Chapter Index

    Struggling (10)

    Struggling (10)

    I couldn’t understand.

    I clearly said I wouldn’t behave quietly during this operation.

    Nevertheless, the sight of Erica confidently walking ahead and reciting the plan one by one was bewildering.

    “The point to be aware of is the resistance of enemies in unexpected situations. Given the characteristics of necromancers, the fact that it’s afternoon with exposure to the sun is already disadvantageous for them in a confrontation.”

    I twisted my side hair while following the hunters who were listening intently to her words.

    Or is this a ploy to make me flustered by such an appearance? Are you going to proceed with the operation confidently like this and end this job without giving me time to think?

    Do you think that makes sense?

    “If we say we won’t kill them, they might surrender easily. Then it would end like that but….”

    “Then is setting explosives the final safety measure?”

    “That’s right.”

    Erica drew a line in the air with her finger. A light with a blue glow put forth several magic formulas.

    “Anyway, you just need to infiltrate from the basement to the first floor and slightly handle the magic formula deployment using oversaturated stats.”

    “For the production stats….. should we set it to 90 saturation, 10 adhesion?”

    “As long as you can open over 90 saturation, the rest of the materials don’t matter. Since the main purpose is to demolish the building.”

    Suddenly, I saw a teacher holding a stick in front of a blackboard wearing glasses. I felt like attending class.

    Do you get scolded if you don’t do your homework?

    I shook my head quickly. I don’t know what I’m thinking, but anyway, I’ll intervene in the middle of the battle. Let’s cause terrorism in the confusing battle situation as I boldly declared.

    “I have a question too! Teacher Erica!”

    Erica glanced at me while maintaining her pace.

    “What should I do?”

    “You just…..”

    “I’m confident in anything! If it’s combat, then combat! If it’s a hostage situation, then a hostage situation! If it’s terrorism, then terrorism!”

    Silence fell.

    Oh. I didn’t mean to say this.

    I think I’m really flustered.

    Is this perhaps a ploy?

    Inevitably harboring a glimmer of hope while waiting for an answer, I heard a low voice.

    “…..Just stay by my side.”

    “Gasp.”

    Is this a confession?

    I’m willing to accept it.

    Really?

    Do I really have the intention to accept it?

    An ending where I’m killed by my beloved lover isn’t bad.

    No, it’s beyond that, it’s quite good.

    No. No.

    It’s thrilling.

    Yes, that’s the extent.

    For a moment, my thoughts flowed slowly.

    “I didn’t know you’d say such embarrassing words. Teacher.”

    “Why am I a teacher?”

    “Teacher suits you. Teacher!”

    “Stop calling me teacher. You’re not even a student.”

    Would master be better?

    I roughly organized my thoughts and continued walking.

    When we encounter them, the necromancers will feel like the sky is falling. It’s a story of their weak stats, which they’ve been gradually raising thanks to the Spirit Realm incident and planning for the future, becoming a bubble in an instant.

    Even from the perspective of gathering souls from human corpses or animal carcasses, there are many gloomy people. An example of planning for the future is causing terrorism by presenting many creations using souls.

    I wonder if this group is planning something too.

    In that sense, the resistance could be fierce.

    I saw Erica stopping her steps while finishing her explanation at the front.

    Erica must have become quite strong through the recent three blood-drinking acts and several training sessions. Then what about those hunters?

    The cuboid building that was visible in the distance when we got off the vehicle arrived before our eyes.

    “You understand, right? You don’t need to engage in close combat. If it feels overwhelming, you can retreat. If necessary, you can even gather and start a full-frontal battle.”

    “Understood.”

    As the hunters who answered like that suddenly darkened and disappeared at a fast speed approaching the building.

    “What do we do now?”

    Watch?

    “We need to draw attention.”

    Saying that, Erica grasped three spheres emitting radiance in her hand.

    Suddenly,

    To the point of being entranced by the brilliant light for a moment.

    The spheres that were repeatedly contracting and expanding in her relaxed hand soon rapidly scattered into the air.

    What followed was a huge explosion sound. The spheres that reached the building emitted enough power to distort the air, but the building restored to its original state after a moment of shaking.

    “There’s no effect?”

    “Of course not. They wouldn’t have carelessly made their base weak.”

    In that sense, the hunters who infiltrated need to hold out until they can set up a magic formula that can collapse the building.

    As Erica predicted, we saw several people with hoods pulled down to their heads suddenly opening the entrance door and coming out.

    “Oh…..”

    It was a natural course for them to discover us not far from the entrance.

    Erica drew her sword. For a moment, after looking back and forth between me and Erica, they were startled and quickly went back inside.

    “What’s this?”

    “Well. Should we just break through like this?”

    Isn’t it pointless to say that to me?

    I blinked.

    Why am I accepting this as if it’s natural?

    Why are you calmly reciting the future plan to me without harboring any resistance?

    “Anyway, if the hunters who went in earlier get discovered, that’s a big problem in itself. Rather, it might be fine to greatly stir up the interior itself.”

    I couldn’t say anything.

    And it didn’t take long until a man completely covered in a blue cloak jumped out from the entrance.

    “Pr-precious guests have come! Are you from the Association?”

    “If you just surrender quietly, I don’t intend to swing my sword.”

    Erica spoke without any emotion. For a moment, the man’s face was tinged with bewilderment.

    It seemed like I had a duty to refresh the atmosphere.

    “That’s right! We won’t tear your limbs, and we won’t pierce your heart!”

    “Ha, haha….. It seems there’s some misunderstanding. We’re not an evil place that creates monstrous things like other necromancers and undead groups.”

    “Then can we go inside for inspection?”

    Erica was expressionless.

    “Of course. Please come in! I hope the misunderstanding will be cleared.”

    I twisted my hair while watching the man turn around and move with creaking steps.

    What was visible was brilliant stained glass. Like pictures engraved on church windows, various colors combined with sunlight were dyeing the floor red.

    The interior floor was also carpeted. Judging by the stairs leading to the second floor, it seemed the space wasn’t all that was visible.

    Being a group, there should be facilities for lodging and meals. Not just that, but for necromancers, a research place is essential too.

    “You’re probably wary of us because of the necromancer groups you’ve seen so far. But we’re different.”

    “In what way?”

    Taking advantage of the gap where Erica started to focus, I clung slightly to her arm. Fortunately, she didn’t shake me off.

    “We just barely make a living with support coming down from the government.”

    “Your voice is trembling a lot.”

    I tilted my head.

    “Haha….. I hope you’ll understand. I always get like this in front of important people.”

    “That can happen. I’ll understand for you!”

    As we followed, a space with a long dining table appeared.

    “I know there are rumors about eating human souls. And other inhumane acts like using animal carcasses or corpses for research, that we’re crazy beings….”

    The man bit his lip while speaking.

    “But we’re not like that. We form groups with wandering hunters or Awakened Ones and do small research that doesn’t affect life, that’s all.”

    “Then how do you raise your stats? Given the nature of necromancer research, your stat base shouldn’t be low, right?”

    Corpses are needed. That’s the kind of race necromancers are. The type that easily commits crimes to endlessly bloom their power.

    “Y-you know well…..”

    Watching the man stammer and breathe roughly, I calmly rubbed my cheek against the back of Erica’s hand.

    She, who had been closely observing the man, let out a “hick” sound and hurriedly shook off my hand.

    “Won’t you stay still for a bit?”

    “Sorry!”

    But I’ve always been like this.

    “So answer me!”

    Just as the man scratching his head was about to turn to us with a detached look in his eyes, commotion broke out from behind.

    “Representative! We’ve found intruders! Quickly, as corpses we can use for our research…..!”

    After a moment of silence, the closed door burst open. Three hunters, with eyes dimly open and covered in blood, were being grabbed by hands and dragged by several men.

    Those cloaked figures seemed to have difficulty dragging them by hand, exhaling rough breaths while panting.

    The wind blew.

    What I felt was emptiness beside me.

    When I blinked once,

    Three out of six were coughing blood from sword strikes.

    When I blinked again,

    The remaining three were knocked down by her kicks.

    And commotion broke out.

    The ground shook once. The current shook and the ceiling collapsed. Bones fell one by one, and tombstones poured down at regular intervals and began to settle in place.

    “I’m sorry.”

    The hesitating man straightened his body. Then his eyes lit up.

    “I have no choice but to use you as research material.”

    The ground shook. Soil was spewed from the places where tombstones were erected. A gray glove touched the ground. A knight in armor rose from the earth. An axe was created in its hand.

    Black smoke lingered on the knight’s head. Red eyes were visible within it.

    The knight army was awakened.

    “Oh…..”

    I twisted my side hair and clapped. It seems they combined the necro race with spirit corpses. The mist-like appearance is a steam-type necro, which is difficult to build and not easy to make.

    “You’re amazing!”

    The man flinched. I took out my knife and swung it.

    “I’ll create the battlefield for you!”

    The gentle wind gathered. I slightly cut my finger and dropped blood drops. The current gathered and the air started rotating in a circle. The red whirlpool grew bigger and bigger.

    A fierce wind blew. A blood-colored rain fell.

    A storm raged.

    As the knight army was swept away, all surrounding objects tangled and collided. Walls crumbled and windows shattered. The surroundings shook.

    “Aaagh!! My army!! My lovely…..”

    From the middle, his voice was cut off, swept away somewhere.

    I closed my eyes just like that. There was only the sound of sharp wind stimulating my ears and occasional screams.

    There was also an intense smell. It seems to be a fragrance. The scent of red flowers.

    I can’t see ahead.

    At times like this, it’s good.

    It’s good because I can think of nothing.

    It’s noisy but quiet. It’s chaotic but calm.

    When I.

    Opened.

    My eyes again.

    The storm had subsided and a light rain was falling.

    I looked around. Objects were broken and strewn about, stuck in one corner. There were also shattered glass pieces and partially destroyed walls.

    Thanks to many things that had filled the floors being swept away, it was like a wide plaza, an empty field. A few axe-wielding knights stood up staggering.

    Only the strong ones among the army survived.

    It’s only about three, but well. I’m satisfied. We don’t need weak ones anyway.

    I turned my gaze to the opposite side. Erica raised her sword with a frown. The three hunters were beside her too.

    If this is the situation I wanted, it’s now.

    I quickly swung my arm. A huge hand grabbed the three hunters and swept them to the center of the field. With a faint scream, Erica opened her eyes wide.

    During a moment of silence, a knight raised a huge axe in front of them. The hunters hesitated, then trembled and sat down again.

    The axe was swung down.

    A dull sound rang out. A shield was raised. Suddenly, Erica was in front of the hunters, biting her lip and frowning even more.

    Sparks flew as iron met iron. The sword blade drew a curve. The axe was destroyed and the knight shattered.

    I quickly kicked off the ground and rushed at Erica. I created a huge scythe and shattered her shield.

    “Orli!”

    “Fighting!”

    In that instant, I smiled at Erica who glared at me.

    Soon after, the second knight came running. The raised axe flashed its blade. Erica, who had lost her means of defense, threw her body to deflect the axe and rolled on the ground.

    The knight that fell and rolled on the ground with her twitched while creaking. A sword pierced its core.

    “That must hurt.”

    I opened my wings. I kicked off the ground and flew up. I created daggers in the air and rushed them at her. They successively pierced Erica’s chest as she was staggering to get up.

    “Good! Direct hit!”

    “Ugh…..!”

    I saw her face contort fully.

    Such an appearance is pretty too.

    For a moment, my mind reeled.

    My abdomen was pierced by a snow-white sword. A lump of blood was vomited. The pain stung a little.

    “Isn’t it too much to use beauty as a weapon?”

    “You….. crazy bitch! What’s so funny?!”

    “Because the pain you give is good.”

    I smiled slightly and landed on the ground. Seeing the last knight running towards her, I slightly stretched out my hand. Soon, two red horns grew and let out a resounding roar.

    If I defeat that, I should end this training.

    Watching Erica who was now pointing her sword at the knight with a different look in her eyes, I slowly pulled out the sword stuck in my abdomen.

    With shallow pain, suddenly my thoughts idled.

    Anyway, shouldn’t I be satisfied with just this much?

    Isn’t it too much for me to be able to spend such daily life with her?

    Should I be satisfied with just this moment, where I can reduce my self-hatred even a little?

    It hurts.

    It hurts.

    Suddenly I saw Erica. It hurts. I saw her covered in sweat after defeating the last knight. She groaned in pain with her shoulder pressed down. Erica reached out her hand to me.

    A dull sound rang out. I saw a broken axe blade flying through the air. My shoulder became lighter.

    Suddenly I looked down. Along with a huge open wound near my shoulder, the bone was slightly visible. I looked back.

    The knight swung its fist at me. A sword flashed as it swung. The fist stopped right there. The knight’s neck was cut and black liquid spurted up.

    “You should have been careful.”

    Golden hair fluttered. A familiar blood smell tickled my nose. I felt warmth.

    I saw a hand wrapping around my shoulder. When I turned my neck to look back, a pure face greeted me.

    My heart pounded.

    “Aren’t you coming to your senses?”

    “…….”

    Why am I.

    Being protected by you?

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