Plot Bait (2): The Immortal King
Immortal King. The being who turned all the citizens of the Vulcan Kingdom into undead—an immortal legion—and plunged the world into terror. Undead don't need "supplies" by default, making them an overwhelmingly powerful army. Plus, they can resurrect the enemy's corpses as undead, letting you truly feel the meaning of being outnumbered.
But was necromancy, the foundation of undead, inherently evil magic? Nah. It was just strictly banned by the Saint Country because of the Immortal King's precedent. It was magic anyone could use.
Necromancy is a shame. If used right, it's actually super useful. You don't even have to use human corpses—monster or animal ones work fine. You could replace labor with them. I think it's not necromancy that's bad, but the assholes who abuse it.
└Allow necromancy and we'll just get another Immortal King? Hell no.
└What about other magic? Isn't abuse the real problem with all of them? Offensive spells are bad if abused too.
└True, but Jungwon never looked kindly on necromancy from the start. If it was just the Saint Country banning it, whatever, but Jungwon joining in was huge.
└Even so, a total ban is too much;;
└Exactly. People didn't even get to leave last words.
└It's like an entire promising career vanished overnight. Caused us a ton more headaches. If not for the Immortal King, my dad wouldn't have been executed.
└That's rough. Lots of people resent the Saint Country over that.
└My dad was the best merchant.
└?? Merchant but went bankrupt?
└Wtf, was he a grave robber??
└Less grave robbing, more like human trafficking;;
└You seen this crazy bastard;;
└Should've lost his head ages ago lmao
└lololol
└Did scum like that make necromancy's rep even worse?
└Nah, that's extreme. Usually it's nameless corpses. Same as freaking out over a pharmacist making drugs.
└And human trafficking isn't exclusive to necromancy. They just slapped it on. Necromancy is creepy magic, not evil. On the flip side, it's given the world big and small benefits. The biggest? Replacing manual labor. Especially in farming, the start and core of human civilization.
Cow died? Revive it with necromancy. Short on workers? Ask a necromancer and done. Human corpses can be used too, but only through strict procedures. Especially in war—everyone hates it, so it's an unspoken rule to ban it. Use necromancy in war and your country deserves international isolation.
Necromancy is creepy, facts. Reviving dead bodies is ominous. Gives off evil vibes, that eerie corpse energy.
└(Image of a Death Knight on horseback) Skull horse is nuts.
└Whoa. Decided to revive a horse with necromancy after seeing that.
└You'll get nabbed by the Saint Country;;
└Then ride it and bolt
└lolol Facts only. Was the Immortal King a bad guy? Yes. Did the Saint Country overreact? Yes. Is necromancy creepy? Yes. If they'd just banned it on humans, fine—but blocking necromancy entirely pisses me off. Plus, they say it summons the dead's souls, but that's unproven. Ever seen a simple labor skeleton with a soul? Nope. I think it's like guardians—some spirit possesses it. Corpses just follow orders.
└What about guys who summon ancestors with necromancy?
└That's with a clear medium or relic.
└What about liches or death knights?
└Both are basically monsters, doesn't count. Think goblin shamans, orc shamans, troll mages.
└What's your job? Professor?
└Basement gallery noob.
└Gtfo lol
└Was all solid till that, trust dropped lol
└What analysis from a gallery noob lol
After the Immortal King incident nearly blanketed the world in corpses, necromancy became "evil" magic. Some big-name mages and scholars said leaving it be wasn't good, but it was pointless. Too many victims from the Immortal King's deeds, lost loved ones.
At least this generation won't see necromancy. That's what everyone thought.
Interpreted what Grills posted. Vulcan Kingdom language is mostly lost, especially high-class stuff, hard to translate. But this content is all shocking;; If real, Saint Country's in deep shit.
└What's it say? Earlier said Saint Country massacred them.
└Immortal King came first, Saint Country responded, right? But the order's reversed. Saint Country massacred Vulcan citizens first, birthing the Immortal King;;
└That make sense? Sounds impossible;;
└Vulcan had few people, Saint Country's huge
└No, why would Saint Country massacre Vulcan? There'd be a reason.
└Asked for power to defeat the Demon King, refused, so smashed them as example;;
└Wtf;;
└If true, it's beyond chaos.
There were always weird points. People close to Vulcan said Immortal King was nearly a saintly ruler. True he was deep into necromancy, but strictly banned it on the deceased. Allowed only with special reasons and procedures. Vulcan was small but prosperous. Weaker than others, but per land, well-off. Someone content wouldn't devour the world, turning all citizens undead? To conquer? Only a lunatic would. Living's the point—why do that?
└So you're saying Saint Country's shady?
└Yeah, gallery only lol
└Fair, if they freak over gallery rumors, they're guilty lol
└Four Seasons Forest having that record is weird too.
└Just hype lol
When the shocking truth first hit the gallery, users didn't buy it. Too unbelievable, and from Four Seasons Forest no less. Truth popping from a book found exploring the boonies of boonies? But Four Seasons Forest makes it believable—if Saint Country tried wiping Vulcan, fleeing there makes sense. Immortal King sent his last stronghold there. Gonna die anyway.
└Plausible?
└No one'd see the record anyway.
└But Grills found it lol Only guy gallerying in Four Seasons Forest.
└What coincidence lol
Still feels random (Image of elf tilting head)
Grills finds Immortal King record mid-exploration? Too quick, no?
└So Grills sought it on purpose? In Four Seasons Forest?
└That doesn't make sense either. Just luck.
└lololol
└Suckers buying it instantly lol
Paradoxically, that boosted credibility. Grills even uploaded the whole book. Posting parts might've gotten "propaganda" flak. But full sincere post shut that down. And gallery—as mentioned—anyone can join if conditions met, scholars worldwide gathered to discuss Grills' post.
“……”
And gallery head mod Don'tAbandonHero—Asella—could watch it unfold. She stared at the gallery with confused eyes.
A devout believer and current Hero facing an unbelievable truth posted there.
‘Wh-what is this……?’
The truth about history's worst necromancer tyrant, the Immortal King. History records the greedy Immortal King turning his nation's people undead. Past Hero and partner mage Cardir stopped his ambitions. Hero sacrificed nobly, Cardir slew the Immortal King.
……That's the "history" everyone knows.
‘N-no way! The Saint Country wouldn't……!’
Grills' post had conspiracy-level ugly content. He just posted to interpret his senior's record, but the ripple was insanely huge.
A truth that could never see daylight. The dark underbelly of the god-worshipping Saint Country.
Only early parts translated, but summary: A group to slay the Demon King birthed one instead. No justice anywhere—a massive shock to Asella.
‘Y-yeah. Must be lies. Goddess wouldn't forgive if true.’
Saint Country worships the gods. No way they'd birth a Demon King. Asella rationalized, calming her pounding heart.
First, calm the gallery on the brink of flood.
‘Should I…… delete Grills' post?’
Gallery rule three: No posts inciting inter-nation tension. Grills' post perfectly violates it. No-friendship rule only real-life, so fine.
‘Grills posted without thinking……’
Had to agonize. Bigger issue: Deleting it'd confirm suspicions. Better leave it.
She wasn't dumb, just had silly sides.
‘Better not delete these posts.’
Probably spread everywhere already. No time to check gallery while moving.
‘If Saint Country really did that……’
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Asella shook her head hard. To shake off creeping thoughts.
Reality's still quiet. Even if controversy, Saint Country denies and done.
‘This chaos might stay in-gallery.’
Gallery storms rarely spill to reality. Teacup typhoon. Unless solid proof, like Grills' book in other hands.
‘Not easy without huge fame.’
Time's on her side. Asella decided to wait for Saint Country's response. Praying it wasn't true……
‘Goddess said nothing, so definitely fake.’
Her situation dragged dark feelings in.
‘Has to be.’
*****
While gallery was in uproar.
“Ah. Slept great.”
Grills woke from a sweet nap. First thing: Check gallery. For interpretations.
Seeing the chaos, one feeling.
“Guess the part I want still ain't translated.”
Disappointment.