Chapter 198: Cries of the Dead

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Even though it’s in the spiritual world, I couldn’t help but feel the heat… it’s weird.

Was it because of the color of the surrounding that looked similar to magma? Or perhaps due to the spirits of the dead who were attacking us incessantly?

『Are you scared now?』

[You are.]

『I’m enjoying myself here. So this is the world of the Gluttony skill』

Terrifying… no other word is suited to describe it.

A world full of pain where there was no reprieve nor escape.

The heat slowly permeated the soul, burning them off. The result was the vengeful souls wandering here.

Losing their heart as living beings, they can now only wildly attack me.

So I killed them off with the black bayonet.

『There is no end to them』

[It’s useless to cut them down…]

『Because they’re all already dead. They’ve become parts of a single being.』

[Which means…]

『They’ll just reappear after killed. But there is a way to stop them.』

[There is no choice but to erase the whole world of Gluttony skills.]

『Indeed. But that is impossible now.』

If the guess is correct, then these visible dead are only part of the Gluttony skill.

Moreover, there’s no end to them. They’ll just get back up and attack again when cut down.

『Wailing…..huh』

[That’s…]

Envy’s mumbling piqued my interest. Certainly, some of the souls of the dead were wailing.

『Is it out of pain, or…..meh, I don’t know. Fate, are you ready?』

[What?]

Because I was distracted by the swarming dead, I didn’t understand what Envy was saying. However, it was approaching, wiping out the dead.

This must be fate. The first Holy Knight I killed in the capital. Thanks to the skill I gained from him, I was adopted by Aaron and became a Holy Knight myself.

I robbed him of everything. His stats, his skills…even his soul.

And when I returned to the Royal Capital again, even if he became a shell of his former self, he revived as a night walker and hit me with hatred.

It seems that the soul eaten by the Gluttony skill is also the same. The only thing that was not assimilated was the victim’s hatred, causing them to lurk in here, quietly waiting for me.

[Really now… you’re never gonna give up, aren’t you. You… ]

Looking for closure. Looking… for me.

However, I will push through. I can’t afford to die here.

[Hado Burix!]

{FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!]

He was no longer human in shape. So ugly and distorted, that his nightwalker form was arguably much better to look at. In the meantime, he was swinging his log-like thick arm at me..

That smelled like danger. I jumped back to dodge, but the other souls were not lucky enough and got struck.

They melted into muddy liquid, and then gathered around Hado’s feet before being absorbed by him.

[Did he just consume them!?]

『Looks like it. Perhaps it’s part of the Gluttony skill, or perhaps its vestige.』

Hado grew uglier the more soul he absorbed.

[Fa…Fate… I… I will devour you. Return… Return it to me.]

He ran up to me and attacked while muttering incoherently.

More and more souls of the dead were eaten each time. Hado’s body was getting bigger and bigger that the swelling hatred was about to burst. The voice calling my name disappeared before I knew it, replaced with intelligible groaning like the other souls of the dead.

『To think such an abomination could happen. What will you do now?』

[That’s…]

I swung the black bayonet… fully intending to kill him.

But, Hado continued to absorb more and more souls. To the point I could no longer recognize him anymore. He’s nothing more than a huge chunk of meat now. By the time the black bayonet struck him, he wasn’t even reacting to it.

『Seems to me he can’t handle the power well. At this rate he’ll end up as just a lump of meat that will be eaten by others. So what will you do?』

[I’ll put an end to this. It will be a real farewell now… Hado Burix.]

This time, my link with Hado will disappear. As I watched him, who would sleep forever in this place, I suddenly heard another familiar voice.

It’s coming from behind the mass of meat.

Purple hair….. The same color as Hado and Mimir. The eldest son of the Burix family, and the one behind the destruction of the Royal Capital… The man who wished for the collapse of skill supremacy――Rafal Burix slowly emerged.

[Oh, what a strange occasion. I thought that you’d never come down here.]

[Rafal…]

Still in his Holy Knight attire, Rafal was still completely human. But he was supposed to be an undead Archdemon after Shinn changed him.

Rafal kicked the mass of meat that was Hado, and said with a disgusted face.

[Until the very end Hado didn’t change… still trapped in his crazy determination to go after you. What a popular guy you are, Fate.]

[How about you?]

[Me? Don’t say something so unpleasant.]

But to be careful, I still brandished the black bayonet at Rafal.

[Fight? You and me? But why do we need to fight?]

[Because I killed you…]

[But you didn’t. The moment Shinn took over my body… I was already dead. My soul was trapped inside my body until you defeated and devoured me.]

[…..]

[In any case, what’s done is done. I still ended up trapped in here though, but regarding that part…]

Rafal grinned.

In response to that, I tightened my grip on the black bayonet. But Rafal didn’t make any move.

[That was really entertaining.]

[Ha!?]

[Because you look like an idiot.]

[Shaddap.]

Actually having fun in this hellish place!? Isn’t it you the one who is strange here?

[This is the place where the souls of those who were eaten by the Gluttony skills long ago gathered, and the knowledge they gained is also here.]

[Knowledge?]

[That’s right. You should be aware of how much I like studying ancient histories. I became a Holy Knight only because my family forced me to.]

Of course… Rafal unearthed Shinn who was dormant in the ancient ruins while continuing his ancient history research behind the scenes even after becoming a Holy Knight.

[Here I can live freely. Although it’s a bit noisy.]

The screams of the dead and the soul-burning heat were just a little noisy to you!?

[You’re a weirdo.]

[Right back at you. From my point of view, you have changed a lot. I almost couldn’t recognize you anymore.]

[What are you saying?]

[This… What a surprise. No wonder Roxy never really paid attention to me back then.]

[What!]

[To think I lost to a guy like you… I feel sorry for myself.]

[Why are we even talking about this!]

Wait, why are we talking about Roxy now?

Ha? No way… don’t tell me.

[You’ve been peeking, aren’t you!?]

[You only realized now? I simply had a look after someone gave me a recommendation. Come on now, do you think there’s anything else that could entertain me down here? It was a good laugh every time I took a peek.]

[Don’t treat it as entertainment.]

Nn? Did he mention someone else just now?

When I looked at Rafal as if I was skeptical, he turned to a distance and said.

[He’s my benefactor. And he wants to see you.]

[Who?]

[You’ll know when you meet him. That’s why I came here to fetch you. Otherwise, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get to meet him. It’s his wish. Even if I hate you, I still have to.]

Rafal, ignoring me, started walking among the souls of the dead.

The souls ignored him. Perhaps they saw him as one of their own?

In comparison, I was still attacked as I tried to follow him.

[So slow. Be a little faster, will you?]

[Look at my situation here. Hey, don’t you look away now!]

[So noisy. Just follow me and be silent. Or else I’ll just leave you here alone.]

[You…]

I thought I finally encountered someone sane in this place, but I was completely wrong.

Rafal was still a strange person after all.

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