222nd time
Ajossi who was a death knight
222 ? The guy who was a death knight #2
Swish.
A small sprout burst through the dark soil of the flowerpot.
It soon grows tall and bears silvery, splendid flower buds.
Just-.
The flowers, which resembled silver bells, actually made a beautiful sound like bells, and the sound was so clear that it echoed through the tiny hut and the eerie cliffs.
The flowers, the flowers have bloomed… ? Come here, give them to me.
The skeleton knight snatched the flowerpot from my hand as he looked at the small flower. His blue eyes, looking down at it, flashed strangely.
He stared at it for a long time.
There was a saying that if you keep a cat and fish in a fish tank in the same house, the cat will stare at the fish tank all day and develop something like fish tank addiction.
I think the attitude of the skeleton knight looking at the flower right now is exactly like that.
There must have been some story behind it. I was just vaguely thinking that something bad had happened to that flower when he was still alive, when the skeleton knight finally opened his heavy mouth.
Winter’s bell, the fragrant flower. That’s the name of this flower. It was my mother’s favorite flower. My mother was a sea nymph.
Nymph of the stream. Nymph of the ditch. Now, a nymph of the sea.
What a magnificent nymph.
Is it like a complete evolution paranoia?
I pictured Paranoi growing into an evolutionary stone. A Paranoi with a large chest and a slender figure. A Paranoi that had its growth-retarding curse lifted.
However, there was something a little worrisome about that appearance.
Because Paranoy is still a little worried that someone might kidnap him. If he grows up to be so sly, it’s certain that bad people will lure Paranoy away with candy.
Because of such worries, I was thirsty for task figures and that was the reason why I did not lift Paranoy’s growth curse.
Now that the flowers have opened, we can collect more seeds.
“Did you want to make flowers bloom to save seeds?”
Yes. This flower is already extinct, except for the seeds I have. Anyway, I didn’t know it would bloom so easily. It was so strange. What on earth did you give it?
“This is called a stamina leap-.”
I placed the stamina elixir I was holding in my hand onto the skeleton knight’s hand. The skeleton knight accepted it and looked inside.
I wondered if he could smell something, but that seemed impossible since he had no nose.
The strong presence of the Titan. And, although faint, the aura of the nymph can be felt. Is that why the flowers can sprout?
The Skeleton Knight’s question made me think about the ingredients of the stamina potion. I heard that it contained several extracts of paranois.
Because I didn’t really feel like drinking it, I just carried it around with me just in case. It helped me in many ways.
“It’s about the same. Now that you’ve done me a favor, are you going to give me some training or something?”
Ah, that was the promise. Yes. I am the master of weapons, the weapon master, the widow forger of Phthia, as the poets and musicians of the world say. To be able to receive guidance from me, young necromancer, you are lucky.
Master of ten thousand weapons – Weapon Master?
I’ve heard of warriors who have reached a certain level being called Sword Masters. Hippolyta was probably called Sword Master by another name.
But isn’t this skeleton going one step further and calling himself a Weapon Master?
I frowned, feeling it was somewhat funny and like a joke, and then the man spoke.
Even if I explain it like this, you still don’t know who I am? The man who runs like a river, the beheading judge, the war wizard – haven’t you heard of them?
“Who is it?”
… Oh my, necromancers, they are a bit like that. When you are absorbed in your own world, you can be ignorant of the stories that go around in the world. Or is it that the stories about me have become diluted as time has passed since I died? No, there must have been stories about heroes that were not told.
hero?
At the word hero, a lightbulb seemed to go on in my head.
“Were you also a gold tier adventurer?”
Adventurer? That seems a little different. I was a hero more than anyone else in this world. More than that, you seem to be interested in the position of a hero, right?
“I am interested, though.”
On the subject of using necromancy, a hero. What an interesting guy. But it’s better to quit. If you live a life of seeking glory, you will surely die young. But if you live an ordinary life without doing anything, you will live longer than anyone else.
“No, so are you saying you will train me or not?”
Ha, of course, saying something like that won’t work on the young guys. I know that. So come on, come on. My training is short and thick.
The skeleton knight placed the flower pot neatly on the table and then went out of the hut.
As I followed him, I saw the manticore’s corpse burning outside, neatly reduced to nothing but bones.
We stood in a fairly wide open space, beyond the wyvern that was curled up as if it had fallen asleep. At that moment, I wondered what kind of training was going on.
Die once.
Pass-.
Suddenly, the skeleton knight, who had closed the distance to my nose, struck my chest with his palm with all his might.
Kwajik-.
Then, the breastplate worn on my chest suddenly distorted, my body fell into a state of sudden lethargy, and my vision went dark.
There was no time to react.
Since I have no flesh or muscle, is this it? – It’s harder to control strength than I thought.
My consciousness was cut off by the voice of the skeleton knight saying something.
* * *
“What the heck is this!”
When I came to my senses.
I was lying under a strange moonlit night sky. My body was gently soaked by something that was either river water or sea water.
“What is it, Sval?”
Didn’t you just get punched in the chest by the skeleton knight? There’s no skeleton knight or the dark cliff scenery, and all that exists here is me, the sky, and the moon.
“What the heck-.”
I couldn’t understand it at all.
What is this situation?
After catching my breath for a while and getting up, I slowly began to think about where I was, as my mind slowly began to cool down.
And I knew something about this strange space.
This space is like a darkened sea.
also.
Came.
Oh, I see.
When I turned my head, behind me was a monster with numerous mouths, eyes, and strange arms that looked like tentacles.
That’s what it means to open your mouth wide and say something.
select.
Do it.
fate.
Ss …
Soon, a strange altar-like thing appeared beneath my feet, as if a submarine had surfaced. On it were three kinds of fruit: grapes, apples, and melons.
This scene was also quite familiar.
When I think back to when I last saw this sight, I think it was when I first had sex with Luna that day in my dream.
I thought it was just a dream.
I never thought I’d have another dream like this after getting beaten by the Skeleton Knight.
No, didn’t you say you were going to kill me?
Am I dead? Is this some kind of afterlife?
“Excuse me, I have something to ask you.”
I mustered up my courage and spoke to this strange object. Even though it had so many mouths, it didn’t really respond.
“Am I dead…?”
This place.
The living and the dead.
boundary.
A space where everything is chaotic.
Primordial chaos.
The monster that had been spitting out incomprehensible sounds in response to my question spoke again.
Catch it.
Rather than converse with me, the monster seemed to simply want me to choose the fruits on the platform in front of me. So, feeling helpless, I picked up the grapes in front of me.
Grapes that were hit by the waves of the vast ocean》
『Neptune, the ruler of the sea, is considered the god of the world along with Jupiter of the sky and Pluto of the underworld. These are grapes that he personally grew through the farms of sea nymphs. They are very good for the body because they are filled with the affection of nymphs, but unfortunately, they do not taste good.』
『When consumed, you can consume karma to strengthen the 『Hand of Shining Grace』 you have.』
Would you like to use 1 point of Strength to strengthen the “Shining Hand” into “Damp Hand”?
『Caution: 100% chance of developing hyperhidrosis』.
What the hell, what are these wet hands?
Even with a 100 percent chance of developing hyperhidrosis.
I put the grapes back on the stage, feeling as if I had touched something truly horrible. Then, the monster that had been showing no sign of anything up until then seemed to burst into laughter.
Were you satisfied that I put the grapes down?
So I turned to the apple lying next to me.
The apple hidden in the deep abyss》
『In the night of the beginning, Nox became obsessed with the hobby of growing apples of the underworld in Tartarus. He secretly hid the ripe apples and often gave them to his guests. In the case of the wormy apples, he would give them to his husband, Erebor. These are the apples that Erebor, the god of the abyss, found too difficult to eat and hid in his domain.』
『When consumed, you can consume karma to bloom a new grace, Dark Eyes.』
Would you like to acquire 『Dark Eyes』 by consuming 1 Stamina point?
『Caution: 60% chance of developing myopia or astigmatism.』
What the heck, there are even apples that others find too cumbersome to eat. However, it seemed like the first time I heard about the possibility of blossoming a new grace.
What are dark eyes? Does it make your eyes dark? Or does it help you see better in the dark?
I don’t know. But I think it’s definitely better than wet hands.
So now I touched the last remaining melon.
Swish.
It’s a melon, but it’s as big as a watermelon, and it feels softer and springier than you’d think. It’s more like a water balloon than a melon. And it feels more like something floating than a water balloon.
Melon, a symbol of love and beauty》
『One day, the goddesses of the high mountain Hypox decided to ask a passing traveler whose breasts were the prettiest and most beautiful. In the end, the goddess Venus won. A small war broke out as a result of this, but to commemorate her victory, Venus created a melon that looked exactly like her breasts.』
『When consumed, you can consume karma to bloom the new Grace White Jade Skin』.
Would you like to acquire 『White Jade Skin』 by consuming 1 Agility point?
『Caution: 80% chance of developing 『Leisure Syndrome』.』
“Oh, shit.”
As soon as I finished reading the words, that was all that came out of my mouth. I have a lot of thoughts coming to my mind, but I can’t get them out of my mouth.
I just switched my palms to feel the softness and weight of the melon.
Indeed-, it is a great melon.
Of course, the 80 percent prevalence rate was so terrible that Melon had no choice but to put it down on the pedestal.
select.
Accept your fate.
I can’t leave this place until I choose one of these. So I better make a choice quickly.
So I picked the apple that looked the safest.
Apple of the Abyss.
The power of Erebor.
The power of the protogenoi-.
Accept it.
As you bite into an apple with the background music of a tentacle monster’s majestic voice, the sweet and refreshing taste travels from your mouth to the back of your head, down your spine, and all the way to your toes.
In the consciousness that is once again fading away.
“thank you.”
I gave him a quick thank you. He may look strange, but he doesn’t seem like a bad guy, and he even gives me fruit.
Then, countless mouths that seemed to be dimly distant seemed to be smiling slightly.
Come again, little friend.
* * *
When I opened my eyes.
I was lying on something like a bed. The cramped cabin was probably the home of a skeleton knight. It looked fairly bright, even though not a single torch was on.
I guess this is probably the effect of the new grace, dark eyes.
Anyway, as I hurriedly got up, the skeleton knight sitting on the chair turned to look at me.
You’re already awake? It wouldn’t have been strange if you had been unconscious for at least two days.
“What the hell, what are you doing all of a sudden? Are you trying to kill me?”
I stood up and put my hand on my waist to take out my club, but it felt empty. There was no club!
Not only the club, but also the gauntlets and even the wallet were gone.
“Hey, you fucking skeleton thief!”
… A thief? That’s harsh. I just gave you some equipment so you could sleep comfortably. Don’t worry, I’ve put everything properly over there.
When I looked at the corner of the house that the skeleton knight’s finger was pointing to, I could see that my things were really neatly packed away.
I felt relieved though.
But I was still angry.
“No, but does that mean you want to kill people?”
I just got into a state of lyrics. Well, I’m sorry if you felt bad. But so what? What do you think of dying?
“It sucks. It’s kind of hard to explain-.”
Yeah, that’s it. That feeling of crawling through that sticky cave endlessly. Now you’re going to fight for your life because you hate that feeling. This is the first step of my education.
“Aha-. The first step of education-.”
What should I say? It was very plausible, but when I thought about it, it was just bullshit. What was I supposed to learn from a guy who was just a skeleton without a head?
So, I was just about to pack my bags and leave.
Hassan of Samaria. I guess that’s your name?
“yes?”
While you were sleeping, I searched through your luggage. I found a sign that proved your identity. Hassan of Samaria, Bronze Tier Adventurer of the Mars Guild. Guest of the Continent.
Ssuk.
As I was packing my bags, I clenched my club tightly. I had information stolen by the undead. Anyone could see that this was a dangerous situation.
Hassan of Samaria. Dying, being defeated, that’s what it means. What you have will be taken away, and your surroundings may also be in danger. It is better to live and be a beggar than to die and become the king of the underworld.
“If you’re going to talk about such boring stuff, I’ll be going now. Goodbye.”
I gathered up my things and started to leave the cabin. At that moment, I felt a strange chill caressing the back of my neck.
So, without realizing it, I suddenly stop walking.
There’s something out there.
Something huge.
I can’t explain it, but I have a feeling that I shouldn’t go out like this.
Oh, did you feel it? I thought your agility was lacking because you couldn’t avoid my attacks. Your senses are better than I thought. It would be best to stay in the cabin now. It’s time for my guests to come. If possible, it would be best to stay hidden without even breathing.
Sreung-.
The skeleton knight grabbed a round shield and a long spear from the corner. Then he stepped outside and spoke.
Molleg, you’re back again, aren’t you? Did you just forget about the scolding you got last time?
Haaa-.
I thought it was the skeleton knight’s soliloquy. I heard deep sighs one after another. Soon after, a rather gloomy voice spread out in all directions.
Death Knight, if you dare, you must accept my offer. Come under my command. I am the Lord of Hell, Moleg. When I gain real power in the world, you will also be given a higher position in Hell.
Ha, I don’t need any high places in hell. I’ve thrown away all the fame and fortune.
Yes, then, will you end your life as a worthless corpse, forgetting all your past glory and honor? Weapon Master. Your reasoning granted by Pluto will soon end. Are you really okay with returning to being a nameless corpse?
… .
This is my final offer. Take my hand, Death Knight. If not, I will chew up all the seeds you cherish!
Hey, you can’t go there!
Boom, Boom-!
I felt something like a huge vibration heading towards the cabin.
The hut soon crumbled into pieces. What had shoved itself inside was a gigantic head. A head so huge that it could have destroyed the hut.
Swish.
It had a flat human face and saw-toothed teeth, and it was probably a manticore. It was about the size of a chick or a chicken compared to the ones I had seen before.
What are you…?
The bastard looked at me and frowned as if he couldn’t understand.
At that, I brought down with all my might the club that I had been ready to swing at any moment, right on his philtrum, that vital point.
“That’s your father, you little Gigas!”
Kkeeeeek-!!
[Work Review]
Today, I’m saying that the rough draft of the illustration is almost complete…!!!
In fact, you’ll probably be reading the picture below before you read this article…
