Chapter 13: The Broken Ritual and the Death Knight’s Betrayal

An emergency was declared among the apostles conducting the ritual due to the loud noise that had just erupted, signaling an intrusion.

They immediately halted the ritual and exchanged information. Among them, the man leading the meeting was filled with rage.

Interference had occurred just before the event’s completion, ruining the ritual at the final stage. He clenched his teeth and slammed his hand on the table with all his might.

The apostles, well aware of his usual violent temper, remained silent, observing him cautiously.

“Why now, when we’re so close to the goal… Okeris!

Did you make a mistake!?”

He turned his fury toward a subordinate.

The target of his reprimand was a man named Okeris, the one who had kidnapped the children using the sound of a flute just a while ago.

Accused directly, Okeris waved his hands frantically, his face pale with desperation. He was keenly aware that the angered priest held the power of execution.

“No way..! I left no traces, really..!!”

“Then who else could have leaked information besides you?!”

As the meaningless shifting of blame continued, an older apostle intervened, halting the priest’s accusations.

“Sandros, I understand your anger, but right now, we must first assess the situation.”

Though lower in rank than the priest, the old apostle, with his extensive experience, grasped the severity of the situation better than anyone else.

A top-secret ritual, directly ordered by the sect, was underway here. It involved a highly classified document from the higher-ups. Given its secrecy, the fact that an intruder had managed to infiltrate meant a grave security breach.

If any of the information within these walls had been compromised, it would not only endanger them but also the very organization that had issued the order.

After all, the true purpose of this ritual was none other than the assassination of the imperial family.

Thus, rather than dwelling on reprimands, the old apostle firmly demanded an immediate resolution.

The priest, Sandros, reluctantly agreed.

“Fine. Holding someone accountable can wait until the situation is under control.”

“…”

“Then what should we do?”

Sandros fell into thought for a moment before clicking his tongue and issuing commands to his subordinates.

“The ritual is suspended.

Our current priority is eliminating the intruder and ensuring that, in case of an emergency, all evidence is erased.”

“In that case, we’ll need to split up.”

“Yes. You take the Command Stone and the scroll and escape through the secret passage. Deliver them to Douglas. In the meantime, we will destroy any sensitive information and deal with the intruder.”

Entrusting the ritual tools to the old apostle he trusted most, Sandros moved swiftly to handle the situation.

Then, as he walked, he suddenly remembered something he had overlooked—the children.

The seven boys and girls were still locked behind bars, their souls meant to be extracted and absorbed into the Command Stone. But given the circumstances, the process had been left incomplete.

Sandros absentmindedly toyed with the axe on his waist as he observed the unconscious children. Since all evidence needed to be erased, he couldn’t afford to leave any survivors.

Just as he was about to draw his axe, a better idea struck him, and a wicked smile spread across his lips.

“Hey, Okeris, come here.”

Hwaruk-!

A crimson flame flared above Lucy’s hand.

As soon as she swung it, a fierce inferno engulfed the ghouls blocking the tunnel.

In an instant, the passage became a pit of fire, and the groans of the undead filled the air.

Soon, the flames subsided, leaving nothing but a handful of ash in their wake.

Lucy, who normally despised horror films, had incinerated the ghouls completely, ensuring not a single speck of them remained.

Though the path was now clear, the stench of charred flesh and rot filled the air. She wrinkled her nose beneath her mask, shook the dust off her cloak, and pressed onward.

Before her lay a fork in the road.

If her opponent was a necromancer, he would undoubtedly station his minions to guard his location. That meant her best bet was to take the right path, the one previously blocked by ghouls.

Now that she had confirmed the enemy’s identity, the child’s chances of survival seemed grim. Necromancers operated based on ideology. If he had kidnapped a child for a ritual, there was no reason to keep them alive for long.

That was an unsettling realization.

Lucy wasn’t particularly attached to the old man and his granddaughter—they had only just met. Yet, they were her first clients. If they ended up as lifeless ghouls, she doubted she’d sleep soundly, even if it wasn’t her fault.

With a growing sense of urgency, she quickened her pace.

However, the tunnel was longer and more intricate than expected. Despite walking for quite some time, there was no sign of an exit.

Frustration gnawed at her. She wanted to use high-speed movement, but caution held her back—she had to be prepared for traps.

Illusionists were vulnerable to surprise attacks. While this mainly applied to enemies of equal caliber, it was still a concern.

Even if she had resolved to rescue the child, her own safety took precedence.

‘If only there was someone to guide me.’

As if in response to her thoughts, a noise echoed from up ahead.

Chuck.

Chuck.

Chuck.

The sound of approaching footsteps.

It wasn’t just one person—there were multiple individuals. Judging by their measured strides, they weren’t ghouls.

Soon, five apostles, their robes draped over them, emerged from the darkness.

Their faces were hidden, but their builds and beards suggested they were all men.

They eyed Lucy, some sighing in relief, others smirking in amusement.

Their reaction was odd.

“You’re just an apprentice adventurer?”

Their bewilderment soon made sense.

The intruder who had boldly trespassed into their territory was nothing more than a low-ranking adventurer. They looked down at her, their eyes filled with disdain.

“Tell me, who sent you here?”

“Where are the kidnapped children?”

“You little brat! Just answer our questions properly, or you’ll either die peacefully or suffer the torment of soul extraction.”

“So, death is the only option?”

Any further conversation was pointless. She could extract the information she needed through illusions.

Meanwhile, the apostles whispered amongst themselves.

“We can just extract the information through necromancy.”

As the standoff stretched on, the apostles made the first move.

“Kill her.”

At the command, the ghouls lurking behind them lunged forward.

A total of ten enhanced ghouls, each bearing a magic stone embedded in their chests, charged with terrifying agility.

But to Lucy, they were nothing more than minor inconveniences.

Magic Skill.

Cause and Effect.

The moment she activated the skill, the ghouls halted and, without warning, tore the magic stones from their own chests.

One by one, they collapsed.

The apostles who witnessed the scene erupted in an uproar, their bewilderment evident even through their hooded robes.

“All the enhanced ghouls… taken down by a mere apprentice adventurer?”

“What kind of magic was that just now?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“No way…”

The fighting power of a single reinforced ghoul was comparable to that of an adventurer of the same level, making this situation utterly incomprehensible.

One of the apostles, unable to suppress his doubts, stepped forward and began chanting a spell.

“Wait! Something feels off!”

Despite his companions’ warnings, he ignored them and continued chanting. A fireball materialized above his hand, its burning glow aimed directly at Lucy.

“Die!”

However, with Cause and Effect still in effect, the attack never reached its intended target.

“W-What…? Why…?”

Before he realized it, his own fireball was aimed at himself.

Boom!

A pitiful explosion of flames erupted. When the smoke cleared, the apostle’s charred corpse knelt lifelessly on the ground.

The remaining priests, who had stepped back in shock, stared in horror. The reinforced ghouls they had painstakingly created were utterly annihilated, and now their own comrade had perished in an unknown attack.

An uneasy feeling crept over them. Instinctively, they began retreating.

Lucy approached them leisurely.

“W-We should retreat…” one of them stammered.

“Shut up! If we run now, Lord Sandros will kill us anyway!”

Realizing there was no escape, one of the apostles urgently placed his hand on the ground, casting a summoning spell.

A summoning circle appeared, glowing ominously as a Death Knight clad in pitch-black armor emerged.

The summoner exhaled sharply, drained of his remaining magic. The other apostles, glancing at each other, hurriedly began casting buff spells on the Death Knight.

[Magic Buff: Increased Magic Resistance]

[Magic Buff: Increased Physical Defense]

[Magic Buff: Increased Physical Attack Power]

[Magic Buff: Increased Gravity Resistance]

[Magic Buff: Enhanced Command Execution]

[Magic Buff: Improved Self-Healing]

They poured nearly all their remaining magic into fortifying the Death Knight, desperate for victory.

The pitch-black knight let out a guttural roar, his crimson eyes burning with malice. The oppressive aura emanating from him reassured the apostles.

“Haha… This will be an easy victory.”

“Go, Death Knight!”

Encouraged by their cheers, the Death Knight strode forward.

Lucy, watching idly, found the situation amusing.

Magic Skill: Hypnosis.

Magic Skill: Brainwashing.

With just two spells, the Death Knight suddenly stopped.

“What are you doing, Death Knight?!” one of the apostles shouted. “That is a direct order—kill that brat, now!”

Schlink—!

The Death Knight’s blade sliced clean through the man who had given the command.

Blood spurted like a fountain as the apostle’s body split in half. The others, now drenched in his blood, collapsed in horror.

Lucy had effortlessly turned the Death Knight—whom they had strengthened with everything they had—into her own puppet with nothing more than two hypnotic spells.