Chapter 287: Episode 287

War always begins for the most trivial of reasons. A single misstep cannot be undone, and the same holds true for friction between nations. It had only been a few months since he’d been summoned to this continent, but it hadn’t taken him even one to understand that truth.

’These damn nobles and royals are all the same,’ Leon thought, a cruel smile playing on his lips. ’It’s always their pride. The moment you defy them, they brand you a villain. Their greatest flaw is their belief that the universe revolves around them.’

’Noblesse oblige’. Such a concept was a fantasy here. The Astral Continent was a playground for raw, untamed desire. Everyone wore a mask, becoming a hero one day and a villain the next. And sometimes, hypocrites emerged to spin their silver-tongued lies.

“Y-Your Highness, Leon van Noah,” Baron En Clair stammered, prostrating himself. “This humble servant has always been loyal to the royal family. I may have strayed onto the wrong path for a time, but now, I truly…”

Just like now.

[Baron En Clair: That damned Viscount Fontaine. He doesn’t want to die alone, so he’s trying to drag us all down with him. But I will not die. I will survive this and escape this wretched tyrant!]

Viscount Fontaine, Baron En Clair, and a handful of other nobles. They had once belonged to Count Dinen’s faction but had shrewdly switched their allegiance to the royalists after the coronation. One might call them tenacious survivors, but their luck had just run out. Leon rose from his throne and glided toward the trembling baron.

“Hmm. I can feel your sincerity.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness! This En Clair is prepared to give his very life for you…”

“Oh-ho. Prepared to give your life, you say?” Leon’s voice was laced with mock admiration. “How admirable. In that case, die for me. Right here, right now.”

“Huh?”

The baron’s ingratiating smile froze on his face. He tilted his head, certain he had misheard. But Leon simply repeated the order, holding out a sword.

“I said, die for me. If your loyalty is genuine, you shouldn’t hesitate. Am I wrong?”

“B-but, this is—!”

“What’s wrong?” the tyrant purred, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Are you scared, now that I’ve actually asked it of you? Are you afraid?”

This was a test. One wrong move, and his head would roll. Baron En Clair took the sword with a trembling hand.

[Baron En Clair: I just have to pretend. He’s surely testing me. The moment I put the blade to my neck, he’ll stop me!]

’He has to,’ the baron thought desperately. ’He has to.’ Even as the cold steel kissed his throat, he clung to that belief. But as the blade bit into his flesh, drawing a line of crimson, Leon did not stop him. He merely watched, a look of detached amusement on his face. It was then that Baron En Clair realized he was being toyed with. The king had never intended to let him live. As that certainty washed over him, he reversed the blade, his fear transmuting into rage.

“Eek! You tyraaaaaant!”

“In the end, you couldn’t do it,” Leon sighed. “Centrix.”

“Understood.”

From the shadows behind a pillar, a transcendent figure emerged. It was Duke Centrix Knights, the legendary sword master who, guided by an oracle, had remained secluded in the Demecor Citadel for a decade. Without taking a single step, he merely touched the hilt of his sword.

’Whoosh.’

A spray of blood erupted, yet not a single drop touched Leon, who stood directly in the path of the carnage. The baron’s head tumbled cleanly to the floor. With that, five nobles had met their end. All had been parasites, clinging to Count Dinen and oppressing the people. They deserved to die. Leon picked up the severed head, turning it over in his hands with a delighted laugh.

“Such amusing creatures. Not a single one of them could show me their true face. They really are fun to play with.”

“…Your Highness, all preparations are complete,” Centrix announced, his voice devoid of emotion.

“I see. Shall we have a look?”

The preparations he spoke of were the prelude to war. This plan had been in motion since the end of the Aneis Kingdom’s civil war; it would not disappoint. Leon gestured to the retainers cowering in the distance.

“Clean this up before I return.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness!”

“There is no need to be afraid,” Leon said, his tone deceptively soothing. “As long as you don’t betray my expectations as they did, you have nothing to fear.”

The words were meant to comfort, but they were a threat. ’Displease me, and you will share their fate.’ The retainers shuddered and began to drag the corpses away. Leon, meanwhile, followed Duke Centrix to the rear of the palace.

[S-rank named guardian, Flyten the Bloodred Necromancer, has cast Army of Death.]

[Absorbs the life force of the designated targets.]

[Transforms those whose life force has been absorbed into undead soldiers.]

Rows of soldiers collapsed in unison, their life force siphoned away. But there was no cause for concern.

These men had offered their lives in service to the Aneis Kingdom. This end was, in a way, the fate they had chosen. Leon gazed upon the tens of thousands of newly risen undead soldiers with admiration.

“So, their bodies move, but without soul or self?”

“That is correct, Your Highness. These men are as good as dead. From now on, these undead soldiers will serve you, unflinching even in the face of death.”

“Ahahaha! The dead, unflinching in the face of death,” Leon chuckled. “How amusing. Indeed, they are not dead even when they die. Test it.”

“Understood.”

The undead soldiers were an invincible legion, rising again even when dismembered. To confirm this, Centrix would have to sever a head. Without hesitation, the duke beheaded a nearby soldier.

’Thud.’

The head dropped to the ground. The soldier crumpled, not a single drop of blood spilled. For a moment, Leon looked disappointed, but then his expression brightened. The headless soldier was already staggering back to its feet.

“Ooooh! Now this is a fascinating sight.”

“It is not over,” Centrix said, turning to the necromancer. “You. Cast the second skill.”

“Understood,” Flyten rasped.

The life force that had been extracted from the soldiers now gathered in the air above. With a flick of his wrist, Flyten sent it surging back down.

[S-rank named guardian, Flyten the Bloodred Necromancer, has cast Immortal Legion.]

[The morale of the undead soldiers rises.]

[All stats of the undead soldiers are doubled.]

Finally, the vitality returned to its original vessels. The undead soldiers roared, their eyes glowing with a malevolent red light. It was a crucible of madness. Leon’s eyes shone with genuine wonder. With a force like this, he could crush any army. An ultimate legion that could not be killed, that rose again even from dismemberment. As Duke Centrix had said, all preparations were complete.

’Clap. Clap. Clap.’

With a light round of applause, the demonstration concluded. Satisfied, Leon beckoned to the man standing beside the necromancer.

“Come here.”

“…Yes,” the man replied, his voice strained.

“From now on, you will lead this undead unit and stand at my vanguard. You have no complaints, I presume?”

The king’s crimson eyes pierced him. He could not refuse. It was impossible. The man nodded with great effort, choosing obedience. Leon patted his shoulder, then turned back to Duke Centrix.

“It’s about time we set the stage. First, summon the wild beasts of the East. We must teach those fools who worship the earth the true nature of reality.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, and send word to the Holy Kingdom. Tell them to prepare. They will have no choice but to cross into the West.”

“…Understood.”

Unlike the druids, the Holy Kingdom was a formidable threat. They had been on the defensive during the war with the Peshant Empire, but things were different in the West. Executing this plan now would surely draw the full might of their armies. Centrix swallowed hard, taking out a communication device.

’Is this truly His Highness Leopard’s will?’ he wondered.

It was Leopard who had remembered him after a decade of forgotten exile in the citadel. He had sworn loyalty to Leon for Leopard’s sake, but somewhere along the way, the path had diverged from the one he’d envisioned. Leon’s voice cut through his thoughts, sharp as glass.

“Do not worry. Father will surely be very proud.”

There it was again. That look. The eyes of a demon that seemed to see into his very soul. Not even a transcendent who had earned the title of Sword Master could defy that gaze.

“My apologies.”

“It is fine. Your loyalty has always been to me, so it is my duty to resolve such doubts. Now,” Leon’s smile widened, “it is time to shake the continent. Summon Crowell.”

“Yes.”

The line had been crossed long ago. Further hesitation was pointless. Erasing his doubts, Duke Centrix moved to carry out his orders.

—

[Bruder the Plague]

[Rank: S (Named)]

[Level: 92]

[Race: Ghoul]

[Class: Necromancer]

[Title: Source of the Plague]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 50]

[Favorability: 30]

[Obedience: 30]

[Skills: Sea of Venom, Black Plague, Ghoul Legion, Life Drain, Swamp of Pain]

[Special Ability: Infection]

[Strength: 3] [Endurance: 2] [Agility: 4] [Stamina: 8]

[Mana: 135] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 94] [Luck: 120]

[Status: Foul Odor]

He was an S-rank named mercenary. His class, skills, and stats all pointed to a high degree of versatility. The only problem was getting near him. The final room still reeked of his foul stench.

[Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger!]

He said nothing.

[Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain!]

The smell was so overpowering that even Taehyun’s formless system-ego was screaming in agony. Pinching his nose, he asked about the skills.

“Phew. Alright. First, explain the effects of your skills.”

“Aren’t you standing a bit too far away?” Bruder asked meekly.

“Don’t push it. This is a necessary distance. You have to know that.”

“…My apologies.”

The ghoul’s shoulders slumped. He had crossed dimensions brimming with confidence for his first-ever summoning, only to be met with revulsion. Bruder shuffled backward timidly.

“I-I cannot fully display my abilities in a place like this.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Taehyun said. “How about we test you on that raid party?”

“I believe that would be best.”

The ideal playground for a necromancer was always a place teeming with humans. The raiders currently inside the dungeon were the perfect prey.

[Time remaining to summon mercenary: 1 hour 39 minutes]

Fortunately, the timing was perfect. Taehyun immediately deployed Bruder to Hylon’s Forest and returned to the Master Room.

[Walter’s raid party has entered Hylon’s Forest.]

An S-rank raider had just walked into the trap. With his party of A-rank companions, it was the perfect stage for a debut.

[S-rank named mercenary Bruder the Plague’s special ability ’Infection’ has been activated.]

[A curse of resentment is planted in the raider Mirage, who has been spotted.]

[Approximately 2 minutes remaining until the curse of resentment blooms.]

The first victim was chosen. The familiars Taehyun had placed were instantly wiped out, but it didn’t matter. Now, all he had to do was watch.

“If it’s an infection, can it spread?”

“Of course,” Bruder’s voice echoed in his mind. “The raid party will soon taste true fear.”

“Hmm. Your stench was certainly horrifying,” Taehyun replied. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Understood!”

The ghoul had already grown accustomed to the abuse. From the edge of the forest, Bruder waited quietly for the chaos to unfold. Soon, the infected raider, Mirage, began to act strangely.

“Grrrr. Get away from me!” Mirage snarled.

“What—what are you doing, Mirage?” a companion asked, bewildered.

“Mind your own damn business, you bastards! All of you, get lost!”

“He’s lost it! What’s gotten into him?!”

It was the first symptom of the infection.

—

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