Make Dark Fantasy Great Again-Chapter 81: Cultists (2)

Chapter 81: Cultists (2)

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[Title : nah wtf is this secret location quest?]

Post : ykno that quest where you gotta pick the secret spot for the White Shadow Order outta 7 choices?

i picked the wrong one 6 times in a row

found only 3 survivors left outta 30

i was like how this make me any different from a Nazi turning a gas valve?

had a whole self-reflection moment then picked the last choice yea?

AND WTF IT’S WRONG AGAIN?

da fak?

is there a specific order or something?

did I just pick wrong and get everyone killed?

: nope just the game forcing you to waste time. its rigged like that.

-[OP] : tf so so basically

our role is to sit here get toyed with by a devil and watch people drop like flies?

way to make a fuckshit game

at this point why not just revive everyone from the start and throw us into the fight?

: cuz that wouldn’t be bullshit enough duh

: bro what the hell are you saying?

: wouldn’t be bullshit enough < literally never heard this kinda phrase in my life

: Sounds like some shit only a dude who spends his whole day thinking up ways to piss people off would say.

: dis trash game really out here expanding players vocabulary...

-[OP] : bro really be thinking 24/7 about how to make people suffer huh

***The White Shadow Order

Some call them madmen ruled by insanity, but I think that’s a mistaken assessment. What kind of madness could make one so cunning yet rational?

If such beneficial madness exists, I’d like a taste myself.

So no, they’re simply excessively rational—to the point of viewing humanity as an unnecessary value. I suppose that’s what makes them so terrifying to deal with.

They have a fundamentally different perspective from us. Shall I give an example?

Let’s say we need to transport something into a city that absolutely must not be discovered. How would we do it?

Wait! Before you answer, let me tell you their method. Oh! And just putting it out there, but this isn’t something I came up with, but a real documented case. So please don’t look at me strangely.

Anyway. They approached a group of camping merchants. While they slept, the cultists cut open their stomachs and hid the items inside. Then they drugged the merchants so they wouldn’t notice their condition.

And well...that’s what happened. I’ll spare you from nitty gritty details. Isn’t it almost lunchtime?

But yes, it’s shocking. How could anyone possibly discover this? Guards search suspicious wagons, not merchants’ bellies.

This is how they operate—from a completely different perspective, using entirely different methods. That’s why we’re always dancing in the palms of their hands.

We can’t even imagine the world they see, but for them, imagining our perspective is trivially simple. Add to that the power of black magic!

So! If you ever think you’ve figured out their plan, you’d best be very careful.

You may already be in their palm.

They consider every possibility and scenario before performing important rituals. It’s nearly impossible for us to escape their machinations.

After all, unlike them, aren’t we all upright folks who follow norms and common sense?

- Eloran the Crawling Library -

(Keyword: White Shadow Order)

***“What in the...”

Goldana felt pure bewilderment at the situation that defied common sense.

They had meticulously controlled every possibility related to the plan. They had anticipated most potential problems and were prepared to deal with almost any issue.

As proof, even Lan, a city councilor with immense authority in Bondalles, was dancing in the palm of their hand. Therefore, the ritual should have proceeded without interference. Even if some disturbance occurred, it should have been part of the plan.

...However, this changed everything.

The Order had believed itself to have considered every problematic scenario, yet the current situation was beyond consideration.

Of course it was.

-See?! I have zero intention of deceiving you, O Mastah!!!

Who considers the possibility of the main beneficiary betraying the plan while creating it?

That wasn’t being thorough—it was just moronic.

“Dan’Galeon...What is the meaning of this...?”

The White Shadow cultist Goldana dared to utter the true name of the being they served. It was an act of impiety, yet still restrained. Had she not held back, a stream of curses would have erupted instead.

It was a grotesque display of mental fortitude, one that perfectly embodied the White Shadow Order’s infamous reputation. Even now, she clung desperately to a rational explanation for the unfolding events.

Ah!

Seconds later, she exclaimed as if something had finally clicked.

“So you’ve lured them into a trap! Disciples, prepare for battle!”

The devil immediately responded to the cultists’ unwavering faith.

-N-no!!! O Mastah! Do not heed those wicked words! I had no intention of deceiving you!!! Pray smite these villains now and stop this evil ritual!

“You son of a bastard!!!”

Goldana ultimately snapped and began screaming.

“This ritual was for you!!! Didn’t you gladly praise us for it?! What the hell kind of nonsense is this now?!”

Shakan’s eyes widened at the rare spectacle.

Oooh, holy shit. What is this? What the actual hell?

Never in her life did she expect to see those White Shadow lunatics flustered—let alone engaging in a vulgar squabble with a devil, throwing all dignity to the wind.

They had caught these cultists enacting a dark ritual in a secret location. A powder keg situation for both sides.

And yet, in this volatile moment, Risir’s group chose to be docile spectators. Even the other cultists joined the audience.

The ludicrous scene unfolding before their eyes united them all in confusion.

“That—that thing is not Dan’Galeon!!! Do not panic, fellow disciples! Remain calm and ready for battle!”

Goldana lost her head, unleashing her full power.

But someone sought to soothe the frenzied cultist.

-Compose yourself! Each of these three humans possesses power rivaling yours! Cease this pointless resistance!

It was Dan’Galeon, the devil within the crystal orb. It coolly explained how formidable Shakan and Maldad were, attempting to persuade the cultist.

-I sense the essence of raging flames from this red mage! I see glimpses of the Red Tower Lord I faced long ago! He must have inherited that one’s spirit!

-And this half-beast woman—oh ho! A descendant of Thunder Strider! That brute would grin and wield a blade with his mouth even with his four limbs lopped off! The mere thought of him still makes me shudder!

His persuasion was so logical that all the cultists except Goldana lost their will to fight.

Then, it finished with a threat.

-And, if you so much as scratch Mastah, I swear by my name as the Scorching Black Darkness that I will curse your existence for eternity!

As expected of a devil, its carrot and stick approach was no joke.

“...”

Goldana’s eyes flickered like the surface of boiling water.

She was rational to the point of gladly discarding human values for efficiency and practicality. Even as she felt her brain boiling with rage, the fact that she ultimately did not let emotions rule her proved this point.

And so, with unwavering reason, Goldana chose the best course of action.

“You worthless, prideless little imp. My curse will devour you someday!!!”

Schrrk.

The dagger, meant to desecrate sacrifices in devotion to the being she served, instead pierced the cultist’s own throat with unerring precision.

Thus, Goldana ended her life, cursing the devil with her final breath.

“...”

As for the remaining low-ranking cultists...they didn’t yet possess the reason and madness equal to Priest Goldana. They were unaware that even if they survived here, all that awaited them was death after torture.

Weapons clattered to the ground as the cultists raised their hands in clear surrender, and with that, the ordeal came to an end.

The priests of the White Shadow Order were akin to nightmares. Even those who had stepped into the realm of superhumans needed a resolve beyond death to face them in battle.

Yet the corpse of one such priest lay pitifully on the ground, her blood soaking into the earth.

The battle-hardened warrioress Shakan muttered to herself in a vacant voice.

“Seriously, what the hell?”

And she wasn’t the only one at a loss before this unprecedented situation. City Councilor Lan, Valrod, disciple of the Red Tower Lord, and Maldad, the Devil Hunter, all stood frozen.

Only Risir, accustomed to such moments, moved without hesitation. He calmly stepped forward and began untying the captives.

Seeing this, the others quickly snapped out of their daze and set about handling the aftermath.

***Lan Pelroth, who had risen to the rank of city councilor in her mere 30s, was an inspiring figure to many young nobles in Bondalles. Her unwavering composure in public was her trademark.

“...So, is everything resolved now?”

Yet now, that same Lan Pelroth hesitantly glanced around, gauging the others’ reactions.

The priest leading the cultists had taken her own life, and the rest were detained. The captured victims, though still unconscious, had been confirmed unharmed.

By her standards, the incident seemed settled.

“...”

“...”

“...”

Shakan, Valrod, and Maldad felt the same.

But maybe he sees it differently?

Furtively...they all peeked sideways at Risir.

“...Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Why do you think?

Their gazes fell on the crystal orb in Risir’s hand.

-Mastah!

“I told you not to call me that.”

-Over there, you must check that priest’s belongings! If I remember correctly, she should have a letter from her superiors!

“She had such a thing?”

-Yes! She kept it secret even from her comrades and only revealed it to me, so it must be true!

Wow. What is that thing, really? It’s wringing out every last ounce of its soul just to backstab. Is that what makes it a devil?

The cultists and Lan’s group regarded the crystal orb with disgust, silently vowing that if they ever had to face a devil, they would never listen to its voice.

“Hum...I’ve never looted somebody before, though.”

Risir stared at the blood-soaked white-robed cultist’s body with a grimace. After steeling himself, he reached into the woman’s clothes.

-Mastah! Just take everything! It’s all ownerless now anyway!

Hearing the devil’s wicked(?) whisper from the side, Risir was tempted—but then he looked around and saw everyone’s eyes on him.

He was still tempted.

“Ugh! The power in the devil’s whisper...!”

As if compelled(?) by a great force, Risir pocketed the ring and pouch he took from the cultist’s clothes.

The others looked at Risir with shocked eyes. Coveting the belongings of a White Shadow Order priest? Was he not afraid of curses or consequences?

Lan’s group was about to warn Risir, but...

-It is Mastah’s rightful claim! No need to be self-conscious!

They gave up upon hearing the crystal orb’s excited chatter.

Fine. Do as you two please.

Meanwhile, a letter appeared in Risir’s hand.

“Is this it?”

Risir handed it to Lan first, who immediately unfolded the letter and scanned its contents.

“...”

Her expression darkened as she passed it to Valrod.

“This is...”

Next was Shakan. Then Maldad. Finally, Risir.

After the letter had made its rounds, they exchanged glances and nodded in silent agreement.

“We need to find someone to decipher this immediately—”

“They’re holding a secret meeting in Bondalles tomorrow—”

...Eh?

Risir’s opinion clashed with the others’.

Once again, all eyes turned to him.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel