The Money-Mad Holy Knight Chapter 145

Chapter 145: Necromancer (5)

'A ray of hope blooming in a life akin to imprisonnt.'

In the darkness of the Labyrinth. The representative Makia was intoxicated with elation. It was a smile she wore for the first ti since Thomas had been captured. The reason was simple.

'This thing called Quinera.'

Two artifacts obtained after descending to Hades. This was because she had grown accustod to the power of Quinera, manifested in the form of a crown among them.

Slip!

Makia's body beca hazy, then disappeared as if blending into the surrounding backdrop.

'Though still lacking much, I must be able to escape this place alone even if the major shareholder doesn't change his mind.'

She steeled her resolve. The major shareholder had confined the priests in the Labyrinth for quite so ti under the pretext of the Black Mage Group's ascetic training. Already, years had passed.

'The cult followers have no intention of killing Thomas.'

They say ti heals all wounds. It wasn't entirely bad either. Makia, who had been going mad in the anti, had now regained so stability. In that situation, sothing like a long whip appeared behind Makia's back.

Whisk!

It wrapped around her dress and pulled her waist tightly. Then ca a voice.

"You're not thinking of sneaking out and rescuing Thomas without the girl knowing, are you?"

It was Mongma. Her tail moved suggestively, tickling Makia's navel. Then Makia burst into laughter.

"Hehe, you're quite mischievous, Shareholder."

Mongma felt relieved at Makia's smiling appearance.

"Your mood seems to have improved considerably."

"Yes. Now I'm certain that Thomas won't be killed."

Mongma found that statent odd.

"Shouldn't you be hoping he dies? That way, you could beco one with the major shareholder and return."

The descent of the major shareholder, who had achieved nine lines, was trendous. Uniting the black mages as one. Thanks to entrusting the soul imprint to the major shareholder, they could achieve resurrection even if their hearts burst. This power was the first descent the major shareholder had ever achieved.

"I hope Thomas doesn't beco like that."

"You've already beco one with the major shareholder, but Thomas shouldn't? Is that what you're saying?"

When she was resurrected in the previous Holy Spear bombardnt, Makia received help from the major shareholder's power. Thus, her soul was as good as belonging to the major shareholder. But not Thomas.

"Thomas must remain Thomas. More than that, how is the major shareholder doing?"

Makia subtly changed the subject. Then Mongma's wings fluttered as an entranced voice ca.

"Aah!! Girl, I'm impressed by that person's consistency every ti. Though I still don't know what he's thinking, yet he draws forth such supre faith! Truly, he's showing wonderful results."

"As expected of the major shareholder. Worthy of being the one who laid the foundation of the company."

The major shareholder's long life. He had always gathered sacrifices and underwent ascetic training. Thus, he grew stronger, steadily accumulating ti and life.

"The depth of effort differs from those vile religious zealots."

"That ans... surely not?"

"Yes, the major shareholder just succeeded in dividing his soul into eight fragnts."

The reason the major shareholder fled into deep darkness before the Pope. It was precisely to perfect his power.

"Aah! Finally!"

Makia's eyes beca even more turbid. Seeing those intense eyes, Mongma continued.

"Hehe, now he can achieve seven more descents."

The major shareholder who achieved nine lines. The number of lines ant the unit of 100 million. The leading digit was 9. The major shareholder intended to fragnt this and perform multiple descents.

I am Legion.

The first attempt to achieve this was the concept of power. The power of Legion united the black mages as one. Black mages who could be resurrected even if their hearts burst all belonged to the major shareholder. They were all treated as a single collective body. This was 100 million in power.

I shall divide my soul into eight pieces and grant each their own power.

The remaining power was 800 million. The major shareholder chose the thod of dividing souls here. All these processes had the help of the possessors. In particular, Vice-Director Shin Pil-jung of the Descent Departnt, who wished to escape his possessed body, had made great efforts.

"Then, can Vice-Director Shin truly return to Earth?"

Makia posed a question filled with concern. Vice-Director Shin Pil-jung's effort. The reward for that was to return to Earth while preserving his power.

"Ha! Is that what concerns Representative Makia?"

Mongma tilted her head. Seems she's more worried about that than the major shareholder's news.

"Don't tease and tell ." "Hehe, dreams are aningful precisely because they are dreams."

Mongma laughed suggestively. Then she continued reciting praises of the major shareholder.

"Though it's a distant dream like a fantasy, thinking of the major shareholder who is greater than God, perhaps it might beco possible."

One who achieves nine descents in total. What is that if not God?

***

Kieeeeeeek!

Screams filled all directions. Each ti the Lich King's groan echoed, the world began to change. The contaminated earth returned to natural soil color, and the massive barrier of bones erected along the borders crumbled. The stench of corpses perating the atmosphere, and even the gray fog, vanished.

[Land of the Dead]

[Frozen Wastes]

The fields created by the Floor Master were disappearing. This was a natural phenonon that occurred when the Floor Master approached death. Yet from that natural phenonon, all the kingdom's people cried out for God.

"Aah—!!! O God!"

The target was a gigantic Paladin. Surrounded by a brilliant golden fortress, the Paladin unleashed overwhelming power beneath a magnificent banner. The sight of swinging a great hamr and driving the distant Lich King toward death was truly overwhelming.

"Please save us—!!!"

The worship offered by tens of thousands of people. It was a scene of fanaticism. At that sight, Friade, the commander of the king's personal elite guard, grew angry. Her hair fluttered wildly and her muscular 2-ter body swelled ferociously.

"How dare"

But that was all. She threatened in anger but took no action.

'I've never seen this many sacred relics before.'

She assessed the Paladin, which appeared to be the Almanism Church's secret weapon. An appearance unfitting for a clergyman, yet brutal. Still, he possessed overwhelming divinity and, with the archbishop's full support, wielded dozens of sacred relics.

'The Almanism Church is making its move.'

They originally wanted the title of Marquis of the Border. However, the king's choice had leaned toward the Black Mage Group. Thus, power was divided, and the one who received it was the Lich King.

'It was absurd that the kingdom was abandoned, and now they stab us in the back like this?'

Friade's eyes grew sharp. Her gaze turned toward the refugees offering praise.

'The lowly things betray the kingdom?'

Beings trying to leave the nation. Now they weren't even citizens—they were vermin. Observing them, Friade suddenly realized sothing.

"Hey, is that... dead?"

"Insane, the 45th Floor Master"

Those presud to be possessors were all staring behind her. At the end of that gaze lay a sunken crater, which was where the Lich King had been crushed.

'There was talk of the Floor Master's rewards.'

Desire kindled in Friade. As she understood it, the Lich King was the Floor Master of an unconquered floor.

'If true rewards are indeed granted'

What would those rewards be? While greed stirred, the Lich King was still alive. In the middle of the terrain devastated by the Paladin's hamr strikes, the Lich King writhed. It was on the brink of death, yet with a crimson curtain draped around it, it clung to life by a thread.

Boom!

Then the Paladin began to move.

"Don't co any closer!!!"

Friade swung her spear. A trendous spear aura shot out, but it vanished at the sound of a bell ringing. The Paladin approaching, surrounded by a gigantic fortress, was like a monster.

'Can I make an active intervention?'

She would need to unleash her true power to deal with this guy, but the king's permission hadn't co down yet.

'The opposition faction seems to be making their move.'

Friade's eyes narrowed. The kingdom was different from the empire. The kingdom was where the king and nobles divided power. Different from the empire where an absolute emperor bestowed power. Though seemingly similar on the surface, the foundations were different, making it trendously difficult to unite that power into one.

'I'll have to act first and report later.'

She made her decision. The 45th Floor's conquest rewards. Recalling the king's smile upon obtaining them, she unleashed her power.

Boom!

"That's far enough, Paladin of unknown na. By the command of the Royal Guard, the king's personal elite guard, Friade Ashiris—"

An unprecedented blood-red aura engulfed the world. Its scope was overwhelming. At that imnse power, the Paladin stopped in its tracks. That was when,

"What's this—!"

A man in golden armor flew toward Friade. That guy, who was fighting a bizarre summoned creature at a distance, suddenly used strange power and rushed to her position. She instinctively pointed her spear and attempted to kill the golden knight straight away. But,

Uoooooooh!!!

Seeing the ferocious tattered golem following behind the golden knight, she twisted her spear tip. The energy the golem emanated seed more dangerous than anything else. The mont Friade's spear pointed at the golem,

Kwaaang!!!

A massive shockwave erupted from behind. It was clearly directed at the Lich King.

"Wait, surely—"

She turned around and saw that the red curtain enveloping the Lich King had disappeared. She felt no presence whatsoever, as if it were dead. Just as she was about to speak!

Whoosh!

The man who had brought the golem suddenly used an impossible strange power and vanished in an instant. He landed beside the brutal Paladin among the sacred relics.

"How dare you?"

The aning of the action was clear. A notorious practice common in the Labyrinth. Monster dumping.

***

[Tattered Golem in Turmoil]

Summoned creature of the Lich King. Kill one, and two appear. Kill two, and four appear. That's why it was convenient to conquer it by leaving just one alive. The reason was the [Wrath] skill it possessed.

"What the hell are you trying to do? Do you think I can't erase this one thing?"

Erik smiled coldly, watching Friade mutter from afar.

"Janson, you did well."

He gave instructions to Janson through the guild voice chat, and Janson executed it at the precise mont.

"By now, the damage output should have exceeded the Floor Master's."

Janson muttered with admiration. By bringing the golem while killing the Floor Master, it removes the aggro fixed to Jackson. And as Jackson exits the scene, he passes the reset aggro to the kingdom guy—that was the strategy.

"I should credit the Guardian Knight for this."

"Krhehe, without taunt but with decent mobility, it was real."

With the [Leap of Faith] skill, Jackson reached Erik. The [Guardian Knight] class was a protective class, but had no taunt. So it had a skill to leap toward the protected target and unfold a defense shield, and that skill's performance was quite excellent.

"Looks like it's about to get interesting."

The two watched Friade's battlefield like spectators at a fire. As the distance closed, the tattered golem targeted Friade. After that, it imdiately used the [Shockwave] skill.

"Blocking won't be a good choice."

Erik smiled. Right then, the golem swung its arm down. Friade blocked it with her spear. What would be the result?

'The Wrath skill multiplying by squares has lasted a good hour at least.'

Without Du-sik, he didn't know the exact numbers, but it was definitely imnsely powerful. Just as Erik predicted.

Kwang!!!

A massive shockwave erupted centered where the spear and golem t. Then a blood-red ponytail disappeared into the distance. She must have been blown back several kiloters.

"Keu. Boss, what the heck is this? How on earth did you—"

Jackson kept exclaiming with admiration, impressed by how easily the kingdom's strongest power was dealt with.

"From the 45th floor onwards, mythology-tier equipnt drops. That's why we had so trouble with the first conquest."

There was supposedly an incident where the conquest party was wiped out because of the tattered golem remaining even after catching the Lich King. So they were given ti to handle the golem before the Lich King died.

"That's the red curtain we saw earlier."

Missing that timing ant having to suffer greatly, so everyone worked hard to research the conquest thod. Erik spoke nonsense, saying it was nothing special.

"For instance, it's about understanding the conquest thod."

Janson once again harbored admiration for Erik.

"As expected..."

The boss truly is a god. Thinking such things, he continued.

"So it was true that Floor Masters exist to be conquered."

"From Rudrick's giant that popped out of the demon realm, I felt it then—the ga beca bigger and stronger—"

Erik spoke while looking at the crater where the Lich King lay.

"—but even so, they're things that can be conquered."

The rules of the Labyrinth, perhaps? It seed possible that such a thing actually existed. Having exchanged such conversation, Erik walked toward where the Lich King was. When his steps stopped—

Kiiiii!

Before Erik's eyes was a massive pit, and in its exact center were items shining brilliantly, packed densely.

"Is this... sothing good?"

Janson, who saw the [Na Tag], tilted his head. Since the point Janson was possessed, the 45th floor hadn't existed, so it was natural he didn't know. On the other hand, Erik knew all too well.

"Looks like your luck is as good as Jang Du-sik's, Janson."

The very fact of comparing luck with Jang Du-sik was an answer to Janson's question in itself. In other words, overwhelmingly good rewards had dropped.

"Selective trait bestowal structures, mythology-tier equipnt, and 3rd-tier enhancent tickets—" "Wouldn't mythology-tier be similar level to sacred relics?"

"That's right."

[Black Grade Box]

[Selective Trait Bestownt] × 2

[3rd Tier Item Enhancent Ticket]

[Mythology Tier - Equipnt Box]

[Mythology Tier] items were those with the setting attached that humans had achieved mythology. Thus, they could be placed on the sa level as sacred relics.

"Humans wielding mythology..."

Jackson stared at Erik blankly. Wasn't there soone who was mythology-tier in existence itself? anwhile, Erik's gaze was solely fixed on the items.

'The black box naturally dropped'

Along with the black box appearing as a first-ti conquest reward from the Floor Master, this was sothing that couldn't be opened without Doo-sik. So Erik's attention went elsewhere beyond the box.

[Mythology Tier - Equipnt Box]

The tier placed on the sa level as sacred relics. A box that gives equipnt randomly, usually appearing as [class-exclusive] equipnt. But—

'If an accessory cos out, that's the best.'

The most valuable items were [accessory] equipnt used in common across all classes. Items that made one smile just thinking about them. Seeing that expression, Jackson asked.

"Boss, are you that pleased?"

Then Erik, taking out the box, said—

"Ah, if things go like this, I wish all the black mages had descended as Floor Masters."