**Chapter 21: Secret**
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The sound of the wind whispered through the air. Before them stood a door embedded in the floor, and beyond it lay an abyss of pure darkness.
The faint light held by Lazar and the others barely penetrated the depths of that shadow. It was likely that they could see nothing of what lay beyond the door.
However, with the eyes that I possessed, I could perceive it. Despite the pain coursing through me, I felt the flow of air. Beyond the door was a vast, cavernous space—so immense that the ground above seemed merely an afterthought.
It was deep. The passage beyond the door was narrow for a while, but it soon opened into a sprawling expanse. It was a height that no mere human could descend without a ladder.
Vampires are known for their exceptional spatial awareness. My senses conveyed to me the presence of an otherworldly structure. It resembled a three-dimensional labyrinth. The intense smell of dust indicated that it had been long since anyone had ventured here, yet at the same time—there were sounds.
“W-what’s in there?” Lazar asked, his voice trembling with fear. I thought to myself:
This is… something that mere mercenaries cannot handle.
Powerful Abaddon often make their lairs in labyrinths that lead to the abyss. Now I understood why.
This was—Abaddon’s territory.
Senri possessed abilities that surpassed those of humans through blessings and training, but even so, continuing to fight in a dark labyrinth where danger could come from all directions would be exceedingly difficult. Senri, who had likely been stretching his senses, shook his head with a puzzled expression.
“There’s… no sign of Abaddon.”
I see… As expected of the castle of the King of the Dead. The strategies against the Eclipse Knights are evidently well-prepared. After all, a cunning necromancer wouldn’t linger in a place like this.
Yet, my senses could not be deceived. I focused all my willpower to stave off the pain that threatened to scatter my consciousness.
“I sense the presence of… the Night Crystal.”
It was a presence larger than any crystal I had felt before. I could feel the negative aura that my own shard had been unable to dispel being drawn in with unprecedented force.
Huh…? Drawn in…?
“Could it be… gathering power…?”
The moment that thought crossed my mind, a surge of intense pain shot through my entire body. I crumpled to the ground, and at that moment, I sensed Senri’s sharp intake of breath.
“It’s coming!”
As Senri shouted, I was already in motion. I had been with Senri long enough that our thoughts were in sync. I gently pushed Lazar, who had been peering in from behind, away from the door and dove deep into the abyss beyond.
“Don’t come near!”
Even if I were to be slammed against the hard floor and become a stain upon it, I would not die. I shouted to Senri and concentrated my mind.
I immediately sensed it. In the darkness, something was rapidly climbing the walls.
It was not a living being. Yet, it was not an Abaddon either.
The sound of rough footsteps echoed. What was approaching with its long limbs was something I had never seen before.
A black, smooth, cylindrical body. It had no eyes, no mouth, no nose, and it came toward us with elongated limbs ending in claw-like appendages. Its bizarre shape belied its terrifying speed.
Its center of gravity was remarkably stable. Despite its acrobatic movements, it showed no signs of instability—something even a mindless skeleton would struggle to achieve.
Though it lacked sensory organs, this entity seemed to precisely grasp our location. Just then—Senri shouted from behind the door.
“It’s a golem…”
Amidst the pain, I searched my memories. A golem. I had heard of them before. They were living constructs controlled by high-ranking mages.
Even as it approached, I could barely sense its presence. No heartbeat, no breath, not even body heat.
Yet, it made a distinct sound as it moved. The echo I had heard a moment ago was indeed its footsteps.
I had confidence in my senses, but I hadn’t realized it until it was nearly upon me. It seemed that my ability to detect the presence of vampires was specialized for living beings.
With a powerful swing, I blocked the golem’s claw, which lashed out like a whip. The moment I did, a searing pain shot through my arm, constricting my throat.
Upon closer inspection, I saw that the golem’s claws were made of silver. They were tarnished and not blessed like Senri’s weapon, but there was no mistaking it.
The pain from the silver’s curse mixed with the pain of purification, leaving me disoriented. Yet, my body moved according to the orders my brain issued.
With trembling hands, I grasped the Light Eater (Blood Ruler) hanging at my waist and swung it with all my might. The black body collided violently with the blade, sending both of us flying.
The golem crashed against the wall, and I was thrown back as well. Desperately, I dug my fingers into the wall to keep from falling.
It was quite hard. It seemed to be made of metal. I might have been able to break it if I were on solid ground, but in midair, I lacked the strength.
The golem, now hanging upside down from the wall, lunged at me with renewed force. Its strength and agility were not remarkable, but the pain hindered my smooth movements. And the silver was treacherous.
Even if I could withstand a few hits, it would be far more troublesome than the Abaddon army that had attacked us with sheer numbers.
I steeled my trembling soul and moved my arms. I swung the blade like a madman, striking at the golem with reckless abandon.
The impact was solid. With a high-pitched metallic sound, the golem was embedded into the wall. The fierce noise reverberated, shaking the air around us.
A critical hit. Its mobility and stealth were commendable, but its technique and strength were lacking. Even with a handicap, it was still this way.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a dull shock coursed through my body.
I looked down. A thick arrow, nearly the diameter of a small coin, was embedded in my abdomen. Senri called my name.
“End!”
“N-no… It’s fine, I’m okay. Don’t come near!”
A sharp whoosh of wind. From the depths of the abyss—a barrage of arrows flew toward me. It seemed the golem was not the only threat here.
So this is the defense system of the King of the Dead’s castle. I’ll have to take notes.
I moved my feet to deflect the incoming arrows, but even so, several struck my lower body. My attire was now in tatters.
However, it seemed that the arrows did not contain silver. I felt a dull shock, but the pain was overshadowed by the agony from the silver’s curse, making it hard to discern.
“Should I attach silver to them? That’s a tricky decision.”
If I were to arm my soldiers with silver weapons, there was a chance they might rebel against me. It was a dilemma, to say the least.
Through combat, I realized that the golem was targeting Senri—the Eclipse Knight. If it were strategizing against Abaddon, it would have included silver in its arrows.
However, attacking from a distance while I was off balance was a bit much.
I wanted to regain my footing, but I had fallen considerably. Climbing up amidst the rain of arrows was difficult.
I pulled out the arrows embedded in me and conveyed to Senri.
“I’m going to take a look below.”
I withdrew my fingers from the wall and surrendered to gravity.
Even amidst the excruciating pain, it was not difficult to shake off the arrows. As long as I didn’t take one to the head, I would be fine.
The bottom soon came into view. Indeed, it was a vast space. The stone walls and floor bore the marks of time. At the bottom, several golems similar to the melee-type I had fought lined up.
However, they were equipped with devices that the previous golem lacked.
Those were—crossbows. Mechanical bows. Even in this age of firearms, they remained powerful weapons.
Yet, those thick arrows, while sufficient to blow off a human’s head, were far too weak to kill a lower-ranked vampire. I dodged and deflected the arrows raining down, landing on the ground. My knees buckled from the curse’s pain, but I used the force of my collapse to accelerate.
I moved my body in a frenzy. By the time I realized it, the battle was over.
The floor was littered with the remains of countless golems. They had been packed with metal inside. I couldn’t fathom how they had been animated.
I crouched down and pulled the arrows still embedded in my body. The blood that flowed instantly stopped due to my regeneration ability.
I had escaped a dire situation, but it was clear that the number of golems I fought did not match the number of remains. It seemed I had let one slip away.
I let out a deep sigh. It appeared that when one’s fighting spirit surged to the point of forgetting the pain, reason was lost as well. This was not a good trend.
Nevertheless, I had gleaned the essentials from this first battle.
This was—a trap. I doubted they could prepare golems this quickly, so it was likely a trap laid long ago. And this trap was designed with the Eclipse Knight in mind.
The arrows emitted a strange odor. It seemed they were coated with poison.
Senri should not come out. The risk of death from just a graze was too high. Just as I was about to call out to him, Senri fell from the door above.
His silver hair swayed in the air, and his amethyst eyes glimmered quietly in the darkness. That boy was so beautiful that he seemed almost otherworldly.
Senri landed silently, surveying the remnants of the golem.
“I told you not to come.”
“I left Lazar and the others behind.”
It seemed that no matter what, they were determined to come. Conversely, it wouldn’t have been a problem if Lazar and the others had decided to join; they might serve as a useful wall…
Senri extended a hand.
“Let’s finish this quickly and head back, End.”
“This is a trap.”
The door was still open. Senri could fly, and if I maintained Alertness, we could manage a raid with crossbows. With that intention behind his words, Senri wore an unusually entranced smile.
“Then… protect me, End.”
§ § §
Outside, a high wall excessively heightened by alertness surrounded a deep moat. Silver reliefs adorned the structure at various points. A knight clad in silver armor gazed in admiration at the impressive defensive strategy, which stood head and shoulders above other large cities.
“This is the famous battlefield against the Shadow Demon King—【DeSeN/ADoro】.”
“Hmph… it’s a strange place. Who would have thought there would be a crystal here? Master Beast.”
Standing beside him was a rough-looking man with blue hair. Nebira turned to face him.
A man who had dedicated his life to hunting vampires, and even after losing the title that defined him, still retained a murderous obsession akin to madness, spoke with a grin that seemed to devour the very essence of those around him.
“Hehehe… I will work for the payment I received. The crystal has spread among the wise An/AdeN/ADoro and the necromancers like wildfire. The power of the crystal doesn’t concern ordinary people like us who cannot perceive auras—but I’ll at least investigate its source.”