The Cruel Sovereign
Sudden? Strength. If I had to pick a word several times more terrifying than that, it would be cruelty. The strong can afford to be generous, but the cruel are, quite literally, merciless. Strength and cruelty. A combination of the two is nothing short of an absolute disaster that should never coexist. Anyone in their right mind would think that avoiding a cruel powerhouse is the best course of action. But I didn't even have the luxury of time to run.
If there were a grim reaper who held the power of life and death, he would surely look like this. With Calandas's arrival, all movement and speech in the area ground to a halt. A suffocating pressure weighed down on the air, making it hard to draw breath. The gathered crowd struggled to breathe, their chests heaving as if their throats were being constricted. The power over everyone's life and death in this place was held by a single being.
"Bow your heads, everyone! Behold the Lich King who rules over bone, the sovereign who commands ten thousand deaths and defies the natural order! The Lord of the Rank 5 Abyssal Palace, Lord Calandas Bon Elderich!"
A pair of blue eyes, burning like ghostly wildfire, swept over the surroundings. Those who met his gaze flinched and trembled as if struck by a sudden, icy chill. To think that merely being looked at could make one's knees buckle and send shivers down their spine. Back when I was just an ordinary office worker, I used to think that the absolute beings in fantasy novels were nothing but illusions, mere plot devices to show a superficial ceiling of power. But now that it has become my reality, I understand. The being standing before me is no illusion—he is the real deal.
"O Lord of the Five Fingers! Your humble servants welcome the arrival of the Lich King!"
The Demon Merchant bowed with frantic haste. He bent so low that his forehead practically touched the ground. Starting with him, hundreds of Kobolds, Dwarves, vampires, Charlotte, Valmonk—everyone except me—prostrated themselves. Already small, they seemed to shrink even further, looking utterly pathetic before Calandas.
Ssssshh—
An icy, corpse-like chill emanated from Calandas's mouth. The breath of the dead, which choked the life out of the living, seemed to freeze the very air itself. The sheer caliber of his undead existence was incomparable to mine—no, even attempting to compare us was an insult to him. Calandas slowly turned his gaze without showing the slightest hint of emotion. Even after a full minute had passed in this manner, not a single soul dared to lift their head.
"Your backs are too high."
With those first words, Calandas flicked his fingertip.
"Gack—!"
A death rattle immediately followed. In my reflexively shifting field of vision, I saw a Kobold collapse without warning. There was no blood. No wounds. Yet, somehow, it was unmistakably dead. Suddenly, the shadow beneath the corpse vanished. As if that were a premonition, the Kobold abruptly stood back up.
Thud.
The now-undead Kobold collapsed back down, bowing its head deeply. A chilling, frost-laden laughter echoed through the chamber.
"Satisfactory."
The moment he finished speaking, everyone slammed their bodies even lower to the ground. They tucked their chins, kept their eyes tightly shut, and pressed their trembling foreheads against the dirt. As hundreds of monsters prostrated themselves simultaneously, a thick cloud of dust billowed into the air.
...
What kind of stance was I supposed to take here? Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to bury my head in the dirt too. But the reason I remained standing, even after watching that Kobold get casually snuffed out, was because Calandas's purpose for visiting was glaringly obvious.
"Rise."
The gathered crowd, tentatively testing the waters, began to stand up one by one. It took quite a while before everyone was back on their feet. Perhaps because they didn't dare look at Calandas, countless eyes shifted toward me. It was a natural reaction since his business was clearly with me, but internally, I was shaking in my boots just as much as they were. And then, quite by accident, my eyes locked with Calandas's.
Level Indicator Color: Light Green (Favorable / Friendly)
"Oh."
In an instant, the number 93 hovering above his head shifted to a light green. A sigh of relief slipped from my lips. The sigh immediately condensed into a puff of freezing mist, proving my status as a member of the undead.
"A Death Knight, just as I heard. Tell me, are you the new master of the 7th Abyssal Palace?"
Calandas extended a stark white skeletal hand. There were likely two reasons why he harbored goodwill toward me. First, he viewed me as a peer—the new Lord of the 7th Abyssal Palace. Second, the fact that I was undead undoubtedly triggered a sense of kinship.
Alright, let's not lose our cool.
Looking at the situation objectively, this was simply a meeting between two Lords of the Abyssal Palaces. Acting subservient would only backfire. If he started doubting me, thinking, 'Is this coward really a Lord of the Abyss?' then it would be game over.
"I am."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my friend. Tell me, what is your True Name?"
"I was born only recently. I do not possess a name."
I managed to gloss over it. Anticipating his likely response, I quickly racked my brain.
"Then you need only bestow one upon yourself. The other Lords of the Abyss did the same."
"...Bargore."
The nickname of my very first character flashed through my mind. From this moment on, I was the Death Knight, the Rank 7 Lord of the Abyssal Palaces—'Bargore.'
"Bargore. My newly deceased friend. I regret arriving without prior notice, but I have two matters of urgent business with you."
"And what might those be?"
"Let us walk first."
Calandas led the way, drifting slightly off the ground—he was essentially levitating. As I walked behind him, my mind raced with a thousand different theories. He said he had two purposes for visiting, but no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't pinpoint what they could be.
I thought he just came to see my face because we're both undead.
But he wouldn't have phrased it so formally if it were just a casual visit. Furthermore, seeing how he was leading me to a secluded area, he clearly had some clandestine agenda.
"What is that human doing here?"
"She is my lieutenant."
The moment Calandas pointed at Charlotte, my heart leaped into my throat. When the undead are resurrected, hatred for the living becomes an instinctual drive. While they generally despise all living things, Liches who were once human harbor a hatred for humanity that is several times more intense.
"You have allowed a human into the Abyssal Palace?"
"...I have."
The tension of facing Calandas at this very moment was so extreme that it felt like my soul was about to leave my body. An undead boss taking a human as a lieutenant. His burning blue eyes seemed to pierce right through me, searching for my true intentions. I felt as if my nonexistent heart had shrivelled to the size of a pea, and my brain completely stalled as I tried to conjure up a plausible excuse.
"Indeed. You truly are the master of the 7th Abyssal Palace. You are utterly unpredictable."
Since his level color remained green, his words matched his true feelings. It had lasted less than three seconds, but I felt like I had shaved ten years off my life. Did he really let it slide just because I was 'unpredictable'? Personally, I doubted it. Just as he respected me as a fellow Lord of the Abyss, it was only proper to respect my lieutenant as well. A lieutenant is the brain of a dungeon. When the boss is away, they are practically the one in charge. Calandas was a cruel boss, but he wasn't a mindless brute who acted without reason. On the contrary, his style was to read the movements of the world and act strategically to expand his influence. In any case, to respect my position, he had chosen to respect Charlotte as well. Swallowing my relief, I nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"To me, she is not merely a human, but a highly capable lieutenant. She oversaw the entire construction of this dungeon, and as you can see, she has executed her duties flawlessly."
"Hmm. Indeed, her abilities seem quite useful. A reward for her services is certainly in order."
"You flatter me, Your Eminence."
Charlotte, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up. I felt an overwhelming urge to cover her mouth right then and there. Calandas was the type of undead who would ruthlessly slaughter any human who dared speak without permission. I cautiously watched Calandas's reaction. Completely oblivious to my internal panic, Charlotte kept her mouth running.
"Before I was a human, I was born a witch. As I grew, my reverence for the Lich King led me to walk the path of a necromancer."
"Hmm."
"All of this was to achieve a single, grand purpose. My goal is to eradicate every last human from the face of this earth."
"Her resolve, at least, is commendable."
Calandas glanced at me before continuing.
"I cannot simply ignore a fellow traveler who shares our grand purpose. Once our friendship deepens, my friend, I shall allow her to read a passage from the Necronomicon."
"It would be the greatest honor of my life, Your Eminence."
"I find her to my liking. Let your lieutenant accompany us."
"Very well."
Hell yeah, Charlotte. Good job.
I felt like my lifespan was fluctuating wildly, but as long as this ended on a positive note, I was happy. My only hope now was to establish a friendly relationship and get him to leave as quickly as possible. The three of us walked down the empty corridor. Charlotte followed behind like a loyal subject accompanying her king, while I walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Calandas, completely belying the sheer terror gripping my heart.
"As I mentioned, my purpose for visiting is twofold. You may not be aware, but factions have quietly formed within the Mugan 7 Palaces."
This was news even to me, a veteran with 30,000 hours of playtime. Factions existing among the Lords of the Mugan 7 Palaces?
I guess they have their own behind-the-scenes drama.
Come to think of it, it would be stranger to know every single detail of the lore just because I played the game a lot. Naturally, there would be plenty of things I didn't know.
"Soon, the Rank 6 Lord will request an audience with you. Naturally, a faction has formed around that woman as well."
The Rank 6 Lord?
As a veteran, the name instantly came to mind. To be honest, as a man, it was impossible not to remember. The dungeon was the Ecstatic Castle. The boss was Valentia Rosesha. She was the Succubus Queen, a character to whom many male gamers—myself included—owed a debt of gratitude. Her ability to seduce men and drain their life force even through a computer screen was a testament to her terrifying power.
"Do not trust that deceitful wench. If you let yourself be swayed by her sweet talk, you will meet a terrible end. Since you are undead, I am not overly worried, but be on your guard nonetheless."
Judging by his words, her faction seemed to be the polar opposite of the undead faction. If I were still a man with a dick, I might have succumbed, but in this body, there was no chance of that. Instead of replying, I simply nodded.
"Above all, I wish for you to join my faction."
...
I hadn't expected a recruitment offer so suddenly.