Chapter 128: King of the Dead (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: King of the Dead (7)
The Undead Dungeon was originally a tomb. It was a catacomb, a place built to honor the rest of fallen heroes.
However, before the passage of time, even stone weathers into grains of sand. Their history, too, was gradually forgotten from memory.
...And so, hundreds of years passed once more. Demonic energy seeped into the catacomb that had once been the tomb of war heroes.
A magical beast that seized the bodies of heroes and enslaved them as subordinates. The monster that stripped away their sense of self and trampled upon them was the Draugr.
Yet, even such trickery could not easily break the spirit of the age. Even within their tattered bodies, the heroes burned their souls to resist.
Their legacy was the stone tablet in front of the dungeon. To carve a single character, a hundred souls perished. It was the cost required for a spiritual entity to exert physical force.
Nevertheless, they carved into the stone surface with hope. They left behind human writing, waiting for a human who would one day save them.
And then, one day.
A man carrying on the will of the Sword Saint knocked on the tomb. That was ten years ago.
* * *
"Kruuuuuaaaagh!"
Horrific screeches erupted from all directions. The undead swarmed like bees at an incredible speed. It took only a few seconds to fill half of the spacious cavern.
"Tsk."
Kang Geomma clicked his tongue. The battle was disadvantageous from the start. He hadn't expected it to be easy anyway.
But the sheer dominance of the undead horde far exceeded his expectations. Even if S-rank dungeons were the most difficult to subjugate, he wondered if this was normal.
A fleeting thought. Even in that split second, the undead, packed together like a swarm of rats, drew closer.
They swung their creaking arms. Dozens of attacks rushed toward Kang Geomma from all directions.
There was no room to dodge. Chipped metal blades flew at him even from the blind spots of his vision.
The momentum of the undead cast a dark shadow over Kang Geomma's face—a shadow seeking to devour the light of life.
At that, Kang Geomma grabbed the cord of the Murasame instead of its hilt. He immediately whipped the Sashimi forward like a lash.
Whirrrrrr—
The Sashimi bent and snapped like a flash of lightning.
Kee/ek— Kkeu/eok!
Kkere/rek— Kki/geek—
Kkeurara/agaa/gaak!
The blade pierced flesh, tearing through hearts and entrails. The sound of body parts being sliced off in chunks echoed. The long, sweeping path of his sword bit into the undead like a venomous serpent.
"Uaaaradaaaargh!"
Amidst the sounds of slicing and crushing, Kang Geomma swung the Ten-Thousand-Year Frost with his other hand. The approaching undead horde crumbled against the cold metal.
Slicing at both long and close range, his swordsmanship made perfect use of dual-wielding.
Shail rolled her eyes to watch the scene of slaughter. In the center of it, his black hair stood out.
"...That is truly..."
Seeing it in person, his ruthlessness made her instinctively shrink back. It was as if a demon had descended. To be honest, he was just a demon itself.
Just moments ago, too, he had parted the undead horde like the Red Sea with his Sashimi. She had been momentarily dazed because the battle was so urgent, but...
Shail glanced around.
Abel was fighting hard, tirelessly swinging her sword. Her blade clashed against the enemies' weapons.
Clang! Sparks flew, and Abel severed a neck and a leg simultaneously. It was a dance that beautifully balanced offense and defense.
My lady's growth is also incredible.
Yet, look at Kang Geomma. His blade was fierce. His movements were violent. He drenched the ground in flesh and blood.
A single individual was completely overwhelming a crowd.
That is beyond the realm of talent.
It was no longer a matter of technique. It was pure violence. Kang Geomma was like the very concept of slicing and dicing enemies made flesh.
Slash!
Dozens died at once. The Sashimi was instantly drenched in blood.
Kang Geomma flicked his blade with dry eyes. Thick, viscous clumps fell onto the ground with wet splats.
Then, another leap. This time, Kang Geomma threw himself into the crowd first.
Swish.
He freely switched between reverse and regular grips. The sword spun like a pinwheel on his palm.
A continuous onslaught. Kang Geomma swept through and annihilated the enemies. With his swordplay, he silenced the army that writhed like a swarm of ants.
A mist of blood began to drift. It was a gruesome scene, teeming with corpses and endless screams.
Kang Geomma took a giant stride forward.
Slash.
Another step toward the top of the temple.
Slash.
Trampling over the dead scattered everywhere.
Slash.
Blood dripped from the tip of the Sashimi.
* * *
"Ah, damn it."
A curse slipped out naturally. No matter how many he cut down, there was no end to them. The distance to the Draugr was several dozen meters.
It felt like it would take just one leap, but time was running out.
About thirty seconds left.
Fortunately, the duration of the [Blessing of Painlessness] had been adjusted right before the battle.
If not for that, the time limit would have run out long ago.
Moreover, as he became more proficient in manifesting the blessing, his time management became more flexible. Even though it felt like he had been clashing with the undead army for over a minute, he was still fine.
The condition to manifest the [Blessing of the Sword God] was the act of unsheathing. It did not trigger while the blade was enclosed.
Drawing inspiration from this, he utilized "drawing the sword." Even in battle, there were gaps in the offensive.
Of course, it was the briefest of moments, but in those split seconds, he would immediately sheathe his sword. Then, as he resumed his attack, he would draw the blade again. Through this cycle, the sixty-second limit could be extended. It was similar to a sort of inertia effect.
Well, it was only about twenty seconds at best, but I was more than grateful.
The problem, however, was that there were simply too many enemies. The undead swarmed all the way to where the Draugr stood. A scene straight out of a zombie movie unfolded right before my eyes.
It's impossible to push through all of this.
I haven't even touched the boss yet. No matter how cleanly I slice through the undead, this situation won't end until I take down the leader.
I raised my glaring eyes. The Draugr stood firmly at the summit. It stared down at me, both hands resting on the pommel of its sword.
In the center of its sunken sockets, golden eyes gleamed faintly. Its motionless posture, looking down from its throne, truly carried the air of a "king."
"...He looks strong as hell."
It was a belated realization. I thought it was just a magical beast that relied on numbers. But the sheer pressure piercing my entire body, along with its eerie atmosphere, was terrifying.
My lips felt bone-dry. I instinctively licked them.
Well, the host body was Abel's father, after all.
A descendant of the Sword Saint and a practitioner of the sword.
On top of that, he was possessed by a Draugr. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to place him just below a Corps Commander-class demon.
...But his strength wasn't the biggest issue. The [Blessing of the Sword God] was a one-shot-kill weapon. As long as I could get close somehow, it could cut through anything, even the uncuttable.
I need to get close as fast as possible.
Only then can I slit his throat or stab him. It would be incredibly frustrating to get blocked on the way there.
I can't waste the [Blessing of Painlessness] any longer.
If I waste time here, failure is guaranteed.
Change of plans. Getting close to him is the priority.
Is there no flight ability among my blessings? In wuxia novels, peak experts can walk on air.
Just then, a thought flashed through my mind.
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee...
Then, what if there were floating debris in the air to use as stepping stones? Could I leap by stepping on them? Even if I can't fly, I can hop around like a rabbit.
I looked down. Undead rushing from all sides and mountains of piled-up flesh. Debris that could serve as footholds was scattered everywhere.
"..."
Of course, this wasn't a zero-gravity zone, so they wouldn't just float indefinitely.
Furthermore, if I missed a single step, I would fall immediately. Everything I had done so far would go down the drain.
Anyone in their right mind wouldn't even consider such an idea, but with the motor skills granted by the [Blessing of the Sword God]...
Moreover, my field of vision had expanded tremendously. It wasn't a gamble with zero chance of success.
"I'm dead either way."
I decided to act immediately. I swept my foot in a circle across the ground. Human bones and chunks of flesh rose to knee height.
Then, I kicked the debris upward. Thanks to my training, my leg strength had improved, sending them soaring up like a violent waterspout.
I immediately drew my sword. After activating the Blessing of the Sword God, I kicked off the ground.
Boom!
...Kang Geomma, who had leaped high, landed his foot on the first piece of debris. Immediately, his dark pupils and brain moved rapidly. His subconscious constructed the optimal path in an instant.
Having finished his calculations, Kang Geomma shot forward. Like an arrow notched on a bowstring, he moved with a loud bang!
Every time he stepped on the floating fragments, Kang Geomma felt his body grow lighter.
His airtime gradually increased. Acceleration followed. His elasticity and reflexes were in the realm of a superhuman.
Air-walking. True to the literal meaning of the phrase, Kang Geomma freely traversed the empty air.
He felt almost like a swallow. Amidst the sticky, turbid air, a rough wind brushed against his cheeks.
Swish-swish-swish!
In an instant, he reached the final foothold. Only then did the Draugr register on his retinas. It looked up at Kang Geomma, who was flying toward it.
"Ah."
The Draugr's pupils trembled. A strange light flickered in its lifeless, dull eyes.
The thoughts of the human Orion, latent within the body, welled up. A sharp glint appeared in the magical beast's eyes. His paper-thin consciousness had returned, if only for a fleeting moment.
Orion closed and opened his eyes. Below his feet, the army of the dead held sway. They were pitiful souls yearning for death.
Ten years ago, Orion had accidentally heard the truth about the Undead Dungeon. The story that the catacomb, the tomb of the Holy Heroes, had fallen into a den of magical beasts.
To verify this, he had visited the dungeon with his wife for an investigation.
They had seen the inscription on the stone tablet in front of the entrance. Though it was written in the Rune Language, Orion, who had prepared meticulously, was able to decipher its contents.
It was a prophecy.
『The dead wish for a human to appear and break this curse. For a Sword Saint to descend and sever the shackles of immortality.』
It was the moment doubt turned into conviction. A human to break the curse.
The Sword Saint.
Orion believed that phrase referred to him. He was, after all, a born prodigy.
Though Orion was always humble, he had wanted to surpass his father, the "Sword Emperor." Perhaps it was just a swordsman's childish pride. But more than that, he had wanted to be a father his daughter could be proud of.
And so, Orion and his wife stepped into the den of the dead.
A family met its tragedy.
He did not even know when or where his wife, who had come with him, had died. Orion had been crowned by the magical beast that coveted his body.
His sense of self withered rapidly. Yet, a face occasionally flickered in a corner of his mind. His daughter. Though her name had been erased from his memory, she was his most precious treasure.
For ten years, she was the only daughter who had held his threadbare consciousness together.
Orion instinctively looked down. A girl was swinging her sword. Subconsciously, he realized that the girl was his daughter.
You've grown so much.
To think that the child who was so small when he left home had grown so splendidly.
Orion raised his eyes again. A boy who seemed to be the very shape of darkness was approaching. As the boy drew closer, a clear sword cry echoed in his ears.
Even if his soul had been eaten away by the magical beast, his essence was that of a swordsman—a breed that burned even hotter when faced with cold steel. A single thread of consciousness finally moved his hand.
Orion raised his sword. It was the first time he had held it properly in ten years.
Kiiiiiing.
A faint sword cry resonated. It was a rare, precious blade.
Finally, Kang Geomma took his last step. A holy, pure white light manifested in the air.
Whoosh!
Aura flared like wings along Kang Geomma's entire arm. It was massive, filling his entire field of vision.
The Draugr stared at Kang Geomma and murmured.
"The one who brings rest to the dead."
The Lich King, Draugr, was also nothing more than a doll, no different from the other dead.
It was a hollow throne. A true sovereign is one who pronounces the final knell upon us.
"For he is the King of the Dead."
The Draugr pointed the tip of his sword toward Kang Geomma. And on behalf of the dead, he prayed.
"Please, show us mercy."