Chapter: 219
It’s not a bad thing that the monsters around here are weak. After all, since I’ve given up on gaining experience points, it benefits me that things are going smoothly.
Still, for some reason, I felt an inexplicable anxiety.
Since this isn’t a dungeon, there shouldn’t be any unexpected variables. Everything here was no different from what I knew, yet I couldn’t shake off the unease.
Why, you ask?
Since falling into this world, has anything ever gone according to my plans? Has anything ever been resolved easily?
Never once.
I always had to stand in the face of death.
Something unexpected always blocked my path, and a sudden enemy would grab me by the collar. That’s been my life.
I, as a human, can only stand here now after overcoming countless crises.
Is that why I couldn’t simply enjoy this peace and calm?
What if I suddenly hear that ding sound?
What if a dungeon appears out of nowhere?
What if some trickery cooked up by Luca tries to kill me?
Or what if there’s an unknown variable lurking somewhere in this forest?
These anxieties kept making me glance around.
‘At this point, I think I’d rather something just pop up.’
If something happened, I could just deal with it. It would surely be dangerous, and I might even have to brace for death, but at least I wouldn’t have to be so wound up.
[So you’re human after all.]
As I fumbled around for a way to relieve my anxiety, Grandpa muttered that.
‘What on earth are you talking about?’
I’ve always been human, you know? I’m not some rotten individual from the community. If you treat my rotten water like it’s something else, I might actually get angry! Seriously?
[It’s a joke. Relax.]
‘Grandpa, you really can’t joke for your life. I can clearly see how much trouble your underlings went through.’
[What are you talking about? The other holy knights were in stitches every time I made a joke.]
‘What about your companions?’
[…Those guys have a very different sense of humor than holy knights.]
‘So it’s true that you got hospitality.’
What a terrifying old man, possessing performance, ability, and power all at once.
There must be a pillar somewhere in the holy knight order with Grandpa’s insults written on it.
Ignoring Grandpa’s claims of being a good superior person, I kept moving forward.
The third boss was a two-headed dog walking on its hind legs.
This little pet didn’t seem to understand fear and bared its teeth at me, so I gave it a few lessons with my mace, and it fell straight to the ground.
The fourth boss was a witch that looked like she had risen from a corpse’s rotting flower.
She wrapped her opponents with her vines and attacked with magic, poison, and curses. Normally, she would have been quite a troublesome foe, but not for me now.
The witch’s vines weren’t strong enough to bind me.
Her magic couldn’t penetrate my shield.
The poison was purified before it could even invade my body.
And the curses couldn’t even come near me.
At first, she looked fierce, but as her face turned to shock, I smashed my mace into her, and the witch soon scattered into nothingness.
After confirming that she burned away completely to ashes, I picked up a seed among the remains and tossed it into my inventory.
I’d take it to Adri later in order to get rid of the curse; it will make for good use.
Now, onto the last one.
The one who painted this forest with death.
Once a necromancer, now a spirit, seeking to come back to life. For revenge. To reclaim what was left behind. Finding its way to this vibrant forest, it turned the place into hell and lost its original purpose while sucking the life force from others.
The necromancer.
Having killed the four minions that ruled this forest, it was about time for him to show himself.
As I stepped toward the center of the forest, a massive aura of death began to swell from afar, spreading outwards.
This energy was different from anything I had faced thus far. It carried a resentful will transmitted through black magic, thicker than night’s veil.
A voice filled with resentment. An intent to curse the living. A desperate need to grow stronger, even after having gone mad.
[Are you alright?]
‘Yeah, I’m fine.’
I welcomed it with my body, but I felt nothing abnormal. The negative energy was purified before it could even penetrate my body, thanks to my sanctity.
[That’s quite a strong one.]
‘Looks like it.’
This must be the real boss. The sheer intimidation just from its appearance was something else. Had it not been insane, it would have been a troublesome opponent.
What kind of monsters did that holy knight order face back then that could defeat this guy, anyway? I couldn’t help but wonder.
[Are you confident? ]
‘In comparison to the Evil God, they’re just weaklings, right?’
Even comparing them to Karia feels kind of embarrassing. I have no reason to feel threatened.
[It might be unfair to compare them, but still.]
‘Is that so?’
[After all, how many people stronger than Karia from back then exist on this continent? ]
That makes sense. Now that I think about it, the comparison is quite extreme.
So let me think… Oh right. To be precise.
Considering the situation and the friends from the academy who aren’t me: Arthur, Joy, Phebi, Frey. These four should be enough to take down this opponent.
Since Phebi is perfectly specialized against Undead, all she has to do is buy enough time for her to purify the restless spirit, which is quite significant, but still, a victory is a victory, right?
I can confidently say that this forest’s necromancer is just that level of opponent.
Unless some variables come into play, there’s no way I could lose to that guy, right?
The problem is indeed the variables. In general, I could probably handle most creatures with my current strength.
But if the absolute worst-case scenario comes along and I find myself in an inescapable situation…
Well, there’s always the pathetic god to step in, right? Since it’s a trial he issued, he would at least hold some responsibility.
And if the worst-case scenario isn’t Luca’s scheme, then Luca would protect me.
Life’s such a rollercoaster.
I chuckled to myself but didn’t stop moving.
The nearer I got, the thicker the black magic became.
For a normal person, the density of that magic would have likely suffocated them to death.
Clearing my way through the mist without much thought, I suddenly found myself at the center.
Only then did I realize several things.
The black magic spreading through the forest wasn’t something the necromancer had intentionally released; it was simply leaking because he couldn’t control it.
The long-forgotten master made his appearance, and the surrounding minions gathered around, cheering in glee.
There’s a big difference in pressure when watching it through a monitor versus seeing it with my own eyes.
Taking a deep breath, I poured my sanctity all over myself.
Though eccentric in nature, the sheer power given by the supreme god enveloped my body, driving back the surrounding darkness.
As the place once filled with shadow began to spot white, everything lurking there turned its gaze toward me.
Faced with the awe and hatred in those gazes, I quietly chanted a sacred spell.
As my sanctity strengthened, several buffs naturally rose in performance.
With the vigor rising within my body from wandering the forest for so long, my sharpened senses heard the voices of the spirits draw near to my ears.
– It’s a holy knight.
– It’s the holy knight.
– What brings you here of all places?
I gripped my mace tighter.
– Good, let’s torment him.
– Kill him.
– No, we should torture him.
– We need to hear them scream.
– Make them beg for their lives.
– We should make him one of us.
Gripping the leather strap on my shield.
– Everyone, be quiet.
I closed my eyes and then raised my head again.
The pitch-black pupils looking down at me met the crimson eyes staring up.
– You’re a holy knight I’d like to kill right now. You look like a little kid I could stomp on. I have a question for you.
A voice raspy and rotting lingered in my ears. It was hard to understand, but it wasn’t completely beyond comprehension.
“What is it? ♡ Is it a secret? ♡ I’ll listen to the ramblings of a crazy lady because I’m nice like that! ♡”
– Have you met a child named Adri?
And the subject matter wasn’t much different from what I already knew.
I’d have to speak a few more words to conclude anything, but even now, I was somewhat certain.
This necromancer is no different from the one in the game. He’s pretty much just as I remember.
“Curious? ♡ Am I super curious? ♡ Let me think for a second ♡ I don’t usually remember rotten little things like you ♡”
– Think carefully. This is a matter of your life.
“Oh! ♡ I got it! ♡ The lonely old lady in the mansion! ♡”
As I raised my voice, a spot of red appeared in the necromancer’s black eyes.
Evidence of sanity. It showed that for a moment, a conversation was possible.
The skill I had received from giving Adri a ribbon back in the day. The power resting within Adri had restored some of the necromancer’s sanity.
Yeah.
This necromancer is Adri’s parent.
Once suppressed by the holy knights, they somehow managed to preserve their soul and flee.
They came to this forest, crafting plans for revenge and salvation.
In the end, they lost their mind to the spirit’s obsession and now could never return to being human. A being whose soul has been worn down, unable even to embrace the god’s grace.
A necromancer’s mother.
– Adri. Have you seen Adri?! Is she alive?! Answer me! I said answer me!
A poor mother that still cries for her daughter’s name even after losing her senses.
I mentioned before that this quest had been reevaluated once it turned out to be a related quest, huh?
That’s the reason. After doing the quest related to Adri, if you come here, that irritating grind quest suddenly transforms into a heart-touching story.
I’ve heard that a mother’s love has the power to bring tears to anyone.
To be honest, I still can’t relate. As someone who grew up as an orphan, I’ve never felt a mother’s love.
I may have inadvertently felt paternal love recently.
But that’s not particularly important, so I’ll skip over it. What I really want to say is.
“Yeah! ♡ I saw her! ♡ I know where she is! ♡ But I’m not telling you! ♡”
I’m the kind of person who can provoke a necromancer even while being fully aware of the circumstances.
– What?
“But you look like a stupid old lady ♡ I don’t think you’ll remember my answer even if I tell you ♡ So I’ll just keep quiet! ♡”
– …I understand. Then I’ll make you talk.
The moment that thick, vengeful voice targeted me, I felt a surge of exhilaration within my body.
Ah, right. There’s something I forgot to mention.
Upon arriving at the forest’s center and facing the necromancer, I realized that this fellow might just be good enough for a warm-up.
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