Chapter 39. The Hero's Epithet (3)
Chapter 39. The Hero's Epithet (3)
5
It grew larger and larger.
A frog... Yes. It now knew that the first creature it had swallowed was a frog. It knew more than before. It knew the frog, it knew the snake, and it knew the eagle.
When it was a frog, the joy of catching rainwater on bare skin.
When it was a snake, the joy of slithering over soft earth with its naked body.
When it was an eagle, the joy of entrusting its own weight to the sky.
It came to know the joys of rain, earth, and sky.
-Grrrr.
At last, it became a lion and came to know even the joy of slaughter.
The stag's flesh was delicious. How fragrant! The moment it sank its teeth into the nape and became intoxicated with blood, it felt as though it could close its eyes now with no regrets at all.
It would have become a spirit or a divine being according to the natural order.
-Ah......
If only, by some chance.
-Hik!
If only it had not encountered some clamorous creature.
-Kyaaaaak!
The creature turned its back and fled.
Instinctively, it chased after the creature.
-S-save me...! Daddy! Daddy! Save me!
The creature was noisy, yet slow-footed. It even slammed itself into the ground.
What was it doing?
It did not know that the creature had "tripped." It could not have known. It had crossed between earth and sky, swallowing countless creatures, but that was the first creature stupid enough to trip while running.
-I don't want to die! Daddy! Help......
Before the noisy creature could grow noisier, it sank its teeth in. Crunch! Crunch. Blood flowed between its teeth. When its mouth was full of blood, it hesitated for a moment. A lightning-like shock rang through its mind.
How fragrant!
What is this fragrance!
It was bewitched. Addicted. Drunk on blood. It plunged its jaws in frantically and gnawed away everything of this creature. Blood... flesh... bone! Even the entrails! So much. Everything was fragrant.
From blood to flesh. From flesh to bone. From bone to entrails.
The deeper its teeth sank, the thinner its hind paws grew. Its front paws grew longer and longer.
Its hind paws became legs.
Its front paws became arms.
The lion's mane turned into hair.
It happened in an instant. It quietly devoured the creature's remains. When it had licked up every last scrap, the creature's memories slowly flowed in.
-......
Human, 人間.
That was what the creature was called.
The human was born in a village on the outskirts. It grew up receiving the love of its family. There was no lack of love. But is there always something missing somewhere in life? This human lacked health.
Illness.
In a poor countryside, there was no way to cure an incurable disease. Even if there was a way, there was no money. In a household overflowing with love alone, the human died day by day. Boldly, this young human refused to die in bed.
-I'll walk while I still can!
-I want to breathe the outside air, even just a little more.
It was a mistake.
The human went too far. It had tested how far it could go before it died.
The final stop the human reached was death. Inside its stomach.
-Child! Estelle!
No.
-There you are!
It ceased to be itself.
-How many times have I told you not to go out alone! It's dangerous near the forest. You never know when a beast might leap out. From now on, never go out alone... No, what's wrong with your clothes!
-......
The girl parted her lips.
-Daddy.
She smiled.
-I think I'm healthy now.
Estelle.
It was the first name the Demon King ever had.
6
A voice rang in my head.
[Activating skill.]
The plain began to turn over.
The change began from beneath my feet, of all places. Shadow. The shadow cast as long as my body began to expand endlessly. My shadow spread over the plain that had already been covered once by the Demon King's filth.
-Groooo......
Writhe!
Something rose from the shade.
-Grooooo!
It was bone.
White human bones stretched out from the shade.
They looked like demons trying to escape from hell.
'Sword Emperor, sir.'
I looked around at the sight my shadow had created and spoke in my mind.
'You wondered why I chose Hundred Ghost Summoning, didn't you?'
-Uh, yeah. I did.
'At first, I was drawn to other skills too.'
For example, a technique that strengthens Aura.
The red beam the Demon King fired had truly fearsome power. How cool would it be if I could use an attack like that someday?
But after thinking a little more, my mind changed.
'Open skill card.'
+
[Hundred Ghost Summoning]
Rank: SS
Effect: Summons those you have personally killed as monsters. The dead do not inherit the abilities they had in life. Nor do they inherit memories. They are merely summoned as monsters such as goblins, orcs, zombies, or skeletons.
※However, you may only summon once per week.
+
A card shining brilliantly in gold.
'Summons everyone I've personally killed as monsters......'
I murmured as I scanned the card.
'Here's the problem. How many people do you think I've personally killed?'
-Uh.
The guardian spirit frowned.
-Isn't it two? You and that bastard with the plague or whatever.
'Right. That's what you'd think.'
I smiled.
'Then why does Sword Saint's Detective's Insight show my kill count as over 4,000?'
-What?
'Honestly, it's ridiculous. It's weird. No matter how much I treated suicide like a meal, did I kill some random person? I only ever messed myself up. So why does my kill count read 4,000? By common sense, it should read 2 to be fair.'
-......
'In other words, it's like this.'
I looked ahead.
'The Tower has its own way of settling deaths.'
At the plain of shadow spread before my eyes.
'Even if you kill the same person twice, it's counted as [2] deaths, not [1].'
And at the monsters crawling up from the shadow.
I saw the horde of skeletons escaping from my hell.
'Now, let me ask again.'
It was a legion.
Countless skeletal soldiers covered the wasteland.
'How many deaths do you think I've created?'
4,097 self-inflicted deaths.
The first Yoo Soo-ha hunt, and the second Yoo Soo-ha hunt that I had to carry out because I died to Sword Saint before 24 hours had passed.
Therefore, 4,099 deaths.
The traces of my deaths spread across the vast plain.
"Yaaa......"
I nodded.
Watching the hellscape I had personally painted with satisfaction.
"I really did die a lot."
That was the moment.
-Grooooo!
The legion of bones howled.
-Kraaaaaa!
The skeletons bared their teeth. They all looked exactly alike. They were similar in build to me, and their height matched mine. Wasn't that only natural? They were monsters that testified to my deaths, not anyone else's.
'Even their weapons are all the same.'
A dagger.
Every skeleton held the same dagger.
It was the weapon I had used when I threw away my own life. And when I hunted Yoo Soo-ha.
"This is insane......!"
But I was the only person on this wide plain leisurely admiring the skeletons' weapons. The Witch and Sword Saint, both hunters, were looking around with bewildered faces.
"What is this? Kim Gong-ja. Don't tell me this is your skill?"
"Yes."
"You're lying, right?"
The Witch was horrified.
"Good lord. A skill that summons thousands of monsters! I've never even heard of such a thing! So this is how you cleared the 10th floor alone!"
"Uh......"
The Witch seemed to have misunderstood my strategy on her own. Before I could correct the misunderstanding, the Witch marveled by herself.
"No, that's not it......"
Hm.
Whatever.
"Well, sure. Yes."
"I knew it!"
"Let's talk details later."
There was no reason to clear up the misunderstanding right now.
Chatting with the Demon King right in front of us should be kept within reason.
-How can you... possess a technique like mine......
It wasn't just the hunters—the Demon King was flustered too.
The Demon King stood frozen in place. There was no expression on the Demon King's face, but just hearing the voice that leaked out made it clear how bewildered it was.
What a shame.
If I could see its face, I'd get to watch every feature twisted into a scowl.
"Curious?"
I set aside my disappointment and grinned.
"But what to do. I have no intention of telling you."
-......
"Stay curious. Or should I teach you on the condition that you offer me your neck? How about it?"
-Unforgivable......! This must not be permitted!
The Demon King howled like a wounded lion.
-How long do you intend to mock me! Goddess! My delusions! My resentment! Did you not promise to receive all of my grudges! How can this......!
"Sword Saint!"
I did not listen to the Demon King's lament. The Demon King had its own circumstances, and I had my own role. The Demon King was my enemy. If the enemy was distracted, that was no different from an opportunity for me.
"Please fight alongside the skeletons! If you join in, we won't be pushed back, at least!"
"Hm."
Sword Saint answered with a dissatisfied face.
"Understood. Fighting alongside monsters is distasteful, but... it is more moderate than helping you."
"Thank you! Black Dragon Master, please help me! The two of us will take down the Demon King!"
"I know. Just don't get in my way!"
Sword Saint swung his sword, and the Witch spread her Aura. Both seemed to have decided to follow my command until the Demon King was defeated. I nodded once, then shouted toward my deaths.
"Hundred Ghosts!"
Four thousand bones growled low.
"Show me what you do best!"
I commanded.
"Kill, and die!"
The legion obeyed my command.
-Grooooo!
The skeletons charged in all directions. Leap! A monster with nothing but bones left was light. It sprang high into the air and landed on an orc's head. With legs of nothing but bone, it locked around the orc's neck and stabbed with the dagger in both arms.
Stab! Stab!
The skeleton swung the dagger like mad. The orc's eyes, mouth, and throat were torn by the blade. The orc let out a short death cry and collapsed to the ground. The impact of the fall shattered the skeleton's left arm, but it did not stop. It simply sprinted toward its next prey.
-Kieeeek!
Elsewhere, a goblin screamed in agony. A skeleton whose body had been shattered, leaving only its skull. It used nothing but its teeth to bite into the goblin's forearm.
-Groooo!
-Kiiii!
Other skeletons gathered around the goblin. All of them were skeletons with some part smashed.
One with a broken arm. One with a missing leg. One that had lost its head.
But all of them held daggers. Kik! The goblin thrashed, but it was a useless struggle. The skeletons surrounded the goblin and brought their swords down.
A fountain of blood erupted.
-Whoa, fuck.
The guardian spirit clicked his tongue.
-Look at the guts on those skeleton bastards. Who do they remind you of? A legion of monsters that doesn't fear death. What the hell. That's terrifying!
Slaughter unfolded across the plain.
The Demon King trembled with rage.
-How dare you!
Filth poured endlessly from the Demon King's shadow. If the filth had been red, I would have thought it was the Demon King's blood. The Demon King was screaming as if vomiting blood.
-You have no right!
The Demon King's scream rang through the sky.
-A mere trespasser from another world!
It struck the earth.
-One who bears none of this world's malice, none of its grudges, none of its lives! How dare you stand in my way!
It echoed between sky and earth.
"What does it matter where I came from?"
Facing that echo, I spoke.
"I am standing here now. And if this alone is not enough to qualify me......"
The echo had not yet faded.
In my head, I heard that familiar voice.
[The Tower bestows an epithet upon you.]
As if someone who had watched over me for a long time was blessing me.
As if congratulating me, finally set free from the prison of time.
[Your epithet is Death King (死王).]
The voice rang long.
[All honor to the king who reaps death.]
Yes.
Someone remembers me.
Even if I die and die again each day.
Someone acknowledges the reason I stand here.
That is enough.
"Stay out of this."
I raised my sword.
And spoke toward the enemy.
"The Tower bears witness to my right."
Death King, 死王.
That was my second name.
