Chapter 132: Army Of The Dead (2)
“Ugh, how did things get so twisted?”
Cardinal Nicholas chuckled as he slowly looked around.
Before he knew it, paladins and soldiers had gathered and were pointing their spears and swords at him.
Everything had been going well.
He had coincidentally gotten his hands on the cardinal’s body and was able to control it.
He had also lured in a paladin who had been consumed by desire.
With this much preparation, he had thought he would be able to resurrect Kali in secret without any interference.
But where had things gone wrong?
Was it when he had set Solara on the madman who had come to the Holy Kingdom despite being wanted for attempted rape?
Was it when the madman had infiltrated the rainwater tunnel disguised as a warlock’s terrorist?
Or was it when the Saintess had noticed traces of magic and followed him into the rainwater tunnel?
He didn’t know where it had gone wrong, but he knew how to fix it.
‘I just have to kill them all. Then I’ll be the strongest.’
He would pile up the bodies.
How powerful of an army would he create if he got his hands on the bodies of the paladins and mages here?
“Heh heh…”
At that thought, a bloody smile appeared on the lips of Cardinal Nicholas, or rather, Luna.
“Heh heh… Zenon. Heh. Don’t let anyone touch the entrance.”
“What? Zenon? Why is the name of the deputy commander’s younger brother-“
Kwang!
As soon as Luna turned around without hesitation, a deafening explosion shook the heavens and the earth.
Male, who had been born with the talent of a great mage but had not been able to blossom that talent due to a heart condition.
As soon as Zenon finished his heart surgery, he revealed himself as a mage who had awakened to explosive magic.
‘I wish they had given that guy to me sooner! Ehehehe!’
It was a shame that someone as talented as Zenon was unable to blossom his talent due to the limitations of his body.
It was such a shame.
If they were in my hands, they would all become much stronger!
Of course, due to the influence of the Earthquake Command on his heart, Zenon had completely lost his mind, but that was a minor problem.
‘Now it’s your turn, Kali. I’ll make you ‘perfect’ soon. Uhihihi…’
Swoosh.
Luna’s spirit body slipped out of Cardinal Nicholas’s body and seeped into the ground.
And then, just as it was about to head inward.
Luna’s eyes widened.
Below, the Saintess, whom he had just kicked away, was in the arms of a man.
Luna’s brow furrowed as she watched him look at her with loving eyes and apply a potion to her head.
-Don’t you dare flirt in front of me!!!!!!-
It was a scream that would make monsters run away in fear and spirits vanish in agony.
However, the voice of a spirit body could not reach the living.
Luna, who was furious at the ongoing embalming, hurriedly headed into the rainwater tunnel.
-I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!!!-
Luna’s will filled the entire rainwater tunnel.
The bodies that had been stiffly frozen began to move one by one.
They were not able to act naturally since Luna herself was not directly entering and controlling them.
However, each of them had a clear sense of purpose: ‘Find people and kill them.’
-You guys go and kill those bastards! I’ll be resurrecting Kali!-
It was the moment when Luna’s spirit body was about to slip into Kali’s body.
Thud!
The spirit body was pushed back as if it had hit something.
-Huh…?-
The spirit body, which was not affected by any physical force.
Why couldn’t it move forward?
Luna looked at the empty space with a blank expression and noticed a strange magic surrounding Kali.
Holy Shield.
It was a kind of barrier that blocked not only physical force and magic power, but also the entry and exit of spirits, including spirits.
It was a magic that the Saintess had developed herself.
-Damn you, you’re getting in the way until the end!!!-
Luna’s scream echoed.The moment we stepped inside the rainwater tunnel.
The true identity of the enemy we were facing was revealed.
Necromancer Luna.
The name of a magician who dreamed of eternal life in the distant past.
He did not possess any great abilities in his youth.
It was only in his old age that he discovered his talent for magic.
And so he began to study magic with a passion, albeit belatedly.
However, like all humans, he too was subject to the limitations of his lifespan.
His aging body was not what it used to be, and after a series of illnesses, he eventually collapsed and was no longer able to study magic.
Luna judged that there was no way to overcome this limitation of lifespan through magic.
And so he began to dabble in sorcery.
And just before his death.
Luna completed his final work, a combination of sorcery and magic.
The 10th-order magic, Resurrection.
It was a magic that could revive the dead.
Luna used Resurrection the moment he closed his eyes, but he failed to notice the flaw in the magic.
Due to the flaw, the magic was cast abnormally, and instead of resurrecting Luna, it preserved his soul.
A spirit body that could neither disperse nor vanish, with only consciousness.
Luna had become such a miserable being.
But he did not give up and began to gather strength.
He began to research and develop sorcery that could be used by a spirit body alone.
And so the necromancy was developed.
It was the moment when Luna awakened as a necromancer and received an offer to become one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
‘Damn it. The army of the dead is starting to move.’
In the deep darkness.
An eerie creaking sound could be heard from afar.
Luna could only possess and move one corpse.
However, if he simply bestowed a simple will upon the corpses, it was possible for them to move autonomously.
Their appearance was similar to that of zombies.
That was the army of the dead.
The reason why Luna was considered the worst of the Four Heavenly Kings.
‘Jill is unconscious and can’t move. And without Mijin by her side, the guardian knight can’t be activated.’
I am now in a weakened state, with only one-fifth of my usual stats.
Perhaps I could still use the Iron Blood Storm Strike in this state, but······.
Its power would be greatly reduced, and it would not be able to cut through bones.
The army of the dead cannot feel pain, so it is useless to slash at their pale flesh.
It would be meaningless unless their spines were shattered.
Fighting an army of the dead that numbered in the hundreds, if not thousands, in such a narrow space was far too dangerous.
There was no other way.
I had no choice but to reveal my identity to Jill.
And then, I had to reactivate the guardian knight.
“Ugh······ Ahhh. It hurts so much······.”
The cries of the dead gradually drew closer, and just as they were about to be heard right in front of us, Jill opened her eyes.
I immediately gave Jill a briefing on the situation.
“If you’re awake, don’t answer, don’t move, and don’t use magic. Just listen. If you make a sound, you’ll die.”
It may seem childish, but she’s a smart kid.
Jill quickly realized that the situation was serious and replied in a hushed voice.
It seemed that I could get her cooperation for the time being.
Of course, I don’t know how she’ll change once the crisis is over······.
At the very least, I plan to leave Cologne before Jill kidnaps and imprisons me.
[Stats]
[Strength: 19(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Health: 44(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Mana: 50(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Agility: 25(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Luck: 10(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
‘That’s it.’
Finally, the guardian knight’s ability was activated.
Then there was no need to hesitate any longer.
I drew my magic sword and assumed the starting stance of Dakia-ryu 0th form, Herbivore.
-You’re finally drawing me. I can feel the power returning to my body. Who is the opponent?-
‘It’s the army of the dead.’
-Oh, um. Good luck.-The noisy chatter of the magic sword suddenly stopped.
It seemed to be scared because it knew that Luna was its opponent.
It was normal to be afraid because if it was caught by Luna, this guy would also have his consciousness torn apart.
“Darkia-ryu secret technique.”
The moment he chanted quietly.
The mourning of the dead, which was like “Kwoowoowo”, came closer.
A hand with sharp claws stretched out towards me.
Just before the finger touched my forehead.
The sword attack exploded.
“Iron-blooded Storm Slash!”
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
White sword energy spread out brightly, illuminating the entire area.
The sound of living corpses being shattered into pieces and falling here and there could be heard.
After a wave of sword energy swept through.
When Jill trembled and illuminated the darkness with light magic, what was revealed was the floor filled with dismembered corpses.
Fortunately, the corpses were old and there was no blood.
If there was blood spilled here, it would have been even more disgusting.
“May you all go to a good place······.”
Instead of being terrified by the sight, Jill approached, shedding tears.
And then, thud.
She knelt down and prayed earnestly.
I know Jill’s hypocrisy because I’ve seen it so much.
That’s not hypocrisy, it’s sincerity.
Jill is genuinely sorry and shedding tears.
‘I fell for that kind of appearance······.’
I remembered.
I fell for Jill’s saintly appearance.
Despite the fact that she complained a lot and had a low tolerance for pain, she was the least suited to be a priest.
I fell for the way she endured everything and did good deeds.
I was captivated by her nobility.
“Step back, Jill. Something dangerous is coming.”
“······?”
But now is not the time to indulge in such sentimentality.
Beyond the passage, a thumping vibration was being transmitted from the rainwater tunnel.
We have no way of feeling it now.
Surely, the spirits from these corpses are escaping and heading towards Kali’s body.
The gathered spirits are used to cast a single magic spell.
10th Order Magic.
Resurrection.
It is a magic that goes beyond the simple puppetry of necromancy and brings the dead back to life.
“That, that is······.”
“Run away, Jill.”
A giant figure slowly emerging from the darkness.
My body trembled at the familiar silhouette.
The upper body of a beautiful woman appeared first.
The grotesque body of a giant spider followed.
The Archdruid Kali had returned to life.
I turned my head slightly and saw Jill climbing up the ladder without looking back.
Excellent.
If we had fought together and held out, my blood pressure would have risen and I would have died of a stroke.
“Long time no see, Kali.”
-That’s not the Kali you know-
The magic sword hummed and chanted.
Not the Kali I know?
Looking closely, Kali’s pupils were lifeless and empty.
Nevertheless, Kali approached me as if she were alive, looking at me naturally.
It was a completely different appearance from the corpses that possessed only aggression.
But it was also ambiguous to say that she was alive.
-It seems that the resurrection is not yet perfect-
“Bloodsucking brat! Where is the bloodsucking brat!!!”
Kali screamed, making the entire sewer echo.
It seems that she is still possessed by the emotions she had just before she died.
I can’t let her meet Mijeong.
Never.
“Give me the bloodsucking brat!!!”
“Keuk?!”
Kali’s leg accelerated and flew in an instant.
My body moved reflexively before I could see it and dodge it.
If I dodge back, it will be too late.
I barely avoided the downward strike by rolling forward, and I found myself under Kali’s belly.
‘Has it gotten much faster?’
Her speed was much faster than when she was alive.
At that time, I overwhelmed Kali with speed, but this time it was the opposite.
How do I catch this?In the midst of such contemplation.
“Bloodsucking brat! I have to go catch that bloodsucking brat······!”
“This crazy fool.”
As if I didn’t even register in her eyes, Kali ran straight for the ladder.
Even with the magic sword stuck in her stomach and the long tail trailing behind her, she ignored me and kept running.
It seemed like she didn’t feel any pain in the first place.
‘This won’t do. Mijeong is in danger.’
From Noble mtl dot com
If that thing gets outside, it’ll be a bloodbath.
Even I can’t handle Kali, so there’s no way a paladin or a mage could stand a chance against her.
That thing will probably just smash, tear, and kill everything in its path until it finds Mijeong.
Right now, that thing is only thinking about finding Mijeong.
It must have been cursed by Mijeong right before it died, because it seems to consider Mijeong its mortal enemy.
In that case, there’s only one thing I can do.
I have to become a bigger enemy to it than Mijeong.
“Kali!”
“······?”
By now, she had already climbed to the top of the ladder and was opening the entrance.
I followed her up and threw a rock at the back of her head.
“Look at this!”
Kali’s head turned.
She looked at what I was holding in my hand, and her pupils dilated for a moment.
[Kali’s Soulstone]
[Condition: Good]
[A magical artifact made from the processed soulstone of the Archdruid Kali. It will bloom when the time is right.]
“You little bastard!!!”
The look in her eyes changed abruptly.