This is his tomb and his palace.

The undead walked in straight passages, each step heavy and slow. He knew that his prey could not escape—they might be out of his sight, but they were still within his grasp.

He has no crown on his head, no knights around him...... But he was still king.

He swung his sword and slashed another filament that stood in front of his leg. It seemed to be something made of some kind of metal, dull and barely visible, but flexible enough to cut through armor and cut flesh.

He no longer felt pain, but he hated this vile method, and he would kill the thief just as he killed the paladin and the woman who betrayed him.

Agnes, Agnes, her eyes were still so charming, but they couldn't stir up a stir in his heart.

All he could feel was anger—anger, hatred, the source of his cold, fiery power.

He stopped. Agnes stood not far from him, her black hair draped over her shoulders, her eyes wide and quiet and innocent, looking pitiful and cunning.

"Ante. She called softly, like the many nights he was forgetting.

He stepped forward and unrelentingly swung his greatsword—a weapon that he could barely swing in his life, now as light as a rapier forged by an elf.

The greatsword whistled with the sound of the wind, and the phantom of Agnes dispersed with it.

The undead looked down at his legs - of course, another trap, real chains and spell-made black tentacles coiled around his legs, if anything else could they do...... He didn't feel it.

He couldn't move. But there is no panic and no fear. He knew that these restraints would not trap him for long, and that the tentacles would turn into black smoke. The chains will rust to dust......

Nothing could hurt him, including the dagger stabbed in the back of his head and the long sword slashed into his neck.

He casually unslashed his sword, and its strength was as weak as a baby's

The dagger sank into the back of his head almost silently.

A nice magic dagger, its power almost tingling him a little - magic was a good thing, a power he hadn't mastered when he was alive, but now ...... Now he's magic itself.

He slowly pulled out his dagger. Its former glow had completely vanished, lying bleakly in the palm of his hand like a rusty iron nail.

The paladin's gaze swept over the dagger. Involuntarily took a step back, a hint of horror flashing in his eyes.

Yes...... You should be afraid.

He casually stretched out his hand, and the invisible rope took the man who had questioned him and rebuked him to his face. The daring guy dragged to his side.

He grabbed him by the neck and felt the warm, flowing blood beneath that thin layer of skin as he struggled...... But his body was empty, and there was nothing for him to absorb.

Almost empty.

The remnants of life are like a faint flame. Dying in his hands. but stubbornly refuses to be extinguished.

There is a power...... A familiar force was working against him, but before he could tell, the paladin's longsword slashed into his arm.

He never let go of his sword, but the damage it did was insignificant even to a living person - it cut only a shallow wound, but it succeeded in angering the undead.

He tightened his fingers, intending to find another way to deal with the paladin, who didn't know whether to live or die.

Then there was a sudden flash of light in front of my eyes.

The sudden burst of white light left a black shadow in everyone's eyes. Agnes twisted her head and cursed lowly, forced to stop the spell she hadn't cast yet.

She doubted how useful the spell could be—and she doubted what their "plan" would do.

But that doesn't matter anymore. The opportunity is fleeting, and the plan has failed...... She still thinks about how to escape.

In the blink of an eye. The white light was gone...... There was one more person in the passage.

Agnes let out a long, silent breath and began to quietly back away - she didn't think anyone would notice her now.

The undead threw down Fili Zeri.

He had to throw it down, and the divine spell that could dispel the undead was of no use to him, and the other longsword that followed could easily cut off his arm.

It doesn't hurt...... But there is no way for a broken arm to grow back, whether he is dead or alive. It may not affect him too much, but he still wants to keep this body intact.

It made him feel like a human being.

He opened his mouth, his blue-gray lips twisted slightly, and his throat gurgled after not making a sound for a long time, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a broken name:

Scott...... Chrysers. ”

In front of him are the old friends who fought side by side, the pale corpse on the altar, the Sage who has returned from the flames...... The beginning of his sin and his ultimate redemption.

Scott was looking at him with a look of surprise, disgust, and pity.

It was a gaze he couldn't stand with.

"Ante. Scott spoke calmly, "See what you've become?"

"I can ask you...... Same issue......"

He couldn't stand his voice either—hoarse, harsh, like a blunt knife cutting through rough rock. But he had to let him know that he was not afraid of him...... No more fear, no more guilt. He's dead. Death erased everything, and he no longer owed him anything.

"I can be you......" he gestured to Scott, "and you...... will be my ......"

You will taste all the pain and humiliation I have experienced, wandering and struggling in endless darkness, never to be liberated.

He got promised...... But he may be talking too much.

The undead stepped back in a warning that could not be ignored, a stiff, hideous smile on their cracked lips.

They'll meet again.

Scott stood there unmoved.

He couldn't erase the swollen and blue face, which was still full of hatred, from his mind...... There is no way to ignore those words that have no meaning.

No...... He thought he might understand.

“...... Aren't you going to chase him?"

Someone asked in the dark.

Scott looked back at the emaciated old man.

"Charrell Kuntz?" he asked.

The old man squinted at him and nodded, "Old Joey found you?"

Scott didn't answer, leaning over to look at Fili.

Filly, who had been lying there panting like a fish thrown ashore, unable to move, suddenly struggled to get up just as his hand was about to fall on him, desperately trying to avoid it.

Scott was stunned for a moment. He had thought that Filly would be a little angry with him...... But it shouldn't be to the point where I'd rather die than need his help?

"Don't touch me. Fili finally squeezed out a sentence, and the weak voice sounded like it was going to die in the next moment.

"You'd better not touch him. Charrell walked slowly over to Scott, "I've touched him for a while—briefly, and it doesn't feel good." Although if he hadn't had that, he would probably have died. ”

Scott frowned slightly.

"Have you ever heard of the Shadow Ghost?" said Charrell, "that dark shadow monster sucks all the warmth out of a living creature...... Suck all of its life until its prey becomes a hard, dry corpse so that it can gain enough strength to survive - that's pretty much what it feels like. ”

“...... Fuck you!" Filly scolded rudely, then began to roll his eyes and gasp.

Scott shook his head, and without saying a word, reached out and dragged him up, trying to help him sit against the wall.

He grabbed Fili's arm, and he could feel the sweat running through the chain mail on the inside...... In an instant, a chill seeped into the skin.

He paused, his body shuddering slightly, and he truly realized what Charrell had just said of "that feeling."

The temperature and power were drained away in a bit, as if falling into the icy waters...... But he simply kind of enjoyed it.

There were flames burning in him almost all the time, even more so after he had tried to avoid using spells, but now, those flames had weakened......

He jerked his hand away.

"I told you. Charrell said calmly.

Scott stared uneasily at Filly's face, not even hearing what he was saying.

Filly was glaring at him with a strange look, as if he had suddenly grown a mouth full of fangs and scales, so that Scott almost couldn't help but touch his face.

"What do you think?" he asked, apprehensively.

"I feel like someone has poured lava into my veins. Filly replied in a bit of a trance, "But, well, I'm fine, like I just took a hot bath." ”

He even stood up easily, moving his arms thoughtfully, glancing at Scott from time to time, the expression on his face changing constantly.

“...... Damn it. After a moment, he lowered his head and thrust his sword back into its scabbard, his voice filled with unconcealed frustration...... There was even a hint of panic: "I'm not really going to be a monster, am I?"

"I'll send you back to the Temple of Water. Scott said, not giving him any meaningless comfort, "Lord Xiu'an will know." ”

"Lydia is here too. Filly whispered to him, "At least once it was here." She touched me, with her hand or something......"

"I'll find her. ”

“...... And Agnes!" Filly looked around, "Damn...... She ran away!"

"I said you could call me 'Agnes', and that's much better than some serious 'Countess Maurice'. ”

Agnes' lazy voice came from not far away.

She slowly shook her arms from her hiding place, and pulled the corners of her mouth with a smile: "I really wanted to run...... But what better place to be safer than here, by the side of the Great Sage?"

The Great Sage glanced at her lightly and nodded to Charrell, "I think you are more familiar with the roads here than I am. ”

"What the hell is this place?" asked Fili.

“...... Grave. Scott replied in a low voice.

Charrell looked up at him, but did not speak. (To be continued.) )