Chapter 122: King of the Dead (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: King of the Dead (1)
The next morning.
At exactly nine o'clock, our group gathered in the first-floor lobby.
"Did you sleep well?"
Abel flinched at my question. She averted her eyes and mumbled evasively.
"...O-Of course. I never let my guard down, even in a D-rank dungeon."
I narrowed my eyes and studied her. Her pale, dry complexion made it obvious she had tossed and turned all night.
Despite her words, a strange emotion leaked into her voice.
Abel really is terrible at lying.
Still, I found her transparent, straightforward nature quite refreshing.
I didn't bother pointing it out.
"My lady, Sir Geomma, shall we head out if you are ready?"
Shail asked. Abel's expression hardened for a moment, and she nodded.
"Yes."
A short answer laden with meaning.
I looked at the side of Abel's face. Her eyes were burning with a cold fire.
* * *
Since it had taken us a whole day to cross the border, the distance from our lodging to the dungeon wasn't very far. It was about a thirty-minute car ride.
We took a taxi, just like yesterday. Thanks to a driver who knew the local geography well, we reached our destination quickly despite crawling at a snail's pace.
Leaving us with a promise to pick us up before sunset, the driver headed back down the mountain like a turtle.
Standing right in front of the entrance, I surveyed the area ahead.
...So this is the Undead Dungeon.
Dungeon ratings are managed by the Association, which categorizes their danger levels using letters based on various complex criteria.
From lowest to highest, they are generally ranked: D, C, B, A, and S.
Officially, there are only those five, but pluses and minuses are often unofficially tacked onto the end.
Among them, the danger rating of this Undead Dungeon was D-minus.
It was the absolute bottom of the barrel. Its popularity crawled along the floor as well, to the point that there wasn't even a permanent checkpoint.
As mentioned before, the rewards were lousy, and the magical beasts inside were just walking corpses.
Heroes had no problem subjugating magical beasts with sharp horns or razor-sharp fangs.
However, "undead" creatures, with their human-like appearance, were more than enough to trigger the uncanny valley effect.
Thus, undead dungeons achieved the bottom-tier triple crown: low rank, unpopular, and practically abandoned. But—
"...This is the Undead Dungeon, right?"
Abel muttered in bewilderment. Shail replied with a dumbfounded look.
"I checked multiple times and verified the geography, so this is definitely the place. However..."
Shail couldn't finish her sentence. As if unable to comprehend, she repeatedly checked her GPS app. Yet, the location indicated by the app remained unchanged.
I took my eyes off the two of them and looked back at the entrance.
Why does this dungeon have such an insane aura?
—This place, which was supposed to be a bottom-tier dungeon.
Even if an S-rank magical beast lay dormant inside, the entrance was already radiating an overwhelming pressure.
It was built on a grand scale, almost like a fortress.
A chilling air reminiscent of a haunted mansion drifted about. Despite the sun being high in the sky, the surrounding scenery was bleak and desolate.
It possessed a sinister presence that made the C-rank Buffalo Dungeon look like a neighborhood amusement park.
No wonder the driver practically fled down the mountain.
The stench of death stung my nose.
I licked my dry lips. Then, reflexively, I reached into my coat. My sashimi knife was resting close to my heart.
"Let's head in for now."
I spoke first, snapping the two of them out of their daze.
"Oh... right."
"My apologies, Sir Geomma. It seems I was momentarily taken aback, as I have never seen a place like this before."
Abel and Shail offered their respective replies. With that, we drew closer to the entrance.
As we actually approached, the atmosphere grew far more eerie, sending another shiver down my spine. A cold wind licked past my cheeks.
A gate of human bones, haphazardly constructed from skulls and skeletal fragments.
Cobwebs draped loosely all over it added the perfect finishing touch.
While the three of us stood overwhelmed, a towering shape caught the corner of my eye.
"...A stone tablet?"
It was a stone tablet standing about two meters tall.
Some text was engraved on the stone surface, but the characters were not in Hangul.
"There's something written over there."
"Oh, you're right."
Before we knew it, our attention shifted to the stone monument.
I asked Abel.
"But I don't know what language it is. Do you?"
"Hmm, well... I know most European languages, but I have absolutely no idea what this says..."
"Hmm, somehow it feels a bit unsettling to just ignore it."
While Abel and I narrowed our eyes and examined it, Shail, who had been quiet, spoke up softly.
"I believe it is the Rune Language."
"The Rune Language?"
Abel's eyes widened. Shail gave a slow, heavy nod.
"It is only natural that you two do not recognize it. The Rune Language was used from the age of myth until seven hundred years ago. It has long since become a dead language."
...A dead language.
It was a deeply ominous place, without a speck of life to be found anywhere.
"But how do you know it's the Rune Language, Shail?"
I asked. Shail replied with a bright smile.
"I took an interest in ancient languages back when I was at the Academy. I picked up a bit of the Rune Language then. Of course, since I'm self-taught, I'm no expert."
"Then, could you perhaps decipher what is written there?"
"Hmm... well, since I only learned it for fun..."
Shail trailed off slightly. Abel stared at her with sparkling eyes.
Shail gave a small smile.
"I can't guarantee accuracy, but I'll do what I can."
Perhaps this inscription held a clue about Draugr. Even a minor hint would do. I was desperate for anything.
"Please."
"Of course, Sir Geomma."
Shail rested her chin in one hand and peered closely at the inscription.
Beneath her lowered eyelashes, her eyes moved slowly left, right, up, and down.
Soon, Shail shifted her gaze back to us. She spoke.
"For some reason, the upper portion has been intentionally defaced so it cannot be read. As you can see, it looks like someone slashed it repeatedly with a sword."
"..."
Despite her momentarily disappointed expression, a bright smile somehow returned to Shail's lips.
"Still, I can make out a few words from the latter half."
"...!"
"It will involve a lot of loose translation, so please keep that in mind."
Clearing her throat twice, Shail recited the contents like a poem.
He who disturbs the rest of the dead,
Shall meet the selfsame fate.
He who brings rest to the dead,
Shall be the King of the Dead.
"...Hmm."
It was a bit chilling. It felt almost like a curse.
What we could infer... the "King of the Dead" likely referred to Draugr, the King of the Liches.
But the connection to the preceding lines was vague.
...It's a bit ambiguous.
As I stood there in silence, chewing over the words for a long time, Shail spoke up apologetically.
"That is as much as I can decipher. I would love to tell you more, but anything beyond this is past my ability. I am sorry."
"Not at all. This was plenty helpful."
In the first place, we would have just walked past it if not for Shail.
In front of a language that died out seven hundred years ago, Abel and I were practically illiterate. Shail had been a massive help on this trip.
Let's head inside first.
More precise clues were always to be found at the scene.
I immediately pushed the gate open with force.
—Greeeeaaaaaaannnnn.
The gap in the gate widened, emitting an ominous noise. For a moment, it sounded almost like a human scream.
I took the first step forward. A wave of sinister air surged out like a tsunami.
"..."
I forced my stiff neck to turn back.
"...Let's go in."
* * *
Step, step.
A space without a single ray of light. We walked through a passage shrouded in pitch-black darkness.
We had brought flashlights in preparation for this, so moving forward wasn't an issue.
Contrary to the terrifyingly ominous exterior, there was nothing but silence beyond the gate.
The entrance had wound our tension tight, but the interior was as quiet and solemn as a graveyard. It was actually a bit anticlimactic.
Is this why it's a D-minus rank...?
Though the intermittent, scream-like noises were quite unsettling.
But with the three of us together, it was no big deal.
Abel only trembled slightly, and Shail silently watched our rear.
Shouldn't something be popping out by now?
Just as I was beginning to feel bored.
...A moment later, a group of figures writhed in the abyssal darkness. A primal revulsion rippled through my entire body.
"Groooooaaaaaaarrrrgh."
Distorted, twisted shrieks echoed through the cavern.
Undead.
Five corpses stumbled forward. They tottered along with both arms stretched out like mummies.
They weren't threatening in the slightest. However, their approach was extremely repulsive.
Flesh clung sparsely to their skeletal frames. Maggots crawled over their rotting, decayed skin, and their limb joints dangled loosely.
True to the term "walking corpse," they were hideous to behold. If the weak-hearted Weapon had seen this, he would have shrieked and fainted on the spot.
I glanced sideways. A flicker of surprise crossed Abel's face. However, her expression brightened as she drew her sword.
Ching.
A sleek, clear ring echoed as the blade slid from its scabbard.
Abel held her hilt at an angle and took a step forward.
"My lady, let me handle this."
At Shail's words, Abel shook her head.
"I'll go first."
"But..."
Shail's eyes shook with deep worry.
Danger level aside, undead were objects of avoidance. She was worried that rotten flesh might get on Abel.
Abel offered Shail a gentle smile, soothing her.
"Shail, I'm always grateful for your concern. But today is a battle of endurance. I'm just taking the first turn. Once my stamina runs out, it'll be your turn, so rest up for now. Okay?"
"...Yes, if that is your wish, my lady."
Abel smiled, satisfied with the answer.
Her gaze swept past me for a brief second before settling back on the dead.
Abel stared intently at them with calm eyes.
The faces she was searching for were not among them.
...In that case.
Step, step.
A stride filled with sharp intent. Her blue hair fluttered.
Abel tilted her sword.
A faint shroud of light enveloped the blade. It wasn't Aura. It was simply a finely honed momentum—the fruit of her hard work manifesting upon the steel.
Soon, Abel closed the distance.
"Groooooaaaaaaarrrrgh!"
The horde of undead let out a roar. It was the cry of the dead.
Abel closed and opened her eyes, murmuring softly.
"...I am sorry."
—Slash.
A single horizontal slash.
The blade swept through all five necks in one fell swoop.
Thud.
After a brief silence, the heads rolled onto the ground.
"...Ha."
I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
It was a flawless strike, completely devoid of unnecessary movement. It was hard to believe this was the level of a seventeen-year-old.
But I don't think she was this strong in the game.
...Could it be?
Originally, Abel was the top student. But because the official history got slightly twisted, I usurped that position.
That would have been more than enough to spark a competitive fire in the proud descendant of the Sword Saint.
The conclusion was that, because of me, Abel was growing several times faster than she did in the original timeline.
Abel stared silently at the ground. It looked like a moment of silence to pray for the souls of the dead.
...Impressive.
Just as I was muttering to myself, Abel suddenly turned her head.
"..."
A thirty-second staring contest ensued. Abel primly averted her gaze and took the lead.