Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: What the Hell is This Dirty Thing?
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What the hell is this dirty thing?
I reconfirmed it once more. The people in this insane world definitely had a culture of trying to kill anyone they met for the first time.
"As expected. You're the one lacking manners."
A voice flowed out from Erzsebet's severed head. Then blood poured from the cross-section of her severed neck, quickly adhering to the detached head, and her head reattached perfectly as if nothing had happened.
"A Blood Demon Tribe member, huh."
Unlike me, Rio, or the humans who had no idea what a Blood Demon Tribe was, the pale man instantly identified Erzsebet's race. But even after seeing her regenerate perfectly, he showed no concern whatsoever. He simply flicked his hand slightly, issuing orders to his undead subordinates.
"My subjects. Teach them some manners."
"It looks like you need to learn manners."
Erzsebet abandoned her earlier cautious demeanor. She generously spilled her blood, staining the space around them. Then black knights, far stronger than mere skeletons, clashed head-on with her.
"You there, mongrel."
With that, the man lost interest in Erzsebet and turned his gaze toward me.
"You're no different. Kneel and bow your head."
As if to say that refusing would get me killed just like her. The man addressed me arrogantly, looking down with eyes as cold as ice. This bastard was calling me a mongrel too.
He'd probably attack if I refused. Rationally speaking, I should bow my head as he wanted, follow his orders, and bide my time watching the situation...
"...Pass."
Logically, since I didn't even know who this guy was—and he'd made even Erzsebet tense up—the smart move was to comply and observe. But without thinking, I responded with a snide attitude. I wasn't normally like this... Had all the recent events been changing me bit by bit?
"Then die."
With a simple declaration of 'death,' a surge of black energy erupted from the pale man's body. It seeped into the ground, and the earth around where I stood began to tremble ominously.
-Crack!
"Gehehehe..."
Numerous skeletons burst out of the surrounding ground.
This was... Necromancy, like Erzsebet had mentioned? The orders he'd given the knights earlier made sense now. This guy really was the culprit behind all the undead infesting these underground ruins.
"I'll specially grant you the honor of becoming one of my subjects who serve me directly..."
Collect
All visible skeletons collected. No restrictions.
-Shoooo...!!
Unlike Erzsebet, whom he'd sent a horde of powerful knights against, he arrogantly assumed a handful of skeletons would suffice for me. But with my single shout of 'Collect,' every skeleton around vanished without a trace.
"...What is this?"
A crack appeared in the man's perpetually bored and haughty expression. He kicked off his jade throne and shot to his feet, staring at me in shock.
"What... what did you do? I didn't sense any special power..."
Like I'd tell you?
I swallowed the retort and drew my [High-Pressure Cleaner]. Then I fired. The water jet shot out at tremendous speed, piercing right through the man's forehead.
'...What? That easy?'
Judging by the overwhelming presence he'd shown so far, I'd expected him to dodge or block it. I'd aimed for his head anticipating that, but it went straight through...
"...You...!"
"...?!"
What the? Why was he fine?
There was definitely a hole in his head. But...
'...What the hell is that? Not blood...'
Something other than blood poured from the hole in his head. It was extremely similar to the black energy he'd emitted when summoning the skeletons—only even darker and more profound.
"How dare you wound my sacred body...!!"
Despite having his forehead pierced, the man stood up unfazed. His face twisted in demonic rage as he glared at me with murderous intent. He reached out into empty space, creating a rift that split the air.
-Grab!
He plunged his hand into the rift and pulled out a staff made of pristine white bone, topped with a sinister purple crystal orb.
"I've changed my mind. I was going to turn you into one of my subjects first, then slowly instill some manners..."
"Didn't you just say 'die' a minute ago?"
"I'll make you suffer in an eternal curse for the rest of your miserable life...!"
"Fuck this. These assholes really think they're hot shit...!"
Hearing the man's furious rant fueled my own frustration, and I spat out a curse. Was everyone in this world just a brain-dead idiot? This prick had attacked first, and now he was throwing a fit...!
-Splat! Splat!
I channeled that frustration, yanking the trigger on my [High-Pressure Cleaner] repeatedly and blasting water jets. But the pale-faced man didn't sit there on his throne taking it this time. He slammed his staff into the ground.
-Quake!
"It won't work twice...!"
"Tch."
A black, translucent barrier similar to Erzsebet's blood membrane appeared, blocking my attacks. The heroes' barrier from before had at least cracked under the [High-Pressure Cleaner], but this man's shield took the hits without a scratch.
'Now even randoms are blocking it...'
To be fair, the [High-Pressure Cleaner] was powerful, but it was still just a cleaning tool at heart. Breaking through Erzsebet's blood membrane before had been a lucky fluke using Detergent (Blood). Against a proper barrier like this, I was helpless.
-Thud!
The man slammed his staff into the ground again, and even more skeletons than before erupted from the earth.
-Clatter. Clatter.
'Whatever!'
They'd increased in number, but I'd already confirmed it earlier. As long as they entered my vision, there were no limits to using 'Collect.'
"Collect. Collect. Collect...!"
I frantically darted my eyes around, collecting every skeleton that came into view. Each time, their forms vanished, added to my [Collection List].
"Insolent fool...! Let's see you block this!"
Gnashing his teeth, the man swung his staff dramatically. This time, something different from the skeletons appeared.
"Kyahahahahaha!!"
An ear-piercing wail echoed deafeningly. A woman's laughter filled with deep resentment—or was it a cry?
"My god... Banshee Queen?"
Erzsebet's shocked voice came from behind. Glancing her way, she was overwhelming the clinging knights, but their numbers were proving troublesome. She couldn't immediately rush to my aid.
Still, Banshee Queen? Sounded impressive, but...
'It's just a ghost!'
[Ghost Vacuum Cleaner (Lv. Max)]: A special vacuum cleaner designed to suck in ghosts!
I activated the [Ghost Vacuum Cleaner] in my other hand, opposite the one holding the [High-Pressure Cleaner]. A massive suction force immediately poured from the nozzle, starting to pull in the Banshee Queen as she cackled madly and scattered curses everywhere.
"Kyaha?"
The wildly laughing Banshee Queen sensed something amiss and halted for a moment, but it was too late.
-Vrooooom!!!!
"Kyaaaaaaa!!!"
Her massive body—like ten regular specters or banshees combined—was sucked straight into the vacuum. The Banshee Queen thrashed desperately to escape and even hurled curses at me, but I ignored her and cranked up the power.
-Shriiiiip!!
+500p
An entirely different amount of points from regular specters flooded in, and the Banshee Queen's wail cut off. In that moment, the man gripping his staff and muttering something stared at me—not with rage now, but profound confusion.
"...What the hell did you do...! It's not even being unsummoned—the connection is completely severed...!"
His eyes mixed doubt, hatred, and fury as he glared at me. Then he clenched his teeth and completed his incantation.
"Fine. Don't think my power is limited to just handling subjects...!"
"Master... it's dangerous!"
Erzsebet, locked in combat with the black knights—the Death Knights—sensed the ominous energy gathering at the tip of the pale man... the Archlich's staff. She cried out in alarm to warn me. That was... a curse!
Necromancers' other specialty. Not raising the dead with grudges sealed in death energy, but slamming the grudges themselves into the target to drown them in torment—a mighty curse! And that energy... even she couldn't guarantee survival if it hit her directly. It brimmed with death energy of unimaginable scale.
"Damn it...!!"
"Too late!"
Erzsebet desperately drew her true blood, willing to take serious wounds herself to save me, but the Archlich's curse completed a step faster.
An ill-omened energy, as if it had gathered all the hatred in the world, converged at the tip of his staff. The deeply sinister, foreboding mass shot toward me at tremendous speed.
"Running won't help! The curse has already locked onto you as its target!"
With that certainty, the Archlich boasted arrogantly.
"Know your place and drown in the curse, mongrel!"
As the curse orb closed in, the Archlich smirked in ecstasy...
-Whoosh!
"......????"
The curse aggregate that latched onto my body—no, my clothes—couldn't adhere. It simply slid off.
"What the hell is this dirty thing."