I Became the Dark Knight in the Game

Chapter 40: Search (2)

Dale just left the guild building when Harkin asked him.

Where will you go now?

To the temple.

Ah, then have a safe journey.

After seeing off Harkin, Dale walked down the road with Harty the wolf.

Night had already fallen.

But the city was far from dark. Light emanating from each building illuminated the surroundings.

Which was a stark contrast to the slums that became engulfed in darkness as soon as the sun set, relying solely on the faint moonlight.

Its cluttered.

Despite the day coming to an end, people bustled about. Dale couldnt tell if it was just his imagination, but the atmosphere seemed charged with an uneasy energy.

Or should it be described as an unusual current in the air.

Perhaps the well-informed citizens had heard about something that was about to happen.

Didnt they say its not confirmed yet?

The plan to conduct a thorough sweep of the back alleys had not been fully approved.

There were still council members opposed to the idea, and much was left to discuss.

Garland hinted that an official document was expected to be announced within a week at the latest.

While he was lost in thought, Harty nudged Dales waist with its blunt nose.

Dale raised his head and realized that they had already reached the dilapidated entrance of the temple.

He then descended the stairs together with Harty.

Soon, a familiar scene unfolded before him.

Darkness enveloping everything. A skeleton swinging a wooden sword. And Priestess Erielle standing there with her eyes covered with a patch.

However, the temple was unusually crowded on this day.

People who seemed to be followers of the Night were buzzing around Erielle, who appeared troubled as she dealt with them.

This was not a common sight.

The number of followers serving the Goddess of the Night was overwhelmingly small compared to the church.

Moreover, due to public perception, many chose to conceal their faith, making those who visited the temple in person a minority.

Such a gathering was rare.

Furthermore, several held lamps with candles, which meant they were ordinary followers without the ability to see through the darkness.

As Dale and Harty made their way down, the gaze of everyone inside shifted towards them.

The followers stared blankly at Dale before starting to murmur among themselves.

Is that the one?

My goodness. Its really Sir Dale.

How reassuring indeed

The followers were moved to see Dale with some even becoming teary-eyed.

This was the complete opposite of the reactions he received on the streets.

However, the attention was no less unwelcome to Dale.

It was Erielle who eased the uncomfortable situation.

She made her way through the crowd and stepped forward.

Youve arrived.

Dale nodded his head and then stepped back.

Before anyone else could speak, he was the first to break the silence.

I would like to use a prayer room.

Feel free to enter any prayer room. They are all vacant at the moment.

Dale nodded again and strode forward.

The followers stepped aside to make way for him.

Though some wanted to speak to him, the large wolf standing by his side deterred them from approaching.

Dale did not make any effort to initiate conversation either.

Whatever expectations they had of him, Dale felt no obligation to fulfill them.

Dale strode purposefully to the prayer room and then instructed Harty.

Wait here for a moment.

Harty seemed to understand and wagged its tail once.

Dale opened the door to the prayer room and entered.

He removed his helmet, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

Then, from the silver candlestick placed on the altar, smoke began to billow, and soon took shape.

[Dale, my son, welcome.]

The Goddess of the Night greeted him as always, her long hair cascading to the floor.

Her pale white foot took a step towards Dale.

Dale spoke up.

I wish to offer a sacrifice first.

[So be it. What blessing do you seek?]

Three options appeared before Dales eyes.

Increase Strength

Enhance Armor

Strengthen Soul

It had been a while since his last visit to the temple and the number of souls he had amassed was not small.

Dale pondered his choices carefully.

The slightest difference in abilities could determine the outcome of a battle. A decision should not be made rashly.

Lets set aside strengthening the soul for now or maybe not.

Strengthening the soul was an option that would increase magical power and Spiritual Power stats.

It seemed pointless for Dale, who had no immediate use for magic skills, but he suddenly had a thought.

Dale asked the goddess,

Are there any new skills I can learn?

The class known as dark knight in his memories started learning skills from grade 3, and they began to specialize by grade 5.

How a dark knight utilized their skills and specialized could lead to various developments.

It meant he didnt have to fight recklessly as he had been.

At Dales question, the goddess replied in an embarrassed tone,

[Um, I was hiding it on purpose to give you a surprise but yes, you can learn a new skill.]

Then, may I learn that first?

The goddess nodded and placed her hand on Dales head.

A powerful force swirled and was absorbed into Dales body. He closed his eyes.

He silently savored the new power flowing through his body.

The goddess explained,

[To call it a new skill might be a bit misleading. Its more about awakening and unlocking the potential that was already dormant within you as a dark knight. Open your eyes and check your body.]

Dale who had his eyes closed opened them and examined his body.

The goddess asked,

[Do you feel any changes?]

As Dale examined his body, he quickly noticed a change.

In this pitch-dark space which was devoid of any light, the darkness around Dale seemed even deeper.

Could there be degrees of darkness?

It was something his rational mind couldnt easily grasp. Yet the intensified darkness or shadows around him were not merely an illusion.

The goddess continued,

[People around you might have felt an unexplainable chill and eeriness. That energy has been materialized into this darkness. Try to imagine dispersing the darkness around you with your mind.]

Dale did as suggested.

He visualized scattering the darkness surrounding him.

It wasnt difficult.

Because he had already experienced what skill he had acquired through the game.

Whoosh!

The darkness responded to Dales will.

It gathered in his hand and, in the next moment, transformed into a mist that enveloped the entire space.

Dale murmured the name of this technique,

Black Mist.

[Yes, thats the name]

Black Mist.

A wide-range technique that scatters darkness to attack.

It wasnt merely a skill to obstruct vision.

Those who came into contact with the mist felt terror and a chilling sensation, and those with weak spiritual power could even collapse entirely.

However, if that were all there was to it, the skill would have been somewhat underwhelming. The truly crucial effect lay elsewhere.

It can absorb the life force of those it touches.

Of course, to absorb life forcefrom living beings, Dale would need to be of a higher level and further strengthen the skill.

But conversely, it implied that he could absorb life force from non-living entities.

For example, if there were corpses scattered around, there would be no need for him to insert his gauntlet into each one individually.

Merely dispersing the mist was enough to absorb life force.

There isnt much time to do that during battle. So it would be useful then.

The goddess asked.

[Do you like it?]

Yes.

[The skill consumes magical power, so it cant be used indefinitely. How about investing in your magical power this time?]

Then

After a moment of contemplation, Dale responded,

Ill invest two-thirds in strength. The rest will go into armor.

[Not investing in magical power?]

Yes.

[Do you perhaps not like my gift?]

The goddess asked with a hint of anxiety in her voice, to which Dale shook his head.

Its a useful skill, but I think it needs to be observed for now. If I feel a lack of magical power, Ill consider it then.

[Uhm. Do as you wish, my son.]

The goddess felt slightly disappointed, but she did not press further.

When the goddess of the night gently caressed Dale once more, a new strength filled his body.

His muscles became firmer, and the sheen of his armor deepened.

Dale checked the change in his status.

[Dale]

Grade: 3

Class: Dark Knight

Strength: 58

Defense: 34

Magical Power: 10

Stamina:

Spiritual Power: 10

[List of Acquired Skills]

Life Force Absorption

Black Mist

[Traits]

Half-Human Half-Undead

Unholy Senses

Blessing of the Goddess of Night

[Title]

Demon Servant Slayer

Enhanced strength. And a body and armor that had become even more robust.

His stats were incomparably high compared to other classes of the same rank.

The figures before him proved that Dales battles thus far had not been in vain.

They also affirmed that the path he was currently on was the right one.

With this, Dale had achieved his objective of visiting this place. However, he had a question to ask.

I have one question.

[Ask anything.]

Dale hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

Some time ago, I fought with another follower of the night.

He explained about the necromancer he had eliminated in the slums.

And about what kind of person that necromancer had been.

The goddess responded with a hint of bitterness.

[Hakim. Such a pitiful child. Hakim led a difficult life, one that inevitably twisted his character. However, that doesnt excuse the evil deeds he committed.]

Dale asked sharply.

Are you saying that the goddesss will was not involved in the necromancers actions?

[There seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding.]

The goddess explained.

[The influence this goddess can exert on the earthly realm is less than you might think and is bound by many restrictions. Unlike the light with many followers, what this goddess can do is at best bestow power and make her voice heard. How the children use that power, whether they heed the goddesss words, is entirely up to them.]

The goddess continued her explanation.

Humans possessed countless variables and possibilities and their inner depths were as profound and complex as the universe itself. Beyond even the full comprehension of gods.

The choice of how to wield power ultimately lies within oneself.

This statement might sound somewhat irresponsible. Yet, this was perhaps the very limit of the Night Goddesss influence.

The goddess continued.

[My followers have been persecuted for ages, forced to flee into the underground, deep mountains, and wastelands. There, they endured miserable lives and faced hardships.]

Persecuted faiths tend to become cruel and extreme.

The followers of the night had to do whatever it took to survive, and this desperation was passed down through generations and it evolved into something dreadful.

The necromancer Dale had encountered was likely one such outcome.

[This goddess should have protected her children Regarding that, I have a favor to ask of you, Dale.]

A favor, you say?

It was rare for the goddess to request a favor.

[When you leave the prayer room, youll be approached by that child Erielle. I understand that you are wary of elves because of what you experienced in the past, but would you please at least listen to what she has to say?]

Dale nodded his head. He wasnt particularly keen on the idea, but it wasnt a request he couldnt fulfill.

Before leaving the prayer room, Dale posed one last question.

If I find myself in conflict with your followers again, would it be acceptable for me to strike them down?

[If it comes to that, do what you must. I always trust in my sons judgment]

Dale nodded his head once more.

He was asking this question because he was worried that the goddess might be angry if he killed a believer of the night.

The relationship between Dale and the goddess was purely give and take yet Dale needed her.

For now, at least.

With that, Dale exited the prayer room.

Before dissipating like smoke, the goddess told Dale not to seek her out only when he needed to but to visit her more often.

He opened the door to the prayer room and found Harty sitting motionless.

When the wolf saw Dale coming out, it finally lifted its head and looked up at him indifferently.

As if it were asking if he had concluded his business here.

Lets go.

Dale proceeded down the corridor and towards where Erielle was waiting.

Unlike earlier, the temple had regained its tranquility, as it seemed all the followers had returned home.

When she noticed Dale, Erielle greeted him with a warm smile.

Youve arrived.

Yes.

Erielle was eager to share something important and she began to speak hurriedly,

Theres something I really wanted to discuss with you, if you could just listen

It seemed Erielle had expected Dale to leave abruptly as usual.

And in her rush to convey her message before he could depart, she suddenly paused.

Oh.

Whats the matter?

I thought you might leave right away

Take your time.

Erielles smile deepened,

Ah. I had thought you were wary of me, but it seems I was mistaken.

Though it wasnt a misconception, Dale would have passed by if not for the goddesss request but he chose not to mention that.

So, what is it you wanted to talk about?

You must have heard from Garland, right? About the upcoming event.

Dale nodded his head in acknowledgment.

And youve probably been asked to join the search in the slums as a mercenary.

Thats right.

Erielle, the high priestess of the temple, was one of the council members.

It wouldnt be surprising for her to know this much.

So, what could be the reason for bringing this up?

As Dale urged with his eyes for Erielle to continue, the latter lowered the corners of her mouth and said with a stern face,

I would like to request the exact opposite.

The opposite?

When Dale asked, Erielle spoke slowly and forcefully.

Please prevent the search in the slums.