97 Episode 5: Town of Immortal Persons ② (2/2)

”----

I can't hear its voice. But I could feel the will.

There was no resentment there. Absolute rulers don't hold grudges against their subordinates no matter what.

Now. There was so much I wanted to find out. How to use your powers. Why it doesn't mutate. Where to get the night crystal. But the question that came to mind was none of the above.

”What was the Lord planning on smoking with ............ this 'Carth Steel'?

The comatose eye sockets are looking at me.

Carth Steel is a powerful force. But it's too peaky. At the very least, it's not a power the mightiest king of the dead should possess.

A curse is not just a useful ability. There are disadvantages to curses. Some of them may be unacceptable even to me.

Things happen for a reason. The Lord is not stupid. He must have known this ability was dangerous.

There had to be a point to giving this ability to the one he was going to take.

The skeleton didn't reply. It just seemed to laugh.

I felt a strong shock to my head as if I'd been hit. My consciousness rises.

--And then I opened my eyes. Before I know it, I'm on my knees on the floor.

I press down on my head. My heart is beating hard and my hands are shaking.

Before I knew it, the light coming through the curtains had turned vermillion, and the short hand on my watch was much further ahead than I remembered.

The short hand of the clock was much further ahead than I remembered. The Lord I had felt earlier was no longer there.

Vampires don't get physically tired. But I rolled over onto the carpet.

I stare at the ceiling and think.

I got no information. But I knew the Lord's will was still in me.

The dynamics are already in place. I'm way ahead of him and it won't change much. But Holos Kamen hasn't given up yet.

I'm sure my power is growing even as we speak, but necromancers are a real pain in the ass.

It shouldn't be too late for Senri to come back. I wanted to lie down for a while longer, but I got up with my hands.

But I'm glad I tried. I did find out one thing.

The information Lord sent me when we parted.

The reason I hadn't mutated yet was, as I had suspected, because Lord had locked me in.

True vampires are said to be so resistant to magic that they are immune to necromancy. If my mutation was caused by the program that Lord had built into the curse, it was only natural that the cautious Lord would take measures to prevent me from mutating.

In the first place, when Lord learned of the attack of the Knights of the End, he told me that he had originally planned to perform the ritual after becoming a lesser vampire. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I guess that was the end point. There were many hints.

”Are you trying to be merciful ......, Lord?

No, you're not. I'm sure he's confident that he can handle me even after I get stronger.

Even though he has already almost disappeared,...... what a terrible man.

It's still dangerous to dive into it. But I can't stop myself from doing it.

As I took a deep breath, I heard footsteps approaching from outside the room. It was the rhythm of Senri's footsteps. I relaxed the muscles in my face and went to the corner of the room to hold my knees.

§.

”Earthquake ......?

”............ Yeah. Apparently part of the castle collapsed. That was five years ago.

Senri says with a somewhat disapproving look on his face. I'm not sure why the Knights of the End didn't get the information.

But since the castle fell hundreds of years ago and everything has been peaceful since then, it's no wonder the Knights of the End didn't notice.

And apparently ...... something has definitely happened.

Since then, the number of travelers has increased. But I couldn't find ...... anyone who knew more about it. You'll have to go there.

We don't know the cause and effect. I don't know the cause and effect, but I don't lose anything by striking out.

I'm going to go sightseeing in a castle built by the same undead. Maybe it'll be useful for me when I'm hiding out somewhere. .......

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

End ...... there are signs of the undead in the vicinity of this city. You'd better be careful.