Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Sudden Evolution Declaration
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Syria's declaration came out of nowhere.
Hearing it, Estelle's face went blank.
She almost looked like her younger self in that moment.
"Estelle, Syria has just evolved one step from juvenile form to growth form."
"Pardon?"
Syria flicked her hair back with a flourish.
Her white locks, darkened at the tips, fluttered through the air.
Then she cupped her face with both hands.
Her eyes sparkled in an obvious attempt to look cute.
"My skill evolved into Auto-Growing Undead Creation, and it affected you all."
"......"
Estelle's eyes gradually widened in realization.
She understood exactly what that meant.
"On top of that, there's a sub-skill called Undead Fusion."
"It's similar to Spirit Fusion, so you should know about it, Estelle."
Estelle had slain lords left and right.
There was no way she didn't know about Spirit Fusion.
Estelle slowly bowed her head.
She fell deep into thought once more.
"She's zoning out again."
Syria made a bored face.
Leyzon waited patiently in silence.
Estelle surely had plenty to mull over.
A moment later, she lifted her head.
She stared at Leyzon with a dazed expression.
"......I see. Now I understand why you said 'not yet' back then."
"Estelle, I think you're misunderstanding something again."
"No, you might not remember, Leyzon, but what you said matches perfectly."
The Leyzon from back then was a different person.
What on earth had that Leyzon discussed with Estelle?
The current Leyzon had no way of knowing.
"Estelle, I'm truly grateful that you can lend your strength to Leyzon."
Estelle was genuinely thrilled to be of help to him.
"Mm-hmm, of course you'd be grateful!"
Syria chimed in from the side.
'Well, good things are good things.'
The past Leyzon was gone.
There was no revealing that truth.
Leyzon decided not to dwell on it further.
What mattered now was Estelle's evolution.
"Estelle, your evolution requires a gemstone."
Leyzon opened his bag.
He pulled out a large assortment of gems.
"I've brought everything from regular gems to magic stones."
Magic stones were rare drops from phantasmal beasts.
They mostly came from named ones and were treated like gems.
"If it's a gem for evolution..."
Estelle stared straight at the magic stones instead of the regular gems Leyzon had laid out.
"I suspect these might be more suitable."
"That's my thought too."
He'd brought gems just in case.
But gems couldn't exactly be consumed like blood.
Magic stones, however, could have their mana absorbed depending on the user.
"Estelle, you can absorb mana from magic stones, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
It matched his expectations perfectly.
Estelle took one magic stone as per Leyzon's instruction.
"This is a low-grade one first."
The lowest tier of magic stones.
Estelle closed her eyes briefly.
Mana soon flowed out from the stone.
It was entirely absorbed into her body.
A deep breath escaped Estelle's lips.
Her eyes gleamed sharply.
"......It's definitely different from before. It feels like it's sinking deep into my body."
Magic stones were indeed the key.
"Estelle, absorb the rest as well."
"Understood."
Estelle promptly absorbed the remaining magic stones at Leyzon's command.
Leyzon could soon witness her transformation with his own eyes.
Her horns began to change color.
The originally gray horns gradually filled with white.
'It's starting.'
Estelle was evolving.
A cascade of white light poured from her body.
A groan slipped from Estelle's mouth.
The same bizarre power that had swirled around Syria now engulfed the moment.
Estelle's horns grew larger and more intricately patterned.
The aura emanating from her was entirely different now.
She had once been shrouded in a murky aura of death.
But now the murkiness was gone, replaced by a clear, pure energy.
It was as if she had attained enlightenment through death itself.
"......Hoo."
Estelle let out a long exhale.
She slowly raised her hand.
Whoooong!
In that instant, an intangible airflow rose from her grasp.
"Estelle, that's..."
Leyzon recognized it immediately, his eyes widening.
The nature of the intangible airflow emanating from her.
It was Draconic Aura.
Dragonkin flew through the skies and unleashed attacks using their unique airflow.
Called Draconic Aura, it was an exclusive trait of the dragonkin race.
"......Now I can more easily stand against the dragonkin who pursued me."
"One of the dragonkin was after you?"
"Yes, there's one affiliated with the empire."
Dragonkin were incredibly rare encounters.
As far as Leyzon knew, there were three in total.
None of them could be the Bloodless Sovereign.
And the remaining one absolutely wouldn't serve the empire.
That left just one possibility.
'The old dragon.'
It had to be him.
"And besides the dragonkin, there's one more dangerous foe."
Syria narrowed her eyes.
"The Arbiter Lord?"
The one who had recently plunged Leyzon into peril.
Estelle shook her head at the mention.
"Not the Arbiter Lord. He wasn't anyone famous, from what I recall."
"But there was a strange scythe-shaped tattoo in his eyes."
"That's all that stuck with me about his appearance."
"A perception-lowering spell, perhaps."
A scythe-shaped pattern etched into the eyes.
Leyzon stroked his chin.
Nothing came to mind about it for him either.
'Some secret weapon of the empire?'
The empire was always shrouded in secrets.
And plenty of suspicious elements.
'Even in the game, the empire's full forces were never fully revealed.'
Dungeon Replay had left behind a ton of hooks for sequels and DLC.
The Niflheim Empire was one of them.
'Never thought I'd uncover those sequel and DLC stories like this.'
Life was full of surprises.
"Leyzon."
Just then, Syria tugged at his sleeve.
"Could you use Estelle's skills too, perhaps?"
Come to think of it, he hadn't checked that yet.
"Estelle, how did you activate the Draconic Aura?"
"It felt like wind bursting from within my body."
Estelle answered honestly, though puzzled.
Leyzon focused on that sensation of wind surging forth.
Skills activated the moment they were comprehended.
'Mastery aside...'
There was no issue in triggering them.
As he concentrated on his fingertips, a tickling sensation arose.
Deep within his body.
Wind began to well up from somewhere.
'Here it comes.'
The moment Leyzon sensed it, he spread his hand.
Whoooong!
In that instant, the same intangible airflow as Estelle's rose from his palm.
'Yes!'
Leyzon grinned, baring his teeth.
Draconic Aura, usable only by dragonkin.
And Leyzon had wielded it just the same.
Estelle's eyes widened round.
Leyzon dispersed the aura in his grasp and turned to her.
"Estelle, can you list every skill you can use now?"
Quick on the uptake, she grasped his meaning immediately.
Leyzon could wield her skills now that she'd evolved.
Realizing this, Estelle promptly explained her abilities.
Skills weren't meant to be shared lightly.
But Leyzon was her creator and master.
Besides, Estelle's loyalty rivaled Syria's.
Before she knew it, joy welled up within her.
The fact that she, a creation, could aid her creator and master.
Pure bliss as his handiwork.
Estelle met Syria's eyes.
Syria nodded, understanding that joy all too well.
In this moment, the former rivals saw eye to eye.
Estelle finished her explanation.
Leyzon had gained two skills from her evolution.
Draconic Aura [Special], Morale Emanation [C].
The skill grades weren't particularly high this time either.
But acquiring new tools was a massive gain.
'And now I get it.'
Skills were like files installed on the computer of one's body.
Once inputted, Leyzon could grasp their usage.
'So if Syria or Estelle evolve again...'
The skills he'd gain would surely upgrade further.
Even more reason to evolve his undead.
Leyzon clenched his fist.
This way, he could grow strong without relying on pioneer workshops.
'And there's that Poison Necromancer book I copied from the empire's dungeon.'
He hadn't fully comprehended it yet to cast the spells.
But mastering it would yield another avenue of power.
'Somehow, I've got a mountain of things to do.'
That just meant he had to get fired up.
He was the type to tackle everything he could.
"Leyzon."
Then Estelle spoke up cautiously.
"I'm still being hunted by the empire."
"They're searching for me relentlessly. I'll only be a liability like this."
Leyzon understood her point.
"You mean you can't come with us."
"Yes. It's better if you rejoin the other undead first, and I catch up later."
"Fine by me."
Leyzon agreed readily.
"I'll gather magic stones from the shadows in the meantime, awaiting your return."
Estelle had been fretting over how to grow stronger while waiting.
Now Leyzon had provided evolution as a new path.
She wouldn't just sit idle.
Business in the Ged Mountains was essentially wrapped up.
So Leyzon turned to the tasks he'd put on hold.
Conquering the Ged Mountains dungeons.
Whoooosh—
A gust of snowy wind brushed past his hair.
The mid-tier dungeon in the Ged Mountains.
Lang'a Layer, Wolf Den.
A dungeon teeming with combat-oriented wolf-type beasts.
Given its rugged mountain terrain in the Ged range, pioneers rarely visited.
Thus, Leyzon removed his mask for the first time in ages.
He moved freely in the empty dungeon.
With Syria detecting presences anyway, there was no worry.
"As expected, Leyzon, you're handsomest in your true form!"
Leyzon raised his head amid Syria's flattery.
A vast snowy field stretched before him.
A pristine white expanse amid the mountains.
Crack!
Numerous footsteps echoed.
The source: a pack of wolves, residents of the Lang'a Layer.
Red manes flashed between snow-laden evergreens.
Glowing yellow eyes pierced the murky darkness under storm clouds.
They brimmed with hostility.
Green-grade beast, Red-Maned Wolf.
Individuals weren't especially strong.
But their packs of ten or more made them a nuisance.
Thud!
Leyzon's gaze snapped toward the sound.
There stood a Sword-Tooth Clan boy wielding four swaying tails.
Hanok Wilbria.
He was battling the red-maned wolves.
Hanok handled them deftly with his one-handed spear and shield.
Kaaaaang!
A fierce cry pierced a red-maned wolf.
Shield Resonance [C].
A technique that briefly stunned foes up close.
Several nearby wolves collapsed, immobilized.
His one-handed spear exploited the gap, skewering a wolf's skull.
It cleaved bone and churned brains.
"Kngh!"
The other wolves charged Hanok belatedly.
But they couldn't halt Hanok's momentum.
"Leyzon, should we just watch?"
Syria spoke up, perhaps feeling a twinge of concern.
Hanok's fight must have looked precarious to her.
"It's fine. Hanok's got the skills."
Leyzon wrapped his scarf snugly.
As he watched Hanok intently.
After hearing Estelle's tale earlier.
Hanok's face had grown complicated.
Owing to the Shadow Warlord's mention.
So Leyzon had brought him straight to the dungeon.
Moving the body cleared a cluttered mind.
Back in his studying days, Leyzon had run whenever things stalled.
He knew it worked.
Thud!
Finally, Hanok felled the entire pack of red-maned wolves.
Not a scratch on the panting boy.
'He's improved.'
Not a long time, but plenty of experiences.
Hanok had grown more adept in battle.
"......Leyzon."
Still, Hanok felt a thirst.
A thirst to grow stronger.
"How can I get stronger?"
The Shadow Warlord tale had reignited the fire in his heart.
Hanok turned to Leyzon with fervent eyes.
Leyzon slowly curled his lips at the sight.
"If you're set on it, I've got an idea."
The empire was never weak.
Their countless secrets and allied forces.
Undead alone wouldn't suffice against it all.
'I need more cards in my hand.'
A war against a nation dominating the world.
Personal strength had limits.
Hanok was a seasoned warrior.
Leyzon, who had cleared Dungeon Replay countless times, was certain.
Hanok had the talent to reach dungeon clears.
'And not just him.'
He'd realized through Estelle's story.
'The Shadow Warlord linked to Hanok will be a huge asset someday.'
Dungeon Replay was a game of building from the ground up.
Towers built hastily toppled in the wind.
But those built steadily withstood any gale.
Leyzon sought an unbreakable tower.
For the ending.
He was determined to erect one unyielding.
'I'm not counting on two lives in this game.'
Thus, he'd seize every open possibility.
Missing both chasing two rabbits was old wisdom.
Leyzon aimed to catch three, four, ten—all of them.
"Hanok, can you bear anything and grow stronger?"
The day he first met Hanok.
Leyzon had pondered this ever since.
And this place, the Lang'a Layer dungeon, was perfect to test it.
"Anything!"
Hanok answered without hesitation.
His eyes burned with resolve.
Leyzon's lips curved upward.
"Heh heh, no take-backs on that."
Leyzon grinned suspiciously.
Hanok shuddered at the ominous vibe.
"......L-Leyzon, what are you planning?"
Sensing danger in the smile, Hanok stepped back.
"Hanok."
Leyzon advanced a step, beaming brightly.
"You're going to wear living armor."
And with that, an utterly absurd proposal emerged.