The two soon arrived at the entrance of the cathedral, the arena-like garden behind them left in ruins, a testament to the ferocity of the last battle. The arena-shaped garden was now a wasteland of shattered stone, scorched earth, and the lingering stench of blood and smoke. Ludwig couldn’t help but glance back, his hollow eyes scanning the devastation. He could only hope that this next encounter wouldn’t be too… deadly. At least, that’s what he told himself. So far, they had come with a purpose other than fighting, but every step of the way had forced them into conflict.
Just as they approached the massive cathedral gates, the doors creaked open slowly, the sound echoing eerily through the silence. The hinges groaned as if protesting the movement, the noise grating and unnatural.
“That needs some oil,” Ludwig said, trying to lighten the tension and dispel the oppressive mood. His voice sounded hollow, even to his own ears, and the attempt at humor fell flat.
Van Dijk smirked faintly, a flicker of amusement in his otherwise cold eyes. He stepped forward, one arm casually behind his back while the other snapped his fingers. A small red flame sparked to life in his palm, its crimson glow casting long, flickering shadows across the cathedral’s interior.
But as the light from Van Dijk’s flame illuminated the room, several torches along the walls ignited in succession, their flames flaring to life one after another. The cathedral’s interior was revealed in stages, each torchlight unveiling more of the grand, yet dreary, space. The walls were lined with portraits of nobles and kings, their faces frozen in time, their eyes seeming to follow Ludwig and Van Dijk as they moved. Statues of knights stood in solemn rows, their stone hands gripping massive swords held vertically, the tips raised in front of their faces. The statues formed a path toward a grand staircase that led to the upper levels of the cathedral. A red carpet, worn and faded, stretched from the entrance to the base of the stairs and beyond, guiding their way forward.
“Quite hospitable,” Van Dijk remarked dryly as he extinguished his flame and placed his second hand behind his back. He strode forward with an air of confidence, his footsteps echoing in the vast, empty hall.
Ludwig followed cautiously, his eyes darting to the statues. “I have a feeling that the moment we cross halfway, these statues will come to life and attack us,” he muttered, his voice low.
Just as the words left his mouth, the statues shuddered. Ludwig tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for his shard. But instead of attacking, the stone knights shifted their grip on their weapons, pointing the blades downward, and took several steps back, clearing a wider path toward the staircase.
“I guess you were mistaken,” Van Dijk said. “Regardless, this thing here, if it wanted us dead, I’m sure it wouldn’t have sent weaklings toward us. This whole city in reality is under control. the owner has no intention on killing us… yet,” Van Dijk said as he took confident steps forward.
Ludwig wasn’t convinced. He kept a wary eye on the statues as they ascended the staircase, his unease growing with each step. The air grew heavier, the silence more oppressive, as if the cathedral itself was alive and watching them.
At the top of the stairs, they were met with a solid wall. There was no visible way forward, no door or passage to the upper levels. Ludwig frowned, glancing at Van Dijk, but before he could speak, the wall began to dematerialize. Stone dissolved into mist, revealing an arched doorway that led into a massive hall.
The hall was even grander than the entrance, its ceiling soaring high above them. Towering statues lined the walls, each one easily as tall as the ceiling itself. They held weapons that could have been mistaken for pillars—swords and warhammers so massive they looked capable of cleaving elephants in half or crushing them with a single swing. The statues were intricately detailed, their stone faces stern and lifelike, their eyes seeming to glint in the torchlight.
While the stone guards appeared to be just that—stone—Ludwig wasn’t naive enough to trust the illusion. “Master…” he said, his voice tense.
“I know, Ludwig, I know,” Van Dijk replied, his tone calm but edged with caution. “They are, in fact, not simple statues. But it seems our host isn’t too hostile right now.”
“Master…” Ludwig said.
“I know, Ludwig, I know, they are in fact not simple statues,” Van Dijk said, “But it seems that our host isn’t too hostile right now,” Van Dijk said as he looked ahead.
At the far end of the hall stood a throne carved from dark stone, its surface etched with intricate runes and symbols. Seated on the throne was a figure that looked eerily familiar.
***
[You are in the presence of one of the Usurpers of Death!
The Gluttonous Death Stares at You!]
[Sudden Quest!]
The moment Ludwig saw the notification his heart dropped. Though he had no heart.
However, the content of the quest were something different than what he expected.
[You are too weak to contend against the Usurpers of Death.]
Your patron has tasked you with a simple quest.
Survive the first encounter with the Gluttonous Death.
Fighting the Gluttonous Death at your current level will obliterate you.
You are not allowed to use [Inspect] on the Gluttonous Death.
Deus Necros’s Interference has been greatly reduced in the presence of an Usurper of Death.
Survive!
***
Ludwig gulped, he wasn’t planning on attacking it, but for the quest to tell him to specifically not engage in combat meant that his death was guaranteed if they were to aggravate this entity.
The figure on the throne smiled, its expression unnervingly calm. When it spoke, its voice echoed with the resonance of a thousand voices, each one layered over the other in a haunting chorus. “Welcome to my humble abode, dear guests. What can this humble one do for you?”
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take my appearance when speaking to me,” Van Dijk said.
The person on the throne smiled, after all it looked exactly like Van Dijk “Fair enough, though even I don’t remember my true appearance, is this good enough?”
The Gluttonous Death chuckled, its form shifting seamlessly. The figure that had resembled Van Dijk melted away, replaced by the image of a young woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked elegant, almost ethereal, but there was a gentleness to her that felt out of place in this grim setting.
Ludwig was confused at first, who was that woman?
Suddenly however, the air grew incredibly cold. Van Dijk, if he had released his wrathful aura the last time the werewolf had appeared in the city and almost made Ludwig buckle on his knees. This time, the aura itself wasn’t only visible, but was tangible to the point that Ludwig fell to his knees.
[You’re suffering from a True Vampire’s Noble Pressure.]
Ludwig was being pushed down against the floor from his master’s influence. And almost instantly, the statues around them flung their swords toward Van Dijk.
“Shit!” Ludwig cursed as he believed his master was a goner.
However, the swords stopped a few centimeters away from his face, neck, and back.
“It seems that you don’t like this appearance either, what was her name? Melania? Right…” The more the Gluttonous Death spoke, the more enraged Van Dijk became, yet he didn’t utter a single word yet.
“Hmmm, you’re no fun,” the Gluttonous Death said. “Others would have lashed out,” he said as he stood up, then changed his appearance, this time to an older-looking figure, this one looked… almost like Van Dijk. Relative perhaps Ludwig thought.
“Do you find joy in making a true vampire enraged?” Van Dijk spoke.
“Hardly, this is something even I cannot control,” the Gluttonous Death said, “It is part of what I am.”
Van Dijk closed his eyes and took a slow calculated breath then exhaled. Only then did the aura around him was reduced.
While moving the man changed, this time to a scrawny, hairy and dirty looking person, he had a blindfold over his face and had longer than normal nails and slightly pointy fangs.
“Bastos Van Dijk, the lout of the Bastos family, what can this one do for you?” the person said as he stood in front of Van Dijk.