He’d bitten the man’s neck on pure instinct, but his teeth hadn't broken the skin.
Grave-Hand had managed to tear himself away. It was hard to tell if it was due to a constant protective barrier or if the dark magic empowering this particular undead simply wasn't strong enough. Being shoved back by Grave-Hand’s own surge of power was disorienting. It was difficult to react without knowing the first thing about this world’s magic. Fortunately, the zombie I’d positioned behind him had served its purpose, preventing my entire plan from collapsing at the last second.
I gazed down at Grave-Hand’s still form. A young zombie from the village was still latched onto the corpse, gnawing uselessly at its neck. All the undead here, including that one, were once the people Grave-Hand and his master had killed. That was probably why the psychological shock of my first kill wasn't as severe as it could have been. In truth, without the ‘Mind Hub’ to stabilize me, it might have been dangerous. As it was, it just felt like killing a video game character.
But now I had a new problem to consider. My original plan had been to smash him over the back of the head with a rock later. Watching Grave-Hand’s actions, however, had filled me with a rage that made me act immediately. The moment the intent to attack formed, Vanguard’s body moved on its own, lunging for the throat. My response afterward felt almost guided, as if I were a passenger.
That wasn’t to say it was beyond my control. Though the body moved instinctively, the urgency of the situation meant I could have reined it in if I’d tried. And there was no denying this was more effective than a rock to the head. The barrier might not have broken if I’d stuck to the original plan.
Still, this feeling… It was like a habit ingrained so deeply in the body that it had become muscle memory. I could control it when I was consciously paying attention, but in the heat of the moment, I moved without thinking. I couldn't ignore the influence of the instincts etched into this undead form. It wouldn't necessarily affect my real body back on Earth, and I could probably even use it to my advantage, but for now, I had to be cautious.
It was time to proceed to the next phase.
Village Head Elder of Rot—or rather, Elder of Rot, an elder of the continental organization known as the ‘Umbral Pact’—watched the scene before him with deep satisfaction. A black jewel pulsed, absorbing the aura of death from the surrounding undead. He had searched for the ‘Heart of the Abyssal Lich’ for decades, only to find this incomplete fragment after so much hardship.
Moving it to their headquarters would have risked exposure to the continent’s major powers, so he had chosen this remote mountain village as a refuge. Here, he had sealed the fragment and begun the long process of its maturation.
It’s almost time, he thought. Just a little longer, and finally… The resources he had poured into this ‘Fragment of the Abyssal Lich’ were not insignificant. His own position within the organization had become precarious because of it. But once this is complete, everything will change. I will be stronger than ever before…
Suddenly, the disciple guarding the entrance contacted him. [Master, there’s… there’s someone outside!]
“My brother is in there, I tell you!”
“And I’m telling you, your friend left not long ago.”
I was making a scene at the village entrance. The man blocking my way was the same middle-aged man I’d encountered when I first found this place.
“But the signal is clearly leading here! Just let me in to check!”
“And why would I let a stranger in just like that?”
“Then at least let me speak to the village head!” Coaxing the leader out would be ideal, but it didn't matter if he refused. I could still gather information. His refusal would mean he was occupied with something important, and there was only one thing of importance in this entire village.
“I am the village head,” a new voice said. “What is all this commotion about?”
I had predicted he wouldn't just ignore me or try to harm me outright. Someone had come looking for the one he thought was already eliminated; he would want to assess the situation before doing anything rash.
I offered Village Head Elder of Rot a gracious smile. “Hello, my name is Sentinel. I apologize for the disturbance. I believe my twin brother, Vanguard, is here.”
“Hmm, Vanguard… The name sounds familiar. But I was told that young man was traveling alone when he got lost.”
“Well… it’s embarrassing to admit, but we had a terrible fight and went our separate ways. I’ve had a change of heart and came to find him so we could reconcile.”
He had no reason not to believe me. After all, my face was identical to Vanguard’s. Besides, it no longer mattered what he thought. I had already achieved my goal.
The moment Sentinel started his commotion and drew out Village Head Elder of Rot, Vanguard made his move. The man was thorough, wanting to account for even the smallest possibilities. The real danger wasn't an external threat, but a risk to the very heart of their operation, protected deep within the village grounds. Thanks to his caution, I now stood before the ‘Fragment of the Abyssal Lich’ without a single guard in my way.
I didn't need to go through an intermediary like Whispering Shadow. I could touch the fragment myself and understand what its "maturation" truly meant. I could also see why the undead were gathered around it like this. Was it absorbing their dark magic? No, it felt more like… resonance. The fragment wasn't just siphoning power. It was incomplete, and it was synchronizing with its surroundings, absorbing deficient information to stabilize itself.
Come to think of it, only the most imposing undead stood near the fragment—ghosts, headless knights, and their ilk. The weakest among them appeared to be a skeletal knight that still looked far more formidable than the creature I’d seen in the warehouse.
Wait, was the warehouse I was in for defective products? I was suddenly annoyed. In this “maturation” process, low-grade undead would have been little more than impurities. Perhaps they were just tossed to the fragment as fodder in the hopes that a useful undead might emerge. In the end, I was just a reject, stuck in a defective goods warehouse because I hadn't met expectations. It was actually a blessing in disguise, but strangely frustrating all the same.
As I drew closer, I felt the fragment’s overwhelming presence begin to suck the dark magic from my own body. I recognized the danger immediately. A living being would be turned into an undead just by touching it; the weak would perish just from breathing the air nearby. Beyond the power it held, the fragment was a potent concentration of curses.
I reached out my hand toward the ‘Fragment of the Abyssal Lich.’ Overindulgence is bad for you, I thought. Let’s see how you like a taste of defective goods. Of course, I had no intention of letting it consume me. I had my own plan.
“So, you see, we’re twins,” Sentinel was saying. “We’ve always known where the other is, ever since we were born.”
“Heh, that’s a bit hard to believe…” The village head’s soft smile abruptly vanished, his face stiffening. Slowly, his expression twisted into a malicious snarl as he whipped his head around to look toward the heart of the village. Something was wrong with the fragment. This was no time to deal with a trivial nuisance.
Elder of Rot unleashed his dark magic and shot toward the fragment’s location, shouting a command over his shoulder. The middle-aged man, Grim Warden, an oath-knight of the Reversal, turned to kill Sentinel, but… no one was there.
Terror, despair, anguish, oppression, madness, loss, hatred, a hunger for flesh, rage… A torrent of negative emotions rushed into me.
[Hate the living. Cover this land in despair. As the world is stained with death, your power will grow. Take what you do not have…]
The sheer volume of information was immense, but the ‘Mind Hub’ filtered it all. Anyone else exposed to this energy would have become an undead on the spot, their mind utterly consumed by the fragment. Who could possibly remain sane in the face of this?
Not my problem, though. Elder of Rot was surely on his way, which meant time was short. He must have taken precautions here. It was an obsession, really. If he could withstand the fragment’s influence, he’d probably live here with it day and night.
Well, here goes nothing, I thought. I hope this works. It’s almost done. Using the dark magic being siphoned from my body, I attempted to synchronize with the ‘Fragment of the Abyssal Lich,’ resurrecting the sensation I’d had when controlling the other undead.
Ordinarily, this would be impossible. But I was already undead. I could ignore the violent mental assault broadcast by the fragment and maintain my sense of self. Even if it failed and this body became useless, just interfering with their plan would be a victory.
The fragment was incomplete, vulnerable. It resonated with its surroundings to fill the gaps in its being. And into that deficiency, I inserted ‘Vanguard.’
The result was immediate.
[Individual has fulfilled the conditions for growth. Acquired special skill ‘Vile Wisdom.’]
The message appeared before my eyes, but I didn't need it to know I had changed. My body was still nothing but bone, but the very quality of my existence felt different. New knowledge was being etched directly into my mind.
[Oh! I can speak now?] By resonating my vocal cords with dark magic, I could form words. It was a minor change, but a welcome one.
I lowered my head and looked at my own body. A black jewel, a heart, pulsed between my ribs.
- Species: Undead (Demilich)
- Common Traits: "Mind Hub," "Rapid Regeneration"
- Individual Traits: "Decayed Heart," "Vile Wisdom," "Magic Affinity"
- Special Note: The individual's power has increased with the power of the "Fragment of the Abyssal Lich (1/3)." The latent dark magic within the fragment has harmonized with the individual. No mental contamination occurred due to the influence of the "Mind Hub." Furthermore, it evolved from an "Elite Skeleton" into the "Demi-Lich," a master of immortality magic.
Juan was once again guarding the front of the secret passage. Not dealing with that zombie rat yesterday was coming back to bite him.
“Ah, all this trouble because of that Grave-Hand,” he muttered. Thinking about it, quite some time had passed and Grave-Hand still hadn't shown up. “Of course. He’s probably off sulking somewhere.”
Juan leaned back, resting his weight against his chair. A year had passed, and this remote village was as quiet as ever. The only thing he’d done all day was pass a message from the village entrance to the master inside.
“Juan! You! What are you doing?!”
The master’s communication magic blared so suddenly that Juan tipped over, chair and all.
“Yes, Master! Nothing unusual here!” he yelped, scrambling back up and rubbing the back of his head. His quick reply did nothing to calm his master.
“Nothing unusual?! What do you— No, check the fragment! Now! And contact Grave-Hand!”
“Yes, yes! I’ll check right away!” The chamber with the fragment was warded, so he had to use a special magical device at the entrance to relay communications. “Hey! Grave-Hand! Stop what you’re doing and check the fragment— Huh?”
Juan stopped mid-sentence and checked the device again. He sent another message. “Grave-Hand? Hey, can you hear me?”
There was no reply, which was to be expected. The connection wasn't even active.
“What… what’s going on?”
Just as a startled Juan got to his feet, the magic circle at the warehouse entrance flared to life, and the door swung open.
“Hey! Grave-Hand! Why are you suddenly—” Juan stared at the open doorway, then froze.
It wasn't Grave-Hand standing there.
“What… what in the… why…”
Hundreds of undead, all radiating a sinister aura, filled the passage, a squirming, writhing mass.
Commanding the undead was not difficult. The amount of dark magic now coursing through my body was on a completely different scale. I couldn't share their senses like I did when linked to Whispering Shadow, but the level of control was more than satisfactory. Under my command were not just zombies and skeletons, but also the higher-ranking creatures that had been stationed near the fragment.
They weren't in the best shape after having their energy siphoned by the fragment for so long, but I was lucky I could make them stand at all. The floor around the now-dormant ‘Fragment of the Abyssal Lich’ was littered with skeletal remains, a testament to how many had been sacrificed to it.
I confidently led my new army down the passage, clogging it completely. Soon, I saw the entrance leading outside. There's a barrier, so I can't just leave… Should I break it?
After a moment’s thought, a realization dawned. Just as Grave-Hand had done, I raised my hand toward the door. I was about to experience the effects of ‘Vile Wisdom’ firsthand.
The magic circle responded to my touch, and the door swung open. Dark magic was no longer a mystery to me.