Chapter 136
Chapter 136
Ch. 136 .｡.:✧ Chapter 136 ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“…She’s…”
Kayla’s words surprised me.
“She’s doing well.”
“Her growth is rapid.”
Kayla disliked Annelise as much as Athena did.
Yet, she uttered words of praise, genuine praise.
I couldn’t help but be surprised.
“…She is?”
“Yes. Whatever she received from her family seems to suit her well, her growth is astonishing.”
“…Really? I guess helping her wasn’t a waste of effort.”
Honestly, I expected a lukewarm response, something along the lines of “she’s training adequately.”
I hadn’t expected such frank praise.
Perhaps I had misjudged her, having recently witnessed her hostility towards Annelise.
However, if Kayla considered this a report, it was in her nature to answer truthfully.
“We’ll need to wait about a day. Her growth has been so dramatic that she needs time to stabilize.”
“No problem.”
Kayla responded nonchalantly, then suggested I rest.
“You haven’t slept at all, have you?”
“I’m fine. A couple of days won’t hurt.”
A 5th circle mage wouldn’t collapse from exhaustion after a few sleepless nights, even after a battle.
While there were certainly effects, I could endure it.
Moreover, I couldn’t sleep.
While Kayla could handle external threats, she couldn’t intervene if something went wrong during the stabilization process.
Only I, the necromancer and her master, could handle such a situation. Therefore, I couldn’t rest.
During the day, Athena occasionally checked on us, but no one else approached.
Pauli seemed to be managing the others well, and Athena seemed to be controlling our two members.
Number 2 was the first to awaken.
He immediately approached me.
I gestured for Kayla to stand down as she moved to intercept him. Number 2 knelt before me.
-Master, a name.
He was asking for a name.
A clear sign that his ego had properly formed.
There were no traces of Lengvin’s memories. It was only natural. His body was the base, but not his soul.
“Lengvin. Your name is Lengvin.”
I decided to carry on his name. I didn’t want to bother coming up with a new one.
While only the body remained, it was still his, and necromancers were known to enslave anyone, friend or foe, if necessary, so I had no qualms about using the name of the former owner.
The three Living Armors, who awakened next, were given their original names: Rabid, Arahad, and Flana. And Number 1, who awakened last, was named Nenson.
-Loyalty, I pledge.
-For the Master’s glory!
-A name… my name…
They knelt before me, pledging their eternal loyalty.
Perhaps because they had all gained distinct egos at once, they seemed rather noisy.
‘Having properly formed egos does increase the burden.’
It was manageable for now, but this wasn’t the end.
The true mastermind behind this situation was about to awaken.
Her form had already stabilized.
She was becoming aware of her existence and power, her consciousness slowly surfacing.
The Wraith Queen was about to open her eyes.
-Is this our first conversation, Master?
It seemed the number of beings calling me “Master” was increasing.
It wasn’t incorrect, but…
-Thankfully, faint memories remain. Will you tell me my name, Master?
“What do you mean by ‘faint memories’?”
-Memories from after you first created me. Memories of fighting giant ants, devouring their queen… Ah, even now, the memory is exhilarating. I also remember fighting humans and supporting your companions.
“Do you remember your previous life? Your time as Kumar?”
I had originally created the Specter using Kumar’s soul, which was sealed within my staff.
I killed his soul, turned it into a Soul Shadow, and used that as the base for the Specter.
Therefore, I wondered if there would be any lingering influence…
-Kumar? I have no such memories.
It seemed my skills were too lacking at the time, and all related memories had vanished.
I had anticipated this possibility, and it didn’t matter. It might even be better this way.
Memories of his past life could hinder his ability to fully realize and utilize his power as a Wraith Queen.
Even when creating Skeletons, their former lives influenced their characteristics.
It was more efficient to turn a knight into a Skeleton Warrior or Knight, and a mage into a Skeleton Mage.
Similarly, souls had aptitudes, and if they didn’t align, even a high-ranking undead might have limited abilities.
‘Kumar couldn’t even properly wield a staff.’
Therefore, the current soul, evolved from a Specter and attuned to the Wraith Queen, was far superior.
-But surely, you won’t name me Kumar?
Honestly, I had considered it.
However, as the name suggested, the Wraith Queen was female, and while translucent, she had the appearance of a beautiful human woman.
In contrast, Kumar was presumably a male demon.
Therefore, I hesitated to simply give her his name.
‘And she seems to dislike it as well…’
I spoke the first name that came to mind.
“Orie.”
-Orie?
“How about Orie?”
-Hmm, it’s much better than Kumar. Thank you for the beautiful name, Master.
I was glad she was satisfied.
“Then… Kayla.”
“We’ll begin the ruin conquest tomorrow. Let’s rest for now.”
Having achieved my goal, I returned all the undead to the dimensional fragment.
The problem was that my lodging had been destroyed. Fortunately, the perceptive Pauli provided a new one.
It was a tent-like structure, similar to the one I had destroyed.
After a good night’s sleep, I went out for breakfast, and my companions greeted me.
“You succeeded?”
“It was quite a commotion.”
“It was an accident.”
“I figured. Glad you’re safe.”
I nodded briefly at Athena’s words and exchanged a glance with Kayla.
Then, I addressed Baldur.
“I heard the news. Congratulations.”
“Thanks to your grace.”
I considered my contribution a mere catalyst.
He wouldn’t have achieved such rapid growth without his own efforts.
“Keep up the good work. I’ll continue to support you.”
“I’ll work even harder.”
“Just keep doing what you’re doing…”
Baldur bowed his head in response.
Perhaps due to Kayla’s teachings and training with Athena, they all shared similar traits.
I shook my head and looked for Annelise.
She was nearby, but standing slightly apart from the others, looking at me with an awkward expression.
I gestured for her to approach, and she hesitantly complied.
“I hear you worked hard.”
“How are your results?”
“I’ve almost regained my senses, and I can now handle artifacts, albeit clumsily. I’ll definitely be of assistance.”
“Really? Hmm… then let’s see your results in the upcoming ruin conquest.”
“If I get the chance.”
“There will be more competition this time.”
The newly created high-ranking undead, and the strengthened Baldur.
‘While they’re troublesome since they’re powered by divine power, they have a higher chance of contributing than Annelise.’
After breakfast, I informed Pauli that we would begin the conquest.
He replied that I had full authority regarding the strategy and could proceed as I saw fit.
While he said that, his demeanor suggested he welcomed my decision.
Pauli didn’t mention the destroyed lodging, instead offering his full support and urging me to ask for anything we needed.
I replied that food supplies would suffice for now, and he responded that they had already been prepared and were readily available.
“However, be careful. The entire ruin has awakened along with the guardians. All construction at the entrance has been halted.”
Apparently, there were lesser guardians in addition to the boss Living Armors, and they had all awakened and become active.
Therefore, he warned us that we couldn’t avoid combat from the entrance.
We hadn’t been called here for nothing.
After brief preparations, we headed towards the ruin’s entrance. Pauli handed us a map showing the path to the boss room.
It seemed to be a map created before the ruin fully awakened.
He told us that it didn’t represent the entire ruin, only the areas they had explored.
“Underground again.”
“Ruins are often found in such places. If they weren’t hidden, they would have been discovered already.”
Even in monster territories, there were people searching for ruins, and countless ruins had been discovered by them.
Therefore, most undiscovered ruins were hidden like this.
Of course, if the area was restricted due to powerful monsters, it was a different story, but this wasn’t such a place.
Unlike the one we saw in Iklemba, this entrance was relatively clean.
“They’ve been excavating.”
“Makes sense, considering the future.”
However, it was somewhat risky.
I had heard there were other guardians besides the ones we had faced before.
If they had provoked the other guardians…
And that concern proved to be valid.
“It seems there have been casualties.”
Apparently, the construction had stopped due to casualties.
‘This means the guardians are active from this point onwards.’
I immediately opened the dimensional fragment and retrieved the high-ranking undead.
-Thank you for summoning us.
Orie, the Wraith Queen, greeted me on behalf of the undead.
“So this is the Wraith Queen.”
-It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Orie, the Wraith Queen. Hmm, you’re Athena, correct? Master’s companion.
“Yes. Wow, you can talk.”
-The others can communicate their intentions as well. However, it’s unnecessary and consumes demonic energy, so they refrain. It also requires Master’s permission. Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet the rest of you as well. Kayla, we’ve met before, haven’t we?
It seemed Orie had become the representative of the high-ranking undead.
It was a natural outcome.
She wasn’t just a Wraith, but a Wraith Queen.
She was the highest-ranking undead under my command, so she naturally assumed the leadership role.
‘And the others seem to have accepted it.’
Her ability to communicate smoothly also played a role.
As she mentioned, the undead under my command, with properly formed egos, could communicate with humans.
However, it was quite troublesome and consumed a significant amount of demonic energy.
While communication wasn’t difficult between undead, especially those connected through me, it was different with other beings.
I was an exception, being directly connected to them.
However, Orie was different.
As a spectral being, sending such mental waves wasn’t difficult for her, and it was connected to her innate abilities, so the demonic energy consumption was negligible.
I valued my party members, and they were a great asset.
Therefore, communication between the high-ranking undead and my party was necessary for efficiency, and Orie was the most suitable intermediary.
It was convenient for me as well.
Moreover, Orie was surprisingly sociable.
-Hmm, you’re Annelise, correct?
“Y-yes…”
-You’re Master’s companion, so you can speak casually. Hmm, you use a bow. Come to think of it, you were once companions with Cereo and the other Living Armors, weren’t you?
“Previously, yes.”
-I vaguely remember. That’s right. You committed a crime and came under Master’s command. Hmm.
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