The western outskirts of Arilleia Island.
A clearing made wide for a single being alone.
There, one dragon and one knight were continuing their heated training.
『Burn.』
Of course, the one training was the dragon, Freyja, and the one watching was the dragon knight, Regarda Obierre.
Freyja, in her true form, was practicing dragon words.
『Bu, burnnnn……?』
Fwoosh—
The language uttered as a dragon possessed the power to move mana all on its own, causing the mana within the body to respond naturally and create magic according to that will.
That was the greatness of dragon words.
However.
“A little more. The power carried in your words is weak, Freyja.”
It did emerge as flame according to Freyja’s will, but it was weak.
It was because her intent had not yet grown.
Originally, she would have watched the dragon words of her own kind, observed the immense flow of mana and the results it produced, and learned naturally. But all Freyja had seen were flames caused by crude skills.
Thus, Freyja’s dragon words could only unfold to that degree.
『Uuugh…… It’s hard.』
It had not been long since she had begun learning dragon words in earnest.
Before that, she had been too busy adapting to a dragon’s body and learning how to handle mana.
In a manner of speaking, one could say her adjustment period had only just ended.
And so a glimmer of pity passed through Regarda’s eyes.
If only he were a mage rather than a knight.
At times like this, the spear arts he had learned were utterly useless…… If he had been a mage instead, would he not have been able to show Freyja more and teach her more?
“Recall…… the battle that took place in Hibernia’s capital.”
This was all he could do for her.
That day he had deliberately avoided remembering.
All he could do was recount the memory of that day when he had been forced to send Eriel away.
“You were far away, so you may not have seen it well. Even so, recall the blue flames that rose into the sky. They were enough to be compared to the flames of a dragon.”
The blue flames shown by the mage, flames that covered the heavens.
Of course, compared to the fire breathed by a true dragon, it was lacking.
The mage’s will had been contained in that sea of blue flame, but intent had not been imbued within it.
If even that had been present, perhaps it would have been different, but if only the surface burned hot, it could never reach a dragon.
Conversely, that meant that if intent alone were imbued within it, it would become a power more terrifying than anything else in the world.
『If it’s the mage’s flames…….』
Freyja, too, recalled the battle in the sky she had seen that day.
Though all she had done was watch from afar while carried on Ailaitz’s back.
By the time they drew near, Eriel had been falling along with the light of the heavens, but because she had seen it from far away, she had instead been able to grasp the tremendous power of those flames.
『I’ll try!』
At last, an image began to take shape in her mind.
In her head, she drew the flames of that day, covering the sky and stabbing down toward the dragon from every direction, and Freyja’s will soon called them forth.
And so the power was uttered as language.
『Cover.』
Mana surged violently, taking form according to the dragon’s will.
『……Wow!』
Before long, it became the blue sun of that day, filling the heavens.
Despite accomplishing such a thing after only a few attempts, all she said was a tiny exclamation of wonder.
『It’s pretty!』
That was a dragon.
A supreme life-form called a demigod.
Mana near infinite contained within the body. Scales harder than anything in the world. Profound intelligence and mental power capable of manifesting magic as naturally as breathing.
On top of that, was Freyja not a green dragon who governed wind?
This was what she could do even though flame was not her specialty.
“Well done.”
Thus even the blunt Regarda nodded and praised her this time.
『Hehe. Then have I learned dragon words now?』
“You are still far, far from it. You must learn every dragon word in the mage’s house, and you must also learn Eriel’s unique dragon-word magic.”
『Okaaay…….』
Though she was a wind dragon, she still could not properly control the wind.
The road ahead was still long.
Training continued regardless of night or day.
It was possible only because Regarda and Freyja possessed a sense of time that could not be understood by ordinary common sense.
Amid the training and teaching that continued in this way, Freyja would often ask Regarda questions.
『What was the war against the Aberrants like?』
A war from a thousand years ago, remembered by no one.
Though related history remained in Arilleia, even that was not accurate.
It was because it had been written solely based on Regarda’s memories.
All the other records had vanished without a trace.
As though they had been devoured by the abyss.
Regarda answered Freyja’s questions with utmost sincerity.
Though he appeared blunt on the outside, he was always doing his best in dealing with Freyja.
『What were dragons originally like?』
『What were mages in the old days like?』
But Freyja was still a young dragon, and her curiosity overflowed.
What the other dragons looked like.
What habits they had and how they lived.
What life had been like when magic flourished, and what kinds of mages there had been.
As they spoke of such things, stories from the distant past would sometimes emerge.
“It is said that among the mages of old, there was one who loved dragons dearly.”
A story from an age so distant that even Regarda had only heard it through Eriel.
『Wow! That’s wonderful!』
“……Yes. In any case, they say he loved dragons so much that he even created a spell to stay with one for his entire life.”
『A spell?』
“It is said to have been similar to a contract that linked soul to soul. A spell that allowed him to call upon the dragon whenever he wished and freely wield that almighty power.”
They said such magic had existed in ancient times.
It was an era when dragons certainly existed and magic had advanced to a high degree, so it was not especially strange.
“But in the end, that magic was completely destroyed by the dragons themselves.”
『Eeh? But it’s a good spell that lets you stay together for a lifetime, isn’t it?』
“Do you think dragons and humans can be together? Humans are beings who live by desire as their source. The immense power of a dragon, which could be wielded at any time. Humans using it for their petty desires. It was a disaster in the truest sense.”
『Eek! That’s awful!』
Freyja made a tearful face with the solemn visage of a dragon.
At the sight, Regarda gave a faint smile and spoke firmly.
“So, Freyja. You must not carelessly follow someone just because they ask you to make a contract or tell you to come with them.”
『Mm…… Even if it’s someone I know?』
“Yes. Always think of the immense influence your power possesses.”
『Yees!』
“They say that disastrous magic that controlled dragons was completely destroyed by all dragons acting together, so you will likely never see it, but I am telling you to be careful.”
『What was the name of that magic?』
At Freyja’s question, Regarda briefly searched through his old memories.
A magic that could summon and command at will a demigod dragon—perhaps one of the most dreadful magics of all.
Its name was surely…….
“The Book of Dragon Summoning.”
That was the name.
* * *
After checking all the skill effects of spatial magic, I immediately left the spatial mage’s room on the 125th floor.
If possible, I wanted to learn spatial magic in depth as well, but that would not be efficient.
I had confirmed through the effects that this would provide a sufficiently satisfying result as my fifth highest-tier skill, so now it was time to do something else.
And if it was something else, then of course.
—Necromancy! Let us go at once!
Was I not nominally the disciple of a necromancer?
At present, it was quite ambiguous to pinpoint Hio as a mage of any particular school.
The only magic he had learned from the basics while engraving every rune was necromancy, yet he hardly used it at all.
—The thing that fits best with that kking-kking or kkeung-kkeung of yours is necromancy after all. If I had taught you this first, perhaps your mind would not have been abused so badly…… Or perhaps it would have?
“What’s with that vague answer?”
—……You will understand once we go.
I immediately took the portal and moved to the floor for necromancy education.
Unlike the other floors, it was a gloomy floor filled with the aura of death.
—Necromancy up to the 4th Circle was mostly focused on summoning.
Purnell’s explanation began as we walked through the corridor of that eerie training hall.
—Summon Larva, Summon Phantom Steed, Summon Ghost, and the like. Aside from offensive spells such as Bone Spear, most necromancers up to the 4th Circle fight by summoning ghosts. Also, though you would not know this, there were methods to create undead directly by collecting corpses and the energy of death.
“Then you’re saying it changes from the 5th Circle onward?”
—Indeed. From now on, one can at last be called a one-man legion, the mage one least wishes to face on a battlefield—a necromancer.
“Oho…….”
That certainly was the reason I had not used necromancy much until now.
Compared to elemental magic, it did not possess outstanding destructive power, nor were the ghosts or larvae I summoned particularly capable.
At least the Phantom Steed was something Hio made good use of because it had the trait of being a spirit body.
The rest had flaws in many ways.
—Moreover, do you not possess Kreutzwald’s Three Divine Artifacts as well? The lantern and the cloak. If you add that kking-kking or kkeung-kkeung thing of yours to them…….
Purnell smacked his lips, as though drooling from the thought alone.
—It would truly be the return of Kreutzwald.
“I haven’t been able to properly use Kreutzwald’s artifacts until now. If what you say is true, then I’ll finally be able to make proper use of these as well.”
The cloak, staff, and lantern—what Purnell called Kreutzwald’s Three Divine Artifacts.
Hio was currently unable to fully use the power of these excellent artifacts.
The reason became obvious when looking at their abilities.
「Kreutzwald’s Dignified Cloak (Epic)」
「A cloak made for the great necromancer Kreutzwald, who single-handedly brought down a kingdom over nine nights. It is specialized in powers related to death.」
「When worn, the total amount of death energy required to create undead is greatly reduced.」
「Death Aura: All summoned undead receive +30% strengthened stats.」
「Dignity of a Soldier: All summoned undead are summoned with a barrier. The strength of the barrier increases in proportion to the amount of mana used by the summoner.」
「Lantern of the Soul Reaper (Epic)」
「An inhuman object.」
「Soul Absorption: Absorb souls to permanently increase abilities. The amount of increase varies according to the soul’s rank.」
「Soul Storage: Store souls without damage. Souls stored in the lantern for a long period of time can be controlled by the user.」
「Soul Restoration: Consume stored souls to restore spiritual power or vitality.」
「Soul Extraction: Extract the purest darkness from a soul and convert it into dark-attribute mana. This is the energy that is the origin of all black magic.」
As could be seen, it was because their abilities involved summoning undead or absorbing souls.
—Strictly speaking, the monsters of the Abyss all have souls as well. You should have used the lantern on the Infinite Floor.
“……That’s true. They were merely stained by the abyss; it isn’t as if their souls disappeared.”
The monsters of the Abyss were, in truth, creatures that had originally existed somewhere in this world.
Naturally, they had souls, and those souls had merely sunk into the abyss. They remained souls nonetheless…… So through the Lantern of the Soul Reaper, he should have been able to absorb them.
And yet the reason he had not done so was because he had been too frantic pouring out spell after spell, and because he had excluded the idea of absorbing souls entirely from the start.
“If I absorb a soul…… what happens to the original soul?”
Though they were treated as Abyss monsters here, cursed things reviled and pointed at by others, Hio knew that they had no sin of their own.
If he went so far as to absorb their souls in that state, what would happen to those pitiful souls?
Purnell’s answer to that was rather coldhearted.
—Is it not obvious? They would be extinguished. So harden your heart. In order to do what you wish to do, you must. With a half-hearted resolve, you can accomplish nothing.
In truth, every word of it was correct, from beginning to end.
What method could possibly exist to save souls already stained by the abyss?
No matter how pitiful they were, no matter how unfortunate those souls were, there was no way to restore them.
If such a way had existed, all of them would have been restored long ago. Such a tragedy would never have occurred.
- Become strong enough to force your way through any variable with power alone. You know well how difficult that is. Next time, do not hesitate. Absorb the entire soul.
“……All right.”
Absorbing souls through the lantern’s effect increased permanent stats.
He had never tried it, so he did not know just how large the increase would be, but it would surely be meaningful.
“Putting the lantern aside, what about the cloak? The cloak’s effect basically only activates when I summon undead.”
The cloak’s effect was the ability to lower the death energy needed to create undead and to strengthen them.
For that, would he not need the power to reverse death on the battlefield right then and there?
At that question, Purnell grinned and answered.
- That is what we shall do from now on. You will finally learn properly how a necromancer lives.
* * *
A necromancer’s way of life was unique.
No, beyond unique—one could say it was half insane.
Wherever they went, they kept their eyes bloodshot and wide open, looking only for corpses, corpses, and more corpses.
In an era overflowing with war and conflict, that was fine. But in an era that was not, a necromancer was a symbol of ill omen.
Wherever a necromancer appeared, corpses naturally followed, so in a way, it was only natural that people regarded them so.
- But you are a necromancer who was raised very gently. The only time you ever handled corpses was when you first began, and even then you only dabbled, did you not?
“No, well, there wasn’t really any need to……”
- Talking back! Talking back! How dare you, when your master is speaking!
“……Fine. Keep going.”
Excited to have the upper hand for the first time in a while, Purnell stroked a chin that did not even exist and continued in a solemn voice.
- In any case, even for you, you cannot go on forever just flinging Spears of Bone around. It is time to begin making undead in earnest.
“Something like skeletons?”
- Ehey! How dare you speak of such low-grade undead. At your level, you can aim for a Dullahan, or even a Death Knight. The problem is the corpse. If we ask where to obtain a corpse of that caliber, does nothing come to mind?
A body of high enough quality to create a high-ranking undead.
A place where such a corpse could be obtained.
“Don’t tell me…… Abyss Monsters?”
At Hio’s answer, Purnell puffed himself up greatly in delight.
- Correct!
“Is that possible?”
- Why would it not be? In the end, they too have death, and when they die, no matter how steeped in the abyss they are, the soul departs. Then you use Soul Absorption to raise your stats with that soul, and take the body left behind to make a high-ranking undead. In short, it is an extremely precious resource with nothing to waste.
“……You’re insane.”
Insane.
No matter what, they had been innocent beings in life, yet he would not only absorb their souls but use even their bodies.
Of course, Hio had resolved to steel his heart, but Purnell’s very way of thinking was different.
He was a true necromancer to the bone.
Perhaps having read Hio’s complicated expression, Purnell flew up before his eyes.
- Why, can you not do it?
At Purnell’s question, thrusting his large eyeball close, Hio closed his eyes for a moment.
And when those eyes opened again, there was no longer any hesitation left in them.
“I’ll do it. I swore I’d become stronger by any means necessary.”
At that, Purnell began to laugh loudly, as if satisfied.
- Yes! Naturally, that is how it should be!
His mouth curling all the way up to the top of his head.