When Duanmu Huai spoke, the sleazy man's expression changed slightly.
"B-but…"
"I said—open the gate."
"O-okay, okay."
Perhaps sensing the terrifying pressure radiating from Duanmu Huai, the man swallowed hard and nodded.
"I respect your decision. If you want to go through the front gate, I'll shout to open it. But really, think about this—are you sure you want to—"
Before he could finish, Duanmu Huai grabbed him by the neck and lifted him effortlessly into the air.
"I said… open the gate!"
"O-okay, okay, I understand… when a man's determined to die, there's no saving him…"
The gatekeeper took a deep breath and shouted.
"Open the gate! Quickly, open the gate!!"
Rumble rumble rumble...
As his shout faded, a deep mechanical grinding echoed from outside. Duanmu Huai gave the man a cold glare, then casually tossed him aside and strode forward. The iron bars sealing the gate were now rising, and beyond them, Duanmu Huai could see the heavy ballistae mounted on the inner platforms, manned by rows of soldiers.
"Hmph."
This time, Duanmu Huai didn't bother ignoring them. With a cold snort, he tightened his grip on the [Thunder Warhammer] and charged straight through the gate.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A rain of bolts shot toward him, slamming against his [Power Armor], but none could pierce it. Duanmu Huai leapt high into the air, raising his hammer crackling with lightning—and slammed it down hard.
BOOOOM!
Thunder roared, lightning exploded, and every soldier manning the ballistae was instantly reduced to ash.
Those behind the barricades raised their weapons and fired, but the arrows shattered uselessly against his armor. Duanmu Huai charged head-on, swinging his hammer once more. The massive blow obliterated the barricades and sent the soldiers behind them flying through the air like rag dolls before falling silent.
"ROOOAAAR!!"
But it wasn't over yet. From the forest to his left came a beast's roar, and a massive lion-like monster burst forth, its right forepaw bound with a sharp blade. It moved with the speed of a storm, lunging at Duanmu Huai and snapping its jaws open wide.
"Die!"
Duanmu Huai turned with a roar of his own. He thrust his [Thunder Warhammer] forward, jamming it directly into the creature's mouth, then lifted the hammer—and smashed it into the ground.
BOOM!!
The lion crashed down with it, body convulsing as Duanmu Huai stepped forward and stomped its head flat. With a sharp crack, the skull shattered, and the corpse twitched once before disintegrating into gray ash.
Clap clap clap...
Suddenly, the sound of applause echoed from behind him.
"Impressive. I've seen many warriors, but never one quite like you."
Duanmu Huai turned to see a suspicious man in a long, wide-brimmed hat that hid most of his face.
"Who are you?"
"Ah, greetings, brave and mighty warrior."
The man smiled and bowed politely.
"My name is Rogier—a sorcerer. I came to this city seeking something. But tell me, why have you come to Stormveil? You must know the people here hunt Tarnished ones as offerings for their 'Grafting' rituals. No sane person would approach this place willingly…"
"Do you know how to enter that tower?"
Duanmu Huai pointed toward the tall spire nearby—the same one he and his companions had landed on before everything went wrong. Because they had triggered some kind of "forbidden rule," they'd been scattered across the world.
He wanted to know the correct way in.
"That tower…"
Rogier followed his gaze, then nodded in sudden realization.
"So you came to challenge Godrick the Grafted—for a Great Rune? You can see the guidance of grace then?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about."
Duanmu Huai shook his head.
"Anyway, if I want to reach that tower, what do I need to do?"
"You must defeat Lord Godrick and claim his [Great Rune]. Only then can you enter the Divine Tower and obtain its power. But… it's been ages since any blessed Tarnished has appeared."
"I see… this is my first time in these lands."
Duanmu Huai thought for a moment, then looked at Rogier again.
"Are you familiar with this place?"
"Fairly. I've been here before."
"Then, I'd like to make a deal with you."
"Oh?"
Rogier raised his head curiously.
"What kind of deal?"
"I'm also looking for something in this city, but I don't know the area."
Duanmu Huai's tone was calm and steady.
"As you can see, it's dangerous here. How about this—I'll protect you, and in exchange, you answer a few of my questions."
"Hmm..."
Rogier thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Indeed, you're clearly a formidable warrior. With your protection, my work will go more smoothly. Very well—what do you wish to know?"
"First, what exactly is this 'Grafting'?"
That was the question that had bothered Duanmu Huai since he'd heard about it. He knew what the ritual involved from the red-hooded woman outside—but not why anyone would do it.
Some kind of deranged bioweapon research, maybe?
"That begins with the master of this castle—'Golden' Godrick," Rogier explained with a sigh.
"You may know that this land was once ruled by the [Golden Order]. But on the night of the dreadful conspiracy, that order was shattered. The [Shattering War] began, and every demigod took up a fragment of the law, each trying to rebuild the Golden Order and reclaim their former glory. Godrick was one of them... though pathetically weak. After his first defeat, he fled the capital disguised among women, hiding here in Stormveil ever since. He even lost to the Valkyrie and begged for his life on his knees."
"Oh… sounds like a real coward."
Even without knowing the details, Duanmu Huai could tell from that description—disguising himself as a woman to escape, cowering in a castle, and groveling before a Valkyrie—that Godrick was the definition of weak.
"Still, he didn't give up," Rogier continued. "He sought every possible way to increase his strength. His solution... was [Grafting]—attaching the limbs of others to his own body."
"...Huh???"
Duanmu Huai blinked, utterly dumbfounded.
"Why?"
He wanted to grow stronger by attaching other people's arms to himself? What was he, the Thousand-Armed Guanyin? Was he planning to achieve enlightenment after grafting a thousand arms?
"Only Godrick himself knows the reason," Rogier said, shaking his head. "In any case, he began sending out soldiers to capture Tarnished, cut off their limbs, and graft them to his body. Not only that—he stitched together the remaining parts of their corpses to create monsters known as [Grafted Nobles]."
"..."
Duanmu Huai frowned, recalling what the red-hooded girl had told him.
'The ones who followed me into the Lands Between had their heads, feet, and hands cut off… and became part of the spider…'
So that was what she meant.
"Any other questions?" Rogier asked.
"Of course."
Duanmu Huai nodded.
"You said Godrick grafts his victims' limbs and sews the rest into monsters, right? So… where is that place?"
"..."
Rogier hesitated, then pointed to a small door behind Duanmu Huai.
"Through that door lies the Grafting Hall. But I warn you—it's far more horrific than you can imagine."
"I doubt that."
Duanmu Huai nodded lightly. He'd seen plenty of horrors before—this kind of thing wouldn't scare him.
"Thanks for the directions. I'll be back soon."
With that, he turned and strode toward the small door. Rogier watched him go, shook his head, then sat down and began to meditate.
Following the sorcerer's guidance, Duanmu Huai stepped through the doorway and entered a large hall.
It looked like a grand dining room—once a place where the castle's knights might have taken their meals.
Once.
Now, it had become something entirely different.
Countless severed limbs hung from beams on both sides of the hall. The floor was piled high with cocoon-like bundles of corpses wrapped in cloth, stacked upon one another, casting twisted shadows under the flickering torchlight.
"Did you know? Once you're grafted onto the spider, your body starts to look like a cocoon. Isn't that fascinating?"
So that's it.
Duanmu Huai narrowed his eyes. He finally understood what the red-hooded girl had seen.
He raised his head, looking toward the center of the hall.
In the dim light, a massive lump of flesh writhed. Upon closer inspection, it was a grotesque creature—its back draped with a black cloak, surrounded by dozens of long, blade-wielding limbs like a giant crab. Its abdomen was covered with countless human faces.
So this was what Rogier had described—a [Grafted Noble], a monster stitched together from the remains of victims.
Though honestly, it didn't look noble at all.
"———!!"
The creature spotted Duanmu Huai and screeched, scuttling toward him with terrifying speed. But he didn't even move. As it lunged, he raised the [Thunder Warhammer] and brought it down.
BANG!
The monster crashed to the ground instantly. Duanmu Huai raised his hammer again.
BANG!!
The Grafted Noble thrashed wildly, swinging its absurdly long arms—formed from two or three fused together—slashing at his armor. But the blows were as useless as a rat clawing at a dragon.
BOOM!!!
The third strike came down like a thunderclap, the sheer force blasting through the creature's body. It convulsed once, then fell limp—a lifeless heap.
"Rest in peace."
Duanmu Huai withdrew his hammer, looking at the corpse with a grim frown. Then he glanced around the hall.
"But seriously... how am I supposed to find anything here?"
Judging by the scene, the red-hooded girl's friends were long gone. What was he supposed to bring back—random rocks?
Hoooo...
Just then, a soft glow appeared beside him—the familiar [Spirit Jellyfish] materializing from thin air. It brushed one of its tendrils against his shoulder, then drifted forward.
"You want me to follow you?"
Duanmu Huai's eyes lit up. He remembered the red-hooded girl mentioning that this jellyfish had stayed with her for a long time. He might not know what to look for—but the jellyfish probably did.
Hoo!
The Spirit Jellyfish bobbed as if nodding, then floated deeper into the hall.
Without hesitation, Duanmu Huai followed close behind, stepping into the depths of the Grafting Hall.
(End of Chapter)