ahead, her movements shifting fluidly as she cut her way forward.
Her blade flowed like a stream of water slicing through darkness—a seamless, continuous motion forming elegant curves.
Armor spiders, giant spiders—none could resist her strikes. Anything that touched her blade was severed, whether it was flesh, heads, or carapace.
It was clear just from observing her: if the monsters approached one by one, she could kill them all on her own.
At times, even a glance from her froze the monsters in their tracks.
It must have been the overwhelming pressure, a chilling effect even Enkrid had experienced before.
Oara was just warming up.
Nearby, a short-haired woman with white, glowing eyes commanded her formation.
"Poison! Evasive maneuvers!"
Peering through the darkness, she directed her soldiers, splitting four squires into pairs to cover both flanks.
Splat!
A blob of black slime landed where they had been moments ago. A spider capable of spitting poison had aimed at them.
"Tch."
The short-haired woman's hand moved, and a throwing knife followed her motion. It pierced the poison-spitting spider's head with precision.
"Damned spider bastards."
Roman, a man wielding a massive greatsword, broke formation briefly. Advancing alone, he swung his weapon.
Boom! Boom!
The armored bodies of six spiders were crushed under his overwhelming strikes, their dark fluids splattering across the ground.
Meanwhile, a soldier under Rowena stepped forward.
"Hey!"
Oliver, wielding a mace on the far left flank, shouted as he saw this.
"I'm coming too!"
Enkrid followed immediately, with Rem and the others trailing behind. The soldier under Rowena's command looked on, almost tearful.
"Are you an angel?"
"Shut up. If you don't move, I'll throw you back myself."
The soldier swallowed his words at Enkrid's calm warning. They planned to scout only a small area.
If they could just hold out until dawn, perhaps they could endure.
Twin moons cast an ominous red glow from behind the clouds.
Enkrid turned back briefly to see Millio leading a small detachment outside.
A knight could cut down hundreds, but they were still just one body. While one fought, a hundred others could act elsewhere.
The squires, junior knights, and soldiers filling those gaps were essential.
As he turned forward again, Enkrid's instincts flared.
"Block it!"
Before he could fully grasp what was happening, Oara's shout echoed.
Then came a sharp noise—ti-di-di-di-di-ding!—as objects rained down from above.
Enkrid sensed the monsters' attacks through the wind and sound: arrows. But he couldn't see them clearly. The darkness obscured everything like a veil, and the twin moons, hidden by clouds, provided no assistance.
Dunbakel's pupils dilated, expanding into her eyes as she caught the light. She could see them—white arrows, seemingly spun from silk, filling the sky like dozens of falling meteors.
Dunbakel instinctively drew her curved blades and crossed them above her head. Blocking, deflecting, and evading, she fended off the arrows.
"Watch your head."
Rem reacted as well, pulling down the head of a nearby soldier before swinging his axe. Enkrid reflexively raised his shield.
Thunk! Thunk!
The arrows struck his shield with weight rather than sharpness, glancing off. They weren't particularly pointed but carried a heaviness that Enkrid could feel.
Kneeling with his shield raised, he easily fended off the volley.
But the rain of arrows didn't stop.
While squires, junior knights, and knights could withstand such an attack, ordinary soldiers couldn't.
Those fighting alongside Rem, Dunbakel, and Lagarne could manage, as could the troops on the walls using them as shields.
But what about those who risked their lives to close the gaps?
"Millio!"
Enkrid shouted in warning.
He saw one of the white arrows fired by the monsters strike Millio's head.
Crack!
Millio had thrown himself to protect a subordinate. His helmet caved in, his eye burst out, and blood sprayed as his skull fractured.
Not all arrows carried equal power. Some were devastatingly lethal.
The monsters were clever. Instead of targeting those they couldn't harm, they focused on weaker soldiers.
"These damn bastards!"
Someone cursed aloud, voicing what everyone felt.
Millio had been one of the kindest, most accommodating people during Enkrid's time here. Losing him hurt deeply.
But it wasn't over.
From the monster horde, a tall pole emerged.
A person was tied to it, with a blue stone—likely a firestone—fastened to its top.
Its pale, blue light mixed with the darkness, illuminating the bound captive.
"Rowena!"
One of the soldiers shouted.
Even monsters were taking hostages now.
Enkrid instinctively knew this wave wasn't like the others.
But should they stop here? Should they freeze in fear?
"Rem, Dunbakel, left flank."
While others hesitated, Enkrid crouched low.
Darkness, firestones, hostages—none of it mattered if they didn't move.
In battle, you fought.
"Damn it," Dunbakel muttered, moving.
Rem was already crouching low and advancing.
-------------------------
In order to get more chapters in advance head over to my ko-fi!
www.ko-fi.com/samowek
Please support my work ;)