Chapter 141: Necromancer (1)
"A Necromancer's domain..."
As the field entry ssage appeared, desolate, dead land spread out in all directions. The damp, black earth that evoked images of the demon realm, and gray-tinted fog covering everything. A gloomy aura flowed from the entire Border Marquis region.
"Boss, could this be the work of a Necromancer Possessor?"
"No, this is different."
Contrary to Janson's concerns, Erik let out a relieved sigh.
"A Black Mage has descended as a Necromancer."
For Erik, the field effect [Land of the Dead] was a fairly familiar na. He was startled for a mont and didn't recognize it, but upon closer inspection, the structures visible around him were also a familiar form.
"What do you an by that?"
"It ans that a re Possessor's skills could never create such a massive domain."
Erik's fingertip pointed to the borders of the Garcian Kingdom.
"Look carefully."
Janson narrowed his eyes. All the bricks forming the fortress wall were made by compacting bone fragnts. Their shape was quite different from human ones.
"They're all monster bones, sir."
"The field was constructed, but the structures needed materials."
Sohow, could it be that this Sauron fellow was supplying the monsters? Erik ford such a hypothesis.
"The number of Possessor-type Divine Descents is increasing, sir."
"That's so, and it was bound to happen anyway..."
Erik expanded his sensing range. Beyond the massive bone barrier, he could feel it clearly.
Definitely, the aura of the living. In other words, his suspicion that the Possessors heading from the Kingdom to the Empire were being captured here was actually correct.
"What's more important than that is the Possessors coming from the Kingdom and the residents living in this land."
Erik spoke thus and pulled out a small box from his inventory. He handed it to Janson.
"What is this?"
When Janson was supposed to possess a body, there was only the [Knight] class available among the occupations. In those days, the Labyrinth's maximum floor was the 25th, and there weren't many things implented.
[Golden Knight Avatar Set]
The item Erik gave him was also sothing that didn't exist at that ti.
"It's an avatar."
"Does avatar an the ga avatar, sir?"
"That's right."
Since they were entering a foreign land, Erik had prepared several counterasures. One of them was to disguise himself as a mber of the Almanism Church.
"It's not a particularly rare avatar, but its armor is similar in appearance to the Almanism Church's Golden Knight Order."
"Then... boss?"
Erik broke into a broad smile and checked his inventory. The aning was clear.
"I'm planning to go wearing the sacred relics of the Almanism Church while disguised as Marco."
While causing trouble, it was an intention to strike a blow against the Almanism Church, who was clearly a hostile force.
"A Saint-level cleric using the Almanism Church's sacred relics and a being presud to be the Golden Knight Order will be causing chaos in the Kingdom."
At those words, Janson let out admiration as if deeply impressed.
"Whew. How thorough you are, sir."
Janson imdiately opened the avatar box. Then a ssage appeared before his eyes.
[Bound upon use]
[Golden Knight Order Set.]
[Avatar On/Off]
"If I turn this on, only my appearance changes, right?"
"That's right. Unfortunately, since it's a cheap avatar, partial removal isn't possible."
"There are many types of avatars it seems, sir."
Erik added a remark casually. High-grade avatars can be individually turned Off for desired parts. In other words, if you turn the helt Off, you can show your bare face even while wearing equipnt.
"In that case, people with outstanding character appearances often used them."
"...Is that all?"
"Furthermore, expensive outfits have additional effects attached as well."
Small advantages are given within limits that don't break balance. That's why high-grade avatars had astronomical prices.
"An avatar I once owned cost about 10 million won in cash."
"Non-combat movent speed increase or skill effect enhancent don't really give much advantage to clearing, do they, sir?"
Janson couldn't believe it. You're saying you bought those for 10 million won each?
'Money flowing like water? No, but using thousands on avatars without stat upgrades seems a bit...'
As Janson showed an ambiguous attitude, Erik continued matter-of-factly.
"Instead, it looks cool."
"I see."
Janson was convinced by those words.
'The boss sure cares about looking cool.'
With his question resolved, Janson imdiately pressed the On button on the status window. Then.
Whoosh!
His appearance changed in an instant. The [Guardian Knight Set] he was originally wearing vanished without a trace, and golden armor covered him from toe to head.
"It looks like sothing a nouveau riche would wear, which is perfect for Almanism Church armor."
Seeing Janson's appearance, Erik smiled with satisfaction. Beyond that smile, brilliant light glead, and simultaneously, Erik's face transford into a broad and fierce visage.
"Ah, Marco's face brings back old mories."
"This isn't all."
Erik pulled out the Almanism Church's sacred relics he had received from the Emperor from his [Inventory].
[Alman's Golden Badge]
[Sacred Sword - Alman's Jeweled Blade]
[Sacred Armor - Alman's Barvanil]
After that, Erik equipped them. A helt with the Almanism Church's crest and an open face, and a sword decorated with colorful brilliant jewels. Finally, he also put on the armor he had previously sold to the Almanism Church's Religious Leader through the Emperor's diation.
"I've beco completely nouveau riche looking too."
From head to toe, Erik's entire body was surrounded by gold and large jewels. Seeing this, Janson tilted his head.
'Isn't that definitely the item that was sold before?'
Janson had seen the appearance of the Almanism Church armor. Definitely, it was the armor he had once seen with the old man.
Moreover, it seed unlikely there would be another armor with so many jewels inefficiently dangling from it.
"Wasn't that armor the one you sold to the Religious Leader, boss?"
"It was."
"Then the Almanism Church might recognize—"
"Even if they do, that's fine. What's important is making the Garcian Kingdom misunderstand."
At that sinister intention, Janson clicked his tongue.
***
Two nouveau riche clergyn walked toward the fortress wall of the Border Marquis. Not a single person, or any living creature—whether plant or anything else—in the Land of the Dead. It felt like walking on top of death itself.
"It's not the demon realm, yet a perfectly fine land is destroyed like this..."
Janson's words trailed off at the chill felt from all directions. Feeling an eerie sensation within the gray-tinted fog, goosebumps rose on his skin. Then Erik posed a question.
"Janson, what is a Necromancer?"
"Isn't it a being that commands the dead?"
"Right. The Necromancer class in Continental Online has a similar feel, but it will probably be in a completely different direction from the ga class."
Erik's eyes sharpened. His face was the broad, fierce visage of Marco, and his hair was dark brown, but his pupils contained a clear golden light.
"The skills of re Possessors could never create a field of such magnitude."
"So the actual entity is a Black Mage who has descended. Isn't that what you're saying?"
"Right, but there's sothing strange about it."
"Everything has a na tag..."
Janson also scanned the surroundings like Erik, and was still looking around restlessly. The reason was simple.
[Bone Fragnt]
[Undead Fragnt]
All the bone fragnts and spear-like objects forming the fortress wall of the Border Marquis were receiving item classifications.
"Why are na tags appearing on items that don't et the requirents for item classification?"
Erik felt puzzled. The requirents for item classification were clear. You needed to process raw materials from the world and transform them into sothing with power for a [na tag] to appear. Yet everything on this land had item classifications.
"There must be a Combiner here."
Erik found the answer easily. Since he had obtained an [Extractor], it was natural that a [Combiner] that paired with it also existed.
"I have no idea why such things are floating around the world, but..."
Janson expressed doubt, and Erik presented a reasonable basis.
"Didn't I obtain the Auction House as a Labyrinth reward?"
"Wasn't that sothing that ca out because you're special, sir?"
"I thought so too, but..."
Erik's gaze turned toward the fortress wall made of bone.
"It seems I was mistaken."
There was a belief that he alone used Divine Power, but one couldn't be certain about the Labyrinth's rewards.
"So the Black Mages also have an Auction House?"
"That shouldn't be the case. Still, they're doing sothing similar. Like processing scrap items into Normal-grade items."
Erik recalled the incomplete Auction House. All the additional functions besides the basic ones had disappeared, right? There was a high possibility that those lost additional functions were scattered throughout the world.
"You could think of this as completing the Auction House."
Extractors and Combiners. The existence of such things ant there were multiple of them.
"Do we need to collect them all?"
"There's no way."
Erik let out a small chuckle. One or two would be enough to apply the system function. Having finished speaking thus far, Erik stopped his footsteps.
"Janson, do you know?"
"Yes?"
The current population of Earthtown is approximately 300 people.
"You need people to form a proper market."
There were about 10,000 Possessors who had self-purified with the Holy Water fountain created by the World Tree, and even if you emptied the detention camp completely, it would barely reach 20,000.
"People, sir?"
"The Possessors captured beyond the bone barrier look to exceed 10,000. If we include the lords, that number would multiply several tis over."
The two eyes of Erik, wrapped in miracles, revealed what lay beyond the bone barrier. As the distance grew shorter, a certain degree of certainty was established. Likewise, the enemy's true identity.
"For that to happen, I'll need to kill that descended entity."
"W-wait, that massive—"
Janson's mouth fell open. His eyes, wide and round within the golden helt, were clear. And at the end of his gaze.
Goooooooooo!
A giant in armor appeared. It was overwhelmingly massive. Easily dozens of ters in height, and its entire body wrapped in gray-tinted armor imbued with cold. A chilling aura flowed from the gaps in the armor. The giant monster raised its hand. Following the trajectory of the massive greatsword held in that hand, the atmosphere froze.
"Those who trespass upon the King's Land, return to death."
Seeing the na tag above that monster's head, Erik clenched his fist tightly.
"Is that a descended entity..."
[Master of the Dead, Lich King]
***
The bone barrier surrounding the Border Marquis was over 20 ters high. Yet the Lich King's overwhelming size made that fortress wall look like a small fence.
"It looks even bigger than Rudrick's Knight we saw in the demon realm, sir."
Janson turned his head, and Erik still had his eyes wide open.
"Boss, what surprised you so much?"
"That's a Floor Master."
"Yes?"
"The Floor Master that appears on the 45th floor of the Labyrinth is that guy."
Janson felt his thoughts go numb for a mont. What happened when a Black Mage descended?
"S-so, a Black Mage descended as a Floor Master, is that right?"
"That's correct."
"How is that even—"
"When we already have Sauron from the Ring of Power and the Kitsune and Tanuki, there's nothing that can't happen with a Floor Master."
Divine Descent of a Black Mage. This is an act where the being achieving descent transforms into a 'demon' they've conceptualized themselves.
If one properly conceptualizes the demon appropriate to one's achievent level, there's nothing that can't be done.
"Janson, here it cos!"
Before the Lich King, a red magical circle appeared. The pattern was one often seen in Continental Online, but its size was dozens of tis larger. The aning was clear.
Crack!
[Stumbling Tattered Golem]
Ouuuuhhhhhhh!
It was a grotesque giant that appeared to be stitched together from flesh. A monster with entrails dangling, raising its arms. Then the spilled entrails transford into several-ter-sized ghouls.
Crack!
[Swift Ghoul]
"S-such monsters"
Cold surrounding everything. And grotesque monsters before their eyes. What kind of pressure was that? Sweat beaded at the tips of Janson's fingers.
"Boss?"
Yet Erik simply stood silently. He rely observed the monsters. Then it happened.
Whoosh!
The massive tattered golem raised its arm. With just that single action, the atmosphere trembled. Soon the golem swung its arm toward the front. And imdiately.
Kwaaaaa!!!
A fan-shaped crater was created in the direction of Janson and Erik.
"Cough, Boss."
Janson unleashed the [Shield of Protection] skill to endure it. Yet additional damage still ca through, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
'Why is he just standing still—.'
Janson subtly turned his head, and saw Erik standing firm. Without a speck of dust on his armor, Erik had drawn brilliant light. Only then did Erik open his mouth.
"Didn't I tell you? We're not ga characters."
Speaking thus, Erik raised Holy Power. It was the will of a god seeking to wash away the unclean. This manifested as a holy miracle that purified any curse whatsoever.
"—Divine Purification."
At those reverent words, the curse that enveloped Erik began to fade, and with him as the center, [the Land of the Dead] began turning back to earthy brown.
"How dare you! The Religious Leader's personal guard interferes with the great plan!!!
At that holy light, the Lich King, who had been responding consistently with attacks, roared angrily.
User Comments
0 comments from readers