When Duanmu Huai returned to the forecourt, Rogier had just finished his meditation. He stood up and nodded to him.
"Welcome back, Iron Warrior. It seems you've found what you were looking for?"
"I'm not sure if it's what I wanted… never mind. I'll figure it out later."
Duanmu Huai shook his head helplessly. After that, following the guidance of the [Spirit Jellyfish], he had reached a courtyard beside the Grafting Hall. There, too, piles of corpses were stacked high. According to the jellyfish's directions, he dug through them and pulled out a strange little black orb…
Who knew what the hell that was supposed to be?
Still, since the jellyfish had insisted, Duanmu Huai simply took it.
The two then continued deeper into the castle, Rogier walking beside him—chatty and excited, talking endlessly about his research.
From Rogier's explanations, Duanmu Huai learned quite a bit.
Not long ago, this land had been a glorious realm under the [Golden Order], ruled by the gods, while their demigod offspring governed the territories. Then, one night, something extraordinary occurred.
One of the demigods—Godwyn—was murdered.
And that event shattered the Golden Order itself.
According to the laws of the Order, gods and demigods could not die. But Godwyn, a demigod, had been slain. His death contradicted the fundamental principle of the Order—that demigods were immortal. That contradiction broke the law itself. The shattered Order dispersed into fragments known as [Great Runes], which fell into the hands of the other demigods.
Those demigods then began to wage war against one another, seeking to gather all the Great Runes and repair the broken Order, each hoping to become the new ruler of the Lands Between.
"My research," Rogier continued, "concerns that very night—the Night of the Black Knives. From what I've uncovered, someone stole a fragment of the [Rune of Death], which was held by Maliketh, the Black Blade. Then, on that cold, moonless night, they used it to slay 'Golden' Godwyn. After all, only the 'Destined Death'—the true death sealed away by the Golden Order—could defy its divine law."
"I see…"
Through Rogier's explanation, Duanmu Huai had gained a clearer picture of this world's history. But one thing in particular caught his attention.
"Then… where's the [Rune of Death] now?"
To Duanmu Huai, nothing was more important than the power to kill gods. If the [Destined Death] was truly divine-hunting power—death itself that could slay a god—then it was exactly what he needed. If it could work against the Chaos Gods... all the better.
"That, I don't know," Rogier admitted, shaking his head. "According to history, the Queen of the Full Moon's kin—the [Eternal City]—once served the principle of Destined Death. But they were defeated by Maliketh, who then sealed the Rune away. No one knows who later stole it, nor how. I've heard rumors that it was done by descendants of the Eternal City—female assassins clad in silver armor and robes of invisibility. Their blades, the [Black Knives], were said to be imbued with the power of the Rune of Death."
He sighed softly.
"But after that night of murder, the assassins vanished, and so did their black blades."
"..."
Well, that was that. Solving murders wasn't exactly Duanmu Huai's specialty.
He was much better at causing them.
"Anyway…"
They talked as they walked through the forecourt's corridors—but suddenly, a loud crash cut through the air. A flaming bolt streaked through the darkness straight toward Duanmu Huai's head!
"Watch out!!"
Rogier shouted, but too late. The bolt struck Duanmu Huai's helmet and exploded with a blinding flash, engulfing his head in fire.
A moment later, his rabbit-shaped helmet emerged unscathed from the flames. Duanmu Huai calmly raised his arm, aiming his [Grenade Launcher Gauntlet] at the ballista platform on the wall. A shell shot forth, arcing through the air—
BOOOOM!!!
The explosion that followed was far greater than the first. Fire erupted across the wall, the shockwave flinging soldiers away like straw dolls. When Rogier opened his eyes again, the wall ahead was half-demolished, and the defenders were gone.
"Let's move."
Duanmu Huai adjusted his helmet and strode forward, Rogier following close behind, staring at him in astonishment.
Just… what was this man?
Looking at the towering Iron Warrior before him, Rogier couldn't help but wonder. At first, he had assumed the man was just another Tarnished—perhaps a foreign one—but now it was clear this was no ordinary wanderer. His armor alone—impervious to arrows, bolts, and even siege weaponry—was beyond anything a mortal could wear.
And more than that…
Duanmu Huai was already tearing through the castle courtyard like a walking storm. Rogier followed, watching as soldiers fell before him in droves, unable to last even a heartbeat.
Then—
"ROAAARR!!"
A giant creature, easily four meters tall, roared and swung a massive club down at him. Rogier recognized it immediately: a [Troll], one of the monstrous war machines once bred by the Golden Army—thick-skinned, immensely strong, capable of crushing entire battalions.
But even such a beast couldn't withstand the Iron Warrior's might.
Duanmu Huai swung his [Thunder Warhammer], striking the troll's leg with bone-shattering force. The limb snapped like kindling, and the troll fell howling to the ground. Duanmu Huai then clenched his left hand into a fist and drove it through the monster's skull like a battering ram. The troll spasmed once—and died instantly.
THUD!!
The massive corpse hit the ground and crumbled into dust. The courtyard fell silent once more. Were it not for the strange property of these beings turning to ash upon death, the place would have been a sea of mangled corpses.
"You're truly remarkable, Iron Warrior," Rogier said quietly.
"It's nothing. This level's hardly worth mentioning."
Duanmu Huai hefted his hammer again, and the two pressed onward through the courtyard.
"We're almost at Godrick's domain," Rogier said grimly as they passed through another corridor. Duanmu Huai nodded. But as they approached the grand square before the throne room, both stopped in their tracks.
Someone was standing there.
A woman.
She wore rugged battle gear, a heavy axe slung over her shoulder—a warrior's weapon. Her back was turned to them, her gaze fixed on a fallen knight at her feet, one of Stormveil's defenders.
"Be proud of yourself," she said softly. "You were a fine warrior. You simply chose the wrong master. May the winds carry your spirit to the distant peaks."
With those words, she turned to face them, her sharp eyes meeting Duanmu Huai's.
"Ah... you two don't look like Godrick's men."
"Strictly speaking, I'm here to cause him trouble."
Duanmu Huai tightened his grip on the hammer. The woman raised an eyebrow, then smiled.
"Interesting. My name's Nepheli Loux, a warrior like yourself. I came here on my foster father's orders… but still, this is cruelty beyond words. That wretch Godrick—his deeds disgrace the very wind. He is no king."
She sized Duanmu Huai up with a keen gaze.
"If you intend to challenge him, I'll fight alongside you. His crimes against the winds are unforgivable."
"Come if you want."
Duanmu Huai didn't mind.
That guy was doomed anyway.
With the female warrior joining their ranks, the group continued forward. A few soldiers tried to bar their path, but all were crushed beneath Duanmu Huai's hammer.
Before long, they reached the grand plaza before the throne.
"Beyond there lies Godrick's hall," Rogier said, sighing as he sat down heavily on a nearby chair.
"Apologies, but I can't go any further."
"What's wrong?" Duanmu Huai asked, glancing at him curiously.
Rogier smiled bitterly.
"To be honest… I'm cursed. Half my body is already dead. I can't move for long."
He rolled up his trouser leg, revealing a limb shriveled and lifeless, like that of a corpse.
Seeing it, Nepheli's expression darkened.
"You're... one of the Deathborn?"
"Yes. Sorry for keeping that from you," Rogier said with a faint smile. "But I still have work to do."
He looked up at Duanmu Huai again.
"I'm afraid I can only accompany you this far."
"You'll be fine alone?"
"I'll manage. Thanks to you both, most of the soldiers here are gone. The rest I can handle. I'll continue searching for what I came here for. Also, Iron Warrior…"
He hesitated, then continued.
"If you seek more knowledge, I suggest you head north—to the [Raya Lucaria Academy]. They've long followed laws opposed to the Golden Order. If you're searching for the [Rune of Death], you may find clues there."
He tilted his head back, gazing upward.
"It's fascinating, isn't it? The Golden Order once tolerated even opposing beliefs. But now that it's broken and warped, demanding repair… I think that tolerance is more vital than ever."
Rogier exhaled softly and looked back at them.
"Then, I'll stay here. I wish you both safe returns."
(End of Chapter)