Chapter 31. Undead (3)
There were five colossal Undead Grave Guardians, three Liches, and leading them, the Wailing Knight. Every one of them was a rare Undead not easily encountered. On top of that, there were hundreds of Skeleton soldiers.
If they were to face them head-on, they would be swept away without a chance to respond.
So—
'Trap them.'
Crack-crack-crack.
The surroundings shook, and soon the cavern split into multiple passages. A small underground world buried deep beneath the earth moved according to the will of a single man.
"No way...."
The subjugation squad already knew of Verden's strength. They had seen him hunt Undead, competing with Galliark. There was no need to mention Iris and her group.
But this went far, far beyond their expectations.
The space shifted from moment to moment. It wasn't simply a matter of collapsing a cavern with brute force.
The Skeletons that were swept away became trapped in empty darkness, while the Liches, Grave Guardians, and the Wailing Knight, all capable of breaking through walls, were separated from each other, unable to gather.
The overwhelming power of numbers was neutralized in an instant.
The Mages shuddered at the realization that all of this was under Verden's calculated design.
"Th-the ground...!"
Even the surface on which the subjugation squad stood split apart.
With no way to react, the squad was divided into three groups.
Iris, watching Verden grow distant, shouted.
"Senior!"
"When you arrive, you'll find a Lich. Deal with it on your own. The Wailing Knight is mine."
His voice, carried on magic power, spread and reached the subjugation squad.
Only then could they understand what Verden intended to do.
He was going to subjugate them. All of these countless Undead.
They wanted to call him insane, but their voices could no longer reach. The subjugation squad disappeared into the chambers Verden had assigned to them.
Galliark looked around with curiosity.
"Well now, this is impressive... But you're saying you'll face that thing yourself? That's already my chosen prey."
"You have your own."
"What? What kind of nonsense is that...?!"
At Verden's gesture, the ground beneath Galliark gave way.
There wasn't even time to speak. Swallowed by darkness in an instant, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a chamber with a trembling priest and five Grave Guardians.
Galliark wore an incredulous expression, then burst out laughing.
'He's dumping the scraps on me?'
Never before had he been treated like this.
But he wasn't angry. On the contrary, he was amused. It was the kind of feeling only the strong could experience.
'But taking the best prize for himself, that I can't forgive.'
Gripping his axe, Galliark set his eyes on the Grave Guardians.
Even for a Platinum Rank adventurer, they weren't opponents to take lightly. But in his mind, Galliark was already picturing the Wailing Knight fighting against Verden.
How enjoyable must that be.
"Hey, believer."
"M-me?"
"Keep the light from going out."
Ah, the priest nodded frantically.
After spouting nonsense about not being overwhelmed by momentary fear, to be quivering like that—such a coward wasn't worth considering.
Galliark let out a roar and charged the Grave Guardians.
They were in the lowest chamber of the space Verden had constructed.
A battle between powerful Undead and a butcher, the shockwaves shook the chamber itself.
***
To Iris's team, he assigned Nerien and Maros, to Rox's team, Goad, and to the remaining adventurers of Viron Territory, the priests.
With Gold-rank adventurers present, even if their opponents were Liches, as long as they didn't overextend, subjugation was possible. There was nothing more Verden needed to do for them.
'...This is draining.'
The overload of his mana circuits. Manipulating magic power so delicately on such a large scale was indeed beyond the capacity of a 3rd-tier circuit.
Had he not registered the magic tome, had his spatial perception been even slightly inferior, it would have been impossible. Holding his throbbing head, Verden exhaled deeply.
Ahead, his gaze met that of the Wailing Knight.
Red light gazed silently at him.
'Does it not react unless attacked?'
That would be ideal.
As he thought this and tried to steady his circuits, the Wailing Knight's jaw shifted.
True to its name, he thought it might scream again, but instead, it muttered as though speaking to itself. Verden listened closely.
[Return... must... return....]
'A voice?'
It was unclear and hard to hear, but it definitely carried meaning.
He had only a moment to wonder before the Undead raised its sword straight at him. The flames in its eyes flared violently, pouring out sticky hatred.
'It's coming.'
Boom!
The Wailing Knight shattered the ground as it charged. No stance, no technique—just raw savagery radiating killing intent.
Suppressing his pain, Verden leapt into the air.
Flames exploded. The blazing fire engulfed the Wailing Knight.
Of course, this wouldn't be enough to kill it, but as an Undead, it could not be immune to fire.
From within the flames, the creature revealed itself.
Gray smoke rose from its body, but it appeared largely unscathed.
'Then stronger.'
Flame and wind. He combined the two elements.
A thunderous roar erupted, scorching heat swept the chamber.
The Wailing Knight—however strong it was, if Verden, a Mage, dared to fight in close combat, he would lose his head in a single stroke.
For him, the best option was overwhelming bombardment from range, until it was annihilated.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He must not stop. The chance would come only when the foe faltered under the relentless magic.
After being struck directly by successive spells, the Wailing Knight's legs staggered briefly.
'Now!'
A flaming spear pierced its body. Then exploded.
A large hole appeared in the center of its armor. At that, the staggering Wailing Knight leaned back and hurled its sword at Verden.
Too fast to dodge. But deploying a mana barrier was not an option.
The Wailing Knight was still charging. If the barrier shattered under the impact, his circuits would take severe damage.
If he left such an opening, Verden's chances of victory would be slim.
'No choice.'
Clang! He deflected the blade with his staff. The massive impact shook his organs, his arm screamed in agony.
Then, the Undead's claw shot for his throat. He narrowly ducked, strands of his ashen hair scattering away.
Boom! The Wailing Knight was hurled into a wall.
Yet it still moved. Unlike normal Undead that could be slain by destroying vital points, this one's hatred would not cease unless its body was utterly destroyed.
"Then I'll do just that."
Severe mana consumption, the headache from circuit overload, and a throbbing arm that might have fractured—but he still had strength to spare.
Having crossed the line of death and attained Defying the Heavens, Verden would not be hindered by mere pain.
A violent surge of water engulfed everything. Trapped in the flood, the Wailing Knight swung its sword madly in rage. The waves split, then rejoined.
Verden inhaled deeply and expanded his magic power.
Double Casting. Bitter cold winds surged from both sides, freezing the waves. At last, encased in ice, the Undead stopped moving.
Now all that remained was for Verden to unleash the strongest strike among his spells.
'But not lightning strike.'
Electricity could pass through ice, but it would create too much interference. And against an Undead, it would be less effective.
What he needed now was penetration—a spear to pierce both the ice and the Undead within.
Following three spells, came mana concentration.
He poured magic power into the spear of stone until it reached the breaking point of what it could endure. The range grew shorter, but the destructive force increased all the more.
Crack. As fractures spread across the ice and the Wailing Knight began to move, Verden's eyes flashed.
The skull, the rib cage, the pelvis. A powerful spell flew, aimed at the most vital parts of the Undead's skeletal frame.
An unavoidable second death.
The two flames burning in the Undead's eye sockets flickered.
***
He had been a soldier of the kingdom.
Starting from the very bottom and rising to the rank of centurion, his only driving force was one thing.
Family.
He fought to protect his family, and he survived to return to his family. In the war, he endured and endured again, promising with comrades and subordinates alike that they would all return together.
But during the war, he came to know a secret of the kingdom by chance.
A dreadful secret, one that made clear in an instant why Duke Riviant had declared independence from the kingdom.
The cost was horrific.
He and his subordinates were brutally slain by the king's personal knights. Even those still clinging to life—it meant nothing.
They were all buried alive.
As he stared at the soil piling up before his eyes, he burned with hatred. The faces of his family shimmered before him. He reached out, but could not touch them.
That was how he died.
And then he was reborn, as an Undead.
He could not move properly under the weight of the earth, but with his fingers, he clawed at the soil bit by bit. One year passed, then another, and eventually, he gained the ability to command other Undead.
Over twenty years passed in this way, until at last, he reached the surface.
Finally, the time had come to repay the grudge and hatred of their unjust deaths.
'I must....'
Just a little farther.
There was someone waiting for him.
The fragments of feelings and memories from when he was still human moved the body of the Undead.
'I must return.'
He could not die, not again.
***
[GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH──!]
The cry of the dead filled the space. The shock shattered the ice, knocked the spear off course.
Crash!
Half its face blown away, its leg dangling, its shattered left arm fallen to the ground. Yet the Wailing Knight now radiated an even denser killing intent and hatred.
"Shadows...."
The surrounding darkness was drawn to it, taking shape.
A Black Knight.
The Undead shrouded in darkness grew larger, the sword it regained now also cloaked in shadow. One arm remained missing. Its form was all black, and red light seeped from its eyes.
Dragging its sword, it advanced step by step, the oppressive pressure sounding alarms in Verden's instincts.
Throb.
Verden's expression twisted. Amidst the torment gnawing at his mind, he thought, thought again, of how to deal with this Undead.
In that moment, the ground shook violently.
The tremors did not cease, drawing closer to Verden.
Then—
BOOM! An axe burst through the wall, rushing at the Wailing Knight. The Undead reeled backward, unable to withstand the direct hit.
From the impact, part of the darkness covering its chest break and fell away.
"Didn't I tell you? I especially despise those who covet my meal."
"...Galliark?"
The butcher, his entire body covered in small wounds and drenched in blood.
He smashed through the wall, revealing himself before Verden.
***
Ahhh...
The body of the Lich, its head severed, collapsed weakly. Nerien crushed even its remains underfoot.
"Is, is it over?"
"Yes, it's finished."
"Yes, it's certainly dead."
At that answer, Iris and her companions let out sighs of relief.
The danger level of subjugating a Lich was at least Gold-rank. Iris and her team did not have the ability to handle such an Undead. If not for Nerien and Maros, they would have been helplessly killed.
With the threat before them gone, Iris thought of Verden.
"What about the others... are they safe?"
"Who knows. They may be dead, or alive. And now isn't the time to worry about others."
The space Verden had created was vast, but there was no exit.
Had they Galliark or Goad, they might at least have tried breaking through, but none of them possessed such firepower. If things went poorly, they could suffocate to death here, or starve.
'Senior....'
Iris felt depressed, as though she were nothing but a burden.
Truthfully, though she had fought hard, she thought she had hindered more than helped. Even if she had done her utmost in the role of porter.
Had she not followed, perhaps Verden would not have had to face the Wailing Knight alone.
But it was a meaningless conclusion after the fact.
Just then, a heavy vibration came from above.
At the ominous sound, Nerien pulled the others close to the wall. As though in an earthquake, everything around them shook, until at last, the ceiling collapsed.
"Kyaaaaaa!"
"Wh-what is happening?!"
Dust billowed thickly. Within it, came the clash of steel on steel.
As the dust cleared, two shadows emerged.
"Khahahahaha!"
Galliark, covered in blood, and the Wailing Knight. Neither yielding an inch as they exchanged blows. Axe and sword collided, sparks flying.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on them, but Iris alone was scanning the surroundings.
'Where is Senior?'
Could he be dead... no, impossible.
As she held to that conviction, magic flew down from the collapsed ceiling.
Crash! A stone spear struck the Undead's leg. The armor of darkness did not break, but it was enough to bring it to its knees. Then, with a kick from the butcher, the Wailing Knight was sent flying.
Descending from the ceiling, Verden landed on the ground.
"What, weren't you napping up there? Hm?"
"Look forward."
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH────!]
A wail, or a scream, carrying deep hatred for someone.
As the staggering Undead rose, a chilling aura of death surged from it.
"Huff, huff...."
"Luas, oh Luas...!"
Hair standing on end, breathing disordered, the adventurers break into cold sweat, frozen in place. The priests prayed desperately to the God of light they worshipped.
But the ones who would save them were not God's, nor transcendent beings.
"Khahahaha. To feel such joy from a mere corpse. Hey, Asher. I'll take the front, so you just sling those fancy spells from the back. Don't hit me in the head, got it? Hm?"
"I'll try."
The Undead, the butcher, and the Mage.
The battle between the three rushed toward its conclusion.