Chapter 53
Chapter 53
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: The Lion Awakens the Dead
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A week after Ching's death, in the gambling city of Menkani.
Profits from the Katrani casino fund a massive public cemetery here, and its origin story is downright ridiculous.
The number of people dying from unpayable gambling debts in Menkani kept climbing year after year, so the lord dumped the blame on the Katrani casino.
Unable to defy the lord, Katrani pledged a cut of its earnings to bury Menkani's unidentified suicides in a public graveyard annually.
As a result, this casino-funded cemetery is little more than a scar hidden behind Menkani's glitz.
Since the cemetery itself belongs to the Katrani casino, its gravekeepers are casino employees too.
“Hey there.”
“Huh?”
Huiren, the gravekeeper who had just finished handing off his shift to his predecessor, eyed the visitor to the cemetery.
Bamboo hat on his head, prayer beads around his neck, and a flowing kasaya robe.
*An Easterner, huh.*
It was an annual ritual.
People showing up to collect debts the cemetery couldn't pay.
Most folks buried here had racked up plenty of sins in life, and dodging debts was one of them. With corpses from every walk of life dumped here regardless of background, it wasn't rare for someone from the East to trek all the way to distant Menkani for payback.
“Came for money?”
“Came to pay respects.”
“Well, if that's your story, who knows. Who you here for?”
The man in the bamboo hat brought up something a bit unsettling.
“About a week back, no Eastern-looking corpse show up here?”
“Eastern corpse, huh... Hmm...”
Distinguishing Eastern from Western corpses was child's play for Huiren.
“There was one, but...”
“What's the issue?”
“Wasn't exactly... Eastern enough. Hell, it wasn't even in one piece.”
“...What shape was the body in?”
“You wanna know?”
*Nod...*
“Head was long gone, and the stump wasn't a clean cut. One arm looked like it'd been ripped off by some beast.”
“Sounds ugly.”
“We see that stuff all the time... Every corpse has a tale. But... you know who it was?”
Huiren's eyes flashed.
The place was packed tight—expansion requests were already in for next year—so if kin wanted to relocate a body, the cemetery would roll out the red carpet.
Costs on the kin, naturally.
“...Nah. Just caught wind of some Easterner getting butchered, figured I'd swing by to mourn while passing through.”
“Ah... Figures.”
It happened now and then. Folks way too hung up on origins.
Eh, long as they weren't hurting anyone.
“Head on inside there.”
“Appreciate it.”
*Crunch...*
*Crunch...*
The season when the greenery began to fade.
Before a nameless gravestone still free of soot, the man in the bamboo hat murmured words like an incantation.
“...Ching, awaken.”
[Manan uses Blood Shadow Corpse.]
[Revives a target dead less than a fortnight as a Blood Shadow Corpse.]
[The revived Blood Shadow Corpse obeys blindly.]
[The revived Blood Shadow Corpse's memories are incomplete.]
Manan, one of the Blood Cult's six lions freshly arrived in Menkani from the East.
*Pop...*
An arm burst from the grave, hauling the body upright.
*Whoooosh...*
A blood wind swirled around the headless corpse, forging a sticky, blood-clotted head—Ching's once more.
“Ching, what did you see right before death?”
“......”
“Ching.”
“Wolf... big... wolf...”
Ching muttered disjointedly.
“Wolf... huge... wolf...”
“...A wolf, then. Matches the murder.”
No way someone like Ching got hunted by a random beast. Far more plausible he'd crossed paths with something wolf-shaped and paid for it.
*Swipe...*
Manan reached out, and two humans plus one Blood Shadow Corpse materialized behind him.
“Ching was murdered.”
“Who the hell would dare to...”
“Could be Baron Jariel's handiwork.”
Standing by Manan were Baek and Kyung, the last two of the Unpleasant Trio.
“What a sorry state, Ching.”
“Can it come back?”
Manan propped his chin, mumbling.
“Depends on the mission's outcome. Get what we came for, and Ching revives fully.”
The Blood Cult's founder chased immortality through grim sorcery, making taboo rites their staple. That's why their warriors scorned death.
Faith in rebirth stronger than before—that's what turned them into willing martyrs.
Ching's end was a far cry from martyrdom, of course.
“No leads... No choice. Hate wasting the blood serum I've stockpiled, but...”
*Whoooosh...*
Blood wind poured from Manan's hand, cloaking Ching.
“...Did it carry his scent?”
“Wolf... scent...”
A crimson mist trailed from Ching, arcing off toward somewhere.
“Sir Lion.”
“What's your move?”
Manan gazed at the mist.
“Coincidence or conspiracy... irrelevant. What matters is someone crashed our first event in the West.”
*Snuuup...*
“Follow the trail.”
* * *
“Blood Cult, huh...”
Remegton didn't last long enough for me to know the full story.
Even so, this Blood Cult arc gets some play in-game, so I've got a word or two.
“What a pain...”
The Blood Cult's supposed to show up proper only after I've cleared out the Unpleasant Trio.
Faust players then pick up the Trio's death lore indirectly through spy work, alongside Eastern worldbuilding.
*A lion's coming...*
Something feels off.
*Just how tough are a Blood Cult lion's skills?*
From what I recall, they outclassed the Unpleasant Trio. Facing one now... could I even win?
*Click...*
I fiddled absently with the Demon Lake sword.
With this blade, I'd back myself in a duel... but that's one-on-one. Baek and Kyung from the Trio were still kicking.
And one more thing.
Blood Cult's infamous for its nasty spells—real trouble.
*Joachim or Ariel couldn't hold 'em off.*
The more I mulled it, the worse it gnawed.
*Swipe...*
“Gonna take a quick look around.”
“I'll attend you.”
“No need. I'll go quiet.”
I turned down Lucifer's company and slipped out of the core.
First stop in the dungeon: the forest field with Joachim.
Joachim ruled the whole forest field, save Ariel's turf and a chunk of orc territory. He'd pulled off something neat—turned the goblins' old shantytown into a proper earthen fortress.
From a distance, the fortress actually looked halfway decent. Invaders hit it constantly, crumbling it every time, but Joachim treated it like no big deal.
*- If it falls, just build it back up... heh heh...*
Goblin through and through, I guess.
Fortresses or citadels would've been ideal, but without an earth field, sourcing materials was impossible. The forest flat-out lacked rocks fit for building.
*Well... explains why fortresses dominate earth fields.*
SQUADs packing nothing but watchtower golem spam were meta for a hot minute.
Anyway, enough griping—Joachim was giving his all from where he stood.
Next up: the flame field.
*- Kee hee hee hee!*
*Whish-!*
*Whish-!*
Santoga came into view, juggling blades.
“......”
I watched him. Even mid-juggle, he pointed one finger—straight toward Phenex.
*Slide...*
I turned. There was Phenex, locked on a chunk of lava cave rubble.
*Doesn't even know I'm here?*
*Hoo...*
“Haaaah...”
Phenex, in total focus, yanked her sword in a thunderbolt draw.
*Piiiing-!*
The strike was so dead-on, you could tell the rock split clean from the sound alone.
*Fwoooosh...*
Flames erupted from the fresh cut.
“Phenex.”
“Huh? Uwaaah! My lord!”
Yeah, clueless.
“What're you up to?”
“Training! Gotta keep my senses razor-sharp—no hesitation in a real fight.”
“Your master teach you that?”
Phenex flashed a bittersweet smile at my words.
“...Yeah. He did.”
“Solid advice.”
“All I can do is cut down your enemies, my lord.”
A demon this loyal? Unheard of.
One sword to guard her master—pure, honest devil.
*But... if things with the Trio blow up like I fear...*
She'd get crushed.
Win the battle, lose the war.
That's the natural order.
Painful as hell, but growth demands it.
All I could do was pick my words for when it hit.
“Right. Keep grinding.”
“Got it! Take care!”
Short chat done, I pushed deeper.
*Geee...*
*Geeeee...*
The abandoned research lab.
*Crackle...*
Green sludge dripped; severed cables spat sparks.
The lab's whole deal—at least for Amon—was Hell science outpacing Solaria's by miles.
I'd rushed the expansion right after Ruby and Bill's report. Lightning field, sure, but no fitting familiars yet.
*Would've passed even if there were.*
This spot was built for Amon alone, reigning as lab director. His secret workshop had shipped over too.
Way too vast for solo use. As I scanned the space, a voice piped up behind me.
“Barging in without word—what's the occasion?”
“Amon.”
“Perfect. Was just needing your take.”
I turned. Amon sported some bowl-helmet contraption on his head, sucking a straw dangling from it.
“Combat noodle feeder.”
“......”
“Lets you scarf down noodles mid-fight, plus nutrients. Impressive, no?”
“...Yeah, impressive.”
Churning out nonsense like this nonstop? Mind-blowing.
Hell's top mind, they say.
*Hell... you good?*
Word was, only Amon truly got Hell science. No one to rein him in—that's why these abominations kept popping up.
“See? You've got taste.”
Amon grinned.
Total softie in moments like this.
A pure invention nut.
“I'll whip up another by your next visit. We can test it together?”
“...Together?”
“Yup. Gotta check if chit-chat works while chowing down.”
“Deal.”
*Swipe...*
Amon eased off the helmet, then asked.
“Blood Cult?”
“Did I mention?”
“Lucifer spilled.”
“Yeah.”
“Alloches' old lapdogs.”
“...What?”
News to me.
“Why the shock? Solaria's hardly demon-free.”
“......”
“Ironblood Duke Alloches used to run them, till they ditched him ages ago.”
“You're plugged in.”
“Word gets around, even sitting still. Hell's got its share of blabbermouths. Anyway...”
Amon narrowed her eyes.
“Scared?”
“...Kinda think we might not be ready.”
“Nothing dumber than a 'prepared' war. If you can prep, it shouldn't happen at all.”
Amon picked her words like daggers.
“Maybe time you owned being the lord here?”
“Huh?”
“Ragtag crew or not, you built this place. You're the rightful lord of this turf. Anxious lord means shaky troops.”
“...Fair point.”
“No need for hubris, but humility's the real killer. Stuck in the middle.”
Her words cleared the fog in my head.
“If they show, greet 'em.”
“......”
“That's all.”
“Got it.”
*Slide...*
Half a day after leaving Amon's lab, Ruby, Bill, and Mori rolled into the dungeon. Thanked 'em and ordered them to stick around a while.
A fortnight passed.
[Intruder presence detected.]
[Dungeon defense commencing.]
The misfortune I'd braced for arrived right on cue.
Familiars cut mana to the dimension gate relays, awaiting my word.
Yeah...
Unlock the gates.
And
“Give 'em the red-carpet treatment.”