Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: Undead Transformation on Myself
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Originally, he had planned to ask the former Gray Mage Tower Master, Garjun, about it directly.
He was certain that Garjun had also become an undead.
But right now, he had no time to spare asking him.
To fight the mausoleum, he needed to grow even a little stronger.
'If there was even one thing I'd regret.'
He wouldn't have even thought of fighting in the first place.
So, to fight without regrets, he threw everything he had into it.
He didn't know what effect using undead transformation on himself would have.
This was the risk he had to bear.
'I've successfully turned necromancers into undead thirteen times before.'
All that experience was now firmly in his grasp.
He clenched his fist tight.
It was possible.
Right now, it was definitely possible.
He relaxed and took a deep breath.
He steeled his resolve.
'Let's begin.'
He placed his hand on his chest.
A brilliant light began to seep into his palm.
Auto-Growing Undead Creation [?EX]
Skill activated.
The skill pierced through his skin and seeped in.
The skill burrowed into every layer of skin, muscle, and bone that made up his body.
This sensation felt just like lying on an experimental table himself.
But this was only the beginning.
The skill seeped in, dismantling his body from the inside out, piece by piece.
Fortunately, there was no particular pain.
He had confirmed this directly through the necromancers before.
This had been the top concern on his mind.
'Passing out from pain would mean the end.'
There was nothing more terrifying than an incomplete undead transformation.
However, the sensation of his body being reassembled was bizarre even to him.
And there was one crucial thing he had to keep in mind above all.
Leyzon had confirmed one fact through his various past experiences.
Undead transformation even modified the soul.
That's why, while examining the necromancers' souls, he had naturally come to realize it.
The soul residing within Leyzon's flesh.
'My soul is different from others' souls.'
His body and soul were separated.
As if he were merely wearing the shell of a body.
'Probably because I possessed Leyzon's body.'
He didn't know what effect this would have.
But through this, he had confirmed one solid fact.
'If I want to return home someday.'
His soul and body must never fully merge.
If they did, his soul would never escape this world.
It had already been nearly two years since he arrived in this world.
But he still hadn't given up on the dream of going home.
It was the very first goal he had set.
Connections he had built in this world flashed through Leyzon's mind one by one.
He had formed many bonds here and grown attached.
Still, he didn't want to lose sight of his original goal.
'Losing the goal I set at the start.'
Would be the same as losing his path forward.
Goals were that important to a person.
'Whether I stay in this world or not, I can decide when the time comes.'
So, for that day, he would keep his soul and body separate for now.
You always had to leave your options open.
"Flamehead."
Flamehead approached Leyzon at his call.
"I need your help."
"......Handing over your soul to me. Do you trust me that much?"
He stared at Leyzon with an enigmatic gaze.
Handing over one's soul meant it could easily be destroyed.
Yet Leyzon readily offered his soul and curved up the corner of his mouth.
"I trust you to weigh the pros and cons."
The creeping mausoleum was an existence even Flamehead, as he was, had to eliminate no matter what.
There was no reason for him not to make Leyzon stronger.
Besides, Leyzon had Pierthiran.
She too had become an undead, freeing her from growth limitations.
He wouldn't want to cross such an outstanding soul necromancer.
"......I'm afraid I might be creating a future threat with my own hands."
"Surviving comes first before you can worry about future threats."
In the end, Flamehead yielded to Leyzon's persuasion.
Power extended from his hand, firmly gripping Leyzon's soul.
"No matter what you do, it won't affect your soul at all."
Quick on the uptake, as expected.
Leyzon thanked him and began the undead transformation in earnest.
He reshaped his body anew.
The process was an incredibly arduous journey.
Even when turning necromancers into undead before, Leyzon had never once been negligent.
He put his all into everything he did.
That was his usual way.
The necromancers would serve as his limbs going forward.
He could never half-ass creating such vital assets.
And because he poured his heart into it, he had accumulated this experience.
Leyzon's body gradually began to change.
He meticulously reworked even the paths of his blood vessels and mana circuits.
More precisely, more sharply, transforming into a new body.
Sweat beaded thickly on his forehead, dripping down steadily.
As he continuously consumed mana, he kept injecting more.
The injected mana was used as material too.
The materials he had laid out gradually disappeared one by one.
Every single material used was worth a fortune.
The undead Leyzon commanded were all extraordinarily powerful.
Leyzon was their master.
A master couldn't show weakness compared to his undead.
So he spared no expense on materials.
Before he knew it, the sun had set and night had fallen.
An eerie darkness blanketed the land.
Cries of nocturnal birds echoed sporadically.
A night that brought peaceful sleep to some.
"......Abyss?"
Flamehead cautiously called out the name.
In the darkness, one existence slowly writhed into form.
Something bloomed from the shadows.
The sight sent chills down the spine for no reason.
Soon, within the darkness thick as a black lake.
Purple flames began to flicker on one by one.
Fires reminiscent of will-o'-the-wisps danced here and there.
The scene felt like a blessing for the birth of a new existence.
Flamehead had unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself.
Goosebumps prickled sharply along his arms to his fingertips.
The darkness seemed to rise.
His skin stung.
His muscles stiffened.
His bones ached with cold.
It felt like his nerves were being scraped with sandpaper.
His brain felt crushed by a red-hot iron.
Yet he couldn't tear his eyes away.
Tearing away felt like it would be irreversible.
Black and purple hair fluttered.
His hair shone like the Milky Way.
At the same time, deathly energy flowed from his parted lips.
Purple smoke billowed out, scattering around.
Six wings shaped like purple flames unfurled from his back.
The existence that arose on the boundary of the heavy night was indescribable.
Drip—
A bead of sweat slid down Flamehead's chin and fell to the floor.
With that, the existence slowly raised its eyelids.
A meteor shower of gray laced with purple poured down.
Even its faint presence felt like thunder.
Soon, the existence bared its teeth in a smile.
That smile was utterly inhuman.
Flamehead felt as if his eyes might go blind.
And something flashed in his mind.
This sensation.
He had felt this sensation before.
'Transcendent.'
The day he entered the Resonance World to repair it.
The sensation when he faced a fragment of the Evil Transcendent.
He felt it now.
"Hoo."
A sigh-laden breath escaped the existence's lips.
"Barely made it."
The oppressive pressure that had gripped the surroundings vanished.
What emerged was the familiar, bright face of Leyzon.
Though exhaustion lingered, pride shone brighter.
Bang!
At that moment, the door that had been closed flew open.
"Lord Leyzon, congratulations!"
Syria Nosferatu rushed in the moment the door opened.
Leyzon spread his arms and caught Syria as she flew toward him.
Syria lavished him with affection in his embrace.
He ruffled her hair vigorously.
The other undead filed in one after another.
"Congratulations."
"You've worked hard!"
"Congrats~."
As he received their greetings, Hanok Wilbria peeked his head through the door crack.
"Ah, are you done?"
"Woof."
Haron barked from atop Hanok's shoulder.
It seemed the two had been guarding the perimeter together.
Soon, word would spread to the others that Leyzon had finished.
"Hanok, bring Haron over here."
Hanok tilted his head but approached Leyzon.
He presented Haron to Leyzon.
Leyzon petted Haron's head and pulled out a note.
"Haron, give this to Hanok when you think it's necessary."
"Woof."
Haron swallowed the note whole.
Then returned to Hanok.
Preparations were roughly complete now.
"Everyone, thanks for waiting."
"You've worked harder than us, Lord Leyzon! You look even cooler now!"
Syria enthusiastically praised Leyzon's efforts.
Praise makes even whales dance.
Leyzon did a little shoulder shimmy.
"......Hoo."
Meanwhile, Flamehead let out a weary breath, his face drained.
The chilling sensation that had bound his entire body had finally faded.
"Abyss."
Now he could ask what needed asking.
"So, what exactly have you become?"
There were many types of undead.
Just looking at the undead filling this place, each had their own race.
Leyzon heard this and rubbed his chin.
As if he hadn't even considered how to answer.
"Good question?"
"Good question?"
He hadn't even thought about what kind of undead he'd become?
Flamehead looked baffled.
It was the reaction of someone who couldn't fathom doing such a thing to their own sane body.
But Leyzon had no choice either.
Leyzon thought fixating on a specific undead type was poison.
The advantage of undead transformation was the freedom to change forms.
What he needed to pursue was one thing alone.
The strongest existence capable of defeating the mausoleum.
So Leyzon hadn't shaped himself after any particular idea.
He had simply become the strongest form possible right now.
'And doing it myself taught me something.'
Undead transformation didn't have to be done all at once.
If good materials came along, he could add more transformations later.
Infinite growth was possible.
You never know until you try it yourself.
Only after applying undead transformation to his own body did Leyzon realize one more thing.
But that didn't mean he could live as a nameless undead.
"If I had to name it, I'd call it my original."
Leyzon curved up his lips.
Fortunately, no need to rack his brains for a name.
There was one name those around him had called him the most.
"Just call it Abyss."
The name he'd been called the most so far.
Imperial Calendar Year 1533, February 29th.
The undead 'Abyss' was born.