The Ruined Death Knight

Walking above the snow, were more than 50 undead on those frozen lands. Being led by an existence that was responsible for their creation.

And among that group, except for Shiro, they were only 4 of the living following

And except for Alka, the other three were considered as the strongest 3 in the village next.

They were respectively Maxxren, Xesan, and the guy who managed to actually destroy Danzel's skull once

Though except for Maxxren, neither of those two looked like they had better days.

Xesan in particular looked exceptionally bad.

Under his eyes, he had black circles and occasionally he would shake and touch his chest as if searching for something that wasn't there.

While the other guy would look behind at the undead and glance at their ethereal eyes before staring at the figure leading them.

"I have to say, I am surprised that the girl with the mask sended you three in particular. Where any of you really in that mine that we are going to?" The one leading the undead said as he turned his head and glanced at the living with his ethereal eyes.

"We have indeed been there. I and Xesan helped them carry those stones when we were little. Wherever it's occupied though is beyond our knowledge though." Maxxren said.

"When you were children you say? Heh, I came to learn that children are particularly foolish you see. I knew few that treated me. Ahhh~ I still regret the day that I didn't spill their blood with my sword. Alas, I was too afraid to back then..." Danzel mumbled the last part in whispers.

"What about you, the one who broke my head. Are we aimlessly walking to nothingness or what is your story about this mine?"

"...I was on the last group that went to retrieve the stones used by the blacksmith. I believe it was around 5 years ago since we last went there. We gave up once the hunters overtook that place."

"5 Years, huh? And by hunter's, are you talking about the ice trolls?"

"Yes...I believe they were called so, though most of us know them as hunters."

"So you weren't able to beat them despite your strength and that ice needle of yours?" Danzel said before gazing in front of him and taking the map out.

'Maybe I should have gone alone and scouted before leading the Draugrs here...' Danzel thought.

It has been quite a few days since they started walking and they still haven't arrived to does mines.

But as the map didn't show how far away it was and only vaguely the direction, how far it was actually was a mystery to Danzel.

It reached the point that he suspected that he was given to walk somewhere far away to give the villagers the chance to leave.

Though as the 3rd-tier guy joined with him, he pushed those thoughts away.

Even if it was the best time to run, the village would suffer immensely without their strongest figure with them.

Albeit the masked girl seemed to have the potential to eliminate many of his Draugr, they were still over 50 Draugrs in the village.

Despite that, just leaving the village would be a risk for them, all the more with their remaining food supply.

So he put such thoughts away.

'No, leaving Shiro alone would be a risk on its own. If her condition activates...' He quickly pushed his previous thoughts away.

Although he could probably reach the mines alone in less than a day if the map was truly correct, he needed his Draugr to be with him to make use of the mine.

'Maybe I should even send Baron first and wait for confirmation. I would have more time to carve while having a guaranteed...'

"No, it's too risky..." Danzel mumbled.

Although Baron was strong, he was still the 3rd-tier being.

Even with his regenerative body, he had still a considerably frail body for a 3rd-tier. Even more that of a magic caster. Albeit their body was incredibly strong compared to the common man.

"Hey Rue, what is it that is troubling you." Shiro suddenly spoke to him, making him trail his attention to her.

"Nothing considerably important." Danzel said before putting his map away in his spatial storage ring.

"And, how was that girl? Learned anything?"

Shiro nodded her head.

"Yes, though their language is different, they aren't hard to pronounce." Shiro explained.

"I see...what words did you learn, Shiro?"

"Mhm, For now, I learned yes, you, no, and thank you. I think it will be a while until I will be able to formulate sentences..."

"I see...just out of curiosity, can you speak out those 4 words for me to hear?" Danzel asked.

"Of course, yes in their language is "yes", you is "you", no is "no" and thank you is "thank you". I lack their accent so it might not have been as good as theirs..."

"..." Danzel stayed silent upon hearing Shiro's bizarre answer.

'As I expected... I can't tell the difference between the two languages, but I still understand them...why though?' He thought internally.

Although he once question how he knew the language of others, he put such knowledge to having been acquired from the previous owner of his body and that everyone was speaking the same language.

Although the latter was true in the lands where the arcana and the Berum kingdom were. Being now somewhere where a different language was established, made him realize that something wasn't quite right.

'Not only that, but also my undead inherits such an ability, but the natural born undead isn't like that, so why...?'

He tried to think of a reason as to why that was the case, but in the end, he ended up with nothing but the suspicion of the status screen being somehow involved.

'I will have to ask Velkir next time I meet him, just to be sure.'

"Rue...might I ask you something?" Shiro whispers to him.

"And what might it be? Depends on your question, I might not be able to answer though." Danzel answered carelessly.

He was too mentally tired to think of something with no way of finding a concrete answer.

"Ehm...you don't have to answer, but... you mentioned being afraid of something a moment ago. Might I know what you were afraid of?"

Hearing her questions, Danzel couldn't help but look at her with a grin.

"What? Now you are trying to figure me out? Don't worry, As long as you don't force my hand or the situation is unavoidable, I won't kill you or let you be killed." Danzel said with a grin on his face.

"No! I didn't mean it like that! I just thought that someone like...you, wouldn't be afraid of anything..." Shiro said hastily.

Danzel shook his head.

"Everyone has fears. Even those who claimed to not have any are just beings who haven't encountered their fears as of yet. The same it's for me." Danzel explained to Shiro.

"Personally, I fear the concept of death. As hypocritical as it sounds, having been responsible for more than ten thousand deaths. The knowledge of being put into a situation that might result in my death, frighten's me immensely, as I know what awaits me after I die..." Danzel said as he gazed at Shiro.

"Agares for example also bring such fear in me together with the other Deathfull Skulls members. Just the idea of facing any of them to death..." Danzel shook his head.

Even the weakest member, Vanessa, Danzel had no shred of confidence that he could win against her even if they were two of him facing her.

And compared to the others, Danzel felt the most hopeless in the scenario of fighting Agares.

Shiro who heard that was confused by such a statement.

In her mind, the undead were beings that never tire, never hunger, and never fear the concept of death.

Also, a small detail that Danzel revealed sprouted her curiosity.

"Rue, you just mentioned that you know what comes after death... Did you mean that literally?" Shiro asked, making Danzel fall silent.

Shiro felt that she asked something that she wasn't supposed to ask, making her lower her head without pursuing the question further.

Only after several hours when they finally managed to see the signs of the mine did Danzel finally speak up.

"In the world beyond, blackened ichor filled though you sight, where the withered souls await to pull you to wither with them...for possible of all eternity. That is what awaits everyone who loses their vessel of the physical realm." Danzel said with a much colder and more serious tone than usual.

"No goddess awaiting you in her safe heaven, circle of reincarnation, or absolute nothingness. Once your time has come, only those with the strongest will-No, even them, will have a difficult time escaping such an end." Danzel finished before stepping forward with his ethereal eyes flaring up.

"Are those the mines that you know of?" Danzel asked the living behind him.

The man who penetrated his skull nodded his head.

"Yes...that's indeed the place, but those walls...weren't there before. They should be-"

"The ice troll hunters, I assume?" Danzel finished his sentence for him as he gazed at the life force far beyond.

And as he gazed, he put his hand above the hilt of his sword.

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