episode_0132

“Hehehe. How did things get so twisted like this?”

Archbishop Nicholas slowly looked around, chuckling to himself.

Before he knew it, the gathered knights and soldiers were pointing their weapons at him.

Everything was going according to plan.

He had somehow obtained control of the Archbishop’s corpse and lured a lust-driven knight to his side.

With this level of preparation, he thought he could revive Cali discreetly without any interference.

But where did things go wrong?

Was it when he attached Solar to the crazy man who had come to the Holy Empire despite being wanted for attempted rape?

Or when that madman infiltrated through the rain tunnel disguised as a sorcerer?

Or perhaps when the Saint noticed the traces of magic and followed through the rain tunnel?

He wasn’t sure where things went wrong, but he knew how to fix it.

“I just need to kill them all. Then, I will be the strongest.”

Piling up corpses was the solution.

How powerful of an army could he create with the corpses of the knights and mages here?

“Hehehe…”

With such thoughts, Archbishop Nicholas, or rather Luna, smiled wickedly.

“Hehehe… Zenon. Hm. Make sure no one touches the entrance.”

“What? Zenon? Why is the name of the Vice Commander’s brother-”

Boom!

As Luna turned around without hesitation, a thunderous explosion shook the ground.

A boy who was gifted with great magical talent but couldn’t fully develop it due to a heart condition.

Once Zenon completed his heart surgery, he awakened as a mage with explosive magic.

“If only that boy had surrendered to me sooner! Hehehe!”

It was a pity that talented individuals like Zenon were hindered by the limitations of their bodies.

It was so unfortunate.

If they passed through my hands, they could all become much stronger!

Of course, due to the earthquake command’s influence on Zenon’s heart, he completely lost his sanity, but that was a minor issue.

“Now, Cali, it’s your turn. I’ll soon make you ‘perfect.’ Hehehe…”

Swoosh.

Luna’s ethereal form escaped from Archbishop Nicholas’s body and seeped into the ground.

And at that moment when she was about to head inside.

Luna’s eyes widened.

Below, the Saint who had just been kicked away was being embraced by a man.

Seeing him tenderly apply a potion to her head, Luna’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Don’t you dare fall in love in front of meeeee!!!!”

It was a cry that startled the monsters and tormented spirits into disappearing.

But Luna’s voice couldn’t reach those who were still alive.

Fuming with anger at the ongoing affection, Luna hurriedly made her way into the rain tunnel.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill youuu!!!”

Luna’s determination filled the entire rain tunnel.

The stiff corpses began to move one by one.

Although Luna wasn’t directly controlling them, the purpose of ‘find and kill people’ was ingrained in each of them.

“You all go and kill those bastards quickly! I’ll be reviving Cali!”

As Luna’s ethereal form was about to enter Cali’s body.

Thud!

Her form was pushed back as if hitting something.

“Huh…?”

Even though she was an ethereal form unaffected by any physical force.

Why couldn’t she move forward?

Luna looked at the empty space with a dumbfounded expression and noticed the strange magic surrounding Cali.

Holy Shield.

A defensive barrier that blocks physical force, magic, magic, as well as the entry and exit of spiritual entities, including spirits.

It was a magic developed by the saint herself.

“Damn it, this bitch is going to keep interfering until the end!!!”

Luna’s scream echoed.

***

The moment we entered the rain tunnel.

The identity of the enemy we were facing was revealed.

Necromancer Luna.

The name of a wizard who once dreamed of eternal life in the distant past.

He did not possess any remarkable abilities in his youth.

It was only in his old age that he discovered his talent for magic.

He began to passionately study magic late in life.

But like all humans, the limits of his lifespan caught up with him.

His aged body was not the same as before, and he kept falling ill until he eventually collapsed, unable to continue his magical research.

Luna concluded that there was no way to overcome the limits of this lifespan with magic.

He turned to sorcery.

And on the brink of death.

Luna completed his final work, combining sorcery and magic.

10th-rank magic, Resurrection.

A magic that resurrects the dead.

The moment Luna used Resurrection with his eyes closed, he did not realize that there was a flaw in the magic.

Due to the flaw, the abnormally cast magic did not resurrect Luna but instead trapped his soul.

Unable to disperse, without a physical body, just a consciousness.

Luna found himself in such a miserable state.

But he did not give up and began to gather his strength.

He started researching and developing sorcery that could be used solely with his spirit.

That was the birth of necromancy.

The moment Luna awakened as a necromancer and received an offer to become one of the Four Kings.

“Darn it. The army of the dead has begun to move.”

In the deep darkness.

A creepy sound, growing louder from a distance, could be heard.

With only one body that Luna could possess and move.

But by imbuing simple will into the bodies, they could move autonomously.

They resembled zombies.

That was the army of the dead.

The reason why Luna was considered one of the worst Four Kings.

“I’m paralyzed and can’t move. The Guardian Knights are not activated because Mijung is not around.”

I am currently in a weakened state, with only one-fifth of my usual stats.

Perhaps I can still use the Iron Blood Storm Strike in this state, but······.

The power has greatly diminished, and it won’t be able to cut through bones.

The army of the dead cannot feel pain, so there’s no point in slicing their flesh a hundred times.

It’s meaningless unless I crush their spines.

Fighting hundreds of the army of the dead in such a narrow space is extremely dangerous.

There’s no other choice.

I have to reveal my true identity to Jill.

And then, I have to activate the Guardian Knights again.

“Ugh······ Ahhh. It hurts too much······.”

As the cries of the dead drew closer, Jill opened her eyes, and I immediately briefed her on the situation.

“If you wake up, don’t answer, don’t move, don’t use magic, just listen. If you make a loud noise, you’ll die.”

It may seem childish, but she’s a smart kid.

Jill quickly realized that the situation was serious and answered quietly.

We might be able to get her cooperation for now.

Of course, I don’t know how she’ll react once the crisis is over, but······.

At least until I’m captured and imprisoned by Jill, I plan to leave Kueren.

[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]

‘Enough.’

Finally, the Guardian Knight’s special ability has been activated.

There will be no more hesitation now.

Drawing the Magi Sword and assuming the stance of the 0th form of the Daekia Style.

|So, you’ve chosen me. I can feel my strength replenishing. Who is my opponent?|

‘It’s an army of the dead.’

|Oh, um. Cheer up.|

The Magi Sword, which had been chattering noisily, suddenly fell silent.

It seems Luna is scared upon realizing who the opponent is.

It’s normal to be afraid when facing Luna, as she can tear consciousness apart just like that.

“Daekia Style, O’s Resolve.”

In a quiet whisper.

The wailing of the undead grows closer.

Sharp claws reach out towards me.

Just before those fingers touch my forehead.

The sword strikes.

“Iron Bloodstorm Strike!”

Swish!

The white light of the sword spreads out brightly.

The sound of shattered bodies and pieces scattering everywhere echoes for a moment.

After the wave of the sword.

As the glowing magic illuminates the darkness, what is revealed on the floor is a pile of dismembered corpses.

It’s fortunate that the long-dead bodies don’t bleed.

It would have been even more gruesome if there was blood everywhere.

“May you all rest in peace…”

Instead of being horrified by the sight, Jill approaches with tears streaming down her face.

And then, she collapses.

She kneels down and prays earnestly.

Jill’s sincerity is evident, not just a pretense.

She is genuinely moved to tears by the scene.

‘I fell for that kind of appearance…’

I remembered.

I fell for Jill’s saintly appearance.

Despite her frequent complaints and low tolerance for pain, she persevered in doing good deeds.

I was captivated by her nobility.

“Step back, Jill. Danger is coming.”

“…”

But now is not the time to indulge in such sentiments.

Through the passage, the vibrations from the rain tunnel are getting closer.

We can’t feel it now, but undoubtedly, spirits will emerge from these bodies and head towards Cali’s corpse.

These gathered spirits will be used to cast a spell.

A 10th-rank magic.

Resurrection.

It goes beyond a mere puppetry of necromancy, bringing the dead back to life.

“That, that is…”

“Run, Jill.”

Emerging slowly from the darkness.

A familiar silhouette makes my body tremble.

The upper body of a beautiful woman appears first.

Followed by the grotesque body of a giant spider.

The Archdruid Cali has been resurrected and returned.

Glancing back, I see Jill climbing the ladder without looking back.

Well done.

If we had fought together and resisted, my blood pressure would have risen, almost causing a stroke.

“Long time no see, Cali.”

|That’s not the Cali you know|

The Magi Sword whispers.

It’s not the Cali I know?

Upon closer inspection, Cali’s pupils are empty, devoid of life.

Yet, Cali approaches me naturally, as if she were alive.

A stark contrast to the aggressive corpses.

But it’s still an ambiguous state, not quite alive.

|It seems Resurrection is not yet complete|

“Bloodsucking brat! Where is the bloodsucking brat!!!”

Cali screams so loudly that the entire sewer echoes.

Seems like she’s caught up in emotions from just before her death.

We must not let her encounter Mijung.

Absolutely not.

“Bloodsucking brat, come out!!!”

“Ugh?!”

Cali’s legs accelerate in an instant, flying towards me.

My body moves reflexively before I can even react to dodge.

Avoiding it will only make it later.

As I dodged barely avoiding a downward strike, I found myself positioned under Kali’s ship in no time.

“It seems much faster than before.”

The speed has increased significantly compared to my previous life.

Back then, I overwhelmed Kali with speed, but this time it’s the opposite.

How do I catch this?

Just as I pondered over that dilemma.

“Bloodsucking brat! We have to catch the bloodsucking brat!”

“This is insane.”

As if Kali didn’t care about me at all, she continued to rush towards the ladder.

Even when I stabbed the Magi Sword into the ship and drew out the long sword, the creature ignored me and kept running.

It seems like it doesn’t feel any pain from the start.

“This won’t do. Mijeong is in danger.”

If that creature goes outside, it will be chaos.

There’s no way a Holy Knight or a Mage can handle Kali, who I can’t even handle.

Probably, that creature will destroy and kill everything in its path until it finds Mijeong.

Right now, it’s solely focused on finding Mijeong.

Perhaps it cursed at Mijeong before dying, thinking of Mijeong as its archenemy.

In that case, there’s no other choice.

I have to become a greater enemy to Mijeong than that creature.

“Kali!”

“······?”

By now, Ji-il has already climbed up the ladder and is opening the entrance.

I threw a stone at the back of Kali’s head as she climbed up behind me.

“Look at this!”

Kali’s head turned.

She glanced at what was in my hand, and her pupils dilated for a moment.

[Kali’s Soul]

[Status: Good]

[A magical tool made from processing the soul of the Grand Druid Kali. It will bloom when the time comes.]

“This bastard!!!”

The creature’s gaze turned to stone.