Finishing touches (1).
The village was thoroughly searched, and all useful items were gathered and organized in one place.
Of course, it was my subordinates, who were now close to two hundred, that did the work while I merely gave orders.
[Hmm, I was hoping there would be more since this was the territory of the Dark Wizards. Still, this is decent.]
After collecting personal belongings and valuables, we searched the village chief's house and found what appeared to be funds used in the operation, including currencies and precious metals.
[I don't know much about the value of this currency, but typically, if it's gold coins, it must be a substantial sum.]
'Hmm, is this really gold?'
I questioned, not having touched gold in my life.
I made a slight scratch on the gold bars with my nail, confirming that they were indeed gold.
Feeling delighted, I went on to acquire other items.
I decided to equip the weapons and armor used by the minions on the undead.
But what caught my eye were the magical tools used by the dark wizards.
From staffs and robes to various gadgets that could aid in daily life, there were quite a few.
I donned a neatly tailored robe, which not only regulated temperature but also provided some defense, even though I didn't particularly need the temperature control.
'I can't keep walking around with nothing but bones, can I?'
I pondered.
However, after putting it on, I immediately took it off; it didn't suit me.
Dressed in linen clothes and a thick leather armor piece over my shoulders, I finally put on the robe again.
[Well, this looks better than before,] I concluded, satisfied with my appearance.
Continuing to look around, I picked out the most appealing staff among them and called Malcolm over for a trade.
[Here, take what I have and give me what you have. It seems like what you have is the best,] I instructed, exchanging items with Malcolm.
With the skull staff adorned with jewels in hand, I tapped the ground, causing black flames to engulf the area, causing the undead, laden with various equipment and loot, to sink into the ground one by one.
Lastly, I surveyed the village.
While it had been a lively place when I first arrived, now it was desolate, devoid of any living soul.
Walking slowly, I took in the scene.
Passing by the water jug and woodpile in the village chief's house where I had stayed, I caught sight of the building that seemed to have served as the village hall, where the undead had been trapped.
Whoosh—
Black flames erupted wherever I went, consuming the village.
As I reached the center, my steps came to a halt.
It was a place where the destroyed undead were gathered, with the corpses of what appeared to be the original villagers lying around.
Most of the weaker zombies had been destroyed during the battle.
Some could have been revived, but I chose to leave them as they were in the center of the village.
I locked eyes with the only surviving zombie, a young man who had helped me defeat Jeraf during the battle.
Despite the damage he had sustained, I could recognize him at a glance.
I met his gaze briefly, nodded lightly, and turned away. Soon, black flames engulfed everything.
He had wanted to protect his loved ones and had finally achieved his revenge before passing away, joining his family in the afterlife.
Whoosh—
The entire village was ablaze.
Eventually, I left the burning village and approached the forest in the east.
***
In the heart of the continent in the alternate dimension of Outerica, the girl knelt before the statue of the deity in the sanctuary of the Roselia Cathedral.
With her eyes closed, she clasped her hands in prayer.
A soft glow began to emanate around the silver-haired girl.
As the light subsided, the girl opened her eyes, rose slowly from her place, respectfully bowed to the deity, and cautiously left the sanctuary.
White-robed priests, waiting outside the door, bowed their heads as she passed.
"Your Holiness."
"Martin Bishop, may I ask you to inform the others?"
The girl, Liesta, a saint of the Divine Order, gazed resolutely westward.
"What... what about?" Martin asked.
"We've detected signs of the Immortal King's resurrection in the west."
"The... the Immortal King? Understood, I will immediately call for a meeting," Martin, with a solemn expression, bid farewell and hastened away.
The name of the Immortal King, who had once terrorized the entire continent hundreds of years ago, was synonymous with great peril.
'I won't let such a thing happen again!'
Liesta clenched her fists, her lips pressed together in determination.
Hans believed that concealing his dark magic would suffice, but Liesta's powers were beyond his imagination.
And so, one of the greatest forces on the continent began to recognize Hans's existence and started tracking him.
***
"Hmm... I could go for some rice soup today."
Heinz, preparing to return home after exercising, headed straight to a nearby rice soup restaurant.
He didn't need to ponder the menu much.
"I'll have one order each of bean sprout rice soup, sundae rice soup, and beef head rice soup. Also, please pack some spicy beef soup and ox bone soup. Oh, and an extra-large portion of fried pork, please."
I could just order as I pleased.
With my growing appetite, I found pleasure in trying a variety of dishes.
Though normally I would have shown some restraint, today I felt particularly good and ordered generously.
'Hmm... what's the current price of gold these days?'
The market seemed turbulent, and it seemed like the price of gold had risen considerably.
I enjoyed the rice soup that Heinz had packed while browsing the internet.
After a quick calculation, I felt warm and satisfied.
'This restaurant's rice soup is delicious.'
Although Hans was currently trekking through the forest in the east and couldn't bring back the gold bars immediately, it was as good as in my hands already.
It seemed like I would be more forgiving in everything at the moment.
Even encountering trolls in team games would be taken in stride.
"What the heck is that guy doing over there?! Get to work!"
Well... maybe that was pushing it.
I ate the packed fried pork along with the soup and, to aid digestion and distract myself, used "Mind Hub" to calm my mind.
A sense of peace washed over me.
'Would it be helpful for mental training?'
I wondered as I tidied up the empty dishes and considered Hans's situation.
Since becoming a Demi-Lich, he naturally emitted an aura of terror.
Currently, with his dark magic concealed, the effect was diminished, and he only inspired fear when directly confronted, but it seemed sufficient as the attacks from the demonic beasts were not frequent.
The sporadic confrontations with the demonic beasts relieved my boredom.
'By utilizing them, I could increase the number of undead as well.'
It had been a week since Hans had left the village.
I wondered if there really was a city in the east, and as my disbelief began to grow, I suddenly remembered that I had not believed Malcolm's words.
'I dealt with quite a few bad guys, so my karma must have improved considerably.'
They were a group that had plotted clandestinely, with a fairly high level of sophistication.
With expectations of substantial profits, I opened the Karma Shop.
[Karma Shop]
[Unique Skill Reinforcement (600,000)]
[Status Enhancement – View Details]
[Available Karma - 792,208]
I had anticipated some increase, but the amount was surprisingly higher.
'I think it was just over 400,000 the last time I checked... Were they really that significant, or did I do something else?'
I pondered for a moment but couldn't think of any other reason.
'Well, they were quite the bad guys, I suppose. Maybe I should reinforce my unique skills.'
Besides taking the Immortal King's heart and wiping out the dark wizards, there wasn't much else I had done.
[Your mental power has exceeded the threshold. You have obtained the skill 'Enlightenment Index'.]
Upon reinforcing my unique skill, a message appeared, stating that I had acquired a new skill after a brief headache.
It was a skill that would prevent my mind from being swayed by external stimuli and defend against mental attacks.
'I have 'Mind Herb' for myself, but this applies only to the avatar. It would be better to have a skill that could be applied to the main body.'
Just then, I realized that I could use another avatar, which was just perfect timing.
'Since Hans would find it difficult to operate among people, I'll send Heinz and use the new avatar for external activities.'
Hans noticed traces of human activity passing by.
***
Hans was riding on a giant Shavel Tiger made of bones, galloping along the forest path.
While fighting through a forest full of demonic beasts with several undead, including Malcolm, I turned the demonic beasts that attacked me into undead and used them as mounts.
'It's faster to ride, and it's more stylish!'
A skeleton riding necromancer—this was a gamer's dream!
It seemed like it would be good to hunt in large numbers and create a force of undead cavalry.
However, it wasn't without its problems...
'Uncomfortable! It's so uncomfortable to ride on top of them!'
After all, they were undead with nothing but bones.
Every time I rode, the wobbling and swaying were no joke.
And with no saddle, it was quite disorienting.
'I probably won't slip with my feet wedged between the ribs, but... this is a problem worth considering. Should I create a different type of undead for riding?'
Lost in thought as I moved along the forest path, the trees gradually thinned out, and I soon realized I had reached the edge of the forest.
[...Over there.]
Malcolm, riding a skeleton wolf, approached and pointed with a finger bone to a certain place.
When I turned my gaze in that direction, I saw a distant city wall.
[Oh... There really is a city, isn't there? Malcolm, the old man, wasn't lying.]
Muttering to myself, I glanced at Malcolm, who was riding the skeleton wolf beside me, and he flinched and moved away.
Even after moving east for several days, there was nothing to see other than the forest, so I pounced on Malcolm every chance I got.
Although Malcolm didn't retain memories from his past life, what he did wrong didn't just disappear.
I made various excuses to harass him.
'Well, it's not as if there's any pain or emotions in these undead, so it doesn't mean much.'
I shifted my gaze away from Malcolm and looked at the city walls in the distance.
[Alright. Let's move on. You guys stay here.]
There was no reason to rush through the outskirts of the forest, so from now on, I would move alone.
However, if I were to be spotted outside the forest with an undead body, misunderstandings could arise.
Therefore, I moved as close to the city wall as possible without leaving the forest, following the edge.
Hans couldn't enter the castle, but I planned to switch with Heinz after reaching the vicinity.
There was still another day until I could use the interdimensional transfer gate again.
***
<Individual Information>
-Name: Heinz
-Common Traits: "Mind Herb," "Rapid Recovery," "Enlightenment Index"
-Individual Trait: "Robustness"
-Notable Features: Second avatar of Hansung-hyun.
The influence of "Robustness" increased his physical and mental strength.
Heinz opened his eyes after the transfer was complete.
The city wall that Hans had discovered appeared before my eyes.
It was a fair distance away, but it would be a sufficient hour's walk.
Then, as I turned my head to look at Hans, I flinched without realizing it.
'Whoa, that's a terrifying sight...'
This was the first time Hans faced another avatar since he became undead, and the destructive power was greater than I expected.
The aura of terror, a basic ability of high-level undead Demi-Lich, and an ominous aura emanating from his entire body.
Seated atop the skeletal Shavel Tiger, wielding a skull staff, and looking down with a bluish glow, the skeletal mage was indeed an impressive sight.
It was truly a fantastic synergy.
'If you meet him in the middle of the night, you'll probably wet yourself.'
In fact, if it weren't for "Mind Herb" and "Enlightenment Index," I would probably be in the same boat.
I am like this myself. How would I appear to others?
Just the sight of him could potentially cause trauma.
'Hans is invisible to others, after all.'
After collecting my thoughts, we began to organize ourselves to part ways.
Heinz changed into the clothes and leather armor from the other world that Hans had prepared, and he packed weapons and ample travel expenses.
Hans took several useful magical items, including gold bars and precious metals, in his hands, as it wasn't certain whether I could summon items to Earth.
Then, a little later, Heinz headed toward the gate alone.