Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-163-1

Isaac settled down in a warehouse of a nearby residence to begin the ritual.

Due to the risk of the witch’s curse spreading, all knights except for Hesabel were strictly forbidden from approaching.

Naturally, the knights of Elil, like other order’s priests or paladins, insisted that they could join in offering protective prayers for him. However, when Isaac sternly warned them, they complied without any objections.

“It’s convenient to worship the strong at times like this.”

The real reason he had dismissed the knights was that he couldn’t predict how ominous the ritual might appear. While preparing for the ritual, Hesabel sneaked a look at Isaac and asked.

“Are you okay with the physical transformations?”

“It’s fine. Just some feathers growing and itchy nails.”

“Is that really all?”

Hesabel asked incredulously, but Isaac sharply told her to focus on the ritual instead.

Indeed, the witches’ curse hadn’t deeply eroded Isaac.

It might be due to the numerous holy relics he carried, but other reasons were easily conceivable.

[The Nameless Chaos watches over you.]

The Nameless Chaos did not wish for its agent to be ‘harmed.’

Even from that simple notification, a sense of displeasure could be felt. Thanks to this, the curse’s effect was minimal.

“I could probably endure the curse all day with just a bit of itchiness.”

However, the rat tail that had grown on his buttock was itchy, a transformation he had not mentioned to Hesabel.

After a while, Hesabel stood up, apparently ready. Isaac saw the altar she had hastily made with blood and asked.

“Is it already finished?”

“Yes. Normally, we would need sacrifices or assisting priests… but with the ‘Rite of Division’ and the ‘Book of the Nameless Worm,’ we can skip most of it.”

The Rite of Division was an EX-grade ritual relic of Elil and the Red Chalice, and although incomplete, the Book of the Nameless Worm was an EX+ grade relic related to the founding of the order.

With such excellent tools, mundane sacrifices and procedures were unnecessary.

“Let’s begin then.”

The ritual Isaac performed was not particularly grand.

It was merely a ‘counter-curse’ ritual. Although curses are powerful, they come with great risks, especially against those well-versed in curses and rituals. This counter-curse, or reversal ritual, was one of the most powerful and efficient defenses against curses.

“Interestingly, there are rituals like the flesh-casting and the curse-lifting ceremonies in shamanism…”

Even a certain young wizard with a lightning scar had managed to reflect a curse back at a noseless bald wizard.

As long as curses exist, such rituals will likely be found in any religion.

The witches had thought Isaac to be just a brute Holy Grail Knight and acted recklessly.

It was a deliberate move. After all, Isaac had captured the witch merely by wielding his sword. If he had revealed his tentacles, perhaps the Hectali would have reconsidered.

During the game, Isaac had used such counter-curse rituals to defeat witches.

In the game, there were no ‘Rite of Division’ or ‘Book of the Nameless Worm,’ so gathering materials was tough, but nothing was better for dispatching tricky witches in one go.

As Isaac sat at the center of the altar, Hesabel began reciting a prayer and traced the Rite of Division onto the Book of the Nameless Worm. Simultaneously, the book muttered something, and new inscriptions began to appear.

Isaac realized that these inscriptions were part of a new ritual of the Nameless Chaos cult.

And the inscriptions seemed to seep into Isaac’s vision as if being absorbed.

[…And so, Saint Isaac captured the witch’s curse and flung it back, turning that twisted curse into the very form that Saint Isaac loathed and despised the most…]

***

Creak, creak.

Isaac observed the blurry scene unfolding before him. Dozens of figures spread out like a prism were visible. Realizing that he was seeing the world through dozens of eyes, Isaac began to close them one by one.

Only then could he properly see what the Hectali were doing.

‘Oh, it’s been devoured.’

The curse Isaac had reflected had transformed the Hectali’ body. Their heads disappeared, and colorful tentacle bundles burst forth, waving like bouquets as they chewed up what used to be their sister.

This alone showed how powerful the curse inflicted by the Hectali had been. If Isaac had been alone in performing the ritual, it wouldn’t have been so potent.

Their oversight had backfired.

‘Wait, stop eating.’

Isaac didn’t care what the Hectali ate, but sharing sensations in this state was troubling.

Isaac then assessed the condition of the Hectali.

The Hectali that Isaac had personally captured resembled an old crone, while another one, half-devoured, had the appearance of a stout middle-aged woman. The Hectali under Isaac’s control looked like a young woman, excluding her head.

The tentacles replacing their heads, possibly influenced by their witchcraft connected to nature, appeared like bizarre flowers not of this world.

They looked like bloody bouquets, horrific yet strangely beautiful.

“Was it their method to rejuvenate by first using up the old bodies? That must be why they sent the older Hectali on expeditions.”

Nevertheless, Isaac had now completely transformed the Hectali into his own subordinate. He eradicated any divine remnants in her body and eliminated any potential for resistance, just as he had done with Zihilrat.

This marked the end of all the Hectali sisters.

“This could be useful.”

Zihilrat was a useful subordinate for espionage and disguise, and Hesabel for ritual assistance and assassination. Hectali could be entrusted with the magical realms that were still Isaac’s weak point.

“However, it might be better for Hectali to remain a figure of terror rather than disappear completely.”

Isaac decided not to inform Edelred that he had completely eradicated Hectali. It would suffice to say that he had suppressed the curse and defeated the witches. Hectali would still remain a feared entity on the borders of Elil. This would allow Isaac to use her as a card in his game whenever needed.

“But, there will no longer be human sacrifices or missing villages being attacked.”

Eventually, the tales of the witches would turn from fact to myth and legend, and that would truly be when Hectali would meet her end.

Until then, Isaac would keep her as a card to check against the kingdom of Elil.

Isaac then issued his first command to Hectali.

“Send the subordinates back to the forest. And…”