Solion stood on a small hill, a smile playing on his lips.
"Hah, hahaha. I never thought it would be this easy...!"
A thin stream of blood trickled down his throat, but the smile on his lips was bright and clear.
Why wouldn't it be?
Zzzzâ!
In the distance, a shimmering purple light.
It was ominous.
[Roar...!]
[Ah...!]
The evil spirits rose like mist and were immediately absorbed into the magic circle, becoming the driving force. The more evil spirits were absorbed, the more intense the light of the magic circle became!
Whispering screams
The curse he had prepared for days had been activated.
"Do you think you caught me off guard? Huh? Did you think that by sneaking through the ancient spirits, you could cut off my head?"
To be honest, it was quite terrifying.
A sword strike that came through the thick, spindly trees from a distance invisible to the naked eye?
It was an unexpected ambush.
But that wasn't the only thing that was unexpected.
'That the masked man was a knight...!'
Based on the information gathered through the evil spirits, he thought the masked man was undoubtedly a mage.
They were in a state of disarray and couldn't conduct proper reconnaissance, but the fragmented characteristics of the masked man conveyed by the evil spirits clearly indicated a mage.
However.
"Are you a knight? Haha!"
Knight or mage.
How important was it to know which one the intruder was?
In general, it wasn't that important. He had to stop them regardless of which one they were.
But, given that Solion had prepared a 'curse,' this was a significant problem.
The curse he had prepared over the past few days.
<Whispering Screams> was a powerful curse, but it was also the kind that was easy to detect.
A mage sensitive to the flow of mana would have no choice but to realize the existence of the trap.
'If I had a bit more time... I could have concealed it more thoroughly, but time was tight.'
So, it was a dilemma.
How to lure the masked man into the magic circle.
Just in case, he drew the magic circle over a wide area centered on the ancient ruins. Even if the masked man detected the magic circle, he would have to step on it to attack the ancient ruins.
But.
'Even that... wasn't perfect. There were still shortcomings.'
What if the guy broke through the gaps in the magic circle?
He had placed undead in the empty spaces of the magic circle, but if that happened, it would be a headache.
But.
'So easily?'
"Hahaha, well, how could an ignorant swordsman discern a magic circle? They only know how to slash and cut, after all."
Solion laughed heartily.
Leaning slightly into the air, a pile of bones rose from the ground.
A throne made of bones supported his body.
"Because of the elders... You must have been quite sensitive."
Looking back, he had been overly sensitive.
According to the information gathered through the evil spirits, the special detachment that set out from the 4th Base Camp consisted of only three people.
One masked man, a blood-soaked mage, and a guide.
'The mage and the guide are trash... It was just a matter of dealing with the masked man.'
The moment he felt ashamed of his own anxiety over the past few days while creating the magic circle.
How many evil spirits had he consumed to construct the <Whispering Screams> magic circle?
Due to the tight schedule, he couldn't walk the Great Forest himself, so he had to consume evil spirits to draw the magic circle.
He had poured several evil spirits into each stroke of the magic circle.
Was that all?
'To activate Whispering Screams... I used all the evil spirits I had collected throughout my life as a medium.'
How could his stomach not hurt and his heart not ache?
But, for a moment.
Solion chuckled and nodded his head.
"Well, it couldn't be helped. Yes, it couldn't be helped."
Indeed, who could be different?
It was fortunate that things went well, but if they had gone wrong...
'He wouldn't have been at peace even in death.'
Caught by the damned elders, he would have tasted indescribable pain. Or, that would have been better.
He might have become a mere evil spirit to be used, or worse, something even more terrible.
In such a situation, how could he not be anxious?
Even now, thinking about that future that almost befell him made his spine shiver.
"Huuuuu..."
Solion let out a sigh mixed with relief and joy, then chuckled.
Anyway.
"Now... there are no more variables, right?"
He looked at the place where the intruder was in the distance.
The evil spirits being absorbed into the magic circle at every moment. The light becoming increasingly intense.
Thud, thud, thudâ!
The ancient spirits gathered at the periphery to exterminate the intruder. Their numbers were so great that it felt as if the entire Great Forest was trembling!
Of course, the masked man was not idle.
Crackâ!
...Rumble. Rumble!
Was he dealing with the approaching ancient spirits? Amidst the cracking sounds, the spindly trees fell one by one.
But.
'Just try to run wild. The curse isn't over yet.'
He might be holding on now, but the true power of Whispering Screams would manifest when all the evil spirits were absorbed.
Of course, the intruder might come directly for him before that...
'What a ridiculous idea!'
What was Whispering Screams?
It amplified its power in proportion to the number of sacrifices offered, using evil spirits as a medium.
Since a considerable number of evil spirits had already been absorbed into the magic circle, the intruder was probably not in a state to be alive.
The whispers of hundreds of spirits would bewitch his ears, and before his eyes, illusions that could not be ignored would flicker.
In such a state, how could he come in his right mind?
Dying while running wild was the only choice given to him!
So...
"Only the blood-soaked mage and the pathfinder remain. Haha! Truly... they are insignificant. Must things be so bad for Muspelrun? Or did you trust that masked man so much?"
It was impossible to know which it was. Perhaps both.
But.
'What does it matter which it is? The result is already decided.'
The result was already decided.
Tap, tap.
Solion's fingers tapped the armrest made of bones. A hollow sound echoed softly.
"Deathrow will come. And it will bring chaos to the world."
Just imagining it was delightful.
Deathrow, commanding such a number of ancient spirits.
To command such a number of ancient spirits even before fully awakening from the seal? How terrifying would the chaos it would bring and seek be!
This was the reason Solion couldn't hide his grin that had been creeping out for a while.
'All of this... will be my doing!'
The more powerful the awakened Deathrow, the greater his contribution.
'Even if I can't reach the elders, I might secure a position as an officer.'
An elevation in status within Salvatium.
It wasn't just a change in the badge he wore.
With the promotion to an officer, he would receive an enormous reward from the Council of Elders.
If he could fully absorb that reward, he might even achieve a second transcendence!
"Haha, hahaha. Hahahaha..."
Solion, who had been trembling in fear of the Council of Elders' punishment just a moment ago, now burst into laughter, imagining the sweet reward.
It didn't stop there.
"Quite... resilient, aren't you?"
Was he still holding out?
Rumble, rumbleâ!
The masked man, wildly rampaging and devastating the Great Forest. Although he couldn't see the wild figure with his own eyes, the momentum showed no signs of weakening.
"Perhaps... he's a knight on the verge of transcendence."
So, why wouldn't he be delighted?
'I was heartbroken over losing Shain von Ruman...'
Though inferior, a knight's corpse had rolled in front of him.
No, it wasn't just the knight in front of him.
'If I'm lucky, I might even get Muspelrun. Of course, that's only if I'm lucky.'
Even if it wasn't Muspelrun, it would be fine.
The 4th Base Camp. Although most of those gathered there were no better than scum mercenaries, a few were quite capable.
Taking a few of them wouldn't be too regrettable.
The only regrettable thing was one.
"Haha, no wine at a time like this."
The lack of wine to raise a toast.
Anyway.
"..."
Solion closed his eyes tightly.
As if enjoying pleasant music, his lips curved into a soft smile, and his head nodded leisurely.
[Squeal...!]
[Aaaah...!]
The sound of evil spirits being absorbed into the magic circle echoed, and the ancient trees of the Great Forest fell helplessly with a thud.
Amidst this, the occasional background noise of the ancient spirits' cries.
Thud, thud, thudâ
The continuous sound of footsteps approaching could not be ignored.
A situation that would make an ordinary person shudder in terror...
'So sweet.'
Solion savored it all as if enjoying a sweet symphony.
A perfectly perfect moment.
'Truly... huh?'
Solion realized something was amiss at that moment.
...Rumble, rumble.
A faint battle sound from a distance.
But why?
Thud! Thud!
It seemed to be getting closer.
Not only the cries of the evil spirits but also the wails of the ancient spirits!
Indeed, they were getting closer.
Swoosh, swishâ!
Moreover, a faint slicing sound that hadn't been heard before now faintly echoed in his ears.
"..."
Solion opened his tightly closed eyes and took in the scene in front of him.
After a moment.
"!"
His eyes widened.
"..."
"How?"
The intruder was definitely getting closer.
No, he was still getting closer.
Not just wildly rampaging, but clearly aware of who he needed to cut down and approaching.
"To overcome Whispering Screams...?"
That thought lasted only a moment.
Snap!
Solion immediately snapped his fingers.
Overcoming Whispering Screams was impossible, but he couldn't just sit still now that he sensed something was wrong.
As a result.
[...!]
Flashâ!
Without leaving a trace, the evil spirits were absorbed into the magic circle. In an instant, all the evil spirits were absorbed into the magic circle.
At the same time, the momentum of Whispering Screams intensified.
'This should be enough.'
Solion finally leaned back against the backrest. Or, he tried to.
Thud!
A shadow that blocked the sun, leaping high.
"..."
Although he could only see the silhouette against the sun, he could roughly discern the shape.
Black armor. A sword that flickered ominously.
'A Death Knight?'
By the time he realized that.
"..."
Solion hastily leaped to the side.
Rolling awkwardly on the ground to regain his composure, the sword plunged into the spot where he had been sitting just moments later.
Boomâ!
Amidst the roar.
"..."
"How...?"
Solion looked at the intruder with bewildered eyes.
[What's the matter? Is this your first time seeing a Death Knight?]
A single light flickered in the helmet. Though the voice was calm, Solion could not remain composed.
"Shain... von Ruman?"
Or, more accurately...
'The first Death Knight created using Shain von Ruman as material.'
Though its performance was inferior to other Death Knights, Solion could not fail to recognize it.
After all, it was his masterpiece, into which he had poured the most time, effort, and dedication of his life.
"How...?"
Solion, sitting on the ground, stared blankly at Shain.
The questions swirling in his mind were numerous.
Why was this Death Knight here? Wasn't it destroyed? And the intruder he mistook for the masked man was this Death Knight? ...and so on.
In a situation that defied all expectations.
[How?]
Shain casually slung his sword over his shoulder.
[If you're asking how I withstood the curse... I don't really know.]
"..."
[It just... the armor flashed, and the curse burned away. Like this.]
It was true.
The aura of the curse relentlessly assaulting Shain. But the moment the armor flashed, a strange barrier formedâ
Whoosh...!
The aura of the curse burned away helplessly.
"Ah!"
Solion finally realized something.
Why he had overlooked Shain von Ruman, the Death Knight he had painstakingly created.
'...I put in too many functions.'
The efficiency was poor.
Not only various protective spells and elemental resistances but also the basic necromancy and auxiliary abilities a Death Knight should have.
So, no matter how excellent the base, would it produce results? No, it wouldn't.
The barrier now flickering around Shain's body was one of the functions he had added at the time.
The old memories resurfaced.
- It's 256-layered curse immunity. Haha, with this, you can easily withstand any curse.
He had carefully added curse immunity, as even Death Knights might target each other.
Of course, it wasn't complete immunity.
But.
- Any curse magic... you can withstand at least once.
However.
'It just so happens... that this one time...! Aaah!'
Solion clenched his trembling fist. The voice in his ear.
[Hey.]
"..."
[Your Death Knight was impressive.]
"I, I...!"
[Oh, of course, I'm the impressive one. That Death Knight is me.]
Solion's anguished cry echoed at that moment.
"I'll... kill you! How dare you...!"
Shain smiled slightly.
[Already dead.]
Already dead. How could he kill him again? It was just ridiculous!
But.
[...Oh.]
The change that followed was far from ridiculous.
Grinding, grinding, grindingâ!
A massive pocket dimension opened behind Solion. Or, was it a pocket dimension?
It was even more ominous.
And beings emerged from it.
Clank, clank.
At the forefront were two Death Knights mounted on ghostly horses, followed by undead that were clearly not ordinary.
"Rather... it's for the best. I need to put you back under my control. Then... dealing with the masked man will be easier."
A Death Knight with a clear mind. If it commanded the army of the dead, what was there to fear?
Solion glared at Shain with bloodshot eyes.
[A futile dream.]
Shain smiled calmly.
[Do you know who I am?]
A Death Knight? Hundreds of undead?
Yes, he acknowledged.
They were not ordinary.
The Death Knights, of course, and each of the hundreds of undead was as sharp as a trained knight.
But.
[Am I, Shain von Ruman, someone to be defeated by such things?]
"Ha! Try...!"
An extremely arrogant voice.
Solion burst into laughter, then tilted his head in confusion, unable to understand the situation.
After all.
Whooshâ!
The arrogant body of Shain was moving away.
He hadn't turned around. It was as if he was stepping backward, but he was moving away at a fierce speed, still staring straight at him!
However, what turned Solion's stomach was not the difference between his words and actions.
[Why don't you come and try?]
"You, you...!"
The arrogance in his voice and the momentum were truly despicable.
"Kill him! Chop him up!"
As if reading his emotions.
Neighâ!
Led by the Death Knights on ghostly horses, hundreds of undead pursued Shain with fierce momentum.