All Chapters of The Squalor Bastard Becomes The Gravemarch: Chapter 131
- Chapter 139
139 chapters
Threshold of Dust
Won’s voice dropped into something slower, something dangerous. It was almost a whisper, vibrating with a denial that felt like ice.“You are mad, Noah,” he muttered, his eyes darting toward the two beds. “They are literally breathing in front of you. I can see their chests moving. I can hear the air.”Noah’s palm turned into a white-knuckled fist on his knees, his fingers digging into the fabric of his trousers. He was holding back a flood of emotion, his jaw tight enough to crack.“What you are seeing now is what Gnasher is making you see,” Noah said, his voice flat and hollow. “It is dark magic, Won. A cruel trick of the soul. Their death is completely inevitable. They are breathing now, yes—but only because they are anchored to this nightmare. Once they leave this Veyne, once they step through that gate... they die.”“Then why are you hiding this from everyone?” Won’s voice cracked, his eyes burning with a sudden, sharp rage. He stepped closer to Noah, his shadow looming large in
Shadows of the Throne
For the rest of the day, Won was a ghost in his own skin. He couldn't think of anything else—the image of Blossom and Arnold, breathing but already gone, looped in his mind like a broken film. The thought of never meeting them again, never hearing Blossom’s sharp wit or seeing Arnold’s quiet strength, made his mood turn awfully grim.Leo and Orson stayed clear of him. They could see the dark cloud hanging over his head, but they couldn't figure out the cause. Won didn't reply to their questions. He just stared through them. Every time Orson mentioned his sister’s recovery, Won felt a sick twist in his stomach. He couldn't imagine how he would react when he finally found out that his hope was a lie.Won gritted his teeth as he settled onto the small bed near the window. The view outside was deceptively peaceful—rolling hills and a wide, dark river. In the far distance, he could see the massive, hulking shapes of lower-ranked monsters wandering the ruins. They looked like moving mountai
Logic of Unplanned
The group had gathered on a deserted pavement, tucked away behind a row of collapsed store-fronts far from the main apartment complex. Here, the shadows were long, and the prying eyes of the city guards were fewer.“Just before you guys say anything, this mission is not going to be as easy as the last one we did,” Orson stated, his voice low and gravelly. He was leaning against a rusted lamp post that hadn't shone light in a century. “Gnasher is much stronger and more feared than the Serpent Deity. We aren't just fighting a monster; we’re fighting a ruler.”Julie fidgeted in her place, her fingers twisting the hem of her sleeve. She looked around at the tired faces of her friends and gave a small nod. “With all the information we’ve collected over these months, I do have a proposal to make.”“What is it?” Leo asked, standing right beside her.Everyone’s eyes turned to Julie, while only Noah remained distant. He stood at the edge of the group, staring into the dark, his expression isol
Sharpened Edges
Won sat at the highest point of the clock tower, his legs dangling over the edge of the weathered stone. The moon tonight was a monster of its own—a giant, luminous sphere that bathed the Sacred City in a cold, clinical glow. It was far brighter than the moon of Earth, turning the ruins into a landscape of stark whites and deep, bottomless blacks.He pulled the parchments from his cloak and spread them across his lap. He frowned as his eyes moved across the lines. The language was a mess of jagged symbols and ancient script that he couldn't even begin to translate. But the drawings... the drawings spoke for themselves.Won squinted, his stomach turning. One page depicted a circle of hooded figures, their faces obscured by shadow, feasting on slabs of raw human flesh. Another showed a row of severed heads placed meticulously before a roaring bonfire, their mouths frozen in silent screams as if they were reciting some unholy prayer.It was dark magic. Vile, ancient, and undeniably powe
Missing Gap
Won and Leo lay flat on their backs in the middle of the Dark City’s desert. The sand beneath them was coarse and cold, retaining none of the day’s heat. The silence was absolute now, the violence of the foxin hunt replaced by the rhythmic sound of two pairs of lungs fighting for air.“You came here often?” Won asked, his voice barely rising above a whisper.“Not just me. Orson as well,” Leo said, finally pushing himself up into a sitting position. “I lost count of how many times we crossed into this sector just to look for you.”Won didn’t say anything. He kept his eyes fixed on the moon, feeling the weight of Leo’s words. “Won?” Leo asked after a long pause. “What did you actually do in these past five months?”Won closed his eyes, the images of blood-soaked alleys and bloody nights flashing behind his eyelids. He didn't answer. Instead, he forced a different question into the air—one that had been rotting in his mind since he first saw the monster in his visions.“It’s killing me t
Messenger in the Dark
Some days flew by, the passage of time marked only by the shifting of the moon and the steady rhythm of combat. Each member of the cohort threw themselves into training, pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. Following Won’s advice, they abandoned the safer streets of the Sacred City and traveled to the Dark City ruins to hone their edges.They still didn't have a solid plan to attack Gnasher. Ramiro had set a brutal benchmark: until they could collectively kill two hundred SS-rank monsters in a single week, he wouldn't even consider them ready. They all knew the truth, though. Even if they reached that goal, the chance of killing Gnasher was barely one percent. The other ninety-nine percent was just a long, painful way to die.At one midnight, the Sacred City was silent.A girl was walking through a very narrow alley, her footsteps light against the damp stone. Even though the main part of the city was asleep, the dregs of the population were still awake. Drunkards leaned agains
The Divided Soul
Won stood in front of Emma, his silhouette a long, jagged line against the moon-washed pavement. The street was empty now, the body of the drunkard having been dragged into the deeper shadows where the rats would find it. Emma sat on the cold ground, her back against a crumbling stone pillar.Won had his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes tired from months of sleepless hunting, yet focused on the girl like a hawk on a wounded rabbit.Emma looked strangely calm now. She tucked a few loose strands of blonde hair behind her ears and looked up at Won.“If I tell you everything,” she said, her voice small but steady, “do you promise to keep it within yourself?”Won raised a brow, a flicker of dark amusement crossing his face. He looked at her with a strange, mocking expression. “You think you’re in a position to ask me for a favor, Emma? You’re a spy caught in the act.”“I just don’t want the others to think of me as a betrayer,” she said, her grey eyes shimmering with a faint, desperat
The Silence of the Seer
When the cohort finally reached the brutal goal Ramiro had set, Won called a meeting, giving everyone a heads-up that this wouldn't be a typical strategic briefing.Everyone was present just in time, gathered in the dim light of their hideout. Won stood in the center of the circle, his expression unreadable. He looked at his friends—and spoke very casually.“Tell me, how would you feel if none of these Veynes or monsters existed anymore? What if the world went back to the way it was before all this madness started?”The question was so bizarre and out of place that it didn't even shock them. It felt like a dream being spoken aloud in a graveyard. Noah scoffed a bitter, hollow laugh and turned his face away. He clearly thought Won had finally snapped under the pressure. But Orson and Leo’s faces turned deadly serious. “Is that even possible?” Julie asked, her voice trembling slightly.Won shrugged, his eyes wandering to the ceiling. “I never said it was possible. It’s just a hypotheti
The Heir of the Monarch
The entire cohort stood at the mouth of the branching tunnels. Won stole a glance at Noah, his eyes wide and vacant, but he was moving. Won didn't have time to coddle him. He raised his arm, signaling the team to split according to the plan they had discussed in hushed whispers.Ramiro nodded grimly. He didn't speak, using hand signals to confirm the divisions.Noah didn't wait for Ramiro’s instruction. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he moved to stand directly beside Won. Leo shifted back into his physical form, his invisibility fading like mist. The teams were set: Won, Leo, and Noah formed Team 1, tasked with the main central tunnel. Orson and Julie were Team 2, heading into the left passage. Ramiro and Mikasa made up Team 3, taking the right.From the maps they had managed to scrap together, they were fairly certain all three paths eventually merged into a single grand chamber. The tunnels were lined with small rooms and stone cottages, each guarded by Gnasher’s chosen knights.Ever