Vigilance is the Sentiment of the Weak
"I am not asking you to serve under me. We are Lords of the Abyss. Together, the two of us shall rule over the lesser beings."
Calandas began listing the dungeons aligned with his faction. From the Rank 12 dungeon to the Rank 18 dungeon, a total of fifteen subordinate dungeons answered to Calandas's command.
"The dungeon bosses are all of the dead. If you join me, it would be nothing short of perfection. Is that not so, my friend?"
Now I understood. I finally knew why Calandas had been acting so friendly, calling me "friend" from our very first meeting.
'If our friendship deepens, I shall allow you to read a passage of the Necronomicon.'
The reason he had deliberately brought that up in front of Charlotte was clear now. It was all underhanded groundwork to lure me into his faction. Looking at him again, he was nothing but a sly old snake of a skeleton.
'If sixteen bosses are undead, it does make sense for me to join.'
If life had taught me anything, it was that networking was everything, no matter the circle. Kicking away an exclusive undead alliance would be volunteering to be an outcast. If I accepted, our shared nature would make it easy to grow close, and I'd gain the peace of mind that came with having allies. Even if a Hero's subjugation party invaded, we could easily repel them with the support of Calandas and his subordinate bosses.
But I still knew absolutely nothing about the political landscape of the Mugan 7-gung's factions. Accepting blindly when I was completely in the dark? This wasn't choosing a lunch menu at the office; it wasn't a decision to be made lightly. Besides, if I gave in too easily, it would look as though I was indeed becoming his subordinate. I would rather die than be ordered around by Calandas.
'For now, let's play hard to get.'
I would politely decline but leave a positive opening. That way, he would stop pestering me and get lost sooner.
"I shall consider it favorably."
"A wise decision."
Calandas seemed to have expected exactly this kind of response. Had I accepted or refused immediately, he might have been disappointed. Accepting without knowing the context would have exposed a completely empty brain. In other words, Calandas was testing me while probing my intentions. If a boss who was supposed to stand as his equal turned out to be incompetent, that would be a problem in its own right. I felt glad once again that I had only left the door open.
"Still, the more I look, the more marvelous it is. For a newly established dungeon, it is utterly flawless."
Could you just get lost now that you're done? Calandas, completely lacking in social awareness, leisurely scanned the area.
"You said it was your deputy's doing. I loathe humans, but you do pique my interest."
"You flatter me, Your Majesty."
"How would you like to become a Lich?"
"..."
This bastard Calandas kept throwing curveballs without warning. Charlotte pursed her lips for a moment before speaking with visible effort.
"When my mortal flesh reaches its limit, I shall gladly accept your grace."
"That, too, is a wise decision. Whether it be years or decades, seek an audience with me whenever you feel inclined."
Calandas wasn't just unpleasant in appearance and aura. He was a master at making everyone around him uncomfortable with every single word he uttered. No wonder his only friends were undead. Just when I thought he was finally finished, he kept dragging the conversation on.
"My friend. I have heard much of how you slew the Hero of Faith. They say you killed him in a single blow without even lifting a finger. While I am curious about your method, where is the Hero's corpse?"
Charlotte flinched.
"I shall get straight to the point. May I have the Hero's corpse?"
"The Hero?"
"In exchange, I shall gift you an army of tens of thousands of undead. And since you are an irregular Death Knight, I shall also prepare a skeletal steed befitting your stature. If even that is not enough, how about a Bone Dragon? It was brought all the way from the Ten-Tier Abyss, so its utility goes without saying."
The math didn't add up. A Bone Dragon was a named monster a tier above the Hero of Faith. Calandas was willingly taking a loss. I had a rough idea of why he was being so persistent. An undead Hero collection. To Calandas, who harbored a deep hatred for humanity, turning the Hero—humanity's greatest hope—into an undead was a highly amusing, twisted hobby. He intended to reveal the undead Hero to the world and plunge humanity into despair.
"Forgive my insolence, Your Majesty, but the corpse is in my possession," Charlotte spoke up.
"What do you mean by that?"
"He is already soul-bound to me..."
Instead of explaining further, Charlotte summoned Valmonk to show him. At that, Calandas stared silently at Charlotte for a long moment. An undead familiar is bound to its caster by the soul. The caster commands them as an absolute servant, and they cannot be transferred to anyone else.
"It matters not. A Soul Binding is easily severed with my power."
That was true, provided the recipient wasn't the Lich King. Only Calandas possessed the phenomenal ability to break a Soul Binding. Without a shred of exaggeration, Charlotte had just brushed past the gates of death. If Calandas couldn't break the Soul Binding, he would have severed Charlotte's soul instead.
"His condition is excellent. Hand the Hero over to me. Do so, and I promise to grant you an even stronger army."
She should have just handed him over, but for some reason, Charlotte glanced at me, seeking my approval. Did she think we were co-owners? I nodded, signaling her to give him up quickly. Charlotte stared at me intently, then nodded back. Please, let my message have gotten through.
"I am sorry, but I cannot do that."
"What?"
"This undead is a grace bestowed upon me by my Lord, who corrected my mistake. Before he was a Hero, he held a precious meaning to me. Though it is an insolent request, I wish to keep him."
I was screwed. I was absolutely, utterly screwed. How on earth did she interpret my nod to spout such nonsense? Just as I was about to step in, Calandas lowered his head.
"Heh..."
A low chuckle escaped through his teeth. It gradually grew louder until a booming, maniacal laughter echoed through the cavern.
My frayed nerves and senses locked onto Calandas. It was a primal instinct that bypassed thought. If Calandas made even the slightest movement, we would die like Kobolds.
"My, my... You have quite an amusing deputy by your side. Do not worry, my friend. Out of respect for your position, I shall covet him no longer."
I swallowed a sigh of relief at the unexpected response. This wasn't just a heart-stopping level of tension; my lifespan had nearly been deleted entirely. Please, no more of this tightrope walking. Once Calandas left, I was going to give Charlotte a severe scolding. You crazy wench, I almost died because of you.
"Instead, I have another favor to ask. It seems I have found something else I desire besides the Hero."
Calandas pointed a bony finger.
"Turn this abominable human into a corpse. With your own hands."
At first, I thought I had misheard. But his finger was pointing directly at Charlotte.
"Do so, and I shall turn her into a Lich and put her to good use. Consider it a pardon for her sin."
Charlotte's expression was a far cry from her usual monotone indifference. Her pupils shook as if struck by an earthquake, and her lips trembled like the last leaf on a branch.
"This human has dared to challenge the authority of the Lich King. Naturally, she must pay the price. If you do the deed, I shall grant you an army of tens of thousands. No matter how capable a deputy may be, they cannot compare to an army. Tell me, is this not an enticing offer?"
"...With my own hands."
If Calandas wished to kill her, Charlotte would die on the spot without even realizing it. I couldn't comprehend what that bastard was thinking by dumping this task on me.
"To die by the hands of the Lord she worships above all else... there is no greater despair. Look at her, trembling so pathetically. She is like a lamb led to the slaughter."
An undead who fed on human suffering and despair for a thousand years. I, who was undead only in body, could never understand him. Understanding aside, I wanted to live. If I didn't kill Charlotte here, Calandas might bypass hostility and kill me on the spot.
A life-and-death battle between Lords of the Abyss Palace was not as simple as it sounded. In the first place, there had been no instances of them killing one another for a thousand years. But the boss standing before me was none other than the Lich King, Calandas. The only reason he showed me respect was because I was undead, not because of my Rank 7 status. Normally, his nature was to look down on the lower-ranked 6th and 7th Lords. If a lower-ranked Lord turned his back on him to side with a human, Calandas would never let him live, undead or not. No, because I was undead, he might be even more inclined to kill me. The sense of betrayal from one's own kind would be beyond measure.
'On the other hand, he might not kill me.'
Whatever the situation, we were both bosses of the Abyss Palace, treated as equals. Would Calandas really risk a clash to kill me over a petty personal grudge? Then again, even if I couldn't be sure, did I have any reason to put my own life on the line to save Charlotte?
"You told me to kill my deputy."
Having made my decision, I walked toward Charlotte. Charlotte had already closed her eyes tight, as if she had resigned herself to her fate. She seemed to realize it too—that it was only right for her to die for my sake. I thought the same. In a situation where refusal might mean my death, there was no reason to risk my life to save her.
"I cannot do that."
But I couldn't kill her. All of Charlotte's devotion up until now had been for my sake. To kill a subordinate who, setting aside her sheer competence, was fiercely loyal to me? Letting her die was hard enough, but killing her with my own hands was absolutely out of the question.
In one corner of my vision stood Calandas, his eyes glowing with an eerie blue light. In the other stood Charlotte, wearing an expression I had never seen before. Her level color was shifting, but now was not the time to worry about that.
"My friend. Is this truly your choice?"
"Yes."
"You have walked into your own ruin. Do you have no regrets?"
"Not a single one."
These weren't mindless words. In his mind, I was a fellow boss of the Mugan 7-gung. Even if my rank was lower, the fact remained that we were of the same Abyss Palace.
Just then, the ground began to tremble, and decayed hands burst forth from the earth. A sinister, deathly energy filled the air, accompanied by groans like dying gasps. At a glance, their numbers easily exceeded a thousand. He had raised an army of thousands in a mere fraction of a second. Just witnessing it made me feel the sheer scale of his power.
—Gggrrr...
—Groooan...
Shuffling forward, the army surrounded us, filling the cavern as if slowly tightening a noose around our necks. Everywhere I looked, I saw nothing but deep red levels. It went beyond mere hostility; it was unmistakable intent to kill.
"To think I must replace a Lord of the Abyss Palace once again. Truly regrettable."
Sure enough, Calandas's level also dyed itself a deep crimson. He had already resolved to kill me.
I always keep the worst-case scenario in mind. This was exactly that, and the silver lining was that I had at least anticipated it.
"I feel the same way. The disappearance of the Rank 5 Lord of the Abyss Palace will cause quite a stir."
"Someone must die."
If I showed weakness, I was dead. I had to make him realize the devastating damage he would suffer in a life-and-death struggle with me. Furthermore, if I could instill the threat that he might actually die... if I could project that kind of overwhelming spirit, the momentum would shift to me. This was a calculated bluff, a gamble with my life on the line. Thanks to being undead, my poker face was flawless. All that was left was to show him through action.
I focused my gaze on Calandas's hand—specifically, the bone ring he wore.
◈ If enhancement fails, the skill cooldown will be reset.
Perhaps this was crossing the line. He might react reflexively and impulsively retaliate without reading the situation. If so, I would die without a doubt. But my style was to roll the dice and expect a six. I could proudly call it the temperament of a true gambler. If this worked, I would be the one standing on top of his head.
"You said you were curious about how I killed the Hero in a single blow."
Crack!
In an instant, a sound like a firecracker erupted from Calandas's hand. Calandas looked down at his hand in reflex, but the finger where his bone ring should have been was completely empty. Only after realizing this did his gaze shift back to me.
Gradually, the color of Calandas's level shifted from crimson to orange. From murderous intent to vigilance. And vigilance is the sentiment of the weak toward the strong. This was the ultimate signal that the momentum was now mine.
"I can kill a Lord of the Abyss Palace just as easily. Next time, it will be your head."
Feigning indifference, I gave a slight tilt of my chin. Come at me if you dare, you coward. I'm not scared of you at all.