Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: The Soul Necromancer's Invitation
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The now-familiar Resonance World.
Leyzon shoved his hands into his pockets and trudged along as soon as he entered.
As he passed through the corridor and emerged into the open, he spotted another necromancer for the first time in a while.
From what he'd heard recently from Harban, Leyzon was certain these fools were up to no good.
They were going to show the empire the power of the Abyss.
'I never said that. Unbelievable.'
Why did they keep jumping to their own ridiculous conclusions?
Just looking at these guys made it clear why the empire was doomed to fall.
Among the gathered necromancers, he recognized one face.
Monkey Mask.
It was Harban.
"I've sworn my loyalty to the Abyss from here on out."
This loose-lipped bastard.
Already blabbing to everyone, huh?
Leyzon didn't join them and instead quietly eavesdropped on the necromancers' conversation.
A Butterfly Mask was there among them.
"Monkey, we all knew you worshipped the Abyss. Looks like you've finally lost it completely."
Butterfly Mask brushed off Harban's words with one ear out the other.
Skull Mask chimed in, clattering its teeth in laughter.
"What does the Abyss see in a monkey like you? You don't seem useful at all!"
"Skull, I'll curse you someday, mark my words."
Harban warned, but Skull only laughed harder.
"Whether you believe me or not is none of my concern. I'm just here to tell you to properly carry out the Abyss's will."
Harban acted more normally here than out in the real world.
Leyzon could guess why.
'Out there, he's constantly being eaten away by curses.'
Harban had been born under a curse.
Whether he realized it or not, it had gnawed at his mind over time.
'The Resonance World only takes in souls.'
His mental state was clearly more intact here than outside.
"The Abyss commanded us only to seek the Bluebird. He told us not to stir up trouble with the empire needlessly. Remember that."
"We already knew that."
Butterfly Mask responded indifferently.
She'd always seemed to have a level head.
Sure enough, she didn't twist the Abyss's intentions to suit herself.
Skull nodded its skull in agreement.
"Some loose-screw necromancers interpreted it their own way, but it wasn't anything that needed twisting!"
Skull was just like Butterfly Mask.
They'd simply investigated the Bluebird Knights in line with the Abyss's request.
They hadn't gone poking around the empire.
"I... I see."
Harban, the one who'd brought it up, was the only one whose face stiffened.
He was the sole one among them who'd been stirring up trouble everywhere, so it was only natural.
Watching him, Leyzon wondered if recruiting Harban had been a mistake.
'Rafila will keep him in check.'
With that thought, Leyzon headed out to the plaza.
"Long time no see, you lot."
As Leyzon greeted them, all three turned toward him.
Harban's monkey face twitched violently.
Leyzon ignored him and looked at Skull and Butterfly Mask.
"So, how's it going? Any progress on the requests I gave you?"
These two necromancers had entered the Resonance World after a long absence.
They must have come because they had useful intel.
Butterfly Mask's lips curved into a slight smile.
"Yes, of course. If not, we wouldn't have bothered coming here."
So they did find something.
Leyzon sat on the sofa, placing his hopes on Butterfly Mask.
"Good. Let's start with you then, Butterfly Mask."
He'd judge the success of the requests after hearing them out.
As eyes turned to her, Butterfly Mask cleared her throat twice and straightened her posture demurely before speaking.
"First off, we found the location where the Bluebird Knight Commander died last."
They'd found it faster than expected.
This was information the empire would have buried as deeply as possible, so Butterfly Mask must be more skilled than he'd thought.
"Did you find the body too?"
"Unfortunately, no body. The empire must have erased it completely."
Just as he'd suspected.
It was disappointing, but he'd half-expected it.
"Plus, you mentioned before that empire necromancers were entering the Resonance World, right?"
Leyzon's bombshell statement from earlier.
Butterfly Mask, remembering it, continued.
"It seems that necromancer wiped out even the soul remnants of the Bluebird Knight Commander."
"That cuts off the only way to summon the soul and turn it into an undead."
Soul remnants were the traces souls left in this world.
Necromancers used those remnants to call forth spirits with necromancy.
Without them, summoning was impossible.
Leyzon clicked his tongue.
The empire bastards did a thorough job when it suited them.
Clack—
"Doesn't that mean the request ultimately failed?"
Skull pointed out the flaw in Butterfly Mask's report.
As Skull said, the request was to turn the Bluebird Knight Commander into an undead so they could hear her thoughts directly.
Like this, the request couldn't be fulfilled no matter what.
"Yes, that's right."
Butterfly Mask didn't deny it.
But she still exuded confidence and poise.
She had something else in mind.
"But they picked the wrong opponent. I'm in the soul arts business too, you know."
She was?
Surprisingly, there was another soul necromancer right under his nose.
"Even if they erased the soul remnants, that doesn't mean there's no way to summon a soul."
Precisely, by using a higher existence than souls, you could pull it straight from the underworld."
Higher existence.
The moment he heard that, something clicked for Leyzon.
"Evil Transcendents, huh."
"Yes, exactly."
He hadn't intended it, but these Evil Transcendents kept getting tangled up in everything.
Eden's matter involved them too.
Mentioning them again left a bad taste.
"Butterfly Mask, can you handle Evil Transcendents?"
"It's more like negotiation. Pay the price, and they deliver."
Leyzon tapped his crossed arms thoughtfully.
Evil Transcendents were dangerous.
Back when he'd played Dungeon Replay, they were like a poisoned chalice.
Useful when you used them, but they always brought backlash later.
'And the empire's downfall is still in progress.'
The empire's collapse might involve Evil Transcendents.
Leyzon had been preparing to face the empire himself, but he didn't want it wiped out by their power.
He needed the empire intact to see both endings.
'Irresistible divine intervention? Pass.'
Still, if there was a method available, not using it felt wasteful.
"Evil Transcendents give generously when they bestow, but take back with unmatched cruelty."
Leyzon looked at Butterfly Mask.
"Butterfly Mask, can you handle the cost?"
She smiled faintly.
"Worried about me?"
"Worried about the whole world."
If it was just her sacrificing herself, he'd have encouraged it.
But if it threatened the world itself, no thanks.
Clack—
For some reason, Skull was staring at Leyzon oddly.
"The whole world, huh."
Skull muttered to itself.
The guy was always a bit off-kilter, but he had a knack for hitting the nail on the head.
Leyzon glanced at him, but Skull said nothing more.
"Don't worry. I always have plenty to pay the Evil Transcendents."
From the looks of it, Butterfly Mask had dealt with them before.
If she was that skilled, maybe talk to her later about Eden's daughter.
"Alright. Bring back the info next time, and I'll count this request as your success."
"Promise?"
Butterfly Mask clenched her fist, showing her resolve.
Harban eyed her enviously.
"Skull, got anything separate on the Bluebird Knights?"
Leyzon turned to Skull next.
Skull chuckled and shook its head.
"Compared to Butterfly, mine's way inferior. Lots of overlap too, so I'll pass."
What a letdown.
This suspicious guy probably knew something else but was holding back.
It felt like he was being cagey on purpose.
"Guess that's all then."
Leyzon rose from the sofa.
'Black Widow's not here yet, huh.'
She'd said beforehand that if she didn't show this time, it meant she needed more time.
'Not the kind of research that wraps up overnight.'
He'd hoped to pick up a skill from the manuscript.
Now his skill slot would sit empty again.
Leyzon stood, feeling a pang of regret.
This side needed one more skill slot anyway.
He'd focus on Ascension with the extra time.
"See you next time."
Leyzon left the necromancers behind and walked off.
'Got all the info I need.'
Pledge for next time and log out.
As usual, Leyzon opened the door to his numbered room, but he blinked and froze.
Beyond the door stretched a completely different scene from normal.
A blue meadow.
Butterflies fluttered about.
Leyzon's eyes narrowed.
He knew who'd called him here.
Leyzon closed the door behind him.
In the Resonance World, only one person could create such an independent space.
Leyzon walked along a corridor lined with white pillars.
After a long walk, the corridor ended.
There, on the blue meadow, stood a lone white round table and chairs.
A dark elf woman sat there demurely.
She wore a black dress that suited her perfectly and took a leisurely sip of tea.
The moment Leyzon saw her, he knew.
'Black Widow passed the message along nicely.'
Not long ago, Leyzon had asked Black Widow to relay something.
About the undead he was searching for.
Ghost-type undead, Ghost Bride Tessa Miriji.
He'd asked her to introduce him to someone who could find her.
Black Widow's disciple, mother of Piran.
The one who'd created this space in the Resonance World for her son.
A soul necromancer.
Phirsiran.
The master of the Resonance World, though long dead, had summoned Leyzon.