Take Over (Patreon)

I'll focus first on making the Danmachi Chapters, once I'm done with those, I'll make chapters 4 and 5 of this series as promised in the Goals.

It may take a while though, these chapters are big.

Thank you for reading, peace!

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'After walking and moving for several hours through many caves and broken ruins, Philip arrived in front of a pair of extremely large doors.'

"At the end of an old rail system, a large cave system will lay, follow the old inscriptions on the walls and the entrance will be there..." Philip mumbled as he raised his head

Here it is, the two doors that lead to the Ancient city.

'He immediately knew this place was the one he was looking for, he just had to cross them.'

'Which wasn't difficult, considering the fact the door were half open albeit not enough for a human to pass through, that wasn't a problem for him.'

'However...'

"Something seems wrong..." He said as he crouched near the door

Since the past is sometimes irregular and impossible to prove, the doors being open or closed wasn't certain.

The problem is... This strange green gas coming from in between.

'He touched the gas carefully, but it was too thin to do anything to him.'

'Even then, he could tell it was doing something, the gas was slowly corroding the doors and the surroundings, tainting them with a strange hue.'

"Hum... I have a bad feeling about this."

Just to be safe, I'll cast my support Spells now, they won't last long, but they'll last for a while.

/Shine/

'With his hands changing color, Philip manipulated the energies within him and cast several layers of defensive and supportive Spells throughout his body, while also changing his clothes to his best arsenal.'

'His clothes were actually pretty simple, a mix of light and medium armor, this was important because his combat Style relied on speed, so if he were to carry around a chunk of iron bound to his chest, things would get difficult.'

'Also, he had to account for Armament as it already worked as armor.'

'Simply put, his current Armor focused on enhancing his bodily attributes and Skills, to resonate with them without getting in their way.'

'He also put a ring and a bracelet in each of his hands, enchanted items to further boost his power.'

"Now I'm ready."

I would like to fill my fingers with magical items, but then it would compromise my grip over things, they're best left for laboratory work.

"Phew..."

'For the sake of dramatic effect, he grabbed the edges of the door and pushed them aside with great momentum.'

/CRUNK!/

"COUGH!"

'Just as he did so, a literal shower of dust fell on him.'

"COUGH!..."

I should've expected that...

/SHA!/

'A blast of air pushed all of the dust aside, cleaning his body.'

"Pfft, some got on my mouth." Philip said as he spat on the ground

These doors, they're solid, a one piece.

How did the Dwarves forge them? A door about 20M tall, 5M wide, and 10M deep?

I never passed through any sort of dangerous area that would explain such extreme defenses, the only thing that crosses my mind is that they did it for the sake of looking cool and imposing.

/CRUNK!/

'Even then, these massive solid doors were easily pushed aside by him, they broke the ground around them leaving massive trails as they hadn't been moved in centuries.'

'The mechanisms they were bound to started to creak and snap as if about to give in.'

/Shaaa!/

'Just as he opened the door, a heavy cloud of gas fell on him, and his skin startled to tingle…'

[DING]

[You made contact with the Breath of Latur]

"Huh? This wasn't in the simulations!" Philip exclaimed as he closed his eyes

It looks to be some sort of wide-range contamination, but in the book, I was supposed to expect a large number of decaying monstrosities, one of the reasons this place was classified as a very dangerous place.

There was no mention of such corrosive gas, much less of this "Latur".

Yes, I was warned about possible toxic and poisonous substances due to what happened here in the past, but it wasn't supposed to be this extreme.

'The greenish gas covered his entire vision, it wasn't thick, but it smelled horrible.'

'He tried to keep his breath, but the gas seemingly seeped into his Skin…'

[You have contracted the Curse of Decadence]

"The what?..."

'Philip marched onward.'

'Behind the massive doors laid a vast corridor decorated with fancy stonework and smoothed-out walls.'

'It seemed like some sort of military garrison than anything else, Philip could see many fortifications and the overall layout of this corridor seemed to indicate that they defended themselves regularly from the outside.'

'But the trouble came from inside.'

'However, he came to a sudden halt as the path ended in a steep ravine leading to a glorious city, but at this sight, he was more shocked and confused than amazed and baffled...'

Once again, according to the diary, the city was built surrounding a large abyss that led directly to the Underground world, it was not meant to have this.

[DING]

[The Golden body rejects impurities]

[Your body is immune to the Curse of Decadence]

"About right." Philip said as he waved his hand around

If I was to get intoxicated with this great body of mine, it would be an embarrassment.

Hum... I feel a bit embarrassed...

Anyway, who the hell is Latur? And what's happening?

'Just as Philip stepped to the side to explore the rest of the city, the ground started to tremble and the sounds of wails echoed around the cavern walls.'

/Tremble…/

"SHAAAAAA!"

/Wails…/

"What the…?"

"I think we did something quite bad…" Laplabe pointed out from within his pockets

"No shit."

/Wails…/

[DING!]

[Your Title, Seeker of the Ancient Myths is unraveling the truth]

"Oh? I didn't even know it could do that." Philip said with a small surprise

This Title was something unexpected.

Pretty much, after Apex Evolver changed into what it is now, I received a new Title, a reward for being the first to achieve a named Title.

However, this Title automatically fused with Antesunderian Archeologist under the influence of Skill Fusion to make Seeker of the ancient Myths.

What it does is pretty vague, but the reason I have it equipped now is due to its passive boosting effects.

I rarely used the Archeologist Titles, but since I am exploring ruins now, it's rather fitting.

[Partial truth is revealed based on what was found so far]

[The Capital city of the Great Gourge has long been abandoned, few still remember its existence, and even fewer remember what happened to it]

[Those that do were told tales of a great catastrophe that shook the entire Dwarven Society, a sin they committed, a disaster they met, a problem they created, the reasons are many, and all hold a portion of the truth, but who's to say which is the most correct?]

[No matter how much they tried, their isolation ended up being their downfall, as no one heard their cries when they most needed]

[Their overreliance on themselves made them fragile, their continuous success in the underground made them complacent]

[To contain and wash away these sins, they moved forward, abandoning their heritage, themselves for the sake of a bigger tomorrow, a sacrifice now mostly forgotten, a disaster made fun off]

[However, after 1000 years, a daring adventure opened the doors to this ancient mystery, and with it, the sin they left behind for the next generations]

'As the words echoed in his ears and the messages played in front of him, Philip frowned as he scratched his head.'

"I see? That doesn't really explain much."

But at least I do understand a bit more about this Title.

It seems that when I get into a ruin, it has a small chance of telling me a portion of its story? Or something along those lines.

Well, I wonder what qualifies for that.

/WAIL!/

"Regardless… I can think of that later."

It seems I have awakened something... Just when I thought this adventure would be a peaceful one.

Does every ancient ruin have to have some sort of ancient problem or curse?

…

/WAILS!/

'The distorted screams continued to plague his mind, they came from everywhere, making it difficult for Philip to properly pinpoint their locations.'

"Shit… This is worse than I thought."

'At the end of the corridor laid a massive cavern…'

'In front of him, at least a hundred meters beneath his foot was the once vastly populated Capital city of Great Gorge, and at its opposite end, a gorgeous palace.'

'Many sorts of machinery could be seen on the walls or the ceiling, he could barely tell what each of their purposes was.'

'The green smoke could be faintly seen in the city, and the cries of creatures echoed from within.'

"This is truly strange, the city was supposed to have been built around a precipice… But I see none."

The only explanation apart from a distortion of the truth is that… The city collapsed somewhere in the future.

Now, if that's the case, then we have a problem.

Because, if I have no idea when it could collapse… Then I have no idea where my entire plans could go down the drain.

"Philip, I think we have some bigger problems than whatever you expected to see here." Laplabe added suddenly

"... Yeah, we can talk about the rest later."

/Sheen…/

'A metallic sword materialized on his hand, it was a red Katana.'

"Let's clear this mess first."

/WAIL!/

'On his side laid a passageway that led into the city, once carved on the walls of the cavern, however, right now, it was slowly filled to the brim with distorted creatures rushing towards him from all nooks and crannies!'

'Like ferocious beasts, they rushed from the dark and climbed the precipice, aiming to tear him to pieces!'

[The Great Scholar unravels the hidden]

[Cursed Souls x???

Level 23-48]

[Cursed Infantry x???

Level 17-56]

[Cursed Foot Soldier x???

Level 9-49]

[Cursed Cavalry x???

Level 38-62]

[Cursed…]

'A literal army of grotesque creatures marched toward him, they looked like a mixture of the undead, demons, and something in between.'

'Their bodies weren't symmetrical for the most part, and their weapons looked rotting and broken.'

'In fact, most weren't even humanoid, their ranks had a mixture, if not composed mostly of abnormal creatures he had never seen before.'

'It was as if they had been waiting for centuries, so much so their bodies rotted beyond recognition.'

'However, that wasn't all.'

[Metalic War Automaton x100

Level 75-80

]

[Abyssal Siege Machine x23

Level 70-82

]

[Colossy Mounstruosity x3

Level 77-81

]

[Flesh Carrier...]

'Machines and great beasts alike marched from bellow, emerging from the dark city, their steps making the entire cavern tremble.'

"This is... Getting out of hand." Laplabe said with a shocked expression

"It's too much, has this placed turned into a 'Dread Land'?"

"Dread Land?"

"Well..."

/WAIL!!!!/

"We... Can leave the explanations for later."

"You bet." Philip replied as he once again started to cast magic on himself

'Something extremely dark had taken ahold of this ancient bastion of the Dwarves, and it had made full use of its resources to grow a terrific army.'

'Strange machine that towered over buildings, and hunks that looked like thanks...'

'Abominations that shouldn't see the light of day, they moved to him even if it meant crushing whatever was on their path.'

...

'Watching the situation unfold, Philip felt extremely disgusted and frustrated.'

"Fuck."

"That's all you have to say?"

"What else can I say?..."

/Sigh.../

"Running away isn't an option anymore." Philip said with his arms crossed

"It seems so…"

/THUM THUM THUM THUM!/

'War drums echoed from within the army.'

'Laplabe had enough, it was time for him to act.'

"It seems…"

"No, there's no need to." Philip said as he turned around

/CRUNK!/

/BANG!/

'Under the tyrannical power of his mind, the massive double doors closed shut.'

'But he felt that it wasn't enough, but he then saw massive metallic bars that could be used to block them and even massive pillars that would dig into the ground for extra defenses.'

'He pulled them all, closing the door shut, even if it meant sealing himself with these creatures.'

"This is well beyond my pay grade." Laplabe complained

"You are paid?"

"Exactly…"

'Philip turned to look at the army.'

"I didn't expect to be welcomed so fiercely."

Laplabe doesn't seem to be affected by the Curse, so that's one problem down.

Judging by their names, this is an army.

But… I don't see the commanders.

'His eyes sharpened as he scanned through the army... Until he found them.'

"!"

There.

[???]

[Bycorn Spirit

Level 87]

[???]

[Prototype 03

Level 91]

'At the far end of the Army under the cover of the most grotesque of creatures, he saw what seemed to be a classic undead warrior sitting atop a double-horned black horse.'

'It was a pure black skeleton, but its eye sockets were pure dark.'

'On his right was a strange machine that looked to be made out of glass, and on his right was a mysterious figure in a robe.'

"If I can't tell their Levels…"

They're beyond Level 95.

'If that wasn't enough, they were being surrounded by yet another force.'

[Espector Elite x36

Level 81-84

]

'Philip grimaced.'

I think… I bit more than I could chew.

"Having second thoughts?"

"... I can't say that I'm not, but leaving doesn't seem possible."

An army like this would lay haste to the city in a matter of minutes, now that I provoked it, I doubt they'll be stopped by those walls for long.

How did something like this even come to be? Is the underground supposed to be this fucking extreme?

Even if a powerful necromancer were to use the bodies of the underground creatures as a base, it would still be extremely difficult to turn, control, maintain, enhance, and even less, do it on this scale!

[DING]

"?!"

'Philip's attention snapped to his left, his eyes drawn towards the Palace, his expression becoming serious…'

[You are under the attention of Latur, Archpriest of *****]

/THUM!/

"!"

'Philip suddenly felt a great pressure fall on him…'

/BOOM!/

'But the air around him exploded outward, dispelling the pressure as he gazed fiercely at this newcomer, trying to gauge his Level as well.'

[Latur

???]

/CRACK!/

"?!"

[Great Scholar has been forcibly broken]

'Philip's eyesight turned red as he felt a sharp wave of pain flare in his head.'

This is the first time I've ever had such a crazy backlash!

[Castle Town *****  protects your mind]

"... Fucker."

Is this guy the owner of this place?

Well, I won't blame you if you feel threatened by an outsider trespassing onto your territory... I can understand that much.

But don't you think I'll allow such disrespect!

'Philip was genuinely angered.'

'He raised his hand.'

/TREMBLE!/

'Using the entirety of his mental power, he grasped towards the Palace…'

/TREMBLE!/

'The cavern shook under the pressure of this gathering berserking power.'

'It looked as if the air in front of him had distorted…'

"..."

'Latur did not fall back at this display, raising its staff.'

'It was difficult to say what Latur looked like, only his outer clothes.'

'Plain robes with complex symbols that moved around like water...'

'A tall humanoid creature holding a staff made of unknown materials that held a strange hem atop it, similar to a cut diamond, but golden-blue.'

/CLANG!/

'Latur hit the bottom of its staff against the ground, and a powerful wave of green energy flew over the city with the Palace at its center.'

"HA!"

'Smiling maniacally, Philip pushed forward with his mental power!'

'And the two forces collided.'

/BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!/

...

/Tremble.../

'The aftershock of their collision sent waves across the city, making dusty and rocks fall around certain areas.'

"?!"

They were nullified?

'Against his expectations, the wave of dark green energy perfectly countered his blast of mental power.'

"..."

'And he went silent.'

Is it toying with me?

A perfect counterattack to my attack, no energy wasted.

Even if my mental power is still far from what I was supposed to have... I trained it with everything I had... But was that only enough for this guy to laugh at?

'He gazed at Latur's appearance, he couldn't tell what it was, but had the feeling he knew the answer.'

"Lich."

'Beings of immeasurable magical ability, a lich is a dark creature that can form when a powerful being dies and the right conditions meet.'

'Just like it can be born naturally, it's also possible to become a Lich through a myriad of rituals, through artifacts, blessings, or whatever, attaining great longevity and heightened powers at the cost of some things.'

'It may vary depending on the methods, as life wasn't simple.'

'The question now was, which type of Lich Latur was?'

'A natural, or one that was transformed? Or something else completely?'

"Philip…"

'Laplabe tried to talk with him, but Philip did not reply.'

'So in the end, he came out of his pocket, becoming a distorted shadow behind him.'

"I'll be joining."

"..."

"This isn't the time for your ego…"

"Thank you." He replied with a slight smile

"..."

'The shadowy creature stopped, nodding, never did Philip turn to take a look at it.'

/Shaa…/

'However, just as it appeared, the shadow vanished, yet, for a moment, Philip saw something pass in front of his eyes...'

[Laplabe

???]

'Despite his way of speaking and acting, Laplabe wasn't someone to be made fun of when he became serious.'

…

/WAILS!/

'The army approached with great momentum, but Philip's attention was still in Latur.'

'The creature stood there, observing him, perhaps gauging him.'

'But after a while, it turned around, perhaps losing interest in watching further, or planning something else...'

"%$^@!"

'It stopped only for a moment to look at him sideways, Philip's ears twitched, he heard something, but he couldn't tell what it was.'

[The Great Desire of ***** has awakened]

'Phiip immediately felt his body tense and his breath quicken.'

[You have been challenged by a strong enemy]

[Extra effect: Extreme Apex has activated]

"Heh, so that's how it is."

Whoever Latur is… He's inviting me to his Palace.

An adventurer going to the heart of the evil empire to take down an ancient Evil...

It's like a game... And it's oddly poetic.

Fine, wait for me.

'While he left into the depths of the Palace, Philip turned his attention to the army.'

Dealing with the majority of them won't be a problem, the problem is the high-Level ones.

Level 90… This is an incredible stage, and each Level beyond it indicates a considerable gap.

Worse, there are two creatures whose Levels I cannot observe.

This means they are beyond the confines of my Skill, that being Level 95.

If they are 96, then it's not bad, but they could also be 99… Or even...

"The threshold into a new Stage, even if those guys aren't it…"

Then that Lich is.

'Philip doubted his capabilities at this point, he had confidence in himself, but only to a certain point.'

'He felt his body tingle, rationality told him it was better to retreat and reassess this situation from the shadows, he had the skills necessary to do so.'

'But his emotions told him that would be going beyond his moral line, and worse than that, it would make him feel like crap.'

"This situation is quite messy…"

All due to his misinformation!!

I'll kick his balls when I'm back.

'Clenching his fists in anger, Philip decided to blow some steam...'

"Nevertheless… I'll first deal with you all."

So many targets, well then, let's test some things out.

'His hands started to glow.'

"First, I'll change my Title into a more fitting one."

The Stats I received from this one are good, but it's not proper for such large fights.

[Ancestor of the Sahot has been equipped, Seeker of the Ancient Myths has been unnequiped]

[Ressonation effect, Champion has activated]

/Breath in.../

/Breath out.../

'Philip's aura started to change.'

/Twist…/

'Once again, the air around him twisted as his mental power gathered in front of him.'

[You are fighting alone against an Army]

[Extra Effect: Beast of the Battlefield has activated]

"How many will survive this?" He asked somewhat amused as his hand pressed down

I focused too much on isolated training and lost my edge, I'll treat this as an opportunity to sharpen it again!

/BOOOM!/

/SPLAT!/

/WAILS!/

'The immense mental power crushed downwards, and thousands of these accursed monsters were squashed into minced meat under his distorted smile.'

'The sheer destructive power of this move was such that almost the entire infantry of the army was gone, leaving behind only the rear.'

'And Philip didn't even seem tired.'

[DING]

[DING]

'Notifications soon rang on his mind, but he ignored them for now.'

"I pulverized all enemies, none survived."

As I thought, it isn't that I'm weak, that Lich is just as strong.

"Slowly I reach the stages my Titles are supposed to represent..."

Albeit I feel its too early for that.

'Watching as a river of rotting blood washed over the precipice like a waterfall, Philip reflected upon it.'

The power of the mind sure is vast, some of those creatures were pretty vicious looking.

Level or State, as the people in this world call it, doesn't fully represent a person's true power.

Some of those monsters could've been stronger than they seemed…

But they were all squashed.

"I trained my Mind to high degrees, this was the minimum I expected."

I can't manifest my mental world yet, but I'm not far…

"..."

/SHIN!/

'Out of nowhere, a sheen flashed behind his  head!'

/FWOOSH!/

'Philip quickly turned his body, evading a sharp spear that aimed at his neck!'

[Prototype 02]

Level 87]

/FWOOSH!/

'It wasn't over!'

'At the same time as he turned, Philip felt the air scream behind his ears as something made its way to his heart…'

"Tsk."

A combined sneak attack...

/GRAB!/

'He raised his right hand and grabbed the flying projectile!'

'It was a long bolt about the size of his arm, how vicious...'

'From afar, he momentarily saw another mechanical creature standing atop the ceiling of a long tower…'

'It looked like some sort of insectoid monster, dangling on the building, resembling a spider.'

[Prototype 01

Level 83]

Annoying.

'If that bolt hit his head, albeit it wouldn't kill him, it would certainly hurt… A lot.'

'It may not be sharp, but the thing about ballistics is that a bullet doesn't need to be skin sharp to penetrate something, especially at those speeds.'

'And if that wasn't enough, dealing with another one next to him while anticipating an army…'

"How interesting."

It's a shame, but I'll have to break these.

I'm sure the Dwarf would've liked to see them.

/Sheen.../

'The red blade in his right hand started to vibrate…'

/SLASH!/

'At the moment the two strange automatons attacked, Philip evaded them all before counterattacking.'

'To the one closest to him, a single downward slash, cutting it in half.'

'To the one far away, something stepped out of the shadows of the tower, tendrils of obscure energy coiled around it, dragging it into the shadows before sounds of cracking metal echoed.'

'All of this within fragments of a second.'

"Two down I guess."

Laplabe complains I'm fancy, but he's nowhere better than I am.

'Philip turned around to gaze at the army, the small mobs didn't worry him, the giant ones did.'

War Automatons, Siege Machines, Colossy Mounstruosities...

Relics from the past? Or something made in the meantime?

They look half-broken to be honest, is there some sort of old and rotting theme going on?

'The War Automatons looked like centaurs, but instead of a humanoid torso, they had a machine mounted on top, a few had blades and weapons, others had guns and the like.'

'Abyssal Siege Machines were large thank shaped creations, their Level might say something, but their power was directly related to their firepower and the ammo they used.'

'In the first place, Philip questioned why a machine would have a Level, but this may be exclusive to his Skill, Great Scholar Vision, and not an actual representation of reality.'

'Even then, he was extremely reluctant to let them fire.'

'Though he wondered why they hadn't yet.'

/THUD! THUD!/

'Lastly, the Colossy were gigantic undead monsters wearing full plate armor and holding massive weapons, they covered the entire path and no more than two could stand shoulder to shoulder.'

'And even then it was a bit tight.'

/Stops…/

"Huh?"

'The army abruptly stopped, and Philip felt a chill…'

/Charge…/

'Suddenly, he saw many of the cursed wizards raise their staffs…'

"!"

The mages… Are going to cast a fucking spell!

/FWOOOOOSH!/

'Philip rushed forward, if he were in the open like that, he would be giving himself on a plate to them!'

'He used all of his Skills, vanishing without a trace.'

/FLASH!/

'And a strong flash of light ignited within the army.'

…

/BOOOM!/

/SLASH!/

/SPLAT!/

/BOOOM!/

‘Within moments, destruction and chaos issued within the army as Philip razed through everything with unstoppable momentum, ripping and tearing everything that was too unlucky to be within a few meters of his blade.’

‘For these decaying corpses, the reaper had finally arrived to take their souls.’

/SLASH!/

'Even then, Philip had a target.'

‘Jumping from the ground and vanishing, Philip decapitated one of the gigantic monsters, letting its head fall like a massive boulder.’

/BAM!/

‘In the air, he slashed sideways, cutting the other giant monster before kicking its arm and going back to the army on the ground.’

‘As long as he was within it, not only would he be able to protect himself from ranged attacks, he could also make them lose their rhythm, something was very important within an army.’

'And without the strong units, the army wouldn't be able to breach the fortified doors, at least not within a short span of time.'

‘There were only two problems with his plan.’

‘His enemy was a unified group of undead monsters, why would they care to hit each other, and how would they lose their rhythm due to fear and other unexpected scenarios?’

“!”

/CUT!/

‘From the side, a rising wave of dark energy split the earth and the ground, carving a long ravine in the army as it made its way to cut him!’

Shit, they don’t care about themselves at all!

‘Vanishing, Philip evaded the attack while he ran towards the caster, the mysterious figure on the side of the Commander.’

‘At this point, Philip had already realized that if he were to kill the mobs, he would only waste his energy, he had to completely eliminate their chain of command.’

'Also, on the side, he saw some of the bodies of the monsters he had just killed tremble and rise again in brutal fashion, as if their flesh was alive, fusing and twisting, assuming a new form.'

'The more he killed, the more grotesque monsters he would create, the process may be relatively slow, but it was always happening.'

/Step…/

It's coming!

‘The robot on the black skeleton’s side vanished, Prototype 03 was on the move!’

/CLANG!/

/BAM!/

“Huff!”

‘Different from the other 2, this automaton was extremely strong and deadly, the moment it moved, it appeared in front of him, slashing down with extreme precision.’

'From their names, it was possible to see that each Prototype was stronger than the last, correcting their previous mistakes while enhancing their usual abilities.'

/CLANG!/

/CLANG!/

‘Within a second, they exchanged several blows, but with each blow, Philip realized his enemy’s weakness.’

‘It was just a robot, it may be precise, but its combat ability was limited.’

‘In simpler terms, it wasn’t aware.’

/SLASH!/

/SPLAT/

/CRUNCH!/

‘Like a berserker, Philip allowed himself to be cut in the shoulder in order to grab the arms of the robot, pulling them apart and rendering the machine defenseless and mostly useless.’'

/CRACK!/

“?”

This is… Poison?

‘As he destroyed the robot, he felt his wound tingle, it was obvious, something was trying to spread damage within his body…’

‘Unfortunately…’

[The Golden body repels harmful substances]

‘A dark liquid was ejected from his wound as it closed, it was an incredibly fast regeneration speed, and this was thanks to the fact his wound was a clean one, a simple sharp cut, nothing else.’

I wouldn't say they're poisoned... It's just that due to the strange miasma in this place, everything contains a certain trace of impure substances.

This was within the Diary, it was one of the things I should be aware of... But due to this mess, I forgot about it.

Also, the blade didn’t cut through my bone, but it hurts like hell.

Regardless, I now know that I’m resilient enough to not be cut by this shit.

‘Even though he eliminated an enemy that would terrorize most, he didn’t feel happy nor accomplished.’

‘There were still two more to go.’

/BOOM!/

/Crack!/

/Slows…/

‘Philip kicked the ground with extreme force, and the world slowed down around him.’

‘The world around him slowed down as he used Ripper mode and his mental powers to increase his cognitive functions.’

/Blaze…/

‘Blue fire ragged around his body, Armament had been called upon his body, covering it in ethereal flames.’

‘His mouth opened, uttering earth-shattering words that carried unknown power.’

*Dragon aspect*

‘As ethereal scales grew on his body, they fused with his Armament, becoming an esoteric piece of armor.’

/Fwoosh!/

‘He was now right in front of the knight and the mysterious figure, his sword drawing an arc in the air…’

/Crackle… Boom!/

‘His red sword turned into flames as it accelerated forward!’

*Heat Edge Lv2*

‘Carrying an incredible amount of power, Philip clenched his teeth as he used everything he had to slash forward!’

“%$!”

/CLANG!/

/BOOOOOOOOOM!/

‘Barely reacting in time, the black skeleton raised its battle spear and blocked Philip’s slash, chanting something in a language Philip couldn't understand!’

“NEIGH?!”

/SPLAT!/

‘But his spectral steed wasn’t as lucky…’

/Crunch!/

‘Under the impact of the blade, the legs of the Bycorn Spirit snapped as the horse was plunged to the ground, sending its knight flying back.’

/SLASH!/

/CLINK!/

“^%!@%&#...”

“!”

Too late…!

‘On the side, Philip used the Phantom Sword Skill to try and slash the capped figure, but a translucent barrier blocked the strike.’

‘Before he could react, its spell was already done, showcasing its magic mastery.’

‘Albeit it was true he could slash away first if he failed, a wizard of quality would’ve already finished a Spell or even two by the time he closed the distance.’

"%$^!@"

‘As the magical runes flared in the air, the figure pointed its finger forward…’

/FWOOSH!/

‘But a black tendril emerged from the shadows, piercing its body and tearing it apart!’

/ROAR!/

‘With a distorted roar, a large twisted mouth devoured the caped figure, breaking its body to pieces before vanishing.’

‘It was obviously Laplabe, from the very beginning, it was waiting, waiting for an opportunity to strike.’

‘And when it found one, it obliterated its enemy!’

“Good work pal!” Philip said with a smile as he slashed downward, decapitating the cursed horse

“Pfft… The most tasteless thing I ever had my teeth on…”

Hopefully, I won't get sick from this...

/FWOOSH!/

“!”

/BOOOM!/

‘Just when Philip turned to look at Laplabe, the black skeleton knight rose from the ground with extreme force, rushing ahead with its spear pointing ahead, PhIlip’s heart!’

/CLANG!/

“ARG!”

‘Philip blocked it with his sword, but he was pushed back by several meters as the knight charged ahead.’

‘Even if it was purely made of bones, its physical strength was off the charts!’

‘It could push back a strengthened Philip without much trouble!’

/CLANG!/

/SMACK!/

/Growl…/

“...”

‘Philip deflected the spear, using the chance to kick the knight in the chest, but his foot did nothing, only managing to stop its momentum.’

‘Now, he stood in a very awkward position, his foot hurting and the knight gazing down at him with a ragging expression…’

‘Or so he thought.’

/BAM!/

‘The knight slammed its head against his, sending him tumbling back, but not for long as he quickly readjusted…’

“ROAR!”

/BOOM!/

‘The knight was untiring, it immediately went after Philip, smashing its spear against his body.’

/CLANG!/

“HUPP!”

‘His body tensing, Philip parried the spear and slashed the sword against the knight’s head with extreme martial prowess.’

“!”

‘But the knight turned its head, moving its body with great agility as he kicked his sword up.’

Damn!

This Undead knight actually knows how to fight!

‘This may have been Philip’s first time encountering a monster that could match up to him in terms of martial combat, and not only that, this was also his first time-fighting something this strong.’

'It was different from his previous experiences, the nightmarish monsters he once fought behaved differently, and their powers were more Arcane and often meant to mess with his head than anything else.'

'As he moved, the ground broked, when he slashed, the earth split.'

'Such environmental reactions were disrupting him more than anything else.'

'He lacked the experience to fight something of this Level.'

‘Even with the help he received the reach here, Philip had but a few years to sharpen his techniques, no matter how talented or how many cheats he used, there was a limit to his growth.’

‘In fact, he should rejoice, as he is forcing this great warrior to fight despite his little time in this world!’

/CLANG!/

‘Not having many other chances, Philip let go of his weapon as he withdrew his Katana to his inventory, resetting his body to a better position as he drew the Blacklight Sword for the first time in many months…’

/Sheen…/

‘It glowed with a mysterious purple light, perhaps understanding the danger its master was currently in.’

/SHINE!/

“ROAR!”

‘The knight tried to slash at the moment he was changing weapons, taking the opportunity that appeared in front of it, but the sudden transformation of the sword pushed him back.’

‘As the Darklight sword unsealed itself, the beautiful purple light covered its blade, transforming into a greatsword that harnessed the power of the stars.’

/SLASH!/

/CUT!/

‘Philip did an upper slash, infusing the energy of Armament within it, and a great wave of purple light cut towards the undead!’

“$#^@% Fall!”

‘The knight spoke once again in the same language Philip couldn’t recognize very well.’

‘However, this time, the fact he understood something made him rethink things a little.’

/ROAR!/

‘The knight pierced upward without fear of his attack, clashing with Philip’s strike.’

/BOOM!/

...

/Tremble…/

‘Next to their fight, a strange lump of shadows growled…’

“...”

Dammit, that crazy guy is going to collapse a portion of the passageway at this rate.

Also, those undead are slowly making their way back, their fight is likely bound to happen soon, but if he’s hurt and vulnerable, those machines will definitely blast him apart.

Those undead don't seem to be controlled by the knight, however, I noticed that their movements became more sluggish with the death of the Wizard.

As I thought, the Wizard was using most of its focus controlling the Army, as with its elimination, they became relatively disorganized, their strength decreased, their mutation rate slowed down, and the air became a bit more clear.

A Wizard with this level of proficiency wouldn't go down this easily.

However...

‘Laplabe was in a bind, through his expression, he already knew Philip wanted no help in his fight, but he couldn’t just leave.’

‘Philip's pride was nothing in the face of death.’

‘He had to stay close to help if necessary, or prevent the machines from having a chance to attack, but that would mean going considerably far…’

/ROAR!/

‘But he wouldn’t be given the chance to speak.’

Those are?!

‘The private army of elites that protected the Commander, they had started to move!’

‘Even if Philip had bypassed them with extreme speed, his fight with the Knight Commander had given them enough time to start their own siege.’

‘However, it also gave enough time for Laplabe to know what he should do.’

I’m not one to fight directly like this…

How awful.

/Crack…/

‘The shadows grew in form, transforming into a nightmarish monster with a blurry outline.’

“You should go back to being dead.” He spoke as he moved forward

…

“HAA!”

/BOOM!/

/Shaa…/

‘With another clash, an explosion resounded as dust was flung to the skies, and Philip was sent sliding back, his sword cleaving the ground as he waited for an opportunity.’

/Step…/

‘His enemy, the black Skeleton knight stepped from the smoke without a single apparent hint of damage, a true menace.’

“This is ridiculous.”

‘Rising from the ground and getting into position, Philip observed his enemy with caution.’

I don’t think it's impossible to win, but despite everything I did, the buffs I applied, the magic I used, and the Skills I’m constantly mixing, I’m still considerably behind the Knight.

Hum… I may be looking at this the wrong way.

Necromancers can enhance their Summons in a variety of ways, so this Knight could be one such case.

Enhances can happen in many ways, but for simplicity, a few can permanently alter one’s Level, while others don’t.

It’s similar to how a Spiritualist may summon a spirit and enhance it, but its level doesn’t change, even if its strength increases by a lot.

Regardless, that’s just an excuse from me.

‘He grabbed the Darklight sword tightly.’

Laplabe is facing the army alone, I don’t have time to face this knight.

And if this guy is already a bother, then whatever is inside the Palace will be pure Hell.

I can’t waver this easily.

/Clonk…/

‘Philip raised his sword horizontally to the ground, pointing it to the Knight.’

“...”

‘The knight gazed at him unwavering with its dark eye sockets beneath its helmet.’

/Crack…/

‘The moment a rock fell onto the ground, Philip rushed ahead, piercing with his sword!’

“ROAR!”

‘The knight replied in kind, using the entire weight of its body to pierce him!’

/SPLIT!/

“!”

“I got you.”

‘However, before the knight even had the chance to step forward, something cut its two arms from behind…’

/Sheen…/

‘A slight reflection of the light showed a series of strings spread all around like a spider’s web.’

‘The strings slowly showed themselves one by one, turning into bloody red cords that ran across the air like veins.’

/TUG!/

‘With a pull of his fingers, the cords wrapped around the knight, bounding it in a very uncomfortable manner.’

/Grab…/

‘He also used them to pull its spear to him, storing it in his inventory for later, removing any chance of the knight from making a counterattack when he least expected it.’

“I didn’t expect to use it so soon, but the opportunity appeared…”

‘He momentarily turned to look at his wrist.’

[Bloody spinneret-Hunter tool

Description: Remnants of a growing embryo. It continually spills silk.

Modified and adapted into a working mechanism that can be attached to one’s wrist by an insane Hunter, then further improved by the same person utilizing methods unbeknownst to most, it's a piece of intricate art in the eyes of its beholder.

Now infused with mystical Arcane arts, it barely resembles its original appearance, with only its creator knowing its gruesome origins.

At the back of the mechanism, an inscription lays, it reads, "My greatest creation, my daughter.", and a pair of initials were engraved, “PV”.

When activated, it shoots forward a net of strong and durable red silk that can be controlled at will.

The red silk is shaper than it looks, almost possessing a will of its own to suffocate and gut the targets trapped within its grasp.

]

‘Staring at this old toll of his, Philip let out a sigh as he raised his right hand at the knight.’

Before I end him, there is one thing I would like to try.

/Sha sha…/

‘Dark energy gathering around his hand, slowly seeping into the undead.’

/Tremble…/

‘Its body started to convulse as the energy traveled further across its bones…’

‘Indeed, this was a well know process… For those not of this world.’

‘Philip was trying to take over this undead through Necromancy!’

…

.

.

.

Notes