Chapter 46. The Lightkeeper (2)
After Hesabel’s battle cry rang through the underground tunnels, there was a silent beat between them.
It took a sec before Isaac piped up.
“So, you’re saying you’ll peace out if I hand over the Rite of Division?”
But if you already put up a relic as collateral, shouldn’t you reclaim that too?
Hesabel seemed thrown off by Isaac’s point.
“Hey, what’s up? Oh yeah, that little trinket I left behind as collateral? It’s not as big a deal as getting back that rite thing. Yeah, I took a bit of a hit losing it, but oh well.”
Despite Hesabel making a fuss, she seemed reluctant to part with the Loracus Coin. Getting back the rite was important to her, but not worth a major loss.
Isaac had no plans to hand over the rite.
“Alright, fine. It was a dumb reason, but I scratched that curiosity itch. I thought Yukhar was smarter than to drag a Wallachia hunter into this too.”
Hesabel might have been the only one gullible enough. There were probably a few knights who fell for the Loracus hype and thought Yukhar had guts to involve Isaac.
“Come on, give it a shot. Your uncle was no match. Let’s see what you’ve got, niece.”
“You’re seriously not giving back the rite? Even after swearing on the Codex of Light?”
“The Codex of Light actually says not to give it back.”
Total fib. Hesabel, being a paladin, struggled to accept that Isaac, who had sworn an oath to God, would so easily break it.
Such betrayal was unheard of in their time, particularly for paladins and priests who would face swift consequences. But for Isaac, not being a Codex of Light paladin, rules didn’t mean much.
Isaac charged at Hesabel.
Hesabel hissed and raised her spear, aiming it at Isaac. But instead of landing a blow, she found herself facing the division ritual.
“Ah, dang it!”
She yelled, narrowly avoiding damaging her spear.
“That’s not a weapon, you wild man!”
“Yeah, I know.”
The division ritual was like a fancy sword for ceremonies, sharp but fragile. Hesabel realized her spear could easily break it.
Essentially, Isaac was waving around a Wallachia national treasure.
“Stop this!”
Struggling to avoid clashing with the ritual while fighting, Hesabel was at a disadvantage. With gritted teeth, she transformed into red mist and tried to attack Isaac from behind.
But Isaac also transformed into red mist. The two mists clashed violently.
Crack, thud!
As bones seemed to break, they were flung apart. Hesabel lay panting on the underground floor.
‘What the heck?’
Changing into mist was normal for her, but mixing with another mist was new. When they merged, a force pushed them apart as if it shouldn’t be happening.
Even more surprising, Isaac had used the ‘Red Prayer,’ a Red Chalice miracle.
‘How did he pull that off?’
Remembering Isaac breaking his Codex of Light oath and talking about the prophet of the red flesh at Heinkel’s Death site, Hesabel’s dread grew.
‘Is this for real?’
“This isn’t right at all.”
Isaac was already on his feet, staring down at Hesabel.
“I wanted to test a few things out, but I think we’re good.”
His violet eyes glinted wickedly in the darkness, surrounded by eerie tendrils.
Definitely not your typical Codex of Light paladin.
“What in the world…”
“Let’s just call it a day.”
Hesabel instinctively chucked her spear at Isaac, but he didn’t budge. Instead, a weird thing sprang from his arm and swiftly coiled around her spear, breaking it like a twig and even munching on the pieces.
She stood there, dumbfounded, as the tentacle, tough as nails, shattered her trusty weapon.
Meanwhile, the tentacle slinked up her body like a sneaky snake, poking its end right in front of her eyes.
Despite being used to the dark, Hesabel could make out teeth, thorns, and creepy eyes peering through the tentacles.
With a shriek, she bolted from the scene.
***
Breathless and disoriented, Hesabel found herself navigating the intricate underground waterways of Seor.
“Where am I? How do I get out of here?” she muttered to herself.
The maze-like structure of the waterways was eerie and ancient, with layers of stones stacked in different styles and materials. Even as a creature of the night, the old darkness sent shivers down her spine.
But what truly petrified her was the mysterious entity hot on her heels in the darkness.
As her breath grew ragged and her steps slowed, she felt a warm, sticky breath on her back. She let out another scream and broke into a run once more.
She had already given up on using her red mist transformation to escape. It was a limited power, and she had exhausted its potential. Besides, her foe could morph into red mist as well, making it pointless to flee that way.
“Who are you, really? What have you faced before, uncle?” Hesabel wondered in fear. The terror was so intense that she contemplated facing her possible end just to find peace.
Yet, the unknown identity of her pursuer kept her moving.
The disciples of the Red Chalice Club were promised a luxurious afterlife at the banquet of the Red Chalice upon their demise. But now, rather than being a guest at that feast, she feared becoming the main course.
“Is it better to face this fate? To be devoured by that thing?” she pondered anxiously.
There were whispers of fates worse than death, where disciples were denied their promised afterlife. The curse could be dealt by a god or an entity no one should ever meet.
Hesabel feared that Isaac might be such an entity.
As her breaths grew shorter and her legs weaker, she was left with two options.
To bravely fight and risk her life to join the Red Chalice’s banquet with honor.
“Please spare me! Spare my life!” she pleaded desperately, opting for the second choice.
With Isaac’s true intentions still a mystery, she couldn’t take a gamble. As a noble family’s heir, she had a duty to retrieve the lost relic and uphold her family’s honor. Above all, she wasn’t ready to meet her end in such a place.
She hoped Isaac was indeed connected to the prophet of the red flesh.
If Isaac truly represented the prophet or his cause, maybe she could be forgiven for meddling in his affairs.
But if not, she feared being stranded in a nightmarish realm, neither heaven nor hell.
Hesabel was totally at Isaac’s mercy, her head buried in the muck. Even though it was silent, she could feel Isaac lurking nearby in the darkness. The air in the steamy underground tunnel reeked of old blood.
Suddenly, Hesabel felt something poking at the back of her neck.
A shiver raced down her spine. She knew it was the tentacle that had devoured her spear. If it attacked her neck and head like it did with the spear, it would be game over without a single scream escaping her lips.
“Please, save me…” Hesabel pleaded in a tiny, scared voice.
Just then, she felt a gaze on her before a sharp pain hit her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut.
When Hesabel cautiously opened her eyes later on, she half-expected to be dead, but there was no feast or hellish scene. She was still facedown in the damp tunnel. The air had cooled, the foul smell gone, but it took her a good ten minutes to lift her head.
Not seeing anything around her, Hesabel immediately jumped up and bolted.
But worried about making too much noise with her footsteps, she slowed down to a quiet walk. Tearfully and nervously, she made a promise to herself.
‘I’m never going near that guy again. Ever…’
***
‘Hmm, maybe I should’ve just gobbled her up.’
Isaac felt an unusual hunger as he licked his lips. At first, he didn’t plan on sparing Hesabel, lying in the mud defenseless. It had been a while since his last meal, and he rarely let those seeking his life off the hook.
However, what made him spare Hesabel was pretty simple.
Having already absorbed Heinkel Gullmar, a higher being, he didn’t see much to gain from her. And strangely, her heartfelt pleas for forgiveness disarmed any urge he had to end her.
‘Knowing their real intentions sparks unnecessary sympathy.’
If not for being able to peer into Hesabel’s heart with the Eye of Chaos, he would’ve devoured her to avoid future issues. But all he saw was her fear of him and a promise to steer clear of trouble. Her determination seemed solid.
Isaac planted a ‘Parasite from Beyond’ in her neck. If she ever double-crossed him or leaked info, her brain would go boom. Otherwise, she’d just face headaches for a bit.
‘A small fee for sparing her life.’
Isaac continued his journey through the dark tunnels.
He let Hesabel roam with the parasite, thinking she might lead him to Yukhar.
He hoped that in her panic, she’d stumble onto Yukhar’s whereabouts, but she just wandered aimlessly up to this moment.
Though disappointed, he still gained something.
Roaming around, he caught the vibe of a sanctuary.
[The Nameless Chaos is watching you.]
“Don’t pressure me.”
As Isaac kept going through the dark waters, he felt his heart racing with every step, sensing the nearing sanctuary. It wasn’t his heart thumping but the tentacles, the rhythm coming from the vigilant gaze of the Nameless Chaos afar.
Around a bend in the tunnel, a soft glow peeked through. Approaching the flickering light, he finally stepped into a big chamber with the grand sight he’d been waiting for.
This was the sanctuary of the Golden Idol.
The room was totally filled with awesome gold and silver treasures, along with dried Loracus petals scattered all around. Right in the middle, surrounded by some weird patterns and decorations, sat Yukhar, holding on to a shepherd figurine like his life depended on it.
Isaac, upon seeing this, couldn’t help but make a cheeky remark. “So, were you trying to bring some order to the chaotic Golden Idol guild, or just copying what others do?”
Yukhar was stunned, his mouth hanging open as he stared at Isaac.
But then, a cryptic voice spoke out, “[This weak human thinks he can become the true god of the non-existent Golden Idol, replacing it.]”
Isaac immediately knew who was talking. “Are you an ancient god too?”
