Acquiring an SSS-Grade Skeletal Horse
Valentia Rosesha, the Queen of the Night. She was both the Succubus Queen and a master of puppetry. Any doll crafted in the likeness of a living creature would instantly become her thrall. Though called "dolls," their speech and actions were so vivid they seemed to possess their own egos, and their martial prowess was formidable. Rosesha used these dolls as her minions, but she could also possess their bodies whenever she pleased. Just like right now. The succubus standing before me was merely a hollow shell, but the soul inside was unmistakably Rosesha.
"Mmm. Darling, you have quite the sharp eye, don't you?"
Her voice was sweet and sultry, practically tickling my ears. Her fingers had been tracing light, teasing strokes along my neck for a while now. If I still had it attached, I would have reacted without even realizing.
"Tell me. How did you know?"
"..."
"Even the Elder couldn't see through this. Come on, won't you tell me?"
The "Elder" she spoke of was none other than the Rank 2 boss of the Ten-Tier Abyss. In other words, I had just seen through a deception that even a Rank 2 boss couldn't penetrate. A Rank 7 boss possessing insight that even a Rank 2 lacked? This was bound to pique Rosesha's curiosity and interest, and looking at her now, my prediction had hit the bullseye.
...Maybe I should have just turned a blind eye and pretended not to notice. Showing off my knowledge had only landed me in a troublesome situation.
"What is your business here?" I dryly changed the subject. Rosesha stared at me intently before her eyes crinkled into a playful smile.
"What if you tell me yours first, Darling?"
I was going to get swept up in her pace at this rate. I simply stared at her in silence, and Rosesha met my gaze with her unwavering, mischievous smile. Left with no choice, I decided to speak first.
"There is likely no grand purpose. You heard the news that a new member had joined the 7 Abyssal Palaces to break the monotony of your days. That alone must have piqued your interest."
"...Mmm."
"And as it happened, that Rank 7 boss requested dungeon support. Since you were interested and wished to maintain good relations, sending aid was only natural. However, while you harbored a personal curiosity toward me, you worried that meeting me face-to-face under the pretext of support would diminish the gravitas a Rank 6 boss should project to a newcomer."
I watched as the color of Rosesha's level indicator shifted to a pale green.
"You wanted to preserve the dignity of a Rank 6 boss while still satisfying your curiosity. Is that not why you chose this method? By observing without revealing yourself, you solve both problems at once."
"Spot on, aren't you?" Rosesha clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward, bending at the waist. As she thrust her slyly smiling face close to mine, I almost instinctively averted my eyes. I feel like I might actually get bewitched if I'm not careful.
"Unlike a certain skeleton, I don't have any underhanded schemes. I really just came because I wanted to see you. Curiosity? Interest? Call it what you want, I just wanted to see what kind of man you are."
"I figured as much."
"Ah, and I had expectations too. I was a bit worried that the new Rank 7 might turn out to be a disappointment once I actually met him."
In an instant, her level returned to normal, the question marks vanishing. I scanned our surroundings, searching for where the question marks had gone, and my eyes eventually landed on a vampire standing some distance away.
"So, now that you have seen me in person, what do you think?"
"...Darling. You really have a knack for driving a woman wild, don't you?"
I knew what she was like, but hearing such a blunt, dirty joke right to my face left me with a bizarre feeling.
"You far exceeded my expectations. Once you return, you'll have to make some time for me, okay? Just the two of us."
"A meeting between two Lords of the Abyssal Palaces. I assume you wish to hold some confidential negotiations."
"Negotiations? Mmm, that's close enough, I suppose? Though personally, I'm more interested in copulation."
...What did she just say?
"If it were up to me, I'd roll around with you passionately right this second... but this isn't my real body, you see? Wouldn't it be better if our first time was the real deal?"
"I am an undead, however."
"My, how ungentlemanly of you to bring that up during our first meeting. I am the Succubus Queen, you know. Surely you don't think I lack the means?"
I didn't even have that part anymore, nor could my body sleep, so what on earth did she mean by "means"? I hadn't seen any such ability even in the detailed game lore book. I started to think about it further but quickly stopped myself. The more I dwelled on it, the more I felt the frustrating sensation of falling right into her trap.
"I am busy at the moment. I will formally request an audience later, so let us speak again then."
"Perfect. I'll be looking forward to it. See you then, Darling?"
With those parting words, the question marks vanished from the level indicator. Since I couldn't spot them anywhere else, she had likely returned to her true body. I had met plenty of people who drained my energy just by talking to them, but this was the first time I felt like my actual life force was about to be sucked dry. Exhaling a breath of icy air that served as a sigh, I turned around.
"Charlotte. Is everything ready?"
"..."
For some reason, Charlotte was glaring intensely at the vampire—specifically, the vampire doll that Rosesha had been possessing just moments ago.
"Charlotte."
"...Yes, my Lord."
"Are the preparations complete?"
"Ah, I will get to it immediately."
Seeing her flustered, which was highly uncharacteristic of her, filled me with a strange sense of unease. Once the two of us set out, I'll be relying entirely on you. You can't be losing your focus like this.
Then again, I'm not one to talk. Ever since our slightly contradictory first encounter, my own mind had been in a whirl. It had been an intense first meeting, albeit in a completely different sense than my encounter with Calandas.
"There are actually quite a few documented cases where a knight removed his helmet only to reveal himself as a Death Knight. This means that as long as people do not see what is inside, you will pass for a human. Furthermore, with a Death Knight who possesses such exceptional linguistic skills as you, my Lord, no one would even dream of suspecting you."
"And if we are exposed?"
"We eliminate all witnesses."
"..."
"Do not worry. I would never allow your hands to be soiled, my Lord, so I shall be the one to slit their throats."
I had a feeling this was going to be an ominous journey. I reached up to touch the empty space atop my skull. Where my stag horns should have been, I felt only lifeless white hair. Since I had to wear a helmet, and the horns would get in the way, I had snapped them off entirely, placing my faith in my natural regeneration. Though I rarely used them compared to Evolution and Enhancement, I did possess the passive traits Advanced Swordsmanship and Natural Regeneration. They would grow back in due time, and being undead meant I felt no pain, but... for some reason, I felt as though a precious part of me had been lost.
"Did you cast the protection magic properly?"
"Yes, my Lord."
Thanks to Charlotte's magic, I could travel during the day without any issues. For a necromancer, the undead were their weapons, meaning they had to keep them active even in broad daylight, so it was only natural that such magic existed. As for food and bedding for camping, we only needed to pack enough for Charlotte. Aside from that, there was absolutely nothing of mine to pack. It wasn't as if I needed to sleep or eat, after all. Finally, I checked my physical condition. I had concealed my body entirely in heavy armor to look like a knight. Seeing that the sunlight didn't affect me in the slightest, the protection magic was indeed working flawlessly.
"Forgive my overprotectiveness, but have you secured your Dungeon Core?"
"I have it safely tucked away behind my eleventh rib."
For context, I had told her that I was carrying the Dungeon Core on my person. In truth, no such thing existed, and because I couldn't show it to her, she might have doubted its existence. However, many Dungeon Lords hid their cores inside their own bodies. When I lied and claimed to be one of them, she swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. If a Dungeon Core is destroyed, the Lord perishes and the dungeon collapses. I recalled reading in the game lore book that showing the location and physical form of one's life-line, the Dungeon Core, to a subordinate was an incredibly difficult decision. Charlotte seemed to understand this, which was likely why she didn't pry any further.
Our destination was the rainforest inhabited by the Inset tribe. According to Charlotte, it would take about three days by carriage.
"It would be much faster if we used the portals used by merchants."
"In principle, those are strictly reserved for merchants belonging to the guild. It is an inviolable rule that has never been broken, so even the Abyssal Palaces cannot negotiate a compromise."
"But the Rank 6 and Rank 5 Lords seemed to use them without issue."
"Those portals belong to their respective dungeons."
As it turned out, they owned them. No wonder each portal had slightly different colors and shapes. When I asked how one goes about creating a portal, she replied that it required a profound mastery of spatial magic. When it came to magic, Charlotte was highly accomplished herself. I cast a hopeful glance in her direction.
"I am terribly sorry, my Lord."
I guess she couldn't do it. Well, that explained why we had to travel by carriage. There was no point in being disappointed. No matter how powerful the Silt Witch Charlotte was, it was only natural that she couldn't measure up to the Lords of the Abyssal Palaces.
"As for our identities, as we discussed, you shall be a wandering knight traveling in search of his lord. I shall act as your squire."
Charlotte had even swapped her mage robes for a squire's attire: a linen tunic, a woolen coat, and a travel cloak. As long as we didn't make any blunders, we could easily pass for a knight and his squire.
"As you know, since you are an undead, riding a normal horse is impossible, so we must secure a carriage. Stopping by a nearby village to find a merchant caravan would be the easiest way. Otherwise, we will have to travel down the main highway and hitch a ride with a carriage heading in the same direction."
I had bad memories associated with villages, so I wanted to avoid them if possible.
"One concern is that since it is early winter, merchant caravans might be scarce. Even if there are any, they will likely be trading in cotton or animal hides, meaning most of them will be heading north."
Which was the exact opposite direction of our southward journey. I only realized after we set out. I never expected that a combination of these minor issues would make even starting our journey this difficult.
"There is one other method."
"What is it?"
"A skeletal horse. I can summon one immediately, and they are easy to control. However, the public eye would be a major issue. If we openly ride a skeletal horse, we might attract the attention of subjugation squads."
"Can we not simply take paths where there are no people?"
"Forgive me, my Lord, but the highway is a single road, and while the forests flanking it are devoid of humans, they are teeming with wild monsters. Of course, whether it be subjugation squads or monsters, they would pose no threat to you. However, it is true that dealing with them would waste unnecessary time."
Indeed, taking on that much risk was a cause for concern.
"Let us head down the highway for now."
"A wise decision, my Lord."
Having been hunted by Valmonk, villages made me feel uneasy. If we couldn't find a carriage to hitch a ride with on our way down, we could always summon a skeletal horse and cut through the forest. Charlotte could handle any wild monsters we encountered.
"Are you two heading south? In that case, why don't you travel with us?"
Less than an hour after we set out, we were fortunate enough to encounter a merchant caravan heading in the same direction. Moreover, it was quite large. The lead wagon, pulled by mules, was loaded with expensive furs, iron farming tools, and glass crafts. Behind it, fine-bred horses pulled several carriages, accompanied by a mercenary group that easily numbered in the dozens.
"Please, think of it as a comfortable ride and join us. Having a knight accompany us would give us great peace of mind."
A chubby, mustachioed man who appeared to be the caravan leader was practically begging us to climb aboard. He added that with a knight around, they wouldn't have to worry about bandits or monsters leaping out of the forest. So that was his angle. Before boarding the carriage, I glanced at Charlotte to gauge her reaction. I had expected her to nod in agreement, but for some reason, she was shaking her head with an anxious look in her eyes.
Is there something I don't know? Perhaps Charlotte had seen through some hidden agenda of theirs. I gave her a slight nod, signaling her to speak on my behalf.
"We appreciate the offer, but we must decline. As part of his training, the Sir has sworn to travel on foot without any form of transportation for a month."
"Oh, but surely if you travel with us—"
"We decline." Charlotte refused with absolute finality, suggesting there was indeed something amiss. Smacking his lips in disappointment, the merchant finally ordered the halted caravan to move again.
"What was that about?" I asked quietly once the caravan had dwindled into the distance. Charlotte bowed her head, hesitating for a moment before finally answering.
"The crest engraved on the carriages belonged to the Berks Merchant Guild."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"..."
For some reason, she kept hesitating to answer. Only after I nudged her with a sharp glare did she finally open her mouth.
"About three years ago, the daughter of the Berks Guildmaster went missing. In his desperation, the Guildmaster put out a request to mercenaries and fixers, promising a massive fortune to whoever found his daughter. I happened to be there at the time."
I tilted my head slightly at this sudden trip down memory lane.
"The Guildmaster offered twenty gold coins if someone found her corpse, and two hundred gold coins if she was brought back alive. As luck would have it, I was the first to find her."
"The daughter?"
"What used to be his daughter, to be precise. Her corpse, in other words."
Oh, boy.
"If I had simply brought back the corpse, I would have received twenty gold. But when I thought of the two hundred gold, greed got the better of me. In the end, I raised the daughter as an undead and caked her entire body in makeup to make her look as human and alive as possible."
Don't tell me...
"I presented the daughter to the Guildmaster, took the two hundred gold, and made a swift escape. A bounty was placed on my head shortly after, and I've been a fugitive ever since."
"..."
"Even if I were human, I wouldn't have felt any guilt. If anything, pulling off such a grand deception against humans only left me with a profound sense of accomplishment. I fully intend to try it again if the opportunity arises."
I was utterly speechless. Even Satan himself would have shaken his head in disbelief at this level of depravity.
"The pursuit has died down this year, but boarding their carriage would still have been highly risky. I have caused you inconvenience due to my past actions, my Lord. I am deeply sorry."
"...It is fine."
Thanks to Charlotte's colorful past, we had missed our chance to hitch a ride. Since there were no other caravans heading our way, we turned our steps toward the forest. We walked past the tree line and ventured deeper inside. We needed to go further to avoid any human eyes. Deep within the dense, overgrown forest, Charlotte prepared to summon a skeletal horse. Or rather, she was about to.
"...What is this?"
"..."
A faint scent of blood wafted through the air. Pushing through the thick underbrush toward its source, we came upon a pile of scattered corpses. Twenty-three dead goblins, a human knight, and his warhorse. From the looks of it, the knight had fought the goblin horde single-handedly and perished alongside them. To achieve such a feat alone, he must have been quite a formidable knight—likely at least Level 40. Charlotte seemed to share my thoughts, as her eyes lingered on the fallen knight. Indeed, raising a knight of that caliber as an undead would prove highly useful.
"...How strange," Charlotte murmured, examining the knight closely.
"There is not a single drop of blood on his blade."
Just as she said, the knight's sword was pristine.
"The back of the knight's head is drenched in blood. Aside from that, there are no other wounds, nor is there any damage to his armor. It seems the goblins pelted him with stones from the bushes, killing him instantly."
Charlotte then walked around, inspecting the dead goblins and the warhorse.
"The cause of death for all these goblins is either blunt force trauma from a powerful impact or severe bite wounds. And looking at the warhorse..."
Its body was battered and torn, bearing clear evidence of a desperate, life-or-death struggle.
"It must have fought to protect its fallen master."
"It seems so. In fact, it is almost certain."
Even if that was the only logical explanation, it was still hard to believe. Usually, when a rider dies, a horse will immediately flee to save itself. The fact that this warhorse had stood its ground against dozens of goblins to protect its master's corpse was incredible. Its sheer fighting spirit was admirable enough, but the fact that it had actually slain them all was truly astonishing.
"Calling it an exceptional steed would be an understatement. If raised as a skeletal horse, it will surely be worthy of carrying you, my Lord."
With those words, Charlotte unleashed an ominous wave of magical energy. The warhorse's corpse began to twitch violently as its flesh and skin rapidly decayed and sloughed off. Once the last shred of flesh dissolved, the skeletal horse rose to its feet.
—Neigh!
I flinched slightly when I saw its level. A mere mount, not even a dedicated combat unit, was Level 51. There was indeed a reason it had managed to slaughter dozens of goblins.
"I apologize, my Lord. Due to my lack of ability, this is the best I can do..." Charlotte bowed deeply, unable to lift her head in shame.
If this was her "lack of ability," what level would it have been if she had succeeded perfectly?
Wait, now that I think about it, didn't this horse sacrifice itself for its master? What were the conditions for my Evolution skill? Potential, a life-threatening danger, and finally, that the danger was met with self-sacrifice. Every single condition was perfectly met. I stepped closer to the skeletal horse and reached out my hand.
Evolving the Skeletal Horse.
All conditions met. Success rate: 100%.
As a result, the skeletal horse's body grew slightly larger, and a pair of stag horns sprouted from its head, just like mine. Stag horns that looked exactly like mine... wasn't this a complete limited-edition model?
Seeing its new level, I nodded in deep satisfaction. I cast a glance at Charlotte, who was staring with a completely dazed expression, and shrugged my shoulders.
"My Lord... you always make everything I do perfect."
Why did she have to phrase it so romantically? It was making me feel good for no reason.
"I will grant you the special privilege of naming it."
"The skeletal horse, my Lord?"
"Yes."
Charlotte tapped her chin with her fingertip, falling deep into thought. She spent a whopping three minutes pondering. Just how magnificent was her naming sense going to be?
"How about 'Rattles'? Since it's a skeleton, and it's dead, so it's always rattling."
"I will name it myself."
"Yes, my Lord."
I would think of a name later. I lightly vaulted onto the skeletal horse's back, then patted the space behind me.
"Get on."
"...Yes, my Lord."
Although I had taken horseback riding lessons in my past life, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Still, it was a legendary steed, so it should be easy to ride, right? From behind me, I heard Charlotte patting its rump and whispering, "Good boy, Rattles..." but I ignored her. As if I would ever let my limited-edition skeletal horse be saddled with such a sickly name.
"By the way, are we leaving that knight behind?"
"We have no use for an undead who couldn't even slay a single goblin."
Fair point.