Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Subjugation Force (3)
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Gamal acknowledged Demian Haksen more readily than expected.
That didn't mean all of the "Tangled Blizzard" had accepted Demian, however.
"...I'll never forget what happened today."
Dionysio spat words laced with hatred and fury before leaving the scene.
"If you've lost, just admit defeat gracefully. All those from that sect are narrow-minded fools."
Margata looked upon Dionysio with clear displeasure.
"Sir Demian, well done."
Agnes handed him a cup of water as she spoke. Though not a drop of sweat had fallen from him, Demian accepted it out of courtesy.
"That was some seriously impressive skill. Dionysio's one of the top pushes in Tangled Blizzard. I didn't expect you'd beat him so easily."
"What did I tell you? That he's an extraordinary man."
Pleased that Demian had earned recognition, Agnes spoke in an excited tone.
"Now all that's left is to judge these foul heretics."
Margata declared with great delight.
"Welcome to the subjugation force."
* * *
What surprised Demian most after joining was the sheer scale of the subjugation force.
It consisted of eighty elite soldiers and ten Grade-3 Holy Knights.
'This level of force, and it's just for support.'
Even more astonishing was that this wasn't the core strength.
The true heart of this subjugation force lay with the Holy Knights from the sects.
Only they possessed the power to confront a high-ranking black mage capable of corpse puppetry.
'The sect Holy Knights are few in number... but several times stronger.'
Tangled Blizzard had dispatched one Grade-2 Holy Knight and four Grade-3s.
Blinding Agony had sent one Grade-2 and five Grade-3s.
With Demian, Agnes, and Margata added to the mix...
'They could topple even a major noble house in an instant.'
People often said the only force on the continent capable of standing against the Empire was the Church.
Seeing this subjugation force, that assessment didn't seem like mere rumor.
'And this force was completely wiped out.'
The more he learned about the subjugation force, the less sense it made that they had been annihilated.
Corpse puppetry was dangerous black magic, yes—but not enough to kill three Grade-2 Holy Knights at once.
'Surely one of the three betrayed them.'
Middle-class threats could only be countered by middle-class defenders.
The same held for Grade-2 Holy Knights. Only another Grade-2 Holy Knight could slay one.
'At present, Gamal is the prime suspect.'
Tangled Blizzard had friction with the Flameburners.
Hadn't Gamal picked a fight with Margata the moment he saw her?
'I need to keep an eye on Tangled Blizzard.'
* * *
While preparing the subjugation force, the Church also scoured the mountains and investigated the dungeon.
"The search teams checked it out. Seems there's only one entrance leading into the dungeon."
At mealtime, Margata shared the findings with Demian and Agnes.
"The dungeon entrance is near the mountain peak. You've got to climb a bit. I went to check it myself—the entrance is huge right from the start."
Margata spread her arms wide as she spoke. If she described it that way, it must have been enormous.
"We don't know the layout inside. Flesh golems keep pouring out, so the search teams couldn't scout the interior. That's the report."
In other words, they'd have to enter to find out what lay within.
"When do we breach the dungeon?"
At that question, Margata grinned wide enough to bare her fangs.
"Tomorrow."
* * *
Around noon.
The Church's subjugation force gathered at the dungeon entrance.
A hundred elite soldiers.
Ten Holy Knights.
And the sect Holy Knights besides.
Assembled together, the subjugation force exuded an overwhelming presence.
"The day has finally come."
Agnes, standing beside Demian, murmured.
Her face was its usual impassive mask. But her eyes held a strange, smoldering fire.
Demian thought he could guess at Agnes's feelings.
The chance for vengeance was nearly upon her. Her heart must be swelling with joy.
"I hope the corpse puppeteer is inside."
Agnes glared at the cave mouth with darkened eyes.
Suddenly, Demian felt a sharp gaze and turned.
Tangled Blizzard.
Dionysio had been glaring at Demian but averted his eyes.
'He seems to harbor a serious grudge against me.'
Demian smirked. In his experience, guys who acted like that always caused trouble.
"Advance!"
The centurion commanding the soldiers bellowed. The soldiers took the lead into the dungeon.
The Holy Knights positioned themselves behind, ready to step in at any moment.
-Krurrk.
-Krurrruk.
Then, beasts burst from the cave depths.
Not ordinary beasts. Undead crafted by the corpse puppeteer.
Horse torsos, wolf legs, tiger heads.
Stitches plainly marked where body parts had been sewn together.
Just looking at them sent chills down the spine.
"Shieldbearers, forward!"
At the decurion's command, soldiers with round shields moved to block the beasts.
Shields clashed with beasts. The soldiers gritted their teeth and held firm.
Those behind struck at the beasts' bodies with swords and spears.
-Kyeng!
-Kyeeng!
The beasts' breaths cut short with ridiculous ease.
'Their coordination is superb.'
As expected of elite soldiers—polished to perfection.
If they turned mercenary, every one could earn the gold badge of a first-class adventurer.
"Press on!"
The centurion shouted. The soldiers sheathed weapons and advanced deeper.
-Is anyone... there?
-Help... there's people here! Please help!
Then, human voices echoed from within. The centurion raised a hand, halting the soldiers.
"Halt!"
The centurion and soldiers stared tensely into the cave.
From the thick darkness inside, something emerged.
First came a massive, round torso—cobbled from stitched beast and monster parts.
Over five legs supported it, with enormous arms protruding from the sides.
The earlier beasts seemed mere tests; this bore clear signs of meticulous craftsmanship.
It was the flesh golem—the corpse puppeteer's main weapon.
The soldiers' faces stiffened at the sight.
Not due to its grotesque form.
-Aaaagh! It hurts! It hurts!
-Cold... it hurts so much...
But the human heads attached to the round body.
Not one, but eight of them.
The 'heads' wept and wailed in agony.
-Ahh, it hurts... my whole body aches, I can't bear it!
-Mommy... where's Mommy... Mommy...
Among them were children's heads.
The soldiers—and even the Holy Knights—were struck speechless by the unimaginable horror.
"What... what is that...?"
"Their consciousnesses are still intact...?"
Soldiers and Holy Knights alike had slain countless undead and black mages in service to the Church.
But they'd never encountered undead with lingering awareness like this.
-Church! It's the Church! The Church is here!
-Help us! Please help!
The heads brightened upon spotting the subjugation force.
Yet the soldiers could take no action amid the pleas.
-What are you doing! We said help!
-Don't just stand there! Turn us back to normal!
The heads spewed fury. The massive arms swung to attack the soldiers.
"You idiots!"
Margata raised her voice then.
"Get a grip! It's just an undead! Holy Knights, what are you waiting for? Protect the soldiers now!"
At Margata's shout, the Holy Knights snapped to.
They charged the flesh golem en masse, slashing with their weapons.
-Aaaah! It hurts! Hurts so much!
-Stop, please stop! We're sorry!
Each wound drew screams from the heads on the torso. Hesitation flickered across the Holy Knights' faces.
-Stop touching us!
-Hurts! Hurts!
Seizing the opening, the flesh golem swung its fist. One Holy Knight took the blow and flew back.
-Why are you tormenting us!
-Don't touch! We'll kill you all if you do!
Holes opened across the flesh golem's body.
Green mist sprayed from them. The Holy Knights recoiled in alarm.
"Poison! It's spewing poison!"
The toxin was so vicious that weeds on the ground withered instantly.
The Holy Knights shielded themselves with holy power, resisting the poison.
-Die! All of you die!
-Die! Die! Die!
The flesh golem attacked the Holy Knights, spewing hatred.
Drained by poison resistance, the Holy Knights were pushed back defenselessly.
Over ten Holy Knights yielding to a single flesh golem.
"This won't do. Agnes, you're up."
"Understood. Sir Demian, I request your support."
Agnes turned to her side as she spoke. But Demian's spot was empty.
"Sir Demian?"
By then, Demian had slipped past the soldiers toward the flesh golem.
"Sir Demian!"
Agnes cried out in shock. But Demian Haksen heard nothing.
All his senses focused on the flesh golem.
-Die! Dieee!
-Don't touch me!
As a black mage of high attainment, Demian could discern it.
How the flesh golem moved.
Black mana couldn't be gained normally.
It spawned only from death or suffering.
Countless human souls were bound within that flesh golem.
The black mana they emitted in torment powered it.
Thus, the more the Holy Knights attacked, the stronger it grew.
More suffering meant more black mana.
-Hurts! Hurts!
-Mommy... where are you... Mommy...
They were all ordinary folk.
Captured by the corpse puppeteer, unwillingly modified, reduced to black magic fodder.
They must have felt terror beyond words, horror beyond expression.
Demian had felt the same when turned into a Death Knight.
The fear of his body being confined.
The excruciating pain of each procedure.
The revulsion of his form changing.
-It's coming! It's coming again!
-You're going to hurt us too, aren't you?
The flesh golem spotted Demian. It spewed poison mist more ferociously.
-Die! You die too!
-I'll tear you apart!
Ten bones protruded from the flesh golem's body. They launched with explosive force.
Demian didn't dodge. He simply walked forward slowly.
The bones assailed him. Yet none pierced. They merely grazed past, embedding in the ground.
-Huh? Huhh?
-What! What!
The flesh golem fired more bones. They too merely brushed Demian Haksen.
It hadn't missed.
Demian evaded every bone arrow by a hair's breadth.
In moments, he stood before the flesh golem.
-Don't come! Don't come!
-Don't hurt me!
The flesh golem unleashed a furious poison mist.
Demian's holy sword flared with holy power, shielding him. The mist had no effect.
Demian looked up, scanning the flesh golem's body.
His black mage knowledge pinpointed the core's location.
-Die! Dieee!
-I'll explode you!
The flesh golem swung down its fist.
But Demian thrust his holy sword into the torso first.
The deeply embedded blade severed the core. The flesh golem's movements halted abruptly.
It dropped to its knees. Its arms went limp.
-Ah... Aah... Ah...
-Aah... Ah...
The five heads lost strength. Their eyes slowly closed.
-Uh... Mom... Mommy...
The last head shut its eyes fully. Only then did Demian withdraw his holy sword.
Agnes arrived late, rushing up. She flinched at Demian's expression.
"Hoo."
Demian exhaled, rubbing his face with his palm. His features finally relaxed.
This was why he despised black mages.
Every encounter dredged up irritating memories. And soured his mood to boot.
"This won't do."
Demian muttered in a chilling tone.
"I can't let them die easy."