Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 89
>Chapter Title: Do You Know Who I Am?
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Ancient ruins, surface.
Atop a low hillock, Solion wore a smile.
“Heh, heh ha. To think things would go this smoothly……!”
A single trickle of blood ran down his throat, but the smile on his lips was brighter than ever.
Why wouldn’t it be!
Tssszzz—!
Far off in the distance, a shimmering purple glow.
Ominous.
[Gaaaaah……!]
[Aaah……!]
The evil spirits rose like heat haze only to be sucked into the magic circle, becoming its fuel. The more spirits absorbed, the fiercer the circle’s glow became!
Whispering Scream.
The curse he had meticulously prepared over days had activated.
“Trying to catch me off guard, eh? You thought you could pierce through the ancient wraiths with a sneak attack and take my head?”
To be honest, it had been pretty chilling.
An invisible strike from a distance no eye could see, slicing through skeletal giant trees?
It was an unexpected ambush.
No, the ambush wasn’t the only surprise.
‘To think the masked one was a knight……!’
From the intel gathered via evil spirits, he’d seemed like a textbook mage.
They couldn’t scout properly with their disrupted vision, but the fragmented details they relayed clearly pointed to a mage.
And yet.
“You’re a knight? Ha ha!”
Knight or mage.
Did it really matter what the intruder was?
Normally, no. He had to block them either way.
But since Solion had prepared a “curse,” it was a huge problem.
The curse he’d set up over the past few days.
[Whispering Scream] was powerful, but all too easy to detect.
Any mage sensitive to mana flow would sense the trap.
‘If I’d had a bit more time…… I could’ve hidden it better, but things were urgent.’
So, he’d agonized.
How to lure the masked one onto the magic circle.
Just in case, he’d drawn it extensively around the ancient ruins. Even if the masked one spotted it, they’d have to step on it to hit the ruins.
But.
‘Even that…… wasn’t perfect. There were still gaps.’
What if he slipped through the circle’s weak points?
He’d stationed undead in the empty spaces, but that would still be a headache.
And yet.
‘This easily?’
“Heh ha ha, of course. How could a brute swordsman discern a magic circle? They only know slashing and hacking, those butchers.”
Solion laughed with utmost delight.
Leaning casually into empty air, a pile of bones rose from the ground.
A throne of bone caught his body.
“The elders…… must’ve made me paranoid.”
Looking back, he’d been overly jumpy.
His spies, the evil spirits, reported just three from the Fourth Base Camp: the masked one, the bloody mage blob, and the guide.
‘The mage and guide are trash…… Taking out the masked one should’ve been simple.’
Creating the magic circle these past days, he’d fretted needlessly. Pathetic.
How many spirits had he sacrificed to build [Whispering Scream]?
Too pressed for time to roam the great forest on foot, he’d used the spirits to draw it.
Dozens per stroke.
And that wasn’t all.
‘To activate Whispering Scream…… I fed it every spirit I’d hoarded my life.’
How could his gut not twist?
But that was fleeting.
Solion chuckled and nodded.
“Well, can’t be helped. Yeah, can’t be helped.”
Who wouldn’t?
Things worked out, luckily. One slip, and……
‘Even in death, no peace.’
Trapped by those damn elders, unspeakable torment. Or worse, reduced to a mere evil spirit, or something even lower.
How could he relax in that scenario?
Just thinking of that near-future sent chills down his spine.
“Fuuu……!”
Solion exhaled a sigh half relief, half joy, then chuckled.
Anyway.
“No…… more variables now, right?”
He gazed toward the intruder.
Evil spirits melting into the circle by the second. The glow intensifying.
Thud thud thud thud—!
The ancient wraiths stationed at the outskirts swarmed to slaughter the intruder. So many, the whole great forest seemed to shake!
Of course, the masked one wasn’t idle.
Kwaaaang—!
……Boom. Thud!
Facing the onslaught? Explosions echoed as skeletal giants toppled one by one.
But.
‘Go ahead, rampage. The curse isn’t done yet.’
He might hold now, but Whispering Scream’s true power came when all spirits merged.
Sure, the intruder might charge him directly before then……
‘Ridiculous!’
What was Whispering Scream?
It used evil spirits as medium, scaling with their sacrificed numbers.
Already so many absorbed—the intruder was probably half-dead.
Hundreds of wraiths’ whispers deluding his ears, illusions impossible to ignore dancing before his eyes.
Stay sane and charge through that?
Rampage to death was his only option!
So……
“All that’s left is the bloody mage and pathfinder. Ha ha! Truly…… pathetic. Musphelrun, things must be dire? Or did you trust that masked one so much?”
Which, he didn’t know. Maybe both.
But.
‘Does it matter? The outcome’s set.’
Set in stone.
Tap, tap.
Solion’s fingers drummed the bone armrest. A hollow echo resounded softly.
“Destrow will come. And bring chaos to the world.”
Just imagining it thrilled him.
Destrow commanding such ancient wraiths.
Already this many before fully awakening from the seal? The calamity upon emergence would be unimaginable!
That’s why Solion couldn’t hide his grin.
‘All that…… my achievement!’
The stronger Destrow awoke, the greater his credit.
‘Elder…… too much to hope, but an executive seat? Possible.’
Elevated status in Salvatium.
Not just a new badge—rewards from the elder council upon promotion.
Absorb those fully, and a second molting!
“Heh heh, heh ha ha. Ha ha ha…….”
Moments ago trembling at elder punishment, now Solion laughed at sweet rewards.
And more.
“Pretty…… resilient, huh?”
Still going strong?
Boom, bwoom—!
The masked one rampaging, devastating the forest. Couldn’t see it, but the momentum hadn’t waned.
“Maybe…… a knight on the verge of transcendence.”
Why not revel?
‘Lost Shine von Luman and mourned…….’
Inferior, but a knight’s corpse rolled right to him.
No, not just the knight.
‘With luck, Musphelrun too. If luck holds.’
Didn’t have to be her.
Fourth Base Camp: most worthless mercenaries, but a few skilled ones.
Snag those, no regrets.
Just one regret.
“Ha ha, no booze at a time like this.”
No drink to toast.
Anyway.
“…….”
Solion closed his eyes gently.
Lips curving softly, like savoring fine music. His head bobbed leisurely.
[Kieeeek……!]
[Aaaah……!]
Evil spirits grinding into the circle, ancient giants crashing dully.
Interspersed, the wraiths’ cries as backdrop.
Thud thud thud—
Endless footsteps charging.
Hellish to most……
‘Sweet symphony.’
Solion savored it like a exquisite orchestra.
Perfect moment.
‘Truly…… Huh?’
That’s when Solion sensed something off.
……Boom, boom.
Faint battle sounds from afar.
But why?
Boom! Boom!
Drawing closer.
Wraith screams, ancient wails!
No, definitely closer.
Slash, splurt—!
New slicing sounds tickling his ears faintly.
“……?”
Solion opened his eyes, peering ahead.
After a moment.
“……!”
Eyes widening.
“……How?”
The intruder was closer.
No—still closing in.
Not mad thrashing, but purposefully targeting him.
“Overcoming…… Whispering Scream?”
Brief thought.
Snap!
Solion flicked his fingers.
Impossible to resist the curse. But something felt wrong—he couldn’t sit idle.
Result.
[……!]
Fwoosh—!
Evil spirits shredded into the circle without a dying cry. All merged in an instant.
Simultaneously, Whispering Scream surged fiercer.
‘That should do it.’
Solion leaned back. Or tried.
Whoosh—!
A shadow leaped high, blotting the sun.
“……?”
Backlit, only silhouette visible, but outline clear.
Black armor. Ominously rippling sword.
‘Death…… Knight?’
As he grasped that.
“……Urk!”
Solion hurled sideways desperately.
Rolling pathetically, he righted himself. His throne seat impaled by the sword right after.
Boom—!
Amid the roar.
“……H-how?”
Solion stared at the intruder with frantic eyes.
[What how? First Death Knight you’ve seen?]
A flickering light in the helm. Casual voice, but Solion couldn’t stay calm facing it.
“Shine…… von Luman?”
No—precisely……
The first Death Knight, made from ‘Shine von Luman.’
Neglected for poor performance compared to others, but unmistakable to Solion.
After all.
His life’s greatest effort, time, care—his masterpiece.
“H-how…… in the world?”
Solion gaped upward from his ass, dumbfounded.
Mind whirling with questions.
Why here? Wasn’t it destroyed? Then the masked intruder was this Death Knight? …And so on.
Everything beyond prediction.
[How?]
Shine slung his sword over his shoulder leisurely.
[If you mean the curse…… no idea.]
“……?”
[Armor just flashed, and the curse went whoosh up in flames? Like now.]
Exactly.
Endless curse aura assaulting Shine. But as the armor gleamed, a barrier-like field formed—
Fwoosh……!
The aura burned away harmlessly.
“……Ah!”
Solion finally recalled.
Why he’d neglected his prized Shine von Luman Death Knight.
‘……Too many functions crammed in.’
Inefficient output.
Protective spells galore, attribute resistances, basic necromancy, essential ‘Death Knight’ abilities.
Great base, but no power? Nope.
The rippling barrier now? One of those features.
Memories resurfacing.
- Curse immunity, 256 layers. Heh heh, that’ll shrug off any curse.
For rival gold mages, he’d layered curse immunity meticulously.
Not full immunity, of course.
But.
- Any curse spell…… it’ll tank at least once.
And yet.
‘That “once” had to be…… against this……! Argh!’
Solion clenched trembling fists. A voice in his ear.
[Hey.]
“…….”
[Your Death Knight’s badass.]
“Y-you……!”
[Ah, meaning me. Since I’m that Death Knight.]
Solion’s anguished cry erupted then.
“I-I’ll kill you! How dare you defile me……!”
Shine chuckled right after.
[Already dead, though.]
Dead already—how kill again? Laughable!
But.
[……Oops.]
The change that followed was no joke.
Grgrgrgrgr—!
A massive subspace tore open behind Solion. Subspace? More sinister.
And emerging:
Clank, clank.
Leading: two Death Knights on ghost horses. Behind: undead visibly elite.
“Perfect…… timing. Time to reclaim you. Then…… the masked one’s easy too.”
A reasoning Death Knight leading an undead army—what to fear!
As Solion glared bloodshot at Shine.
[Foolish dreams.]
Shine smirked loftily.
[Do you know who I am.]
Death Knight? Hundreds of undead?
Fine, admitted.
Not ordinary.
Death Knights sharp as trained knights, each of hundreds equally so.
But.
[I’m Shine von Luman. Think I’d lose to trash like that?]
“Ha! Let’s see……?”
Arrogant voice.
Solion laughed—then tilted his head, baffled.
Why?
Whoosh—!
Shine’s body retreated.
Not turning—backpedaling straight at him, eyes locked, blindingly fast!
But what flipped Solion’s stomach wasn’t the mismatch.
[Come on in, then.]
“Y-you bastard……!”
That smug voice amid it all. Infuriatingly cocky.
“Kill him! Shred to bits!”
Sensing his rage?
Neigh—!
Death Knights on ghost horses led; hundreds of undead charged after Shine ferociously.
The chase began.