Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Rise and Fall (4)
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“Hah.”
I let out a breath in disbelief.
Now it all made sense.
[Choose one of the two factions.]
[1. Imperial Faction]
[2. Revolutionaries]
[Please choose quickly.]
Why the system kept pushing me to choose.
Why it didn’t immediately slap me with a penalty like before if I didn’t choose.
“Tsk tsk…”
The old man chuckled, clicking his tongue.
“There was also the ‘choice’ of not choosing.”
‘Wow, this system is really dirty…’
I scowled.
‘Leave Bone Four with the revolutionaries and Bone Seven with the imperial faction. The trick is to awaken only one the moment I choose, right?’
“The dungeon’s as dirty as they come, but aren’t you impressive too? It tells you to choose, and you refuse right up to the end… Your instincts are on a level even I can’t match.”
‘It stank. Stank real bad.’
The system was never kind.
The dungeon always gave the bare minimum info.
For a system like that to keep forcing me to do something?
Obviously shady.
[…So you really won’t choose?]
[You might regret it.]
‘Regret my ass.’
I snorted.
If it wanted to make me regret it, it would’ve done it already.
‘You sneaky bastard.’
Trying to bait me?
Go ahead!
Do it!
[Okay, we acknowledge it.]
[You have chosen to stay neutral by not picking either faction.]
[Hidden penalty activated!]
[Both factions will now regard you as an enemy!]
[Even if you choose a faction later, this outcome cannot be reversed.]
Oh?
…It actually did it?
But that penalty…
It’s nothing much.
‘Do whatever.’
With my current stealth skills, I could move around without them noticing anyway.
“Tsk tsk, bold as ever! Whose disciple are you, anyway? Who taught you to grow up this fine?”
‘What’s there to say? Obviously yours, old timer.’
“Good lad.”
The old man nodded in satisfaction.
“A true master of a myriad arts should act like that. Blindly following orders? That’d just make you an ordinary fool.”
‘Right? Of course. Aren’t I extraordinary?’
I beat the drum and struck the gong.
Having found yet another option, we high-fived each other in the moment.
“Tsk tsk, dungeons are always fun with you around. So, what’re you waiting for? Release Bone Four’s limit and Bone Seven’s too.”
‘Yep, exactly. Bone Four isn’t my only kid—Bone Seven’s mine too.’
Just like with the forest and the rocks.
‘I’ll catch both rabbits.’
I stopped resting and stood up.
Shh!
We stepped forward at the same time.
Toward Bone Seven—no, the church’s saintess.
The shadows rippled.
One step, two steps.
After just a few…
“Rubbing this incense ash on it should ease the pain a bit.”
I saw a yellow-haired woman radiating holy light.
“Just hold on a little longer. I’ll pray to the Light for your healing.”
“No fighting in front of me. Ally or enemy. I can’t allow any killing.”
The saintess.
Most saintesses honored the dead in sanctity.
But seeing her pure heart that valued all life regardless of side.
And her healing prowess alone.
I understood why she was revered as a living saintess.
“Indeed.”
The old man marveled.
“That woman has the potential of an absolute being too. She wields an aura immense enough to dominate a world.”
‘What lingering regret does she carry? I can guess, but…’
Curious?
Then look.
I closed in right before her.
Soon.
[Activating ‘Memory Recreation’ (S-grade).]
“Tsk tsk, that skill of yours is the most cheat-like.”
‘I’ll admit it.’
My personal攻略 guide.
The cheat key to draw out the memories and regrets of the dead.
Memory Recreation activated.
[Recreating the memories of the ‘cursed’ departed soul, ‘Saintess Dana’.]
[Moving to the scene shortly.]
Bone Seven’s name was Dana.
Wooong!
The old man and I were sucked straight into another of her pasts.
* * *
Time passed, and we peered into her memories.
[Great Saintess Dana ends her life in regret.]
[Skill, ‘Memory Recreation’ (S-grade), ended.]
“…”
Dana’s memories weren’t much different from Kaden’s.
Grief over the many deaths in the coming war.
Regret for failing to save them, only able to watch.
That gnawed away at her life until the end.
The one curious thing.
‘The outcomes they faced were different?’
In Kaden’s memory, the revolutionaries clearly won.
The imperial palace audience chamber lay in ruins, and the commoners gained freedom.
But.
Dana’s world was different.
The palace and grand cathedral stood intact, the revolution ending as mere rebellion.
In that world, she was revered as the Great Saintess.
‘Perfect symmetry.’
I blinked.
The old man looked at me and spoke.
“Hmm, fascinating. How is this possible? Their memories differ? Did they each have mental breakdowns, hallucinating what they wanted to believe?”
‘Or maybe it’s the multiverse.’
“Multiverse? What’s that?”
The old man tilted his head.
‘The theory that multiple universes exist. It was popular in our world once. Simply put, one world has multiple endings.’
“What nonsense is that?”
‘That’s how absurd the universe is. The Shepherd kids said it too—don’t limit yourself to what’s visible; break those fixed ideas.’
“Hmm, true enough. The universe is tough for me to grasp too. Even as a departed soul, it’s a mystery.’
‘Yeah.’
I started walking again.
At the same time, I transformed the seven spirit essences (3/7) into a staff.
In other words, prepared for battle.
‘Anyway, that’s not what matters now.’
“Then?”
‘Like you said, old timer, we resolve both their regrets at once.’
Kwarang! Kwoom!
Clashes erupted where the two camps met.
Step.
I arrived at the heart of the battlefield between revolutionaries and imperial faction.
“Tsk tsk, right? So what’s your plan?”
The old man eyed me with interest.
I answered.
‘Their regrets are identical at core—just different camps.’
Kaden wanted to achieve his goal without war.
Dana simply hated kin slaying kin.
‘They regretted the horrors of an ideological war.’
Thud!
I lightly tapped my staff on the ground.
Thud thud thud!
Skeletons rose from the bare earth.
“Lord.”
“Master.”
Seven skeleton lords, excluding Demir.
I grinned at them.
‘Old timer, know the best way to make fighting kids reconcile?’
“What?”
‘Introduce a villain so bad they forget their ideologies.’
“Ho?”
“Come.”
Shh!
I emerged from someone’s shadow.
With the bones out, no need to hide anymore.
“Summon your subordinates.”
I no longer spoke inwardly.
I voiced my command aloud.
“From S-grade lords to A-grade knights, B-grade great skeletons, and C-grade balanced skeletons. Call them all.”
“As you command.”
Boom!
Each lord slammed their weapons into the ground.
Countless bones appeared simultaneously.
Not just any bones.
All dragon bones.
Kwararararak!
The white bone legion appearing in the battlefield center left both armies unable to hide their panic.
“W-what the hell is that?!”
“Bones? Skeletons!”
The battle ground to a temporary halt.
“T-this is…”
One revolutionary general muttered.
“This is the imperial faction! They’re using necromancy to slaughter the people!”
“What bullshit!”
An imperial general shot back.
“Anyone’d think we’re the villains! You lot are the ones swayed by a few ringleaders to rebel against His sky-high Majesty! Those defying death are clearly the work of arrogant commoners!”
“Don’t make me laugh, you greedy dogs! With nobles rotten from corruption everywhere, don’t play innocent! If hoarding even our food is ‘heaven,’ we’d rather serve the devil!”
“See that? The insolent bastards admit selling their souls to the devil!”
“Khahaha, your wordplay agitation mirrors your pathetic reality!”
Dogfight between the camps.
I shook my head.
“Hey, hey, cut it out.”
Anyway.
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[Both factions regard you as an enemy!]
I plan to face both of you.
Fate forces it due to the penalty too.
Thud!
I tapped the staff on the ground again.
At once.
“Oh, they’re coming!”
“Death soldiers are coming! F-fall back for now!”
The skeletons surged toward both sides.
‘Don’t take lives.’
I commanded inwardly.
‘Blunt sword backs to disable only. Break bones at most.’
The bones were overwhelming.
Especially the awakened lords Taeyang and Eldrin—their feats were insane.
Thud! Thud thud!
Light taps shattered soldiers’ legs and weapons.
Pew pew pew!
Eldrin’s arrows struck only leg joints precisely.
Both armies panicked.
“W-what?! They’re attacking both sides?”
“D-devils!”
“Damn it!”
“Request reinforcements! The blood we’ve shed in war has summoned a demon to this world!”
“Uwaaaah!”
Terror swept the battlefield.
The sudden invasion by unseen beings threw them into chaos.
‘Not yet.’
I shook my head.
‘More to show.’
Thud!
This was the battlefield heart.
At least tens of thousands of corpses buried in the soil.
I’d use them to maximize their fear.
[Skill: Revenant Resurrection]
[Grade: A]
[Effect 1: Summons up to 10,000 skeletons. Requires nearby corpses.]
[Effect 2: Consumes 50 stamina.]
Thud!
Skill, Revenant Resurrection, activated.
Kwararararak!
Dead corpses rose en masse.
Also.
[Skill: Revenant Roar]
[Grade: A]
[Effect 1: Doubles all nearby skeletons’ stats.]
[Effect 2: Consumes 50 stamina.]
Kiyaaaaaaa!
Skill, Revenant Roar, activated.
The bones’ movement speed visibly surged.
“Heh.”
Watching, the old man laughed hollowly.
“You’ll play the villain to unite them all?”
“Yes.”
“But that just delays the revolution. And avoiding kills? The fear’ll fade over time.”
“Avoiding kills?”
I laughed.
“Imperial faction, nobles, greedy priests—all must die without exception.”
“Huh?”
The old man blinked.
“The saintess doesn’t care about revolution. Only the tragic deaths of the people.”
“…”
“So, I just create conditions for Kaden to succeed without spilling a drop of blood.”
“Brilliant.”
The old man marveled.
A scheme to catch both rabbits.
Even turning the system’s penalty against it—a perfect hybrid strategy.
“…”
My skeleton legion surged like tsunamis both ways.
[Elapsed Time - 22:30:30]
Today.
I’d gift Bone Four and Bone Seven alike.
The best day ever.
By becoming the Demon King myself.