Chapter 287
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 287
Chapter Title: Rendezvous (2)
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“Hmm. Looks like the Saintess figured out the problem on her own.”
Smoke from the beacon fires rose thick into the sky over Merdein.
And there, another sun appeared in the heavens.
A massive sun, visible even from afar.
It hung there for about ten minutes before vanishing abruptly.
“To the north...”
Jun was currently in the innermost part of Merdein, a city facing the southern coast.
Whether by coincidence or because he'd slain the lich, just like in the game's storyline, the Saintess had unleashed the signal from Melen Castle, where she'd defeated the lich.
It had to be her call for everyone to gather there.
“Guess we should follow her lead.”
Having met a proactive client after so long, Jun decided to go with the Saintess's intentions rather than acting on his own this time.
“Everyone, gather up.”
“What's going on? What was that sun earlier?”
“What else? The Saintess summoning us.”
“Ah. So we head out right away?”
“Yeah. No need to drag our feet.”
There were no immediate obstacles to moving out.
All the residents were ready.
Leading dozens of mercenaries and adventurers, Jun stood in the plaza and issued the evacuation order to the residents.
“Something I've been wondering about for a while now.”
“What?”
“These ghosts seem to follow orders awfully well. Getting people to move as one unit like that isn't easy.”
As Freg pointed out, the city's residents were obeying Jun's commands without a peep.
It was remarkable.
With Dimensional Reversal on the verge of starting, they weren't scattering in panic but gathering together, awaiting only his orders.
“They have no choice. They've already died once. Even as souls, they know this is their last shot at freedom.”
“Ugh. That's unsettling.”
Who could've guessed they'd be this desperate?
Freg glanced at the residents for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.
“Guess we should try saving them.”
“More enthusiastic than I expected.”
“I'm human too. Sure, I was in it for personal gain at first with purifying Merdein, but rotting away in those ruins for decades stirs up certain thoughts naturally.”
“...”
Sensing Jun's gaze, Freg turned his head awkwardly.
It was unexpected.
Jun's impression of Freg had been a greedy, overly cautious type who played it safe.
Yet since they'd met, provocations from other factions had noticeably decreased, and this time he'd personally stepped in to quell the others' complaints.
People are so complicated.
Things he couldn't see when he first fell into this world.
Back then, he had no attention for his surroundings, pouring everything into survival alone.
Like Popkin, killed by his hand in the goblin subjugation.
Anyone blocking his survival got removed, no matter the method.
He didn't regret those choices even now.
Just...
If I'd kept that same mindset, could I have reached this point?
No.
He'd still be stuck in place, distrusting everyone, hating the whole world.
Even he could see how much he'd changed.
The ruthlessness for survival remained, but now companions filled his circle.
His view had broadened, taking in people he once ignored.
The old Jun would've mocked them as desperate losers.
Told himself that having nothing let him stand tall, and to ditch such pathetic thoughts.
But no.
Those with nothing to lose have no attachments.
No attachments mean no growth.
They just accept good as good and stagnate.
That was the old Jun.
Too scared to advance, using "alone is better" as an excuse to stay put.
Now, Jun had much more at stake.
It started with Aiden, then Maya, Eleanor, and Bern.
To protect them, he had to grow stronger, choosing to move forward instead of staying.
“...”
The victims obeyed his orders to the letter but couldn't hide their anxiety.
They were gathering those still uninformed, determined to evacuate every last one.
Soon, tens of thousands of residents assembled.
Among them, city guards stood ready with their weapons, eyes on Jun.
[Everyone, head to Melen Castle. Make sure no one gets left behind.]
With those words, cracks split the sky, forming a massive rift.
Black mist descended.
A viscous fog thick with demonic energy.
“Let's go.”
Jun addressed the survivors.
“Our goal is total survival.”
No sooner had they left the city than the black mist blocked their path.
No need to guess what emerged.
Undead.
Monsters seeking their kin even in death, like water ghosts.
Their numbers: thousands strong.
And not just that...
“Wh-what? Why do those things feel so... intense?”
“Are those really undead?”
An eerily malevolent aura poured from the undead.
Just looking at them drained his energy.
“These are the ones infused with the Death Figure's aura I mentioned. Don't underestimate them like before.”
“Damn it...”
Freg shook his head in annoyance.
Even with his full mercenary corps, wiping them out would be impossible.
So, rely on Jun?
No, tough.
He could win once or twice against such monsters, but Freg remembered clearly.
Even that mage, blasting massive spells everywhere, had overheated against endless undead waves.
A few such fights, and any mage would hit their limit.
“Jun, just help enough without overdoing it. We'll handle the rest somehow.”
Wanting to conserve the mage's power, he made the suggestion, but Jun shook his head and refused.
“No, I'll take the lead this time.”
“You sure you can handle it?”
“I've got something in mind.”
Glancing at his dimensional bracelet, Jun mapped out the plan ahead.
From here to Melen Castle, they'd face at least dozens of these battles.
Best to test simulations now, while they had some breathing room.
Would the plan he'd devised before arriving in Merdein work?
He drew up his mana.
“One thing's perfect for dealing with corpses.”
He snapped his fingers, summoning [Fire Spirit] as naturally as breathing.
Then he pulled out an enchant book, infused it with mana, and summoned another [Fire Spirit].
Not stopping there, he grabbed another book and summoned yet one more.
Nine orbs floated leisurely in the air.
Freg's face paled at the sight.
He knew better than anyone that each unassuming orb could perform like a skilled mage.
“Go.”
At Jun's command, eight orbs shot forward.
So where did the last one go?
Summons.
Woooong-!
The golem, out in the world after so long, absorbed Jun's mana and materialized.
It promptly embedded the remaining fireball into its core and began spewing flames.
“Go wild. Time you tasted some easy prey too.”
Woooong-!!
The golem had only ever stalled against powerhouses before.
But now with Jun at level 7, and Tear of Tayya continuously infusing it with mana...
Like a runaway locomotive, it blasted flames everywhere and charged like a cannonball.
A corpse giant swung its fist to meet it, but...
Siiiiizzz-!!
With the gruesome sizzle of searing meat, its fist crumpled like cheap steak under a hammer.
The God of Death's power was mighty, but the matchup was poor.
Jun's circling attribute, [Devouring Flame], blazed fiercely even now—perfect for consuming anything.
The remaining eight fireballs spat flames, mimicking Jun's fire magic, turning the battlefield into a sea of fire.
It took less than thirty minutes to annihilate thousands of undead.
“Still insane... Whoa, scared me.”
As Freg muttered in awe at the scene, a massive cheer erupted from behind.
Tens of thousands of souls roaring in victory.
“Didn't lift a finger, but they're cheering like crazy...”
He said it, but Freg's expression wasn't bad.
To them, undead were invincible horrors.
Seeing them obliterated by a mage named Jun? Priceless.
It must've eased some deep-seated grudge in their souls.
“Not as easy as I'd hoped.”
But the mage who'd wrought that scene just shook his head with a sigh, as if he'd expected it.
The God of Death's power is stronger than I thought.
Normally, their flesh would've melted on contact, but they held out decently.
Their regeneration was impressive too—hard to kill outright without serious skill.
“Freg, round up the survivors.”
“What's up?”
“We need to regroup before moving.”
Aiden awoke in a quiet rural village.
Of course, given Merdein's scale, it had housed five thousand souls.
“Whew... Thanks, Aiden. We barely made it through that fight thanks to you.”
“Glad I could help.”
Perhaps because it was so small, the living survivors numbered only eight, including Aiden.
One of them greeted him—Fermond, the man who'd played the "good guy" role.
Leader of the Aroma Mercenary Corps, he was the only other level 7 besides Aiden here.
And so, they set off for Melen Castle with the village residents.
Like with Jun, the residents followed Aiden's lead without issue, and the seven survivors ultimately agreed to join the Saintess.
“Thank you! Thank you!”
“We survived because of you...!!”
Just moments ago, they'd triumphed over hundreds of undead after nearly an hour of combat.
Without a single injury.
How?
The rest were merely level 6 and 5.
“I'm almost embarrassed by all this gratitude.”
“Nonsense. With holy power like that.”
“Never felt holy power this strong in my life... Even against undead, given their aura, was it really this easy?”
The reason the battle ended so smoothly?
Supplies from Aiden's subspatial bag.
Before coming to Merdein, Jun and Cloi had scraped together every holy water, potion, and enchant scroll available.
Plus, over days of sleepless nights, Eleanor had used Lament's End to the max, even converting Jun's mana into holy items.
Before her unique holy power, the God of Death's aura melted like snow.