Episode 928

Direte pretended not to hear and opened the door.

A cold wind blew from the empty space beyond the threshold and sucked up the prepared reagents in front of it.

When the golden triangular bone and the spinal cord of a spirit tracer vanished, the empty door became a window into the undead world.

“Do you see it?”

“Yes. Incredible.”

With an artifact like this, one could explore the undead realm without physically entering or sending in a clone.

This door functioned as a sort of proxy.

“If we approach like this, at least the spirits won’t panic and run away.”

“…Y-you want to use such an artifact just for that?”

Direte was flustered by her junior’s reasoning.

Of all the dangers one could encounter in another dimension, spirits panicking and fleeing was pretty minor.

Honestly, it could hardly be called a problem. If anything, spirits attacking was the real issue, not the fleeing.

Lee Han looked a little dejected.

“So it would be a waste of reagents, huh?”

“No! Go ahead and use it!”

Direte hurriedly consoled her junior.

Since she knew firsthand the trouble Lee Han had had dealing with spirits, she couldn’t brush him off coldly.

If it were any other junior in the Black Magic School, she’d have scolded him to quit whining, but the one in front of her had done too much for their school.

“Reagent costs seem high, though.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just get them from Professor’s reagent vault. One or two times, he’ll never notice.”

Naturally pilfering Mortum Professor’s stock, Direte proceeded with the exploration.

Unlike mapping an imperial territory, traversing otherworldly zones was not straightforward. If that dimension was the cranky undead world, even more so.

Direte took out a scroll map and recited an incantation.

“Pale horse with eight legs, guide us to the upside-down, fog-ridden place.”

With those words, an eight-legged ghost horse appeared from beyond the door.

Suddenly, the viewpoint changed as though the artifact had mounted the ghost horse. Lee Han watched with fascination as the scenery of the undead world zipped by.

Far off, a gigantic skeleton dragon roamed the dark sky, breathing ice in all directions, while the nearby swamp sucked up darkness and reversed positions, turning into a new sky.

Without deep knowledge and quick wits, most regions of the undead world could be extremely hazardous.

“Pale horse with eight legs, guide us to the place exhaling smoke.”

Still holding Mortum Professor’s personally written map, Direte cast another spell.

This was more than a simple map—it was a compact artifact infused with Mortum’s memories and intent.

For navigation in the complex undead world, such measures were nearly indispensable.

“Found it.”

Spotting the obsidian mirrors spewing smoke, Direte gestured.

The endlessly shifting palace resembled what Mortum had described.

“We need to be careful from here on, junior.”

Even with an artifact’s protection, negotiating with a powerful undead was risky.

A single wrong word or gesture could provoke deadly anger.

“I’ll remember. What do I do?”

“All you have to do is watch, junior.”

Direte said this confidently.

She wasn’t heartless enough to make a second-year run a ritual the first time using such an artifact.

The junior just had to play a supporting role.

“Beast who rules over death and darkness, greetings.”

-Get out.

“……”

“……”

The growling voice of the beast inside the palace.

Direte felt humiliation for the first time in a while. To have the door slammed in her face so harshly, with her junior watching.

‘No—something is off!’

Something was strange.

Mighty beings with established connections didn’t typically drive past acquaintances off like this.

At the very least, they’d ask the visitor’s business.

“Senior?”

“S-strange. Hah…”

“Given it’s an undead being, it’s only natural to be eccentric and rude. One day, I’ll get revenge for you.”

Lee Han glared at the undead lord, offended that anyone would insult a senior so illustrious.

No matter how strong you are in the undead world, giving such an affront?

“…No! No need!”

Direte became even more flustered as her junior began plotting revenge on an overwhelming entity.

It was embarrassing, but she didn’t want her junior embroiled in a cosmic grudge.

“In the undead world, words like that are normal. Don’t even think about vengeance, got it?”

“Mm. Understood. Then should we just leave?”

“Ask one last question, if you must.”

Direte judged there was probably only time for one question—after that, they’d have to retreat, answer or not.

“I want to ask about Sharkan’s well-being.”

“Understood. If you tell us Sharkan’s status, we’ll withdraw.”

There was no answer. Direte shook her head slightly.

“We have to go. Sorry, junior.”

“It’s all right. They’re the rude one.”

Lee Han’s grudge swelled in his heart.

We’ll see about this!

Right then.

The constantly changing palace suddenly froze, taking on a grand entrance.

Then, out of that doorway, a giant quadrupedal beast burst forth.

“!!”

“?!!”

‘Did it sense my thoughts?’

Lee Han was startled.

Unless it had picked up on his plans for vengeance, there was no reason for the palace lord to come out like this.

Reading a mind not even present, all the way from Einrogard?

-Grrr…

The massive beast suddenly sprawled on the ground, rolling side to side.

At the bizarre display, Direte cried out in confusion.

“What is it even doing?”

“…Looks like it’s playing? Senior, can I try talking to it directly?”

“Try. But don’t give your name or location, no matter what—you might get retaliation.”

“Understood. …Sharkan?”

Even as Lee Han spoke, the huge four-legged beast perked up in delight.

This unnerved Direte even more.

“That’s… Sharkan? Your familiar?”

“Seems like it…”

Lee Han was just as confused.

What stood before him was surely a high-ranked undead, not some minor summon.

Yet the actions—rolling and digging at the ground in excitement—were undeniably Sharkan.

Snap!

The beast suddenly stopped moving.

Then, as if regaining dignity, it rose imposingly and re-entered the palace.

-Leave.

“…What was that about?”

Of course, Einrogard students never retreated so easily.

Lee Han stood his ground, determined to get an answer.

-I told you to leave.

“I won’t leave until you answer me.”

-Magician, dare you test the patience of the beast that rules death and darkness…

The words broke off, and suddenly the beast came racing out of the palace again, seeking Lee Han as before.

“……”

“……”

Snap!

The beast regained composure. Remarkably, even after this undignified act, it did not lose its imposing aura.

-Leav… grr!

But even that dignity didn’t last the third time.

After yet another bout of rolling on the ground, the beast stopped telling them to leave.

-…Wretched magician! What a trap you’ve used to ensnare the beast who rules death and darkness!

“?!”

Even Lee Han was speechless at this unforeseen accusation.

---

In the end, the beast gave up and started explaining.

When a clone grows stronger, the original regains strength as well.

As Sharkan absorbed mana, the main beast continually recovered its power in turn.

The quality of mana was so pure and outstanding, the recovery time was cut drastically.

The problem: through this process, Sharkan gained a will of its own.

Originally, the ruler of death and darkness had meant only to lend a fragment—a mindless clone. He never intended to birth a lower clone with a new personality.

That much already was tolerable. Even a clone with fresh ego could be tolerated by its Lord.

But Sharkan was more stubborn than expected.

-You, Sharkan. You are a clone split from the beast who rules death and darkness. You must bear dignity and tear asunder your enemies.

-Grr!

-…You, Sharkan. It’s understandable to feel close to your contractor, but the beast who rules death and darkness bows to no one. Think once more.

-Grrrrr!

-…Grr! Showed mercy and you dare!

The beast ultimately gave up persuading Sharkan and locked him within its being.

Once he showed remorse and lowered his tail, it’d free him.

That’s why it treated the magician’s visit with coldness as well.

Contacting a magician could only stretch out Sharkan’s disobedience.

But Sharkan’s talents surpassed even the main body’s expectations.

Keeping quiet seemed a sign of repentance—then he went wild at the contractor’s arrival, briefly overpowering the main body’s control.

In any other circumstance, this would merit boundless praise.

For one’s own clone to grow so mighty among the myriad threats of the undead world—surely a proud feat.

…The problem was using that new strength to pull off those antics before the contractor.

-Do you see, wretched magician? Your gifts corrupted my clone.

“I didn’t force anything. If he’d preferred not to absorb it, he could have, right?”

Lee Han protested.

He ate up all the energy during his recovery and now blames the results? The nerve!

‘Are all undead this shameless?’

The beast growled low.

Normally, it would have ignored such protest out of hand, but now, things were different.

With its recovery so fresh, it couldn’t continually wrestle with its own clone.

-Magician. State your desire. I shall persuade Sharkan in return.

“Could you return Sharkan?”

-Impossible. Sharkan is no longer a mere minor undead. Remember that.

A weak undead could be summoned quite easily, but with a powerful one, traversing dimensional barriers was no easy feat.

Now that the main beast was strong and awakened, Sharkan was both beast and clone. To summon him would require massive payment.

“I can pay mana whenever I summon.”

-……

The beast let out a low rumble at this suggestion he hadn’t considered.

This magician had restored the beast with tremendous mana by unknown means. Perhaps he could pay the summoning cost in mana.

Suppressing Sharkan’s attempt to leap out with superhuman will, the beast said,

-Magician. If you make a new contract, you may regret it. Summoning the beast who rules death and darkness may cost every treasure your soul can hold and more… Never mind. Mana will do.

“???”

When the other relented so abruptly, Lee Han was at a loss.

What was going on?