Paladin of the Dead God

Rumble…

The entire Labyrinthine Canyon trembled violently, with rocks and dust cascading from its walls.

It looked as if an earthquake was shaking the land, but the truth was far more unsettling.

Something within the canyon had begun to stir.

Isaac, knowing the cause, still couldn’t suppress his frustration at the sudden turn of events.

"Why now?"

From beyond the canyon, a massive form emerged, its movements slow but inexorable.

It was coming from the location Zihilrat had scouted earlier — the spot Isaac had been heading toward.

Boom.

Rumble… Boom. Rumble… Boom.

It sounded like an exhausted beast dragging its immense body across the earth.

The noise grew louder as it moved, heading directly toward Isaac.

Though irritated by the unexpected situation, Isaac quickly resolved to confront it head-on.

"All familiars, converge here. Eliminate any Angels of Death in the area immediately."

Responding to Isaac’s command, his familiars swiftly rallied.

The trembling ground forced the Angels of Death from their hiding places within the canyon walls.

Screeching incoherently, they swarmed toward the colossal figure approaching Isaac.

And then, Isaac saw it clearly for the first time.

The Sacred Monster of the outer chaos — the Elder of the Mountain.

It stood over a hundred meters tall, its massive body covered in thick, wrinkled hide that dragged across the ground like an old man wrapped in rags.

Beneath its skin, undulating black-and-red tentacles writhed, and dozens of eyes peeked out from beneath the folds.

These eyes were the same strange formations Zihilrat had discovered earlier.

Many of the eyes were closed, and even those that were open appeared clouded and lifeless.

But despite their state, they were all fixed unerringly on Isaac.

"How the hell am I supposed to take that down?"

Isaac’s original plan had been to strike before the Elder of the Mountain awoke.

Although its massive size rendered it nearly impervious to ordinary attacks, it posed little threat while dormant.

However, something had roused it.

"Was it the Black Communion’s effect?"

The timing suggested as much.

Regardless, the situation left Isaac with no choice but to engage it directly.

If the creature remained awake when the Issacrea Army passed through, it would wreak havoc.

Isaac had to determine whether the Elder was drawn to the Black Communion out of reverence or fear.

Given the innate hostility of chaotic creatures, fear seemed more likely. But its approach suggested otherwise...

[OOOOHHHH!]

The Elder of the Mountain let out a thunderous roar.

Isaac clicked his tongue and prepared for battle.

Fear didn’t always manifest as retreat; like a cornered rat, it often provoked aggression.

"Looks like I’ll have to devour it."

***

As the Elder of the Mountain lumbered closer, the canyon itself began to crumble beneath its steps.

The creature’s movements peeled back the ancient geological layers of the canyon, destroying everything in its path.

At the same time, it began disgorging masses from beneath its wrinkled hide.

What at first appeared to be waste were actually entities suffused with a power similar to the Color Beyond.

"Humanoid Spiders…"

The grotesque blobs rapidly took shape, transforming into dozens of humanoid spiders that scrambled up the canyon walls.

Unlike the Humanoid Spiders Isaac had encountered in Rougeberg, these were larger, more grotesque, and varied in form.

Their mismatched limbs and distorted features reflected the chaotic essence of their origin.

"Ulgaré, charge."

Isaac commanded Ulgaré, one of his newly recruited familiars, to attack.

The massive, pill-bug-like creature, which had been feasting on the fallen Angels of Death, obeyed without hesitation, rushing toward the Elder of the Mountain.

Despite the Elder’s overwhelming size, even a minor disruption would suffice.

But Ulgaré exceeded expectations.

[GUUUUUHHH!]

With a mighty crash, Ulgaré, as large as a small house, barreled into the Elder of the Mountain.

The collision caused the massive beast to stumble, sending it toppling toward a nearby cliff.

The resulting collapse was catastrophic.

Yet even amid the devastation, Ulgaré remained intact, rolling away unharmed thanks to its armored, pill-bug-like form.

"Tougher than I thought. And surprisingly effective."

Its form wasn’t just for show; Ulgaré was sturdy enough to batter down gates with ease.

The Elder of the Mountain, while momentarily staggered, quickly began to recover, using its hidden limbs to push itself upright.

Meanwhile, the Humanoid Spiders it had spawned scuttled up the cliffside toward Isaac.

Satisfied with Ulgaré’s performance, Isaac decided to entrust this battle to his familiars.

"Hectali, it’s your turn."

"I’ve been waiting for this."

Emerging gracefully from the crevices of the canyon wall, Hectali revealed herself.

Her lower half remained a chaotic tangle of writhing tentacles, but her upper body appeared as a beautiful woman in a modest dress. She seemed like a flower blooming on the cliffside.

Moving with unsettling elegance, Hectali’s tentacles snatched the climbing Humanoid Spiders and dragged them into her maw.

Her hunger was insatiable, and the monstrous spiders were no match for her.

But as more Humanoid Spiders emerged, Hectali wiped the ichor from her lips and murmured a strange incantation, snapping one of the spiders’ legs between her fingers.

Suddenly, the remaining spiders began to tremble.

One by one, they turned on themselves, consuming their own limbs in a frenzy of self-destruction.

This was the Curse of Cannibalism, a potent spell that afflicted chaotic entities with an insatiable hunger for their own flesh.

It was a grotesque sight, reminiscent of myths where cursed humans devoured their wealth, families, and ultimately themselves in a futile attempt to sate their hunger.

Isaac watched, impressed.

"Does Hectali’s keen understanding of chaotic creatures come from her nature as my familiar, or is it a product of her knowledge as a former witch?"

Either way, Hectali and Ulgaré were proving more effective than expected.

Not just the Humanoid Spiders, but Humanoid Centipedes and other abominations were climbing toward Isaac, only to be devoured or cursed by Hectali.

And then, the ground shook again.

Boom.

The Elder of the Mountain was rising again, its massive body trembling as it moved toward Isaac with renewed determination.

But before it could close the distance, a quiet yet decisive figure made its move: Zihilrat.

Isaac had relied on Zihilrat primarily for infiltration and assassination, roles that matched her rodent-like origins. While her duties had dwindled with Hesabel taking over most assassination tasks, Zihilrat had excelled when deployed.

As the Elder prepared to charge, its immense frame suddenly froze.

The dozens of eyes scattered across its body began to roll wildly in different directions, while its colossal form convulsed as though in violent spasms.

Moments later, the Elder of the Mountain collapsed, releasing a torrent of viscous fluid from its body.

The eyes that had once glared at Isaac with an unrelenting gaze now darkened, their once murky whites turning a deep crimson.

Finally, from one of the shattered eyes, Zihilrat emerged, her figure slick with the Elder’s ichor.

She had exploited the creature’s biology, slipping inside through the openings created when it spawned its Humanoid Spiders.

"It’s done."

Isaac gave a nod of approval.

"Well done."

What had been a formidable foe in the game — especially when awakened — had been defeated with startling ease.

But it wasn’t that the Elder was weak; rather, Isaac and his familiars had grown immeasurably stronger.

As Amundalas had noted, Isaac was now on par with angels, no longer a mere mortal.

Not only Isaac, but all his familiars had advanced significantly.

"I should test Traelgul as well," Isaac mused, though that familiar was currently guarding the Issacrea Estate.

The familiars were proving to be a valuable force. Isaac estimated their individual capabilities to rival those of Bishops or even Swordmasters. Combined with the smaller minions they commanded, his familiars constituted a hidden army in their own right.

"Master," came a soft, yearning voice.

It was Hectali, speaking with restrained hunger.

"May we… take care of that?"

She was gesturing toward the Elder of the Mountain’s massive Armye.

As chaotic entities, Isaac’s familiars were perpetually plagued by insatiable hunger. They were ready to devour anything in their path, regardless of Isaac’s leniency in feeding them.

Isaac could empathize; he, too, experienced a gnawing hunger after exerting his powers.

Before he could answer, Zihilrat emerged further, dragging something from within the Elder’s Armye.

[Here is the Elder of the Mountain’s essence. I offer it to the Lord of Chaos.]

Her gesture was almost ceremonial, as though asserting that the leader must take the first bite.

Isaac couldn’t help but notice that Zihilrat’s intelligence had improved significantly.

"Good work. The rest is yours to devour."

Isaac extended a tentacle from his left hand, coiling it around the essence.

While the Elder’s flesh would have greatly enriched the Intestines of the Dead God, Isaac’s growth had reached a point where the raw holy energy contained within the essence was far more tempting.

This single core contained more power than the Elder’s entire body.

As Isaac prepared to crush the dark crimson essence and absorb it, a thought struck him.

The Elder of the Mountain, as a chaotic entity, would respond to a Summon.

While it would have resisted the Summon while alive, as a Armye, it could be consumed entirely without loss.

Deciding on the more efficient option, Isaac enacted the Summon ritual on the essence.

***

I simply stood there.

Wandering endlessly, unsure of where to go or how to return.

Today, tomorrow, yesterday—everything was the same.

I was becoming one with the rocks of this canyon. Forever.

The sun rose in the west and set in the east.

138 Years Ago

I was merely walking across the land.

It had been years since I crossed the Outer Boundary. Time blurred as my body grew weaker, my joints stiffened, and every step felt heavier.

I knew this place rejected my existence.

But I couldn’t stop.

I didn’t know why. An unbearable longing drove me deeper into the chaos.

I discovered this strange canyon.

I thought I’d rest here for a while.

264 Years Ago

There was no distinction between today, tomorrow, or yesterday in the Outer Boundary.

302 Years Ago

Beneath the swiftly turning sunlight, I saw my hands — wrinkled and scarred.

In my grasp was a dagger, slick with blood.

Servants rushed toward me, their faces pale, wiping my hands with damp cloths.

"My lord," one whispered.

"It is time."

The servant’s face dissolved into white sand.

A man in yellow robes stood before me. He placed the dagger in my hand.

"Use this to kill Beshek. If you don’t, he’ll become the bulwark that prevents annihilation."

I tightened my grip on the dagger and set off to find Archbishop Beshek.

We knew each other well. He greeted me warmly, his face alight with joy.

As I plunged the dagger into his gut, our eyes met.

He frowned in confusion.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?"