17. Necromancer Dinaria el Rasad
Dinaria el Rasad harbored an utter loathing for evil spirit sorcerers. To her, they were traitors worthy of being torn limb from limb.
They had betrayed their comrades on the front lines, fighting alongside the Demon King's allies to bring him down, only to sell out for personal gain and side with the Demon King himself. How many lives had been lost to their betrayal? How many front lines had crumbled? If measured by the damage they'd inflicted back then, it would have been enough to effortlessly wipe out three or four kingdoms.
Monsters had never known undead as a concept before. But the moment those necromancers struck their deal with the Demon King and became evil spirit sorcerers or death sorcerers, a new breed of monster emerged: the undead.
Comrades who'd laughed and eaten together just yesterday died. Then they rose again, attacking her. To survive, she had to kill her dead friends all over again—more cruelly, more brutally. Leaving not a single scrap of their corpses behind, ensuring they could never rise once more.
Thus, the new monster known as the undead was born. And even after the Demon King was vanquished, nothing changed. Monsters persisted as if it were natural, undead included among them.
The selfishness of those evil spirit sorcerers had birthed an entirely new species of monster. As a comrade of the hero, fighting on the front lines—and forced to slay her own allies with her own hands—Dina could harbor nothing but undying hatred for evil spirit sorcerers, even after all this time.
In that death sorcerer's dungeon, she'd slain him too easily, caught up in the thrill of Ian's ability. She sometimes wondered if she'd gone soft.
'He was just a lucky bastard.'
She'd only just escaped childhood then. Memories weren't fully clear, and her heart had been racing.
'Of all timings, he showed up right in front of me.'
Ian—her Yeonja—had accepted her as one of his own. In that euphoria, absorbing his blessing would finally grant her what she'd longed for. Hatred and vengeance forgotten, she'd bounded about in excitement.
'I wanted to look cool for Yeonja... that's when I slipped up.'
She hadn't done what needed doing. If another death sorcerer or evil spirit sorcerer crossed her path, she'd make them pay dearly for betraying humanity and clinging to the Demon King for selfish ends.
That had been Dina's vow.
And now, right before her eyes, things no different from evil spirit sorcerers appeared.
It was only natural, then, that flames of rage kindled in her brilliant emerald eyes.
"...Yeonja, wilt thou absorb my blessing?"
"Got it."
Ian nodded readily at Dina's request, reaching out to place a hand on her crown.
'Patting my head again.'
Like a brat or a wild beast. She wished he'd kiss her instead. Of course, Dina knew full well this was a tall order. To Ian's eyes, her childlike form must look more girl than woman.
Just a small wish.
His hand stroked her hair. A faint weakness drained from her body, the energy they'd shared so long slipping away. Mana flooded in to fill the void, her body heating up. Ian's blessing and divine authority enveloped her too.
'The blessing alone would suffice, yet even his authority...'
Ever the kind soul.
A surge of elation, excitement. A sexual thrill, even. Her young body, transforming from girl to woman, ignited impulses of heated pleasure she'd never known.
"Hnnngh..."
White breath escaped her lips, though winter was far off.
In a blink, her viewpoint shot upward. Her mind cleared, past memories blooming vividly—including thoughts her child self never entertained.
Her suddenly enlarged body felt dizzy and awkward at first. But a few punches and kicks into the air adapted her swiftly. She wasn't called Fist King for nothing. Her body was her instrument.
A momentary disorientation was nothing for Dina.
From child girl to bombshell sister-type. The mischievous brown-skinned girl became a woman with sun-kissed bronze skin. Long, lithe legs and arms. A slender waist, modestly sized breasts. Perfectly balanced, accentuating her allure.
Her cheongsam felt tight now, but it only highlighted her sensual yet delicate curves, making her sexier. Especially the thigh and leg peeking from the high slit—enough to make one swallow unconsciously.
As Dina matured into womanhood, Ian shifted too: a youthful man with lingering boyish charm. Still, she gazed up at him—head and shoulders taller—and smiled softly.
"My thanks, Yeonja. I'll impose upon thee but a little more this time."
"Uh, yeah. No big deal. That's my role, after all."
"Hee hee..."
Ian nodded awkwardly. To him, Dina was still the cute little sister type. The sudden growth felt off, even if his power caused it.
"Then, I shall away."
Soldiers fought fiercely ahead. Dina dashed to aid them—then paused, turning back as if remembering something.
"Ah, right. Yeonja."
"What? Need something else?"
Before Ian could react, Dina blurred forward.
"Thy child form I might forgive, but..."
"...Huh?"
Arms around his neck, yanking him down. Then...
*Smack.*
Lips brushed and parted lightly. Ian's eyes bulged. Dina beamed, eyes crinkling.
"...Ah?"
"This body prefers such kisses too."
Like Cheong-ah or Bella.
So.
"Treat me not differently. I too am a woman who adores thee."
"W-Wait..."
"Then, off I go. Wait but a moment."
Leaving Ian stunned from the sudden kiss, Dina rocketed forward. Green mana formed a coiling dragon around her springy thighs.
She charged, shouting,
"Make way...!"
Soldiers glanced back at her warning. Red Evil Mercenaries were all at the front with Bella. These were Behena's regular troops.
But months training with the mercenaries had drilled discipline into them. A quick-thinking commander barked,
"All hands, fall back!"
Whoever this woman was, the aura coiling her screamed elite powerhouse. Friend or foe, clearing her path was smart.
Soldiers parted. Dina leaped skyward, leg extended straight down.
*KABOOM...!*
She plummeted like a meteor. A streak of green light.
A streak of green light.
*KABOOOOOM...!*
-GRAAAAAARGH...!
-KRAAAAACK...!
Zombie hordes scattered as chunks of flesh. Dozens fell to Dina's strike, but countless more poured from the sewers. Even the fallen kept attacking her and the surroundings, unyielding.
For zombies to persist in that state meant a skilled necromancer puppeteering them.
"Tch..."
*Crunch...!*
Dina crushed a head-only zombie lunging at her leg, muttering,
"No doubt about it—gotta take down the sorcerer."
She worried a bit about leaving Ian alone... but the situation demanded it, and his skills had grown. No mana, but expert with magic tools and crossbows. He'd hold for a quick smash-and-grab on the necromancer.
With that, Dina ignited her mana.
Still, better hurry back. §
As Dina pulverized zombies and pressed forward, Ian—left behind—decided idling wasn't for him.
Not that he'd tangle with zombies directly. Even knights with mana struggled; mana-less him swinging a sword would just hinder.
Better stick to what he did best. He pulled a glass vial and a bolt-loaded magazine from his dimensional bag.
"Bought this from the cathedral just in case—perfect timing."
Holy water inside. Prepared after his crossbow proved useless in the last death sorcerer dungeon, anticipating repeats.
Holy power as undead weakness? Gaming gospel held true here too.
Ian uncapped the vial, pouring holy water into the magazine. Bolts soaked it up.
"Good enough."
Aim. Fire.
*Pew-!*
The bolt pierced a zombie's skull mid-bite on a downed soldier.
-GRUUUUUUGH...!
The zombie shrieked, crumbling to ash mid-air.
Ian marveled at the gospel's reliability, reloading and sniping zombies nonstop.
Every shot a kill. Ash clouds marked his marksmanship. Soldiers, relieved, held firmer.
Dina's sewer purge helped too, but Ian's bolts played a huge role.
That's when, amid the zombie-slaying frenzy—
"...Uah."
A chill, sharp sensation at his throat. Ian froze.
"What the—when...?"
Regina held a dagger to his neck, snuck up behind.
'How?'
With Bella and Cheong-ah at the front, Regina's absence there meant instant collapse. Powerhouses defined battlefields here.
Yet here she was—abandoning the fight.
"Urgh."
Like saying stay still and I won't kill you. Ian bit his lip, nodding.
"...Fine. I'll behave."
"Grr."
Regina nodded. Then—
*Thwack.*
A blow to his nape, and Ian's world went black.