Chapter 31. Hunting Human Hunters (5)
“What?” Isaac was utterly puzzled by this new turn of events.
But delving into Heinkel’s thoughts, Isaac realized the Duke was making a big blunder. Zihilrat’s faint divinity, Isaac’s incredible powers, and then… [“When I saw his face, it hit me! He looks like a holy envoy from the Red Chalice! I’ve been messing up the divine plans with my power games!”] According to Heinkel, Isaac’s appearance was the smoking gun.
It kind of made sense, not entirely crazy. Heinkel, being from Wallachia royalty, had sipped the blood of the god from the Red Chalice directly.
‘The Red Chalice’s god, Muhui, is also a Nephilim, right?’
In the Red Chalice Club, being a Nephilim wasn’t a drawback; in fact, it was an asset.
In the world of Nameless Chaos, gods fell into two categories. There were ancient gods born from people’s beliefs over the ages and the newer mortal-born gods emerging around a thousand years ago during the ‘Age of Light’ brought about by the Codex of Light.
The majority of the Nine Faiths were made up of these mortal-born gods.
Muhui, the god venerated by the Red Chalice Club, wasn’t your typical Nephilim. She ascended to godhood after offing her angelic father and feasting on his heart. This dramatic tale led her to become the deity of the Red Chalice, presiding over eternal beauty and life.
Given her backstory, it wasn’t shocking for Heinkel to mistake Isaac, who shared the Nephilim look, for something more.
Instead of risking a lie that could backfire, Isaac decided to play along with Heinkel’s misconception.
‘A fib might unravel anyway…’
Isaac composed himself and asked, “Aren’t there any other Wallachia hunters around here?”
Heinkel, struggling to label Isaac appropriately, received a hint in the form of a response.
“You’ve clocked who I am, right? Or do you need a little test?”
Isaac caught Heinkel’s mention of the ‘prophet of the red flesh’, one of the Red Chalice Club’s celestial beings.
Similar to other factions with their divinities, clubs boasted their own celestial beings, and the Red Chalice Club was no exception. Their main celestials, including ‘the prophet of red flesh’, had three limbs, flayed skin, and an aura of vital charm—something to that effect, but to Isaac, it just seemed like a grotesque monster.
At a glance, Zihilrat’s current appearance bore resemblance.
Neither were intentional on Isaac’s part, but having tangled with the Red Chalice Club before, he could pull off a convincing act.
Heinkel shook his head frantically, yet Isaac had already peeped into his thoughts. [“Even though I’ve sinned big time, why is the red-fleshed prophet here? What’s the gain in tainting this sanctuary?”]
Heinkel’s mind, completely laid bare, showcased why he was so easily swayed.
“Admit your wrongs. Let’s hear how boldly you’ve messed up,” Isaac demanded.
Zihilrat had Heinkel’s head pinned down on the ground, forcing him to spill all he knew as he lay there pressed against the floor.
Even in his terrified state, Heinkel managed to speak clearly, but Isaac wasn’t exactly satisfied with what he heard.
Tasked by the Immortal Order, Heinkel’s job was simply to help their priests sneak across the border into Codex of Light territory every now and then.
Isaac thought it was all pretty foolish. The Kingdom of Wallachia, aligned with the dark forces like the Immortal Order, didn’t exactly have a cozy relationship with the gods. Skeletons and immortal hedonists just didn’t mix well. They were more into politics, influenced heavily by the nearby powerful Black Empire.
Duke Heinkel Gullmar was after that power and influence, so he had been assisting the Immortal Order in their shady affairs, like helping priests sneak in and do their thing. But when one priest went MIA, Heinkel came to check things out.
He was either going to help or cover up any trace of wrongdoing.
Isaac wondered if the Immortal Order had stirred up the ancient gods as part of their plan for the dawn army two years later. The real Nameless Chaos game began with that army plot, and that’s when the ancient gods started making a comeback – though they weren’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things, just tougher boss fights.
Isaac believed he had squeezed all he could out of Heinkel and was now contemplating what to do next.
Heinkel was acting obedient now out of fear of Death, the unknown force he faced, and Isaac’s charisma. But Isaac was pretty sure Heinkel’s doubts would return once he left this place.
“You nearly messed up everything,” Isaac scolded.
“I have no excuse,” Heinkel murmured.
“Then you’ll have to face the consequences.”
Heinkel nervously awaited his fate, offering himself up for consumption to atone for his mistakes.
“Do you really think your tainted flesh is something worth feasting on?” Isaac questioned. He then swiftly impaled Heinkel’s neck with a tentacle, draining his blood.
And just like that, Heinkel was consumed.
Isaac felt a surge of pleasure as he absorbed the royal blood Heinkel had possessed. It was an intoxicating sensation that briefly overwhelmed him.
But a notification from the Nameless Chaos pulled him back to reality, reminding him of the danger of such pleasures.
Isaac realized that indulging in vampirism, like a drug he couldn’t resist, was a slippery slope. The allure of losing oneself in the pleasure was more terrifying than enjoyable.
As Heinkel’s body crumbled to dust, drained of the Red Chalice’s blood, Isaac felt a mix of emotions.
‘Calzen, and now this guy, both played big roles two years later with the dawn army… How will things go now?’
Maybe someone even more dangerous would step in, but Isaac knew letting Heinkel go wasn’t an option. Despite Heinkel’s uncertainties, the chance to absorb someone like him might not come again.
‘Guess I can’t get powers through consumption.’
Isaac checked out the perks gained from absorbing Heinkel.
It was surprising that his charm could get even stronger. It was already enough to sway the Duke of Wallachia completely. Getting more powerful could lead to unexpected results.
‘Should I consider being a cult leader now?’
Getting ‘Red Prayer’ was a big win.
Isaac tested out ‘Red Prayer.’
For a moment, his body turned into mist and moved swiftly, almost like climbing walls vertically. It wasn’t as good as Heinkel, but it could be handy for causing chaos or sneaking around.
‘But it seems to use up energy…’
Actually, it seemed to consume blood or bodily fluids. Isaac got a bad feeling.
‘No way, I’m not becoming a vampire, right?’
Vampires typically drank blood and turned into mist. But a reassuring message popped up.
[The curse of the Red Chalice can’t take over due to a stronger curse.]
“…”
The stronger curse probably had something to do with the nameless chaos. Isaac realized he dodged becoming a vampire but stayed as a tentacle monster.
Deciding which was better was tough.
Isaac searched through Heinkel’s remains for anything useful.
Most gear vanished quickly, likely due to magical abilities, but he found something special in the dust.
‘A sword?’
In the dust, Isaac found a plain, dark sword. It wasn’t a weapon he had seen Heinkel wield before.
Baffled, Isaac touched the sword, and suddenly, info about it overwhelmed him.
“A relic?”
Isaac blurted out involuntarily.
It was a weapon he shouldn’t have been able to get, something beyond his usual reach.
