Volume 9, Chapter 44 – Summoning The Undead Legion

When the sun, symbolizing the end of the day, dipped below the western mountains, night veiled the earth in a layer of deep blue. Although the morning had been faintly sunny, by nightfall, thick clouds drifting from the north had completely obscured the sky. Moonlight and starlight couldn’t reach this land of undulating mountains. The only light on the earth now was the orange-red glow from burning torches.

The Norta Empire’s army had already set up camp and was conserving energy for the war several days later.

Gazing down at the Norta Empire’s army camp from a nearby mountaintop, the cool late-autumn wind blowing against her face invigorated Lin. She slowly exhaled a puff of white mist.

“Waiting for the siege engines…”

Even in this other world with magic, people still had to rely on machines for siege warfare. For most, magic was an unattainable existence. Even in a powerful nation like the Norta Empire, which invested large sums of gold annually in training soldiers, the proportion of magic soldiers was barely one-tenth. The initial investment to train a magic soldier from scratch was too high, and directly recruiting existing magic casters from society required paying high salaries each year. Maintaining too many magic casters simultaneously puts considerable pressure on military expenditures. Compared to magic casters, purchasing siege engines—which wouldn’t complain and would serve loyally for life once bought—was the most cost-effective choice.

However, this also brought various problems, chief among them being the immense size and weight of siege engines, making them slow. When the main army marched, to avoid hindering the entire army’s speed, commanders usually chose to have the baggage train transport the siege engines while the main force arrived at the battlefield first to rest. Only after the siege engines arrived would the war officially begin. Now, looking down from Lin’s perspective at the brightly lit Norta Empire camp below, there were no large siege engines within. In other words, there was still some time before the siege battle.

“Judging by the scale, there are at least twenty thousand soldiers. And this is just the vanguard; who knows how many more are behind them. They must have drawn at least half the forces from the central section of the northern defensive line. Hmph, they really think highly of us. Yisi, are you done yet?”

Lin looked behind her. The mountaintop she stood on had originally been occupied by an Imperial scout, capable of instantly notifying the army below of approaching danger. Initially, Lin hadn’t noticed this soldier, hidden in the darkness using shadow magic. If Yisi, who was accompanying her, hadn’t stopped her in time and swiftly incapacitated the soldier at a speed that astonished Lin, she likely would have already been discovered by the Imperial army below.

Yisi, who was tying the soldier to a tree branch with a rope, turned her head.

“Hmm? Almost done. Just wait a little longer, Lin.”

“Imperial soldiers can just be killed casually. You’re too soft, Yisi.”

“No, I just thought we might be able to get some information out of him.”

As she spoke, Yisi tightened the rope firmly.

Lin, not wearing her mask, sighed.

Reаԁ oո ΚαtRеаdіոɡСαfе

“Hah, whether we have information or not, doesn’t the outcome remain the same? Although I haven’t learned Tier 6 magic yet that could eliminate these soldiers in the blink of an eye, relying on my strength beyond the heroic domain, even if my magic power isn’t enough to annihilate them all, I can at least eliminate half. If I achieve that, the rest will likely surrender out of fear… I initially thought the Empire would send at most ten thousand soldiers; I didn’t expect them to double that number.”

“It just shows the Empire considers your Divine Religion very strong. Honestly, I think even doubling the number of soldiers again wouldn’t be a problem. After all, just the old Pope who turned into an undead beneath the shaft is already level 60, not to mention other hidden powers.”

“No, only you, Atwood, myself, and a few other bishops know about the old Pope. That Gore fellow, merely being an imperial envoy, doesn’t have the authority to know the truth. Generations ago, we began suspecting the Empire would strike ruthlessly against us, which is why we moved our base from the Empire to the Duchy of Chloe.”

“I see.” After tying the soldier to the tree, Yisi clapped her hands and looked up at the sky. Thick clouds obscured all light. The pitch-dark environment perfectly suited Lin’s upcoming actions. “Lin, we can start. Prepare the magic first, or go directly?”

“We?” Lin tilted her head, her brow furrowing unhappily. “Yisi, didn’t we agree that only I would act, and you would be responsible for notifying from here? I can’t let the Imperials see you.”

So I can’t bluff my way through?

Looking thoroughly dejected, Yisi’s shoulders slumped.

“Yes, yes, only Lin will act. But I have to remind you first, Lin: focus more on protecting yourself than on killing. Even someone beyond the heroic domain can die quickly if a vital spot is hit by magic or an arrow. You are the future of the Divine Religion. If you die, the church loses its meaning. No, it probably wouldn’t even survive this war. So if you encounter danger, don’t persist. Turn around and run. I’ll cover you.”

“Of course I know that, Yisi. But even if the number of soldiers is double what was expected, ordinary people without magic can’t threaten me. I have dragon blood. As long as scales cover my skin, ordinary arrows and Tier 2 magic pose no threat.”

As she spoke, Lin pointed to the cyan scales on her cheek, as if showing them to Yisi. While she spoke, the scales on her face increased slightly, instantly adding a more demonic allure to her already bewitching face.

If someone with a preference for monster girls saw Lin now, they’d surely howl. Yisi’s lips curled slightly. She counted herself among them. Unfortunately, Lin wasn’t a child like Mary; otherwise, she could ask if she could touch the scales. After all, Lin was a normally developed young woman; suddenly asking to touch her cheek was no different from sexual harassment.

“Hah, then I’m relieved. I’ll wait for you here, Lin.”

“You should be going into the city to notify the soldiers. You’re too pessimistic, Yisi.”

Pouting noncommittally, Yisi flipped her hand and offered Lin two bottles of blue magic potion.

Rеaԁ οn ΚαtRеaⅾinɡСаfе

“Take these. They’re magic potions that can instantly replenish depleted magic power. They should come in handy against over twenty thousand soldiers. Well, there aren’t many, though.”

“Instantly replenish magic power? Yisi, I’m beyond the heroic domain now. Even high-grade magic potions can’t fully replenish my magic, let alone instantly.”

Although she looked skeptical, Lin still accepted the two bottles. Just as Yisi said, when facing such a large number of soldiers, running out of magic power was almost certain. But just as the potions reached Lin’s hand and Yisi was about to withdraw hers, Lin suddenly grabbed Yisi’s wrist. Looking down at Yisi, her gaze was a mixture of gratitude, seriousness, and something indescribable.

Her hand is too cold.

Even colder than mine, a vampire.

“Thank you, Yisi. But everything you’re doing for me is destined to be in vain. I have the responsibility of a savior. I probably won’t be able to repay you anything until the day I die.”

“It’s fi—”

Before the words ‘It’s fine’ could leave her mouth, Yisi felt the grip on her wrist tighten slightly. She subconsciously looked at Lin’s face. Her purplish-blue eyes, staring intently, reflected the distant torchlight, conveying a strong will. This was Lin’s heartfelt advice—she was warning Yisi that no matter how much she invested in her, she wouldn’t get anything in return.

But she hadn’t wanted anything from the start. She had simply, in the course of watching the play, transitioned from an observer to an actor, developing a desire to do something. Just as a player invested in a story would never aim for the bad end when a happy end was possible, she simply didn’t want to see the story’s protagonist meet her demise. That was her greatest motivation. If she remained indifferent after knowing what Lin had gone through, she wouldn’t be Yisi.

“Pfft.” Yisi let out a chuckle. To cover her lapse in composure, she covered her mouth with her free hand. “This isn’t a life-or-death parting, Lin. No need to be so solemn. I’m just following my heart. It has nothing to do with whether I get repaid.”

“But helping to this extent without seeking anything in return… doesn’t make sense, does it?”

“No.”

Lin had gotten the premise wrong from the start. If Yisi’s strength wasn’t high, or was comparable to Lin’s, then her previous actions could indeed be called ‘strange.’ Without ties of family, love, or friendship, getting involved in someone else’s war vortex could only mean ulterior motives—money, items, or affection. However, for Yisi, level 427, who didn’t worry about food or drink and could toss gold coins around like stones, the phrase ‘helping to this extent’ didn’t apply. Just as someone who owned a mountain wouldn’t be stingy about a single branch, helping Lin posed no danger to her life, and the cost was merely a few bottles of magic potion. Compared to the satisfaction of helping others and seeing the smiles around her, those were trivial matters.

“Lin, you don’t need to dwell on these things. We are friends. Helping each other is natural.”

Rеαⅾ оո ΚatRеаԁiոɡCаfе

“But even friends should know how to repay kindness. Your help to me has already exceeded the bounds of friendship. Helping me break through the heroic domain, saving those who I should have turned into undead, listening to my sorrows, showing me the way when I didn’t know where to turn, and even treating my unpresentable self like a human, like a woman… All these things combined are not what a friend should do. No one in the past could do these things. Even Red and Purple, while considering me a friend, still mostly saw me as a Hero, a savior to support. Only you, Yisi, see me as an equal. This is something I never had before, and something I always wished for. I wished for someone who could treat me like a human, like an ordinary girl.”

Her voice trembling with emotion, Lin’s gaze became complicated, as if finding it hard to speak, her teeth clenched tightly together.

“If I could repay you, Yisi, I wouldn’t have these thoughts. Our contributions would be equal; there would be no debt. But I don’t have the ability, nor ample time. Apart from saying thank you, I can’t even give you a single promise. These past few days, when I’ve been alone, I even sometimes think, if you were—”

Her words stopped abruptly. Lin stared into Yisi’s eyes, her purplish-blue irises and long lashes trembling together. Her mouth opened and closed, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. She abruptly looked away, released Yisi’s wrist, and half-covered her face with her hand, her breathing uneven.

“…It’s nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“Lin, since Red and Purple left, you’ve been like a different person. If you’re sad, then give up tonight’s operation. The Imperial army won’t attack the Ducal Capital right away. You can wait until you’ve adjusted.”

“No, I’m not sad.”

Just frustrated, even hateful, of my own powerlessness.

Lin took a deep breath.

“The plan proceeds as scheduled. Yisi, if there’s anything you need me to do, anything at all, just tell me, and I will definitely do my best to accomplish it. That might make me feel a little better.”

“Is that so…”

If possible, she wished Lin would give up the Gospel. However, that was impossible. If Lin gave up the Gospel, she wouldn’t be Lin anymore.

Yisi answered with a smile.

“I hope you can finish your mission while I’m still alive, Lin.”

Rеαԁ οո КαtRеαdiոgСаfe

Isn’t that the same as saying nothing?

Lin clenched her hands, not answering Yisi’s words. She couldn’t guarantee she could finish her mission while Yisi was still alive. Even though she only had dragon blood and wasn’t a full dragon, her lifespan was surely longer than a vampire’s. Who knew when the calamity would descend? Rashly making promises about things she wasn’t sure of was irresponsible.

“Hah. Then let’s begin. Let the people of the Empire taste some suffering.”

At the very least, I have to pay back for Red and Purple’s share.

That impossible mission… even if they succeeded, they absolutely couldn’t return alive. The most likely outcome is they’d be made examples of by the Empire, executed in front of all its citizens.

And now, it’s my turn to repay them.

With determination, Lin walked step by step to the edge of the cliff. She gripped her silver scythe in her right hand, while her left took out the magic crystal, containing all the deathly aura from the dead city, from her storage magic. Facing the dark, windy night, she began chanting a spell in a low voice.

The instant she began chanting, the surrounding air turned bone-chillingly cold. It wasn’t that the temperature actually dropped, but a change in bodily sensation. Dense deathly aura gathered from all directions onto the magic crystal in Lin’s hand, forcibly stripping the life force from all living things. Plants began to wither, and animals living underground curled up, slowly dying without knowing why.

When a visible gray mist gathered at the tip of the silver scythe, forming a massive gray sphere that seemed almost solid, Lin gradually stopped her low, arcane chanting. Her purplish-blue eyes narrowed dangerously, staring down at the Norta Empire’s camp below.

“Regret amidst the resentment of the dead.”

The moment her voice fell, the gray sphere gathered on the scythe exploded like a balloon. But the scattered gray mist seemed to come alive, transforming into meteors trailing long tails of flame, hurtling straight towards the Imperial camp below. In the process, the gray mist rapidly took shape.

Led by five Nightmare Knights mounted on skeletal horses, a vast legion composed of thousands of Zombies, Skeletons, Wraiths, Reapers, and Necromancers formed. This was one of the few Tier 5 spells in Lin’s arsenal, and also the first time she had ever used it. Because this spell was exceedingly evil, its destructive power against ordinary people surpassed any other spell of the same tier; it had always been explicitly forbidden by the Magic Casters’ Association.

Its name was [Summon Undead Legion].