Death Heir's Devouring System
Chapter 55: The Knights’ Hunt

Chapter 55: The Knights’ Hunt

Name: [Unnamed]

Race: [Blood Knotted]

Danger Level: [Reaver]

Corruption Rank: [Twisted]

’What is a Reaver monster doing in a Rift meant for the Marked?’ Azrael cursed bitterly.

If someone was proficient in combat and able to employ varied strategies, there was a way to defeat a being of a higher level... but two?

Impossible. Unheard of.

’Only those at the Proven Level would have a fighting chance, and even they would struggle.’ His mind raced, weighing his options.

Truthfully, there was always a chance to meet such people. After all, Rifts were portals to other worlds—corrupted planets—and planets were vast. In theory, others could have entered the cursed lands long ago, pursuing different goals and hunting different beings. It wasn’t something that occurred often, but there had been reports about such things happening before. Two Rifts leading to the same area.

Azrael grimaced. ’But that only makes survival harder. If humans at the Proven Ascension Level could be sent to this place, then that means there will be monsters at the Reaver Danger Level to challenge them. That’s a death sentence for any Marked that enters the crossfire.’

He could be overthinking it... But deep down, he suspected he was right.

It was the only way to explain the presence of a Reaver monster in a Rift meant for Marked.

Shaking his head to dismiss the thought, he turned back to the ongoing battle.

He used [Inspect] on the archers as well.

Name: [Bishop]

Race: [Nightfletch]

Danger Level: [Savage]

Corruption Rank: [Tainted]

’From bad to worse, they are on par with the Duskguards.’

In hindsight, he had been quite lucky. If he hadn’t entered the Golden Lands from the eastern side, where the weaker monsters seem to be concentrated, but from the western side, he would have met beings far beyond his league, spelling his doom.

’Even Cinder won’t help me here. The Nightfletch would shoot me down before I could fly away.’

The Nightfletch gripped their bows firmly. A second later, they shattered the ground behind them as their hands let go. A deadly rain of arrows poured down on the Reaver monster.

The giant abomination roared. Muscles tensed, it lunged toward the archers. With the intent to smash them to bits.

But the Duskguards weren’t going to allow that, their horses roared, breaking into a blinding dash.

In a heartbeat, both Duskguards positioned themselves behind the Reaver’s monster knees. In a beautiful arc, they severed the tendons of the being.

An earthquake shook the ground, caused by the monster falling to the ground.

The Nightfletch didn’t stop, each arrow they fired was faster and stronger than the last.

The projectiles buried themselves deep in the monster’s body, drawing blood, staining the pitch-black ground and the golden grass.

In mere minutes, the Reaver monster was no more.

Azrael gulped audibly. ’To think they’re this effective when working together... Twisted as it is, it makes sense. They’re knights, after all.’

Mesmerized by the view, he climbed upon a tree, making sure he remained unseen as he continued his observation. He had Maiden Skin to rely on for stealth so he wasn’t worried about being spotted.

The knights’ force didn’t stop attacking even after their foe had been bested. The Nightfletch got closer and took out daggers. The Duskguards got off their horses and began to mutilate the creature.

Due to its vast size, it took quite a long time. Only when the night descended did they judge that their work was done. By now, the creature was nothing like its former self. It resembled a large pile of guts and nothing more.

Azrael’s eyes widened momentarily. ’Wait, is that the thing that the Unworthy Knights were transporting?’

As he suspected, the knight force withdrew—only for a pair of Unworthy Knights to arrive shortly after. One of them used a chain to bind a part of the being’s body to its arm before dragging it toward the south... toward the Blood Lake.

"It seems the mystery of what they were transporting is solved." He mused, getting off the tree and approaching the mutilated corpse.

He wasn’t able to get too close, since the Corruption the dead body was giving off was still too much for him to handle. He was forced to keep his distance.

With keen interest he inspected the scene as fast as he could, nothing strange stood out to him except one thing.

Since the Reaver monster’s body was composed largely of blood, it had left a trail. A visible path from wherever it had come from before arriving here.

The bloody trail led to the west. Towards the blizzards.

The one place Azrael had yet to explore.

He hesitated. He knew without question there would be danger. But danger also meant the potential for immense power.

And if he was right, if more than one Rift had been opened on this planet, then others, likely Proven Level individuals, would be there too.

’If there is a chance we could be put against Reaver monsters, we would need Proven Level people.’ He figured, going towards the west.

*****

He moved silently, careful not to attract the wrong kind of attention. At night, Azrael slept on the branches of trees, and when daylight came, he continued on foot.

By the second day, Cinder had finished recovering. However, with the threat of being shot down by Nightfletch that could still be lurking in the area, he didn’t dare use the Remembrance.

Along the way, he encountered several Chonen. Unlike before, they weren’t in urgent need of help. After a brief introduction, he informed them of a base far to the east where they could find shelter.

Some were reluctant to go at first, but the moment he mentioned that Seraphina and Isolde were there, they quickly changed their minds and agreed to follow his directions.

’They are so popular they could start a cult.’ He mused.

After several days of travel, the air began to grow colder. His body shivered in natural response. The black trees and golden grass began to thin, seemingly reacting to the unnatural chill in the atmosphere.

At that moment, Azrael realized he had passed through the central Golden Lands and entered the western side.

The blizzards were next.