calm life.
As Ty took care of his shop in the morning, he mused on his newfound inner peace. He no longer fears being discovered, nor the constant fear of home break-ins. The world believes he is dead and his mining operations are back to the level they were before the princess was born. He could sneak back in the shadows; he even sent the first shipment to the Robin Company in exchange for future supplies.
People kept coming to his shop because he had become a local hero after the dungeon raid, but the influx of customers would gradually dwindle. Without an easily accessible dungeon, his clients would turn to patients looking for a cure, travelers making urgent purchases, or local guilds in need of chemicals. His finances will take a hit, but he can handle it.
He even enjoys spending time with his favorite mortal, Annie. "Okay," she asked him after buying some magical ingredients. "What are your plans tonight?"
Yes, open the way to Nastrang. "Why just a few hours after closing?"
"Play board and conquest with me, just like before"
What a lovely girl. Truly the little sister he never had. "With pleasure, Anne," he replied, and the witch smiled sheepishly in response. The alchemist also heard Laufey snickering behind the shelf as she lined up her potions.
However, the new arrival in the shop ruined the Necromancer's mood.
"Your Highness," Anne greeted Princess Gwenxifer, and Tai nodded politely to the mean, stubborn woman.
"Anne, Walter," she saluted them both. "You look happy today."
"Yes, I am!" Annie happily showed off her purchases. "I can finally redeem the guild's rewards!"
"Are you here to buy magic items, Your Highness?" Tai asked, playing the role of friendly shopkeeper.
"No, I came for the truth," answered the princess, and her eyes met his. "Why are you putting yourself down, Walter?"
"Excuse me?" he asked, surprised by her bluntness.
"You're clearly much more powerful than you pretend to be, and I suspect you're at least five to ten levels more powerful than official records indicate." Actually, 20. "You can be famous in Avalon."
"I have no desire for fame or fortune," replied Walter Tai. "I was looking for something more practical. To help my fellow man."
“One does not exclude the other.”
"I'm afraid so. I prefer a quiet life to palace intrigues, power games and stunts involving high-level people."
The princess giggled a little, sounding happy. "In that case, you will grow to hate me because the Academy will need your services in the near future."
Why is the reward for good work more work? "Your Highness, please stop cleaning the dungeon."
"I had in mind more advice on magic and alchemy," the princess replied. "If I recall correctly, you expressed an interest in teaching, and our work at Lyonse is not yet complete."
damn it. "No?" Anne asked.
"I wish to clear the dungeon rather than wait for the undead to come out," said the princess. "Unfortunately, Mrs. Thrall and the other priests decided to keep the monsters within safe limits rather than risk more lives."
Never underestimate the power of human laziness.
"But the Necromancer is gone, isn't he?" Anne asked. "We all leveled up a lot from it, and we found his cache."
"(Lynorm Demilich)," said the Duchess. "Yggd
asil system stated that we are working with Linnom Demilic (Li
o
m Demilich) rather than with Ankou (A
kou) battle. "
"Your Highness, you may have mistaken his true identity." Tai lied.
"I don't think so." She shook her head. "If this is a polycrystalline effect, then Yggd
asil system should point this out. I can't put my finger on what it is, but I feel like we're missing a detail. "
"Your Highness, your wisdom is amazing." To be honest, if that woman didn't want to kill him, Taiyi would have chosen her as his queen. It's such a shame that such a good man got into the wrong cause. "But maybe a little too cynical."
"Perhaps," Gwenhwyvar replied, but it was clear she didn't think so. "Actually, I didn't decide to go to the dungeon by chance. I've been investigating the White Snake for some time."
"Oh?" He pretended to be interested.
"I suspect this Ankou is one of the survivors."
The alchemist narrowed his eyes. "One of the?"
The princess dramatically took out a piece of paper from her belt and showed it to the alchemist.
When Ty saw this portrait of the Black Knight, straight from Helheim, he had a hard time not showing his shock. He could feel the princess' eyes on him, searching for any slightest expression.
She had planned this moment, that suspicious woman. Despite all he had done to confuse her, she still doubted him.
"So?" Gwen Sifhar asked Tai after a tense moment of silence.
"That's obviously a (Death Knight)." The Necromancer replied, a pale mask covering his face. "One of the strongest undead."
"Someone has seen him near the ruins of Logres Plateau and White Snake Castle." the princess explained. "The Academy is investigating him at my request, and I intend to track this guy down. I think you can help."
This could be a trap to trick Tai, but the resemblance to the real deal is uncanny. That black armor, those spikes, the way he held the sword... "Let me see what I can do."
After the princess and Anne left, Tai sat in a chair behind the counter and pondered the implications.
"So, you are 'alive' too," he said to himself, "Metro?"
Walter Tye and his elite gathered in front of Nastrang's gate, raising his [Apophis] scepter and summoning his [Blood Magic]. "[Blood Mimicry]," he cast a spell on the stolen blood of Princess Gwenhyfar.
The blood instantly flowed out of the glass container and turned into a floating hand.
She was still doubting, the Necromancer thought as he put his hand on the stone seal. Tai's drama didn't quite convince the princess.
Of course, now that everyone else had fallen for the trick, she didn't have the strength to conduct another investigation. She could, but her entire coronation plan depended on good public relations. Princess Gwenhwyfa couldn't let herself look like a paranoid chasing ghosts.
It's no fun being right when everyone else is wrong.
So now that Tye has taken out the stubborn royal, he also has a spy in Morgan. He wished this could continue, but the gods were not so kind to the Necromancer. He had a gut feeling that the princess would become a merciless thorn in his side and would one day return to challenge his dungeon.
"You keep snickering," Tye said to Laufey, frustrated by the sounds she made behind him. "stop."
"I think it's cute that you agreed to date little Annie," the Dark Elf said. "I thought you no longer felt the call of warm flesh."
"Boss, do you want to see someone?" Hagen asked, feeling very funny. Unlike his fake fight with Gwen Sifhar, he came to this rally armed to the teeth.
"Annie is my protégé," Ty replied. "Don't mistake my intentions for anything impure."
"Oh?" Laufey chuckled. "Then I was wrong. My apologies. However, I still want to know why you keep me around now that your adventurer problem has been solved."
"Your contract will be terminated in one year," Tai replied, and the light on the stele responded to the prosthetic hand. "To be honest, you've proven to be an asset so far. I'd rather have you by my side."
"You made me pass out," the dark elf replied with mock embarrassment. "Oh my God, are you in love with me?"
Love? This chaotic, maddening emotion had no place in his heart; neither did hatred. These feelings can lead people astray and blind them from their goals.
Only eternal life is important.
Tai shrugged and dismissed the subject because his strategy was working. In response to the magic in the blood, the stele moved out of the way and the seal was broken. The road to the buried city has been opened to this group of people.
Duke's body has been repaired by his master, and he walks in front with Spook and Hagen. Ty follows, along with Laufey and a group of goblins armed with explosives. The Necromancer felt a sense of fear as he descended the stairs toward Nastrom, half expecting Hel's cold voice to threaten him again. Because nothing like this happened, his heart relaxed.
His soldiers paused as they entered the vast caverns and vast plateau on which the city lay buried. While Ty was primarily focused on the alkaline veins he was about to mine, he had to admit that he found Nastrang to be awe-inspiring.
Hagen looked down at the sea of smoke below the plateau. "Helheim," he whispered.
"I suspect this place marks the border between Midgard and that cursed kingdom," Tai confirmed. "Are you afraid, my friend?"
"No," dullaha
Lies, focusing on the road ahead. "I'll never go back."
As the group made their way toward the breach in the wall, they soon entered the city's dusty streets. "What is this place?" Duke wondered as he saw the numerous snake statues that made up much of the local decoration. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"Me too," Laufey admitted. This surprised Tae a little, as she was usually shy and overly confident; but this time, she seemed lost in thought. There was something about Nastrang that attracted her. "It reeks of pain and hatred."
"What do you mean?" Hagen asked as he inspected a snake mural on a building. Meanwhile, Spook seemed nervous and distraught.
"Just like a body leaves behind a scent, emotions remain even after the soul has long since departed," the demon elf explained, piqued Tai's interest. "I have never smelled something so bad, so bad, since my father was imprisoned. Countless atrocities were committed there, headless men. I could hear the screams in the walls."
Laufey suddenly stopped in the middle of the street.
“There were eight kids gathered there,” she said. "They turned 9 last month, and now it's time for sacrifice. The beast is hungry, but can't stand the taste of the living; the flesh must be sprinkled with the salt of terror and betrayal. The father comes over, holding his long knife , look at them..."
The Dark Elf crossed the street and glanced at the person who wasn't there. She stopped suddenly and pointed to the empty space. "You," Laufey whispered, struggling in a daze. "come over."
"Boss," Hagen said loudly. "This is too bad even for that demon. Do you want me to slap her?"
Ty remained silent, more curious than anything else.
"Father. Father! She begged him, but he wouldn't listen." Laufey smiled, then imitated a man eviscerating a pig. Her expression was one of pure, brutal happiness. "He's done it before. He'll do it again. The Ever Snake is feasting tonight and the night after."
The echo of footsteps interrupted her, and a hard golem turned around.
The machine screeched, echoing through Nastrom, and raised its sword menacingly. The group prepares for a fight, but the Necromancer has an ace up his sleeve. "Behind me," Tai ordered.
"Boss, it outranks you," Hagen pointed out, protective of his master.
"And blind. [Parasite Soul]," Tai cast [Apophis], tearing off the fragments of his soul and hurling them like bullets at the golem. The machine froze in place as the dark spirit took over its metal body. Soon, a dim light appeared under its helmet, and fragments of Tai's will filled the empty shell.
The golem's immunity to weaker magic does not protect it from greater spells.
Charisma check succeeds. You (charmed[au:]King Kong robot with your soul.
"Magic never betrays," Tai said to himself. "Take us to your brothers. They will serve too."
The enslaved machine nodded and obeyed.
The other puppets didn't cause much resistance. Level 60 or not, these creatures are designed to fight armies or standard spellcasters, not powerful necromancers. Mindless robots are of little use to the people who possess them.
In the end, Nastrang's defense failed one after another. Golems are enslaved, traps are removed, and debris is cleared. Although he lost the first level of the dungeon, Tai now controls the dungeon, with only one building remaining intact.
Naströn's central cathedral is even more impressive when seen in person than via starlight projection. The stone temple's black metal doors require a giant to open, and the closer Tae examines the magical wards that protect it, the stronger they seem.
"So?" Laufey asked impatiently. A disturbing final interlude improves her mood considerably.
"We don't need to blow those doors down," Tai replied. As he suspected, the seal was the work of Father Odin. "But move the explosives closer to the entrance to prevent leakage of whatever is sealed inside."
He hasn't found a "problem" that enough bombs can't solve. His reward for protecting Leonis during the final fusion [the Horn of Jotunheim] allows Tai to summon a powerful giant spirit if the enemy survives. Combined with the golems, they should have enough power to win.
"Boss," Hagen said, pointing his weapon to his left. "Look, Spook is weird too."
Tai turned around to see his favorite assassin banging his head against the church wall. "Scared!" cried the Necromancer in surprise, but his elite ignored him. The scene looked like a pantomime, a condemned man begging for punishment.
Did seeing the cathedral awaken painful memories of his past life?
"Take him upstairs," Tai ordered Duke, and the mummy was too confused to put up any resistance. "When we take control of the cathedral, I'll go see him."
So the Necromancer placed his prosthetic hand on the seal, trying to undo it.
Morgan's blood wasn't enough. Because she was born of chaos, she was tainted, her birthright stripped by the Pantheon; whereas Gwenhwyvar was a true heir, recognized by the gods and blessed by them. Tai's spell mimicked her magical signature, making the seal believe that the heirs of Avalon, Odin's Chosen, had come to break it.
Of course, being the cunning and paranoid god he is, the All-Father has set an alarm that will go off should the seal be broken. He clearly didn't want the gates to open except in emergencies, which made Tye even more determined to break through.
His [Master of Knowledge] profession allows him to read the runes that make up the seal, as well as the mechanisms behind them. A rune emits a pulse of divine energy when activated, a flare being ignited for the gods to see. However, it can only be activated by a subtle rune, which will immediately notice that the seal has been broken and trigger an alarm.
So Tae simply altered the flow of magic to make the triggerer believe the sacred runes were activated by other means. After its purpose is "fulfilled", the mechanism goes dormant and will ignore the breaking of the seal.
The Necromancer robbed the gods today. Apparently, King Aesil expected a more violent invasion.
The door opened automatically as Tai unlocked it. A sour, purple miasma spewed from the cathedral, the smoke so poisonous that the goblins had to guard their mouths. Even Laufey seemed a little uncomfortable, despite her natural resistance.
However, no monster rushed in.
Tai carefully stepped over the threshold, his immortal nature freeing him from the miasma. Hagen and Laufey followed, one nervous and depressed, the other barely restraining her excitement.
This place does not exist in Midgard. It is a space between two realms, a pocket dimension where the rules of reality are broken by the whims of the system. The space itself has grown beyond the logical confines of a cathedral. The walls seemed to be as high as the mountains, with huge scenes from Ragnarok carved into the stones.
This design is very strange. A series of scenes are arranged one after another. Scenes are constantly repeated, with only slight variations; for example, one painting depicts a satyr wielding his flaming sword (Laevatei
) burns Asgard, but in the scene above, he uses a hammer instead.
But something else caught Tai's attention.
A huge, blackened root of Yggdrasil immersed in a puddle in the center of the hall, itself protected by the bones of an ancient monster. The blackened remains of the creature are so ancient they are nearly unrecognizable, but the beast appears to be some kind of giant reptile.
Jo
mu
ga
d
Descendants? This explains the miasma it releases upon death, as well as the image of snakes in the city. Could this be a colony of a disaster cult?
"It looked like a giant snake," Laufey said, his voice almost aroused. "These bones exude such evil power that I'm almost drunk from it!"
"If it's a snake, it must be at least three hundred feet long," Hagen whispered, a little frightened.
Walter Tee ignored them, fascinated by the roots and water upon which it nourished. The necromancer looked into the pit, dug into the stone, and stared into an endless abyss. The waters were unusually clear and untainted by smoke; they emanated powerful magic the likes of which the Necromancer had never seen. Possibly even more than the legendary 12th level spellcasting.
A system notification confirmed his wildest thoughts.
You have entered ["The Third Spring of Greece"].
"This is..." Laufei was ecstatic. "This is impossible……"
"This is one of the three mythological sources from which the roots of the World Tree draw their nourishment," Tai said, fascinated. "The source of all life in the Nine Kingdoms"
Immortality is finally within reach.
