Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Undead (2)
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Another week passed inside the warehouse.
"Clack clack! Clack clack clack—!"
'Aaaah—this isn't working at all!'
My idea and method weren't wrong.
Thanks to my experience with the Avatar, after several trials and errors, I finally succeeded in moving the undead.
Swish swish—
Sitting slumped on the ground, I blankly watched a zombie flailing its limbs in front of me, dancing awkwardly.
Yes, the only thing I could move was one zombie.
The total amount of 'black mana' inside my body was ridiculously small to control multiple undead.
Even after scraping together everything except the minimum needed to maintain my body, the weakest zombie was my limit.
Well, even as an elite, it was just a skeleton at best.
It wasn't a commander type to begin with, and it certainly couldn't use magic.
Thanks to Mana Affinity, the amount gradually increased as I absorbed the surrounding energy over time, but this growth rate was nowhere near enough.
'If it had been a skeleton mage, I wouldn't have to worry about this.'
As I sighed pointlessly and racked my brain for another solution—
"Squeak—"
A now-familiar rat scurried over to where the skeletons stood, gnawing at one's toe.
'That guy's so diligent... Wait, what if?'
Watching it, my eye sockets glowed as I quietly stood up and slowly approached the rat, lost in its chewing.
***
The undead I could move was just one zombie.
But the zombies standing here were useless in the current situation.
So, what kind of zombie would be helpful?
"Squeak— Squeak squeak—!"
I looked down at the rat wriggling between my finger bones.
Unlike its pampered life in a bountiful environment, it was quick on the uptake.
I thought it'd be easy to catch while it was off guard, but it noticed me approaching and darted away, forcing me into a grueling chase.
I blocked its holes, even used Life Detection, and threw my zombie body at it.
'When I finally pinned it down with my whole body, only for it to slip out between my ribs—my mind nearly broke.'
In the end, I ambushed it with the zombies near the hole it fled toward and barely caught it.
Thanks to involuntarily practicing quick switches in control targets, my undead manipulation skills improved even further.
'Sorry. I won't forget your sacrifice. Alfred.'
I jabbed a finger bone infused with 'black mana' into the jaw of the rat I'd arbitrarily named.
The sharpened fingertip from undeath sank deep.
Alfred, who had been struggling, slowly stopped moving, but I kept the finger in, continuously injecting 'black mana' into its tiny body.
And... the still body began to twitch again.
I carefully set Alfred down on the floor and focused my mind as it circled around.
'Maybe because I infected it directly and it's small? Controlling it feels much smoother, and the connection is stable.'
Now I had a fine companion.
I'll send it out next time the door opens.
***
The opportunity came soon enough.
Clank, creak—
"Ugh—annoying. So annoying. Why do we have to do this every time?"
Perfect—the guard entering the warehouse this time was the complainer, Zephyr.
Before he closed the door, I released Alfred, whom I'd positioned in the entrance corner.
With his poor attention, he didn't even notice something scurry past his feet and grumbled as usual.
"Seriously, just you wait. Later, that old geezer..."
Leaving the muttering Zephyr behind, Alfred cautiously moved through the shadows.
Controlling Alfred differed from how Zephyr controlled me.
Since it was the same undead and I'd adapted the Avatar method, the connection was strong enough to share some senses.
Not perfect like an avatar, but sufficient for gathering info.
Alfred scurried about diligently, but the intel was disappointing—not much gained.
Just a path leading to what seemed another warehouse and a passage that might lead outside.
And even that wasn't certain...
All the doors were closed, so I couldn't confirm.
'Ah, so close to escaping. Well, it's a secret hideout; can't expect to stroll out after one door.'
But I had my ever-reliable helper: Zephyr.
"I'm not the kind of talent to rot in a place like this. Incompetents with backers strutting around..."
Sure enough, Zephyr roughly checked my warehouse and headed into the passage.
Alfred stealthily followed from the shadows.
Zephyr kept complaining nonstop as he walked toward the other warehouse.
'Does that guy ever tire? Anyway, what's in that warehouse? More undead?'
Clank—
As he opened the underground warehouse door and entered, Alfred slipped in quickly.
What was inside? Even the nonstop grumbler fell silent, carefully scanning the interior.
No—actually, I knew the moment we entered.
Why he acted that way.
'What is this place...?'
The warehouse was filled with undead, but their presence was barely felt.
Because in the center was something radiating an overwhelming aura.
'...What the hell is that?'
Alfred, mere zombie rat, couldn't approach to check.
Instinct screamed it.
Getting close would mean losing everything to 'that thing.'
Hiding near the entrance, I pondered while waiting for the seriously scanning Zephyr.
'That's what they're after.'
Couldn't tell what they were doing amid the undead or their goal.
But bad guys' schemes? Best to sabotage first, right?
'Let's observe more. The 'Zephyr Chance' isn't over yet.'
After checking around, he hurriedly exited.
"Whew, every time I go in there, it drains my energy. How the hell did I end up..."
I followed him out toward the exit door, as he revved up his complaints again.
Unlike the usual locks, this door had none.
Vmmm—
Zephyr placed his palm on it; a strange pattern appeared, and the door slid open.
'Wait, can't get out without that?'
Panic short-lived, I hurried after him through the door.
"Oh, you're out? Good work."
"Yeah. That place sucks the life out of me every time. When's the maturation finishing? Heard anything?"
A young man sat at a desk by the door, doing something.
Another periodic visitor like Zephyr—probably guarding the passage entrance.
"Dunno, probably soon? Master's been checking it daily. He couldn't today 'cause of comms with the higher-ups."
"Yeah, wanna finish quick and bail. 'Fragment of the Immortal King' this, that—sick of it."
"Tell me about it. Have to check that warehouse daily."
Hiding Alfred under the desk shadows, I eavesdropped and cheered my helpful Zephyr.
"Hey, isn't it ridiculous guarding here like this? Barrier around the door, building, whole village—who could sneak in?"
"What can ya do? Precautions."
"Precautions my ass. No living thing dodges these layers. Corpses maybe?"
Zephyr cackled and left, saying he'd rest.
'That guy... seems decent if you look close? Almost like he's helping on purpose.'
Anyway, Operation 'Walls Have Ears'—or rather, 'Night Whispers Reach Rats'—was a roaring success.
Deep thanks to cooperative Zephyr as I slipped out of the building.
Night outside—perfect for easy movement.
Alfred roamed the village freely in the dark.
Most buildings doors closed, but Alfred exploited his specialty: tiny rat holes for infiltration.
Nothing beyond Zephyr's intel.
About forty of them, mostly minions, not black mages.
Satisfied with the haul, moving along—
Puke—!
A black spike erupted from the ground, piercing Alfred.
"Hmmm... Thought it was something. Just a rat pup."
Village chief—no, black mage Malcolm's voice.
'Damn, caught?'
"Undead? No black magic aura... Naturally spawned from black mana? Where'd it come from?"
As Malcolm approached, I quietly severed the Alfred connection.
'Hasn't noticed me yet. Slowly... naturally, so no suspicion.'
"Oddly full of black mana. Not from magic. Exposed to so much somewhere..."
In the fading link, I heard Malcolm pause, sighing irritably.
"Only one place overflows with black mana here. Right—Jeraph was warehouse duty today."
Zephyr, thanks for the help—sorry!
Psssh—!
***
Connection fully severed.
Alfred destroyed by Malcolm.
I held a moment of silence for today's star performer, gloriously fallen hero Alfred.
'Alfred. I'll avenge you. Watch from there!'
Alfred's enemy: Malcolm. So I decree.
Ignoring the stabbing conscience, I sorted the intel.
'Zephyr's real name is Jeraph.'
Huh, useless info.
'They're after the 'Fragment of the Immortal King' maturing next door, Malcolm's babying it. Undead ignore the barrier.'
What they plan with it? Irrelevant.
Just schemes to screw them over.
'Dodge Malcolm, and we're good...'
Yeah, methods made on the fly.
'Wait... Alfred's nemesis!'
***
Jeraph was in a foul mood.
Yesterday's warehouse duty pissed him off, then Master chewed him out for negligence.
'Who knew a rat would crawl out from there!'
Unjust.
Punished with solo daily warehouse duty for management lapse.
Huyan, guarding the entrance that day, got entrance guard duty same period.
'Filthy world! No backing, where to vent? One rat—what's the big deal! Damn old fart.'
Jeraph swallowed his rage inwardly, not voicing it.
Master could barge in anytime here.
Clang! Creak— Bang!
Storming in, Jeraph flung the warehouse door open irritably and charged inside.
Door shut, he scanned fiercely, not slacking.
"There! It's sticking out! Line up properly, you idiots!"
He yelled at the aligned skeletons for no reason.
"What? What's this! Hey! Stand straight!"
He barked at a zombie leaning with a severed ankle.
It just wobbled, ignoring orders, so he rushed and kicked.
"Yeah, you think I'm a joke? Huh? Do it right! Stand straight!"
After venting awhile, Jeraph stopped kicking and looked around.
All here obeyed him absolutely.
Satisfying.
This was the right world.
Glancing disdainfully at the still-wobbling zombie, he moved on.
"Huh? Who's this? That arrogant prick from before?"
Spotting a familiar figure.
Jeraph snickered, poked the still zombie's shoulder with his staff.
"Hey, say it again. What you said then. Huh?"
The early-20s-looking male zombie just swayed without reaction.
"Cat got your tongue? Ah! I yanked your tongue! Heh heh heh."
Jeraph grinned twistedly.
Perfect stress relief appeared.
"Hoo—that was fun. Hunting villagers one by one."
Thud! Thwack!
He kicked the zombie, muttering madly.
"You were especially noisy. Spouting crap. What was it? Touch my family, you won't get away?"
Grind
A faint teeth-grinding somewhere, but immersed Jeraph didn't hear, kept mocking.
"Heh heh heh, put extra effort into you. Watching your family wail right in front—priceless face."
Recalling the scene, venting on the zombie.
The youth, subdued by undead, tongueless, tear-streaked eyes glaring.
Jeraph twisted his lips, thrilled anew.
"But whatcha gonna do? Family you cherished—abandoned, standing here alone..."
Krunch—!
Chilling crunch, blood sprayed.
A skull sneaked behind, grabbed shoulder and head, bit the nape.
"Gah—! What the?!"
Sudden attack shattered his constant mana barrier.
But it let him twist, avoiding full tear-off.
Boom!
Jeraph blasted black mana, shaking off the skull on his back.
Clutching the bleeding wound, he retreated, eyeing the assailant.
"Skeleton? Why suddenly—?"
No time to panic.
The flung skeleton sprang up, charging again.
"Tch... Stop! Stop I say!"
Skeleton ignored, barreled on.
Jeraph, black mage though ambushed and injured, had options.
Saw undead, reflex command failed—but counters aplenty.
If only the foe was that one skeleton.
Kwack—
Mid-spell, something jammed his mouth, neck searing in agony.
Zombie sneaked behind, shoved hand in mouth, bit other nape.
No barrier, fatal strike dazed him, spell canceled.
Panicking, Jeraph met dead eyes.
The zombie he'd mocked moments ago.
Eyes vowing no rest till death.
Mana burst not spammable, skeleton now mouth-agape close.
Terror filled Jeraph's eyes.