22
Chapter 22
- A High Priest and a Chief, I see. I shall call you Chief Nyx.
It feels a bit odd to call her High Priest and Chief Nyx.
It's not as if she carries both her parents' surnames.
"It is an honor, great one."
[Nyx has become a vassal.]
Another vassal added to the list.
- Wait a moment. I have some matters to attend to.
"I understand."
In truth, there was nothing to attend to; I just wanted to catch my breath.
To be honest, I'm mentally exhausted. I've worked far too much over the past five days.
I can't exactly ask to take a few days off, though. I can't slack off when there's work to be done.
- Very well. Let us begin.
In my letter, I asked the Sky Tree Tribe to go to the Necromancer's Tomb. Since they summoned me, they should be ready.
"The thing is..."
Nyx, the Chief and High Priest of the Sky Tree Tribe, trailed off as if hesitating.
"...The letter mentioned that Lord Mallak had recently awakened. It said you were unfamiliar with the surface. Is that correct?"
- Is that a problem?
Perhaps thinking I was displeased, Nyx immediately dropped to her knees to apologize.
- No. There is no need for that. I am asking out of genuine curiosity. Does it hinder our progress?
"...Does Loa Mallak know what kind of place the Necromancer's Tomb is?"
Honestly, I'd only visited it once in the game, so I didn't know it that well.
- What kind of place is it?
"It is the resting place of Karon the Exile, who was once the greatest High Priest of all time."
Greatest of all time, huh.
So what? He's dead anyway.
It's a bit of lore I wasn't aware of, but it doesn't seem all that important.
"Karon was a man who betrayed both the Loa and his people. He mastered forbidden sorcery and brought a great calamity upon the surface."
Nyx began spilling out stories as if she had a bottomless bag of tales.
In short, the Necromancer's Tomb was the burial site of some guy who caused a zombie apocalypse in the distant past. The world had almost ended.
After Ishtania, the Goddess who protects the Empire, and her blessed Holy Knights defeated Karon, they felt an ominous energy and sealed everything related to him in the tomb.
Ishtania... right, that was her name. She was a massive figure in the game's lore, but as far as I remember, she never showed her face again after the prologue.
On the forums, some argued that the game company that possessed us might actually be Goddess Ishtania.
Their theory was that we hadn't been transported into a game, but were instead in another world devastated by a demon apocalypse.
I don't think it matters whether it's another world or a game. Either way, some transcendental bastard brought us here.
- Does that mean you cannot go?
I have no intention of forcing her.
After all, the skills obtainable from the Necromancer's Tomb weren't a high priority.
"The Exile Karon hates the Loa. That tomb is a place steeped in his hatred. It may not be safe for you, Lord Mallak."
Looking at the worry on her face, she didn't seem to be making excuses to avoid going.
- I appreciate the concern, but there is no need to worry. Can we proceed?
I'm not even a real Loa to begin with. It would be embarrassing to back out now because I'm afraid of some dead guy.
No matter how strong a zombie is, could it really be more powerful than a demon?
"If that is your will... I have prepared for the departure. We can leave immediately."
- Let us do so.
As a portable mini-totem, I became an ornament hanging from Nyx's waist.
She led the tribe's five strongest warriors and descended the mountain.
Unlike the area of the Blue Moss Tribe, this place was teeming with the Infected and the influence of Devil's Sight.
We had to check our surroundings nearly every ten steps.
"There are too many mutated beasts. We should take a detour."
Upon spotting a pack of over thirty Wild Dog Infected, Nyx attempted to turn back.
No, at this rate, we'll never arrive today.
Avoiding the Devil's Sight is one thing, but surely they can handle a few Infected?
- Chief Nyx, can you not dispose of the Infected?
If Nyx and her warriors had even half the combat power of Kanto, they could hunt them down in an instant.
"...It is possible, but the warriors might be wounded. That would hinder our progress to the tomb."
- I shall grant you a blessing. Fight without fear.
This is exactly what the Totem of Healing is for.
I activated the blessing, and a blue light immediately washed over a ten-meter radius.
"Ah...!"
Nyx and her warriors looked visibly delighted.
- Can you win?
"Of course."
Nyx and the warriors drew their scythes and ambushed the Infected. Naturally, it was a crushing victory.
I also completely healed any warriors who had been injured.
Our descent speed increased exponentially, and we soon reached the flat plains.
"Lord Mallak, we're almost there."
- I see.
Since there was some time before we arrived, I accessed the community.
The community was the only link that reminded me I was still human and of my home, Earth.
Connecting periodically gave me a sense of psychological stability.
[Cow Bikini Dance: Raise your hand if your nickname is a disaster lol]
[Starting with me lol]
Oh.
[Tiny Black Female Prisoner: lol]
[Cannot Move If Stuck: lol]
[Ssangmun-dong Mama Dispenser Destroyer: lol]
[68-year-old Grandma Kim Jeom-sun's Final Jet Kick: lol]
[Ultra Sanz Crazy for Massacre Mode on a Moonlit Night: lol]
I joined in immediately. At least I'm the most normal one.
I was killing time while browsing the community.
"We have arrived."
I looked around and spotted the tomb buried in the undergrowth. It was a small, weathered tomb that looked hundreds of years old.
It looked small, but once you open the door disguised as a coffin and go underground, it opens up significantly. At least, that's how it was in the game.
The grass near the tomb was slightly crushed. It was a sign that someone had entered. It was probably the doing of that user called Rino Johnson.
"I'm heading inside."
Nyx and the warriors pushed forward, hacking through the grass with their scythes. Every one of them was armed with a scythe.
Suddenly, I got curious. They aren't farming, so why are they all carrying scythes?
- Is there a reason why all the warriors use scythes as their weapons?
When I asked cautiously, Nyx gave a bitter smile.
"Our tribe has lived on the plains for generations, in a place where weeds grew taller than people. That is, until the demons became too numerous and we fled to the mountains."
I learned that the original chief had died during that escape. Since there were no warriors stronger than her, she ended up taking the position.
...
Looking back at the tribe earlier, they had fewer than thirty members. So that's what happened.
I should think about whether there's a way to help them. It would be great if there were other intact tribes nearby.
After opening the coffin and entering the tomb, the warriors moved by relying on the blue light emanating from my body—the totem.
As expected, the interior was vast. It was practically an underground base.
- Any hallucinations or auditory delusions?
"I'm fine. In fact, I feel better than I did before."
The Totem of Healing was working perfectly.
- Do not stray too far from me.
"I will keep that in mind."
As we went deeper, I heard strange noises.
"Grooo..."
"Uuuuu..."
Nyx and the warriors moved stealthily, hiding behind the rocks.
The creatures making the noises were zombies—specifically, soldiers armed with swords and armor. There were twelve of them.
They looked like the original guardians of this place. Something ominous had clearly happened here.
"Shall we eliminate them?"
Nyx whispered.
- Cut off or destroy their heads, and they won't move again. Be careful not to get bitten.
"Hyaa!"
Nyx and her warriors rushed forward, slicing the zombies' necks with their scythes.
The creatures fell back to the ground without much resistance. They were weaker than I expected. Then it happened.
"The sound, the sound! Aaaaaagh!"
A warrior who had strayed too far while fighting a zombie began screaming, tearing at his own hair. A sudden emergency.
- Get him over here, quickly!
Nyx and the others rushed to his side. He regained his composure quickly.
Just like in the game, this area had weak monsters but powerful debuffs.
- Stay close to me. I am blocking the curse of this tomb.
Right now, I'm essentially an infinite debuff-cleansing totem that constantly neutralizes status ailments. As long as they're by my side, they're safe.
Still, for a curse to linger in the tomb of someone who died so long ago... he must have held a deep grudge.
- I just need to find the 'Book of the Dead' that Karon possessed.
In the game, you had to obtain that item to acquire the skill. Let's find it and get out of here.
Nyx and the warriors stepped forward, more cautiously than before.
Soon, we found a chamber where the entire space was covered in murals.
A bookshelf filled with books stood before the murals, and the central mural was engraved with these words:
[The worshipper cannot understand the idol, and the idol cannot understand the worshipper; thus, it is a cycle of tragedy.]
Damn, that's ominous.