"Kwahaha!”
The Great Warrior’s hearty laughter echoed through the rain in the Marias Great Forest.
Despite the pouring rain, the Marias tribe were enjoying their festival, sitting around the blazing fire of a huge horned creature and roasting meat.
Even as raindrops continued pouring down, there was no sign of wavering in Horua’s towering flames that rose at the center of the village; the Marias tribe gathered around it, grilling meat and enjoying the celebration.
Although rainwater was mixed in the food, it was no problem for those who had been living in the deep forest.
"It turns out Griffin is nothing!"
"Who? The Royal Knights? Our ancestors are with us!"
"Hail Lord Horua! Hail the Great Warrior!"
The Marias tribe raised their drinks, reveling in victory. The Great Warrior stared at them with a satisfied smile before turning to Shaman Syong, who was beside him.
"We have won."Syong's expression darkened at the Great Warrior's laughter.
"It is not victory, it is protection. Have you forgotten our original purpose?"
The triumphant expression on Valkzar's face froze at those words.
Syong urged him as if forcing him to wake up from being intoxicated by a sweet moment of success.
"It's irreversible now. To survive, we must reclaim a portion of Griffin's land."
"Alright, I know."
The war had just begun.
However, Valkzar was somehow confident. Now, he was no longer a mere human but a being close to divinity.
Though he knew nothing would last forever and the flames would eventually extinguish, until the foundation for the tribe's survival was secured, the flame would persist.
In order to achieve that, Horua had even abandoned the forest to join the war.
Then, a woman rushed in with urgency.
Amidst the shared joy, she addressed Valkzar and Syong with a tensed expression.
"G-great Warrior! The woman we are keeping hostage has been whining about labor pains. It seems she needs to give birth immediately."
"Hm!"
He had heard that Illuania, the pregnant hostage, had been experiencing labor pains lately, and wondered if it had really arrived this soon.
After a moment's consideration, the Great Warrior nodded lightly.
"Proceed. The hostage's life is of utmost importance."
"U-understood!”
The woman hurriedly turned and ran. Syong's lips curled into a smirk after he heard the conversation.
"Well, this is good timing. We have another pawn to use against the Soul Whisperer."
"Hm!"
"Besides, if it's a child, it'll be easier to handle as a hostage."
"Alright."
Honestly, the Great Warrior knew that kidnapping a pregnant woman and even using her child as hostage wasn't morally right.
However, he had already dedicated himself entirely to the Marias tribe and for the Great Forest’s survival.
That was why it was acceptable.
If this fight was for their sake, then it was enough.
As he pondered this…
[Kyaaaaccccccckkk]
A chilling scream was heard.
Its deep sound pierced through the forest, adding an ominous tone to the heavy rain.
However, it didn't end there.
[WhydidIhavetodie?IhaventdoneanythingwrongwhydidIhavetodie?]1
[Youcanjuststartfromthatbastardfirstwhyme?]2
[Pleasesavemesavemesavemesavemesavemesavemesavemesaveme.]3
[Isitokaytobeburiedherelikethis?Missareyoureallyokay?Yourestillayounglady.]4
[Iheardtherearealotofdemonicmonstersinthisforestsofornow...]5
[BellsarmwascrushedDelranseyeballsweredugoutHalaslegwassevered.IthoughtIwastheonlyoneleftalivebutmyheadgotsmashed.]6
[ItoldyoutobecarefulbutIdidnttellyoutoabandonme.]7
Each spirit gathered high in the sky and poured out their own stories and grievances, pleading for their deaths.
The Marias tribe, in the midst of celebrating their festival, fell into confusion, but the Great Warrior gritted his teeth with determination and immediately pulled out his spear.
"Bring the hostage! The Soul Whisperer has arrived!"
Was it because it was soaked by the pouring rain?
The spear he had always carried seemed unusually heavy now.
After he decided to touch the Soul Whisperer’s reverse scale, this situation wasn’t something he expected to happen.
But surely, if he let the Soul Whisperer see the pregnant woman in labor, the latter wouldn’t be able to act so recklessly.
Thinking so, the Great Warrior commanded Syong. However…
"Ah… aaaah..."
Somehow, Shaman Syong didn't obey his orders but instead looked up at the sky with a smile filled with contentment.
It was as if the appearance of so many souls present at once was a spectacle he had been waiting for.
"Syong...?”
Having a bad feeling about this, Valkzar called his name. However, Syong simply trembled with anticipation and shook his head.
"He is said to be a Dark Mage, but not that kind of Dark Mage."
"What are you talking about? Bring the hostage now!"
"Do you truly believe you can stop this disaster?"
"..."
He wondered what exactly Syong meant by that.
His train of thought regarding this matter wasn't clear, but he sensed that Syong harbored different intentions. Then, it was now that he realized he had been manipulated by Syong to some extent.
Swish!
Valkzar brandished his spear threateningly at Syong's throat.
"You bastard! What is your purpose?"
"There is something I need to see."
Even though the spear grazed his throat and blood trickled down, Syong seemed unaffected; he just kept staring at the sky.
It was a banquet of numerous souls who had departed from this land, each with their own story.
"He possessed talents chosen by the continent! He obtained the Demon’s Stone, known as both a blessing and a curse! He even managed to find the most suitable mentor all by himself!"
His voice grew louder.
Now, Valkzar saw that Syong had become a completely different person.
Valkzar couldn't control his body as he was temporarily overwhelmed by dizziness, yet each of Syong's words clearly pierced his ears.
"But! BUT! BUTTTTT! Just because of that one principle that he doesn’t want to control the dead! Just because of that foolish principle of respecting them! Just because of that stupid principle he has placed shackles on himself!"
It was a twisted rage.
Syong clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and screamed.
"He failed to properly utilize his inherent power! Can a knight truly be called a knight if they don't use a sword? Can a Necromancer be called a Necromancer if they don't control souls?!"
That was why he was called the Soul Whisperer.
Unlike other Necromancers, he didn't view nor use souls as tools.
Because he wanted to provide them comfort.
However, things were now different.
Just like someone who had dared to touch the dragon's reverse scale, Valkzar had precisely disturbed a part of Deus Verdi that should have never been touched.
"Alright, he's coming."
Syong's finger pointed through the dense trees.
"The one who has finally shed the name of Soul Whisperer in order to become a true Necromancer is now present!"
[Imburning!Mybodyisburning!]8
[Noooooo!Pleasestop!Letmerest!Idontwanttofightanymore!]9
[Thisshouldntbehappening!Iveworkedsohardmadecontributionsthisshouldntbehappening!]10
[Weagreedtodietogethersowhyareyoustillalive?]11
"Come at me, show me that talent of yours! Show me the strength you have to threaten them!"
The incomprehensible screams of the dead resonated with the sound of cold rain pouring from the sky.
At that moment, as everyone's bodies froze with an unknown fear as if the raindrops had frozen them in place, the emotionless voice of a man echoed in everyone's ears.
"Be quiet."
Swish!
Horua’s massive flames, which had been heating up the festivities at the center of the village, were extinguished.
A thick darkness settled in the forest.
The souls lingered in the sky, obscuring even the moon and stars. It made the village pitch-black.
The souls, who had been loudly expressing their grievances, suddenly fell silent and began to writhe.
They transformed into white flames, enveloping the entire village of the Marias tribe like a prison.
“This is Deus Verdi, who now wields souls as if they were tools! On top of that, with all his might! Deus Verdi, the King of the Dead! Another individual striving for the pinnacle of Necromancy!”
Suddenly, a black robe enveloped Syong's body. Valkzar didn't know what it meant.
However, Dante's symbol was embroidered on Syong's robe.
"Alright, Great Warrior! I have given you the power you desired! I persuaded Horua, brought nobles from the Kingdom, and laid the foundation for the future! I presented to you the path to salvation for the Marias Great Forest, which is gradually turning into a desert!"
"...You bastard."
"Now, go and fight! Stop that man who is walking on the path to becoming the King of the Dead! That is the price you, who have gained power, must pay me!"
The Sahar Desert was adjacent to the Marias Great Forest. It was known to people that the Marias Great Forest had blocked the Sahar Desert’s expansion.
However, the residents of the Marias Great Forest and Horua were aware that the desert known as the cursed land would eventually encroach upon and consume the Great Forest as well.
It was a dire situation where their homeland would vanish if they took no action.
At that moment, Shaman Syong proposed a solution. The Great Warrior placed his full trust in Syong's ideas, given the latter’s status as a member of the Marias tribe. Hence, now, he gritted his teeth in rage.
"It turns out you have betrayed us!!!"
"Yes, that's right! I've found people who will awaken my talents more than this place! And they wanted to see the end of that man!"
It was the price to enter Dante.
It was at this moment that those who sought to confirm the true might of the Soul Whisperer were now closely observing the power of Deus Verdi through his vision.
His opponent was a guardian deity of flames who had abandoned its home and descended upon humanity.
If anything, it was a higher price to pay than expected; it was most definitely not an easy task.
"If we remain like this, the entire Marias tribe will perish! Won't you protect them?!"
Valkzar was about to thrust his spear at Syong's throat, but the latter suddenly disappeared, only to reappear on the roof of a nearby cabin moments later.
"Bastard! I will make sure to kill you later!"
“You seem quite relaxed, huh?”
Valkzar gritted his teeth and was about to follow Syong with determination. However, at that moment…
[Kyaaaaaaackk!]
With a scream filled with agony, the souls enveloped in white flames plummeted like meteorites, striking Syong's body with precision.
"Cough!"
He had no option but to endure a heavy blow while coughing up blood.
[Kyaaaaaaackk!]
[Stopppppp!]
[It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!]
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Some of the souls hovering in the sky continued to fall on Syong.
The cabin he had been on was already half-collapsed, and within its wreckage, Syong lay writhing on the ground, coughing up blood.
"Keuuuaaargh!"
Not only that, but the flames of souls were also clinging to his hands and feet, inflicting him with agonizing pain.
"...."
Even Valkzar couldn't help but shudder at the brutality. However…
Suddenly, Syong’s burning body floated away. It was carried by unseen forces and flying towards the entrance of the village.
Amidst the dense trees, the man finally revealed himself. However, his appearance was completely different from what the Great Warrior remembered.
Tired eyes.
His long hair, soaked by the rain, clung to his face.
And evil spirits clung to his entire body, spewing out their resentments.
Deus caught Syong as he flew towards him, slamming him to the ground. Then, he grabbed his hair and dragged him along.
"Kyaaaaaaackk!"
Deus whispered softly as he looked down at Syong's burning robe.
"Dante's spy."
"Cough! Kuogh!"
Although Syong's limbs were burning, he didn't die. Was this also a kind of Necromancy?
The Great Warrior was momentarily seized by indescribable fear after realizing some kind of truth.
Even death… may not be my end.
Deus completely ignored the Great Warrior's reaction, looking down at Syong instead and talking to him.
"Look closely at who you have turned into your enemy.”
Deus issued a warning, knowing that all members of Dante were witnessing this spectacle through Syong's eyes.
With Horua’s wings spread wide, Valkzar flew in front of Deus, who was exuding an ominous energy from his demeanor.
He had to inform him that this situation itself was a trap.
"Deus Verdi! Listen to me! This is all a trap! It was orchestrated by that man!"
"...."
"This war was planned to make you and me fight! The hostage is safe! We are even helping the woman in lab—"
Before he could even finish speaking, Deus' eyes were already fixed on the cabin where the hostages were held.
Numerous souls had surrounded the cabin, blocking anyone from entering.
[What a monster.]
Even the guardian deity, Horua, couldn’t help but acknowledge him.
Valkzar suddenly wondered why Horua, the guardian deity, didn't recognize Deus entering the forest. However…
Fuck, I forgot. He's no longer a guardian deity now.
Horua had already forsaken his role as the forest's guardian in order to protect it.
Now, even if he was with Horua, he wouldn't be able to perceive everything that happened inside the forest.
"We, too, were merely fighting for survival! We were also helpless in the face of the calamity called the desert..."
Upon meeting Deus' gaze, Valkzar could only stop in the middle of his speech.
It was a futile attempt.
The man in front of him wasn't listening at all.
No matter what he tried to say here, he would never receive any mercy from him.
Valkzar gripped his spear tightly, glaring at Deus as he unleashed Horua's flames.
Yes, this was war.
Thinking that, Valkzar glared at the enemy before him.
However, on the contrary, Deus looked past Valkzar and at the trembling villagers.
"All of you… will die."
He said it resolutely, almost like making some kind of oath.
"However, that death will not be the end you imagine it to be."
He had abandoned his identity as the Soul Whisperer.
In the eyes of Deus, who had now truly become a Necromancer in the sense of the word, there was only a thick layer of murderous intent.
***
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