Chapter 32: Witch's Sanctuary 2

Just as the poison was about to touch him.

Huuk! Huuk

Bursts of air were emitted from his boots, catapulting Woohyuk back. It was a tense moment, but Woohyuk calmly proceeded to counterattack.

Hwarrrk

A Fireball was sent flying to the Abomination’s head. Just another one of his spells that he had gathered with his Ghost Queen Star Serpent.

In general, Holy spells or Fire based magic were quite effective against the Undead.

Puk! Puk

As Woohyuk stepped back a bit and launched Fireballs from afar, his undead minions assaulted the Abomination’s legs.

Pagak

A Skeleton of his was hit by the Abomination’s large fist, collapsing instantly. Still, it didn’t continue to eliminate his undead, since the damage of Woohyuk’s Fireballs was begining to stack and melt its torso’s outer skin.

“Oooah!”

The Abomination thumped its chest in anger, as it charged towards Woohyuk.

Leaping high into the air with the aid of Jake’s Airwalker Boots, Woohyuk stayed out of the Abomination’s range, as he continued to harass it with spells.

‘It’s quite easy this way.’

Back then it had given him a hard time.

Barrier, Flute, Return Stones...

They had used everything in their arsenal, but even then there had been many victims. This led to the Canyon Battle being more difficult in the later stages.

As the dark green Poisonous Gas began to disperse, Woohyuk decided to continue in close quarters.

Then…

Dangung

The Abomination’s head cleanly severed with Grandia. Without the protection of the high grade leather skin, it was just an ordinary undead.

‘I’ll make sure to completely erase you.’

Without its head, the rest of its body was quickly cut up into pieces.

As the rotting pieces of flesh scattered across the ground, Woohyuk turned to see what was happening on Hong Yuri’s end.

‘She’s almost done as well.’

Vampires were simply superior to Ghouls.

It was just far too unlikely for them to lose since each side had more or less the same numbers.They probably took little damage, after all they had their Blood Queen with them.

Whuick Whuik

Hong Yuri wielded her rapier as she pierced the heads of nearby Ghouls. She had come along nicely since her training session with Woohyuk.

‘Her combat sense isn’t all that bad.’

Her timing and ability to change between the rapier and her whip was well practiced, she must have spent hours in it.

After observing her until she had wrapped up her end of the battle, Woohyuk spoke up.

“Let’s keep going.”

“Yes…”

Although she was a bit out of breath, she naturally obeyed Woohyuk.

As they continued to make their way forward, walking up a hill’s small incline, the rumbling of hooves from within the fog was heard.

“Is it cavalry this time?”

“There's nothing to worry about, he’s alone.”

Elrond’s Baron, Jean Pierre Ecclet.

A knight which had been completely corrupted by the Witch’s spell.

Focused on the black silhouette that began to emerge from the heavy fog, Woohyuk raised Grandia.

“Stay back for this one.”

He wasn’t at all an easy opponent.

Able to fight against a group of 30 players by himself, he was the Witch's second Guardian, and was quite strong.

As Woohyuk took a step forward, he heard Elrond Baron’s voice.

“Yo...u...can...not...go...any...fur...ther...”

A single sentence to demonstrate its dominance.

Because it was simply a corpse under the control of the Witch, he couldn’t know if the words it spoke were its own, or those of the Witch.

‘ I still need to give this a try.’

It would take a considerable amount of time and energy to defeat him, so after thinking for a bit, he asked the approaching Baron.

“Do you remember your daughter? She who had your wife’s eyes and good looks.”

“....”

Elrond’s Baron grasped the reins as he sat erect upon his warhorse.

As he looked at Woohyuk with his pale face, he nodded back.

‘Fortunately it seems that there remains a small portion of his consciousness.’

He had entered his contract voluntarily, which allowed him to retain a certain degree of freedom.

A difficult situation that might instead be resolved with the right words.

“After your wife died of an illness, you focused everything on properly raising your daughter, making sure she’d live a happy life.

The Baron’s love for his daughter was boundless, to such a point that it had an adverse affect instead.

He had forbidden her from leaving the mansion, or contacting other noble men, afraid that his beautiful daughter would become the object of lust for these men.

“It was all in order to protect your daughter that you chose to sell your soul to the Witch, right?”

“You… how…who...ar...e...you...”

The Baron could detect the power of Death oozing from Woohyuk.

Rather than answering his query, Woohyuk simply summoned a Skeleton Soldier.

“Necro...mancer.”

“I am Nakron’s successor, this book is my proof.”

He held out Nakron’s Grimoire, the horse the Baron rode on took a few steps back as it neighed in fear.

Srrrrng

Elrond’s Baron unsheathed his long sword.

“His...appren...tice...is...not...able...to...co...me...he...re...”

“I have a proposal to make. If you let me pass, I will release the curse on your daughter, taking her under my wings and protecting her until this chaos is resolved..

The Baron’s daughter was located in the Chapel.

If he left her there, she would end up Corrupted. However, the world outside of the Sanctuary was full of danger, so it wasn’t easy for the Baron to accept Woohyuk’s proposal.

“I...only...follow...my...ow...ner’s...com...mands...”

The Baron charged towards Woohyuk.

Woohyuk rolled to the side, as he slashed with his sword.

Chang!

The sharp sound of metal clashing rang out on this small hill.

Elrond’s Baron turned his horse back around to face Woohyuk.

“That...sword...skill...from...the... Master”

A graceful movement like the wings of an ancient crane. Although it lacked strength, it was totally different compared to others.

“Trying to find the origin of my skills is pointless, but yes I’ve learnt some martial arts in the past.”

“Yo...u...are...too...dan..ger...ou..s...I’ll do...my...best...”

A black energy burst out of the Baron’s body.

[Dark Knight’s Curse]

A deathly aura that made your senses sluggish and eroded your Vitality upon contact.

Although the situation looked unfavorable for Woohyuk, he didn’t retreat. It was because he somehow felt something was up.

‘It was worth trying to talk to him.’

All that remained now was to wait for the Baron’s decision. Depending on that, the results might be very different.

Clop! Clop!

The Baron spurred his horse as he charged towards Woohyuk once more.

His long sword carved through the air as it made its way towards Woohyuk’s right shoulder.

The exact same attack as previously.

Chang!

But his lack of determination made all the difference.

Woohyuk dodged the sword strike and followed up with a midair spinning attack. Grandia’s sharp blade moved gracefully like a masterful brush stroke, closing in on the Baron.

Finally…

Dangung

The Elrond Baron’s head was sent flying into the air. A natural and continuous motion, like the flowing of a river’s water.

Hong Yuri that had been staring intently at the duel, was left with her mouth hanging.

Chulpuduk

A headless corpse collapsed on the hill’s slope.

Landing back on the ground gracefully, Woohyuk went over to his horse.

It was of course to gather the loot.

‘As expected, you didn’t avoid it.’

By pretending to do his best in the fight, the Baron was able to exploit a loophole in his contract.

It was all in the hope that Woohyuk would honor his end and save his daughter.

As he stared into the Baron’s closed eyes that made him look at peace, he picked up what looked like an exquisite longsword.

[Argent’s Oath of Loyalty]

Category: Weapon (Growth)

Grade: C

Durability: 10,500

Effect: The person who takes this pledge is bound to their Lord by a life and death contract. Within a 100 meter radius of the Lord, they gain 20% Experience bonus and Stats. (The pledge can only be made once in a person’s lifetime, and can only be annulled by the Lord himself.

‘It’s the Ecclet’s family heirloom.’

Although the family had fallen very low, it had once been one with great influence. A lineage of Knights sworn to loyally serve their Lord.

However once the Baron’s Lord had chosen to sell his soul to the Demon King Dantalion, between them had become null.

A contract with a Demon King was only possible by giving up absolutely everything. At that the Baron decided to give up his soul to the Witch, all in order to protect his daughter from the invading demons.

After placing Argent’s Oath of Loyalty in his Belt, Woohyuk urged them to keep pressing forward.

Hong Yuri caught up to walk alongside him, as she asked.

“What are you planning on doing with the Baron’s daughter? If you have no use for her, can I make her into a Vampire?”

“No, I will look out for her.”

There was a reason that he had tried to talk with Elrond’s Baron.

It was the same reason that he had chosen to forfeit his own life.

If he thought the Woohyuk didn’t have the ability or intention to look after his daughter, he wouldn’t have accepted the deal in the first place.

It was quite difficult to grasp an opponent’s character simply by crossing swords, but the Ecclet family was one that had produced many talented swordsmen.

‘She is also quite skilled with the sword.’

[Leifina]

She would be Argent’s next master. A subject that would not abandon him no matter what.

He absolutely had to obtain her in order to succeed in future ventures.

Kiiiic

As he opened the Chapel’s door, the inside was engulfed in a sinister darkness.

A place filled with evil energy, as a white haired witch stood before an altar filled with candles.

“Wait for me outside.”

“Alright.”

Woohyuk slowly walked inside, leaving behind a weary Hong Yuri.

Seeing him enter, the white haired Witch began to cackle maniacally.

“ Kukuku What an amusing fella, trying to take me on all by himself.”

“I’m not here to kill you.”

Woohyuk replied calmly, his hands devoid of any weapons.

“You’ve come all the way here and won’t fight me?”

“No.”

“Don’t even bother trying to trick me. Do you think that I will be so easily fooled like the Baron?”

The Witch spoke as she picked up the Crystal ball which had been on top of the altar.

Inside it appeared the image of the Baron’s headless corpse.

“He had an honorable death, protecting a life that is more important than his own.”

“You're talking about the Baron’s daughter. Ha! If you can take her away, go ahead and try. Of course, it won’t be easy!”

The white haired Witch waved her wand, sending scorching blue flames towards Woohyuk.

He kept advancing using the Ghost Queen Star Serpent to defend himself.

“This Chapel is where Angrboda was born, one of Lilith’s kin, and she is much more powerful than you.

“Are you saying that I’m a fraud?”

“Yes”

It was a simple trick used by Angrboda, using others to assume her form.

As Woohyuk grasped the wand and yanked it from her hand, the Witch panicked as she tried to cast a spell in a rush.

Suddenly, the sword Argent was thrust before her.

“See yourself for who you truly are.”

“....”

The white haired Witch stared at her reflection on the sword’s blade.

A beautiful woman with pink hair, certainly not a wrinkled old woman.

The Witch’s eyes widened in surprise.

“This woman…”

“The Daughter of Elrond’s Baron, Leifina Ecclet. That is your true name.

Angrboda had used her powers to confuse her into seeing and thinking herself as the Sanctuary’s Witch.

She was basically held hostage in case the Baron chose to go back on his word.

‘Last time I had been lucky to accidentally discover this.’

When he had tried to kill her using the Argent sword he had recently acquired, he just happened to see her reflection upon the sword.

A hidden reward.

Only the very first player to defeat the Baron could obtain the Argent sword, as well as have a chance to win over Leifina.

Leifina, who had returned to her original form, sat down and cried as she was overwhelmed with grief.

Guilt, she truly believed that the Baron had died all because of her.

“I had no choice but to kill your father.”

“... I know.”

He had died the moment he had sold his soul to that Witch.

Woohyuk had simply helped him find some measure of peace.

At the time, Leifina had been able to completely hear their conversation due to her Crystal ball.

“Take this, it is rightfully yours.”

Woohyuk placed Argent back in its sheath, then handed it to Leifina.

She in turn stroked her sword affectionately, as she asked.

“... will you take me with you?”

“If you make an Oath of Loyalty to me, I promise to never turn my back on you.”

Although Leifina was at first a bit hesitant, she later nodded as she agreed to use Argent’s effect.

“I owe you too much, I’ll help you in any way that I can.”

While she had been sequestered in her own mansion, the Baron had made sure that she learned swordplay.

Despite her beautiful appearance, she had never taken to any feminine hobbies, seeking instead the path of honor through the sword.

Leifina's skills which she had learned from family techniques passed down across generations, were actually quite good.

It was a cut above his current team.

“I Chun Woohyuk shall always be there as your Lord. To provide for you, there will always be bread and meat on your table, and I will never ask you to commit a dishonorable act.

Woohyuk took back Argent from her hands, gently tapping each of her shoulders.

Leifina then bowed her head, and completed her end of the oath.

“As the eldest daughter of the Ecclet family, I vow to fight by your side until my dying breath.”

As the Oath was completed, Leifina raised her head, a somber expression on her face.

Although she had become the knight she had always dreamed of, her heart was heavy.

‘Father wouldn’t have been happy.’

The Baron had only taught Leifina some swordplay in order to improve her body’s constitution. It was because he didn’t want to see her dying from a disease like her mother, not to turn her into a Knight.

Still, Leifina had decided to go against his will.

Tired of being cooped like a caged bird, she wanted to break out and get revenge on her father’s enemies.

‘With this man it might be possible.’

There hadn’t been many that were capable of beating her father in a duel.

A man that one day will leave his mark on history.

Accepting Argent, Leifina looked up at Woohyuk, as a white text appeared before her eyes.

[Acquired Hidden Class: Iron Maiden]

[An unbreakable bond has been created between the Lord and the Oathtaker.]

[You can Teleport to the Lord’s side once per hour.]

[Poison Resistance increased by 25%]

[Unique Skill: Flash Cut]