The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

Chapter 169: Fanatic (1)

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 169

EP.169 Fanatic (1)

The underworld of the Sael Kingdom.

A shadowy place where all sorts of criminals gathered.

Because of this, some referred to it as the back alleys or the underworld.

However, it wasn’t only criminals who lived here.

People with various stories, such as those expelled from their families or too poor to pay taxes, also flocked to the underworld.

This place was the perfect hideout, not only from the Sael Kingdom but even from the White Order.

From the perspective of the state, it was a gathering of pests.

Nevertheless, the Sael Kingdom left the underworld alone.

It was easier to manage all sorts of criminals when they were gathered in one place.

Rather than stirring up trouble, it was better to maintain the current situation.

Another reason was added to this.

Necros had become the new ruler of the underworld.

He had brainwashed the representatives of the organization ‘Black Hand,’ which previously ruled the underworld, using Kaleido’s illusion magic.

Although one of the representatives, Malcolm, had met his end in the arena and the whereabouts of the actual ruler of the Black Hand, ‘Master,’ and an unknown dark wizard were unclear, it didn’t matter.

Necros had not only taken control of the underworld but was also exerting immense influence using the monster arena as a stepping stone.

With Necros’s rise to power, the underworld fell heavily under Celia’s influence.

Thus, Queen Elena paid no attention to the underworld, and the White Order also refrained from interfering, deeming it a matter of the kingdom.

Hence, people referred to the inhabitants of the underworld as those abandoned by the goddess and the state.

Today, many more set foot in the underworld.

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A man in plain clothes headed down a dark alley. The deeper he went, the more eerie the atmosphere became.

Soon, the streets of the underworld would unfold before him. The man heading towards the underworld was Edwin, an apprentice priest of the White Order. Edwin was walking the path of trials to become a full-fledged priest. This journey was a sacred mission of performing good deeds across the continent and a vow to serve the goddess. It was a crucial task for Edwin.

The reason he had set foot in the underworld was simple: he believed it would be full of people in need of help.

‘The underworld... surely, there will be many people who need my assistance.’

The underworld was a place overflowing with criminals and the impoverished. If he could help them, he thought he could easily build a record of achievements.

‘The underworld is a place ignored by both the kingdom and the order. If my name resonates in such a place... I could rise high!’

The standing within the order was determined by the achievements accumulated during the path of trials. If he could convert the people of the underworld to believe in the goddess, the prestige of Edwin, who had accomplished such a feat, would soar to the skies. Success would open the doors to becoming a high priest. If he was fortunate, he might even be rewarded with a holy relic.

‘Hehehe, I will definitely succeed!’

With hopeful thoughts, Edwin arrived in the underworld and was taken aback. He had expected a gloomy neighborhood filled with criminals and the poor, but the streets were more lively than he had imagined.

“This is different from what I heard.”

He had heard that the streets would be filled with begging children, but in reality, it seemed quite ordinary. Just looking at the streets, he wondered if this place was indeed the underworld.

Edwin looked around to confirm if this was truly the underworld.

“Excuse me...”

At that moment, someone approached Edwin. Thinking they might be seeking help, he quickly turned his head towards the direction of the voice.

“Do you need any help?” Edwin asked, looking at the person who had approached him.

It was a young girl. She wore a black robe made of what appeared to be expensive, high-quality fabric.

‘A noble?’ he wondered. But it made no sense for a noble to be in the underworld. She was a peculiar girl, no matter how he thought about it.

Just as Edwin was about to shake his head and decline, the girl continued speaking.

“If you need help, please come to that building! Lady Sharia always says to be kind to others!”

Sharia? Edwin tilted his head in confusion, but the girl didn’t stop talking.

“Oh, and if you come, you’ll get soft bread and meat, so please do come!”

The girl pointed to a building, said her piece, and then left. Edwin pondered over what she had said and came to a conclusion.

‘So there are volunteers even in the underworld.’

The person named Sharia, mentioned by the girl, must be someone who provides bread and meat to the poor. And the reason the girl approached him was...

‘Did I look that needy...?’

He gave a bitter smile at the thought of coming to the underworld to help, only to be offered assistance himself. Apprentice priests walking the path of trials were not allowed to wear attire related to the order. Edwin, too, was dressed in plain clothes.

‘I should meet this Sharia.’

With a smile, Edwin fixed his gaze in the direction the girl had disappeared.

“She said it was that building, right?”

However, what caught his eye was not the building the girl had pointed to. Instead, it was a building across from it, where a large crowd had gathered.

“What’s going on over there?”

Unable to contain his curiosity, Edwin also made his way towards the building. As he got closer, he could observe the varied reactions of the people.

“Damn it, I lost money again. What am I going to tell my wife...,” one man muttered in despair, clutching his head.

“Hey, hey! Did you see that? I told you he would win! Haha, drinks are on me tonight!”

After some deliberation, Edwin placed his bet. Matthew Clinked his tongue at Edwin’s final choice.

“Huh... You think the humans will be wiped out by that ghoul? And all at the same time? You turned out to be quite an interesting fellow.”

Matthew laughed and watched Edwin quietly. Shortly after, the match began.

But the content of the match was shocking. As soon as it started, the ghoul emitted a green smoke. The challengers instinctively raised their shields, but it was futile. The smoke enveloped them, and their skin melted away as flesh fell from their bones.

Screams filled the arena.

The arena was enveloped in silence at the sight. The audience was horrified, and so was Edwin.

‘Oh, Goddess, what am I witnessing...?’

Edwin was in shock. The sight of people’s skin melting away upon contact with the green smoke was horrifying. However, the silence was short-lived. Soon, the crowd erupted in cheers, rooting for the ghoul.

“......”

Despite the deaths caused by the ghoul, no one seemed saddened. Instead, they shouted in excitement, finding the spectacle entertaining. The madness in their behavior sent chills down Edwin’s spine, filling him with a sense of revulsion.

‘Oh, Goddess...’

Edwin silently prayed to calm his mind. He realized he knew very little about this place. Just from observing this arena, he could see into the depths of their souls. For a moment, Edwin doubted whether he could save these people. Their enthusiasm for slaughter revealed the primal instincts lurking within human nature.

“......”

As Edwin wrestled with his inner conflict, a sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Hello, sir. Did you place a bet on ‘the ghoul winning and the humans being wiped out simultaneously’ in this match?”

The person who approached was an arena official.

“Congratulations. You were the only one who got it completely right.”

The only one who got it right? Edwin was taken aback.

“And since you bet ten silver coins... Here, please accept this pouch.”

The official handed him a pouch filled with something. Edwin, caught off guard, took the pouch with a peculiar expression. It was quite heavy.

Should he really accept this? The heavy weight of the pouch seemed to press down on his conscience. He was destined to become a righteous priest of the Order. And yet, this pouch...

“......”

Edwin’s expression changed as he opened the pouch. He had expected it to be filled with silver and copper coins, but instead, it gleamed with a golden hue.

“Gold coins...?”

“Yes, the payout rate for this match was 2000 to 1. Since you bet ten silver coins, you won a total of 20,000 silver coins. However, since carrying 20,000 silver coins would be cumbersome, we converted it to 200 gold coins for you,” the official explained.

“Haha...”

Edwin felt a sense of emptiness. As an apprentice priest, he earned 30 silver coins a month. Considering that the average family’s monthly living expenses were around 20 silver coins, it was a decent amount. Moreover, the Order provided for all his basic needs, so it wasn’t a major issue.

Once he became a full-fledged priest, he would earn one gold coin a month. Although the amount would increase over time, it would take nearly 20 years to accumulate such a sum. Yet, with just one bet, he had earned 200 gold coins.

Unable to believe it, Edwin pinched his cheek. The pain confirmed that this was no dream.

However, human greed knows no bounds. A crack formed in Edwin’s heart.

‘What if I had bet gold coins instead of silver...?’

He could have lived a life of luxury. His life in the Order would have been more comfortable, and his future would have been different...

‘Why did I only bet that much?’

Regret washed over Edwin, and he began to loathe his own decision.

‘Should I bet more in the next match?’

His eyes wavered with uncertainty. There were plenty of matches, after all. Why not place a bet just for fun? For some reason, he felt he could win even more money in the next match.

‘Yes, that’s it. This is a sign from the Goddess! She wants me to win a lot of money to save the poor!’

Edwin consoled himself with this thought as he awaited the next match. His original purpose for coming to the underworld no longer mattered. The seed of desire had already begun to sprout within him.

Matthew, who had been observing Edwin’s behavior, stood up.

“I’ll be back in a moment; just need to use the restroom.”

Edwin didn’t respond, his mind solely focused on the upcoming match. Matthew smiled at this and headed outside. Instead of going to the restroom, he approached another individual—the same official who had spoken to Edwin earlier.

“Inform Lord Necros that the bait has been taken,” Matthew said with a sly grin.

From the beginning, Matthew had known that Edwin was an apprentice priest. When apprentice priests arrived in a particular country, they were required to report their location to both the state and the Order. Edwin had done just that upon arriving in the Sael Kingdom. Up to this point, everything had gone according to plan, but Edwin had no idea what was truly unfolding.

Little did Edwin know that the entire Sael Kingdom was under the influence of that person.

“I shall take my leave now. For the Twilight Order—”

“For the Twilight Order—”

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All current events were being reported to Necros in real-time. Matthew, who had been brainwashed by Kaleido’s illusion magic, had successfully lured in the apprentice priest.

“Clink, Clink.”

Since Matthew was an ordinary human, it had only taken a day to completely brainwash him. Other humans were also diligently working to spread the influence of the Twilight Order. Now, they just needed to bring in the apprentice priest, Edwin.

The reason for targeting apprentice priests was simple. The White Order had branches all over the continent, increasing their numbers by expanding their branches and recruiting more followers. In contrast, the Twilight Order lacked such a system. They couldn’t keep up with the White Order’s recruitment pace through normal means.

So, they devised a plan to steal followers. The idea was to convert apprentice priests, who were relatively easier to manipulate, into followers of the Twilight Order. Then, they would infiltrate the White Order and siphon off their followers. This was the so-called “Follower Poaching” plan.

Necros’s plan didn’t end there.

“Clink, Clink, Clink, Clink.”

(Send all the humans who win a lot of money at the arena to Kaleido.)

He intended to make full use of Kaleido’s abilities.