Chapter 123 – The King of the Dead (2)

Suddenly, I asked Abel.

“Did you say ‘I’m sorry’ when you were taking down the undead earlier?”

“What? You heard that from that distance?”

Abel’s eyes widened. I replied indifferently.

“I have good hearing.”

“Being able to hear a murmur from 20 meters away is almost a superpower, isn’t it?”

In reality, thanks to [The Blessing of the Sword God], I had acquired almost supernatural senses, but still.

In a world full of blessings and magic,

I found it amusing that Abel was surprised and mentioned ‘superpowers.’

From my perspective, coming from Earth, the sword strike she had displayed was even more unreal.

Abel let out a brief sigh and said,

“It’s an old habit. That’s how my father taught me. Even a simple blade of grass holds life, so even if they’re monsters, it’s the same.”

“But they were undead. They’re already corpses.”

“That’s precisely why showing respect is more important. Do you know why heroes avoid killing undead?”

“Because they look human? It feels like you’re killing someone.”

“Killing someone… you’re half right and half wrong.”

I don’t know the specific details about monsters. It’s not crucial information for hunting.

I only know vaguely because that’s how it’s written in the monster encyclopedia.

Abel continued.

“Undead were once human too. They weren’t always like this.”

“…They were human? But why are they like that now?”

“I don’t know the exact details. But as you know, undead only appear here.”

Abel lightly tapped the ground with her foot and continued explaining.

“This means it’s a problem of the place. People who come here end up becoming walking corpses. I don’t know why, but something is definitely happening here.”

Abel’s hypothesis was sharp.

If what she says is true, then there is something or someone behind all this, and it is most likely ‘Draugr.’ That also aligns with the corrupting effect of this place.

I listened intently to Abel. A small comment like this could become a significant clue later.

Suddenly, Abel let out a laugh.

“Besides, isn’t it funny that undead are considered monsters? Saying they’re not people but ‘evil beasts.’ Especially when there are no stories of undead leaving dungeons to attack people, right?”

Certainly, I had never heard of such a thing.

Undead, despite their grotesque appearance, had never been mentioned as particularly harmful.

Even the peaceful buffalo had been reported to injure humans from time to time.

Abel frowned. She spoke with a tone of displeasure.

“In the end, it’s the living—no, the Hero Association—that arbitrarily assigns their danger level. That’s why heroes who know the truth hesitate to fight undead. Saying that a dead person is a monster is basically an insult to the deceased.”

That made me think. After all, Abel had cut down the undead—five of them in a single strike.

Just as I was thinking about that…

“…Although, once we’re in here, fighting the undead is inevitable. In the end, we’re here for a purpose. It’s unfortunate, but we can’t just avoid them.”

Abel murmured as if she were reading my mind. It almost made me wonder if she could really read thoughts.

For a moment, a look of confusion crossed her face, but then she shook her head and quickly regained her composure.

“Anyway, offering a prayer for the dead is the least I can do, the minimum duty. I have to cut down any obstacles in our path because that’s what a swordsman does.”

After finishing, Abel turned her head forward. She advanced with determination.

“…….”

I watched her back for a while.

‘A personality where consideration and violence coexist…’

They say children grow up watching their parents’ backs.

Abel was becoming more and more like her grandfather, alarmingly so.

***

From the outside, I had already assumed it, but this dungeon was immensely larger than I had imagined.

“Groooaaar.”

The undead appeared in disarray, forming a kind of line. They were so clumsy and slow that calling it a surprise attack was almost embarrassing.

Crack—

Abel’s shoulder trembled. A ray of light cut through the vocal cords of six undead. The fallen heads collapsed powerlessly to the ground.

As I watched that scene, I tilted my head, puzzled. It was a strange feeling.

Did they really intend to attack us by simply reaching out their arms?

It seemed more like they were welcoming us.

Abel also seemed to feel something similar; as she continued cutting them down, her expression darkened, and her moments of silence toward the bodies grew longer.

“This is a very strange dungeon.”

Not only because of the presence of the draugr, but there was a fundamental difference. A feeling of unease crept over me.

“…For now, it seems like we’ve come quite deep into the dungeon. I should check my status midway.”

I closed my eyes. It was the meditation I practiced with the Sword Master during our meditation sessions.

I completely cleared my mind, erasing my senses one by one.

Before expanding my perception, I condensed it. This was to project a clearer image in my mind.

The process was swift and precise. It was the moment when the results of my meditation training manifested.

Back then, I had thought it was a useless practice that only wasted time…

I felt my senses sharpening like a drill. But that wasn’t enough—I needed to radiate my perception more widely.

I gathered to the limit with [The Blessing of the Sword God] and then dispersed my sensitivity in all directions with [The Blessing of Transition].

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

My eyes were closed, but I was observing the area.

An extended vision explored every corner of the dungeon. How many undead lay ahead, which direction to take at the fork, where the draugr might be sleeping.

All that information was projected clearly in my mind.

Like a bat using echolocation to navigate a cave, the waves bounced off the walls and ceiling, serving as my compass.

Thus, I used [The Blessing of the Sword God] as a catalyst to scan about a third of the dungeon’s geography.

At this point, I wondered if I even needed a map. After all, I was like a human GPS.

However, there was a physical toll associated with excessive use—I could probably do it a maximum of twice a day.

That’s when—

“…What is that?”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. About 50 meters ahead, I saw a figure waving toward us.

At first, I thought it was an undead.
There was no reason for another living person to be in this desolate place. It wasn’t likely that even bandits would choose this location to settle.

I drew my sashimi blade and told Abel and Shail,

“There seems to be someone up ahead.”

“…A person here?”

I nodded without saying a word. The presence was approaching quickly.

Now was not the time for further discussion.

They understood as well and fell silent, drawing their weapons.

…Step, step.

The footsteps sounded unsteady. A cold, lifeless sound. But it was different from other undead.

I didn’t rush forward.

We relied on a small handheld light—we couldn’t just charge toward an unknown figure like moths to a flame.

Creeeak.

The creaking stopped about 10 meters from us.

Shail, as if she had been waiting, illuminated the front with her flashlight. Immediately, she secured a clear view.

“Ah―!?”

“What, what is that?”

The pupils, which had shrunk due to the darkness, suddenly dilated. A wave of confusion washed over our faces.

“Urrrghhh…”

A supposed undead (?) covered its face with both hands, shielding itself from the light.

It seemed terrified, trembling in fear while staring at us.

Abel couldn’t bring herself to attack. She murmured to herself,

“It’s an undead… right?”

“It seems a bit different, Miss,” said Shail.

It was true; there were differences from the others. Could it be said that it was in better condition?

For an undead, its joints were in a normal position, and the flesh still clung to its bones, almost appearing human at first glance.

However, its lower jaw was particularly decayed. Its tongue hung like a purple rag, and the jawbone barely held together.

‘Well, compared to the other undead that are nearly reduced to skeletons…’

Among the three of us, the undead groaned again.

“Urng rrrrghhrr.”

I scratched my head with the bottom end of my sword’s hilt. The undead flinched.

It was clearly a gesture of fear. If I moved my hand, it would have immediately extended its arm. It was definitely showing an intention of non-resistance.

I asked Abel and Shail,

“It seems to still have some awareness. What do you two think?”

“…Um, from its reaction, it seems so.”

Abel was visibly confused. She had always been ready to attack without hesitation.

Suddenly, an undead behaving like a person. No doubt her mind was in turmoil.

Shail spoke up instead of the hesitant Abel.

“It could be a magical creature disguised as an undead. I think we should eliminate it here.”

“Urrrghh…!”

The undead waved its hands. It seemed like it wanted to say something, but its broken jaw prevented it from protesting.

I stared at it for a moment.

The being in front of me didn’t seem dangerous at all.

Of course, as Shail said, it could be hiding a weapon.

But if not, then this was a different story.

An undead with intelligence. If handled correctly, could it act as a guide in this vast undead dungeon?

Then I would definitely need such a being. Even though I had inspected the place with my blessings, having a guide could save time.

Additionally, if we were lucky, we might obtain information about the ‘Draugr.’

‘…But with that jaw, I wonder if it could fulfill the role of a guide properly.’

I stared at the undead for a while before speaking.

“Let it live.”

“…But it could still be dangerous.”

“What Shail says makes sense. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to cause harm. And I’m not saying we should just let it live.”

My words surprised both Abel and the undead. Abel looked beautiful; the undead not so much.

Anyway—

“It seems to have intelligence, so it could act as a guide. I’m tired of walking in circles.”

“If that’s possible, it would certainly save us time. But it’s a bit…”

Shail then glanced at the undead. It continued trembling uncontrollably, like a puppy drenched in the rain.

Its grayish pupils were fixed on Shail’s hook.

“…”

Shail sighed and said,

“Alright, I understand. What do you think, Miss? Do you agree with him? If not, let me know, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Ah, no. I was just surprised to see an undead with intelligence.”

Abel took a deep breath and then shook her head with a bitter expression.

“After all, it used to be a person. I’d rather refrain from unnecessary acts of cruelty.”

“If that is your will, Miss.”

After speaking with Abel, Shail observed the undead closely and then addressed me.

“But, Lord Kang Geom-Ma, that undead… it seems like it can’t speak. Normally, communication is important for a guide…”

“Oh, that’s fine.”

“…Yes?”

I stepped away from them toward the undead, whose bones were audibly shaking.

The undead simply looked up at me with wide eyes.

I calmly told it,

“Even if it hurts, be patient.”

“?”

I moved my hand and drew my sashimi blade.

The blade gleamed instantly.

[Your spirit level increases as you demonstrate chivalry.]

Crack!

“Argh!”

The hilt of the sashimi blade slammed directly into its dangling jaw.

[The blessing of regeneration manifests.]