Ch.164Chapter 164

Dencan hurled himself toward the collapsing ceiling. What was the point of burying his enemy underground if he would be buried along with them?

Dencan dodged the falling earth and rocks, emerging above ground to look down at the collapsed underground chamber.

The sunken pit where the supports had collapsed looked like a tomb from which no one could emerge alive, but Dencan remained vigilant.

Blood dripping from Dencan’s fingertips moved to draw a magic circle.

He needed no treasures to imbue the magic circle with mystical power. Now Dencan’s blood itself was an excellent medium for sorcery.

The sealing array that bound the Djin emitted a soft red light as it exerted its power.

Dencan looked at his hand where the bleeding had stopped and muttered with a sinister smile.

“So they’ve been keeping this wonderful thing all to themselves.”

Those fortunate enough to be born with mystical powers had been enjoying such abilities without paying any price?

Dencan stepped onto a platform made of blood and rose into the air. His castle had become a scene of devastation, but Dencan felt no sorrow.

Rather, the scent of blood, so strong it made his nose tingle, was invigorating him.

When Dencan spotted a familiar face among the collapsed buildings, he threw himself in that direction.

He saw the bodies of knights, slashed by blades despite their armor. But Dencan’s interest was not directed at the corpses.

The pool of blood beneath the pile of bodies was calling to him.

Dencan plunged his hand into the puddle of blood. A torrent of blood rushed into his body.

Having sucked in even the blood pooled in the corpses, turning them into mummies, Dencan felt a thrill course through his body.

‘You sacrificed yourself to achieve the long-dreamed aspiration, now become one with me and share in the glory.’

Though there was still commotion coming from the inner citadel, Dencan had lost interest in his living clansmen.

Wouldn’t they too be better off experiencing the glory of becoming Dencan through death?

Above all, to prepare fully for facing the King of Manheimr sealed underground…

BOOM!

“…Has he regained consciousness already?”

As a dull sound shook the ground, Dencan frowned. He could feel the sealing power weakening, suggesting the impact hadn’t come from underground.

If he went back now to strengthen the seal…

“Ugh!?”

Was it the clan’s memories causing a rejection response because of his weak thoughts?

Dencan clutched his head as pain like thorns being driven into his skull assailed him. The pain passed like a sharp reprimand, reviving Dencan’s resolve.

After sacrificing dozens of clansmen as living offerings, he had become a being worthy of being called “Dencan”—how could he succumb to such weak thoughts!

Dencan bit his lip and hastened his steps. He needed more blood.

Enough blood to overwhelm the monster.

* * *

In the collapsed underground chamber, Wendigo held up the fallen debris and asked Skadi:

“Skadi, are you alright?”

“I got scratched by some debris, but not enough to immobilize me. What about you, Lord Wendigo? Are you okay?”

“It seems I’m uninjured, thanks to someone who cared more about my body than her own.”

Wendigo replied in a flat voice, looking at the roots wrapped around his body.

He was displeased that Skadi had tried to protect him before herself when the ceiling collapsed.

Who would have imagined she would disregard her own life to save a possession body that wasn’t even his real one?

Realizing this belatedly, Skadi rubbed her wounded arm sheepishly.

“Well, when the ceiling started collapsing, I just panicked and…”

“Even so, I’m not one to be easily injured. Next time, prioritize your own body. Look at how your beautiful skin has been scratched.”

Even a scratch was still a wound. When Wendigo expressed concern for her body, Skadi gave a bitter smile, feeling apologetic.

Wendigo felt uncomfortable chiding Skadi when Dencan was the one at fault.

Attending a friend’s wedding only to face rebellion, then being obsessed with and kidnapping someone else’s servant…

‘Come to think of it, this is infuriatingly outrageous.’

Clear, focused anger was a good driving force. Just thinking about destroying his target made strength well up within him.

As he pushed upward, debris slid away and dust scattered.

It was a dangerous move that could cause the debris to collapse further, but it was fine. Wendigo had Skadi by his side.

Each time Wendigo lifted the ceiling, Skadi moved plants to create supports. Trusting each other completely, they needed no words.

While lifting the ceiling, Wendigo suddenly realized it seemed to be stuck, refusing to move.

‘It’s not that I lack strength… Dencan must have done something.’

It wouldn’t be easy to break through with moderate force.

In this urgent situation, there was no time to carefully regulate his strength. Wendigo silently looked down at Skadi.

Skadi smiled reassuringly and nodded, understanding what Wendigo intended to do.

Having obtained her consent, Wendigo took a deep breath.

‘…I forgot about the dust.’

Tasting earth in his mouth, Wendigo inwardly grumbled as he lifted the ceiling with all his might. The debris shattered with a thunderous noise.

CRACK!

Wendigo instinctively sensed the force pressing down on the ceiling had been severed. The remnants of mystical power, like a scream, brushed past his senses.

As the seal broke, Wendigo lifted the ceiling in one breath, and brilliant sunlight greeted him and Skadi.

But before enjoying the warm sunlight, there was something that needed to be dealt with first.

Wendigo concentrated his senses to track Dencan’s blood scent. The smell was so intense—befitting blood created by desecrating life—that tracking it wasn’t difficult.

“Skadi, it seems a considerable battle is about to unfold. Support me from a distance.”

Skadi didn’t argue with Wendigo’s instruction. She knew that staying close would only distract Wendigo, which would do no good.

“I’ll wait at a high point where I can see Dencan.”

“If you judge there’s a good opportunity to strike, don’t hesitate to attack.”

Skadi would know when to step in.

She nodded and moved to find a suitable position. Wendigo watched her go, then lightly stretched his body.

Finally, gripping his ice sword, Wendigo bent his knees… and leaped high, shattering the ground beneath him.

‘There he is.’

Like a hawk searching for prey, Wendigo spotted Dencan’s position from mid-air.

He couldn’t understand why Dencan was wandering among corpses instead of helping his subordinates in the inner citadel, but Wendigo didn’t particularly care.

Wendigo’s heart beat powerfully, infusing mystical power into his ice sword. His heartbeat continued to accelerate without slowing.

Dencan looked up at the sound of air being cleaved and…

“You found me already!”

Exuding a murderous aura, he stretched his hand toward Wendigo. Dozens of blood spears materialized at his will.

Like rain falling upward, the blood spears flew toward Wendigo.

Wendigo faced the shower of blood spears head-on. From the moment he chose to descend, he hadn’t considered any other approach.

Moreover…

“Damn it!”

Wendigo’s strike was not so easily blocked by a few spears. Though spectacular, the blood spears couldn’t withstand the pressure of the ice sword and shattered.

Dencan splattered blood toward the air, and his blood used the sky as a canvas to draw a magic circle. A crimson barrier unfolded in three layers, flashing brightly.

But Dencan could instinctively sense it—this attack couldn’t be blocked.

Upon collision with Wendigo’s ice sword, the barrier shattered like thin glass. Dencan leaped backward to avoid the flying barrier fragments and the dust storm that followed.

‘A fatal mistake!’

Though not a conclusion reached through careful analysis, Dencan’s judgment was accurate.

“■■■■■■■!!!!”

Wendigo, having tracked Dencan’s scent, charged at him with a roar.

Caught in the roar, Dencan felt his body growing sluggish. As his breath frosted, he realized his body was freezing.

Dencan hurriedly bit his lip. The blood flowing from his lips formed a shield, blocking Wendigo’s path.

The ice sword shattered the shield and aimed for Dencan.

SLASH!

As something flew through the air, spraying blood, Wendigo confirmed what it was.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t Dencan’s head but one of his arms. Dencan’s eyes bulged with rage, blood vessels nearly bursting.

Though he didn’t realize it himself, his anger wasn’t directed at the loss of his arm. He was devastated by the wasted blood from his severed limb.

“Get lost!”

Thanks to the profuse bleeding, Dencan quickly created a large, grotesque blood sword.

The blood sword, its surface marred with faces twisted in despair and pain, swung toward Wendigo with a sound like a scream.

The blood sword seemed to withstand Wendigo’s strikes at first, but began to crumble before the tenth exchange. Dencan’s sanity crumbled gradually along with his breaking sword.

Dencan’s sword strikes grew increasingly violent, and Wendigo noticed something strange while facing him.

‘He’s becoming more skilled each time he’s cornered.’

The blood sword, though reduced in size, suddenly stopped shattering when it collided with the ice sword, and its edge became sharp enough to easily split even rock.

“KRAAAAA!!!”

With his eyes turned red, Dencan summoned three knights from his body and attacked in coordination. The knights charged, aiming for Wendigo’s neck, thigh, and heart.

Wendigo swung his ice sword widely, cutting down all the knights at once. But Dencan was no longer there.

Wendigo asked the retreating Dencan:

“You seem to be in bad shape.”

“Blood… I need more blood!”

Had he been consumed by madness?

Dencan muttered, panting and using his sword as a cane. Wendigo observed Dencan’s body with puzzlement.

Despite his obsession with blood, Dencan still possessed considerable mystical power.

The mystical power obtained by depleting the area’s energy and slaughtering dozens of beasts couldn’t possibly be small.

Why was he so obsessed with mystical power?

“KRAAAAA!!!!”

Having completely lost his reason, Dencan drove his blood sword into the ground. Like cracks spreading across ice, streams of blood spread along the fissures in the floor.

Wendigo prepared for the attack, naturally assuming it was aimed at him…

But Dencan’s target wasn’t Wendigo but the abandoned blood of his clansmen. The blood streams extending in all directions absorbed the clan’s blood and returned to Dencan.

Unlike before, however, the blood didn’t disappear into Dencan’s body.

Behind Dencan, something made of blood gradually began to take form.