Chapter 81 - Cult of the Damned (Patreon)

When they approached the area where the Vault for Strong Extraordinary Ingredients was located, suddenly, there was a notable change in the atmosphere. And the change in the atmosphere wasn't really pleasant.

Previously, the atmosphere in the pyramid where they were was humming with latent Magic, shimmering faintly in hues of violet and gold due to the Spiritrons that were in the environment of the Izalith.

The entire place was brimming with the Spiritrons; their density was much higher compared to the outside world, but that was only respectable because this was the place where many powerful Beoynders perished, which in some twisted sense made the environment the best of the other Beoynders or Extraordinary Creatures to live in.

One could even feel a subtle but persistent vibration that can be felt underfoot, as though the chamber itself is alive, guarding the secrets beyond the vault. 

But right now, that has evaporated into nothingness as it was replaced by a very creepy presence, a freezing feeling of death and rotting flesh of the Undeads. All three of them could sense the change in the environment, and it wasn't really the most pleasant thing.

Mellisandre was perhaps the most sensitive to it as the priestess of the Red Temple; she was the first of their party to sense the presence of death, darkness, and damnation that was typical for the areas where the Cult of the Damned operated in greater numbers.

It was most possible that they had finally arrived at the area where the Cult of the Damned was focusing their forces for this operation this time.

Valkorion was ready for the combat erupting at any given moment, same as the dwarven Slayer Gotrik Gurnisson, who had already drawn out his waraxes that were glowing with the blessing of the 'Him' when Mellisandre blessed the two waraxes.

When they exited the last corridor after several hours of walking through the seemingly endless corridors of the pyramid and finding their way to the vault with the Extraordinary Ingredients, they entered an enormous chamber.

The chamber itself was a perfect octagon, with high vaulted ceilings encrusted with crystalline formations that sparkle like stars. The walls were inscribed with ancient runes and glyphs and murals depicting the motives of the Firelink Shrine and the Chaosflame Convent, like the rest of the Izaltih.

The decorations were similar around the entire place, even though they were more prominent and looked nicer here. What caught Valkorion's attention almost immediately were the enormous Vaultdoors that were still closed.

Clearly, even the Cult of the Damned didn't really know or could not open it despite the time that they had clearly spent here. 

The Vaultdoors themselves were towering monoliths of black obsidian, adorned with golden filigree and inlaid with golden crystals in the metal doors. At its center was a massive lock shaped like a dragon's eye, its iris an intricate keyhole that requires both a magical and physical key to unlock.

Around the frame, serpentine carvings seemed to writhe in the flickering light as if watching intruders.

Dragon motives were rather common in the Chaosflalem Covenant, like many other mythical creatures related to the Fire and Flames, mainly the Phoenixes, Vermillion Birds, or Golden Crows, and many other species that were nowadays considered as nothing more than myth and legends in most parts of the world.

Nobody had seen Phoenix or Golden Crow in Westeros and Western Essos for many, many centuries, though it was confirmed that the Phoenix and Golden Crows were living in Eastern Essos beyond the Bone Mountains. 

In front of the obsidian Vaultdoors, the were several cultists of the Cult of the Damned, and anyone could see that they were fairly powerful Beoynders; all of them were Sequence 6 Beyonders of unknown pathway. 

Mellisandre then took out a small mirror, which was a Sealed Artifact that she had prepared for this specific occasion soon enough, several lines appeared on the surface of the mirror, glowing with red colored font.

"Five Sequence 6 Beyonders. One limit Sequence 6 Beyonder of the Death Pathway, two ordinary Sequence 6 Beyonders of the Death Pathway, one Sequence 6 Beyonder of the Sleepless Pathway - Sequence 6 Nightmare, one Sequence 6 Beyonder of the Ranger Pathway, Sequence 6 - Ascetic."

It was a Sealed Artifact that was capable of distinguishing the Beyonder's Sequence and Pathway. However, the downside was that the infraction must have already been within the Mirror beforehand, as the SealedArtifact couldn't recognize something that it had never seen before. 

Mellisandre needed to insert the information into the Mirror, by letting the Mirror analyze the Beyonder Characteristic and when she encountered the Beyonder, she could at least recogngtze the Beoynders if they were already analyzed by the Mirror. 

While it may not seem a lot, this was a rather priceless Sealed Artifact, something that even Valkorion thought because the usage of such a thing would be tremendous. Even though the condition for the usage was rather severe, it was still a very versatile Sealed Artifact. 

"I will take the peak one at the Sequence 6. He should be their leader, and with my own Sealed Artifact, I am the best suited to take him."

Valkorion obviously chose to comfort the leader of the Cultists from the Cult of the Damned, and neither Mellisandre nor Gotrik had any reservations about that. Gotrik decided to take on the Sequence 6 Nightmare and Sequence 6 Ascetic because Mellisandre wanted to take care of the other two Sequence 6 Necromancer Beyonders, as she could just burn down the Undead that they raised.

"Then we are set..."

As they entered the octagonal room, where the Cultists were doing their thing, though aside from them, there were also several Cult Warriors; some were Beyonders, and some were not, although the proportion of those who were non-Beoynders was much higher compared to those who were Beoynders.

Valkorion gripped Excalibur as he walked toward the leader of the Cultists.

When they approached the Cultists of the Cult of the Damned, they were soon noticed by the enemies, as Mellisandre soon stopped in her tracks, because she recognized the leader of the Cultists.

"Be careful; that man is Alumeth Alard, one of the most dangerous Low Sequence Beyonders from the Cult of the Damned, according to the intelligence of the Red Temple. He is greatly favored by the High Deathpriest Isidorus, so for sure, he has something in his trump cards prepared for him."

The High Deathpriests were one of the higher ranks among the Cult of the Damned, and they were all-powerful Mid Sequence Beyonders of the Sequence 3 minimally. So, being favored by the High Deathpriest was something that wasn't to be taken lightly.

"I will be taking this into consideration. He is certainly powerful, that is for sure, but nothing that wouldn't fall to my sword."

Valkorion said as he looked directly at the leader of the Cultists, the Alumeth, who was wearing different garbs from the other Cultists. He was even armed with something that appeared to be a hammer of sorts, but Valkorion could see that he was powerful. 

While he saw that the Alumeth was at the peak of the Sequence 6 Necromancer, he would need to deal with all of the Undead around the Alumeth at first.