Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Necromancer #2
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A corpse that shouldn't be moving rises, its stiffening joints and bones creaking into alignment.
Shhh...
This unnatural chill, strong enough to snuff out Elfriede's flames, must be from the frosty breath that thing is exhaling.
Crackle, crackle.
The only sounds echoing are the ice spreading across the floor and pillars. Then, breaking the silence, comes Hippolyte's voice.
"...You said your name was Delphina. Looks like now's not the time for us to fight each other."
"Agreed. That thing... it's an undead, right? A corpse radiating this much chill? I've never seen anything like it... My bones are freezing solid!"
The city of Calcuta survives by preying on the underground labyrinths of Pluto that rise nearby.
Since every one of those labyrinths is high-level, the adventurers of Calcuta are naturally all hardened veterans who specialize in them.
So when the leader of a party made up of Silver Tier veterans says she's never seen a dead thing like this, of course everyone's on edge.
"Lord Pluto...!"
As everyone freezes in place, Paranoya rushes over and prostrates herself before Ismail.
"I-I didn't betray you...! I was just pretending to fool those idiots...! It's true...!"
-Huuuuh...
Whether reacting to Paranoya's rambling confession or not, the unnaturally risen corpse lets out a cold sigh.
Flash.
Its glowing eyes shine with an eerie, ghostly blue. The thing raises its tattered palm upward.
-Graaaah...
"Lord Pluto...!"
"Get back, nymph! That's not Pluto! This thing isn't Pluto!"
At that moment, the Silver Tier adventurer Delphina charges forward and yanks hard on the hood tied at the back of Paranoya's neck.
"Hgyaaack!"
Paranoya screams as if her throat is blocked and tumbles backward.
The silver lining is that thanks to Delphina, Paranoya dodges the corpse's attack.
-Graaaaaah!!!
Ismail's corpse, revived with blue ghostly light in its eyes, roars in fury at the missed strike. The bellow shakes the plaza, so loud you'd want to plug your ears.
"Eeek-!"
Terrified, Paranoya flees on all fours to cower in a corner.
She looks ridiculous, scampering like a long-legged lizard, but no one laughs.
Shing, clack.
Unlike when she was casually handling the Silver Tier adventurers, Hippolyte now grips her sword, lowers her stance, and braces for a charge.
"...A corpse with blue ghostly eyes. This one's probably a Royal Guard."
Delphina reacts, readying her own sword at Hippolyte's words.
"Royal Guard? What's that?"
"The elite soldiers guarding Pluto's Skull Throne. I've only heard rumors. First time seeing one for myself."
-Graaaaaah-!!!!
The undead lets out a deafening screech. It lurches forward, then charges like a truck with the pedal floored.
Its target is none other than Elfriede, who's in the corner checking her comrades' pulses.
"Elfi! Watch out!"
Delphina yells to warn her comrade.
Elfriede leaps back while swinging her short wand to smash the undead Ismail's head.
"You hellspawn runt, who do you think you're touching?!"
Thud-!
A heavy impact rings out like a truck crash, and Ismail—who'd been emanating eerie, sinister energy—faceplants into the floor.
-Grrruuuh... M-Masterrr... Hyydraaa...
But only for a moment. It realigns its twisted bones and joints and stands right back up.
Elfriede grits her teeth at the sight.
"Tough bastard. Let's see if you can handle this! Hell's Flame-!"
With a short incantation, red flames flicker at the tip of Elfriede's wand.
Fwoosh, fwoof...
It grows larger, shifting from red to a flashing blue. Delphina screams in panic.
"No way! If you use that here, everything collapses, Elfi! Hey, you! You're Gold Tier adventurer, right? Got any bright ideas!?"
"Then set the area on fire! You need to boil my blood!"
"What the hell does that mean? Ugh, what a mess this turned into all of a sudden. Royal Guard! Why is a heavyweight undead like this under the city?!"
Fucking Sodomora! As Delphina wails,
Elfriede, having canceled her flame spell, opts to dodge the flailing arms of the approaching undead and counter with her wand.
?Grr, kraaah!
"But why does it feel like this thing's only targeting me?"
Just as Elfriede says, the undead Ismail relentlessly goes after her alone. She's evading well enough thanks to her fairy physique and high adventurer skills, but still.
"Huff, huff..."
As I'd noticed before, Elfriede's movements had an unnatural, awkward quality to them.
Like thorns in her soles slowing her tempo and throwing off her balance. Her breathing's irregular too.
"Hoo."
It might not be obvious to the eye, but having a long, ill-fated history with her, I could tell.
Elfriede's body definitely wasn't normal.
Unlike Elfriede, whose motions were growing creakier, Ismail's attacks on her were becoming smoother, unnaturally fluid for a corpse.
-Hidraa, I, I am Hidrraaaa!! I ammm, I aloneee, Sodomora's wicked spiirriitt!!! Humanity's - enddd!!!
It even opens its mouth to scream.
Its roar shakes the air like screams scraped from the depths of hell's caves, squeezing my heart.
But this opening, distracted by its own yell, is our chance.
I scoop up the fallen Luna and tuck her behind a safe-looking pillar.
"Hueee..."
Even amid the chaos, Luna shows no sign of waking. That thief's rock probably hit her fatally.
Behind me, Delphina and Elfriede are barely holding Ismail back.
"A talking undead! Gives me chills! No one said we'd have to fight something like this! The reward needs doubling!"
"Delphina, focus! Cover me while I chant!"
"Are you nuts? Elfi, this monster's snuffing your flames! We can't fight it! We're running—grab the knocked-out ones!"
Clang, clang! Scraaaape-!
The undead Ismail swings its sharply grown claws. Delphina blocks with her long, pointed sword, her face clearly at her limit.
"Can't hold much longer! If I get hurt, we lose money—this job's over!"
Delphina shouts at the hesitating Elfriede. Elfriede clicks her tongue, then slings her unconscious comrades under her arms.
And bolts without looking back.
-I am the mid-world's ruin! I am the mountain's king, Hydra-!
"Flame Wall-!"
The undead chases after them, but Elfriede erects a wall of fire to block it.
Ismail flails its arms, snuffing the flames, but Delphina, Elfriede, and their comrades are already gone.
-Grrruuuh!
The undead growls in frustration. Then its eyes turn to Hippolyte.
"The rookies ran off. Looks like it's just us now. You hiding behind that pillar—Hassan of Samaria!"
Me? Calling my name?
"Even with my face covered, you recognize me!"
"Recognize? You think I'm blind? Anyway, I'll hold this thing off somehow. Find the necromancer who raised it in the meantime! They're definitely in this cavern!"
"Hold it off? You sure you'll be okay? It's just now..."
"I know, nighttime. But I prepare for times like this—three hours of sunbathing daily. Shame, but I'll have to burn through my reserves."
Zuuuuuum...
Hippolyte's sword begins to gleam with an eerie golden light.
Three hours of sunbathing every day?
Is Hippolyte's life really that leisurely? Is that red tan natural or from tanning?
My brain, desperate to ignore this horror, dredges up random thoughts as a defense mechanism.
But I quickly shake them off and, as Hippolyte said, start searching for the necromancer controlling the undead.
I've dealt with Pluto cultists plenty, including necromancers.
Weren't most cultists captured during the war? Maybe this remnant's hiding in the underground market, plotting something sinister.
So while Hippolyte hacks at the undead with her strangely golden flickering sword, I scour the vast plaza for the caster.
But no caster, no spell circles either.
Fuck what?
"Hey, Paranoya! Know anything?!"
That's when I spot Paranoya trembling in the corner.
"Hey, Paranoya!"
"That voice—Lord Hassan? I-I didn't betray you...! I didn't betray Lord Pluto, no, wait, I did betray Lord Pluto, but not you, Lord Hassan..."
"What the hell are you babbling?!"
Paranoya seems in full panic. To snap her out of it, I lightly slap her cheeks back and forth.
Ding-.
『Paranoya's mental block on negative faith has been released.』
『Karma Value +10』
『Current Karma Value: +62』
Just slapping cheeks—not even a massage—and text pops up.
Mental block released, huh.
Come to think of it, slapping Daphne's cheek first time also released a mental block.
Does slapping cheeks always release mental blocks? Fuck what.
Anyway, not important now.
"Hey, any necromancers nearby? You were a cultist—can't you sense mana or something to track them?"
"Huff, huff... my cheeks hurt..."
Paranoya rubs her reddened cheeks, making a miserable face.
Did I hit too hard?
Sorry, but no time for that.
"Paranoya, is there a necromancer around who raised that Royal Guard thing?"
"Royal Guards are royal escorts, hell's messengers—no mere necromancer can control them... If one can handle it, we can't win...!"
"Fuck, then what do we do?"
"Well, not totally hopeless. Lord Hassan, you might be able to dispel someone's necromancy...!"
"Me?"
"That necklace, Kalan's Black Star—you wield it without penalty, so your affinity with hell's mana is perfect. You can do it—! Th-the method is..."
Paranoya mutters something.
Her so-called method is simple.
Steal control of the possibly puppeted undead. Requires a complex ritual incantation, apparently.
"Hassan-! Where's Hassan?!"
Then, in the distance, Luna stirs awake. First thing she calls is my name. Touching.
"Luna, over here! Perfect timing! Help me out!"
"Th-thief boss!"
"No, fuck, it's me!"
I remove the villain mask, and Luna relaxes.
"Thought you were a real thief! Suits you too well. Hassan! You look like a sleazy, ruthless back-alley thief boss!"
"Compliment? Anyway, not the point now."
My eyes turn to Hippolyte battling the undead far off.
Slash, shaaa...
Hippolyte slices the undead's thigh, dropping it.
-Grraaah!! I, I am!! Humanity's enddd-!!!
"Chops the neck, crushes the heart, and it still gets up. Perfect sandbag for the Mars Guild."
Seeing her dominate the strong undead swells the chest with awe.
But the golden aura on Hippolyte's sword is visibly dwindling. If it runs out, we're all done.
"Lu-Luna, help me please...! O-Oh, pentagram shape. Inside, draw a hexagram, and at each vertex, Gaia's rune letters..."
"You're saying draw a ritual circle! I'm good at that!"
Scribble, swish, swoosh.
Soon, the two petite women start drawing a circular magic circle on the floor with chalk, nearly finishing it when I boldly shout.
"Hey, you half-dead fuck! Over here!"
Wondering if my taunt works on the barely-alive undead.
-Grrruuuh.
It immediately turns to me and strides over. My taunt works great!
"Get that fucker in the magic circle, right!?"
"Yes...! Then Luna and I will chant and transfer control to you...!"
Got it.
But how to lure that rampaging monster into this tiny circle? It's barely big enough for one person.
"Y-you bastard! Get over here! Stand right there! If you don't I'll really kill you!"
Desperate, I threaten the undead. Yelling at a dead guy.
Lame line even to me, but panic kills good ideas.
-Huuuh, m-my, bo-body...
But does my inhumane threat work? The Royal Guard, who I expected to charge wildly, meekly steps into the circle.
Fuck!
My back-alley practiced intimidation skills shining at last!