#102
Northern Mountains (3)
My heart starts pounding and my senses become increasingly sharp.
A stabbing pain in my brain scratches my nerves, and I feel an unreasonable irritability rising.
-It’s annoying, it’s disgusting, I want to break it, get rid of it? Yeah, let’s kill it!
A hallucination-like sound spread through my head, trying to force me to take action.
And in a violent way.
That sudden madness was happening in real time inside Harley right now.
It was a situation that would have been confusing to anyone who experienced it···.
‘Well, it’s incomparably weaker than when I received the Immortal King’s Heart. I guess I don’t really need to worry about this much?’
Of course, it wasn’t a big problem for him since he had “Mind Hub”.
It’s not like Harley has been a little crazy lately.
He ignored the abnormalities in his mind and carefully observed the changes in his body.
It wasn’t just that my heart was beating faster and my blood was flowing faster.
An aura of ‘madness’ that could not be precisely identified swirled through his body, further activating all physical abilities, including his muscles and senses.
Yeah, it’s like…
‘Like these orcs now.’
Tougher skin, swollen muscles, and heightened reflexes.
The only downside is that he loses his sense of reason and just rushes in blindly, following his instincts.
‘Of course, it doesn’t seem to have that much effect on me.’
The amount of madness currently in his body was too small to further strengthen his monstrous body.
You would have to take dozens of times more madness than this to feel any significant strengthening effect.
‘Is it because I received it all at once as a magic stone? I couldn’t really feel it before, but now I can clearly feel the madness spreading all around.’
It spread throughout the world and earth, accumulating little by little in his body with every breath, gradually expanding the size of the madness that had already entered his body.
But Harley, who had been moving her body diligently while organizing her thoughts, was able to find one difference as she looked at the remaining orcs.
‘The amount of madness that enters monsters through breathing is different, right?’
Thanks to his efforts, the fight with the orc was slowly coming to an end, so he relaxed his body and examined it more closely.
‘···Monsters have the highest absorption rate, then me, and lastly humans.’
Perhaps this difference was the cause of the monster madness and the reason Harley had been feeling strange all along.
‘Is it a good match between monsters and madness? It could be that they are targeting and delving into things like wildness and instinct.’
Of course, it would be easier for you to display madness than someone with strong reason.
In order to get more detailed information, I had to risk accumulating more madness than I had now…
‘It won’t be a problem for me. Well, I’ll try my best.’
It didn’t matter to Harley, a savage warrior turned experimental subject.
“Crunch···.”
dump-
“···It’s over. Although the orcs originally had a strong fighting spirit, it was never to this level.”
As the last orc fell and the battle was over, the mage Fabiella, who had been maintaining the shield, let out a short sigh.
“They’re already tough to deal with since they’re skilled at fighting, but now they don’t even flinch at simple blows… Honestly, if there was no way I could do it, I would’ve given up and gone down a long time ago.”
Marcus, the guide who had been fighting in the rear to protect the magicians and archers, heard those words and quickly started to clean up.
Use the washing magic tool you received to remove any blood stains from your body and equipment, and apply some juice to mask the smell.
For now, the noise and scent of blood are not leaking out thanks to the shielding curtain that the wizard is maintaining, but the moment it is lifted, monsters will start swarming from all directions again.
“Oh? The world’s greatest Marcus is scared of just these orcs?”
“Whew… Mikel. I think you’re forgetting something important.”
As Mikel provoked him by retrieving a reusable bolt and wiping the bloodstains off, Marcus continued to speak quietly, as if to reassure her.
“This is the Northern Mountains, also known as the home of monsters. We’ve only been here for a day, and our destination is still a few days away.”
Moreover, it was common sense that the deeper you went, the higher the density of monsters and the stronger ones would appear.
There are limits to the magic tools that can kill a presence, so it’s clear as day that things will get more difficult in the future.
Even Michel had nothing to say, so he just pouted.
Since they were all veterans, the cleanup was done in no time.
“Laugh.”
Harley tapped his shoulder with a shovel as he emerged from the burial pit he’d dug while the others were busy doing other things.
Originally, the group was planning to move as quickly as possible before the smell of blood spread far away.
It was too inefficient to bury each monster’s corpse individually.
But things changed when Harley demonstrated her overwhelming physical prowess by digging a huge hole in just a few minutes.
Of course, that method wasn’t as perfect as the orcs that had just chased them, but without it, they would have had to face many more monsters.
After Inspector Flora threw the orc corpse into the pit, Harley used her incredible strength to quickly cover it with a pile of dirt.
“···I always say you’re amazing. How do you always do that so casually? Don’t you ever get tired?”
‘What good timing.’
Harley, who finished the work in an instant while receiving admiring looks from the group, took the shovel apart and put it away, and jokingly said to the group what he had been thinking about.
“Oh, by the way. I’m starting to feel a little tired! Can I get my share of magic stones first?”
“Hmm? What does that have to do with the magic stone?”
“Hahaha—! It’s a sorcery of our tribe’s vision. It involves eating magic stones and absorbing their energy, but as you can see from my body, I can’t handle it with just a simple meal!”
“iced coffee···.”
The group nodded vaguely to Harley’s words, which they had gathered as best they could, but of course, not everyone did so.
“Oh, you’re eating magic stones? That’s what barbarians do… Ouch!”
puck!
As Michel spoke, as if he was dumbfounded, he was poked in the side by Flora, who was standing next to him, and then glared at her.
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But when Flora faced her confidently and frowned, Michel let out a small sigh and mumbled what he was going to say.
“···I’ve never heard of southerners eating magic stones···.”
‘Even if you call me a savage, I don’t really care.’
But I didn’t say anything to them, because I thought that was just my own opinion since I wasn’t a true Southerner.
As Harley’s presence at the party grew, it didn’t feel so bad to be taken care of even in these small details.
“If that’s the case, then it doesn’t matter. If I go back, I’ll try to get some additional compensation for the necessary expenses.”
“Oh my—as expected, the knight Nari has a big heart!”
After everyone agreed to this, time passed and the campsite that had been painstakingly constructed was set up.
‘Huh?’
Harley’s expression as she looked at the magic stone she had been collecting changed mysteriously.
Naturally, I thought the monster’s magic stone would be filled with madness, but the amount contained there was somewhat strange.
It’s not that it doesn’t exist at all. It’s not that···.
“···Can you give me my share of the things I caught recently?”
“Hmm? Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. But is there any special reason?”
“Ah! Of course fresh ones taste better and are more effective! Hahaha!”
The overall amount of madness was much less than what he had initially felt contained in the orc magic stone.
Even on some magic stones, there was almost none left.
‘···When the host dies and its utility value disappears, does it disperse into the air again?’
And then it will enter the body of another monster and become the seed that creates new madness.
“Then, I guess this will work.”
As soon as the distribution was finished, he grabbed a handful of magic stones without hesitation and put them in his mouth.
Crack, crack—!
“Uh… I, I…!”
Harley ignores everyone’s absurd stares and diligently uses “Monster Eater” to chew on the magic stone.
The energy that had been waning in him began to rise again···.
Thump—!
The buds of madness that had taken hold of his body began to grow like weeds soaked in rain.
***
A sinister and eerie atmosphere in a space that seems to freeze even the soul.
Even though it was just an ordinary mountain and not a cemetery, there was an atmosphere there that made it feel like a magical place.
[···Girl, I··· pledge my loyalty··· to the King···.]
The woman’s sobbing, ear-piercing wail echoed throughout the area.
At the same time, the surrounding air began to stir, and thousands of ghosts fell to their knees in worship.
Woohoo—
The translucent beings that had gathered together, regardless of type, including phantoms, wraiths, and specters, all exuded an ominous aura, and their mere presence caused the temperature to drop below zero.
‘This is another spectacular sight.’
Hans, oblivious to the surreal situation, calmly observed his surroundings and quietly looked down at them.
The one who stood at the front representing the ghosts was the Banshee Queen, wearing a black veiled hat with neatly tied hair and a dress that resembled mourning clothes…
She too was a top officer in the Immortal Army.
[Good job, Olivia. You collected a lot more than I expected.]
[As per the king’s command… I focused on minimizing conflict with humans… and gathering the children together…]
Because ghosts have no physical form, they are overwhelmingly advantageous for moving stealthily.
Although it had the disadvantage of being more susceptible to fatal damage from auras such as magic or divine power, there was no greater advantage to avoiding fights and gathering together in one place like now.
Hans looked closely at the Banshee Queen Olivia, who stood before him respectfully.
The pale-skinned noblewoman in black mourning attire was renowned for her vicious abilities, which contrasted with her beautiful appearance.
Like Entraciona Karam, it even appears in history books.
‘It’s an ability specialized for mass slaughter. An ordinary person without any spiritual defenses can die instantly just by hearing that cursed scream.’
Her notoriety really became known because such an incident actually happened.
The massacre of tens of thousands of citizens in a single city, where her intrusion was prevented by complacent measures, was treated as a significant event in the records of previous battles with the Immortal Kings.
But her true value did not lie solely in her fighting prowess.
[Olivia. I have something for you to do.]
[Your Majesty… whatever you command… I will do my best… to carry it out.]
Hans turned his head slightly and looked at a group of people who were drooling with blank expressions.
Those who stare into space with unfocused eyes—those who belong to the Oath of Reverse Heaven.
It was just a matter of time before Hans could find them, as gathering the Immortal Army was his priority.
Because even a barrier of any level would be unable to avoid the pursuit combined with his overwhelming black magic and the “Eye of the Abyss”.
The guys here now were also caught while collecting the undead and brought here for a quick tactic.
‘Of course, that would require a lot of work, and I still don’t have the time.’
Only the most urgent western part of the continent had been roughly cleared out, and the undead in other regions had not yet been completely dealt with.
As the continent becomes more chaotic, the undead that are ‘theirs’ will also continue to be consumed.
Even if the generals were like that, the executives at the top were too valuable to lose.
‘That’s how you got Olivia.’
Ghosts are not bound by physical constraints and can roam freely anywhere that is not specially fortified.
And Olivia, who commands all of those entities—.
He was the chief information officer under the Immortal King, responsible for all information needed in the war against the Continent.
[This is where these guys belong.]
Hans continued, looking at the warlocks.
Although the interrogation through the “Eye of the Abyss” was a bit spicy, it was intentionally adjusted to a certain degree, so there was no danger to life.
[Try to dig up as much information as you can about these guys.]
[I will follow your orders… Please set a final goal… I will do my best to achieve it…]
[Kuhehehe— Of course···.]
Hans smiled sinisterly and spread his arms.
The air around them stirred and an abyssal darkness spread out as if it were going to swallow the world.
[Absolute obedience.]
What he wanted was a horse that would faithfully follow his commands.
Those who comply will be granted a brief reprieve, but those who do not follow through to the end will only face death.
They didn’t need any leniency.
[According to the King’s will···.]
The Banshee Queen Olivia bowed again respectfully at the awe-inspiring words of the Immortal King’s declaration.
And she slowly approached the warlocks who were still sitting there in a daze, to proceed with her work.
After some time had passed.
Thousands of ghosts—covertly spread out into the world.
