60 – 27. Someone to Rely On (3)
“hehehe. Things are working out easier than expected.”
Vanessa thought maybe meeting a child named Arielle wasn’t just luck.
Smiling softly, she thought, “All that’s left is to gather the zombies in one place for control. Who knew I would receive help like this?”
Arielle believed her words wholeheartedly and gathered the zombies together.
Although she always showed infinite kindness, I felt that there was a hidden intention behind it.
“Well…. Maybe she wants to gather the zombies in one place and blow up the mansion to create a spectacle….”
Although her intentions were completely different from wanting to control the zombies.
I didn’t particularly pay attention.
The situation was flowing as she desired.
“It was impossible for me alone to break through the defensive wall surrounding the estate.”
Even though she had talent in dark magic, her strongest area of expertise was summoning and controlling monsters with necromancy.
Reviving the dead and using them as family members was a tremendous power, but Vanessa couldn’t make a powerful strike in return.
That’s why she gathered the zombies in the mansion.
“To control as many zombies as possible at once, I needed to gather them and since it was an opportunity, why not deal with Velos too?”
If she could break through the defensive wall and obtain all the zombies she desired, it couldn’t be better for Vanessa.
“And now Aria is separated.”
If she had continued following her, it would have become troublesome. Thanks to her comrades who pulled her away, she bought herself some time.
“Her name was Raina, right? I should try to keep that child alive as much as possible.”
The downfall of the Empire was inevitable, but if she could make her the last survivor, it would be a suitable reward.
“Well then… Shall I go?”
Smiling contently at the horde of rushing zombies, Vanessa slowly made her way into the mansion.
Passing by the familiar memories of the garden and courtyard where she used to play in her childhood.
Stepping into the lobby where she welcomed her father returning from his expedition.
Although she felt a mix of nostalgia and freshness in this familiar space.
Vanessa firmly resolved herself and recalled her plan.
“Surely… The host zombie must be in the second floor research facility.”
The mansion had been completely transformed from when she lived there, but the structure hadn’t changed, so it wouldn’t be difficult to find as long as she knew the rough location.
“The research facility… According to my memory, it was a meditation chamber created for spiritual practices.”
As experts in dark magic, the Matyif family had devised various methods to enhance their abilities.
Among them was the practice of meditating and communicating with spirits in dark spaces.
Since it was an enormous and highly secure facility, it seemed suitable for use as a research facility.
The door to the research facility had already been breached by the zombies.
As they passed through the wrecked entrance, it became visible inside.
“Crunch!”
“Scream!”
The scene was filled with zombies, easily surpassing a hundred at first glance.
“Gargle…”
And there was a zombie infected with the green virus, under control by the host.
Most people would frown at the sight, but for Vanessa, it was a sight to behold.
Her lips curled up slightly at that sight.
Pop!
“Ah! What is this?”
A strange syringe was stuck in her arm.
The overflowing red liquid was quickly seeping into her body.
What on earth could this be? As she wondered, a voice could be heard.
“You managed to find your way here on your own despite the injury…”
“Who are you?”
“Do you really want to know who I am?”
A strong, masculine voice came from the ceiling. Ian Volkanoft clenched his fist with indifference.
“It’s not necessary to know.”
***
Watching the staggering Vanessa, Ian suppressed a laugh inwardly.
“The poison seems to be quite effective. She’s barely standing after such a short time.”
Indeed, according to Velos’ words, it was an extremely deadly toxin that could kill any living being within ten minutes.
If it were Ian with his rapid regeneration, it would be a different story, but for Vanessa, it was difficult to resist.
“I originally intended to use it on the hosts. Good thing I used it on Vanessa when I saw her.”
It would certainly be convenient to use on the hosts to deal with the zombies.
That was an undeniable fact.
Even the original Ian intended to use it on the hosts.
But when Vanessa revealed herself, he had no choice but to change his plans.
“In the original work, Vanessa controlled the zombies and posed a threat. It would be difficult to capture those who were under control, unlike those who caused chaos indiscriminately.”
Vanessa Marteep, a black magician with extraordinary skill in necromancy.
If it weren’t for her flaws in character, she would have been evaluated as a necromancer surpassing her own father in no time.
Ian recalled how she appeared in the original work.
‘Was this a mistake, thinking that she was dealing with a zombie horde or facing a well-trained knight’s order?’
While playing the Brookers event, she had faced her as a boss in 20 out of the 40 deaths.
What annoyed him even more was that in the original work, she didn’t die here but cunningly escaped and reappeared later.
After coming back to life, she threatened Ariel using skeleton soldiers instead of zombies.
If he didn’t deal with the threat now, it would be hard to leave the enemy unattended in the future.
And there was another reason.
‘It’s already difficult enough to stop the zombies for 10 minutes, but if skeletons also appear, it will be impossible.’
If he used the poison on the host, he would have to face both zombies and skeletons. If he used it on Vanessa, he only needed to fight the zombies.
That’s why.
“Grr… Whoever you are, did you think you can ruin my plan and go back alive? Should I turn you into a zombie and control you for the rest of your life?”
“Crurur!”
The decision to overpower Vanessa first and then attack the rushing zombies was made.
Although he had to endure for 10 minutes, it wasn’t impossible.
As if proving Ian’s judgment right.
“Unleash Neltalion Tensu.”
– Yes, Ian!
Thump!
“Kraaack!”
The staggering zombies allowed Ian’s fist to hit them directly.
If it were zombies controlled by Vanessa herself, this attack would be easily blocked.
But the fact that she was currently poisoned played a significant role.
‘Even if she wants to make accurate judgments and controls, she must be mentally distracted due to the pain.
In such a situation, it wasn’t an easy task to block modern martial arts that even a sober person couldn’t easily follow.
The meaning behind those words was simple.
‘Dealing with zombies is easy.’
Even if it’s a monster like a catastrophe, all Ian could rely on now was his fists.
Knowing that, Ian moved his body even faster.
“Hoo!”
With concise steps, his fist reached out fiercely.
Straight or body hooks were minimized and combinations focused on jabs and long hooks.
Wham! Pow!
The out-fighting style, using the space widely and primarily emphasizing control, had the advantage of dealing with multiple zombies.
Ian actively made use of that point.
Of course, he didn’t forget about his agility.
Thunk!
“Crack!”
Blind spots. Situations where vision couldn’t reach or when he was vulnerable as he extended his fist were defended using his agility.
Since it wasn’t possible to destroy the mansion, he squeezed and crumpled the zombies to turn them into bloodstains.
How much time has passed?
“Darn! Where the hell did that guy come from?”
Vanessa tightly held Iain, who remained unfazed even as the number of zombies decreased rapidly.
Although the arm with the syringe was paralyzed and she couldn’t feel anything.
Still, she couldn’t just stand there and watch.
Because of this, she tried to deploy her limited control techniques to obstruct him.
“Ro Arias.”
Boom!
“Grrr!”
A massive defense barrier formed around Ian, causing the attacks to bounce off.
‘What the heck? I’m not impregnable…’
How on earth am I supposed to kill that guy?
The zombies’ heads exploded like dolls when his fists made contact with them. Even if they rushed in a group, their attempts were futile against the giant hands ready behind them.
Control? It only became a forced handshake that gnawed at her life.
Where the hell did that guy come from? It was beyond comprehension.
‘I’m falling behind? Me?’
She was called a genius.
Even her parents, who were the most exceptional dark wizards in imperial history, acknowledged her talent.
Even objectively, disregarding personal interest, she was an extraordinary prodigy.
‘Treating enhanced zombies with mind control spells so effortlessly…’
Most dark wizards, no matter how fast they were, could only summon a skeleton soldier around the age of 13.
But what did she do? At the age of 5, while other girls played with dolls, she acted as a skeleton.
“It’s impossible, I’m a genius! I have a talent that no one else can match!”
The moment she realized it herself, Vanessa thought that this talent was given to her by God to rule the world.
That was why she was obsessed with becoming stronger.
While others learned social skills, history, and noble manners, she focused on carrying tactical books and training.
Socializing? She had no interest in such things.
The Matyev family was never welcomed anywhere.
It was somewhat frustrating, but every time Vanessa felt that way, she would think, “It’s actually better this way,” and continue honing her skills.
She treated the gods who wore worried expressions as if nothing was wrong.
Instead of mingling with useless humans, she believed that reading tactical books during that time would be more worthwhile.
And so, over 25 years have passed in that manner.
She pursued strength relentlessly, even after her family had fallen.
All that remained was her polished skills, hoping for the day she could bring down the empire and create a new world.
“Who are you! Why are you blocking me!”
As soon as she saw the man in front of her, all her thoughts collapsed miserably.
She couldn’t fathom what had happened.
Vanessa focused the magic powers she used to command zombies into her hand.
A strong wave of dark mana surged.
“Why are you stopping me! Do you know how much effort I’ve put in? How difficult it was for me to seek revenge against the empire!”
Being inexperienced in close combat, she only managed to be repelled weakly when she rushed at Ian.
“Ro Aires.”
Clang!
“Ugh!”
In the melee, she clumsily fell back, blocked by his shield.
As Ian watched her struggle to get up, he smirked.
“Just a fly… That’s all you are.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“What did you say?”
“I simply said that a four-year-old acting tough in front of me is like a fly. Did you think you became stronger by honing your power? But what will you do now… The world is vast, and there are many powerful individuals spread throughout.”
“You… you!”
“Did you think that by training somewhere and becoming a master of the night, you could come back? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Isn’t the fact that you’re lying there in such a wretched state evidence enough?”
Vanessa glanced at Ian, who was giggling, and averted her gaze.
“Ah…”
Is this the end? I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to overthrow the Empire as long as there were zombies.
Are those monsters lurking around?
“Then what have I been doing all this time…?”
What becomes of the days gone by, where she honed her skills, traversing dark caves and abandoned houses?
Even if she was someone who had roamed the dark room like her own, spending several years alone was not an easy task.
There were many days when she wanted to give up. But the more Vanessa felt that way, the more she gathered her determination and persevered.
She believed that if she overcame the current hardships, a bright future awaited her.
After finishing what she had to do, she believed that the heavens would clear the path for her.
“But is the path given to me ultimately one of failure and ruin…?”
Vanessa clenched her teeth.
“Is there something like that?”
She had lived in agony. How could all her efforts disappear in vain?
If there is a god, if such a being exists in this world, shouldn’t they at least refrain from giving such trials?
She had lived with unwavering faith. That was the reason.
“Ugh… Ugh.”
She rose again with tenacity.
Choosing to run away was not an option. As that guy said, even if she tried to improve her skills now, nothing would change.
What she was thinking about was something different.
“Let’s try it once… to see if I was wrong! Just once, look!”
Using everything she had honed until now, she intended to kill Ian.
With that, she could prove that the path she had walked so far was not wrong.
aaargh!
“Crarak!”
The zombies began to scream and contort their bodies. Purplish glimmers emerged from their tear-filled eyes.
“Are you strengthening yourself…?”
For a moment, she had that thought. But what Vanessa was preparing was different.
Sinister hands sprouted from under the zombies’ feet and started to drag them away.
Ian knew what it was.
“That… is a sacrifice.”
Necromancy. Its strength lies in the ability to harness the power of the dead. As the enemies on the battlefield grew stronger, so did the user.
Of course, summoning without any cost was impossible.
To summon powerful monsters, sacrifices were required.
“Are you planning to summon zombies as sacrifices?”
He read her thoughts but it was already too late.
Shuwaak!
The ominous hands dragged all the zombies down, and next to Vanessa, a gate filled with intense energy appeared.
What emerged from that gate was a knight.
Clank. Clank.
The knight walked forward, the sound of heavy armor clashing.
With a chilling gaze, black armor, and a sword infused with ominous mana.
“Death Knight…”
It was the moment when the most sinister monster that only those who had pushed necromancy to its limit could use revealed itself.
Vanessa stared at Ian, who was taken aback, with blurry pupils.
“I wonder if even a fly like you will dare to say something after seeing this… Brace yourself.”
“Do you not know that by recklessly unleashing your power like this, you’ll only be inviting more danger?”
“I’m not afraid of death. But… I feel like I’ll go crazy if I don’t take you with me!”
“You’re completely mad.”
Ian ended the conversation.
She’s insane. There’s no point in saying anything anymore.
He had to focus on surviving the Death Knight’s attacks for the remaining time.
Since they had sacrificed everything, including the host, to create it, it wouldn’t be easy.
“Maybe I should release my sacred power.”
It was at that moment when he decided to give his best to kill.
Ping!
Like a passing beam of magical power, something was shot.
“What is it?”
He turned his head following the source of the light. He could see it.
“Ha… ha…”
“Bianca?”
The sight of Bianca, breathing heavily with the staff in her hand.
It was a thinly compressed magic burst shot out to its limits.
“Ian, you said so! I can’t be of any help. Do you still think that way?”
“Ha.”
Bianca forced a smile, lifting the corners of her mouth.
Ian replied to her with a faint smile.
Vanessa… seemed like there was no need to watch anymore.
“Ah… cough…”
The swiftly shot magic burst passed through Vanessa’s forehead, and the Death Knight lost its form and began to crumble.
It was the moment when Vanessa, the main boss of the Brooker’s Event, tragically lost her life.
It was at the time these revelations occurred while she was passing away.
Tick! Tididing!
“Huh? What’s this?”
Ian looked surprised as the green bead fell from the crumbling body of the Death Knight and rolled on the ground.
“No way…”
He muttered as he confirmed its identity.