The Crusader

Chapter 39: The Crusader

Fortunately, he had foreseen the danger.

Han Dong stopped halfway through... and had Cas continue deeper alone to investigate.

Otherwise, once they reached the end, there would be no escaping. With Han Dong's body, he simply would not be able to get away.

Judging by the sounds, Cas was still over a hundred meters from Han Dong, but the situation remained critical.

Chen Li immediately appeared, supporting Han Dong as they hastened out of the secret passage...

"Judging from the overlapping claw sounds, at least three ghouls are chasing us... As long as we can make it back to the previous basement, we still have a way."

With Chen Li's help, Han Dong was the first to run back to the basement at an ordinary person's pace.

"Miss Chen Li, hide quickly... I'll have you come out and help if necessary."

"Okay."

Han Dong guarded the entrance to the secret passage alone, waiting for Cas to arrive.

Before long.

Cas appeared in view, holding a torch.

Clearly visible around the goggles Cas wore were a few dark lines around his eye sockets... the outward manifestation of Visual Pollution.

Behind Cas were at least five ghouls, each with a different form.

By the torchlight, this was Han Dong's first time seeing a ghoul's true appearance.

They were humanoid creatures with elastic, rubber-like Ink Green skin.

Their kneecaps protruded, and sharp teeth capable of easily chewing through bone were exposed.

Their spines were curved, with parts protruding from their bodies, while the muscles covering their entire frames were compact and powerful.

Their skin, teeth, and terrifying claws were all covered in dense black fungus.

Once they tore through human skin, they would instantly cause infectious damage.

If the wound was not treated in time, it would immediately fester and ulcerate... and might even develop gangrene in a short time. Even if one survived, amputation would be necessary.

If one looked closely, one would notice a dangerous and easily overlooked detail.

There were several inconspicuous natural wounds on the ghouls' bodies.

Short tentacles would occasionally emerge from these wounds, an extremely bizarre sight.

The ghouls' Movement Speed was comparable to Cas after he had invested three Destiny Points.

In particular, one mature ghoul, half again as large as the others and with its spine completely protruding from its body, was even faster.

Its claws could easily leave scratches on the stone walls.

It was faster still, gradually pulling away from the ghouls behind it during the pursuit... and was about to catch the young Cas.

Just as its claws sliced across the armor on Cas's back.

He burst out of the passage.

For a moment, Cas lost his balance. The instant he rushed out, he pitched forward and fell to the ground.

Han Dong timed it perfectly and reached out to touch the switch, sealing the hidden door.

Click!

Just in time.

The closing hidden door shut the leading ghoul out, while the ghouls behind it were trapped inside the secret passage.

With a stone hidden door nearly two meters thick, ordinary ghouls could not destroy it yet...

This particularly huge ghoul, over two meters long and with scraps of linen still hanging from its body, seemed to be the mastermind behind this incident.

The culprit who had killed the Mistress.

It did not care whether its companions had caught up. Its black, spherical eyes fixed firmly on the young knight Cas... it had to kill him and keep the nest hidden.

Claws and fangs.

Both shot straight for Cas's head.

Clang!

A loud metallic impact echoed through the basement.

Though Cas had fallen to the ground, he remained ready for battle at all times... and swung his shield backward.

A perfectly timed block formed a "perfect block."

It completely stopped the attack while knocking the ghoul back a certain distance, giving Cas time to regain his footing.

"Yah—ah!" Just as the ghoul let out a strange roar and prepared its next attack.

A dangerous green mass of energy shot straight toward the back of its head.

A highly corrosive plague immediately spread across the back of its skull.

Hiss, hiss, hiss! A sound like corrosive acid eating away at something rang out.

In a short time, the plague energy actually corroded a small hole through its skull, then invaded the brain tissue within... the effect was even stronger than expected.

That plague ray had naturally been released by Han Dong.

When activating the Plague Doctor's Short Blade, Han Dong clearly felt a portion of the energy in his brain being drained... judging by what remained, he could probably use this attack around five more times.

If it had been a newly born ghoul, it would likely have already collapsed.

However... the current situation was not that simple.

Just as the plague was about to affect its brain, a bizarre scene unfolded.

Short, slender shadowy tentacles emerged from the breach in the ghoul's skull.

The tentacles wriggled and intertwined, neutralizing the plague while actually repairing its skull.

"Tentacles!? Self-repair!"

At this, the ghoul changed targets.

It turned its ugly head toward frail-looking Han Dong... thick saliva mixed with fungal matter continuously dripped from between its teeth.

Bzzzt—bzzzt—bzzzt! (electromagnetic interference)

When the ghoul's black eyes made Eye Contact with Han Dong, a noise resembling electromagnetic interference rang in his mind... and he vaguely saw something flash within the ghoul's pupils.

However...

At such close-range Eye Contact, Han Dong was completely unaffected.

Unlike Cas, whose Destiny Points were slightly higher than his.

Han Dong suffered none of the so-called Visual Pollution. He felt no sensory discomfort, no headache, no hallucinations, and no dark lines appeared around his eye sockets.

It was not the goggles' effect.

Han Dong vaguely felt that even without the goggles, he would not be in any danger.

Of course, Visual Pollution was secondary... the key was how to deal with this ghoul.

Just then.

Bang!

A spherical holy water bomb smashed into the ghoul's body. (That was, a spherical container filled with holy water.)

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle! Great clouds of white vapor rose.

The ghoul rolled wildly across the floor in pain, but with its claws flailing about randomly, it was difficult to approach and finish it off.

"Friend Andeva, stand behind me... We can still handle one mature ghoul."

Taking advantage of the opening created by the holy water bomb.

Han Dong immediately moved behind Cas to avoid being left alone.

"Just wait for an opening and attack from a distance like you did earlier!

Low-level monsters like ghouls still cannot escape the limits of human bodily structure. As a Mysterious Scholar, you should know that better than I do... Just aim for their heads and hearts."

"Mm."

With that said!

Cas assumed a fighting stance.

He held his shield in his left hand before him.

His right hand held his sword close behind the shield.

This stance seemed to hold some special significance...

Crusader's Power

At once, a faint silver radiance seeped from around the blond, silver-armored Cas.

A faint cross-shaped mark even appeared on his forehead.

It resembled a temporary enhancement skill.

The ghoul corroded by holy water recovered once more in a short time... and was now completely enraged, wisps of black smoke spilling from its black pupils.

It pounced.

It was determined to tear Cas to pieces.

"Hoo..."

He took a deep breath.

His center of gravity sank.

The instant the ghoul lunged, veins bulged on Cas's forehead. His rear leg stamped fiercely against the ground, channeling all his strength into his shield-bearing left arm.

Shield Bash

Clang! (A dull metallic impact)

The massive ghoul, over two meters tall, was actually sent flying by a single shield strike from Cas.

"So heavy... This is a little strenuous."

Cas forcibly suppressed the trembling in his arm.

He drew back his shield and charged forward with explosive speed.

The instant the ghoul hit the ground, he swung his silver sword.

Cross Slash

Wherever the silver gleam passed, the ghoul's flesh was completely cut apart.

The Black Heart hidden beneath its ribs was clearly visible!