The name Basil Choco was terrible, but there’s no denying that they helped me.
Some knew me, while others didn’t, but after the Basil Choco Clan expressed their willingness to cooperate with my plans, others joined in as well.
Thanks to that, my undead started to increase at an astonishing rate.
Previously, I sacrificed existing undead to defeat stronger monsters every time we crossed into a new area…
But now, our party was made up of adventurers fighting in the central region. It was clear that the adventurers were less exhausted, and there were only about 12 undead that had been completely destroyed.
At a glance, 12 doesn’t seem like a small number, but it took all of that just to push from the outskirts to the center.
How many monsters have I faced and brought under my command in the meantime?
If we purely counted the numbers, it would be close to 300.
Of course, it’s only because of the suspiciously high-ranking souls that I can maintain this many; controlling 300 at the same time is a matter of intuition and multitasking.
No matter what I do, it’s beyond my abilities to move 300 undead at once.
That’s why I chose to use the skeletons at the entrance as raw materials instead of manipulating them.
Bones can become armor or weapons, and I enhanced the remaining zombies and those in the central region with them.
For the incorporeal ghost types, I appointed the Banshee Queen as a middle manager, saving me the effort of controlling them directly.
Thus, each of them became strange forms adorned with anywhere from two to dozens of skeletons.
Although the number of undead armed with white bones has drastically reduced, their individual momentum has become quite formidable.
With this, I’m sure we can hold our own against the Grim Reaper.
“…I’ve seen it once, but I never expected it to be possible to this extent.”
“Jonah. You’re not overdoing it, right? There’s nothing dumber than exhausting yourself this early on.”
Benny looks incredulous. Ellie has been glancing over here since earlier, seemingly quite concerned.
It feels more like worry than admiration.
– I’m not overdoing it. However, the consumption of Divine Power is fast, so I’d appreciate it if the Grim Reaper would show up soon…
“About that, don’t worry. If my memory serves me right, it should be about time.”
Ellie dropped the half-burned Mana Herb cigarette to the ground and stomped it out, her yellow eyes focused straight ahead, where the translucent gray flow was concentrating. It was indeed a spot wrapped in chilling air.
“Well, if you’ve looked at the Guild’s records, you’d have a rough idea, but the Grim Reaper is a type of tier guardian that spawns at regular intervals. And there are reasons for this cycle. What do you think?”
– Well, I suppose it’s the optimal time to scatter tier guardians at regular intervals in some infinite space-time, just like other monsters?
“Where did you learn such difficult words? Well, that’s not entirely wrong, but it’s kind of vague and not intuitive. I mean…no, anyone who has once seen the moment the Grim Reaper is born would say the same.”
After saying that, Ellie took a breath, intentionally hiding her focus on the surrounding stares.
After all, unlike the second floor, there were no seniors who came to help, so most of them…perhaps all of them were seeing the Grim Reaper for the first time.
Ellie, deliberately swallowing her words to capture the attention around her, pointed her finger dramatically.
“That’s right, that aura of death is the Grim Reaper itself.”
– Huh?
Momentarily puzzled while scratching my bones.
In response to Ellie’s gestures, the gray aura that had been flowing throughout the fourth floor suddenly started to gather in one place.
Whoosh—
It was like a landscape where a whirlpool was swirling. But there was no wind to feel at all. Only the gray aura was gathering.
As I approached a state where I couldn’t even see an inch ahead in the heavily fogged area of the third floor, a huge bell sounded, resonating deep within a heart.
Then, from the rapidly disappearing gray mist, two shapes emerged.
A golden throne that could only just be seen by craning my neck painfully. And a skeleton holding a tattered robe and a menacing scythe as if to guard it.
The golden throne symbolizes a simple truth.
No matter how rich a person is, their wealth cannot continue after death.
Since ancient times on the Pan Continent, it has been believed that all the wealth one had in life would become taxes owed after death.
When so many people die, and countless treasures are offered up, who would be the one receiving them?
It would be none other than the God of Death, the master of the afterlife.
All the dead must pay a hefty tax to promise their afterlife, so the God of Death is believed to be the wealthiest being in the world.
In response to this belief, the throne of the God of Death became increasingly grand and lavish.
…Except that it looked miserable to the living.
No one who isn’t dead can imagine death, and even if they long for death, no one truly knows what it is.
Thus, death symbolizes the ignorance of humanity itself.
With a glorious and majestic throne that seemed ready to swallow the world, it was not strange for a single tiny skull to rest upon it.
A paradoxical god looked wealthier than anyone, yet appeared humble before all.
As the God of Death revealed the shadow that had been hidden in the mist, another symbol of death appeared.
“The Grim Reaper…”
The voice of an adventurer mutters in a daze.
That’s right. If the God of Death was taking an easy-to-understand form to reveal the glory of life and the peace of the afterlife…
Then the being that had stepped forth to guard the god’s throne—the tier guardian we must defeat today—took on the symbolic form of the Grim Reaper.
This was then the shape of fear offered by the living to death, and the ultimate faith offered to the God of Death.
Therefore, the Grim Reaper must be the closest servant of the God of Death.
To put it more directly, perhaps the apostle of death.
…Well, for now, all its qualifications and powers as an apostle have been taken away.
The Grim Reaper was the first of those taken by the God of Death. The first entity that emerged after the God of Death became aware of its divinity.
Being already dead, it cannot die again, and for a long time has been balancing life and death as a reaper.
Yet, no matter how undead it became, it seems that its mind did not become that of an immortal.
Perhaps due to the curse left by the God of Madness, it couldn’t help but fall into a monster state.
Of course, the God of Death immediately seized all powers from the Grim Reaper.
Thus, what currently remains for that fellow is merely the pure power of being undead, along with the combat skills accumulated from a long life.
That alone was considerable enough that it was chosen as a tier guardian, unlike the other monsters on the fourth floor.
Or it might be the God of Death’s final intention, hoping that the long-serving subordinate could rest a bit longer and more comfortably.
In the face of the swirling aura of death and the even sharper momentum of the Grim Reaper, the adventurers hesitated, but I stepped forward.
– Go! It’s already dead! Don’t worry about dying again; just charge!
Under my command, the undead moved in an orderly fashion.
Monsters considered elite even on the fourth floor, armed with white bones, began to charge toward the Grim Reaper.
It was a strangely futuristic Lesser Drake wrapped in bones, an Arch Lich wielding a staff made of condensed bones, a Death Knight clad in bone-powered armor…no, sturdy armor, and all the Banshee Queens with ghost-type monsters under their command rushed toward the Grim Reaper.
Effectively, the strength gathered here was a bit lower than that of the hunting party.
Encouraged by that, one adventurer shouted.
“The pink-haired kid did her part! Isn’t it our turn now? Let’s go! Let’s kill that already dead skeleton girl once more!”
“““Waaah——!”””
With the roar erupting, the adventurers followed the one who charged ahead. They were probably from the same clan.
As soon as someone stepped forward, everyone started to align in an attacking formation, just as planned per the guild’s information.
I was also thinking of charging with my Unicorn Dagger during the decisive moment, fiddling with the sword hilt in my hand.
Rustle!
The leading Lesser Drake was bisected, armor and all. A sudden rupture felt through my powers.
Seeing it turned to flesh and bone fragments in one blow, I couldn’t help but flinch.
To gauge what kind of trick had been used, I narrowed my eyes, and the Grim Reaper pointed its finger at me.
The aura of death wrapped around its entire body was blocking the attacks from the other undead, making this possible.
Of course, as the energy was gradually being chipped away, it would be fine if it just stood there and took it…
But the following words from the Grim Reaper were utterly surprising.
– The Rule of Finale. Chapter 1, Section 3. Life and death are separate; do not breach that gap without permission.
– ???
A voice that seemed to drill directly into my mind, rather than my ears. Strangely, though, no one but me seemed to hear it as they simply shouted and charged.
– The target is alive yet dead, existing yet cannot exist; thus, it is a breach. Since I unlawfully commanded the undead, it results in a further breach.
– Were you really saying that to me?
The Grim Reaper continued, indifferent to my bewildered response.
– You breathe to live though you will soon die, thus a breach. Those that will someday vanish into nothingness leaving traces behind, thus a breach. Thus, facing a meaningless future, thus a breach. Since I’ve made significant preparations, thus a breach. Because you have pink hair, thus a breach. Because you are hiding the skeletal remains of an abomination in your arms, thus a breach. Breach. Breach. Breach…
At first, it seemed to give credible reasons, but later it added absurd reasons, repeating its earlier statements.
– Therefore, I pronounce death upon the target.
As the Grim Reaper spoke, a familiar symbol glowed on its neck.
Just like when I resurrected the undead.
