Episode 70

Undead.

They were seen as mere animated corpses, but they became perceived as a threat to this world when a transcendent being appeared.

The disaster began with the raising of countless corpses from a ruined kingdom, quickly escalating into a catastrophe targeting humanity, a being even more terrifying and bizarre than the Demon King in terms of instilling fear in humanity.

“Everyone, have you been resting comfortably?”

When such a sovereign rose from her coffin and greeted them, a knight was the first to step forward and begin to show respect.

“Khehehe, of course, we have been well.”

Blight, the White Knight of Plague.

Undead.

They, merely animated corpses, were recognized as a danger to the world when a transcendental being made its appearance.

The disaster began with the raising of countless corpses from a ruined kingdom, quickly escalating into a catastrophe targeting humanity, a being even more terrifying and bizarre than the Demon King in terms of instilling fear in humanity.

“Has everyone been at ease in the meantime?”

When such a monarch rose from her coffin and greeted them, a knight was the first to step forward and begin to show respect.

“Heh, of course, we’ve been fine.”

The Plague Knight - Blight.

Although he was always jesting and frivolous, in this moment, his attitude towards her was filled with what could be called respect and loyalty.

“Indeed, it would be strange if we weren’t doing well. As long as your power endures, we shall not be buried again. There are plenty who wield miracles like those of the gods, but even that requires a certain capacity, does it not?”

“As long as you exist, we shall not vanish from this land.”

Gorgon continued, showing respect in a similar manner.

Despite being one who covets more than anyone and presumes to dominate over others, he also knew well that loyalty to the one before him could not be surpassed.

“Some might say that leading these rotting bodies is sacrilegious, but if they would also become like us, they would surely understand. The regret of unfinished business is worth awakening and refusing rest for, even without warmth and reason.”

“Therefore, Mother of all the dead, do not hesitate to command us.”

Following him, the Red Knight of War, a former hero who abandoned even her own name, bowed her head and continued speaking.

“Merely escaping the dirt that confines us is reason enough for us to act on your behalf.”

The three knights showed their loyalty to her.

The sovereign appeared troubled by their display, but as they also held expectations towards her, she refrained from showing her emotions openly.

“…Yes, then, I will read your memories for a moment.”

The Four Knights felt a strange power flowing from her hand, scrambling their minds, but it merely sifted through their memories, extracting their contents.

This process allowed her to know not just what they had experienced but also to share these echoes with the other undead.

“Red Knight and Black Knight… It seems you are smoothly continuing the dungeon exploration as I have instructed.”

Having read their memories, she courteously addressed her retainers without hesitation.

Remembrance required respect for the dead, and this was indeed the regret that she, as an undead, possessed.

“Yes, I have collected the bodies buried in the tombs and laid them in the crypt. Under your power, they will become our formidable allies.”

“We didn’t bother to control the remaining dungeons. The foolish humans may try to explore the places we’ve swept through, but since you’ve planted your magic there, those who die will naturally join our forces.”

If an exploration party were to be wiped out, they would automatically resurrect as undead and naturally join their ranks.

Humanity would soon notice this, but they wouldn’t close off the dungeons they had passed through.

No matter how many joined the undead ranks, the temptation of the vast treasures within the dungeons was too great for them to easily resist.

“Kehehehe, humans are truly foolish creatures. Thus, we must quickly turn them into the dead and recruit them into the graduate school I will establish to awaken their wisdom…”

Crunch!

The Black Knight was crushed by the Red Knight’s greatsword.

The Corpse Lord, having withdrawn her vacant gaze from him, turned to Blight, who was chuckling beside her.

“White Knight. Your research has also progressed further.”

“Yes, just a little more. If I can find a powerful body to test my research on, I can fulfill your wish more swiftly and efficiently.”

“There will be an opportunity for that soon enough.”

“Yes~ Seeing the memories we’ve just shared, it seems quite suitable. I will wait for your command. Uhoho~”

Crunch!

The greatsword landed on Blight’s laughing head.

Blight’s head was split in two by a greatsword as he burst into laughter, only for him to regenerate his mouth and express his annoyance towards the Red Knight.

“Hey, Red Knight, why did you stop beating the high schooler and suddenly attack me?”

“Shut up, Blight. How many times have I told you not to laugh so frivolously in front of Mother!?”

“And you think using violence in front of the Lord makes sense? And you, crow guy! How many times have I told you not to call me that?!”

The three knights began to point their swords at each other, ready to fight.

Accustomed to such scenes, the Corpse Lord then turned her attention to Briton IV, who had been maintaining silence.

“…And lastly, Blue Knight. It seems you have failed in the task of occupying the leadership of the Anti-Human Alliance.”

At that moment, Blight and Gorgon, crushed by the Red Knight, widened their eyes in shock.

A memory they had not been aware of until now began to emerge clearly with her words.

That he, the first retainer of the Corpse Lord, had failed in an order directly given by the sovereign. Could that really be possible?

“…I apologize, Your Majesty.”

Briton IV continued, speaking with an air of having lost face.

“Following your command, I engaged in full-scale combat with the Furry Tribe, but their resistance was unexpectedly fierce, forcing me to retreat.”

“No, you did well. Even though we are resurrected, we all deserve respect… Excessive sacrifices in a desperate fight would only dishonor their deaths.”

Winning a battle wasn’t everything.

Their aim was to ‘save’ as many as possible.

Sacrificing someone who should be saved for the sake of salvation is a decision that must be made with great caution.

“Death may be equal, but life is not. Therefore, some may have a prolonged period of rest, but even now, the time of destruction is approaching.”

Indeed, there was no longer hope for this world.

Monsters arising from dimensional distortions, undead, dungeons… Along with vampires and the Furry Tribe, even demonic beings from other worlds are invading.

Even if humanity could somehow manage to fend off all these threats, they wouldn’t be able to stop the beings causing these phenomena.

Even the entity known as the ‘Foreign God’, who once descended upon this land but ascended again for some reason, remained unreachable…

“In a world destined for destruction, we must avoid any delays in our plan to save as many as possible…”

“…You plan to start soon, then.”

“Yes, if this plan succeeds, we can save even more people.”

Their goal was to accelerate the demise of all sentient beings, including humanity, before the promised time arrived, pulling as many as possible into their ranks.

Reflecting on such grand ideals, the Corpse Lord closed her eyes and quietly spoke to them.

“The three of you, except for the Blue Knight, please step back for a moment. I will share what is needed with him later.”

“Yes, then…”

After a respectful gesture, the Red Knight dragged Blight and Gorgon away by the napes of their necks.

Left alone on the altar, Briton IV then faced the Corpse Lord sitting in her coffin.

“…Name.”

No, when alone, he should address her not as the sovereign but as Gwen.

“Do you remember your name?”

Gwen Hwibar.

As her cloudy eyes turned towards him, Briton IV quietly bowed his head and answered.

“I am Briton IV…”

“Yes, you were the greatest king.”

“A powerless leader who couldn’t prevent the downfall of this land.”

“You did your best. It’s just that the calamity that befell this land was beyond the reach of mere humans.”

As if chasing the memory of such a being, Gwen’s hand soon reached out toward Briton IV.

“Please forgive me for resurrecting you for this reason. Otherwise, I would have forgotten you.”

“…Gwen.”

“Even in this form, I cherish the glorious days I spent with you. If I fail to remember you, the foundation of my existence, amid the overwhelming memories of the dead, I will become a monster who has lost its conviction.”

“……”

“So, even now, I think of you. Everything is to leave a mark that, in a world destroyed, humanity’s traditions and history, as well as our beautiful lives, once existed…”

Slender fingers moved up his armor gently, eventually encircling his skull, which lacked flesh or blood, and pulling it towards her.

“…Don’t worry. My sovereign.”

His head bowed weakly to the pull, and he began to feel the cold touch of her lips against his teeth that were closed.

“Even now, as I feel myself disappearing into the obsessions of the dead, forgetting my love for you will be the last thing to happen.”

No, surely it had been so.

Now, the only privilege allowed to a soul who could only relive his memories, not even his sensations, was the undeniable fact that he once shared a passionate love with her.

“So, please do not lose yourself either.”

Reflecting on such memories and reaffirming her mission, she prepared to lay her weakened body back in the coffin to sleep once again.

“Please do not forget that the purpose of all the living is to leave their mark on this land. And…”

Even as her consciousness faded, she taught him of the love that existed for him.

Hoping that it would be eternal.

“Wishing to follow such teachings of yours, please forgive me for disgracing your noble end.”

“……”

Click.

Briton IV quietly closed the coffin and looked down at it for a while.

Afterward, he kneeled in front of the coffin, looked up at the ceiling above the altar, and started to retrace his memories.

‘I am… the King of Briton.’

He was a king, a husband to a woman, a father with children, and a leader who did his best to govern his people.

However, despite such efforts, his prosperous kingdom fell into a silent disaster, leading to its ruin, and he, too, faced death.

It was supposed to be the end of his life, leaving behind those who would remember him, unaware of what actions they might take in his absence to preserve his legacy.

‘The disaster has not only spread across this land.’

The calamity that brought down his kingdom was continuing to spread across the world, consuming it, and no one could be sure of stopping it.

Thus, nothing would be left at the end.

No history, no homeland, not even someone’s memories…

‘So, it must be preserved.’

There was a need to preserve whatever beauty of the world that remained—a person’s life.

This idea was something he always knew very well, emphasizing the importance of life, but…

‘But is it truly permissible to eliminate what exists in order to preserve it?’

Did they really have the right to demean the lives of the living, whose stories they wished to preserve, and plunder with their own hands?

Was filling the world with mere moving taxidermies truly something that could be forgiven by the heavens?

“…Woo Hyo-sung.”

Amidst his growing skepticism about respect for the dead, the fallen king began to yearn for the living.

Among them was an unforgettable name, the hero of a desperate resistance shared during the recollection of the memories of the Four Knights, signifying that there was something they sought to achieve even in such acts.

“With each passing day, I grow more envious of you.”

Yes, death.

No matter how beautiful the moments leading up to it were, it was worse than the desperate struggle of the powerless living…

Time passed, and in the Great Forest located in the northern mountains of the empire…

Boom!

The moment an explosion rang out at the entrance of a bandit fortress situated on a hill, the bandits guarding it were blown back, falling to the ground.

“Kehak! What… what is this? What on earth is happening…?”

“Call the boss immediately! We can’t handle that guy alone!”

The panicked shouts of the bandits guarding the entrance led to collective confusion among them.

“How can we not handle him? Who on earth is that guy?”

“He’s someone who’s been making a name for himself recently. They call him Hyo the Hero Killer…”

Boom!

The attacker, seemingly provoked by their commotion, swept through the surroundings.

After dispersing the smoke with his spear, he increased the output of magical power from his armor and spear, declaring,

“It’s not Hyo the Hero Killer. It’s Woo Hyo-sung, the Hero Hunter, you damned fools.”

Hero Hunter.

Over the course of three months, he focused on capturing those designated as ‘Fallen Heroes’ by the empire, and for this achievement, he was recently promoted to a higher rank as a veteran adventurer.