The Ruined Death Knight

After giving Alka a few instructions, Danzel continued to carve runes till the next day.

He had reached the point where he was gaining XP in the [Great Rune of Ruined Vessel], though it was far from enough in getting 6 more levels in [Black Guard] and reaching the evolution point of his main class.

Whether level 100 was it or not, Danzel didn't know, but he found it very likely for it to be the case.

And if it really were the case, then additional abilities would come with it.

'Although they are few other skills seeming core to the [Dark Guard] class, they go more in the direction of giving support to others.' He thought to himself.

He wasn't much interested in such skills, at least for now.

"Half of you all, follow me." Danzel said, making his newly created Draugr follow him as instructed.

Walking back to the village with 50 or so undead.

The first thing that Danzel was Shiro coming towards him.

"Rue! Have you finally finished carving, ehm, them?" Shiro said somewhat awkwardly.

Danzel nodded his head towards Shiro.

"How have you been in your studies?" Danzel asked as Shiro walked beside him, with all the Draugrs following them.

"Hihi, witness!" Shiro yelled full of pride as she stretched her hand, revealing an ominous dark mana.

"Mhm, you improved quite a bit, the quality of the dead mana isn't bad. And you aren't harming yourself anymore..." Danzel said as he gazed at her hands.

Though others couldn't tell, a 4th-tier undead could tell by just a glance, that Shiro's hand held an ominous fragment of dead mana still present inside her arm.

"Albeit, using your body to practice isn't something that I recommend you. Even if it's meant to hasten your understanding of dead mana."

Hearing that, Shiro avoided Danzel's gaze.

"I used light magic, so I should be fine..." Shiro mumbled under that mask.

Danzel shook his head upon hearing that.

"Even if your light magic heals the damage, that doesn't mean that your body will completely recover." Danzel said as he went behind Shiro and grabbed her hands with his.

"Cold..." Shiro shivered at the metallic cold of Danzel's gauntlets.

Ignoring what she had to say, Danzel drained the remaining feint fragments of dead mana off Shiro's arm.

Usually and in most cases, manipulating the mana of another being was extremely difficult. But because it was dead mana and there wasn't much, to begin with, Danzel was capable to extract the fragments of dead mana.

"If notice that you continue using your body as a practice dummy, then you can say goodbye to the books that I gave you. With your condition, we don't know how you will react with dead mana inside your body."

"Though the amount of bitterly small, by the off chance your condition is triggered and the mana turns into dead mana. Even I won't be able to help if that were to happen."

Hearing those words, Shiro shivered just imagining it.

She had already studied the result of this happening.

"..."

"If you are that eager, go find a few villagers to be your test subjects. Either by force or negotiations. I heard that you healed a few of those "fox people". I bet there will be one or two who would be willing to do it if you offer your healing magic." Danzel said.

"In the first place, it was foolish to offer you services for free. Don't deceive yourself with being their god." The last few words he spoke in whispers, as they started seeing a group of the villagers lined up with the masked priestess waiting, with beside her being Alka and the old man he talked to before.

"Greetings to the primordial ones..." The masked priestess said as she stared at the large amount of Draugr behind Danzel and Shiro.

Unlike before, those had armor made out of bones, making them way more intimidating.

"Are those all you hunters?" Danzel said as he stared at the people in front of him.

Though they had weapons, some of them had none at all.

"Yes...we gathered to take your permission to go out and scavenge for food..."

Nodding his head, Danzel walked toward them and slowly drew a dagger from behind.

Of course, seeing that, many of the hunters flinched in response and some took a step back. Even the masked priestess looked at him worryingly.

Danzel in turn walked to the few who were brave enough to stand their ground.

Stepping in front of them, Danzel overshadowed them with his size and the pair of ethereal eyes make their instincts scream to run away.

But before the man in front of Danzel could listen to his instincts, a cold sensation mixed with pain came from his chest.

"K-Kyah!!?" The man finally reacted and jumped back as he touched his chest, only to see a very shallow cut on his chest.

"So much about hunters. Getting scared of merely being scratched." Danzel said with his cold voice as he stared at the rest of the hunters.

"Everyone who is willing to go beyond that wall is entitled to have a cut from me."

The hunters were confused by such a statement and looked for answerers from the masked priestess and the old man.

"Ehm...of course, our hunters would agree, but would it be possible to learn the reason for...this?"

Without turning to look at the old man, Danzel walked to the next hunter.

"It's insurance. With their blood on my blade, they would never escape my grasp by the chance they decided to run." Danzel said in his cold voice.

Making the hunters gain pale faces.

Knowing what he was doing now, the small scratch was all the more fearsome.

Alas, they couldn't and wouldn't dare to refuse.

In the end, each of them had a shallow cut made by Danzel's dagger despite their dissatisfaction.

"Rue, should I heal them?" Shiro asked while looking at the hunters.

"Do whatever you want..." Danzel said coldly before turning to the priestess.

"You, come and tell more of those villages on the map. What are the chances that they still exist of the ice trolls or of you people? Also, how is the condition of the mines?"

After he finished speaking, a large golden magic circle appeared beneath the hunters, showering them with warm light, which healed the shallow cuts, amazing the hunters and the masked priestess.

"Cough~Cough." The old man coughed while looking at the priestess, making her get back to her senses.

"Ah! Yes... Our contact with other tribes and villages has been cut for a long time. Only our hunters meet hunters of other villages, but the last contact was after a long time with few of us have actually been there, but that was ages ago."

"The situation is similar to the mine... because of the distance and the frequent raids of the hunters, we gave up on them a long time ago. As for the ice of the frozen relic...it's on the territory of the primordial god of Wild Hunt. Where also many hunters are living."

Hearing her explanation, Danzel would have frowned if he could.

As the information that he was given was full of uncertain noise and no guarantee.

'Also the territory of one of their gods? That sounds like this "Wild Hunt" truly exists. Though the most troublesome thing among is that...' Danzel thought internally for quite some time before deciding to ask what was on his mind.

"Does your village know in which direction the land isn't filled with ice?" Danzel asked the most important question of them all.

The previous questions were just considerations of the future of making this village their base and slowly finding their way back to the lands filled with war and bad merchants.

"What do you mean..?" The old man suddenly stepped forward and stared at Danzel with a burning gaze.

The others who heard Danzel's question were also confused.

The masked priestess went also silent.

Making Danzel realize ethereal eyes go out in disappointment.

"I see...well, no matter." Danzel mumbled as he turned his back to them.

The masked priestess opened her mouth behind the mask to say something, but before she could, Danzel's cold voice echoed through the surroundings.

"Anabast!!!"

Upon his shout, the next moment later 4 robed shadows descended in front of Danzel with one robed shadow coming out of Shiro's shadow.

"We head the call of thee Creator!" The five Anabast said in unison.

In the next moment, a flash of light appeared in Danzel's hand, revealing to be the hide of the haired buffalo. And in the hide with the use of dead mana, there was a replica of Danzel map.

"Here." Danzel threw the copies of the map to 4 Anabast"

"Sylas, Talon, Leyone, and Rayone. You are to go and scout if the locations marked on the map contain life or value. You are to return and report your findings. Understood?"

"Yes! O the Creator..." The 4 of the said as they bowed to him.

"As for you, Baron, you will continue to follow us." He said as he raised his hand towards the bone wall blocking the exit of the village.

And upon his command, the wall of bones collapsed and turned shortly after into dust and dead mana.

"Find a few people that have been to the village before to follow me and you girl." Danzel looked at Alka.

"You will be following us."

"Huh?"

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