Mahal's public cemetery was located on the northern outskirts of the city, enclosed by a dilapidated fence.
Instead of the usual sea of headstones, the cemetery housed a massive underground catacomb complex.
The frozen soil in the North was rock-hard during winter. Rather than struggling against it every year, digging one massive underground burial pit was far more practical.
Whenever someone died, they were simply hauled down below—quick and hassle-free.
By the time Rosie's group reached the cemetery caretaker's office, the caretaker was already a corpse.
Vera walked over and touched the body with her finger. “He's been dead for two days.”
Her gaze shifted away from the corpse toward the entrance leading into the catacombs outside. “It's daytime, so it can't run. A perfect chance to finish it off.”
“Me go first! Me avenge Priest!”
The beastkin from the Temple of War bellowed.
He held a rusty warhammer in his hand and wore a filthy, old leather vest.
Ever since his priest died, this guy had been lurking outside the Temple of Art. Whenever he saw Vera step out, he would rush over to ask if they'd found the culprit.
Even today, Vera hadn't wanted to pay him any mind, but Rosie had brought him along.
This dim-witted beastkin clearly possessed immense strength, making him excellent cannon fodder.
“You go ahead, I'll catch up shortly,” Hawk's voice called out from behind.
Rosie stopped and looked back at him.
“Are you trying to run away? I won't hesitate to report you.”
Hawk's lip twitched. “I had my men bring the carriage around earlier. I'm just going to meet them.”
Vera nodded without pressing further. “Go ahead. We'll head inside first.”
With that, she picked up an oil lamp from the room and turned toward the catacomb entrance.
The green-skinned beastkin trotted eagerly after her, hammer in hand.
Rosie gave Hawk a quick glance before turning to follow Vera.
Nikus followed as well.
The four of them stepped into the entrance of the underground catacombs.
The air wafted with a stench combining lime, dampness, and rot.
Descending a dozen steps brought them into a massive tomb hall, with rows of coffins embedded into the walls on both sides.
The flagstone floor beneath their feet had been worn smooth and flat after years of foot traffic.
“I'm afraid its strength has recovered significantly. This won't be an easy fight,” Vera said.
“I'll weaken it with light first, then we move in together,” Rosie replied.
The beastkin leading the charge turned back. “My hammer smash its head!”
Nikus brought up the rear without a word, silently trailing behind.
The four continued their descent.
The stench in the air grew thicker with every level they descended.
By the third level, several large corpse pits appeared.
The bodies inside didn't even have coffins; they were simply wrapped in coarse burlap and tossed in.
Under the light of the oil lamp, a swarm of rats scattered in all directions.
“Smells bad!”
The beastkin grumbled, waving a free hand in front of his nose.
“You beastkin mind bad smells?” Rosie asked.
“Me no ghoul, course me mind!” The beastkin's tone held a tinge of offended indignation.
“My bad,” Rosie apologized bluntly.
“Ah, haha, no problem.” The beastkin looked a little embarrassed.
The four pressed deeper until a grand burial chamber opened up before them.
In the center of the chamber stood a stone sarcophagus with a creature perched on top.
A pair of massive leathery wings folded behind its back, partially enveloping its upper body.
Its head hung slightly low as if dozing, but the instant the lamplight hit its face, its eyes snapped open.
A pair of blood-red slitted pupils glowed in the firelight.
“Aaaagh—”
An ear-splitting shriek pierced the air.
The creature launched itself directly off the sarcophagus lid, spreading its wings as it lunged violently toward the four at the entrance.
Swish!
Vera's repeating crossbow sang the moment the monster sprang into action.
A silver bolt traced a brief streak of cold light, aiming straight for the monster's head.
Clang!
With a crisp metallic clatter, the bolt struck the creature's head dead-on—only to bounce off!
The beastkin charged forward at full speed.
“You die!”
He raised his warhammer, roaring as he swung it in a wide arc directly toward the monster.
In mid-air, the creature adjusted its posture and lashed out sideways with its ash-white left hand.
Thwack!
A dull thud of flesh on flesh echoed.
The beastkin flew sideways like a sandbag, crashing heavily against the chamber's stone wall and passing out cold.
Nikus lunged forward.
At the exact moment the creature batted the beastkin away, Nikus's blade carved a wide silver arc through the air. Harnessing the inertia of his spin, he brought it down hard against the creature's flank.
Clang!
The impact exploded in the chamber, deafeningly loud.
A small dent formed on the monster's ribs where the blade struck, its body jostled slightly sideways by the force. Then, its left palm slammed outward.
Nikus instantly pulled back his sword to parry.
The heavy broadsword collided with the ash-white palm in a heavy, dull crash.
His iron boots shrieked against the stone floor, skidding back several paces before he stabilized his stance.
Meanwhile, just as Nikus was forced back, Rosie completed her incantation.
“Holy Light!”
A brilliant gold light exploded ahead, illuminating the entire chamber as bright as day.
The golden radiance bathed the monster completely.
Greenish smoke sizzled from its skin with a sharp hiss.
Yet, unlike last time, it neither shrieked in agony nor made any attempt to evade the light.
It took the full brunt of Holy Light head-on, then opened its maw.
“Roar!”
A visible shockwave blasted forth.
Nikus slammed a foot forward, planting his broadsword into the floor, using his sheer weight to brace against the shockwave.
Even so, the residual force drove Rosie back several steps.
Doubt flared in her mind.
Why didn't Holy Light work this time?
She was certain that the divine light she had just cast was no different from what she used underground last time, yet this time its effect seemed barely stronger than a sunbath.
Vera spun in place to dissipate the momentum of the shockwave, raising her repeating crossbow to loose another bolt.
The bolt drew a silver line through the dim light, flying straight toward the space between the creature's eyes.
Another crisp clang echoed, and the arrowhead bounced off once more.
“Something's wrong! This thing isn't a vampire!” Vera shouted.
“Let's get out first!” Rosie yelled, turning to run.
This level was relatively tight, far from ideal for combat.
Vera held the oil lamp in one hand and her repeating crossbow in the other, following close behind.
Nikus hesitated for a fraction of a second before turning to follow them.
A guttural roar echoed from behind them.
The monster pursued.
However, its movement speed was noticeably slower than that of a true vampire elder.
Each of its footsteps landed with a heavy, dull thud. Its wings rustled continuously against the stone walls as they half-folded and half-flapped through the narrow passage.
The three bolted upward, sprinting across a ramp until they burst back into the entrance hall on the catacombs' first level.
“My, looks like you folks failed? Guess it's my turn to act.”
Hawk stood at the entrance, surrounded by five subordinates spread out in a loose circle.
A faint glow shone through the stairwell behind them, casting elongated dark shadows in front of their feet.
Standing at the very front of their group was a tall, imposing figure.
Its head resembled that of a massive wolf, snout jutting forward, upper and lower canines interlocking with glints of moisture in the light.
Its body was humanoid, covered in a layer of dark gray fur that grew thicker and denser around its neck, shoulders, and forearms.
Curved claws tipped its fingers, gleaming with a metallic sheen under the faint light.
“A werewolf?” Vera gasped in surprise.
Hawk's lips curled upward into a smirk. “Indeed. But this is no ordinary werewolf.”
He pulled a metal whistle from a pocket at his waist and blew into it.
The whistle emitted a sharp, ear-splitting sound, so high-pitched it sounded like glass being scraped violently.
The moment the whistle sounded, the werewolf's body tensed violently.
Then, a bloodthirsty crimson light ignited in its eyes.
Rate on N.U.
