The Grave Keeper, now just a few meters away from the charging Nidhogg, pushed off the ground with both legs, leaped into the air, and brought his twin hammers crashing down on Nidhogg!
Nidhogg didn't meet the strike head-on. He used Bloodhound's Finesse, swiftly carving an arc with his blade and leaving a bloody gash across the descending Grave Keeper's abdomen.
He himself spun and landed a short distance away.
CRASH—!
Both warhammers struck the ground at that moment, smashing a deep crater into the earth. The Grave Keeper, ignoring the wound on his stomach, immediately turned and charged at Nidhogg again.
After his backward leap, Nidhogg didn't immediately press the attack. Instead, he stood his ground and raised his shield.
The Grave Keeper cared nothing for Nidhogg's intentions. He closed the distance and swung his warhammer in a vicious arc!
CLANG—!
Nidhogg raised his shield and deflected the warhammer!
His Bloodhound's Fang once again caught the Grave Keeper's abdomen, carving another wound that crossed the previous one.
The Grave Keeper seemed tireless. As soon as his warhammer rebounded, he lunged again.
He grabbed the chain and swung the other warhammer, whirling it several times before hurling it at Nidhogg!
Nidhogg didn't retreat. He moved forward, ducking low to avoid the thrown warhammer, and charged straight into the Grave Keeper's torso. Bloodhound's Fang and the brass shield in his hands dissolved into golden light and vanished simultaneously, replaced by his Lordsworn's Greatsword.
THUD—!
The Lordsworn's Greatsword plunged into the center of the cross-shaped wound Nidhogg had carved!
His core tightened, and he suddenly poured all his strength into activating Stamp (Upward Cut). The cyclone lifted the burly Grave Keeper completely off the ground!
With that strike and thrust, the greatsword split the Grave Keeper's abdomen from stomach to chest, exposing a bloody cavity as organs spilled out.
CRASH—!
The Grave Keeper flew backward and slammed heavily to the ground. The warhammer in his hand slipped loose and clattered away.
Nidhogg stepped forward, raised his Lordsworn's Greatsword, and brought it down on the Grave Keeper's neck, decapitating him and ending the invasion battle once and for all.
Afterward, the Grave Keeper's body and his warhammers gradually dissolved into light and vanished.
「Quest」 Defeat the Grave Keeper (Completed)
「Reward」 Acquired: "Ingvall the Lost Knight" Ashes, Land of Shadow
Nice. This really was spirit ashes—and good ones at that.
Nidhogg immediately inspected his new acquisition to see if they were up to par.
He produced his Spirit Calling Bell, shook it several times, and summoned "Ingvall the Lost Knight."
Ingvall, almost pure white, was naturally clad in knight's armor. He held a halberd and stood solemnly to one side.
Nidhogg spread his arms forward, signaling that it was time for a demonstration. Let's see what you've got.
So Ingvall stepped forward. At first, he simply swung his halberd on the spot, executing a few powerful moves.
Then, he suddenly changed his rhythm. He took a heavy step forward, raised his halberd, and began to spin—a fierce whirlwind kicked up on the spot!
Ingvall used this whirlwind to launch himself into a long leap in one breath. When he landed, he brought the axe blade at the end of his halberd down with tremendous force, shattering the ground!
This technique was truly impressive. Nidhogg was quite surprised.
After this move, Ingvall lowered his halberd and once again stood to the side.
Now Nidhogg was very satisfied.
The combat power of "Ingvall the Lost Knight" was definitely solid. With that rapid thrust attack, he would surely play a role in future battles.
Too bad he might have to bench the Lone Wolves for a while.
Suddenly, Nidhogg noticed that his Spirit Calling Bell was still glowing faintly. His heart couldn't help but race.
Maybe my Spirit Calling Bell doesn't actually have a limit on how many ashes I can summon at once?
He immediately shook the bell again. After its chime, the same almost-pure-white three Lone Wolves emerged, coexisting peacefully with "Ingvall the Lost Knight."
Nidhogg couldn't help but rejoice.
This meant that as long as his Focus was sufficient, he could summon all the spirit ashes contained in the Spirit Calling Bell at once—even temporarily forming a combat-ready legion!
Of course, this required the right moment.
After all, his use of combat skills also consumed Focus. Even with his Cerulean Tears as a supplement, he couldn't pour all his limited Focus into summoned spirit ashes.
In this joyful mood, Nidhogg used the Land of Shadow he had just obtained to strengthen "Ingvall the Lost Knight."
「Enhancement Successful!」 "Ingvall the Lost Knight" Ashes +1
After a while, having confirmed that Nidhogg had summoned them only for inspection and experimentation, the silent "Lost Knight" Ingvall and the Lone Wolves gradually faded away.
Nidhogg was about to return and continue drinking his broth when he unexpectedly heard another rustling in the bushes. He couldn't help but frown and look in that direction.
Were there more invaders or Apostles? How could there be two tonight?
But this time, what emerged from the bushes was not an invader or an Apostle. At least, Nidhogg's Spectral Sight could see that the other party was just an ordinary person, wrapped in a cloak.
The man was quite short and approached cautiously. Noticing Nidhogg's calm demeanor, he raised his hands to show he had no weapons and bore no ill will.
He slowly lowered his hood, revealing a face covered in bloody bandages. His nose had clearly been cut off, leaving only two holes. Only a few teeth remained in his mouth. The sight was quite terrifying in the firelight.
If not for his Spectral Sight confirming the man was human, Nidhogg might have mistaken him for a monster upon seeing such a hideous face suddenly appear.
"Greetings. I mean no harm. I just happened to witness your battle!" The short man's hoarse voice conveyed sincerity and urgency. "It was truly astonishing and magnificent! My eyes have been opened!"
"Then I remembered the horror I endured. Deep in my heart, I became certain that if anyone in this world could avenge me and kill that terrible demon for me, it would be you!"
The more the short man spoke, the more excited he became. His face, with almost no intact skin left, took on a strange, almost manic expression, as if the man were burning with life.
Nidhogg asked simply, "Who are you?"
"Ah, forgive me." Only then did the short man realize he hadn't introduced himself. He couldn't help but speak with a trace of shame. "My name is Vargas. I was once a physician... but I've come to this."
Then he clenched his teeth and said, "As for the culprit who caused my tragedy and killed my family—it was the lord I once served. A lord who has already become a monster!"