Stia, the subordinate officer of the Lamia dungeon.
Stia couldn’t hide her panic as she looked at the approaching undead legion.
“W-why is there a Death Knight?”
The information from the merchant guild was completely wrong.
She had been told that the master of this dungeon was an Arch Lich.
But upon entering, she found a Death Knight.
In a way, a Death Knight, with its simpler attacks, might be easier to deal with than an Arch Lich who uses corpse explosions.
However, the Death Knight is a monster with the trait ‘Aura of Death.’
This trait was currently strengthening the undead legion.
And that’s not all.
It’s a well-known fact that those killed by the Death Knight are reborn as Ghouls, and it was the worst kind of enemy, possessing a skill to revive once more after death.
In that sense, the Death Knight could be a more terrible existence than the Arch Lich.
“I must inform Arcanea immediately!”
Her master, whom she served, Arcanea.
She had to report this fact and make preparations.
With a Death Knight present, the current plan was useless.
The only glimmer of hope was that Arcanea had become 5-star with the help of the merchant guild.
If they could join forces, there would be a chance of victory.
But the undead legion did not allow Stia to escape.
“Ugh…!”
The Skeletons simultaneously began to fire arrows.
It was difficult to move from her spot with the barrage of arrows.
“Defend! It’s just arrows!”
Stia reluctantly issued a defensive order.
The scales of the Lamia race were tough.
Of course, even so, getting hit in the face was dangerous.
At Stia’s words, the Lamias coiled their bodies and covered their heads.
*Ting- Ting-*
The arrows bounced off the Lamias’ scales and fell to the floor.
‘Is Arcanea safe?’
At this very moment, Stia could only think of Arcanea.
Her master, Arcanea, was practically her entire life.
She wouldn’t spare her life for her.
‘Arcanea…’
After all, if it weren’t for Arcanea, Stia wouldn’t even be alive now.
Long ago, when Stia was not yet an adult.
She had almost been killed by an Adventurer.
As she fled desperately with her wounded body, Arcanea appeared before her.
And easily defeated the Adventurers pursuing Stia.
Arcanea, looking down as she stepped over the corpses of the Adventurers she had just killed, was incredibly majestic.
Stia remembered being mesmerized for a long time then.
The being who saved her, the absolute being she wanted to follow.
From then on, Stia began to serve Arcanea as her master.
As time passed, Stia became a loyal subordinate officer.
And now.
Stia glanced around, observing the situation.
It wasn’t that she was trying to escape out of self-preservation.
She was contemplating how to regroup with the main force and escape this dungeon.
Despite the dangerous situation, Stia’s mind was solely on her master.
Was it loyalty?
Or obsession?
Stia ended up giving a reckless order.
“Advance! We must buy time for my master!”
She had to stall for time, even if it meant sacrificing twenty Lamia soldiers.
However, the Lamias hesitated, perhaps surprised by Stia’s sudden command.
“…”
Even if they were devoted to their master, they couldn’t help but hesitate in a life-or-death situation.
A very brief moment of opportunity.
That became their fatal mistake.
The undead legion, seizing the opening, attacked without hesitation.
Although the terrified Lamia soldiers fought fiercely, the undead, empowered by the Death Knight’s buff, did not fall easily.
Only when Stia desperately swung her tail was a Skeleton Knight shattered.
The Skeleton Knights, sliced by her sharp tail, were blown to pieces, but the undead legion surged like a wave.
Instead of buying time, it resulted in their retreat being blocked.
“Kuaaaak!”
The horrific roars of zombies and ghouls echoed through the dungeon.
Stia resisted desperately, but most of the Lamia soldiers were being bitten by the undead.
The horror of the undead was precisely this.
While individually weak, their relentless persistence was awe-inspiring.
Soon, the stench of blood filled the dungeon.
“No…”
Stia staggered, trying to get away.
“To… Arcanea… I must go…”
She tried to break through the undead legion.
But a Ghoul grabbed her tail.
“Kuhuk!”
She squeezed out her last strength to strike down the Ghoul, but it was useless. Dozens of Ghouls then swarmed her.
As her body was immobilized, the Death Knight’s sword pierced Stia’s scales and dug into her flesh.
“Gak!”
Stia collapsed onto the cold floor.
Red blood pooled on the ground.
“Arca… nea.”
She saw the Death Knight, who had been standing still far away, slowly approaching.
At the sight, Stia gritted her teeth.
Even if she lost her life, she had to warn her master of the danger.
Bleeding, she crawled across the floor.
As she was crawling towards the outside, she was impaled through the heart by the Death Knight who had approached unnoticed.
“Arca… nea.”
The Death Knight’s sword pierced Stia’s heart.
As the cold sword was withdrawn, Stia’s body convulsed.
She could feel that her allotted time was running out.
Yet, she squeezed out her last strength and called her master’s name.
“Aaaah…”
She couldn’t die like this.
Even if she died, she had to be useful.
But her body wouldn’t move.
“Arca-”
Her vision began to blur.
Her memories of life also began to fade.
The loyalty to the master she had once absolutely followed.
Even that loyalty, insignificantly, was flying away with her memories.
Then, a chilling change began to occur in Stia’s body.
An aura of darkness engulfed her entire being.
Her eyes turned black, and her whole body rapidly decayed, flesh falling off.
“Aar-”
A voice came from Stia’s mouth. But it was no longer Stia’s voice.
A hollow voice, tinged with death.
Ah.
Even her master’s name was disappearing from her memory.
She had sworn loyalty to someone, but she couldn’t remember who it was.
“……”
Instead, the look in her eyes as she gazed at the Death Knight before her changed.
A desire drawn to powerful strength.
Stia’s consciousness already belonged to the Death Knight.
It was the Death Knight’s skill, ‘Shadow of Death.’
A terrifying skill that granted those killed by him a second life as Ghouls.
Now, Stia’s master was not Arcanea, but the Death Knight.
Only the Death Knight’s commands were absolute.
“Command me…”
Stia, transformed into a Ghoul, struggled to rise.
“…My master.”
She lowered her head with a distorted smile.
Now, Stia had completely become the Death Knight’s subordinate.
She had forgotten the master to whom she had sworn her life and loyalty.
Only absolute obedience and loyalty to the Death Knight remained.
The Death Knight looked down at Stia with a cold gaze.
The situation was that intruders had appeared in the dungeon.
“If you just give me an order, I will offer my life.”
Even in life, Stia was exceptionally good at handling tasks on her own.
In the current situation, the order that anyone would give was obvious.
“Just give me an order, yes? …Why suddenly a pickaxe-”
The Death Knight handed Stia a pickaxe.
Intruders had appeared in the dungeon, causing construction work to be delayed. The Death Knight desperately needed to deploy workers.
If there weren’t enough workers, more could be deployed.
Soon, the fallen Lamias around, no, the Lamia Ghouls began to rise.
The Death Knight was satisfied.
* * *
Piccha headed towards the middle of the three paths.
Piccha was a high-level magic user among the Lamia race, a so-called Lamia Shaman.
With 36 Lamias accompanying her, she had nothing to fear.
“……”
And she was heading to where Goblins were.
Piccha deliberately slowed her pace, chanting spells for magic casting.
Soon, Goblins appeared before her.
Numerous Goblins filled the dungeon.
Among them, she even saw Goblins wearing crowns.
‘Goblin Lord!?’
There was no mistaking it.
‘Why is a Goblin Lord here?’
This was supposed to be a dungeon where an Arch Lich existed. But with a Goblin Lord present, Piccha was taken aback.
However, nothing changed for her.
Regardless of the opponent, Piccha only needed to eliminate the Goblins as per Arcanea’s orders.
Piccha unleashed the magic she had prepared.
“Earth, be poisoned!”
As Piccha chanted, green smoke erupted from her mouth.
It was poisonous smoke.
The poisonous smoke emitted from her mouth filled the air.
A deadly fog engulfed the Goblins.
Victory was all but assured.
Piccha smiled in anticipation of victory.
An unexpected situation then occurred.
“Poison! Poison! Poison!”
As the Hobgoblin behind shouted, all the Goblins began to wear strange masks on their faces.
They resembled bird beaks, and all Goblins except the Goblin Lord wore them.
And for some reason, the Goblin Lord wore a proud smile.
“Kruhh! Time has been shortened! Very excellent! It was worth getting the budget!”
In fact, the masked Goblins were not poisoned.
Piccha looked frustrated that her carefully prepared magic had failed.
“Kuhuk…!”
She couldn’t believe that insignificant Goblins could nullify her magic.
She was indignant.
Her pride was so severely wounded that Piccha’s face turned red.
“You insignificant bastards!”
The magic Piccha had prepared was not over.
She chanted another spell.
One failure was enough.
Failing this mission would mean she couldn’t face Arcanea.
She couldn’t stand that.
“Earth shall be imbued with death, rise!”
As Piccha shouted, the ground trembled and shook.
Soon, countless spikes rose from the ground.
The tips of the spikes were laden with poison, like the touch of death.
This time, the Goblins couldn’t stop it, and those pierced by the spikes perished.
‘This works!’
While the poison fog didn’t work, this attack was effective.
Piccha cast magic again.
“Earth shall be imbued with death, rise!”
Spikes again rose from the ground.
But this time, the Goblins did not stand still.
“……!”
They climbed over the corpses of their fallen comrades and avoided the spikes.
The Goblin Lord in the back wore a proud expression.
“That’s right! The sacrifice of fallen comrades should not be in vain!”
With her second attack thwarted, Piccha scowled.
How dare insignificant Goblins counter all her magic!
Even if the Goblin Lord gave the orders, it was inconceivable that all the Goblins would move so in unison!
Piccha did not give up.
If this attack also failed, she would use other magic.
“Power of poison bestowed upon me, cast a curse of death upon the enemy!”
As she chanted the spell, a red glow emanated from Piccha’s eyes.
It was the aura of a curse.
The curse aura took the form of snakes, paralyzing the Goblins.
She planned for the Lamias to attack while all the Goblins were paralyzed.
But that was brief.
“The best shield is nearby! Kruhh! Just move as trained!”
The Goblins lifted their companions next to them and used them as shields.
“What is that…!”
The Goblins avoided the curse by using their own kind as shields.
Piccha felt fear, not from the possibility of defeat, but from the Goblins’ actions.
No, it was more than just fear.
These Goblins were simply insane.
Not merely insane, they exhibited a madness that used their own kind as shields.
“This place is insane… Those, those monstrous things-”
The Goblins advanced slowly, using their comrades as shields.
Piccha was aghast at the sight of the Goblins consumed by madness.
