Chapter 222
Chapter 222
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 222
Chapter Title: The Uncle Who Was a Death Knight
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Swish.
A small sprout pushed through the dark soil in the flowerpot.
It rapidly stretched upward, bearing a shimmering silver flower bud.
Ding-.
The flower, resembling a silver bell, let out a truly bell-like crystalline sound. That sound rang as clear as if it were echoing through this tiny hut and the gloomy cliffs.
“The flower... the flower bloomed...? Here, let me have it.”
The skeleton knight snatched the flowerpot from my hand like a hawk while staring at the tiny flower. His blue ghostly gaze flickered oddly as he peered down at it.
He stared at it for a long time.
I’d heard that if you keep fish in a tank and a cat in the same house, the cat ends up staring at the tank all day, addicted like it’s got tank obsession.
The skeleton knight’s current fixation on the flower was exactly like that.
Looks like there’s a story behind it. Maybe something bad happened with that flower back when he was alive? As I was hazily guessing along those lines, the skeleton knight finally opened his heavy mouth.
“Winter Bell Fragrance. That’s this flower’s name. It was the flower my mother loved. My mother was a sea nymph.”
Stream Water Nymph. Ditch Water Nymph. Now a sea nymph.
How majestic must she be.
Full-evolution paranoia or something?
I pictured Paranoy grown via an evolution stone. Busty, lithe Paranoy, freed from her growth stagnation curse.
That form had its worrisome aspects, though.
Paranoy already made me a bit anxious about her getting kidnapped. If she grew that voluptuous, shady types would definitely lure her off with candy.
That was one reason even karma-value-thirsty me hadn’t lifted Paranoy’s growth curse.
“The flower’s bloomed, so now I can gather more seeds.”
“You bloomed the flower to get seeds?”
“Yeah. This flower went extinct ages ago, except for the seeds I have. Anyway, didn’t expect it to bloom this easily. You used some weird fertilizer. What’d you put in?”
“This is a stamina potion.”
I set the stamina potion from my hand into the skeleton knight’s palm. He accepted it and peered inside.
“Intense Titan presence. And faint nymph aura. That’s what made the sprout, huh?”
At the skeleton knight’s question, I recalled the potion’s ingredients. From what I’d heard, it contained all sorts of extracts from Paranoy.
That killed any desire I had to drink it, so I’d just been carrying it around as a maybe-useful spare. Turned out helpful in all sorts of ways.
“Something like that. Now that I’ve done your favor, you gonna train me or whatever?”
“Ah, right, that promise. Yeah. I’m the master of ten thousand weapons, as the world’s poets and bards sing. Weapon Master, Widow-Maker of Pthia. Lucky you, young necromancer, to get my guidance.”
Master of ten thousand weapons—Weapon Master?
I’d heard of Sword Masters for warriors who’d reached certain heights. Hippolyte had probably been called one under some other title.
But this skeleton took it a step further, claiming Weapon Master?
It felt ridiculous and fake, so as I narrowed my eyes, the man spoke.
“Still don’t know who I am? The Man Who Runs Like a River, Execution Judge, War Mage—ring any bells?”
“Who’re you?”
“...Necromancers got that vibe. Dive too deep into their own world, end up clueless about popular tales. Or maybe so much time’s passed since I died that my legend’s faded. Nah, hero stories don’t just vanish.”
Hero?
That word flipped a switch in my head.
“You a Gold Tier adventurer too?”
“Adventurer? Close but not quite. I was more hero than anyone in this world. Anyway, you seem keen on the hero spot?”
“Interested, yeah.”
“A necromancer gunning for hero. Fun guy. But drop it. Glory-chasing life means early grave. Live normal, do nothing, and you’ll outlive everyone.”
“No, so you training me or not?”
“Ha, words like that never stick with the young. I know. Come on out. My training’s short and brutal.”
The skeleton knight carefully set the flowerpot on the table, then headed out of the hut.
I followed him out, where the manticore corpse had been cleanly stripped to bones.
Past the curled-up, sleeping bone wyvern, we faced a fairly spacious clearing. Just as I wondered what kinda training this’d be.
“Die once first.”
Pa-shuk-.
The skeleton knight suddenly closed the distance to right in front of me and slammed his palm into my chest with all his might.
Kwachik-.
My breastplate crumpled violently, and my body plunged into utter limpness as my vision went black.
No chance to react.
“No flesh or muscle, so about this much-. Strength control’s trickier than expected-.”
The skeleton knight’s voice was the last thing before my consciousness snapped off.
* * *
“Wh-what the actual fuck!”
When I regained my senses.
I lay under a night sky with a bizarre moon overhead. Some water—river or sea, who knew—gently soaked my body.
“What the hell.”
I’d just taken a chest shot from the skeleton knight? No knight, no dark cliffs anywhere. Just me, the sky, and the moon.
“What the fuck-.”
No clue.
What’s going on here.
After steadying my ragged breaths and sitting up, my cooling reason pieced together where this was.
And I knew this bizarre space.
The blackout ocean-like void.
Again.
It.
Came.
I turned my head. Behind me loomed a monstrous mass covered in countless mouths and eyes, with freakish arms sprouting like tentacles.
It parted its many mouths and spoke.
Choose.
Fate.
Ssssh-.
At my feet, like a submarine surfacing, a bizarre pedestal rose up. Atop it sat grapes, an apple, and a melon. Three fruits.
This scene felt kinda familiar.
When’d I see it last? The night I first hooked up with Luna, I think I dreamed this.
Figured it was just a dream.
Who’d’ve thought getting palm-struck by the skeleton knight would trigger it again.
Didn’t he say something about killing me?
Did I die? This the afterlife or what?
“Uh, got a question.”
Mustering real courage, I addressed the grotesque thing. Despite its mouths galore, it gave no reply.
“Am I... dead?”
This place.
Is.
The border.
Of living and dead.
A space where all is chaos.
The primordial chaos.
The monster spat some gibberish at my question, then spoke again.
Take.
Seemed less interested in chatting, more in me picking one of the fruits on the pedestal. With no other choice, I grabbed the grapes in front of me.
《Grapes lashed by the vast ocean’s waves》
『Neptune, sea ruler deemed a world god alongside sky’s Jupiter and underworld’s Pluto. Grapes grown directly in sea nymph farms. Brimming with nymph love, great for the body—but sadly, tastes awful.』
『Consume to spend Karma and strengthen your existing grace Shining Hand.』
『Spend 1 Strength to upgrade Shining Hand to Damp Hand?』
『Warning: 100% chance of Hyperhidrosis.』
What the fuck’s Damp Hand.
And 100% hyperhidrosis on top.
Felt like I’d groped something repulsive—I dropped the grapes back on the pedestal. The monster, impassive till now, seemed to chuckle uhuhu-.
Happy I put ’em back?
Next, the apple beside it.
《Apple hidden deep in the deep abyss》
『In the primordial night, Nyx got obsessed with growing underworld apples in Tartarus. Ripe ones she secretly stashes to gift favored guests. Wormy ones go to her husband Erebos. This? An apple Erebos stashed in his domain ’cause he couldn’t be bothered to eat it.』
『Consume to spend Karma and awaken new grace Dark Eyes.』
『Spend 1 Stamina to acquire Dark Eyes?』
『Warning: 60% chance of Myopia/Astigmatism.』
What the hell—even lazy-leftovers apples. But awakening a new grace? First time seeing that.
Dark Eyes? Eyes go dark? Or night vision?
Dunno. But beats Damp Hand for sure.
Finally, I touched the remaining melon.
Swish.
Melon-sized like a watermelon, touch soft and jiggly—less melon, more water balloon. Or less balloon, more... buoyant something.
《Melon, symbol of love and beauty》
『One day, Hypos’s high-mountain goddesses asked a passing traveler: whose breasts fairest? Beauty goddess Venus won. Sparked a wee war, but Venus commemorated her win by crafting melons just like her own bosom.』
『Consume to spend Karma and awaken new grace Ivory Skin.』
『Spend 1 Agility to acquire Ivory Skin?』
『Warning: 80% chance of Gynecomastia.』
“Ugh, shit.”
That summed up my reaction after reading. Thoughts swirled, but none voiced.
I just swapped hands, savoring the melon’s squish and heft.
Damn—prime melon.
’Course, 80% gynecomastia was nightmare fuel, so back on the pedestal it went.
Choose.
Accept your fate.
No escaping till I picked one. Better hurry.
I chose the least risky-looking apple.
Abyss apple.
Erebos’s power.
Protogenoi authority—.
Accept.
Biting into it amid the tentacle monster’s grandiose rumble, sweet-tart flavor blasted from my mouth to nape, spine, and toes.
As consciousness faded once more.
“Thanks.”
I tossed out a rough thanks. Grotesque looks aside, seemed decent—gave me fruit and all.
The fading mouths seemed to smirk faintly.
“Come again, little friend.”
* * *
I opened my eyes.
Lying on something bed-like. This cramped hut the skeleton knight’s pad? No torches lit, but it looked plenty bright.
Must be the new grace Dark Eyes at work.
I shot up in a scramble. The skeleton knight, seated on a chair, turned my way.
“Already up? Coulda been out two days easy.”
“You fucking prick, what the hell? Trying to kill me?”
I jumped up, hand to my waist for the club—empty. No club!
Not just the club—gauntlets, wallet, all gone.
“You fucking skeleton thief!”
“...Thief? Harsh. Just un-equipped you for comfy sleep. There—all neat in the corner, relax.”
His finger pointed to the hut’s corner: yeah, my gear stacked tidy.
Relief hit, but.
Still pissed.
“Doesn’t mean you try to kill a guy?”
“Just knocked you out. Sorry if it sucked. But whaddya think—death’s feel?”
“Fucking awful. Hard to put into words-.”
“Yeah, that. The endless slimy cave crawl. Now you’ll fight tooth-and-nail to dodge it. First lesson.”
“Ah-. First lesson-.”
How to put it. Sounded legit on surface, but boiled down to horseshit. What’d I hope to learn from this desiccated headless skull?
So I started packing to bail.
“Samarria Hatsan. That you?”
“Huh?”
“Rifled your gear while you slept. ID tag and all. Samarria Hatsan, Mars Guild Bronze Tier adventurer. Guest from the continent-.”
Sruk.
Mid-pack, I gripped my club hard. Undead swiped my info. Straight-up danger zone.
“Samarria Hatsan. Dying’s losing. Your stuff gets taken, your world’s at risk. Better live beggar than rule the dead.”
“Spouting tired crap? I’m out. Stay safe.”
I finished packing and reached for the door. Right then, an eerie chill ghosted my nape.
I froze mid-step without thinking.
Something outside.
Something massive.
Indescribable, but gut screamed don’t go out.
“Ho, sensed it? Figured Agility was trash since you couldn’t dodge. Decent instincts, though. Stay put in the hut. Guest incoming. Hide quiet—no breathing if you can.”
Sring-.
The skeleton knight snagged a round shield and long spear from the corner. He stepped out and called.
“Molleg, back so soon? Forgot your last ass-kicking?”
Haaa-.
Thought it was to himself, but deep sighs echoed. Then a thoroughly sinister voice spread everywhere.
“Death Knight, enough already—take my offer. Join my command. I, Hell’s Lord Molleg. When I rule the world, I’ll bump you up high in hell.”
“Ha, don’t need hell’s high seat. I’ve shed honor, riches—all that.”
“Then waste away as some pathetic undead, forgetting past glory? Weapon Master. Pluto’s gift of reason ends soon. Fine nameless ghost?”
“...”
“Final offer. Take my hand, Death Knight. Or I’ll chew every last precious seed of yours!”
“N-no, not there-!”
Kwang, kwang-!
Huge tremors shook toward the hut.
Crack—the hut splintered. A massive head shoved in. Head huge enough to wreck the hut.
Swish.
Flat human face lined with sawtooth teeth—manticore, probably. Worlds bigger than the one I’d seen.
“What’re you...?”
It squinted at me, baffled.
I smashed my ready club into its philtrum, that killer weak spot.
“Your daddy, you oversized fuck!”
Kiiiiieeeek-!!