Chapter 29 – Undead (1)
The time when dawn breaks, and golden sunlight begins to pour down.
Before the gathered adventurers and soldiers at the castle gates stood the Lord of viron Territory.
"...It has already been three weeks since the vile Undead began threatening our land. In that time, the casualties have reached triple digits. But today, it ends!"
The lord gestured to his side.
Escorted by knights, priests clad in pure white garments appeared. They were to be the main force in this subjugation of the Undead.
The sacred aura flowing from them left people in awe.
And then, following behind them came Galliark, a giant axe slung across his shoulder.
His rough, menacing face resembled that of an ogre. Catching sight of Verden, he smirked.
"Senior, you really must not fight...!"
"..."
Verden gave a silent nod.
What on earth did they take him for? Unless the other side provoked him first, he had no intention of starting a conflict. After all, this Galliark was the strongest human he had ever met within the principality.
If they were to clash, Verden would have to stake his very life.
'Though that doesn't mean I plan on losing.'
When he reconstructed his body, Verden had already experienced death once.
A life of enduring humiliation, he had left behind in the magic tower. To wield the talent he had gained by Defying the Heavens was the goal that this reborn self must achieve without fail.
For that goal, he would cherish his life, yet also be ready to cast it aside.
Those who ruled the world had risen by trampling upon countless strong ones. If he wished to achieve his dream, Verden too had to walk the same path.
The Butcher Galliark. Strong he may be, but in the end, he was merely a stepping stone.
Whether they fought to the death, or simply passed without incident, it mattered not. The experience of standing unyielding would be carved into Verden's very flesh and blood.
By the time he finished his thoughts, the lord's speech had ended.
The atmosphere was tense, yet thanks to the presence of the priests and Galliark, there was also a glimmer of reassurance.
At that moment, the lord, stroxing his mustache with a knightly escort at his side, approached Verden.
"So you are the mage who requested the commission from the Adventurer's Guild."
"I am Asher."
"Parnad von viron, Baron of these lands. Well then, I merely thought we might exchange a few words before the subjugation begins."
If he was introduced through the Adventurer's Guild, that meant he was at least somewhat verified.
Not an adventurer, nor a mercenary, yet possessing true skill as a mage... Being unaffiliated also meant he could be recruited freely, without interference. Such opportunities were rare indeed.
'But strangely, I see no opening here.'
Though only a baron, the Lord of viron was shrewd in matters of investment.
In terms of wealth alone, he was among the foremost of the barons in the principality. Though the current mining project had been disrupted by an unexpected Undead outbreak.
Even so, the lord immediately sensed, upon seeing Verden, that recruitment was impossible.
His barony was far too small to contain such a remarkable mage. And being young, Verden would surely wish to venture out into the world. Perhaps in the distant future, when he retired, there might be a chance. But for now, whatever offer was made, it would be rejected without hesitation.
"Hmhm. Our greetings are concluded, so I shall take my leave. I look forward to your efforts in this subjugation."
The lord turned toward his soldiers. He would personally participate in this subjugation, though only from the rear, overseeing overall command.
Even if it was unintentional, since the incident had arisen during his development of the mine, he now had to make a display of responsibility to the citizens.
'A mere show, nothing more.'
Verden also moved to his designated position.
The soldiers formed the vanguard, while the adventurers took up supporting roles. They could not afford to waste strength before entering the mine.
Thus, noon approached.
***
The Undead, by their very existence, extinguished life.
The plains, once lush with green, were now blackened. Before such death, the commander shouted.
"All forces! Chaaaarge!"
Over a hundred soldiers advanced in unison. In their hands were not spears, but maces and shields—special weapons against the Undead, procured at no small cost by the lord.
The bones of Skeletons crumbled under blunt force.
Morale steadily rose, and with it, the expectation of victory swelled.
Then, in the distance, a massive lump of flesh appeared.
A corpse golem, formed from the bodies of the victims. Over four meters tall, its presence alone overwhelmed the soldiers.
"H-how are we supposed to kill that?!"
"I'm not doing it!"
What could small maces possibly accomplish against such a monster?
As fear spread, the formation wavered. If even one man bolted, the collapse would be instant.
"A corpse golem, eh. Been a while."
Galliark stepped forth alone. With the axe still slung on his back, he walked leisurely toward the monstrosity.
As he approached, the corpses embedded within the golem shrieked in unison.
The cursed wails of the dead, condemning the living. A crimson arm lunged at Galliark.
Whoosh. He lightly bent at the waist, evading the blow.
Then, stepping forward, he closed the distance with startling swiftness. His fist shot out—BOOM! The knee burst apart, and the corpse golem toppled down.
At once, he ripped its neck away. The body, forged of the grudges of dozens, was rendered meaningless before his overwhelming strength.
"Hmph."
Holding the golem's head, Galliark turned.
Seeing Verden, he curled his lips into a grin, then pulled his arm back.
"The Butcher bastard, what is he... huh?!"
The Butcher hurled the head. Straight toward the allied camp.
The knights, alarmed, rushed forward with swords drawn. If that struck directly, at least ten lives would be lost in an instant.
KWA-BOOM!
The knights failed to reach it in time.
But thankfully, none were harmed. A wall of mana had enveloped the area, staining with blood as it absorbed the impact.
"...What do you think you're doing?"
"I stepped forth first, so you should show your skill as well. Come, Asher."
Galliark beckoned with a curl of his finger.
Iris fidgeted nervously, trying to dissuade him, but Verden's expression was far too cold. Rising into the air, he looked down upon Galliark.
'If you want to see, then I shall show you.'
If Verden were to list the four abilities that set him apart from mages of the same tier—
First, a mana circuit reconstructed by Defying the Heavens, capable of handling all attributes.
Second, a body forged not only for magic, but through relentless tempering.
Third, a genius-level understanding of magic.
And lastly, fourth, an amount of magic power incomparable to other mages of the same tier. For that reason, Verden's magic could not help but be overwhelming.
Even an inefficient spell was overturned by his sheer, overwhelming reserves of magic power.
Verden drew forth his magic. The ground trembled, then surged upward.
Within range, Galliark leapt about, dodging the rising earth with laughter booming from his chest.
"Hahahaha! You've got a pretty face, but a filthy temper!"
"Look who's talking..."
Tsk. Clicking his tongue, Verden shoved the writhing earth forward.
A tidal wave of soil crashed in all directions. Skeletons, zombies, corpse golems—all without exception were swept up, herded into a single place.
KWA-BOOM! Flames engulfed the swarm of Undead.
Rotting, festering flesh could not withstand the heat, and crumbled away. Verden and Galliark locked eyes.
"Certainly better than goad. But aren't you overexerting yourself? If you end up staggering inside the mine, you might get tossed to the Undead as feed, you know?"
"You'd make better feed than me."
Before long, the meadow had become their battlefield.
People could only watch. They could not stop them, for the spectacle before their eyes was far beyond the bounds of ordinary humans.
Still, they could not stand idle. Each person did their part, subjugating the surviving Undead.
And so, they arrived at the mouth of the mine far faster than planned. Losses were so minor that the lord himself clapped in praise.
***
The following morning, the Undead subjugation force gathered once more.
Three priests, eighteen adventurers, and a single mage.
More than twenty strong in number, yet to reach the very source of death that had spawned hundreds of Undead, it was a reasonable force.
Because the Undead had collapsed part of the mine, the passage was wide enough for everyone to enter.
Three parties, including Iris's, were assigned as porters.
To combat suffocating air, they carried consumable magic items that produced oxygen, three days' worth of rations, emergency torches, and potions. Of the expensive potions, two were provided by the lord, the rest belonged to Galliark's party.
"Then, let us bestow the blessing."
One priest stepped forward before the force and chanted a prayer.
A warm light seeped into their bodies.
The blessing of the Luas Church drove away the aura of death, easing fear-born anxiety. Then, Verden, Iris, and a mage adventurer from viron Territory cast imbuing spells.
"What, nothing for me?"
"Do you need it?"
"Don't want to? Or is it that you've already drained all your magic power?"
Galliark chuckled, needling Verden at every chance.
No one knew why he acted that way, but the adventurers were unsettled. If the two of them started fighting inside the mine, it would not end lightly.
'Hmph. Just what does Galliark see in that guy, anyway.'
goad glared resentfully at the back of Verden's head.
In truth, he remembered nothing of yesterday. Only a stifling sensation, as though suffocated, but no matter how he tried to recall, nothing surfaced.
His comrade Nerien knew nothing, and Galliark only laughed without explaining, leaving him in the dark.
'A brat, flaunting talent just because he has some.'
Verden's magic had made goad gape with astonishment.
But only briefly. Soon enough, inferiority and jealousy welled within him.
Some struggle endlessly, barely reaching the Third Tier.
And yet that Verden, looking younger than himself, had already surpassed that level. More infuriating still, the boy was even handsome.
'If only I had that much magic power... No, I'd be far stronger than him.'
All Verden had shown so far were spells fueled by sheer, vast reserves of magic. Simply crushing the enemy with raw power.
It was only natural that goad misunderstood. Grinding his teeth, he failed to hide the jealousy twisting his lips.
"Then, return safely."
With the lord's parting words, the subjugation force stood before the mine.
A wall built by soldiers the day before blocked the entrance. They unlatched it, and entered one by one. Inside, it was pitch-black, nothing visible.
A priest's light illuminated the mine.
They could have used Suggestion, but with no knowing how long the subjugation might take, letting its duration expire suddenly could lead to massacre.
"Nerien, take point."
"Me? Alright, fine."
At Galliark's command, Nerien shrugged.
With twin daggers at her waist, she had sharper hearing and touch than most. A born scout.
Checking the mine map once more, she nodded.
"This way."
The viron Territory mana stone mine. The true subjugation of the Undead had begun.