Deep within the cave, Nidhogg and the skeleton knight confronted a horde of beastly spirits.
The beastly spirits' ugly and ferocious faces were faintly illuminated in the crystal light. Several tentacles writhed beneath their large noses, followed by two rows of crooked, yellowish teeth. Coarse black hair covered their bodies.
They picked up weapons scattered on the ground—all primitive tools: axe heads and spears sharpened from stone flakes, wooden clubs with branches lopped off, and even simple rocks clutched in their hands.
It was clear these beasts did not welcome uninvited guests. They snarled fiercely at Nidhogg and the skeleton knight, trying to drive them away.
"Destroy them." The skeleton knight raised his longsword and said, "Let's finish this quickly. I have a faint feeling something is wrong in this cave."
"Alright." Nidhogg also produced his Golden Halberd, gave them both the Golden Vow buff, then dismounted. He let Torrent dissolve into white light and return to the Spirit Steed Whistle, ready to fight on foot.
The skeleton knight did not interfere with Nidhogg's choice. He simply squeezed his horse's flanks and charged on his dark horse.
The beastly spirits charged at them in turn, swarming across the wide area.
At the same time, even more beastly spirits emerged from caves all along the stone wall. They crawled out and leaped onto the stone platform one after another. Their numbers grew, and soon nearly a hundred beastly spirits had appeared.
Nidhogg paid no attention to the numbers. He simply shook his bell silently, summoning Ingvall the Lost Knight, the Lone Wolves, and Lhutel the Headless Knight.
He and the skeleton knight, plus two knights and three wolves—surely more than enough to handle these hundred-odd beastly spirits.
As the horde of beastly spirits swarmed them, Nidhogg swung his Golden Halberd and swept it across. A golden arc passed through them, and several beastly spirits were easily cleaved in two!
THUD! THUD!—
Before the beastly spirits could react in terror, Nidhogg followed up with a step, thrusting his Golden Halberd. It pierced the chests and abdomens of three beastly spirits, skewering them together, then he wrenched the halberd free.
A beastly spirit lunged from behind, but three Lone Wolves, having broken from the group, pounced on it. This beast also enjoyed the pain of being bitten!
Ingvall was as fierce as ever, swinging his halberd like a gale, striking with the force of an avalanche, shattering stone and killing several beastly spirits in one blow. By sheer momentum alone, he was second only to Nidhogg and the skeleton knight!
Lhutel was far more subtle. Headless, she could accurately predict the beastly spirits' movements in the darkness. She either blocked them with her heavy shield or directly shifted her form, appearing elsewhere and then hurling a sacred light spear!
Soon, the hundred-strong horde of beastly spirits was drastically reduced under their assault. Many timidly retreated.
Nidhogg was determined to kill cleanly. He carried his Golden Halberd and cut down everything in his path, with no intention of stopping.
After a while, he reached the cave entrance he had seen at the beginning. He saw a rather weak unicorn lying on the ground.
By now, the unicorn's once pure white hair was stained black. The silvery blood flowing from its body reflected in the crystal light.
"Kill it," the skeleton knight, who was nearby slicing through beastly spirits like melons and vegetables and guarding the cave entrance, said loudly. "Don't let it live. For it, this is nothing but torture."
"There is no distinction between male and female among them. They inject their seed into the bodies of females with gestational organs. These seeds grow and form very quickly, then tear through the female's abdomen and crawl out."
"No matter what kind of creature, they all become beastly spirits. The females, once they've outlived their usefulness, are devoured by them... This is a group of evil beings that act purely on instinct."
Hearing this, Nidhogg vaguely saw small figures emerging from the cave—the same ugliness, the same evil, one after another.
FWOOSH—!
Nidhogg decisively struck down, ending the unicorn's life. Then he immediately entered the cave.
These beastly spirits still tried to stop him, but he killed them one after another without ceremony. Then he saw the small beastly spirits within the cave.
Though they were still small, they were equally fierce and swarmed to attack together.
SLASH—!
Soon after, all these small beastly spirits were killed by Nidhogg.
He also worried that some remnants might remain, so he searched every corner of the cave, made sure there were no traces, and then emerged.
Then he killed all the beastly spirits in this cave and that cave without mercy.
The skeleton knight guarded the cave entrance, ensuring no beastly spirit could escape.
Unnoticed, Nidhogg drew closer and closer to the cave's interior, nearer and nearer to the viscous lake. He could already see other monsters in the bubbling swamp of flesh and blood with the crystal light.
These monsters could survive here by devouring the flesh and blood left by the beastly spirits. This lake was clearly connected to the Stygian River outside.
Nidhogg killed a few more beastly spirits, then heard a commotion from the depths of this fleshy lake, in an even wider cavern.
A massive monster emerged. The black hair on its body made it resemble a giant beastly spirit, but its head was completely different.
Small eyes grew on its column-like head. Two fangs protruded from the corners of its mouth. And in its large, bloody mouth and nostrils, there was a crack shaped like a fir tree, resembling the lower abdomen of a female.
With his Spectral Sight, Nidhogg recognized its name—"Giant Ghost."
Unexpectedly, the Giant Ghost and the beastly spirits lived together. It seemed the beastly spirits regularly offered it food in exchange for its protection of this lair within the cave.
Throughout the entire Berserk saga, there were few instances where Apostles or monsters could regenerate severed limbs or wounded parts. This Giant Ghost was one such exception, possessing the ability to reattach severed limbs.
To defeat this monster, he needed to kill it in one blow and not give it a chance to regenerate.
Nidhogg made his decision. He charged forward without hesitation, swapping his Golden Halberd for his Lordsworn's Greatsword.
At that moment, the Giant Ghost had already stepped onto the shore. Seeing that the intruding human dared to rush at him, it couldn't help but let out a vicious roar. It slammed its fist down at Nidhogg like a battering ram!
Nidhogg was not afraid of the danger. He gripped his greatsword with both hands, took a step forward, coiled energy into a whirlwind, and suddenly swung upward!
The greatsword cleaved through the Giant Ghost's fist like a razor through pork, smoothly splitting its fist and arm in two!
Amidst the Giant Ghost's howls of pain, Nidhogg charged forward. His greatsword plunged into the ghost's abdomen, and he drove it upward!
The seemingly thick abdomen tore open easily. Fishy organs gushed out!
CRASH—!
Immediately, as the Giant Ghost, unable to maintain its balance, fell forward, Nidhogg stepped onto its fangs, leaped onto its back, and struck with his greatsword, severing its cylindrical head.
The Giant Ghost's body convulsed a few times, then fell still.