Episode 129: The King of the Dead (8)
Abel’s side profile, which had been holding back the army for a long time, suddenly became warm. Light seeped into the corner of her vision. Her gaze reflexively followed the light source.
“… … !”
It wasn’t just Abel. Every eye in the room followed the strange light. The next moment, everyone was struck by a sacred sight.
Swaaaaaaaaaah.
A flash of light burst from the heights, clearing away the hellish path. A warmth I haven’t felt in centuries. The warmth of life spread through the room.
The dead looked up helplessly at the light. They felt their hearts beating again.
As the immense energy suppresses the magical power in the vicinity, the undead briefly regain their senses. Joy and hope fill their faces.
They instinctively knew that this human boy was their savior who would free them from this curse.
“iced coffee…….”
Someone cried out loud. It was Michelan. He could hardly hold back his tears from the overwhelming excitement. He opened his mouth in a wet voice.
“The dead have hopes.”
Clang, clang-!
Then, broken pieces of iron fell to the ground. The fighting spirit in the eyes of the dead had completely faded away.
Starting with Michelan, croaking sounds came from here and there. The undead who had some sound voices were squeezing out sounds. So some of them added their mouths to Michelan.
“May a human appear who can break this curse.”
Abel and Shail couldn’t hide their surprise. It was too sudden for them to realize what was happening.
Suddenly, the undead horde stops attacking and starts speaking all at once. Their vocal cords are torn and their pronunciation is slurred, but their words are full of earnestness.
“The saint of swordsmanship who will cut the shackles of immortality has descended.”
The song of the dead continued.
Among them, the strong sword horse dashed through the air and rushed at the draugr. The aura fluttering like a white robe soon covered the demon.
Kwaaaaang!
The impact caused a huge ripple. A sharp wind blew, and cracks began to form on the ceiling.
Bang!
A sharp, piercing sound. There was the sound of iron biting iron.
Draugr barely managed to block the blow that had wrapped itself around Aura. His limbs trembled even as he braced his sword with his other hand. The pavement beneath his feet caved in.
‘This is a great swordsmanship.’
It wasn’t the weight of a small blade. It was the pressure of being struck by a dull axe.
However, the corners of Draugr’s mouth twitched and then opened wide, revealing yellow teeth and purple gums.
Oh, what a feeling it has been. Is there a moment when the blood boils more than when an inspector faces the sword?
In fact, if I had just taken this sword attack, I would have gone to rest right away. But I didn’t want to do that.
The flesh had already met its end. Now I had no fear of eternal destruction.
Just this boy in front of me. I wanted to pour out all the remaining fighting spirit and awe I had in him at the last moment.
Thump, thump.
Draugr extended his sword. Sashimi struck the blade. A shrill, metallic sound was heard. Aftershock, his fingers tingled.
Draugr’s pupils slowly opened. He was the one who attacked, but he was instead put on the defensive.
‘There is no waste in movement.’
It was fast. It rained down dizzyingly, but it was a series of attacks with logic. Each attack made my body feel like it was going to break apart. There was no time to even groan.
Sasak.
Kanggeomma took a low stance. He held the Mannyeonseol in reverse and drew a crescent moon. The cold blade smoothly cut through the armor.
Seo-geong!
A beam of light passed over the draugr’s right shoulder. The golden armor crumbled and the severed arm rolled across the pavement.
… … !
The swordsmanship was so clean that it was hard to understand the principle. I didn’t even realize that I had cut it.
Papak! Pavabat! Squeak!
The blade flies, drawing light. A pure white aura follows. The retinas of those watching were illuminated by the multiple arms of the strong swordsman.
Draugr turned the hilt of his sword at an angle, intending to block some of the strikes. He still had pride in his sword.
—however.
Boom! Crunch! Crunch!!
A sword play that blocked movement itself. The blade gnawed through the armor, causing golden dust to scatter.
Phew.
Gold dust swept by the fierce sword wind fell like snow, covering the scene of corpses and maggots.
Tsk tsk- The crack in the ceiling was getting wider. A faint ray of light began to leak out through the crack.
The cold blade cuts through the draugr’s entire body. His chest swelled as if it would burst. Blood that was like cold water rushed out. Steam rose from the cracks in his torn skin.
‘The interest is clear.’
The prophecy turned into certainty. In that moment, the draugr and the dead shared thoughts and feelings.
It was a false throne, but he was the Lich King. The dead also felt that vivid emotion.
The dead tied together the Lich King’s thoughts on his behalf. Each had their own will woven into their words.
Kanggeomma opened his eyes wide. His black pupils looked beyond his opponent. There was a question that had been there since he first set foot here.
‘Where is the staff of death?’
At first, I thought it was just some kind of mistake. However, when I crossed swords with the draugr, I realized the truth.
A jewel-studded branch stuck into Draug’s chest like a nail, and it throbbed and beat like life.
‘That’s it.’
The mysterious jewel had a tangled, crimson thread. That must be the source of the transcendent magic.
‘The magic stone of immortality.’
However, the magic stone was tightly entangled with threads like a protective shield. If you moved your sword wrongly, the gem would be cut off along with it.
However, there is not enough time left to cut it precisely.
1 second.
Kanggeomma took a short breath. Then he quickly put Sashimi back into the scabbard on his waist.
The aura was purer than usual. The wishes of the dead gathered at the tip of Sashimi’s sword. They prayed to the savior who had finally appeared.
A circular ring of light appeared behind Kanggeomma’s back. It was a holy radiance.
Kanggeomma tightened his grip. He won’t cut twice. He must finish it in one stroke. Immediately, his shoulders became hazy.
Lead.
condensation.
Sword.
The process took place simultaneously. There were hundreds of thousands of eyes watching. However, only Draugr captured the moment with his own eyes.
Seo―――――――Worry!
A cutting sound that resonates like ripples.
The sword light stretched out with all its might. A straight pillar of light pierced through the upper body of the draugr and the magic stone at once.
A jagged line appeared on Draug’s waist, and soon he began to slide like a bowling pin.
“… … .”
Gold dust scattered like snowflakes. A piece landed on Abel’s nose. Abel’s golden eyes gathered into a circle.
“… Gold… eyes?”
The golden eagle pushes away the horrific hell. And the dead who sit here praise the heroes who burned their bodies for humanity.
dump.
Someone was down on one knee, his toes pointing towards the central tower.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Starting with him, the dead knelt and bowed their heads. In an instant, the air became solemn.
“… This is.”
Abel looked around the area. The skeletal pillars and temple that made up the temple were melting away.
Urrrrrrrr!
It’s collapsing. The prison that binds and shackles death.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!
A curse that made you live and rot under the pretext of immortality.
The bodies of the undead also collapsed one by one like sand castles. Even in the midst of this, dozens of them saluted the same place. There was a distinct color in their eyes.
They spat out their last words.
“To our king.”
Even though the body will soon turn to dust, I respect a human being.
“Glory be to him.”
Towards the black-haired boy.
* * *
[NEW! You have acquired a new item.]
Phew-!
== ==
〈Stone of Immortality〉
The Immortal Magic Stone is made up of the blood of hundreds of thousands of dead people.
Their resentment dwells in this small world, but their hope also remains.
Listen to the voice of the dead.
Then they will open the gates of the underworld and answer your call.
◈ Classification
: Magic Stone
◈ Description
: The source of the curse that bound the dead and the crystallization of magical power.
: However, at present, the deceased’s vital energy has been completely removed and purified.
: Can be used to strengthen weapons.
◈ Potential
: Holders of 《Special/Title》 are granted additional potential abilities.
: The time and conditions for the manifestation of potential abilities are arbitrarily adjusted depending on external factors.
== ==
“I finally got it… … .”
A smile came to my lips unconsciously. I had crossed the line between life and death many times.
It is true that rewards are double the joy when they are achieved after trials.
‘But what is this?’
I’m particularly drawn to the words potential ability and title. I’ve never gotten the immortal magic stone when I was a user, so I don’t know much about its effects.
It seems to be different from the ‘special ability’ granted when strengthening weapons.
“Ugh.”
… The feeling of relief was fleeting. A single groan escaped between my teeth.
I pushed myself too hard. I tried to finish it in under a second, but it seems the aura output was a bit excessive.
The corners of his lips, which had been rising due to the pain that was coming, twisted. He wrapped his forehead. A hot sensation spread across his forehead.
‘… I think I’ll be sick in bed for a few days.’
I gritted my teeth. The situation wasn’t completely over yet. I lowered my gaze slightly.
Abel’s father, who had been a draugr until just now, was lying peacefully on the ground.
Although the upper and lower body were separated, the expression was infinitely calm. The fingertips were turning into dust. Even if you look closely, there wasn’t much time left.
He moved his parched lips.
“Are you by any chance a member of my daughter’s group?”
I nodded silently. A bright smile appeared on his lips.
“Thank you.”
“It’s not me who should be thanking you, but Abel himself. He’s the one who’s been waiting for you for ten years.”
I pointed behind me with my thumb. There, Abel was staring blankly in my direction.
Orion laughed softly at that.
“I see. Ever since I was young, once I got hooked on something, I would dig deep into it. I still do that.”
“… Well, I get the feeling that he has a bit of a poisonous personality.”
“Hahaha, in that respect, you seem to resemble your father more than me. My father, that is, your highness the swordsman, has exactly that kind of personality.”
I am experiencing it firsthand. I just nodded.
Orion, who had been laughing at him for a long time, soon let out a deep breath. The golden-eyed Lee Chae-do was also sinking deeply.
“I would like to have a talk with my daughter, but… … I don’t have much time left.”
“… If you have any last words, I will convey them on your behalf.”
Orion’s eyebrows rose. Soon, he quietly turned his eyes to look at Abel. Various emotions flashed through his eyes.
He closed his eyes, opened them, and suddenly shook his head.
“It’s okay. If I think about it, if I say a word, that child will definitely be greatly affected. So, for Abel’s sake, I want to leave without saying anything. I want that child to go his own way.”
“…All right.”
With those words, Orion turned his gaze back to the ceiling. He smiled as he basked in the sunlight streaming in through the cracks.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I am finally seeing the light.”
Orion’s entire body was blown away by the wind and slowly disappeared. He let out a faint breath and spoke.
“May God bless you.”
Whew.
… After a while, the undead horde begins to disappear.
“… … .”
Countless spirits were granted rest and became a part of nature.
