Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Ghoul Warlock
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A small silver bell attached to a short handle.
Grotesque and blasphemous patterns etched into its surface.
A powerful artifact brimming with an eerie aura.
And that artifact was clutched in a bony hand protruding from the wall.
“Th-that… a hand from the wall?”
One of the security team members muttered in disbelief, but that was just the beginning.
From the large red circle drawn on the wall, a figure slowly began to emerge.
“…You’re the one who ruined our plans.”
A small, dwarfish stature, a tattered cloak, and disheveled white hair hanging in strands.
His body covered in bizarre tattoos, and sinister green eyes glowing with malice.
Though it wore a human form, it exuded a horrific presence that made ghouls or zombies seem tame by comparison.
He leaned against the inner wall of the underground parking lot, glaring at me.
[System: ‘Enhanced Vigilance’ trait activates.]
The old man—no, the cult’s high priest—stood before the massive, hideous pattern, his eyes blazing with fury toward me.
A ragged leather robe like burlap sacking, disheveled white hair.
His body covered in bizarre tattoos, and ominous eyes glowing with a spectral green light.
Though human in appearance, this grotesque elder radiating murderous intent far beyond any ghoul or zombie shook the silver bell as he approached.
“To interfere with our order’s grand rite…”
“Order?”
“Yes! The master of all graves…”
The old man slowly raised his trembling arms, continuing in a phlegm-choked rasp that grated on the ears.
“The god of the ossuary, the greatest and most colossal ghoul, the ancestor of ghouls, and the Father of All Ghouls who bestowed his great flesh upon this lowly servant…”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
What the hell is this guy?
An NPC from the cult worshiping the [Father of All Ghouls]? I don’t remember any like that.
Judging by his status, level, the mana he held, and the artifact in his hand, he was at least a high-ranking officer, if not the cult leader.
Even completing the underground world guest quest chain from the current underground world sequential quests wouldn’t bring out some grandpa with that design.
A being outside the game’s lore? Or just an NPC I never encountered?
Countless questions arose, but asking them wouldn’t get answers.
The one who could answer wasn’t looking too well.
The old man holding the bell scratched furiously at his wrinkled forehead, rambling to himself.
“You came too soon, all of you. Just a little slower, and I could’ve summoned better kin… What a shame, such a shame. I could’ve turned this whole building into our temple, but not enough sacrifices, couldn’t gather more power… Regrettable… so regrettable…”
Kwak Dayong ground his teeth.
“Turn this into a cult temple…? You bastards…”
Interpreting the old man’s words his own way, Kwak Dayong raised his hammer and bellowed.
“You crazy old fart! Which company put you up to this homeless bullshit?!”
“Kekeke… Patron? Patron? The only one who can command us is our lord alone! By his revelation and decree, under the great leader’s guidance, we prepared the grand and holy rite—yes, the rite of the depths—to welcome the feast’s offering… But then these worthless trash not even fit as ghoul fodder… To obstruct the great plan ordained by the [Father of All Ghouls]…”
The old man in his burlap garb spewed his mad ravings without pause.
It was a first-time event, but not my first rodeo with this type.
Madmen… no, cultists who’d peered into the abyss and glimpsed the world’s truth.
They all acted like that. Hmm… Listening to this without a skip button is torture. I’d hit it if I could.
But before I could act, Kwak Dayong jumped in.
“Rite? Lord? What kinda dogshit is that?!”
Goading him right into a taunt, Kwak Dayong looked ready to charge with his hammer.
No, even if you rush in, it’s pointless…
[Telepathy]
『Team leader, not that. Let me handle it—you look after your men.』
“What? Oh… uh… got it.”
Startled by my voice beaming straight into his head, Kwak Dayong kept his guard up as he slowly backed away.
I patted his side and spoke slowly.
“Team leader Kwak Dayong, this grandpa isn’t some fixer here to tank apartment prices.”
“What? Then why the hell is he pulling this crazy stunt?”
“Religious conviction. No point talking to someone who won’t listen, and if you keep engaging, he’ll ramble on forever with his worldview… I mean, useless crap. Drop it.”
He probably had some bizarre, grandiose scheme incomprehensible to normal human thinking.
The deviation from the quest flow was likely due to the [Feast’s Offering] effect. One of the abyss’s denizens must’ve given the old coot a revelation.
****
[Feast’s Offering]: Increases probability of encountering abyssal beings, increases chance of drawing interest from abyssal beings, increases number of appearing monsters, increases elite monster spawn rate.
/ You are the feast prepared for the abyssal beings.
****
And if I stepped up, he’d probably show his true colors soon.
“Yeah, yeah, you.”
See that? His expression changed.
The old man pointed at me with his gaunt, yellowish hand—not the one holding the bell.
“The great, great Father of Ghouls has given revelation. The offering dragged from another world, the feast’s offering. Our lord desires you, you.”
Offering from another world?
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Kekeke… Against one who slew over a hundred kin and earned the butcher’s title, we can’t waste our poor kin… Become the burnt offering for the great, great descent, for the beautiful, beautiful time of ruin.”
Crazy. Words won’t work. Should’ve preemptively blasted him instead of wasting time on his nonsense.
The old man—a cultist of the ghoul order, a ghoul warlock who commands ghouls, or houngan—slowly retreated while shaking the silver bell in his grip.
Ding-a-ling—.
A sinister green mist carrying ominous mana began swirling around the old man’s body.
“Ah, damn it. He’s transforming! Stop him!”
“What? Transforming?”
I said it to Kwak Dayong, but the idiot didn’t get it and flailed. Ah, damn! The fastest spell I can cast right now is…
[Arrow of Ruin]
Tzzzzz… Bang!
Mana from another dimension shot out in a grotesque burst of color.
I poured mana into the flying magic bullet, adding new properties, direction, and destructive power.
[Spell Enhancement: Multiple Cast]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximize]
Tzzzzzzchachachach!!
Accepting the new will and mana, the bullet split in midair, scattering like shotgun pellets over a wide area.
Kaboomboomboomboom!!
But it was too late. I sensed it before the impact explosion even sounded.
The old man had already evaded the blast radius at lightning speed.
“He’s gone!”
“What the—where?!”
Chaotic shouts erupted from the security team.
Lights swept wildly as they searched for the vanished old man.
But all that appeared were bizarre wall paintings, scattered ghoul corpses, and mangled human remains.
Ah, seriously. Aren’t these guys hired for their skills? Is this really all they’ve got?
“Over there! [Fireball]!”
Fwooooosh!!
Mana surging from my body condensed into a massive sphere of roaring red flames. A searing inferno blazing fiercely.
The fireball streaked through the underground parking lot’s darkness without hesitation, its crimson blaze banishing the damp shadows and revealing the old man lurking within.
But before the flames could hit, two ghouls leaped from the darkness…
- Kieeeek!!
- Krkekekeek!!
Kaaaaboom!!
The fireball flew true, but the two ghouls threw themselves in the way, detonating it harmlessly in midair.
“Krahahahaha! Did you see, did you see? The father’s children throw themselves like kindling to protect the voice of the great ossuary!”
Damn, cheap chants and crude mana, but his faith and that artifact are real.
In response to his wish… a great being dwelling in the abyss’s depths grants him new power.
[Father of All Ghouls].
“Grrrrrr…”
His wrinkled face, like ancient tree bark, twisted grotesquely.
His snout elongated, massive fangs sprouting.
And the sticky green mist enveloping his body.
It writhed like tangible ropes or a cloak, coiling around him.
“Wha—he’s turning into a monster!”
Someone in Yeonam’s security team screamed.
“Shoot! Kill it before it’s too late!”
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!
Ominous green mist and chilling yin energy.
Hundreds of rounds poured from over ten gun barrels, but for some reason, they couldn’t pierce the green mist surrounding the old man—no, the ghoul warlock now fully mutated into a grotesque form.
Like lost in fog, bullets fired with precise aim veered off trajectory upon touching the mist, scattering wildly.
Even those wielding melee weapons hesitated, unable to muster the courage to approach the monstrous ghoul warlock.
“Keuhe… kekekeke…”
A bizarre laugh burst from the ghoul warlock’s maw.
His body tilted slowly. Not falling—he wobbled into a strange pose, then lifted one foot from the ground…
Boom!!
Not an explosion. The sound of the ghoul warlock stomping.
“Arrrgh!!”
Drawing up his mana to the max, he stomped once—and vanished.
Incredible speed.
Whoosh!
The ghoul warlock reappeared in the middle of the security team’s formation, smashing the nearest guard’s head.
Crack!
A casual swing of his fist tore the man’s head clean off.
Spluuurt!!!
Blood gushed from the decapitated neck, splattering the concrete ceiling of the exposed-frame underground lot.
The ghoul warlock glanced at his bloodied hand, then slowly opened his mouth.
His face skin hadn’t stretched enough for the ghoul-like elongated snout.
Unable to contain the gaping maw, his cheeks ripped with a zzzt.
He extended a long tongue to lick the blood from his hand slowly.
“Keehihik, kekekeke… Delicious.”
Freakish speed, absurd strength.
And the utterly gruesome sight.
Regardless of my will or emotions, a message window popped up, blocking my view.
[Your mind cannot accept this horrific scene. Resisting fear with Mental Fortitude stat. Sanity check… success.]
But screams erupted from those in the security team who couldn’t overcome it.
“Arrrgh!!!”
The confused ranks crumbled into chaos. Yet amid them, one man—lost in a different kind of frenzy—burst forward.
“You dog bastard!!!”