Necromancer Of The Black Bible (88)

The Lord of Wraiths Penbris’s appearance was indescribable.

The crimson and golden energies flowing from the left and right sides of his body had greatly subsided, and wounds marred his body here and there.

The explosion along with the chains had apparently dealt him significant damage by hurling him away.

Yet his eyes burned fiercely.

He seemed to judge that he held the advantage here.

‘He has reason to think so.’

I approached him while surveying the surroundings.

The wraiths densely gathered here moments ago had scattered in all directions from the explosion, but they were not annihilated.

By the nature of wraiths, even if their spirit bodies are split or torn, they can recover quickly.

Thus, as time passes, the wraith army will regroup.

That is not his only advantage.

He can still use the Wheel of Eternity.

Though the Soul Harvester said it would persuade it, until they reach an agreement, he will continue using the chains.

Chyarararak!

As expected, Penbris summoned two chains into his hands the moment he saw me.

The ends of these summoned chains were tipped with a sharp spear and an iron collar.

He began spinning the spear-tipped chain and spoke.

“Impressive. To push this lord this far.”

It felt quite different from viewing through Verdin’s eyes.

Hearing such words face-to-face was utterly repulsive.

He was so steeped in arrogance that he wasn’t worth responding to.

‘How shall I cook it for him?’

I stopped in place and watched his performance.

Then he continued with his characteristic arrogant smile.

“Yes. You have no choice but to stop. If you come closer, your very existence will vanish. But what can you do? I intend to approach you.”

His trembling eyes and fluctuating heart showed no composure.

Far from composure, fear and excitement were mixed.

Like a child experiencing battle for the first time.

Yet he acted this way likely because he was mindful of the wraiths around him listening to him.

I gazed into his eyes for a moment and contemplated his past.

Time slowed, and the years that had passed unfolded neatly before my eyes.

‘Hmm…’

As expected.

For the life he had lived, he lacked experience.

Holed up in one place, subjugating those weaker than himself, avoiding difficult tasks and choosing only easy ones.

Such ones generally have severe bravado and fragile self-esteem.

Because they have never truly exerted effort.

‘Even having lived 3,000 years, the core is hollow.’

Perhaps he donned such a flashy shell to hide it.

I stopped examining his boring and uninteresting past.

At the same time, time returned to normal speed, and Penbris began approaching me.

Thud, thud, thud-

With each step, his tension was palpable.

Yet he continued speaking boldly.

“Are you not afraid? If you beg for forgiveness and swear loyalty even now, I will spare your life. Otherwise, I will make you regret this moment.”

The emotions in his words were quite different.

Fear and terror at facing a true powerhouse for the first time in his life.

Confidence in his weapon and hope that he could win.

And a sense of superiority toward his subordinates who might be watching him.

Detecting that superiority, nausea rose from within me.

I had originally planned to take one of his attacks, but no longer.

I cannot tolerate such a one.

So I immediately used magic.

[Bone Spear.]

One Sand Dragon scale from my robe’s inner pocket floated into the air.

The scale began axial rotation, soon spinning fiercely, and I fired it straight at his knee.

Puh-uk-

Indeed, his right knee shattered in an instant.

Though armored, that level of strength could not block a Bone Spear fired with a Sand Dragon scale.

“Aaaak!”

Penbris screamed and collapsed, and I followed with the next attack.

‘This time, the left knee.’

The Bone Spear waiting in the air on the opposite side vanished again.

And pierced his left knee at tremendous speed.

Puk!!!

Thud.

Penbris collapsed to the ground.

The chains in both hands became effectively useless.

He tried to prop himself up with both arms, but with both legs severed below the knees, it was not easy.

He merely flailed.

I approached and said.

“Would you repeat what you just said?”

“Keuheuk!”

The pain was considerable, so he could not answer easily.

Yet he glared up at me with wide eyes, which was also highly irritating.

I moved the Bone Spear to sever his left elbow supporting his body.

Puh-uk!

“Kkeuaaaak!!”

Penbris let out a guttural scream and clutched his severed left arm with his remaining right hand.

Because of that, he curled up on the ground like a worm.

I gently placed my foot on the head buried in the ground and spoke again.

“Your gaze displeases me, Penbris.”

Calling his true name, he suddenly froze.

With his head still buried, he asked.

“How do you know that name… Keheok!”

“Still failing to grasp the situation?”

Asking that while bringing the fiercely spinning Bone Spear to his ear, he immediately submitted.

“S-sorry! I, I was wr-wrong. P-please…”

Finally, a pleasing response.

A tad late, but it was fortunate he came to his senses.

Otherwise, I might have abandoned conversation and handled everything myself.

‘That would be troublesome in its own way.’

I want the artifacts he possesses.

Originally artifacts of the Ethereal Realm, so rightfully mine.

“Then let us continue the conversation. What did you say earlier? That if I begged forgiveness and swore loyalty, you would spare my life?”

“Th-that…”

He could not continue.

I smirked and spoke.

“I’ll make a proposal too. Beg forgiveness for all the insolent actions you dared before me and swear loyalty—then I will spare only your life.”

I watched him with interest.

How would he respond?

The emotion from him now was only one.

Terror.

How would a pup gripped by terror accept my proposal?

Would he resist once?

Or submit immediately?

“I, I was wrong. I failed to recognize My Lord.”

“Lord? I have never had a subordinate like you. And wasn’t this fight started because you tried to take my subordinate?”

“I, I…”

His words are tangling.

As if choked, he smacked his lips repeatedly before barely continuing.

“S-sorry. I seem to have been gravely mistaken. If you would kindly forgive…”

“What must I forgive?”

“Th-that…”

A demand only the powerful can make.

In my previous life, I had never made such demands. I had been forced to many times.

Back then, I recited the words they wanted without considering it humiliation.

It was the duty of the powerless, and failing that duty meant paying with death or bondage.

The world is made that way.

The powerful assert rights, the powerless fulfill duties.

And now, I am stronger than most living beings in this world.

Now, I should receive what is due.

I patiently instructed Penbris, who could not yet continue, on what needed forgiveness.

And waited for his response again.

He spat blood once and began repeating the words I had taught him.

“…The sin of daring to take the Priest’s servant. The sin of daring to fight against the Priest. The sin of addressing the Priest with frivolous language before the wraiths. The sin of daring to attack the Priest with artifacts of the Ethereal Realm…”

The words of atonement flowed sweetly.

Unable to endure it, the Wheel of Eternity sent chains flying, but I lightly blocked them with Bone Spear.

No matter how much an Ethereal Realm artifact, it could not withstand Bone Spear cast with the hard scales of a Sand Dragon.

Eventually blocking all resistance easily, I took several scales from my pocket and pinned all newly emerged chains to the ground.

Infusing them with mana, the chains could no longer move.

Afterward, I looked at Penbris again, and he continued speaking.

“…The sin of daring to approach the Priest, the sin of daring to gaze upon the Priest…”

When he could recall no more sins, I mercifully assisted him.

“The sin of gazing. And add the sin of failing to properly guard your weapons, allowing them to attack me.”

He nodded and repeated my words. Then he began the declaration of submission.

“…Hoping you will forgive all the above sins, and in exchange, I earnestly beg you to take everything of this sinner.”

I never thought I would hear such words.

And never thought such emotions would arise upon hearing them.

‘Pride? No, closer to arrogance and vanity.’

A feeling as if I myself had become great.

I had merely subjugated him, gaining no new ability or strength.

Yet my heart soared greatly.

Moreover, the fact that numerous wraiths around were witnessing this scene contributed.

Penbris begged my forgiveness before thousands of wraiths.

Proclaiming before all that he was weaker than me and leaving his fate to me.

‘Now I understand. Why the powerful in this world act that way.’

Infinitely strong before the weak, servile before the strong.

The root is in the mindset.

With the heart so easily elevated, one cannot help but be arrogant and servile.

I steadied my heart that thought highly of myself.

Such a heart is poison.

It only exposes one’s own weaknesses and blinds one to the opponent’s.

I looked at Penbris and asked.

“Do you wish to be forgiven?”

“…Yes.”

“Will you offer everything in exchange?”

The price of forgiveness is only death or bondage.

Penbris, who could not be unaware of that meaning, nodded again.

Nodding with his head buried in the ground, it looked like wriggling from my view.

At that moment, a resonance came from behind—the Soul Harvester.

Uuuuung-

After vibrating once, it flew to me and landed in my hand.

Then Nocturne’s voice soon followed.

Master. The Wheel of Eternity has surrendered. However, it proposed a condition.

[A condition?]

It asks to spare its master’s life.

After turning so long, a request that seems almost sentimental.

I smirked and replied.

[I set the conditions.]

Then, with the Bone Spear still hovering and aimed at Penbris, I drove it down.