CHAPTER 18
Encounter.
Bright red blood splattered.
The severed head of a black beast rolled across the ground. I calmly lowered my head just as a white claw tore fiercely through the space where it had been moments before.
WREEEEEEEHHH!
I swung.
The violently spinning serrated blades shredded the clawed creature's head. Once again, blood and flesh splattered. The searing heat of my fully tensed muscles exhaled in heavy gasps.
An endless wave of beasts and monsters surged forward.
There was no time to breathe.
– KYAAAAARGH!
A monster resembling a black panther lunged. I swiftly swung the Butcher and turned it into a chunk of meat, paws and all. My once white priestly robe was now stained and soaked with filthy blood and bodily fluids, its original form lost.
I slaughtered the monsters and beasts mechanically. Relying only on faint moonlight in the dark night, I kept pressing forward.
As the lord had said, there were four places where divinity could be felt. I was heading toward the nearest one.
"Kill!!!"
In a brief lapse of thought, sharp teeth sank into my shoulder. I reached out with my left hand and crushed the head of the beast biting me with sheer grip strength. I could feel the mush of brain matter, blood, and flesh through my palm.
The bite marks in my shoulder slowly healed. Even as I recovered, I continued to swing the Butcher mechanically, steadily creating new lumps of meat.
"They must clearly know I'm coming, yet they show no intention of greeting me. Terrible hospitality, really."
"Kill!"
A warning from Mother—another attack from behind. I twisted my body to evade and swung the Butcher.
WREEEEEEEHHH!
Fluids sprayed. I wiped my face with my sleeve to clear my vision. Looking around, I noticed the makeup of the approaching monsters and beasts had shifted slightly.
The number of eye spiders was steadily increasing.
"If every day is like this, I might need to carry a bathtub instead of a washbasin."
"Kill!"
A scolding to focus instead of joking. I chuckled softly.
"As expected, you're the only one who truly worries about me, Mother..."
– KIIIIIEEEEEEEE!
A snow-white eye spider lunged violently. I slashed its raised foreclaw and drove the Butcher into its head, revving it up.
WREEEEEEEHHHH!
Ground from the inside of its skull, the eye spider couldn't even scream before it died.
Truly, a weapon as delightful and satisfying as this couldn't exist.
Having methodically cleared the monsters and followed the flow of divine energy, I was finally greeted by a place.
A massive cave. Shrouded in pitch-black darkness, the cave was immense, as if it were the home of a giant.
The beasts chasing me dared not follow once I stepped into the entrance.
– KIIIIIIIIIIEEE!
Save for one: the eye spiders. After another brawl with them, I finally had a moment to survey my surroundings.
"Hmm."
Though obscured by the flesh and fluids of the eye spiders I had slain, dark red bloodstains were clearly visible on the ground. The color was unmistakably different from the spiders'—it was human.
With the Butcher still in hand, I walked into the silent cave. Broken wooden fragments and debris littered the area.
The looted caravan had been empty because the monsters had taken everything.
Divine energy flickered not far ahead. Deep within the cave, a cultist of a wicked god was waiting for me to walk in on my own two feet.
"Such a sly invitation. I can see right through you—adorably transparent."
"Kill!"
"Don't worry, Mother. I'm not about to let my guard down."
Preparing for the battle ahead, I took a deep breath and walked slowly. The heat in my body began to cool in the chilling breeze.
Further in, I found silk-wrapped cocoons tangled in webs. Cutting them open, I revealed corpses sucked completely dry—so much so their gender couldn't be identified.
"If you're going to eat, you should clean up afterward. Decorating the cave with your finished meals... a sensibility I simply can't understand."
The number of cocoons increased the deeper I went. Just how many humans had they devoured? There were far too many cocoons for just three days' worth of feasting.
At the end of the tunnel, I was greeted by an enormous chamber. If the path I'd followed was sized for giants, then this chamber was large enough to house several of them.
Only the sound of my footsteps echoed in the silence. The divine energy pulsed above.
"Come out. I already know you're there."
As my quiet voice echoed through the chamber, the eye spiders' screams drowned it out.
– KIIIIIIEEEE!
– KIIIIIIEEEE!
– KIIIIIIEEEE!
Amid the skin-crawling chorus, it finally descended from the ceiling.
THUD!
Each of its legs was the size of a carriage, its snow-white torso the size of a moving building, and it had eight crimson eyes, each larger than a human head.
The Queen of the Eye Spiders revealed herself.
– KYAAAAAAAAARGH!
Her roar, like a woman's scream drowned in agony, filled the chamber.
Tension surged through me as I gripped the Butcher tighter.
"Kill!"
A warning from Mother: even the slightest carelessness could mean death.
That massive spider queen radiated divine energy from every inch of her talons. If not for that, my body could recover from any wound—but against divinely-infused injuries, I was as mortal as any human.
The threat of death. The fear of it gripped my throat. Amid that fear, I raised my left hand and whispered:
"Mother... carve the line."
A dark green light flowed through me, slithering rapidly across the cave floor. The divinity of Decay etched a line at the chamber's entrance—
A line the living cannot cross.
This ensured the divine power of decay wouldn't leak beyond the chamber. Nor would anything living.
Facing the spider queen, I quietly made a wish.
"I need your power... Mother of Decay."
As always, Mother answered my call. The air twisted, and a colossal giant erupted from the void, roaring.
– GUAAAH...
Unlike usual, the Giant of Decay stopped mid-roar and stared straight at me. I smiled awkwardly.
"Sorry about leaving you behind last time...?"
– GUAAAAAAAHHH!!!
Seemingly satisfied with my apology, the giant let out a triumphant roar at the spider queen. Simultaneously, glowing dark-green runes of Decay appeared across my skin.
I brought out everything I had. My heart pounded wildly. Though fear of death still coiled around my throat, it was nothing more than a small thrill.
"Mother. Tonight, I shall offer you the head of this man-eating spider."
"Kill!"
At the same time as my mother's answer — "Just don't get hurt" — the battle began.
GRAAAAAAAH!!!
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!
The Giant of Rot charged violently across the cavern toward the Queen of the Snow Spiders. The Spider Queen lifted a claw the size of a house and slammed it down onto the Giant's head. The claw crushed his skull and drove deep into his body. In return, the headless giant's fist smashed into the Queen's head.
KIIIIIIIIII!!!
The Spider Queen let out a scream of agony and began savagely slashing at the Giant's body. The shockwaves of their clash rippled across the cavern, knocking dozens of snow spiders off the walls and ceiling around me.
So this is why we hadn't seen a single spider on the way here — they were all gathered here.
VRRRRRRRRRRM!
The Butcher let out a harsh revving sound.
KIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!
KIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!
KIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!
Empowered by the runes of Rot, I launched myself into the swarm of spiders without hesitation. As the dried fluids on my body were drenched with new ones—fresh gore and ichor—I hacked away at the creatures.
All the while, I kept my eyes on the Giant and the Queen's brutal battle. Unfortunately, the Giant was clearly at a disadvantage. Eyeballing it, the Spider Queen was about twice his size. He fought valiantly, roaring, but was clearly being pushed back.
I had to help him.
But the relentless wave of spiders made it near impossible to get close to their Queen.
VRRRRRRRRRRM!
Another spider shredded beneath me. But this wasn't sustainable. If the Queen defeated the Giant and turned her focus on me, I would die for sure.
I made up my mind.
I funneled every ounce of divinity into my legs. The tattoos etched onto them glowed a vivid, dark green. I unleashed every ounce of strength I had, launching myself forward.
The rough air resistance smacked into my face. I soared—but just as quickly, I began to fall again.
KIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!
Dozens of gaping jaws lined with razor-sharp fangs awaited below. I gritted my teeth, stomped off a spider's head, and leapt once more. In that brief moment, their claws raked across my unprotected body, leaving deep, bloody gashes. The searing pain lit my brain on fire.
My body screamed to stop.
But I crushed that human instinct. I suppressed the desire to survive.
This body—I—could still keep going. I could go further.
BOOM!
After dozens of leaps, I finally escaped the accursed swarm of spiders. My body was ruined, but my mind was sharper than ever.
"Charge!!!"
GRAAAAAAAAAH!!!
The battered Giant of Rot abandoned all defense and lunged at the Queen.
KIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!
They collided violently, shaking the entire cavern. I leapt onto the Giant's back, my body filled to its limit with divinity. Running along his spine, I made it atop the writhing Queen.
I had only one target.
The boundary where her massive thorax met her abdomen.
VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRM!!!
The Butcher's blades spun more viciously than ever, as if they too understood.
"HAAAH!!!"
The saw teeth of the Butcher dug into the Queen's chitin, aiming to sever her waist.
KIIIIIIIIIIII!!!
Her massive body trembled beneath my feet. But I held firm, grinding and sawing relentlessly. Again and again. To cut her in half.
GRAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
The Giant clung to her, dragging her down with every ounce of strength.
And I? I swung like a machine.
THUNK.
At last, her abdomen gave way, splitting off under its own weight. Only her thorax remained. She let out a dying screech.
KIIIIIIII...
I had won. I had won.
Soaked in her ichor, I smiled in triumph. And then—
A woman emerged from the dead Queen's severed head. A striking beauty with flowing white hair and glowing red eyes, who screamed with fury:
"FUCK!!!"
I smiled calmly and replied,
"So you were human after all."
She bared her pristine teeth at me in a snarl.
"You bastard!!! What kind of half-breed freak just shows up outta nowhere and ruins everything?! You're no different from me, you damn heretic! You think I didn't work for this?! Do you have any idea how much effort it took to subjugate that Queen?! Do you?!"
I slowly walked toward her.
"What was your objective in surrounding Kelton?"
"Why the hell should I—KYAAAGH! THAT HURTS, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!"
A frost-forged blade had pierced her shoulder, emerging from its sheath as if on instinct. I smiled gently.
"What was your objective in surrounding Kelton?"
Her crimson eyes flared with rage as she glared at me.
"YOU PSYCHOPATH!!! FUCK!! IT HURTS! IT FUCKING HURTS!!!"
I slowly twisted the blade clockwise. Her shrill scream echoed through the cavern.
"What was your objective in surrounding Kelton?"
The third time. Tears welled in her eyes from the pain.
"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!!! I'LL NEVER TELL YOU! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!"
"Then goodbye."
"What?! Wai—"
SHLNK.
Her head fell, bouncing off the Queen's corpse and landing on the floor. I wiped the blood from my blade with a satisfied smile.
"As always, Mother, I do so love killing murderers. It's nice not having to feel guilty. I offer this woman's corpse to you. May you accept it gladly."
This white-haired cultist was barely more than half a person, with three and a half fingers. From her rotting body, a divine energy flowed into mine.
[Divinity: 5582]
"I'm already past halfway to my next power."
I chuckled to myself.
"Just thinking of the next cultist of the evil gods waiting for me... My heart races. I wonder... which one will finally tell me the truth behind all this?"
'Murder!'
"So, you said the third one? Then I'll bet on the fourth."
I sent the Giant of Rot back and left the cavern. Though night had not yet ended, bright flames lit the dark earth.
I stared in stunned disbelief.
"Well... they got us good."
The city I had left behind — Kelton — was blazing brightly in the darkness, engulfed in flames.