Ch.95Chapter 95 – Iscariot (2)

“Wh-what on earth was that? I thought someone was committing murder and nearly jumped out of my skin! Suddenly melting like some liquid monster! What exactly was that little kid?”

The squad leader was making a fuss as they ran at full speed toward the gate, ignoring the ghouls attacking from outside the barrier. He seemed quite shocked to discover that Lee Young-ae, whom they thought was a survivor, wasn’t human at all. Shin Jae-hyuk, running while maintaining a massive protective barrier around the entire party, answered.

“That was an undead controlled by the boss lich I mentioned! I couldn’t sense any magical energy at first, so I didn’t notice either, but I became suspicious when I realized it had reached the shelter without being attacked by all those death knights, so I was observing carefully.”

“My God, that was a corpse? I had no idea!”

“Understandable… I wouldn’t have even considered the possibility if I hadn’t personally experienced that lich’s unbelievable ability to conceal magical energy.”

Living skin, rich emotions, memories from life. Lee Young-ae overflowed with vitality, just like a living person. Even Shin Jae-hyuk, who had encountered countless undead, hadn’t suspected a thing. It was a disguise he never would have detected if she hadn’t made a verbal slip, if she hadn’t subtly tried to lead the group to monsters, if Shin Jae-hyuk hadn’t met his end by the same method in his previous life.

‘Iscariot, to think necromancy has advanced to this level…’

While remaining vigilant, a question arose in the back of his mind. Iscariot had definitely advanced compared to four hundred years ago. His control over magical energy created the illusion that magic didn’t exist at all, and the bodies of the undead he revived had become even closer to the living.

‘But… why haven’t his attack spells improved?’

The same level of corpse explosion as four hundred years ago, the same destructive power of Bone Spear. Having experienced both firsthand, Shin Jae-hyuk could clearly tell that Iscariot’s spells hadn’t improved at all. It was as if he hadn’t practiced attack magic at all, focusing solely on human body research…

He couldn’t understand why, but it was fortunate for him. He had been slightly worried that Iscariot might have become even stronger to match the greatly enhanced Kyle Leonhart, but from Shin Jae-hyuk’s perspective, Iscariot was actually much easier to deal with.

“Phew! Anyway, it’s fortunate we discovered the spy early. If that had exploded in the middle of our allies during battle… it looked like it had the explosive power of at least a dozen Claymores.”

The squad leader shuddered at the mere thought of the possibility.

“That was probably the enemy’s intention. Along with buying time.”

“Wow! You’re amazing. There was a reason the President personally recommended you.”

“I was just making an educated guess. If she were human, holy power wouldn’t have affected her anyway, so it was a risk-free attempt.”

Shin Jae-hyuk humbly deflected the praise and pointed to the ominously flickering gate.

“More importantly, since the enemy failed to buy time, they’ll accelerate the ritual. We need to hurry—!”

Boom, booom—

Boom, booom—

Interrupting Shin Jae-hyuk’s words, low, heavy pulses of magical energy flowed from the gate. The ominous waves were emitted rhythmically. Like a heartbeat. As if waiting for something to be born.

The eerie flow swept across the surface of the barrier, creating strange wave patterns. Everyone’s faces tensed. They all understood that something serious had begun.

“Has the ritual started now? Or is it reaching its final stage?”

“…I don’t know which it is, but what’s certain is that we need to stop it immediately.”

With the magical pulsations, the monsters’ behavior patterns changed as well. Originally, they had waited in place and ambushed when the group approached, but now they were gathering toward the group without hesitation. Among them were not only lower-level monsters like skeletons and zombies, but also higher-level ones like ghouls and death knights.

With dozens, hundreds of undead rushing in like moths to a flame, maintaining the barrier was becoming burdensome even for Shin Jae-hyuk. He could hold out, but saving MP before a boss fight was common sense in RPGs…

When Shin Jae-hyuk signaled that he was having difficulty maintaining the protective barrier, the squad leader issued the next tactical order.

“Supply soldier! Change weapons!”

Following the order, the hunters put away their cold weapons and each received a machine gun from the inventory awakener. Then they loaded belt magazines that had been enhanced with holy power by the holy power awakener.

“Load—!”

“You’ve been waiting for this moment? So have we!”

“Fire—!!”

Shin Jae-hyuk removed the barrier on cue. Immediately, holy beams of light sprayed in all directions.

Ratatatatatatata—!!!

Twenty machine guns simultaneously spewed holy bullets. If they had been ordinary bullets, they would have had no effect on these moving corpses, but unfortunately for the undead, these bullets were blessed.

The holy power flowing through the bullets neutralized magical energy and disrupted the magical connection between the necromancer and the undead. Lower undead that were hit by bullets collapsed without resistance, and even higher undead, after holding out briefly, returned to dust after a few more bullets.

“This is for our comrades!”

“Take this, you weaklings—!!”

Yesterday, they had fled in panic when suddenly confronted with a legion of death knights right after disembarking from the plane, but now they were fully prepared from their shelter. As if making up for their unsightly retreat, the hunters were filled with fighting spirit as they slaughtered the undead.

They were veterans among veterans. As hunters with rich combat experience, their true value showed in such chaotic battles. Exceptional dynamic vision that could track bullet movements, strength to control gun recoil, reflexes to minutely adjust muscles in an instant. These qualities brought out maximum efficiency in attacks using firearms.

It was a true massacre. The medium machine guns, spewing 600 rounds per minute, killed as many undead as the number of bullets consumed. It was a one-sided slaughter that might be called a war crime in an actual war. But there was no issue with killing a corpse that had already died once. There are no laws for monsters.

Click, click—

“Magazine empty!”

“Junsik, put up the barrier!”

“Yes!”

“Prepare to reload!”

While the barrier ability user protected the allies, the hunters received more ammunition and replaced their magazines. And when the barrier came down, the slaughter resumed.

“Die, all of you—!! Die again!!”

“It’s good to be full of morale, but keep your head cool! Don’t just block the ones coming at us, clear a path! Our goal isn’t to exterminate all the mobs but to kill the boss!”

“Yes! Grenade to the front!”

Someone threw a grenade forward. Of course, this grenade had also received the effect of the holy enhancement skill.

“Here, taste a grenade blessed by God!”

Bang!

Dust rose with the explosion. The effect was dramatic. Each fragment imbued with holy energy annihilated the unholy.

Kieeeeek—!!!

Uwooooo….

Destroying everything in their path, the group steadily advanced toward the gate.

“Good! We’re almost there! Check if the inside of the gate is safe!”

“Yes! Everyone throw!”

Several grenades were sucked into the black sphere. A few seconds later, the sound of explosions and a wave of heat escaped from the invisible gate.

“All clear! There don’t seem to be any traps!”

“Stay alert! Assault troops, go in first and secure the area!”

Several people, including Kwak Tae-woo and Geomgwi, entered the gate first. Meanwhile, Shin Jae-hyuk and the other hunters annihilated the undead around the gate with bullets, magic, and spells.

During this time, the squad leader pointed to the barrier ability user, the supply soldier, and several combat personnel skilled in shooting and base defense, giving instructions.

“Junsik, Taesik, and the rest of you up to Daeho! You stay and guard the entrance! Just hold out for 30 minutes until air support arrives, don’t spare ammunition!”

“Yes! We’ll set up turrets right after raising the barrier! Come back safely! Loyalty!”

“Loyalty. Stay safe, all of you.”

The supply soldier saluted while assembling turrets from his inventory. The squad leader returned the salute. Just then, a detection hunter reported the situation.

“Area cleared! No magical reactions within two hundred meters!”

“Good… Before more gather, the rest of the personnel will enter!”

“Move quickly! Get in! One! Two!”

The hunters entered the gate one by one, which was emitting ominous magical pulses. Finally, Shin Jae-hyuk, after throwing his spear to impale a death knight in the distance, also entered. When he closed his eyes and opened them again, the scenery had instantly changed.

From a ruined city center to a gloomy cave. Shin Jae-hyuk grumbled inwardly.

‘Another cave? Why do these black magicians love caves so much…’

The previous ritual for Belial had also been conducted in a cave, and it seemed this one would be too. The squad leader counted the personnel while holding a flare.

“Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…. Good, everyone’s here! Let’s move! From now on, stay sharp! This is an S-class gate. You could lose not just your nose but your head while your eyes are open! We’re in the enemy’s jaws…!”

The hunters advanced with quick steps, watching in all directions. Suddenly, Shin Jae-hyuk, who was moving at the front, caught the scent of blood. The smell of blood wafting from deep within. However, the concentration was too thick to dismiss as a simple blood scent.

Shin Jae-hyuk’s face hardened as he recalled Belial’s ritual. An altar of corpses piled with hundreds of bodies.

‘Surely not again?’

As he was recalling the memory, Shin Jae-hyuk realized something he hadn’t noticed before. Corpses, there were no corpses. They hadn’t found a single resident’s body on their way from the shelter to the gate. Not seeing a single corpse in a city occupied by demons? As soon as a clear sense of foreboding took shape in his mind, Shin Jae-hyuk rushed forward, forgetting to maintain formation.

“W-wait! Hunter! Shin Jae-hyuk Hunter! Damn, let’s follow him quickly!”

The squad leader had no time to stop him. The group hurriedly followed.

Following the smell of blood deeper, they came to a large cavern. And unfortunately, Shin Jae-hyuk faced the scene he had anticipated. And he realized he was one step too late.

“Disgusting creatures…!”

A magic circle drawn with human organs. A massive magic circle made of ropes twisted from intestines extracted from slit bellies covered the floor, walls, and ceiling of the cavern. The cave walls were so red they could no longer be called stone.

Human corpses freshly captured for the ritual were piled like a mountain in a huge pit at the center of the cavern. The pit filled with blood, flesh, and bones was like a bathtub filled with human corpses. Liches surrounding this blasphemous bath extended their skeletal hands, gathering magical energy while murmuring spells.

-O Lord of Death, Ruler of Corpses…

-Gladly accept the offering your servant presents…

With each syllable, heavy waves of magical energy spread from the bath like heartbeats. Shin Jae-hyuk realized that this pit was the portal to summon Belphegor.

The group, arriving late, also witnessed this horrific scene.

“My God… what is this.”

“Disgusting. Are all the Four Heavenly Kings summoned this way?”

“Hmm….”

Team leader Hayato couldn’t continue speaking, Kwak Tae-woo, familiar with corpses killed in all sorts of ways and horrific scenes, clicked his tongue, and Geomgwi just sighed. Some with weak stomachs had already removed their head protection gear and were vomiting.

Shin Jae-hyuk shook the squad leader, who was stunned by the shock.

“See that corpse pit in the middle? We need to destroy it. They’re trying to use it as a medium to summon one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Now’s our chance while the enemies are distracted by their spell and haven’t noticed us!”

-Not noticed? I’ve known since the moment you crossed the threshold.

“—! Protect this soul!”

Boom boom boom—!

Startled by the voice, Shin Jae-hyuk reflexively raised a celestial barrier, and bone spears that shot out from somewhere roughly scraped the barrier’s surface before embedding in the floor. Iscariot, who had appeared via teleport, blocked the group from interfering with the ritual.

-Yes, distinguished guests have arrived to share this glorious moment. Did you enjoy my welcome greeting?

“L-lich—! That S-class boss! Spread out according to the plan!”

Hearing the enemy’s appearance through Shin Jae-hyuk, the squad leader directed the next phase of the operation. Several hunters, including Geomgwi, Hayato, and Kwak Tae-woo, ignored Iscariot and lunged straight toward the liches reciting spells. Magic-type hunters chanted spells like fireballs or ice arrows while under Shin Jae-hyuk’s protection.

“One hit is all we need—!”

“Just interrupt the spell!”

However, the magic aimed at the liches focused on chanting became misfires. Due to interferers dropping from the ceiling.

“Long live the king!!!”

Death knights who had been hiding among the rocks fell from above. Some pounced on the hunters from above, while others blocked magic with their bodies to protect the liches continuing the ritual. Among them was a familiar figure to Shin Jae-hyuk.

“Kyle Leonhart…!”

When Iscariot recovered the body, Kyle’s soul still remained in his corpse, which hadn’t received a proper funeral rite. Having experienced death twice, the Lion King was revived again by Iscariot’s hand. And the resurrected Kyle harbored clear hostility toward the one who had brought him death.

“Lon-gi-nus-!!!”

Falling from midair, Kyle spotted Shin Jae-hyuk with eagle eyes and kicked away another death knight’s body to rush toward him. Stepping on falling rock fragments or undead bodies to change direction, the distance narrowed. Just as Shin Jae-hyuk anticipated the clash with Kyle and pulled back his spear, a third party’s voice intervened between them.

“Oh, so you’re the swordsman this young man praised so highly? Let’s see your skills.”

With a sharp sword suddenly thrust in, Kyle had to hastily withdraw his stabbing sword and focus on defense. Clang, clang. After a few metallic sounds, Kyle rolled ungracefully on the floor.

“…Impressive skill.”

“You blocked that without injury? Indeed, quite impressive… This is getting interesting.”

The two men praised each other, one in Eden language and one in Japanese. Though they couldn’t understand each other’s language, words weren’t necessary to gauge each other’s skills. Kyle, facing a powerful interferer, and Geomgwi, excited by a worthy opponent after a long time, couldn’t take their eyes off each other.

Having confirmed the safety of the summoning ritual, Iscariot shifted his gaze from Kyle and focused on Shin Jae-hyuk before him.

-It seems Kyle has found his match. Shall we enjoy our party as well?

“…This time I’ll definitely kill you. Light—!!!!”

With a resounding aria, Shin Jae-hyuk threw himself at his mortal enemy. As golden radiance and pitch-black darkness collided, the hunters trying to stop the ritual clashed with the death knight legion protecting it.