Chapter 198 Corpse Queen (1)

Night Hound silently melted into the night once again.

Vikir gracefully navigated between buildings, soaring through the air. However, compared to before, Vikir’s movements have become several times more agile. It was not just due to training; in fact, the presence attached to his left wrist played a more significant role.

[Squeak!]

A spider-like entity spewed webs from Vikir’s left wrist. As he leaps into the air, the webs shoot towards the walls and railings of the building in front of him. Like a pulley system, Vikir extended the webs forward, attaching them to the next building, allowing him to continue gliding forward.

The spider-like entity nestled in Vikir’s wrist produced a massive amount of spider silk with ease. A substance that looked like concentrated spider silk essence exited the tiny creature and solidified when it came into contact with the surrounding air.

‘Even this little creature produces so much spider silk. I wonder how much Madam Eight-Legs produced.’

Vikir recalled the time he fought Madam Eight-Legs. During the fight, Vikir destroyed the silk-producing organ, otherwise, she could’ve expended an enormous amount of spider silk, making it challenging for Vikir to counter with his skills. If Madam Eight-Legs had been in a condition to freely produce webs, Vikir might not have survived that day with all his limbs intact.

“You’re more useful than I thought.”

[Hack-hack-hack-]

Vikir patted the head of the creature, which spewed webs from its mouth.

Thanks to it, travel time has been significantly reduced, a fortunate turn of events.

Tat-tak!

Running along the outer wall of a building, Vikir soon descended onto a partially collapsed clock tower. The once iconic landmark of the city now stands halfway crumbled due to some massive impact.

Vikir recalled the newspaper article he read recently.

[Breaking News] Night Hound Strikes Again!?

Once again, Night Hound began a terror spree around 1 a.m. The target of destruction was the central clock tower of the Venetior, a landmark boasting a rich history. This architectural marvel not only symbolized imperial power but also contained the ideals of the late Emperor Peha, emphasizing the order of the empire… Meanwhile, the number of casualties from this terror attack… The imperial decree vows to use all means necessary to bring this notorious criminal to justice…

A copycat mimicking Night Hound. Vikir examined the massive clock tower, destroyed by an unknown entity, with interest.

The scars on the wall were too long and uncontrolled to be attributed to a blade.

‘It’s like the aftermath of a whip. Considering the destruction of a city landmark… could it be someone discontent with society?’

Destroying the Central Clock Tower, a structure people in Venetior looked at several times a day, and which symbolized nothing but order and peace. However, attempting to destroy this building may hold symbolic meaning, possibly resistance against the societal regime or an attempt to overthrow order.

‘…Well, I don’t know for sure.’

However, it wasn’t crucial at the moment.

For Vikir, finding the imitator and killing him was more urgent than the presence of the copycat.

“Let’s see.”

From the rooftop of that destroyed tower, Vikir surveyed the cityscape below. The city lights gradually fade away, the city preparing for a peaceful slumber. Night Hound awakened only when everyone else had closed their eyes.

‘…There it is. The point CindiWendy pointed out seems suspicious.’

Vikir raised his head, looking towards the northern part of the city.

——————

That place was the area Vikir had recently visited for volunteer work on the outskirts. It was now the location of the abandoned Indulgentia Orphanage, which had turned into ruins.‘Surely, it’s a place left in ruins with nothing remaining… Why are intelligence agents disappearing there?’

Vikir lifted his mask slightly, sniffing the air of decay.

“…”

There’s a smell, faint but unmistakable. It was undoubtedly the scent of magic. The fact that this stench lingered indicated that something was still there.

“But strangely, the smell is faint. Why is that?”

It was even lighter than the typical demon scent, making it difficult to notice.

Vikir instructed the spider-like creature to extend its thread and then leaped from the clock tower. Just before hitting the ground, the webbing stops, and using the recoil, Vikir performs a mid-air somersault, landing gracefully on the ground.

Vikir navigated through the dark alleys, weaving through the maze-like city. Roof to roof, railing to railing, wall to wall, higher to lower, and even lower than that, he continued to leap and crawl.

Eventually, Vikir arrived at the ruins of the Indulgentia Orphanage. It’s a zone just about a hundred meters away from the opposite Royal Memorial Cemetery.

As Vikir moved from the outskirts of the ruins towards the center, he senses something unusual.

“The smell is getting fainter and then stronger again.”

The demonic stench is being diluted by something, like a strange energy mixed half-and-half with human blood.

“Is it possible for a scent like this to come from a demon?”

Even Vikir, an experienced demon hunter, has never encountered this scent before.

Meanwhile, there is no sign of anyone in the ruins of the Indulgentia Orphanage. With Quovadis’ investigation concluded, no one comes here anymore. Normally, there should be guards, but due to the recent activities of the imitators, there seems to be a shortage of security personnel.

Although there was a sign prohibiting entry for civilians, Vikir entered without any hindrance.

Before long, Vikir entered the area where CindiWendy’s intelligence agents went missing.

And soon enough,

“…!”

He understood why CindiWendy’s intelligence agents disappeared, what made them vanish, what happened to them, and where they went—all at once.

[Groooooo…]

The lower jaw, down to the collarbone, and a purple tongue..

Gas had filled the body, and the flowing flesh had solidified like oil.

A few undead creatures, emitting a putrid odor, wandering the ruins.

[Zombies]

Danger Level: C

Size: 1.7m

Discovery: Across the continent

– Also known as the ‘Less Rotten Ones.’

Common corpses are found anywhere – graves, battlefields, abandoned houses, sewers, etc.In rural or underdeveloped cities, they are as common as rats.

The undead walked around, emitting unpleasant moans.

It’s impossible to know why they’re wandering in this place because they were once humans. However, at least some of them were unquestionably CindiWendy’s intelligence agents.

“Go to a better place.”

Whether such a place truly exists is uncertain. Vikir took out his bow, Anubis, a powerful black bow that fit snugly in Vikir’s hands.

“I’ve kept this one resting for too long.”

During the Academy’s mid-term exam period, he had only handled standard bows, and his hands felt like they would rot.

The saying that masters don’t care about equipment is a lie. If Vikir could have used Anubis during those times, he could have easily annihilated the golem and Professor Sadi in one shot.

“But that would have caused a big problem.”

Anubis is different from standard bows; it probably wouldn’t have left just one eyeball intact.

While contemplating various thoughts, Vikir tightly gripped Anubis.

[Squish…]

The little creature attached to Vikir’s left hand seems to dislike Anubis and retreated back.

Anubis was made from the discarded husk of Madame Eight-Legs. The little creature, back in its larval stage, seemed to detest any traces of its mother, probably due to memories of almost being eaten by her.

The relationship between parent and child for spiders might not be as tight-knit as one would think.

‘Just like the dogs of Baskerville.’

Finally, with a click, Vikir released Anubis’s string.

[Bang! Boom]

The heads of zombies in the distance exploded one by one.

The zombies were shattered into pieces before they even had a chance to react, and Vikir continued to move following the faint stench.

At that moment,

“…!”

Arriving at the heart of the ruins, Vikir witnessed a shocking scene.

Quilt, the head of the Indulgentia family, and the ninth supreme demon, Dantalian. Though he was dead and gone, one of the undead that belonged to him was standing intact.

Geronto.

The red-haired mage.

But Vikir wasn’t surprised that Geronto had come back to life.

Because…

The entity that resurrected Geronto,

Was tanding conspicuously amid the ruins, ‘it’ immediately caught Vikir’s attention.

The overwhelming aura emanating from the figure, was the source of the demonic scent that led Vikir here.

Adorned with a crown and armor made of bones, long flaming hair, and a black cape fluttering, the figure exuded an imposing presence.

One of the [Ten Corpses] was here.