Episode 1205
by CristaeThe Death Knights were dumbfounded.
They had just pleaded to help out, and now—
‘You could at least have taken a little longer; read the mood!’
So what do you all think?
When the Yaksha King asked, the knights replied immediately.
-Now that I think about it, it seems we don’t even need to go.
I, the Yaksha King, thought so as well.
The Yaksha King nodded.
As expected of retainers of Gonadaltes, these knights were indeed wise.
Lee Han had no idea what was being discussed behind him as he kept moving forward.
“I knew things would go sideways the moment the Yaksha King showed up instead of the skeletal headmaster.”
Of course, he didn’t refrain from complaining. With every step, Lee Han cursed the Yaksha King.
To lead a subjugation party and your grand command is “Go handle it alone!”?
A voice came from his staff.
-I heard the Yaksha King commands an army big enough to reach even the outer seas of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas.
Even the wild exile Saratan had heard at least of the Yaksha King’s reputation.
With beings of that tier, rumors would reach the ears even if they never actually crossed paths.
But Lee Han was unimpressed.
“Yeah, right. Even his palace wasn’t all that big. Probably just a tall tale.”
-S-still, maybe you shouldn’t badmouth him too much.
Saratan felt nervous for no reason.
He’d once been a spirit wild enough to rampage against all, but this mage’s madness outmatched even his own.
To badmouth someone like the Yaksha King like this…
“What, Saratan… Are you scared?”
-!
“I’m disappointed. The way you talk, you act like a mighty spirit who never retreated once in the Spirit Realm.”
Come to think of it, even when facing the Flame River General he’d acted tough, but when meeting a truly insane spirit, he seemed to flinch.
-N-no way! What are you saying, you brat!
“Saratan, you can be honest with me. No point in acting tough, it does neither of us good. We’re on the same side, aren’t we?”
Saratan realized the other was being genuinely sincere.
If it were a provocation or mockery, that would be easier, but spoken with real concern, it turned his guts inside out.
-I said I’m not! Let me out right now and I’ll challenge that guy!
“Okay, okay. Let’s say you’re right.”
-■■■■■■!
While Saratan cursed in the ancient language of spirits, Hamster furrowed his brow.
-The dead have noticed us. Be careful.
“I know.”
Lee Han summoned a skeleton golem and skeleton warriors.
Though they seemed like an ordinary summoned lineup from a necromancer, their nature was different.
The golem was summoned using a dragon’s tooth as its core and the warriors were boosted with dark and blood elements.
What’s more, they hadn’t been summoned by making contracts with beings from the undead realm, but built from the mage’s own pure magic in the old-fashioned way.
No matter how much damage they took, all the mage had to do was channel mana again and the powerful undead unit would regenerate.
This was why Lee Han didn’t bother wandering the underworld to contract with powerful undead, unlike other necromancers.
…He’d met too many powerful beings already anyway…
“Let’s go.”
Lee Han lightly landed atop the golem and ordered a charge forward.
The dead who had been skulking about spewed bloody flame from their eyes and mouths, glaring at him.
-It’s a living one!
-Offer his blood to the master!
A sphere of water formed in the air and rained down like a shower.
Having reached fifth circle mastery, these drops, imbued with concepts and thoughts, tore through space as a powerful weapon.
Lee Han didn’t slow down. At the same time, he activated another fifth circle spell, -Wardanaz Telekinesis-.
This spell could be cast without an incantation and was especially deadly in high-speed combat.
Before the dead could even break through the skeleton warriors’ ranks, they melted away. Hamster, perched on his shoulder, shuddered to his core.
‘This brat…!’
He usually spouted such trivial nonsense and hated head-on clashes so much that Hamster had forgotten.
Just how rapidly this fledgling wizard was growing!
Deceiving opponents or launching sneak attacks was one thing, but the way he was now, sweeping everything with overwhelming firepower made even a magical criminal’s spine go cold.
At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before he mastered other fifth circle spells, entered into -Small World-, and began developing high-level magic.
Hamster feared he was helping groom a monster poised to wipe out all the other magical criminals.
“It’s over.”
Looking around, Lee Han spoke.
The fight was more one-sided than expected.
The dead could burn the blood in their remains and wield it as a weapon—a genuine threat—but their defensive power was far too low.
If they couldn’t break through the undead summons, the moment they stalled, Lee Han would roast them with firepower.
‘Is this it?’
Was the Yaksha King’s assignment this easy because the difficulty wasn’t high? Maybe.
Though, he didn’t seem the type to pick assignments based on being considerate…
-Look over there.
Saratan spoke up. Lee Han answered with a tired sigh.
“Alright, alright. You’re fiercer than the Flame River General and stronger than the Yaksha King. Satisfied?”
-…Just look at that mansion, you dumb wizard!!
With a pleading tone, Saratan made Lee Han finally turn his gaze.
Atop the ruined pile left by the dead, there stood a mansion—so battered that Lee Han might not have noticed it was a mansion if Saratan hadn’t said so.
At one time, it must’ve been quite luxurious. Now, though damaged, the columns of marble and purple stone remained, and paintings still hung, though canvases were torn and crooked.
And inside, the dead sat. Even when Lee Han approached, they didn’t charge like the others had.
‘A trap?’
He considered blasting them from afar like before, but then the dead began to speak.
-Who sent that letter yesterday?
-A letter from the imperial tax collector. Seems he thought we were up to some trickery.
-Impudent human. We were here before his kind’s ancestors were even born, and he threatens us by borrowing another’s power?
-Calm down. They’ll never realize. Who in this land would dare defy you, sir?
-We need more power. More power! If we had more, could those upstarts dare demand gold of us by letter? Increase the number of sacrifices!
-But sir, there are already worries about how many sacrifices—
-Silence! Cowards muttering are worth nothing. Good. Use those who won’t obey as examples! We’ll have fewer mutterers that way!
“……”
Lee Han was shocked.
These dead were not just random dead. They were people who had once lived in the empire!
“How did this happen?”
-The evil god worshippers, you mean? They’re just paying the price.
Hamster answered with a sneer.
As a magical criminal himself, Hamster knew well there was no such thing as power without cost in this world.
Even following a pure evil god could warp your soul, so being drawn to a tainted one… This was almost merciful by comparison.
-They probably still believe they’re alive, living in luxury. Ignore or sweep them away; they’re worth less than dust.
Regular dead wanted to defeat intruders for power, but these ones didn’t even have that instinct.
Left alone, they’d repeat the same behaviors here until the end of the dimension.
Lee Han braced himself and approached.
He considered attacking first, but he couldn’t bring himself to for people possibly connected to Professor Voladi.
“May I ask you something?”
All the dead inside snapped their heads his way at once.
Their robes were torn and in tatters, their bodies ruined by their dealings with an evil god.
For such beings to all glare at him, eyes glowing blood-red, was truly a chilling sight.
-Who dares? What wretch dares barge into the true vampires’ banquet?
‘Did I get too careless?’
Taken aback by their violent response, Lee Han readied for a fight.
He thought maybe they were mad enough he could trick them…
-Calm down. He’s a vampire as well. Looks like a noble house.
-Is that so? Very well. Sit down. Don’t be late next time.
“……”
Lee Han made a sour face.
He didn’t feel like following their instructions. Instead of sitting, he kept talking.
“You mentioned using those who disobey as an example—who are those people?”
Though the dead were annoyed that Lee Han didn’t sit, they answered.
-The defectors. Those who defied the god caring for us and acted selfishly.
“Like the Baegrek family?”
Some of the dead didn’t recognize such a lowly house name, but one managed to recall it.
The reason was simple. There had been a rumor somewhere that a mage from that family entered Einrogard.
-Yes. That house would work as an example too.
“Ah! Sangueros is over there!”
Lee Han pointed with his staff at the opposite side. His exclamation was so earnest even Hamster and Saratan turned that way for a second.
“Lightning, manifest and descend!”
And in that instant, a lightning strike swept through the dead.
Lee Han didn’t give them a chance, reducing the foes to dust with chilling killing intent in his eyes.
-…Are you ever going to attack after talking, or what?
“If I did it that way, how could it be a surprise attack? Saratan, is there anyone left? If I missed any, I’ll tell everyone in the Spirit Realm you were Baquantalana’s slave.”
-There aren’t! You bastard!
Saratan shouted in a trembling voice, almost sounding teary.
“Alright. Let’s really go back.”
With all the dead dispersed, the mansion finally collapsed as well.
Lee Han looked at the ruin with a bitter expression.
For something as petty as those greedy fools, Professor Voladi’s family suffered an attack.
There were plenty of evil people in the empire, but this was the first time someone close to him had suffered so gravely.
It made Lee Han realize, newly, why the young prince had wandered the continent so persistently.
It wasn’t until someone dear to you got hurt that anger boiled over, while the young prince’s fury was pure from the start.
That was why he could radiate such righteous rage.
“Wait. Did the Yaksha King send me alone out of consideration for Professor Baegrek?”
Lee Han suddenly wondered aloud.
At first, he thought the Yaksha King was just being heartless by not sending even knights, but now it seemed possible the Yaksha King foresaw this and was being considerate.
Saratan and Hamster agreed.
-It could be.
-At that level, he’s probably aware.
‘Maybe I was too hard on the Yaksha King?’
Lee Han reflected, just a little.
True, the Yaksha King was a dimensional heavyweight after all—he wouldn’t do something like this thoughtlessly…
Now then, disciple of Osu. Next is that swamp area. Go take care of that.
No sooner had Lee Han returned than the Yaksha King immediately issued new orders.
At his command, Lee Han’s eyes turned dark and gloomy.
…He really is doing this out of consideration for me, right?